v1.8.1

v1.8.1 introduces an automatic library/module import manager and a new Documents folder workflow, bundles OpenMV firmware 2.7.0 (including the first firmware for the original OpenMV Cam M4) along with ATWINC1500 WiFi shield images, and ships a large batch of new example scripts. This release remains based on Qt Creator 4.0.2. The on-cam camera settings file was renamed, which is a minor behavior change for existing settings.

Highlights

  • Automatic import manager scans the bundled examples folder and a new Documents/OpenMV folder and, on Run/Save, copies locally-imported Python modules onto the OpenMV Cam, prompting to sync when a module differs.

  • Documents Folder menu lists scripts from your Documents/OpenMV folder for quick opening alongside the existing Examples menu.

  • OpenMV firmware 2.7.0 is now bundled, including newly added firmware for the original OpenMV Cam (OPENMV1/M4).

  • ATWINC1500 WiFi firmware images (19.4.4 and 19.5.2) are bundled and the WiFi firmware-update example now flashes them.

  • Many new example scripts added, covering low-power modes, frame differencing, sensor control, optical flow, polar transforms, and MQTT.

New features

  • Automatic library/module import manager. The IDE scans the bundled examples folder and a new Documents/OpenMV folder, then on Run/Save copies any locally-imported Python modules onto the OpenMV Cam. When a module on the cam differs from the one on your computer, an Import Helper prompt offers to update the module on the cam or on your computer (a44bd842c, fead163df, 7621df761, 0d0636d37).

  • Added a Documents Folder submenu to the File menu that lists scripts from your Documents/OpenMV folder for quick opening, alongside the existing Examples menu (a44bd842c).

  • Added many new example scripts, including Low-Power (deep sleep, stop mode), Frame-Differencing (in-memory/on-disk basic and advanced, shadow removal, structural similarity), Sensor-Control (gain, exposure, white balance, mirror, flip), Optical-Flow, adaptive threshold filters, log/linear polar transforms, and an MQTT example (7f90dad20, 210596538).

Other changes and improvements

  • Opening an example, a documents-folder script, or an error file now records your current cursor position in the navigation history so Back/Forward works as expected (df9943f8f).

  • After changing camera settings, saving a script to the cam, or disconnecting/resetting the cam, the IDE writes a throwaway file to force the cam’s filesystem to flush pending writes to disk; the settings dialog now only flushes on Accepted (e7c78c930).

  • WiFi password entry fields in the camera settings dialog now cap at 63 characters (the WPA limit) instead of 255, and the dialog was made slightly taller (92b89ea42).

  • The UART board-control example now passes timeout_char=1000 to avoid blocking on character timeouts (bebd201d3).

  • Bundled HTML documentation was regenerated with expanded omv.image and omv.sensor module references and updated IDE overview text (9c822f45b).

  • The default tab width in the text editor was changed from 8 to 4 columns, so tab characters in opened files now render at 4 columns (0d0636d37).

Bug fixes

  • Fixed an inverted firmware-version comparison so the IDE correctly detects whether the connected cam’s firmware supports newer protocol features (architecture string and MTU learning) instead of misdetecting them (3a75f6532).

  • Error-message file links now open the correct file on the cam by inserting the path separator between the drive path and the reported filename (cb0c81f36).

  • The Configure Settings action is now correctly disabled when the cam is disconnected; it was previously left enabled (926c230c0).

Platform and tool support

  • Qt Creator base: 4.0.2.

  • OpenMV firmware: updated to 2.7.0 with new images for all boards, plus newly added firmware for the original OpenMV Cam (OPENMV1/M4) (7f90dad20).

  • ATWINC1500 WiFi shield firmware: images 19.4.4 and 19.5.2 are now bundled, and the WiFi firmware-update example flashes them. Note that 19.5.2 does not support the MR210PA module (7f90dad20).

Breaking changes

  • The on-cam camera settings file was renamed from main.ini to openmv.config. Settings stored under the old main.ini name will no longer be read; re-apply your camera settings to write the new file (5c1c0426b).