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Extruder-Mounted Pi Zero W Camera Mod

Discussion in 'Mods and Upgrades' started by thebirdthatflies, Sep 15, 2017.

  1. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    I wanted a constant perspective on the print, as well as a way to stabilize the video as the extruder goes back and forth at high frequencies. I came up with a mounting mechanism that uses skate bearings to separate out the weight of the Pi Zero, the camera, and the bearing assembly from the extruder, and the video turns out pretty nicely.

    Here is a video of the result:


    I can upload CAD files if you guys are interested in the design.


    EDIT:
    Updated STL with Pictures and Instructions!

    https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2542554
     
    #1 thebirdthatflies, Sep 15, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2017
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  2. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    pictures of your mounting? Video looks great! Good job.
     
  3. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    The cad files aren't yet completely done. Some refinement is necessary. But hot glue was used, to say the least[​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
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  4. OutsourcedGuru

    OutsourcedGuru Active Member

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    I thought this was a great idea until I watched the video and lost my breakfast. :laugh: j/k

    It's a useful perspective. I wonder how it would look with the Z option of the time-lapse? It might create less motion sickness. Oh, wait... R1.
     
  5. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    It is an interesting approach. I had mine mounted on the bed at one point ... same issue more or less where it was moving back and forth.
     
  6. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    If I can get the CAD files for that axis guide, I can probably better design a mount for it rather than hot glue (although Ben Heck would approve)

    @OutsourcedGuru I could probably tie it in with something in the Octoprint API and maybe get a ping when the Z Axis changes. The raw output of the encoded stream by itself is around 500-600 kilobytes/sec
     
  7. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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  8. OutsourcedGuru

    OutsourcedGuru Active Member

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    I love the angle you've got there and the distance-to-part.

    I'm doing my time-lapse from the OctoPrint completely. I'm familiar with the underlying library that actually does the heavy lifting. There's a how-to thread in the C2 mods section I did. My Pi NoIR camera's mounted on the side with suction cup. If you run down the installation instructions it talks about the settings in OctoPrint and especially how to turn off the watermarking they put in. ha
     
  9. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    Im not sure that it would be very easy or efficient or lightweight to have something other than a pi zero standalone without wires directly from octoprint going to my zero camera..
     
  10. OutsourcedGuru

    OutsourcedGuru Active Member

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    Ah, well... my C2 has a Raspi 3 under the covers already. I do love the Pi Zero (W) though. I guess you're running that microUSB power connector downstairs (as one of those cables I saw).

    In case you wanted to re-purpose the Pi Zero's onboard LED (say, to show when it's recording), some code is here for that. You don't have to use that, just go to school on the LED's logical pin number and this part to dump the default hook:
    Code:
    echo none | sudo tee /sys/class/leds/led0/trigger
     
  11. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    I'm connecting 5V directly through GPIO to power it

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
  12. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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  13. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Alter them however you want. I am sure they are valid for whatever version of the printer @Mike Kelly had when he created them.
    You are not getting anything from Robo on the R1+ I am fairly certain :) Also there is at least one other X carriage model for the R1 series on Thingiverse, but no clue how closely it matches what you have.
     
  14. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    The outer dimensions are hopefully the same, so I should be able to prototype something that clips

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
  15. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    I updated the OP with the STLs!
     
  16. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    If there are any improvements you can suggest, please do

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
  17. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    Nobody can make changes to a .stl (easily) you should think about uploading the .step file if possible so other users can make changes.
     
  18. thebirdthatflies

    thebirdthatflies New Member

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    I created it from primitives in 3D Builder

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
  19. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    ah gotya.
     

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