How to power and get feed from multiple cameras?

[xraymypanda]

Hi, we are hoping to utilize two cameras this year, one for tracking and one for ball acquisition. How do we go about getting a feed from both cameras on the driver station? And how would we wire two cameras on the power distribution board since there is only one wago port for the camera? Would we have to make a custom circuit?

[Alan Anderson]

To see both cameras' images on the computer running the Driver Station, you will have to set them to different IP addresses and modify the Dashboard. I think it might be as easy as duplicating the existing camera loop and giving it the other camera's address. Finding room on the screen for the second display might be the hardest part.

Is there a rule that prevents you from using the single 5 volt supply from the PDB to power two cameras?

[JChavis]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Is there a rule that prevents you from using the single 5 volt supply from the PDB to power two cameras?

I'm not too sure if you could do this, but here's one thing: You could just power the cameras from the Digital Sidecar 5v supply with another Wago connector. That way, you wouldn't have to cram the 5v on the PDB by having to connect the 2 cameras AND the D-link.

[xraymypanda]

Thanks both of you, we managed to play around for long enough to get the cameras working. We made a custom circuit for the second camera using one of the 12V supplies and a converter. We also took a couple hours to make a 2nd dashboard window. We will post a detailed guide later for other teams to help them because we did this, for the most part, without any knowledge of what we were doing.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by JChavis

That way, you wouldn't have to cram the 5v on the PDB by having to connect the 2 cameras AND the D-link.

You must have missed reading <R42-B>. The D-Link does not get powered from the 5 volt supply of the Power Distribution Board.

[JChavis]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

You must have missed reading <R42-B>. The D-Link does not get powered from the 5 volt supply of the Power Distribution Board.

I'm sorry about that, I was thinking about the convertor that CONNECTS to the 12v supply, which converts it to a safer 5v supply. In that case, you could still use the supplies on the PDB and the Sidecar....

[computerish]

Originally Posted by xraymypanda

Thanks both of you, we managed to play around for long enough to get the cameras working. We made a custom circuit for the second camera using one of the 12V supplies and a converter. We also took a couple hours to make a 2nd dashboard window. We will post a detailed guide later for other teams to help them because we did this, for the most part, without any knowledge of what we were doing.

I'm looking forward to seeing the guide as our team is considering this as well. It seems like the 12V converter would be a violation of <R47>:

"Custom circuits shall not directly alter the power pathways between the battery, PD Board, speed controllers, relays, motors, or other elements of the Robot control system (including the power pathways to other sensors or circuits)"

It seems, however, that <R43> would allow two camera wires to be spliced together and then inserted into the 5V connector on the PD board:

All active PD Board branch circuits shall be protected from overload with an appropriate value auto resetting Snap Action circuit breaker. Specifically,
Each speed controller branch circuit must be protected by one and only one 20-amp, 30-amp, or 40-amp circuit breaker on the PD Board (from the KOP or identical equivalent).  No other electrical load can be connected to the breaker supplying this circuit.
Each relay module branch circuit must be protected with one and only one 20-amp circuit breaker on the PD Board (from the KOP or identical equivalent). No other electrical load can be connected to the breaker supplying this circuit.
Each Digital Sidecar branch circuit must be protected with one and only one 20-amp circuit breaker on the PD Board (from the KOP or identical equivalent).  No other electrical load can be connected to the breaker supplying this circuit.
If a compressor is used, the relay module branch circuit supplying the compressor must be protected with a 20-amp circuit breaker (from the KOP or identical equivalent). No other electrical load can be connected to the breaker supplying this circuit.
A single branch supply circuit may be spliced to supply power to one, two or three of the Analog/Solenoid Breakout Boards.  This circuit must be protected with one and only one 20-amp circuit breaker on the PD Board (from the KOP or identical equivalent).  No other electrical load can be connected to the breaker supplying this circuit.