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CAMERA TRIGGER

INTRODUCTION

This repository contains the /home/pi folder for the Raspberry Pi appliance developed to trigger a DSLR at specific computer or GPS clock times using either a USB connection with GPhoto2 or the custom designed PCB created for use with a shutter release cable.

HARDWARE REQUIRED

DEPENDENCIES

  • argparse
  • clocks (located in and installed as part of this repository)
  • gphoto2
  • gps3
  • RPi.GPIO

INSTALLATION

  • Install the Raspberry Pi OS Full operating system on an SD card using one of the recommended methods

  • Perform headless configuration (on your setup machine)

    • Wireless networking

      Define a wpa_supplicant.conf file for your particular wireless network. Put this file in the /boot partition, and when the Pi first boots, it will copy that file into the correct location in the Linux root file system and use those settings to start up wireless networking.

      wpa_supplicant.conf

        ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
  update_config=1
  country=US

  network={
  	ssid="<insert your SSID here>"
  	psk="<insert your network's WPA passphrase here>"
  	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
  }

    • Enable SSH

      For headless setup, SSH can be enabled by placing an empty file named ssh, without any extension, onto the /boot partition of the SD card. When the Pi boots, it looks for the ssh file. If it is found, SSH is enabled and the file is deleted.

  • Change the hostname as described here

  • If it is still mounted, eject your SD card making sure you eject all partitions (under macOS you may use the diskutil command, e.g. diskutil umountDisk /dev/disk2 where /dev/disk2 is the name for the mounted volume)

  • Insert your card and boot your Raspberry Pi for the first time

  • Change the password for the pi account after this first boot [recommended]

  • Set time zone to UTC

      sudo raspi-config

    Localisation Options > Change Time Zone > None of the above > UTC

  • Enable VNC

      sudo raspi-config

    Interfacing Options > VNC > Yes

  • Update and upgrade your Raspberry Pi

      sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get upgrade
  sudo apt-get autoremove

  • Configure the BerryGPS-IMU V3 - The manufacturer's instructions may be found in the article BerryGPS Setup Guide for Raspberry Pi and are summarized below

    • The serial console needs to be disabled and the the serial port enabled

        sudo raspi-config

      Interfacing Options > Serial > No > Yes and Yes to reboot

    • Test that the GPS is operating properly (serial)

        cat /dev/serial0

    • Install gpsd. gpsd is a daemon that receives data from a GPS receiver, and provides the data back to multiple applications through a socket.

        sudo apt-get install gpsd-clients gpsd

    • Edit the gpsd configuration file so that the daemon uses the correct serial device

        sudo vi /etc/default/gpsd

      Look for DEVICES="" and change it to DEVICES="/dev/serial0"

    • Make sure that gpsd starts automatically at boot time

        sudo systemctl stop gpsd.socket
  sudo systemctl disable gpsd.socket
  sudo systemctl enable gpsd.socket
  sudo systemctl start gpsd.socket

  sudo reboot

    • Test that the GPS is operating properly (socket)

        gpspipe -r

  • Install gps3

      sudo pip2 install gps3
  sudo pip3 install gps3

  • Configure and test gphoto2

    • Install the following packages

        sudo apt-get install gphoto2 libgphoto2-6 libgphoto2-dev libgphoto2-dev-doc libgphoto2-l10n libgphoto2-port12 python-gphoto2-doc python-gphoto2cffi python-piggyphoto python3-gphoto2 python3-gphoto2cffi

    • With a DSLR connected to the Raspberry Pi via a USB cable, check where gphoto2 is saving images on the camera

        gphoto2 --get-config capturetarget
     Label: Capture Target
     Readonly: 0
     Type: RADIO
     Current: Internal RAM    <--------
     Choice: 0 Internal RAM
     Choice: 1 Memory card
     END

      If gphoto2 indicates that it is currently saving to the Internal RAM as above, then configure gphoto2 so that captured images are saved to the SD card on the camera

        gphoto2 --set-config capturetarget=1
  gphoto2 --get-config capturetarget
     Label: Capture Target
     Readonly: 0
     Type: RADIO
     Current: Memory card     <---------
     Choice: 0 Internal RAM
     Choice: 1 Memory card
     END

