> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.coreflux.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Media Connectors

> Decode barcodes, capture camera frames, and publish microphone audio as MQTT from the broker host

## Why Media Connectors?

Give the broker a way to read images, cameras, and microphones without a sidecar process. A barcode scan, a camera frame, and a microphone chunk each become an MQTT message you can route, store, or wrap in LoT (Language of Things).

> [!TIP]
>
> **Like adding eyes and ears to the broker.** A camera frame or a microphone chunk arrives on a topic, and the rest of your project treats it like any other message.

## When to use these

| Connector | Use it when you need to |
| - | - |
| [Barcode](./barcode) | Read a code from an image, or draw a QR, EAN, or Code 128 image from text |
| [Video Input](./video-input) | Publish JPEG frames from a camera, RTSP/HTTP stream, or video file |
| [Audio Input](./audio-input) | Publish raw microphone, tone, silence, or file audio as PCM chunks |

> **[Barcode](./barcode)**
>
> Decode barcode images and encode text as QR, retail, and 2D symbols.

> **[Video Input](./video-input)**
>
> Capture JPEG frames from a camera, stream, or file on the broker host.

> **[Audio Input](./audio-input)**
>
> Capture raw 16-bit PCM from a microphone, a synthetic source, or a file.

***

Video Input and Audio Input both launch FFmpeg on the broker host. Install FFmpeg on that host, or run the slim broker image (amd64 and arm64), which already includes it. The minimal image does not include FFmpeg, and arm/v7 does not either.

Barcode does not use FFmpeg. It reads and writes images that are already on MQTT.

## Next Steps

> **[Barcode Connector](./barcode)**
>
> Decode a camera image or generate a label.

> **[Connectors Overview](../overview)**
>
> See every connector family and the shared `DEFINE ROUTE` pattern.


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