A multifunction remote control for the Sony-NEX-7 and other cameras.
This is an Arduino-based infrared remote control, able to
control a NEX-7 Sony camera. You can use this to take photos of wildlife while you are lurking in the distance, or to take time-lapse videos of different subjects. With a few
changes, it can be adapted to any camera with infrared remote
capabilities. The toughest part in adapting
it to other cameras will be finding the IR sequence your camera
understands. Extensive information on
how to hack your camera remote can be found at http://www.righto.com/search?q=IR
and http://learn.adafruit.com/ir-sensor
I am indebted to these two scholarly articles, from which I have derived the code for the IR LED.
This remote can carry out the following tasks:
a)
Activate the camera shutter when motion of a
warm body occurs in the field of the motion sensor.
b)
Activate the camera shutter when a light sensor
is triggered by a standard red light laser pointer.
c)
Activate the camera shutter at fixed intervals
for time lapse photography (intervalometer).
Each function can be selected through a 16 position rotary switch.
The hardware assembly is completely of my design, but the
code is an adaptation of several sources that I wish to thank.
Fig 1. The Sparkfun shield, installed in the project box. The Arduino is underneath, but cannot be see in this view.
The main components:
a)
Arduino Uno rev 3.
d)
A VEX light sensor kit (http://robomatter.com/Shop-By-Robot/VEX-Robots/Hardware/Sensors/VEX-Light-Sensor-Kit)
g)
One generic red LED
h)
Translucent red plastic sheet
i)
Loc-Line Coolant Hose Assembly Kit (can be found
at Amazon or other sources).
j)
Six 10 KOhm resistors and one 39 Ohm resistor
k)
Soldering tools, wire, multi-meter, screw, glue, a plastic project enclosure box etc.
The circuit:
The PIR sensor is connected as follows: signal to digital
pin 2, power to 5V on the Arduino, ground to ground on the Arduino. A 10 KOhm
resistor connects signal to voltage.
There are two main types of PIR sensor, one goes HIGH when motion is
detected, the other goes LOW when motion is detected). The wiring is
different (and obviously the code) so you need to know what you are using. The Sparkfun is of the second type and explained here: http://bildr.org/2011/06/pir_arduino
 |
| The PIR sensor installed on the exterior of the plastic box. I accidentally cracked one of the screw holes... |
The light sensor comes with a kit with its own resistor. I
connected its power wire to 5V on the Arduino, the ground wire to wire and its signal wire to analog
pin 3. This kit works the opposite way
as bare light sensing diodes, in that the higher the light level, the lower the
signal. You can certainly use a standard
light sensing diode. In this case you would connect one end to 5V, the other
end to both analog pin 2 AND ground through a 10 KOhm resistor. In this configuration, the sensor provides
higher input to the pin with higher ambient light. I have used the kit only because of its case
that allows for very solid mounting (see photo), but the price is some $20,
compare with $2-3 with the diode+resistor.
I have covered the diode with 2 layers of translucent red plastic sheet (not shown here).
This trick dramatically reduces the passage of ambient (white) light, while
allowing almost complete passage of the red laser light in the pointer,
preventing activation of the sensor in sunlight. The sensor is then activated remotely with a laser pointer. The distance varies with the power of the pointer. Aiming may be a little tricky in sunlight.
 |
| The light sensor installed on the box. |
The IR LED is connected to digital pin 8. In my implementation I soldered a long wire
to the voltage (anode) end of the LED. I then soldered the resistor followed by
a long wire on the ground (cathode) end of the LED. The anode is connected to
analog pin 8. I passed both wires
through the coolant hose and glued the LED on the neck of it. This produces an IR LED mounted on a flexible
arm that allow to point the LED toward the IR sensor on the camera no matter the direction the motion sensor is facing. This is critical in open spaces, where rebound IR signal from walls cannot be expected to help.
 |
| The flexible Coolant Hose, you can see the IR LED glued through a simple washer to the top. |
 |
| The Hose is secured to the interior of the box. |
The rotary dip switch has six pins: two for voltage, and
four state pins. Connection are as follows: voltage to voltage pins, pin 1 to
Arduino digital pin 4, pin 2 to Arduino digital pin 5, pin 3 (also called 4 in
the reference sheet) to Arduino digital pin 6, and pin 4 (also called pin 8 in
the reference sheet) to Arduino digital pin 7.
Each of the state pins is connected to ground through a 10 KOhm
resistor.
 |
| The switch is soldered with its connection to a small circuit board. |
 |
| The switch (small dented pin) is passed through the box and secured to it. |
 |
| A knob over the switch now allows the switched to be easily turned. I am in the process of designing a decal that will indicate the function of each position of the knob. |
A red LED is connected to Arduino digital pin 13 and used to signal activation of the IR LED in debugging.
