Pine64 shared some information about new products and updates in its latest community announcement. One of the new items is the PineCam, an improved version of the PineCube IP camera.
The PineCam is currently in the early stages of development. The plastic case and the final circuit board have just arrived. The assembly of the circuit board is expected to be finished by the end of October. The first units will be sent out to developers, and there might be a demonstration at FOSDEM 2025. Although the price hasn’t been set yet, Pine64 is aiming for it to be under $30. The PineCam is versatile and can be used for security cameras, 3D printers, drones, and other various ways.
The PineCam has 512MB of RAM, enough to run a Linux-based operating system like MotionEyeOS. It comes with a 2MP camera module, the same as the PineTab 2/-V, and connects through a MIPI CSI connector. One nice feature is that the camera module can be easily detached, allowing it to be used as a USB-C wired webcam. The camera also has IR LEDs, which help it work in low-light conditions.
The mainboard has GPIO pins, a microphone, a speaker, and a USB-C power input. The GPIO pins use the same layout as the Oz64 and can be accessed through a removable cover. The PineCam comes with a detachable, foldable tripod. The company stated that it wanted to improve on the PineCube because of some problems. These problems with the PineCube were due to how it was made, not because there wasn’t a demand for it. So, the company redesigned the PineCam, much like they brought back the PineNote.
The new camera uses a chip that’s already part of Pine64’s products, specifically from the Oz64 single-board computer. This chip has two RISC-V cores and one ARM core, which gives it better processing power than the PineCube.
Source: Pine64
