WSAL14038 – RPi FPC Camera/en

Documentation notice: This technical documentation was independently rewritten from an archived supplier source. Check technical details and commands against the product version and manufacturer documentation before use.

Summary

The RPi FPC camera is a mini-size module for Raspberry Pi boards using the CSI interface. Depending on the installed sensor (OV5647, OV9281, IMX219, IMX290/IMX327, IMX378, IMX477, IMX519, IMX708, IMX296), different drivers and configuration steps are required.

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WSAL14038 – RPi FPC Camera, Mini Size

Technical overview

Connection: The CSI port sits between the audio jack and HDMI port; on Pi Zero it is beside the power connector. The metal side of the FPC cable faces the network port or downward on Zero.
Supported sensors: OV5647, OV9281, IMX219 (official/third-party), IMX290/IMX327, IMX378, IMX477 (official/third-party), IMX519, IMX708, IMX296.
Driver support: Depending on the sensor, either libcamera or Raspicam/rpicam is needed; IMX519 requires an additional driver.
Config file: On Bookworm systems, edit /boot/firmware/config.txt; set camera_auto_detect=0 there.
dtoverlay entries: Each sensor has its own dtoverlay command, e.g., dtoverlay=imx290,clock-frequency=37125000 or dtoverlay=ov9281.
Dual cameras: CM4 carrier boards and Pi 5 can connect two cameras to cam0 and cam1 simultaneously.
Start preview: rpicam-hello opens a preview for about five seconds; close it via Alt+F4, the window close button, or Ctrl+C in the terminal.
JPEG capture: rpicam-jpeg -o test.jpg saves a full-resolution JPEG; use -t, --width and --height to adjust duration and resolution.
Exposure control: Capture can be manually controlled with fixed shutter time and gain.
Tuning files: For specific sensors, e.g., NoIR variants, a custom tuning JSON file can be specified via --tuning-file.

Commands and examples – verify before use:

sudo apt-get update -y
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo nano /boot/config.txt
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt
dtoverlay=ov9281
dtoverlay=imx290,clock-frequency=37125000
dtoverlay=imx378
dtoverlay=imx219
dtoverlay=imx477
dtoverlay=imx708
sudo wget https://www.waveshare.net/w/upload/7/7a/Imx290.zip
sudo unzip Imx290.zip
sudo cp imx290.json /usr/share/libcamera/ipa/rpi/pisp
dtoverlay=imx219,cam0
dtoverlay=ov5647,cam1
sudo libcamera-hello -t 0
sudo libcamera-hello -t 0 --camera 0
sudo libcamera-hello -t 0 --camera 1
sudo cat /etc/os-release
rpicam-hello

Notes and version constraints

The exact sensor type must be identified before configuration; the source data does not provide a clear mapping to this product.
When using Camera Module 3, autofocus is enabled; this affects exposure parameters.
For IMX290 on Pi 5, an additional JSON file must be copied; without this step the camera may not work.
According to the source, the model does not support access to Pi Zero, although connection instructions for Zero are described.
Compatibility with specific Raspberry Pi generations depends on the sensor and should be verified before purchase.
On older systems (Bullseye), extra steps such as enabling Glamor are needed to ensure hardware acceleration works.
The temperature range 0–40 °C comes from a FAQ entry and should be verified for the intended deployment location.

Source and revision record

RPi FPC Camera - Waveshare Wiki
Source revision: 89214
Captured: 2026-08-30T04:08:12+00:00
SHA-256: 64238fac13cfe2c9d62b3ffdb526a009600666385ccebdca737fc2d8a4297144