KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #520 on: 25 / June / 2015, 23:04:30 »

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Another break through. 2 frames per second !

At least for some camera models, including the S100 and I expect the S110.

I added a "Canon continuous mode" option where you enable continuous shooting in the Canon shooting menu (the one you get with the FUNC/SET button when the camera in in shooting mode). It works like the script continuous mode option and tracks exact shutter open times, flashes the sync LED, etc. Just a whole lot faster.

At first I was worried that I was getting a short burst that would slow down. But it kept the shootingt up for 50 shots in my test so I think it will go forever that way.

As usual, there are a couple of little things that need to be smoothed out and I'm not sure what we give up in that mode. But an apparent 2x speed up is impressive.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

netptl39

68

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #521 on: 26 / June / 2015, 14:15:00 »

@WWZ,
FANTASTIC! Absolute Impressive!
let me tell you what that means for me:
flying at 180 Km/h (~110+mph) and still getting the 80% overlap needed for mapping.

At that speed I will need 1/5000 or 1/10000 shutter speed but I believe S110 might be able to do it.

The problem is I need a new airplane (3 month for build and testing)... so that is for the future.

I still have 1.2s and I absolutely need 1.0-1.1s for this job. I admit it was pretty dark outside.
Shutter speed was 1/5000 (exif: 1/2000). Which one should I believe?

Code: [Select]

2015Jun26 08:30:20    KAP 3.6b7 started - press MENU to exit
2015Jun26 08:30:20    CHDK 1.3.0-4132 s110 102b Mar 31 2015
2015Jun26 08:30:20    Mode:PLAY,Continuous_AF:1,Servo_AF:2
2015Jun26 08:30:20     Tv:1/5000 max:1/10000 min:1/2000 ecomp:0.0
2015Jun26 08:30:20     Av:2.0 minAv:1.8 maxAv:8.0
2015Jun26 08:30:20     ISOmin:100 ISO1:800 ISO2:800 M:0
2015Jun26 08:30:20     Focus:MF  Video:0 USB:0 Tmo:0
2015Jun26 08:30:20     AvM:3 int:0 Shts:5 Dly:0 B/L:0
2015Jun26 08:30:24    Mode switched to AUTO
2015Jun26 08:30:27    Loggger : log file updated.
2015Jun26 08:30:28.640 1) IMG_0001.JPG
2015Jun26 08:30:28     meter : Tv:1/500 Av:2.2 Sv:n/a 805:805
2015Jun26 08:30:28     actual: Tv:1/5000 Av:2.0 Sv:320
2015Jun26 08:30:28             AvMin:2.0 NDF:NDout foc:infinity
2015Jun26 08:30:29.860 2) IMG_0002.JPG
2015Jun26 08:30:31.080 3) IMG_0003.JPG
2015Jun26 08:30:32.280 4) IMG_0004.JPG
2015Jun26 08:30:33.480 5) IMG_0005.JPG
2015Jun26 08:30:33    Total shots count reached.
2015Jun26 08:30:33    script halt requested
2015Jun26 08:30:34    Loggger : log file updated.

Logged

S110, SX200is,

netptl39

68

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #522 on: 26 / June / 2015, 18:16:06 »

WWZ,

can I get a copy of the new script?
I would like to test it in flight tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

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S110, SX200is,

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #523 on: 26 / June / 2015, 20:32:52 »

Quote from: netptl39 on 26 / June / 2015, 18:16:06

can I get a copy of the new script? I would like to test it in flight tomorrow.

link > kap_uav.lua v3.6 beta 8

I'll keep testing it this weekend so let me know anything strange that you find? ~~Sometimes it doesn't like to stop shooting and hangs for a couple of seconds.~~

Set the Shot Interval time to 0 in the CHDK script parameters and enable Continuous shooting in the Canon Func/Set Shooting menu. Taking pictures of leaves outside my window slows the shot rate down to about 0.8 seconds per shot but that's better than the best rate I can get (1.2 seconds per shot) otherwise.

Any ISO value over 1600 really slows down the shot rate a lot! You can observe that just shooting normally without CHDK even loaded. And my JPG's are about 4M each at high ISO (>1600) and less than 2M with ISO < 800. I really have no idea why yours are 8M but it will definitely tend to slow things down when they get that big.

