Triggering a Camera: APM or Arduino

Hi Adam,

To your question:

Yes, it was in the Arducopter Arduino code.

Hardware

I used a simple thyristor circuit in between APM and DLSR camera. I attached that to the DLSR camera to trigger the photo. I send a simple high digital pulse (5V when high, 0V when low) to trigger the camera (Camera should be on before you fly).. The pulse is about 220ms wide and helps to take a snapshot. I think you can use one of the output pins of APM/ Pixhawk. Google it, enough information on using camera trigger should be online.

Software

Regarding the code, I will make it easy for you.

1. Define a function 'CameraTrigger(..)' in Usercode.pde (This is usually where users can edit their code, without messing up the rest of the code in Arducopter. If you don't understand the code very well, this is the place to write your own functions).

2. Call this function you defined in this file, from 'commands_logic.pde'

3. In 'commands_logic.pde', find the function 'verify_nav_wp()'. This function is triggered whenever a waypoint is hit. It is basically a verification check that is hit when the quadcopter reaches the 'waypoint radius zone'. Call your camera trigger code CameraTrigger(..) from here - basically, make a function call.

Does that sound simple enough ;)?

Regards,

Shyam

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This reply was deleted.
- Shyam Balasubramanian April 9, 2014 at 4:09pm
  
  Hi Adam,
  
  To your question:
  
  Yes, it was in the Arducopter Arduino code.
  
  Hardware
  
  I used a simple thyristor circuit in between APM and DLSR camera. I attached that to the DLSR camera to trigger the photo. I send a simple high digital pulse (5V when high, 0V when low) to trigger the camera (Camera should be on before you fly).. The pulse is about 220ms wide and helps to take a snapshot. I think you can use one of the output pins of APM/ Pixhawk. Google it, enough information on using camera trigger should be online.
  
  Software
  
  Regarding the code, I will make it easy for you.
  
  1. Define a function 'CameraTrigger(..)' in Usercode.pde (This is usually where users can edit their code, without messing up the rest of the code in Arducopter. If you don't understand the code very well, this is the place to write your own functions).
  
  2. Call this function you defined in this file, from 'commands_logic.pde'
  
  3. In 'commands_logic.pde', find the function 'verify_nav_wp()'. This function is triggered whenever a waypoint is hit. It is basically a verification check that is hit when the quadcopter reaches the 'waypoint radius zone'. Call your camera trigger code CameraTrigger(..) from here - basically, make a function call.
  
  Does that sound simple enough ;)?
  
  Regards,
  
  Shyam
Mike Boland March 11, 2013 at 1:54pm

+2
Matt March 11, 2013 at 2:15am

Does the camera triggering work in Arduplane 2.7?

We can't seem to get it to function.
Tom Busey January 10, 2013 at 10:50am

In some cases it is desirable to retract the lens during takeoff and landing. I just solved this using CHDK. See the blog post here:

http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?11357-Scripting-Canon-SX230...

Note that this is a stock SX230 with no modifications.
Mike Boland January 9, 2013 at 12:40pm

The camera triggering has been broken for some time.

It is proposed that it be fixed in 2.9.

The mission scripting still works using the relay in APM1, not sure what's working with APM2.5 as nothing I have tried has anything working.

This reply was deleted.

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Triggering a Camera: APM or Arduino

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