As robots become increasingly intelligent, cameras are being deployed more widely than ever. Whether in service robots, industrial robots, or embodied AI devices, cameras are essential for capturing surrounding environmental data to carry out vision tasks such as image recognition, object detection, and OCR. Consequently, establishing an efficient connection between the camera and the main control chip to ensure stable image acquisition has become a critical consideration in vision system design.

Typically, cameras connect to the main processor via a MIPI CSI interface, a feature predominantly found on SoCs. For applications that only require image acquisition, display, and basic processing, opting for a SoC solution can lead to higher system costs and unnecessary complexity.

Megahunt’s MH2435 offers an alternative: enabling the MCU to connect directly to camera.

MIPI CSI: Connecting the MCU to the Camera

The MH2435 series MCU integrates MIPI CSI interface, allowing direct connection to mainstream CMOS Sensor for image data capture. Additionally, the MH2435 supports High-Speed USB to stream captured image data to a downstream host SoC, providing a complete data path from front-end acquisition to back-end processing.

In a robotics scenario, for example, the MH2435 can interface with a camera to capture ambient visual information, leveraging its on-chip display and graphics processing resources to handle local image rendering and basic processing tasks.

If an application demands more intensive vision workloads, such as facial recognition, object detection, or OCR, the MH2435 can stream the captured image frames over High-Speed USB to a host SoC or dedicated back-end AI accelerator for advanced algorithm execution.

Under this architecture, the MH2435 manages front-end tasks including camera interfacing, image capture, and data transmission, while the host SoC handles high computing power visual processing, achieving a balanced division of labor between front-end capture and back-end computing.

Furthermore, the MH2435 features an RGB display interface, integrated JPEG decoder, and DMA2D graphics accelerator, balancing both image processing and display capabilities. This enables an all-in-one pipeline covering image capture, basic processing, and display output, providing a flexible visual acquisition solution for robotics, smart terminals, and industrial equipment.

Giving MCUs the Power to ‘See’

Traditional MCUs are primarily tasked with controlling logic and communications. By integrating MIPI CSI, the MH2435 equips MCUs with native camera connectivity.

For applications requiring camera capture, display output, and real-time control without the need for high compute power, the MH2435 serves as a significantly lighter-weight solution.

From robotics to smart terminals and industrial devices, the addition of MIPI CSI opens up broader possibilities for MCU-driven vision applications.