Finally,

Edit : fixed the hang on exit - need to allow the raw shooting hook to essentially unload

« Last Edit: 26 / June / 2015, 21:40:24 by waterwingz »

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

netptl39

68

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #524 on: 27 / June / 2015, 05:30:22 »

Ground test results: .55-.56 fps.
but : I am a little concerned about the picture luminosity. I need to set TV to 1/2000 at least cam takes target f and matches ISO.
I have to confess that I had no time to read the algorithm though it looks like the it takes target values and only ISO is really modified as shot needs it.

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S110, SX200is,

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #525 on: 27 / June / 2015, 07:35:48 »

The script tries to use the target values but trades off ISO and f-stop to maintain shutter speed. But it can't change the laws of physics.

What is your concern?

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

netptl39

68

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #526 on: 27 / June / 2015, 13:57:56 »

Just a small concern about the pictures being to dark in cloudy weather.
Right now I am more concerned about the shutter control being controlled not by numbers and not autopilot.

Do you see any chance of getting the autoopilot back in control without sacrificing the speed?

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S110, SX200is,

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #527 on: 27 / June / 2015, 14:26:40 »

Quote from: netptl39 on 27 / June / 2015, 13:57:56

Just a small concern about the pictures being too dark in cloudy weather.

Like I said, the script can't change the physics of photography. The exposure is a function of available light, shutter speed, lens aperture, and the ISO sensitivity setting. For any given illumination, if the shutter speed goes up then the aperture must open more or the ISO must go up to maintain the correct exposure. These little Canon P&S cameras are never going to replace the aerial reconnaissance cameras used by the military.

Quote

Right now I am more concerned about the shutter control being controlled not by numbers and not autopilot. Do you see any chance of getting the autoopilot back in control without sacrificing the speed?

Well, there is one more hack that might work.

I think we can have the script pause the shooting sequence even when the camera is in Canon continuous mode. So if the flight controller can toggle the +5V power connection at the USB port of the camera for maybe 100 mSec on when it wants to shoot, you would get fairly well sync'd shots. This will work as long as the camera/script gets back to waiting for the next signal prior to the controller actually wanting to shoot again.

For fast cameras like the S100 & S110, I think that .75 to .85 seconds for a complete shot is manageable based on current testing. So as long as the controller does not ask for shots faster than once per second it should work.

But this is definitely pushing the current limits of what CHDK can make a camera do.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

netptl39

68

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #528 on: 27 / June / 2015, 15:36:16 »

OK, with all these modifications we had in the last week or so, how much did we sacrificed from the original functionality?

I just attempted a 30 minute series as I was concerned about battery and general endurance.
As far as pictures go, I have 1250+2000- 85(from this morning), which I would say is fantastic.

Problem is that this is about double of what I need.
Double in volume, double in processing time. This is the main reason why I am asking if we could give back the shot control to the AP.
the other reason is that the AP takes shots based on travelled distance.
so if my airspeed is 25 and I get a head wind of 12.5 that means plane only travels with 12.5 compared to the ground of which the shot are taken.

Right now the math says that I need a shot every 0.8s, so at 0.55s I get an ~30% excess. if plane slows down to half (ground speed) I get an additional 50% excess.

At #1153 for some reason the perfect .5-.6 interval went to 1.5. I was sitting with my back to the camera so I only noticed a little late that the speed has reduced from the sound.

KAP.log (175.73 kB - downloaded 17 times.)

Logged

S110, SX200is,

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #529 on: 27 / June / 2015, 15:54:26 »

Quote from: netptl39 on 27 / June / 2015, 15:36:16

OK, with all these modifications we had in the last week or so, how much did we sacrificed from the original functionality?

Nothing - everything we have done is good stuff that I will roll into the next official release.

Quote

Right now the math says that I need a shot every 0.8s, so at 0.55s I get an ~30% excess. if plane slows down to half (ground speed) I get an additional 50% excess.

So I'm assuming by this that you want to try the hack I proposed in my previous post? Do you want to try USB 5V on/off control or continue to use the gentwire-USB2?

Quote

At #1153 for some reason the perfect .5-.6 interval went to 1.5. I was sitting with my back to the camera so I only noticed a little late that the speed has reduced from the sound.

That's a bit concerning. Did the actual images change at all? Are the file sizes all the same?

One thing we discovered last year was that SD card write time will periodically slow down - see this post :
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=10822.msg116123#msg116123.
The theory here is that the SD card controller periodically needs to "clean up" the cards directory / storage somehow and while it is doing this, it runs slow.

I changed the script logging after that so that it does not write to the SD card after every shot, thereby decreasing the number of write cycles by a lot. But I wonder if you are hitting the same limit shooting at close to 2 fps. If so, starting and stopping shooting at each "pass" of the UAV might be necessary?

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16