Time Lapse Intervalometer Documentation

Videos

 

Set up your CamDo Solutions Time Lapse Intervalometer with this easy tutorial.

 

User Manuals

Time Lapse User Manual	Advanced Application Notes for Advanced Users	Time Lapse Intervalometer Troubleshooting Guide

FAQ

I want to shoot a 4 minute video of a 4 month construction job. How do I do that?

You want each month to be one minute of video. That is about 2 seconds per day, or 60 frames at 30fps. Shooting 24 hours a day, that is one shot every 24 minutes, or about one shot every 10 minutes if you only care about the daytime (acquiring shots for daytime only can be done using ourProgrammable Scheduler or by removing nighttime shots during post-production). Program the Intervalometer for one shot every 10 minutes. At 144 shots per day, the internal battery will last several days. A 32GB SD card will hold 5-10,000 shots, depending on the complexity of the picture, and the resolution selected. You can put 35-70 days on each card.

So much for theory. In practice, things go wrong. The camera can stop working. The battery might not have been fully charged. The SD card may have a flaw. A bird dropping might block the lens. We never recommend leaving the camera unchecked for more than a few days. Always assume that what can go wrong, will go wrong.

 

I set the camera up to shoot one picture every minute for a week. It worked perfectly for 4 days, but after that I didn't get any pictures. What am I doing wrong?

First, make sure you are using the latest firmware in the camera. Some HERO3 cameras were shipped with a version of firmware that ate batteries in as little as 4 hours. This was fixed by GoPro.

If running out of power was not the issue, the problem is likely to be that as the SD card filled up, the camera took longer to come on in one button mode, take a shot and store it to the SD card. Make sure your shoot timeis long enough for the worst case. The camera also takes longer to shoot and store an image when the light is low, which is another reason images might not be captured.

It is necessary to experiment with the camera and SD card you are using. We have discovered from our customer feedback that there is a considerable difference from one camera to the next, so there is no single "right answer" to the optimum settings. In one case, a customer had six identical cameras with identical SD cards, yet one of the cameras was slower to respond than the other five.

The problem could also be due to the type of SD card being used. Since the camera is functioning using scripts saved on the SD card, you are strongly advised to use an SD card from the recommended list on GoPro's website. Use of cards not on the list, especially SanDisk Ultra cards, will greatly increase your chance of trouble with your setup. We recommend only purchasing name brand SD cards through reputable resellers. There are both counterfeit and underperforming SD cards out in the marketplace, which can prevent proper functioning of your GoPro camera's features

 

I set the camera to take one photo, but it is taking 2 every time.

In One Button Mode, there is no single photo mode. Please read the GoPro manual. When set for one photo in One Button Mode, the camera will use the Time Lapse mode of the camera to take multiple photos. Set the repeat time on the camera to longer than the shoot time of the Intervalometer to take one photo each cycle.

 

The Intervalometer is turning on the camera but not turning it off. Why?

This probably means you are using a HERO2 or HERO3 White camera but have not changed the camera mode from HERO3 Black, which is the default.

If you are using a HERO3 Black, it probably means you haven't installed the Super One Button Mode script that takes a photo and turns the camera off.

 

I'm still having problems. Why?

The FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide has a lot more tips about sources of problems and how to correct them.

 

I know how to write code for the MSP430 processor. Can I reprogram the chip with my own firmware?

Yes. The SBW interface is brought to the edge of the board, so you can use the Texas Instruments LaunchPad ($4.30) to program the device. There is a tutorial: Use your launchpad as a programmer. Let us know if you come up with something really brilliant!