Thermal camera based on Raspberry Pi Pico and MLX90640

Overview

This camera was a dream I've had for a while to use up some parts I had lying around on my bench. I took an embedded system design course in Fall 2025 under Linden McClure, and I used it as an opportunity to prototype a design using wire wrapping. The code worked, and I could use it as a thermal camera, but in April 2026, I finally taped it out to a PCB which is conducive to an enclosure and being more rugged. I wrote the library for displaying to the thin-film transistor display manually as the key effort to the project.

User features

• 7 FPS refresh rate
• Dynamic color mapping
• Real-time temperature readout (min/max)
• USB-C charging
• 3.7V Lithium polymer/ion battery

Technical Features

• CMake based project
• KiCad based layout
• Supports charging over battery
• MCP73831 charger with charging/full indicators
• 3.3V logic and power