In endoscopic camera modules, LED lights, as core lighting components in dim environments, their quantity configuration directly affects imaging quality and equipment reliability. Some opinions hold that "the more LED lights, the better the lighting effect". However, combined with actual application scenarios such as industrial inspection and medical diagnosis, as well as product parameters, the number of LED lights needs to be accurately matched with module performance and usage requirements, and simply having more is not necessarily better. Taking this endoscope camera module equipped with 4 LED beads as an example, its configuration implies an in-depth adaptation logic to actual application scenarios.
Typical application scenarios of endoscopes are mostly narrow and enclosed spaces such as pipelines, cavities, and internal organs. The core demand for light in such environments is "uniformity and stability" rather than "intense light accumulation". In industrial inspection, if there are too many LED lights, the light is prone to multiple reflections in narrow pipelines, causing glare and overexposure in the image, which may instead cover up subtle defects such as weld cracks and pipeline corrosion. The 4 LED beads of this module, through a symmetric distribution design and combined with the 3.6mm slim lens diameter, can form uniform illumination within the 10-100mm focusing range, avoiding local over-brightness or shadows. It cooperates with the sensor with 1.4μm×1.4μm pixel size to ensure clear presentation of details.
In medical diagnosis scenarios, the strong light generated by excessive LED lights may irritate internal mucosal tissues and cause the problem of "whitening" in images, interfering with lesion observation. The 4 LED beads of this module have moderate power. Combined with the light regulation capability of the F4.0 aperture, they can not only provide sufficient brightness for dim environments such as the digestive tract but also restore the true color of tissues through the low distortion (<-20%) characteristic, meeting the requirement of "softness and accuracy" for medical imaging. It can be seen that the core of lighting in practical applications is "on-demand adaptation" rather than quantity accumulation.
Exceeding a reasonable range in the number of LED lights will bring multiple negative impacts on module performance and stability. From a structural perspective, the lens diameter of this module is only 3.6mm, and the integrated design has extremely high requirements for internal space. If the number of LED lights is increased blindly, it is necessary to compress the layout space of core components such as sensors and lenses, which may lead to the deviation of the optical structure and instead reduce imaging accuracy. However, this module realizes the compatibility between lighting and optical components in limited space through the compact layout of 4 LED beads, which is exactly the optimized result guaranteed by SMT technology and AA process (Active Alignment process).
In terms of energy consumption and heat dissipation, LED lights generate heat during operation, and more lights will lead to more obvious heat accumulation. Due to volume limitations, endoscope modules have limited heat dissipation capacity. Excessive LED lights may cause the module temperature to rise, which not only affects the stability of the OV9734 CMOS sensor (high temperature easily causes increased noise) but also may shorten the service life of the equipment. The 4 LED beads of this module strike a balance between power consumption and lighting effect. Combined with the heat dissipation path of the integrated design, they can maintain stable performance during long-time detection.
In addition, excessive LED lights may also cause "redundant waste" of illumination. When the focusing range is 10-100mm, close-range observation (such as checking gear scratches at 10mm) only requires concentrated light, while long-range observation (such as viewing the overall pipeline at 100mm) requires light diffusion. However, a fixed number of multiple LED lights are difficult to flexibly adapt to different distance requirements. Instead, 4 LED beads combined with manual focusing design can realize dynamic adaptation of illumination by adjusting the lens position.
The choice of 4 LED beads configuration for this module is essentially a dual optimization of "lighting efficiency" and "scene adaptation". In industrial precision inspection, the light intensity of 4 beads is sufficient to cooperate with 1280×720 resolution to clearly present 0.1mm-level scratches under 10mm close focus without interference from metal surface reflection caused by strong light. In medium-distance scenarios (50-100mm) such as motor internal structure inspection, the light can evenly cover the area within the 90° DFOV field of view, allowing the overall layout to be grasped without frequent adjustment of light brightness.
From the perspective of integration flexibility, as a bare module, its 4 LED beads design reserves space for secondary development for downstream manufacturers. Compared with multi-bead modules, the simplified lighting structure is more convenient to combine with different endoscope housings and auxiliary equipment, adapting to customized needs in medical, industrial and other fields. At the same time, fewer beads reduce the complexity of circuit design, improve product consistency with SMT technology, and reduce the risk of overall failure caused by the failure of a single bead.
The configuration of the number of LED lights in endoscope camera modules should be carried out around the four core dimensions of "lighting uniformity", "space compatibility", "heat dissipation stability" and "scene adaptability", rather than simply pursuing quantity growth. This module equipped with 4 LED beads, through precise quantity control and layout design, achieves a balance between lighting effect, equipment stability and integration flexibility in the 3.6mm narrow space, fully proving that "reasonable configuration" is better than "quantity accumulation" to meet the needs of practical applications. In the development of endoscopic technology, the optimization direction of the number of LED lights must be the in-depth collaboration with sensor performance, optical design and scene requirements, rather than simple digital superposition.