ducky.dk

PiLaps

Description:

Started: March 5, 2014

Simple timelaps camera created using a Rasbery Pi and the Rasbery Pi Camera.

Setup - 08 Mar 2014 14:56

Started by attaching the camera to the Pi. This is really not as hard as some people would make you think. Just lift the connector, place the ribbon cable in the right direction and push down the connector agian. As simple as this.

Created an SD card with the latest Rasbian, and ran the setup, activating the camera function and a few other things. Updated the Rasbian and installed a few usefull ustils.

Tested the "raspistill" program that comes along with Rasbian. It works, but the --help is, a lack of a better word, useless. You have to guess that you are required to set a timeout when using the timelaps functionality. And you have to guess, or search the web to find out that the format for getting an incremetal count on you output images is "output_%06d.jpg". There is no mention of the max values either. I would like the timelaps to run for as long as the camera has power attached, but you have to set the timeout.

Created a simple init.d script that starts the timelaps function on boot time, takes an image every 15min, for around a week. I could only get it to take pictures for a week, because that was the largest value that i could get working with the timeout property.

Created a small cabinet from a cardboard box that i had laying around. Made a hole for the camera, using a small kitchen knif, that is so snug that it stays in place. Created another hole for the micro-usb power cable to get into the box.