Pinned Insects Workstation Documentation - Status & Future Steps

[lauritsf]

To: @bhsi-snm

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1. Current Equipment & Software Status:

• Cameras: We have two Canon cameras and five Raspberry Pi cameras in our setup to capture insect images from various perspectives.

• Software Repos:

  • Pi-Eye
  • EntomoloGUI

• EntomoloGUI Setup: The system is currently functional, but there are specific caveats to be aware of, which are detailed in the sections below.

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2. Pi-Eye Updates:
   The Pi-Eye repository has undergone significant modifications, as listed below:

• Image Format Change: Now returns DNG files instead of JPG for still captures.
• Dependency Removal: Eliminated dependency on opencv which used to necessitate compilation. This adjustment enhances maintainability and cuts processing time.
• Debugging: Facilitates the display of debug information when a Raspberry Pi connects to a display, aiding error troubleshooting.
• Utility Scripts: Addition and update of utility scripts.
• Package Install: Transformed into a pip-installable package.
• Stability Enhancements: For details, please refer to Pi-Eye Issue #2.
• Local Development Aid: Introduced a mock picamera2 class for local development in the absence of a camera.

Additional Insights on Pi-Eye (Raspberry Pi cameras):

• The Raspberry Pis are tethered to the cameras.
• The focus is manual since there's no autofocus feature.
• Every Raspberry Pi operates a Python-based bottle webserver.
• This webserver provides endpoints for capturing low or high-res previews (in JPG) or high-res still shots (in DNG format).
• All Raspberry Pis are powered and connected to a Mac computer via an ethernet cable. Their connection is fairly stable once set up. However, occasionally, one might need to restart the Raspberry Pi during its initial connection attempt (owing to occasional issues with usb0 network activation). (again, refer to Pi-Eye Issue #2)

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3. EntomoloGUI Modifications:
   A few alterations have been made to the EntomoloGUI:

• Endpoint & Method Updates: They've been updated to align with the Pi-Eye alterations.
• Execution Mode: The EntomoloGUI is now executed in sudo/administrator mode. This shift was essential to ensure the smooth operation of the Canons with gphoto2 when running on macOS Ventura. For more insights, refer to gphoto2 Issue #562.

Suggested Enhancements for EntomoloGUI:

• Termination Issue: Address the problem where the program isn't terminated correctly, necessitating a force-quit.
• Feature Addition: Incorporate a feature that allows users to alternate between varying setups. For instance, determining which and how many cameras are active. Currently, the system demands all Canon and Raspberry Pis to be connected and functional.
• Code Segregation: Separate the camera controller code from the camera GUI code.
• Packaging: Transition the code into a pip-installable package.
• Repository Cleanup: There are some redundant imports and superfluous files in the repository directory that require removal.

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Note: As I'll be leaving the project, I wanted to provide a comprehensive status report and directions for the future. I trust this will aid in a seamless handover, but don't hesitate to send a few questions my way for clarifications.