  • Install these remaining packages

      sudo apt-get install vim
  sudo apt-get install dcraw
  sudo apt-get install udhcpd

  • Clean up the /home/pi directory

      rm -fr Bookshelf Desktop Documents Downloads Music Pictures Public Templates Videos

  • In the /home/pi directory, checkout this repository

      cd /home/pi
  git init
  git remote add origin https://github.com/csalvaggio/camera_trigger.git
  git fetch
  git checkout -f master

  • Log out and log back in

  • Configure maintenance cron jobs by typing crontab -e and inserting the following at the end of the crontab file

      * * * * * pkill -f gvfs-gphoto2-volume-monitor
  * * * * * pkill -f gvfsd-gphoto2

USAGE

At this point, the system is ready to use as a camera triggering system using either a shutter release cable (assuming the custom camera trigger board is attached) or a USB cable (using GPhoto2).

To use the shutter release cable

# python3 trigger_camera_with_shutter_release.py --help
usage: trigger_camera_with_shutter_release.py [-h] [-v] [-c {computer,gps}]
                                          [-hp HALF_PRESS_TIME]
                                          [-fp FULL_PRESS_TIME]
                                          trigger_time

Trigger camera at specific clock-time instances

positional arguments:
  trigger_time          clock-time [seconds] at which to trigger (e.g. 10 for
                        every 10-second mark past the minute, 60 for the top
                        of every minute, 3600 for the top of every hour)

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --verbose         verbose [default is False]
  -c {computer,gps}, --clock-to-use {computer,gps}
                        clock to use (valid options are "computer" or "gps")
                        [default is "computer"]
  -hp HALF_PRESS_TIME, --half-press-time HALF_PRESS_TIME
                        half-press time [s] [default is 0.0]
  -fp FULL_PRESS_TIME, --full-press-time FULL_PRESS_TIME
                        full-press time [s] [default is 1.0]

To use the USB cable

# python3 trigger_camera_with_usb.py --help
usage: trigger_camera_with_usb.py [-h] [-v] [-c {computer,gps}] [-d DIRECTORY]
                                  trigger_time

Trigger camera at specific clock-time instances

positional arguments:
  trigger_time          clock-time [seconds] at which to trigger (e.g. 10 for
                        every 10-second mark past the minute, 60 for the top
                        of every minute, 3600 for the top of every hour)

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --verbose         verbose [default is False]
  -c {computer,gps}, --clock-to-use {computer,gps}
                        clock to use (valid options are "computer" or "gps")
                        [default is "computer"]
  -d DIRECTORY, --directory DIRECTORY
                        directory to save images to [default is None]

MAINTENANCE

DUPLICATING CAMERA TRIGGER

To create an additional camera trigger, create a byte-for-byte copy of the SD card created above. READ THE PREVIOUS LINK. A summary of the pertinent steps are

Copying the SD card to hard drive (BACKUP)

sudo dd if=/dev/rdiskN of=<name of backup>.dmg

Copying the disk image to a new SD card (RESTORE)

diskutil unmountDisk diskN
sudo dd if=<name of backup>.dmg of=/dev/rdiskN

While this is technically all that needs done, it is recommended that the computer's name is changed so that any ad hoc wireless network that is created will have a different name and will not interfere with other triggers in close proximity.

Once the card is duplicated, change the hostname using a macOS computer equipped with Paragon Software's extFS application. Insert the Raspberry Pi's SD card in the Mac. You will notice that two partitions are mounted; boot and rootfs. The rootfs partition is the Raspberry Pi's main filesystem. The hostname (e.g. cameratriggermaster) needs to be changed in two places on that filesystem

/etc/hostname

cameratriggermaster

and in

/etc/hosts

127.0.0.1	localhost
::1			localhost ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
ff02::1		ip6-allnodes
ff02::2		ip6-allrouters

