Looking to run multiple video streams at once, un sure of hardware requirements

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YeeP
 
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Looking to run multiple video streams at once, un sure of hardware requirements

Post by YeeP »

Use case: I want to setup a vehicle I am building to have several "under chassis" cameras. Similar to a backup camera except they will be positioned underneath to get a view of what is under the vehicle at different positions. So everything will need to be protected and essentially "waterproof". At this point I know for sure I would like at least 4 cameras running concurrent video feeds.

So I would like to use the Pi camera module 3. Partly because of the autofocus, and also because I have found a completely waterproof enclosure for it which will help.

I believe I understand what will be required software wise. I have found several examples of using the libcamera library and how to host the video feed.

What I don't know is the processing power required. I would like the required hardware around each camera to be minimal (simply to take up less space), but not at the cost of having a spotty video feed. I will be hosting all of the raw video streams on a website that will be hosted and viewed from the same pi.

Questions:
Should I plan on running one raspberry pi per camera, then network them all together and do something with each feed separately at the server? Or can an individual pi handle the processing?

Is there a way to convert the ribbon used by the camera to a cable for running long distances (up to 6 feet probably) and to protect it from the elements? This way I can hide the raspberry pi where it can be more protected.

With a pi in a waterproof case, everything I can find has a bulkhead for regular shaped cables to pass through, but not the ribbon. Looking for suggestions (maybe a remote module that is then wired to the pi) on what I can do here.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

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YeeP
 
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Re: Looking to run multiple video streams at once, un sure of hardware requirements

Post by YeeP »

Can a Pi Zero handle the camera processing then network back to a "server" at the raspberry pi?

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Re: Looking to run multiple video streams at once, un sure of hardware requirements

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

YeeP wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:29 am Should I plan on running one raspberry pi per camera, then network them all together
That will probably be necessary. The RasPi only has one camera connector, which is tied to a single high-speed video bus.
YeeP wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:29 am Is there a way to convert the ribbon used by the camera to a cable for running long distances (up to 6 feet probably)
That's unlikely. Flat cables aren't great at high-speed data transfer, and the problems increase with the square of the distance the signals have to travel. It will be much easier to keep the RasPi close to the camera and transmit data using TCP/IP, which is specifically designed for high-speed transfer at the 100m range.
YeeP wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:48 pm Can a Pi Zero handle the camera processing then network back to a "server" at the raspberry pi?
Yes. The RasPi Zero is a full scale computer running the same OS as the larger models.

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