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Michael’s Status Report for 2/10/2024

For the remote camera node, I looked at the possible options that could fit our needs. I looked at TI’s CC3200, Raspberry Pi Zero W, and the ESP32. Ultimately, I settled on using the ESP32 mostly because there is a robust ecosystem that has been built up to support the chip while offering a high degree of flexibility to accommodate our needs should they evolve. I specifically chose the ESP32-CAM development kit mostly since it has a built-in camera connector, making wiring very easy and hassle free.  The ESP32-CAM also has one of the highest clock speeds of the entire ESP32 lineup and has two execution cores, which should help to avoid any compute limitations

I also looked into camera options and decided on using an OV2640 camera. The OV2640 camera is able to support standard VGA resolutions up to 1600*1200, giving us a lot of flexibility in choosing resolutions. The OV2640 is able to use the camera connector on the ESP32-CAM without any modification, a very important metric at the current stage. 

Next week, I plan on putting the initial order for one complete module (OV2640 and ESP32-CAM) and begin setting up the toolchain in anticipation of parts arriving.

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Varun’s Status Report for 2/10/2024

I mainly worked on getting the toolchain for the FPGA setup this week as well setting up build scripts so that it’s easier to flash a program onto the FPGA. I’ve attached some of the Makefiles that I’ve setup for the various tools required.

To validate my setup, I wrote a SPI interface for my FPGA and wrote some Arduino code to transmit data from the Arduino to the FPGA.

In general, I would say I’m pretty ahead on where I want to be with the FPGA. Hopefully next week, I can do more research on a memory setup scheme for my FPGA as well as implement it.

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Introduction and Project Summary

When camping out in the wilderness, there is a need to setup a security perimeter to monitor one’s surroundings. However, existing systems on the market are expensive, internet dependent, and overall are not suited for the task of campsite surveillance. EyeSPy is a project that aims to changes this. The system that we plan on building will allow for the end user to monitor multiple camera streams simultaneously without the use of any wires while being cheaper than any commercial systems the currently exist. Each camera will be fully wireless and battery powered for maximal flexibility in their placement. The combined camera feed will be displayed on a portable monitor to allow for continuous surveillance should it be desired by the user