The TrapCam repository contains instructions and software to construct a TrapCam.
If you are using a WittyPi2, clone the master branch of this repository. If you are using a WittyPi3, clone the v2 branch of this repository.
The Raspberry Pi uses a microSD card as it's "internal" drive, on which the Linux-based Raspbian OS will be installed. I recommend using the "Lite" version of the OS - which lacks the GUI - but the TrapCam software should also work with the GUI version of the OS.
Firstly, you need to format your microSD as FAT or FAT32. Next, use Etcher to flash the Raspbian OS image to the microSD card. Once flashed, remove the microSD from your computer and insert it into the rPi will it's unplugged.
Plug in a keyboard and a monitor, and then plug in the rPi. Be sure the monitor is on before you plug in the rPi, otherwise the rPi won't output to the screen.
You'll probably be asked to log in upon first boot. Username = pi, Password = raspberry
Once logged in, run "sudo raspi-config" to access the configuration tool, and alter these settings:
- Change User Password
- Change the password from the default
- Network Options
- Change hostname to "trapcam" (if you are building more than one, it might be useful to number them sequentially, i.e., "trapcam1", "trapcam2", etc.)
- Boot Options
- Desktop/CLI - set to "Console autologin"
- Wait for network at boot: No
- Localisation Options:
- Change timezone to your timezone
- Change keyboard layout to the keyboard you are using (likely standard US English)
- Interface Options
- Enable Camera Interface: Yes
Use the right arrow to select "Finish", and reboot.
Once rebooted, run "sudo apt update", then "sudo echo "y" | sudo apt upgrade" to update packages. After updating/upgrading, you'll need to re-run "sudo raspi-config" and reset the rPi to boot to "Console autologin" again (#3 above) and reboot.
Once up-to-date, you need to install a few packages and add-ons that the TrapCam software depends on. Run "sudo apt install git" to install Git, and "sudo apt install fbi" to install framebuffer, and then reboot (I know, I know, it's a lot of rebooting...)
Next, install WiringPi using git. In your home directory (if you're unsure of where that is or worry that you aren't there, simply "cd $HOME" or "cd ~"), clone WiringPi by running "git clone https://github.com/WiringPi/WiringPi.git". That will download the WiringPi toolset into a WiringPi directory in your $HOME directory. Move into the WiringPi directory ("cd WiringPi/"), and run "./build" to compile the WiringPi tools.
To control rPi's duty cycle, we'll use the WittyPi 2 HAT, but first we need to install the WittyPi software. DO NOT ATTACH THE WITTY PI BEFORE INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE. Move back into $HOME, and run "wget http://www.uugear.com/repo/WittyPi2/installWittyPi.sh" to download the installer. Run "sudo sh installWittyPi.sh" to install the software, and reboot yet again. Once the software is installed, you can power off the rPi and attach the WittyPi. If you'd like, you can "sudo rm installWittyPi.sh" to keep your $HOME directory clean.
Finally, you need to install the TrapCam software using git. Move into $HOME, and run "git clone https://github.com/jack-butler/TrapCam" to clone the software into the TrapCam directory. Move into the TrapCam directory ("cd TrapCam/"), and run "sudo bash installTrapCam.sh". This installer will copy the configs, services, and scripts to their correct locations.
The TrapCam software comes with default schedule scripts that duty cycle the rPi. The first schedule (TrapCam_duty_cycle.wpi) turns the rPi on for 5 minutes on the 10s - that is, at :00, :10, :20 minutes, etc. past the hour, 24 hours a day. The second schedule (TrapCam_8AM_wakeup.wpi) is used once battery limitations preclude using underwater lights, and runs the rPi on the same duty cycle above, just between the hours of 7AM and 7PM.
These schedule scripts provide good temporal coverage throughout the day, but users can create their own schedule scripts if they so choose. The WittyPi user's manual can be found at http://www.uugear.com/doc/WittyPi_UserManual.pdf and provides good info on how to create unique schedule scripts. As long as the script is named "TrapCam_duty_cycle.wpi", the TrapCam script will copy it to the correct location and load that duty cycle.
By default, the TrapCam software assumes there are lights for nighttime videography. The lights outlined in the build instructions are 6W LED lights, and greatly increase the battery drain at night. If unaccounted for in the software, once the battery power drops below the 12V needed to power the lights the rPi could freeze and miss a scheduled shutdown, leading to a camera that doesn't wake up to take video any longer. To account for this, the TrapCam software only runs the lights during the first week of deployment.
If you're system doesn't have lights, or if you have enough battery to power the lights past the one week limit, you can alter the TrapCam.sh code. Lines 33-36 provide an if-statement to tell the rPi at what date to no longer turn on the lights. To alter the length of time that lights are powered, change the "+6 days" on Line 35 to however long you think your batteries can power the lights (that is, how long they can provide greater than 12V). If you aren't running TrapCam with lights at all, simply comment out or remove Lines 33-36 and the script will skip turning on lights.
IMPORTANT: You need to manually remove the nolights.txt file from $HOME before every new deployment. If you don't, the rPi will probably think it's past the date at which are operable and will not turn them on. To do this, "sudo rm nolights.txt", and the script will automatically create the new txt file with the correct date at which the lights will no longer turn on.