Multiple camera controller

[Thane of Cawdor]

Hi,

I understand that I could potentially do this with a embedded computer which has multiple camera inputs but wanted to find out if there's a lower power/footprint way to go ahead with this.

Are there any video controller ICs or off-the-shelf ICs available which could do something like this - if so, where would you start (I know it probably wouldn't be trivial)?

Thanks

[magic]

The screenshot they show has the video streams in separate windows, so it could be as simple as a USB hub with three cameras hooked up to it.

What you are trying to achieve isn't easy, you essentially do need an embedded computer to drive both cameras, perform the image processing and pretend to be a camera to another USB host. You can't simply "combine USB signals" from multiple devices. Pretty surely the "computer" could be reduced to a single ARM SoC, however.

The CCTV market may have some off the shelf solutions, but I'm not familiar with that stuff.

[magic]

Actually, I think there are datasheets for some camera sensors which more or less describe how to talk to the sensor. But that's just my vague recollection, all I have ever cared about in sensor datasheets was learning the pixel size of some off-the-shelf camera modules

I think I have also seen camera modules on auction sites with interfaces other than USB. I think there are actually some more or less "industry standard" interfaces. IIRC some popular board like RasPi was supposed to have one. Maybe somebody else can help.

Then you still need some USB (presumably 2.0) interface to connect to the host. That's not something you are going to bitbang with an Arduino. And firmware for that interface too. Say hello to USB and USB Video Class specs unless you find some ready to go sample code or Linux "gadget" driver.