I want to set up a camera that is attached to some sort of microcontroller. My idea is to have a PIR sensor detect motion and then have this camera take a picture of the scene and then send that picture through Zigbee to my computer. I have been toying around with a webcam camera but then figured that usb was not the way to go and that tearing apart a cheap camera and connecting it to a micro was more efficient. Firstly I would like to know if you guys have any ideas on what camera / microcontroller would be best suited for this endeavor. I was thinking some sort of PIC micro since the Zigbee transceiver that im using is designed to interface with it. And secondly I would like to know if you guys have any ideas on how to send an image though Zigbee.

Thanks for the input,
Chris

 

Here is a place to start. They give info on transmitting JPEG over zigbee.
www.waset.org/journals/ijecs/v3/v3-3-23.pdf

 

I use an AT895131 to control the Canon A510/20's via USB. The only dissection of the camera is to wire the on/off switch to the unused USB pin. This allows one to turn the camera on, manipulate most of it's functions, capture images, and turn the camera off, all through it's USB port.