233 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
233 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
# Raspberry Pi Webcam Capture Demo
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Automated picture capture and upload for Raspberry Pi 3 with a USB webcam (Logitech 1080p).
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## Quick Setup (5 minutes)
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### 1. Install Required Packages
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```bash
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sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y fswebcam curl
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```
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### 2. Configure the Script
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```bash
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# Copy the config template
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cp picupper.conf.example picupper.conf
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# Edit with your settings
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nano picupper.conf
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```
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Update `picupper.conf` with your API key and camera settings.
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### 3. Install & Enable
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```bash
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# Make scripts executable
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chmod +x capture-upload.sh install.sh
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# Run installer (sets up cron job)
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./install.sh
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```
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That's it! Your Pi will now capture and upload one picture per minute.
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---
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## Files Included
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| File | Purpose |
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|------|---------|
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| `capture-upload.sh` | Main script - captures photo and uploads |
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| `picupper.conf.example` | Configuration template |
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| `install.sh` | Installer script (sets up cron) |
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| `uninstall.sh` | Removes cron job |
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## Configuration Options
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Edit `picupper.conf`:
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```bash
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# PicUpper server URL
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API_URL="https://dev.seedheads.de/picUploadApi/upload"
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# Your API key (from server admin)
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API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
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# Camera identifier (unique name for this Pi)
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CAMERA_ID="rpi-webcam-1"
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# Resolution (1920x1080 for full HD)
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RESOLUTION="1920x1080"
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# Video device (usually /dev/video0)
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VIDEO_DEVICE="/dev/video0"
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```
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## Manual Testing
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```bash
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# Test capture only (saves to /tmp)
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./capture-upload.sh --test
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# Run full capture and upload once
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./capture-upload.sh
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```
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---
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## Camera Settings (Focus & Exposure)
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Camera settings are stored on the PicUpper server and applied before each capture.
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### Set camera settings via API
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```bash
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# Set focus and exposure for your camera
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curl -X PUT \
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-H "X-API-Key: your-api-key" \
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-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
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-d '{
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"focus_automatic_continuous": 0,
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"focus_absolute": 30,
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"exposure_auto": 1,
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"exposure_absolute": 200,
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"brightness": 0,
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"contrast": 32
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}' \
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https://dev.seedheads.de/picUploadApi/settings/rpi-webcam-1
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```
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### Get current settings
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```bash
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curl -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key" \
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https://dev.seedheads.de/picUploadApi/settings/rpi-webcam-1
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```
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### Available settings (for Logitech C922)
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| Setting | Range | Description |
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|---------|-------|-------------|
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| `focus_automatic_continuous` | 0-1 | 0=manual, 1=auto |
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| `focus_absolute` | 0-255 | Lower=closer (manual mode) |
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| `exposure_auto` | 1-3 | 1=manual, 3=auto |
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| `exposure_absolute` | 3-2047 | Shutter speed (manual mode) |
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| `brightness` | -64 to 64 | Image brightness |
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| `contrast` | 0-64 | Image contrast |
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### Find your camera's available controls
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```bash
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v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --list-ctrls
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```
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**Note:** Install `v4l-utils` on the Pi: `sudo apt install v4l-utils`
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Check if webcam is detected
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```bash
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ls /dev/video*
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v4l2-ctl --list-devices
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```
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### Test capture manually
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```bash
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fswebcam -d /dev/video0 -r 1920x1080 --no-banner test.jpg
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```
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### Check logs
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```bash
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# View recent capture logs
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tail -f ~/picUploadApi/demo/picupper.log
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```
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### Common Issues
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| Problem | Solution |
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|---------|----------|
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| "No video device" | Replug USB webcam, check `dmesg` |
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| "Permission denied" | Add user to video group: `sudo usermod -aG video $USER` |
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| "Upload failed" | Check API key and network connection |
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## Changing Capture Frequency
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Default is 1 picture per minute. To change:
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```bash
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# Edit cron job
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crontab -e
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```
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Examples:
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- Every 5 minutes: `*/5 * * * * ~/picUploadApi/demo/capture-upload.sh`
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- Every 30 seconds: Use systemd timer instead of cron
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---
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## SD Card Preservation
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Reduce SD card writes to extend its lifetime:
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### Option 1: Minimal Changes (Recommended)
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```bash
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# Disable swap
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sudo swapoff -a
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# Comment out swap line in /etc/fstab
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sudo nano /etc/fstab
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# Disable automatic apt updates
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sudo systemctl disable apt-daily.timer apt-daily-upgrade.timer
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```
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### Option 2: Full Read-Only Mode
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```bash
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sudo raspi-config
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# Navigate to: Performance Options → Overlay File System → Enable
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```
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⚠️ **Before enabling read-only mode**, change log location to tmpfs:
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```bash
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# Edit picupper.conf
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LOG_FILE="/tmp/picupper.log"
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```
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---
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## Auto-Reboot (Stability)
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For long-running deployments, schedule automatic reboots:
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```bash
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sudo crontab -e
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```
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Add (reboots at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, 18:00):
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```
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0 */6 * * * /sbin/reboot
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```
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---
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## Hardware Requirements
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- Raspberry Pi 3 (any model)
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- USB webcam (Logitech C920/C922/C270 recommended)
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- SD card with Raspberry Pi OS
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- Network connection (WiFi or Ethernet)
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## Network Notes
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The script retries failed uploads and logs all attempts. If your Pi loses network, captures continue and uploads resume when connectivity returns.
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