Skillset & Portfolio > Mavrx - MultiSpectral Camera Prototype (Jan2016 - present)
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Camera Module
We based our camera module on the Apertus Axiom Beta, an open-source cinema camera project using the Xilnx Zynq 7020 and Cmosis CMV12000 image sensor running Arch Linux. Significant modifications and simplification of the hardware were needed to be able to fit 3 camera modules into our flight pod, including discarding 1 PCB and major modifications to another.
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"Glue" PCB
For a first prototype with 3 separate camera modules and Odroid XU4 single-board-computer all connected via Ethernet, we needed something to “glue” all these pieces together. I designed this PCB to provide physical mounting for the SBC and Ethernet switch, as well as provide controlled power to each module, interface with RS485 from the iPad & control system in the cockpit, control fans, & break out the spare SPI & I2C from the SBC for potential use.
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3-Camera System
This first prototype came together fairly smoothly (with the help of my CTO doing the 3D-printed plastics design, and our embedded s/w dev on the application code). Thus far it’s performed well in field trials, and provided plenty of lessons on how much we can, and cannot, get away with in stripping a camera back to its most basic components.
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Sensor Calibration
One of the costs of designing your own camera is the need to characterise the image sensor, and perform a range of measurement and calibration tasks to obtain good results: dark current, linearity, flat-field and row & column noise, vignetting correction.
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Arch Linux
This project was my first major exposure to (Arch) Linux in an embedded system. It was frustrating at first, but I’ve quickly come to appreciate the Linux/Unix way of doing things, come to grips with the command line & know where to find help, remote access via SSH & serialTTY, and starting to understanding the boot process and some of the Linux API. I’ve also been tinkering with Python, primarily as a tool for interfacing with hardware for test or data collection, input simulation, or a general tool on the desktop (e.g. statistics gathering of image quality data).
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Full System with Flight Gear simulator
This is the full airborne imaging system: iPad running a fully custom pilot navigation app that controls the cameras, cockpit control system (yellow box), battery box (red), and camera pod (normally outside on the wing strut). Here it’s connected to the Flight Gear simulator app on the laptop, sending a NMEA GPS stream into the cockpit control system to simulate actual flight.
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Learning To Fly!
After a few months of development the first sample began field trials. “The Field” is an unforgiving master/mistress who discovers all your oversights, failures, and faulty thinking. I’m proud that only a few minor issues with hardware have been uncovered from field trials.
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Block-Diagram Whitebaording
Having to explain a non-trivial system to a new hire coming in cold (in this case an embedded s/w developer) forces you to not just know a system inside-out, but be able to explain it coherently. This whiteboard session began covering only the camera module, but grew awkwardly leftward to touch on the entire hardware system. No one else in the office was game to erase it for weeks afterward!