MaixCAM MaixPy Screenless Edition Quick Start

About This Document

A model with a screen lets you use built-in apps, change common settings, and view the camera image directly, which is helpful for first-time development. A screenless model is often used for cost-sensitive or large deployments and requires more setup from a computer.

Continue with this page if you are using MaixCAM Lite or another screenless model.

Getting a MaixCAM Device

MaixCAM: Purchase it from the Sipeed Taobao Store or the Sipeed Aliexpress Store. You can find more information about MaixCAM here.

Initial Setup

Preparing the TF Image Card and Inserting it into the Device

If your package includes a TF card, it already contains the factory image. If the TF card was not installed in the device during manufacturing, carefully open the case (be careful not to disconnect any cables inside) and insert the TF card. Additionally, since the factory firmware may be outdated, it is essential to update the system to the latest version by following the updating to the latest system instructions; otherwise, some applications and APIs may not function properly.

If you did not purchase a TF card, you will need to flash the system onto your own TF card. Follow the updating to the latest system guide, then install the card into the board.

Powering On

Use a Type-C data cable to connect the MaixCAM device to provide power and wait for the device to boot.

Use a reliable USB data cable and make sure the computer's USB port can provide at least 5V 500mA. On the first startup, wait about 20 seconds. One or two USB network adapters should then appear in the computer's network settings.

If the virtual network adapter is not detected:

Ensure that you purchased the TF card package. If you have confirmed that the TF card is inserted into the device, try updating to the latest system.
If you did not purchase the TF card package, you need to flash the latest system onto the TF card following the Upgrade and Flash System guide.
Check if the USB connection is loose and whether the USB cable is of good quality; you can try using a better-quality cable.
Ensure that the USB port provides sufficient power. You can try another USB port or even another computer if possible.

Logging into the Terminal

If you need to log into the terminal, the default username for MaixCAM is root, and the password is root.

Preparing to Connect the Computer and Device

MaixVision connects to the device over a network. For a screenless model, start with USB and configure WiFi later if needed:

Method 1: Wired connection. The device connects to the computer via a USB cable, and it will be recognized as a virtual USB network adapter, placing it on the same local area network as the computer. If you encounter issues, refer to the FAQ for common problems.

Driver installation for Method 1 on different operating systems:

There are two default USB virtual network adapter drivers (NCM and RNDIS) to meet the needs of different systems:

Windows: All Windows systems will automatically install the RNDIS driver. Only Win11 will automatically install the NCM driver. Either one that works is fine (NCM is faster than RNDIS). If the RNDIS driver is not installed automatically, see the RNDIS driver installation guide.
- Open Task Manager -> Performance, and you will see a virtual Ethernet connection with an IP, for example, 10.131.167.100 is the computer's IP, and the device's IP is the same except the last digit changed to 1, i.e., 10.131.167.1. If it's Win11, you will see two virtual network adapters; you can use any one of the IPs.
- Additionally, you can open the Device Manager on your computer (search Device Manager in the search bar). If the RNDIS and NCM drivers are correctly installed, either one that works is fine:
Linux: No extra setup is required. Just plug in the USB cable. Use ifconfig or ip addr to see usb0 and usb1 network adapters, and you can use either IP. Note that the IP, for example, 10.131.167.100, is the computer's IP, and the device's IP is the same except the last digit changed to 1, i.e., 10.131.167.1.
MacOS: Check the usb network adapter in System Settings -> Network. Note that the IP, for example, 10.131.167.100, is the computer's IP, and the device's IP is the same except the last digit changed to 1, i.e., 10.131.167.1.

Method 2: Wireless connection. The device connects to the same router or WiFi hotspot that the computer is connected to (if you experience screen lag or high latency with WiFi, use a wired connection). There are two methods for connecting to a wireless hotspot:
- Modify the wifi.ssid and wifi.pass files in the TF card's boot partition and reboot to connect. Modification methods:
  - If you are familiar with SSH, you can connect to the device via SSH (if wired connection is available) and modify the files in the /boot directory.
  - You can also enter upgrade mode as described in the previous section, after which a USB drive will appear on the computer. Modify the files in it, ensuring to safely eject the drive before rebooting.
  - You can also use a card reader, and a USB drive will appear on the computer. Modify the wifi.ssid and wifi.pass files in it, ensuring to safely eject the drive before rebooting.
- If the wired connection is already available, you can follow the next step and use MaixVision to run code. Modify the tools/wifi_connect.py script with your SSID and PASSWORD, then run it.

Preparing the Development Environment

First, ensure that the computer and device are on the same local area network.
Download and install MaixVision.
Use a Type-C cable to connect the device and computer, open MaixVision, and click the Connect button at the bottom left. The software will automatically search for the device. Wait a moment until the device appears, then click the device to connect.

If the device is not detected, you can find solutions in the FAQ.

Here is a video tutorial on using MaixVision:

Connecting to the Internet

The first run requires a network connection to activate the device and install the runtime library. If you do not have a router, you can use your phone to create a hotspot.

In MaixVision, modify the tools/wifi_connect.py script with your SSID and PASSWORD, then run it. For other WiFi connection methods, see the previous section.

Upgrading the Runtime Library

The runtime provides basic features required by apps. Without the latest version, a program may fail to run or may close unexpectedly.

First, ensure that the WiFi connection from the previous step is completed and that you have an IP address with internet access.
Run the tools/install_runtime.py script from the MaixVision examples to install the latest runtime library.

If Request failed or a similar error appears, please check if the network is connected and able to access the internet. If the problem persists, take a photo and contact customer service for assistance.

Running Examples

Click on the Example Code on the left side of MaixVision, select an example, and click the Run button at the bottom left to send the code to the device for execution.

For example:

hello_maix.py, click the Run button, and you will see messages printed by the device in the MaixVision terminal, and an image will appear in the top right corner.
camera_display.py, this example opens the camera and displays the camera feed on the screen.

from maix import camera, display, app

disp = display.Display()          # Create a display object and initialize the screen
cam = camera.Camera(640, 480)     # Create a camera object, manually setting the resolution to 640x480, and initialize the camera
while not app.need_exit():        # Keep looping until the program exits (can exit by pressing the device's function button or clicking the stop button in MaixVision)
    img = cam.read()              # Read the camera feed into the img variable, print(img) can be used to print img details
    disp.show(img)                # Display img on the screen

yolov5.py detects objects in the camera feed, draws bounding boxes around them, and displays them on the screen. It supports detecting 80 different objects. For more details, see YOLOv5 Object Detection.

After these examples work, choose other examples that match what you want to build.

If you experience image lag when using the camera examples, it may be due to poor network connection, low-quality USB cable, or poor USB port quality on the host. Try changing the connection method or using a different cable, USB port, or computer.

Installing Applications on the Device

The above steps allow you to run code on the device. Once MaixVision is disconnected, the code will stop running. If you want the code to appear in the boot menu, you can package it as an application and install it on the device.

Click the install application button at the bottom left of MaixVision, fill in the application information, and it will be installed on the device. You will then see the application on the device.
You can also choose to package the application and share it on the MaixHub App Store.

The default examples do not include an explicit exit function. Press the device's function button to exit the application (for MaixCAM, it is the user button).

If you want the program to start automatically at boot, you can modify and run the tools/set_autostart.py script.