Second thoughts:
The red LED should be on the same side of the box as the light sensor.
Being able to use a smaller enclosure box would also be nice.
A potentiometer could be used to regulate the interval in the timelapse routine.
Being able to use a smaller enclosure box would also be nice.
A potentiometer could be used to regulate the interval in the timelapse routine.
Results:
Here is an example photo I obtained with an earlier version of the device:
.jpg)
Here is an example photo I obtained with an earlier version of the device:
And here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr9iEtYYmJ4, an example of time lapse (interval 30 seconds).
The Code:
Below is the code.
Disclaimer: I am just a beginner, so I am sure some experts will find better ways to code for this. In particular the transformation of the dip switch readings into a string may be frowned upon. Oh well, it works...
Disclaimer: I am just a beginner, so I am sure some experts will find better ways to code for this. In particular the transformation of the dip switch readings into a string may be frowned upon. Oh well, it works...
const int laserSensor = A3;
const int redLed = 13;
int lapse;
int laserValue;
int IRledPin = 8;
int motionSensor = 2;
const int switchPin1 = 4;
// the number of the switch’s pin
const int switchPin2 = 5;
// the number of the switch’s pin
const int switchPin3 = 6;
// the number of the switch’s pin
const int switchPin4 = 7;
// the number of the switch’s pin
String Fin ; // this string will contain the switch values
void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode
(laserSensor,INPUT);
pinMode
(redLed,OUTPUT); // this is the signal LED
pinMode
(motionSensor,INPUT); // motion sensor pin
// initialize the switch pins as an input:
pinMode(switchPin1,
INPUT);
pinMode(switchPin2,
INPUT);
pinMode(switchPin3,
INPUT);
pinMode(switchPin4,
INPUT);
//Initialize IR LED pin.
pinMode(IRledPin,OUTPUT);
}
void loop(){
// reads the state of the switch’s individual pins and "strings”
them:
String S1 = String (digitalRead(switchPin1));
String S2 = String (digitalRead(switchPin2));
String S3 = String (digitalRead(switchPin3));
String S4 = String (digitalRead(switchPin4));
// generates the combination string:
Fin = (S1+S2+S3+S4);
if
(Fin=="0000"){ //the decision tree starts here
motion();}
else if
(Fin=="1000"){
laserSense();}
else if
(Fin=="0100"){
timeLapse(0);}
else if
(Fin=="1100"){
timeLapse(3000);}
else if
(Fin=="0010"){
timeLapse(6000);}
else if
(Fin=="1010"){
timeLapse(12000);}
else if
(Fin=="0110"){
timeLapse(30000);}
else if
(Fin=="1110"){
timeLapse(60000);}
else if
(Fin=="0001"){
timeLapse(15*60000);}
else if
(Fin=="1001"){
timeLapse(29*6000);}
}
// This procedure sends a 38KHz pulse to the IRledPin.
// for a certain # of microseconds. We'll use this whenever
we need to send codes
void pulseIR(long microsecs) {
// we'll count down
from the number of microseconds we are told to wait
cli(); // this turns off any background interrupts
while (microsecs
> 0) {
// 38 kHz is about
13 microseconds high and 13 microseconds low
digitalWrite(IRledPin, HIGH); //
this takes about 3 microseconds to happen
delayMicroseconds(9); //
hang out for 10 microseconds
digitalWrite(IRledPin, LOW); //
this also takes about 3 microseconds
delayMicroseconds(9); //
hang out for 10 microseconds
// so 26
microseconds altogether
microsecs -= 26;
}
sei(); // this turns them back on
}
void SendChannelUpCode() {
// This is the code
for the shutter release for SONY NEX-7
pulseIR(2400);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(11000);
pulseIR(2400);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(600);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(600);
pulseIR(1200);
delayMicroseconds(11000);
for (int i =0; i<5;i++){//sends 5 blinks to the red led
after each activation of the IRLED
digitalWrite(redLed, HIGH);
delay(9);
digitalWrite(redLed, LOW);
}}
void laserSense(){ // this is the function that senses the
laser signal
laserValue =
analogRead(laserSensor);
if
(laserValue<30){
SendChannelUpCode();
}
}
void timeLapse(int lapse){ // this is the time lapse routine
SendChannelUpCode();
delay (lapse);
}
void motion(){//this is the motion sensor routine
boolean movement =
digitalRead(motionSensor);
if (movement == LOW)
{
SendChannelUpCode();
delay(1000); //this
delay is introduced to avoid the second ("echo") discharge from the
PIR sensor.
//For
reasons that I do not understand the sensor goes off twice or more with one
//pass of, say, the hand.
}}
