Raspberry Pi Camera v2.1: Maximum Functional Range

This one’s fairly simple, what’s the maximum range of the CSI port on the latest Raspberry Pi A+? I tested about 2.8 meters, or just over 9 feet.

The CSI port is meant for ribbon cables with a max length of 25cm, I was able to get a usable signal over 11 times that distance with no discernible quality loss. In theory this should be the same value across all recent Pi models, but it’s worth mentioning I only tested the 3 A+.

But How

By using a series of multi-length cables and a couple Adafruit CSI Cable Extenders, I was able to get one Frankensteined ribbon well beyond a usable size. I initially tested 4m, and oddly enough that distance still recognized an attached camera, but I’d only get a pure black image when trying to pull from the sensor.

Caveats

I tested in an environment with very little electrical noise, YMMV.

Results

At each length I tested for the presence of the camera, a full image at max resolution, video at 1080p30 (mode 1), and a video at 2464p15 (mode 2). This worked better than I expected, but I still believe any application that demands high image quality should keep every close to the vest.