Tag: Software

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No Master Configuration For Genlocking

A PC controlled genlock system support is added to Dongle’s source code.

For genlock rigs we’ve offered two configurations, namely

  1. Single Dongle configuration
  2. Double Dongle configuration

and these are described in this post. The latter is usable with PC by connecting MewPro #0 to FTDI serial USB breakout and by sending commands from its console.

Shāndōng University – Virginia Tech researchers use a double dongle configuration, as I know so far, and also use a PC that is connected to MewPro #0 in order to control the whole system. (For their recent progress, a blog post is here: Matt Bender, Mincan Cao, Yu Wei, Shaoxu Xing “Tracking of Fiducial Markers for Bat Flight Motion Capture Experiments“)

To control the whole system from PC, today we added support for

  • 3. no master configuration.

Control everything from PC. No master camera.
Control everything from PC. No master camera.

(DTR connection between Dongle #0 and FTDI is for resetting Dongle #0 when uploading a sketch to the dongle or opening the Arduino Monitor in PC.)

As you can see this is the same to the single dongle configuration but GoPro #0 is replaced by Genlock Dongle #0 connected to PC through FTDI serial USB breakout board.

The no master configuration is completely symmetric and everything is PC controllable but there is no master camera that you might be accustomed to push mode/shutter buttons or to browse through menus on LCD.

How To Use No Master Configuration

You should follow the instructions for single dongle configuration first. And don’t forget to prepare/buy one more Genlock Dongle for Genlock Dongle #0 in the figure above.

You must update the dongles with the latest version of Dongle source code that supports no master configuration. It is always available at the GitHub repo.

For dongles the initial value of bool debug and the directive UART_RECEIVER_DISABLE should be set as follows:

bool debug UART_RECEIVER_DISABLE
Dongle #0 true or false #undef
Dongle #1 false #undef or #define

(Bold face is the default in the GitHub source code.)

In this configuration usable commands from PC are those which are listed in the I2C command list and its label contains _BACPAC_.

Example:

  • SH1 start recording/shutter
  • SH0 stop recording
  • CM1 change mode to camera
  • VV0A change video resolution to 720p Super
  • etc., etc.

The dongle also suports two more commands:

  • @ power on
  • & toggle debug output

Enjoy!

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New firmware 3.03 for H3+B

Just a quick note about the firmware for HERO3+ Black Edition v03.03 (September 2, 2015). This firmware works fine with MewPros.

Note to Genlock Dongle users: Dongle’s software also needs update as it emulates a version of camera hardware; both the master camera and the slave camera (or dongle) must have the same version. The source code in GitHub is now modified to use with the current version 3.03 so please download and install it to your dongle.

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MewPro 2 in Germany

Last week I went to Germany and saw a 3D rig made by a customer.

The system consists of a lot of GoPro Hero 3+ Black’s and MewPro 2’s.
goprogopro2

Tips To Make MewPro + Dongle System

I realized the following six points/hints while I was there in Germany:

1. Random Power-On Bug

Here in Japan I’ve never known such a bug existed, but in Germany I also experienced that some GoPros do power-on randomly even after they received the power-off, “PW0” command. The bug is fixed now at GitHub (cf. dcc9a4f783ba381f5caa646a835adb78884ea01d)

2. Better Connect RESET

For small sized genlocking system I thought it was overkill to connect all RESET pins of MewPro’s and dongles each other; because if something wrong happens then simply detaching/attaching the MewPro or dongle will solve the problem. However, if it is a large system involving a lot of GoPro’s and MewPro’s then connecting RESET and pushing reset button on Arduino Pro Mini of the dongle much helps to solve the unstable situations.

3. Daughter Board As Hub

Genlock Dongle is shipped with a complementary daughter board (photo: below).
daughter
As you can see, the board has the identical design in soldering area of Genlock Dongle: There are aligned/connected pins for HSYNC, TRIG, VSYNC, GND, RESET, and TXD. Using the board as a “hub” to MewPros, after finished soldering to the hub you could use six (or five if you don’t connect RESET) wires connecting each group of pins on the board to the corresponding pin on the dongle. Soldering like this way is much easier than soldering all the wires directly upon the dongle.

4. Keep Soldering Joint Shortest

I realized the following pitfalls in soldering wires:
joints
Wires and solder joints should not touch the camera body (photo: above) as they pry up the herobus connector and cause insufficient contacts.

promini
Wires and solder joints should not touch Arduino Pro Mini board of Genlock Dongle (photo: above) as they cause short circuit.

5. Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron Recommended

Don’t use old soldering irons before the sensitive electric era. Newer Atmel microcontroller forgets firmware or bootloader or everything, or dies if it is too hot.

6. B.O.D. Enabled

Distributed power system with a lot of batteries and wall chargers like GoPros + MewPros + Dongles + Dual Hero should have B.O.D. (Brown Out Detection) enabled whenever possible. Otherwise while connecting elements followed by an element a small amount of power might be unintentionally supplied to it through signal lines, even if the power lines disconnected or off, and its microcontroller will be likely to runaway because of insufficient voltage. According to this observation from now on our MewPro 2 will be shipped with bootloader in setting B.O.D. 1.7V.

Note

It is our pleasure to know/see how MewPro products are actually used. So please don’t hesitate to invite us! Our staff will go to your place immediately. 🙂

And please pronounce MewPro as /mjuːproʊ/ in English or cat meows/miaows + Pro(fessional). The author was very surprised in Germany that they say it differently.

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Visit In Jǐnán, China

Last week I went to China and visited the lab where a lot of MewPros are actually used to capture flying bats.

Shandong University – Virginia Tech International Laboratory is for biomimetic study for flying bat from a mechanical engineering viewpoint. The lab is located in a building of Shāndōng Univ., Jǐnán-city, Shāndōng-province in eastern China (山东大学, 中国山东省济南市). On the rooftop there are several rooms with bats and MewPros.

A bat is flying
A bat is flying

About 40 GoPros each of which is attached to MewPro 1 constitute a small tunnel and capture bats as genlocked, high quality videos. A researcher said that the genlock is the key to their study and the calibration of these GoPro angles is very important.

Maintaining Bat Tunnel
Maintaining Bat Tunnel

Bat Tunnel
Bat Tunnel

They are using MewPros and Dongles in “Double Dongle Configuration”. And they said that they have some plans to improve MewPro source code, especially to add a function of automatic downloading videos from GoPro’s microSDs.

Now lastly, I’d like to thank Hunter McClelland <hgm at vt dot edu> for inviting me to their lab. We would go to any part of the world if someone invites us where are some MewPros. 🙂