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.

150mm (standard cable)

2.15m (standard cable and 2m extension)

2.762m (standard cable and 2m extension and 24inch cable)

A little bit of rain in this one, not artifacts.