Table of Contents
Introduction
In this article, we will provide an in-depth review of the Orbbec Femto Mega 4K RGB and 3D depth camera. This camera is powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Nano module and features Microsoft ToF technology. It is capable of outputting RGB, TOF, and IR data through a USB-C port or a gigabit Ethernet port.
We will start the review with an unboxing, followed by a teardown of the camera. Then, we will share our experience using the OrbbecViewer program on Ubuntu 22.04. In the second part of the review, we will delve into the software and SDK in more detail.
Unboxing the Femto Mega Camera
We received the Orbbec Femto Mega camera in a cardboard package that clearly displayed the camera model and its key features. Inside the package, we found a USB-C cable for connecting to the host, the camera itself, and a 12V/2A power adapter.
The front side of the camera features the RGB camera sensor, the TOF sensor, an IR LED, and a status LED that lights up when the camera is active or recording. The camera also has mounting threads on the bottom and sides, allowing for various mounting options.
At the rear of the camera, you will find all the necessary ports, including a 12V DC jack, a micro USB port, a USB 3.0 port for host connection, a Sync port for using multiple cameras simultaneously, and an Ethernet port for network control. There is also a power LED that blinks orange if there is insufficient power from the USB port, and remains solid white otherwise.
Teardown of the Femto Mega Camera
The top cover of the Femto Mega camera is designed to be easily opened. By loosening the four screws, we were able to remove the top cover. Inside, we found a “BURN” button, which can also be accessed through a pinhole labeled “Registration Pin”.
We proceeded to remove the main board by loosening several screws, unplugging the fan cable, and pulling up the flat cable for the RGB camera, TOF sensor, and IR LED. It is advisable to leave the four screws in the middle, as they secure the heatsink in place on the Jetson Nano module.
Underneath the heatsink, we discovered that a fan is necessary to cool the NVIDIA system-on-module. There is also a thick thermal pad used to cool some chips for the USB PD circuitry. Additionally, we noticed two thermal pads that help cool the Jetson Nano module’s processor and RAM chips.
Quick Try with OrbbecViewer
Initially, we attempted to use the Orbbec Femto Mega camera through its Ethernet port. However, we encountered difficulties in acquiring an IP address. As a result, we switched to using the USB connection.
When connected via USB, the camera was recognized by our Ubuntu 22.04 laptop. We observed the following output in the kernel log:
[ 3636.677517] usb 2-2: new SuperSpeed USB device number 5 using xhci_hcd
[ 3636.698668] usb 2-2: New USB device found, idVendor=2bc5, idProduct=0669, bcdDevice= 0.02
[ 3636.698678] usb 2-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 3636.698681] usb 2-2: Product: Orbbec Femto Mega 3D Camera
[ 3636.698684] usb 2-2: Manufacturer: Orbbec
[ 3636.698687] usb 2-2: SerialNumber: CL2AA31000P
[ 3636.702001] usb 2-2: Found UVC 1.00 device Orbbec Femto Mega 3D Camera (2bc5:0669)
[ 3636.704836] usb 2-2: Found UVC 1.00 device Orbbec Femto Mega 3D Camera (2bc5:0669)
Although we encountered some error messages in the kernel log initially, they disappeared after a while:
...
[ 3954.497720] usb 1-2.2: Failed to query (GET_CUR) UVC control 2 on unit 1: 0 (exp. 1).
[ 3954.497887] usb 1-2.2: Failed to query (GET_DEF) UVC control 4 on unit 1: 0 (exp. 4).
[ 3954.498043] usb 1-2.2: Failed to query (GET_MIN) UVC control 4 on unit 1: 0 (exp. 4).
[ 3954.498219] usb 1-2.2: Failed to query (GET_MAX) UVC control 4 on unit 1: 0 (exp. 4).
[ 3954.498375] usb 1-2.2: Failed to query (GET_RES) UVC control 4 on unit 1: 0 (exp. 4).
...
The Orbbec Femto Mega camera is UVC compatible, which means it can work with programs like guvcview. However, Orbbec also provides its own viewer called OrbbecViewer, which offers more options for viewing the three streams and configuring the camera. The viewer can be downloaded from the SDK page on Orbbec’s website, available for both Windows and Linux (x86 or Arm). In the second part of our review, we will try using OrbbecViewer on a Raspberry Pi 5.
Conclusion
In this first part of our in-depth review of the Orbbec Femto Mega 4K RGB and 3D depth camera, we provided an overview of the unboxing and teardown process. We also shared our initial experience using the camera with the OrbbecViewer program on Ubuntu 22.04.
In the second part of our review, we will delve deeper into the software and SDK provided by Orbbec. We will explore additional features of OrbbecViewer and the Orbbec SDK, and report our experience using them. Stay tuned for the next installment of our review!
We would like to express our gratitude to Orbbec for providing us with the Orbbec Femto Mega camera for review. The camera is available for purchase on Amazon for $909. However, it is currently more affordable to purchase it directly from Orbbec’s website for $649.99. Additionally, we previously covered the Orbbec Persee N1 camera computer, which offers similar features but in a different form factor with a mini PC and attached camera. The Persee N1 is priced at $499.99. The price difference may be attributed to the more compact design of the Femto Mega camera and its inclusion of a 4K RGB camera, whereas the Persee N1 has a Full HD RGB camera.
