mothra-cams

hosting for mothra observatory cameras

Camera Support

This system now supports both monochrome and color ZWO ASI cameras:

• Monochrome cameras: Standard mono cameras (e.g., ASI cameras without "MC" suffix)
• Color cameras: Color cameras like the ASI676MC for all-sky imaging

Configuration

Camera configuration is handled via environment variables:

• CAMERA_ID: Camera index (default: 0)
• CAMERA_NAME: Name for the camera/mount (default: "b14m11")
• CAMERA_TYPE: "mono" or "color" (default: "mono")
• SKIP_S3_UPLOAD: Set to "true" to disable S3 upload for testing (default: "false")
• DEBUG_MODE: Set to "true" to disable continuous capture - camera initializes but waits for manual commands (default: "false")

Docker Deployment

Architecture Support

The system supports both x64 and ARM64 (Raspberry Pi) architectures:

• x64 Linux: Uses ASI_linux_mac_SDK_V1.38/lib/x64/ libraries
• ARM64 (Raspberry Pi 4): Uses ASI_linux_mac_SDK_V1.38/lib/armv8/ libraries

Standard Monochrome Camera

x64 Linux:

docker-compose up -d
# or explicitly:
ARCH=x64 docker-compose up -d

Raspberry Pi:

ARCH=armv8 docker-compose up -d

Color All-Sky Camera (ASI676MC)

x64 Linux:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.allsky.yml up -d

Raspberry Pi:

ARCH=armv8 docker-compose -f docker-compose.allsky.yml up -d

Testing Color Camera (No S3 Upload)

Raspberry Pi (recommended):

docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-rpi.yml up -d

x64 Linux:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-x64.yml up -d

Testing

Testing ASI676MC Color Camera in Container

Important: The test containers use DEBUG_MODE=true which prevents continuous imaging, allowing you to run manual tests without interference.

Architecture-Specific Testing

Raspberry Pi 4 (ARM64):

# Build and start the ARM64 container
docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-rpi.yml up -d

# Verify camera detection
docker logs asi676mc-test-rpi

x64 Linux:

# Build and start the x64 container  
docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-x64.yml up -d

# Verify camera detection
docker logs asi676mc-test-x64

Note: The system automatically selects the correct ASI SDK library (armv8 or x64) based on the Docker compose file used.

2. Verify the container started and camera is detected:

   # Check container logs
   docker logs asi676mc-test-macos  # or asi676mc-test

   The container will start in debug/idle mode and display:

   === RUNNING IN DEBUG/IDLE MODE ===
   Camera initialized and ready for manual testing.
   Continuous capture is DISABLED.
   Found 1 camera(s)
   Camera 0: ASI676MC
   

3. Run the test script inside the container:

   Raspberry Pi:

   # Basic test with default settings (0.01s exposure, gain 200)
   docker exec -it asi676mc-test-rpi python test_color_camera.py
   
   # Test with custom exposure and gain
   docker exec -it asi676mc-test-rpi python test_color_camera.py --exposure 2.0 --gain 300

   x64 Linux:

   # Basic test with default settings
   docker exec -it asi676mc-test-x64 python test_color_camera.py
   
   # Test with custom exposure and gain  
   docker exec -it asi676mc-test-x64 python test_color_camera.py --exposure 2.0 --gain 300

4. Check the results:

   • Images will be saved to your /Users/ipasha/Documents/ folder
   • Look for files named test-camera-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.webp and .png

5. Check container logs (to see debug mode status):

   # Raspberry Pi
   docker logs asi676mc-test-rpi
   
   # x64 Linux
   docker logs asi676mc-test-x64

6. Stop the test container:

   # Raspberry Pi
   docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-rpi.yml down
   
   # x64 Linux
   docker-compose -f docker-compose.test-x64.yml down

Debug Mode vs Production Mode

• Debug Mode (DEBUG_MODE=true): Camera initializes but doesn't capture continuously. Perfect for manual testing.
• Production Mode (DEBUG_MODE=false): Normal operation with continuous capture based on time/conditions.

For production deployment, always use DEBUG_MODE=false or omit the variable entirely.

Test Script Options

• --exposure, -e: Exposure time in seconds (default: 0.01)
• --gain, -g: Camera gain 0-1000 (default: 200)
• --camera-type, -t: "color" or "mono" (default: "color")

Example Test Commands

# Quick test with short exposure
docker exec -it asi676mc-test python test_color_camera.py -e 0.01 -g 200

# Longer exposure for low light
docker exec -it asi676mc-test python test_color_camera.py -e 5.0 -g 400

# Test different gains
docker exec -it asi676mc-test python test_color_camera.py -e 1.0 -g 100
docker exec -it asi676mc-test python test_color_camera.py -e 1.0 -g 500