127.0.1.1	cameratriggermaster

This can be done manually using your favorite editor (e.g. vi, nano, emacs, or Xcode) or by executing the following script

change_rpi_hostname.sh

#!/bin/bash

OLD_HOST=$1
NEW_HOST=$2

DISK="/dev/"
DISK+=`diskutil list | grep rootfs | awk -v N=6 '{print substr($N,0,5)}'`

if [ $DISK = "/dev/" ]
then
   echo "'rootfs' partition not found, be sure RPi SD card is inserted"
   exit
fi

if [ -z $OLD_HOST ] || [ -z $NEW_HOST ]
then
   echo "Usage: $0 <old hostname> <new hostname>"
   exit
else
   echo "Updating hostname from '$OLD_HOST' to '$NEW_HOST' on $DISK"

   echo ""
   echo "***** /etc/hostname (ORIGINAL)"
   cat  /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hostname
   sed -i -e "s/$OLD_HOST/$NEW_HOST/g" /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hostname
   echo ""
   echo "***** /etc/hostname (UPDATED)"
   cat  /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hostname

   echo ""
   echo "***** /etc/hosts (ORIGINAL)"
   cat  /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hosts
   sed -i -e "s/$OLD_HOST/$NEW_HOST/g" /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hosts
   echo ""
   echo "***** /etc/hosts (UPDATED)"
   cat  /Volumes/rootfs/etc/hosts

   echo ""
   echo "Unmounting $DISK"
   diskutil umountDisk $DISK
fi

executed as

./change_rpi_hostname.sh cameratriggermaster cameratrigger0

where cameratriggermaster is the original hostname and cameratrigger0 is the desired hostname for the duplicate.

SWITCHING NETWORK TYPE

LAN -> AD HOC

On Raspberry Pi

While logged on to the Raspberry Pi, to switch to an ad hoc network at next reboot

switch_to_adhoc
Off Raspberry Pi

The ad hoc network can be switched on for the next boot by executing the following script

switch_to_adhoc.sh

#!/bin/bash

#
# Install script for RPiAdHocWifi (from macOS)
#

LOCAL_MNT="/Volumes/rootfs"
SCRIPT_DIR=$LOCAL_MNT/home/pi/src/scripts/RPiAdHocWiFi

# Check if Raspberry Pi card is inserted and mounted
if [ ! -e $LOCAL_MNT ]
then
   echo "'rootfs' partition not found, be sure RPi SD card is inserted"
   exit
fi

touch $LOCAL_MNT/var/lib/misc/udhcpd.leases

# Make backups of existing files
if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local.adhoc_bak
fi

if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf.adhoc_bak
fi

if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf.adhoc_bak
fi

# Copy new files
cp $SCRIPT_DIR/rc.local $LOCAL_MNT/etc
cp $SCRIPT_DIR/udhcpd.conf $LOCAL_MNT/etc
cp $SCRIPT_DIR/dhcpcd.conf $LOCAL_MNT/etc

echo "Ad hoc network will start at next boot."
exit 0

which is executed as

./switch_to_adhoc.sh

AD HOC -> LAN

On Raspberry Pi

To allow the Raspberry Pi to rejoin LAN at next reboot

switch_to_lan
Off Raspberry Pi

To allow the Raspberry Pi to rejoin LAN at next reboot by executing the following script

switch_to_lan.sh

#!/bin/bash

#
# Reversion script for RPiAdHocWifi (from macOS)
#

LOCAL_MNT="/Volumes/rootfs"
SCRIPT_DIR=$LOCAL_MNT/home/pi/src/scripts/RPiAdHocWiFi

# Check if Raspberry Pi card is inserted and mounted
if [ ! -e $LOCAL_MNT ]
then
   echo "'rootfs' partition not found, be sure RPi SD card is inserted"
   exit
fi

# Restore from backups if they exist or delete the files
if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local.adhoc_bak ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local.adhoc_bak $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local
fi
rm $LOCAL_MNT/etc/rc.local.adhoc_bak

if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf.adhoc_bak ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf.adhoc_bak $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf
else
    rm $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf
fi
rm $LOCAL_MNT/etc/udhcpd.conf.adhoc_bak

if [ -e $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf.adhoc_bak ]
then
    cp $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf.adhoc_bak $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf
else
    rm $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf
fi
rm $LOCAL_MNT/etc/dhcpcd.conf.adhoc_bak

echo "Raspberry Pi will join LAN at next boot."
exit 0

which is executed as

./switch_to_lan.sh

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GPS and computer clock-enabled camera trigger

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