Xiaomi Yi - Genlock Multiple Cameras

j0rd

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Anyone know if it's possible to Genlock Multiple Yi Cameras?

People have been able to do this with GoPro's via the HeroBus, but the Yi Camera's do not have this interface.

Anyone know if it's something that can be set via the Linux Telnet client passing information to the RealTimeOS (RTOS)?

Here's a video of the GoPro's Genlocked via the GoPro HeroBus:

Here's the code behind that project with more information:
https://github.com/orangkucing/MewPro

PS. I am willing to open the casings and solder to make this work.
 
soldering is 100% doable, but i will try to do it via wifi without the need to open cams.
 
tbh i don't know what genlock is, but if i get cameras to connect to existing AP, i can trigger them all at once via wifi.
 
soldering is 100% doable, but i will try to do it via wifi without the need to open cams.
Do you happen to know where I could solder in a remote shutter control? I have looked inside the xiaomi yi but could not figure out how I could easily access the contacts on the button itself, so I would love to know where on the board I could solder into.
 
Genlock is making sure the shutters capture on the clock pulses so that all the cameras capture the exact same image at the same time.

Are there any sync issues in connecting several Yicams via wifi to shoot simultaneously in still mode or burst mode?
Connecting via "soldering" as well? Or we need Genlock (or something..) anyway?

I have looked inside the xiaomi yi but could not figure out how I could easily access the contacts on the button itself, so I would love to know where on the board I could solder into.
Could it be difficult/risky to use the circuit from the switch to the shutter button?
 
After looking more carefully, I think the best way may be to run copper tape under the metal button shutter cap and then soldered to wires and ultimately a 2 pin connector. I am by no means expert in electronics but I do know that the shutter button on the camera simply completes the circuit when pressed. My thought is connecting the ground wire from the remote shutter to the outer ring of the camera button and the "full press" wire to the inner ring of the camera button will complete the circuit. Now if connecting the remote shutter would burn the camera, then I am thinking at least wiring all of the camera buttons together using this technique would work to genlock them. In my setup I would need to do this to 6 cameras on my 360 vr rig. They would all 6 be wired to the receiver of a $13 remote shutter release.

Oh forgot to mention the idea behind using the copper tape under the button cap rather than just removing the metal button cap is so that the standard button on the camera would still work. Running small wires out into the battery compartment may allow for storage of the wires in case I ever wanted to use one of the cameras off of the 360 vr rig.
 

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After looking more carefully, I think the best way may be to run copper tape under the metal button shutter cap and then soldered to wires and ultimately a 2 pin connector. I am by no means expert in electronics but I do know that the shutter button on the camera simply completes the circuit when pressed.
I also would set a rig of 6 Yis. Wifi connection is a cleaner way but I would also consider your option.
Could you please attach any pictures/designs for a yi cam rig?
 
I also would set a rig of 6 Yis. Wifi connection is a cleaner way but I would also consider your option.
Could you please attach any pictures/designs for a yi cam rig?
This is the rig ($73) I am using. In my opinion it is very nicely made and initial stitching tests with PTgui turned out pretty well. If my tests using the remote Canon type shutter release does not ruin camera #1 I will take some photos of the procedure and post them. I would also consider a wifi option but I have not seen any example of this that would start all cameras at exactly the same time (genlock). Do you have a link to an example? I think that tying into the button contacts is doable but it is a pretty delicate procedure. Everything in the camera is pretty tight.

The rig:
 
umm... i made working multitrigger script months ago...
 
Thank you for info: interesting, like Gopro one but much cheapier.
I am now doing tests ( fov, image quality) with only one cam before deciding to buy a set.
Actually I thought that Yi fov would need 7 cams for a good stitching, 6 in portrait mode and one to zenith with a nadir hole.
This one has no nadir hole and, good news, the images stitch well. I believed that putting images both in vertical (portrait) and horizontal mode would be a problem in stitching.

I would also consider a wifi option but I have not seen any example of this that would start all cameras at exactly the same time (genlock). Do you have a link to an example?

I do not know: I would use the wifi script in this forum, a router and a ESP8266 device (or something like that) but I am absolutely incompetent and I need some (much) help from friends to implement.
I remember I read somewhere, possibly in this forum, that in connecting multiple cams via wifi the sync issue is a matter of milli (micro?) second and it would not be a problem in taking still pictures, but not sure about that...
Anyway it would be good to have also the possibility of a wired connection which btw has less power consumption, if that matters.
 
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I think that is very interesting. I did not realize there were genlock issues even if you are starting you cams at the same time, but I guess it makes sense. I am still going to go for the single click to start all cameras. I think I am going to start with all 6 shutter buttons physically linked together. I am sure there is a script on this forum for delaying the start, which would be ideal. I will post details on how I do this in the weeks to come. I will be very open about how this is done for all other 360 developers out there wanting to do this with Yi's. I have been doing VR work for the past 20 years and have still only met a handful of people doing the same and with very little commercial interest, so it amazes me when I find companies trying to make $2500 off a rig when the reality is the developer will be lucky to make that investment back unless they happen to have some fringe client lined up for such a task.
 
Yeah I have read through that, even though I am a sw engineer I am not sharp enough to see the part where anyone is linking up their cell phone to operate 6 Yi's to genlock, but I am just not seeing it I guess. Would be great if someone could do a step by step on YouTube for that.

I should also add I would be willing to test this out with 2 cameras if this can indeed be triggered from a android phone. I am guessing in layman's terms you would tether multiple cameras to your phone and somehow trigger the cameras to execute the shutter. Is that how it would work?
 
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Reading the thread on bluetooth in this forum I see each yi bluetooth remote can control only one cam.
An alternative to wifi and to wire multiple cams could be wiring multiple bluetooth remote, if possible.
The good is it is risk free for the cam and, if I understand correctly, it has less power consumption because bluetooth works also with wifi off. The bad is cost (each remote costs about 13 Euro) and limited bluetooth range
 
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