README.md 3.2 KB
diy_ptz_switch
For a typical livestream production environment consisting of 2 ptz cameras and one joystick / controller board, most commercial options like the Skaarhoj PTZ Fly are
- expensive
- offer no API
- nearly impossible to automate
- offer no rs485 serial connection support (basically only IP via RJ45)
To fix this, I thought why not connect the ptz cameras via their rs485 to a rs485 <-> usb serial converter to a computer and use a server that selects which ptz camera is sent the current joystick input. It also has a http api that allows seleting the current camera target and ptz commands like save_preset or goto_preset.
See the following ascii diagram for the architecture.
+------------------------+
| PTZ Joystick |
| (Pelco-D via RS-485) |
+------------------------+
|
v
+--------------------------------+
| /dev/ttyUSBX (JOYTICK_PORT) |
| [async serial reader] |
+--------------------------------+
|
v
+------------------------------+
| Python asyncio PTZ Router |
|------------------------------|
| - Parse Pelco-D packets |
| - current_target: cam1/cam2 |
| - Forward to selected cam |
| - Handle HTTP API requests |
| |
| +-----------------------+ |
| | HTTP API (Flask) | |
| |-----------------------| |
| | POST /set_target | |
| | GET /status | |
| | POST /goto_preset | |
| | POST /save_preset | |
| +-----------------------+ |
+------------------------------+
|
+--------------------+---------------------+
| |
v v
+-----------------------------+ +-----------------------------+
| /dev/ttyUSBY (CAM1_PORT) | | /dev/ttyUSBZ (CAM2_PORT) |
| [async serial writer] | | [async serial writer] |
+-----------------------------+ +-----------------------------+
| |
v v
+----------------------+ +----------------------+
| PTZ Camera 1 | | PTZ Camera 2 |
+----------------------+ +----------------------+