Automatic License Plate Recognition Camera Team 2010 Sponsored by Control Module, Inc Cavin Farley Gavin Colwell Zachary Murtishi
Project Overview ● Goal ○ Design a camera system platform for the purpose of performing license plate recognition ● Requirements ○ Waterproof/Weatherproof ○ Automotive Temperature Grade 3 (-40°C to +85°C) ○ Single Ethernet port ■ Power over Ethernet ○ Sensors to detect motion, humidity, and temperature ○ Unit cost under $500 ● Joint Project with CSE ○ CSE is responsible for computer vision algorithms
Solution ● Data and image communication software system ○ Written in Python and C ○ Will run on Variscite MX8X microcomputer running Debian Linux (ARM build) ○ Captures image frames from USB, forwards to remote system via TCP protocol ● Electronic circuitry for peripheral support ○ Microcomputer used is in a SOM package (Variscite MX8X) ■ No peripheral support without carrier board ○ Electronic circuitry needed to connect this board to Ethernet, Variscite MX8X I2C, USB buses
System Diagram
Software Specifications ● Client ○ Nvidia TX2 serves as the “client” / image processor ○ Receives image packets and sensor data from server and performs image processing and logical operations on them (CSE group’s algorithms) ○ Issues commands to rest of system depending on their contents ● Server ○ Variscite MX8X serves as the “server” / camera ○ Transmits image packets and sensor data to client for processing ○ Receives orders from client to change peripheral settings, network configuration, bus addresses, etc.
Data Communication Interprocess communications ● Communication between Python (imaging and networking) and C (I2C) application software ● Uses sockets on localhost/127.0.0.1 Local area network communications ● Communication between Nvidia TX2 image processor and Variscite MX8X camera processor (currently, TX2 is simulated by a computer running macOS) via TCP socket ● Uses sockets between internal IP addresses
Interface Camera interface Client interface
Network Data Wireshark data pertaining to TCP data transmission of image packets Resulting transmission is ~15-30 frames per second over 54Mbps wireless connection
Final System Assembly
Final System Assembly Accelerometer Coupler PoE adapter Temperature sensor Carrier board Camera System-on-module
Image Quality Image transmitted at 640x480 resolution Image transmitted over 54Mbps wireless connection with 100Mbps Ethernet (bottleneck) Resulting image preserves quality over wireless transmission
OCR / Text Recognition Images captured by camera can be successfully evaluated with Google Tesseract OCR
Finished PCBs
PCB Schematic Design (cont.)
PCB Schematic Design (cont.)
PCB Schematic Design (cont.)
PCB Schematic Design (cont.)
PCB Schematic Design (cont.)
PCB Layout
Project Management
Item Quantity Cost Total Budget PCB Fabrication x 5 5 $32.40 $162.00 PCB Stencil 1 $67.53 67.53 ● Initial budget: $2,000 Components for PCB - - $91.74 ● Majority of cost was for Enclosure components 1 $50.84 $50.84 development ● Final cost per unit MX8X Development Kit 1 $499 $499.00 ○ $297 ELP 8MP USB Camera 1 $74.99 $74.99 Humidity Sensor 1 $7.95 $7.95 3-axis Accelerometer 1 $9.95 $9.95 Temperature Sensor 1 $13.95 $13.95 F/F Jumper Cables 1 $1.95 $1.95 Estimated cost per unit: $297 Development expenses: $995.79, not including tax or shipping costs
Responsibilities
Constraints ● Time table ○ Designing a complex PCB ■ Over 200 components ● PCB Assembly ○ Originally anticipated on having it done by an assembly company ■ Number of parts made it too expensive ■ Less expensive assembly would take several weeks ○ Zachary had to assemble ● COVID-19 ○ The PCB took much longer to produce than expected ○ Less access to engineering equipment ○ More difficult to collaborate
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