Grid-EYE 3 Click

How does it work?

Grid-EYE 3 Click is based on the AMG883642, a narrow-type infrared array sensor from Panasonic built using advanced MEMS technology that provides precise thermal imaging capability by detecting temperature distribution over a two-dimensional area. This sensor is called Grid-EYE because it divides its field of view into a grid of 64 pixels (8×8), functioning as a low-resolution thermal camera capable of capturing temperature patterns rather than single-point measurements. Each of the 64 pixels continuously detects the surface temperature of its corresponding area, enabling reliable recognition of heat sources, moving objects, and environmental temperature changes. With a typical field of view of 35.6° both horizontally and vertically, the sensor covers a wide area suitable for room-scale monitoring.

The AMG883642 operates within a temperature range of −20°C to 80°C, offers a typical temperature accuracy of ±3.0°C, and provides a temperature output resolution of 0.25°C, ensuring fine detail in thermal gradients. The digital output interface enables direct transmission of temperature values to the host MCU for further processing and visualization. Designed for intelligent applications such as home appliances, building and home automation, and factory monitoring, Grid-EYE 3 Click enables functions like people detection, air-conditioning control, fault prevention, and heat source localization, providing a compact solution for thermal sensing in embedded systems.

This Click board™ is designed in a unique format supporting the newly introduced MIKROE feature called "Click Snap." Unlike the standardized version of Click boards, this feature allows the main sensor/IC/module area to become movable by breaking the PCB, opening many new possibilities for implementation. Thanks to the Snap feature, the AMG883642 can operate autonomously by accessing its signals directly on the pins marked 1-8. Additionally, the Snap part includes a specified and fixed screw hole position, enabling users to secure the Snap board in their desired location.

This Click board™ uses an I2C interface ensuring fast communication with the host MCU. The I2C address of the AMG883642 can be easily configured via onboard jumper marked ADDR SEL in the Snap area, allowing multiple devices to coexist on the same bus. Beyond communication pins, this board is also equipped with an interrupt pin that signals the host MCU when a specific condition is met, such as when the temperature in any of the sensor's pixels exceeds a predefined threshold. This allows the system to respond immediately to changes in temperature without constantly polling the sensor, thereby saving processing power and energy.

This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. It also comes equipped with a library containing functions and example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Click Snap

Click Snap is an innovative feature of our standardized Click add-on boards, designed to bring greater flexibility and optimize your prototypes. By simply snapping the PCB along predefined lines, you can easily detach the main sensor/IC/module area, reducing the overall size, weight, and power consumption - ideal for the final phase of prototyping. For more details about Click Snap, visit the official page dedicated to this feature.

Specifications

Pinout diagram

This table shows how the pinout on Grid-EYE 3 Click corresponds to the pinout on the mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).

Notes	Pin					Pin	Notes
	NC	1	AN	PWM	16	NC
	NC	2	RST	INT	15	INT	Interrupt
ID COMM	CS	3	CS	RX	14	NC
	NC	4	SCK	TX	13	NC
	NC	5	MISO	SCL	12	SCL	I2C Clock
	NC	6	MOSI	SDA	11	SDA	I2C Data
Power Supply	3.3V	7	3.3V	5V	10	NC
Ground	GND	8	GND	GND	9	GND	Ground

Onboard settings and indicators

Grid-EYE 3 Click electrical specifications

Software Support

Grid-EYE 3 Click demo application is developed using the NECTO Studio, ensuring compatibility with mikroSDK's open-source libraries and tools. Designed for plug-and-play implementation and testing, the demo is fully compatible with all development, starter, and mikromedia boards featuring a mikroBUS™ socket.

Example Description

This example demonstrates the use of Grid-EYE 3 Click by reading and displaying the temperature measurements as an 8x8 pixels grid.

Key Functions

• grideye3_cfg_setup This function initializes Click configuration structure to initial values.
• grideye3_init This function initializes all necessary pins and peripherals used for this Click board.
• grideye3_default_cfg This function executes a default configuration of Grid-EYE 3 Click board.
• grideye3_get_int_pin This function returns the INT pin logic state.
• grideye3_read_grid This function reads the temperature measurement of an 8x8 pixels grid and stores it in the ctx->grid_temp array.
• grideye3_clear_status This function clears the interrupt status flags.

Application Init

Initializes the driver and performs the Click default configuration which enables the data ready interrupt and sets data measurement to 10 frames per second.

Application Task

Waits for a data ready interrupt and then reads the grid temperature measurements and displays the results on the USB UART in a form of an 8x8 pixels grid.

Application Output

This Click board can be interfaced and monitored in two ways:

• Application Output - Use the "Application Output" window in Debug mode for real-time data monitoring. Set it up properly by following this tutorial.
• UART Terminal - Monitor data via the UART Terminal using a USB to UART converter. For detailed instructions, check out this tutorial.

Additional Notes and Information

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.