Pi Camera Stills to Dashboard

README.md

A simple flow to grab a still image from a directly attached Pi Camera (using raspistill) and push it to a ui_template widget on a dashboard.

flow.json

[{"id":"56677cb7.9840b4","type":"inject","z":"6fd852c2.a76acc","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"x":110,"y":160,"wires":[["f7696701.4cf1e8"]]},{"id":"f7696701.4cf1e8","type":"exec","z":"6fd852c2.a76acc","command":"raspistill","addpay":false,"append":"-w 320 -h 240 -o -","useSpawn":"false","timer":"","oldrc":false,"name":"","x":240,"y":160,"wires":[["e7f06c8d.c0a3b"],[],[]]},{"id":"e7f06c8d.c0a3b","type":"base64","z":"6fd852c2.a76acc","name":"","action":"str","property":"payload","x":400,"y":160,"wires":[["9e6ed9dc.f64ba8"]]},{"id":"9e6ed9dc.f64ba8","type":"template","z":"6fd852c2.a76acc","name":"","field":"payload","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"<img width=\"320px\" height=\"240px\" src=\"data:image/jpg;base64,{{{payload}}}\">","output":"str","x":530,"y":160,"wires":[["28439a97.39e7a6"]]},{"id":"28439a97.39e7a6","type":"ui_template","z":"6fd852c2.a76acc","group":"c7a43587.2944e8","name":"","order":0,"width":"6","height":"5","format":"<div ng-bind-html=\"msg.payload\"></div>","storeOutMessages":true,"fwdInMessages":true,"templateScope":"local","x":660,"y":160,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"c7a43587.2944e8","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"Default","tab":"fbd536a.22bf9c8","disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false},{"id":"fbd536a.22bf9c8","type":"ui_tab","z":"","name":"Home","icon":"dashboard"}]

Hello @dceejay,

Don't know whether this would be a better place to post this inquiry (or the Node-RED forum) but let me give it a try at at least.

I followed your example above as follows:

[{"id":"42405e4c.fd92f8","type":"inject","z":"79d93680.e2a8a8","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"x":130,"y":180,"wires":[["e657e835.dd7678"]]},{"id":"e657e835.dd7678","type":"exec","z":"79d93680.e2a8a8","command":"raspistill","addpay":false,"append":"-w 320 -h 240 -o -","useSpawn":"false","timer":"","oldrc":false,"name":"","x":300,"y":180,"wires":[["be7eadbb.841a1"],[],[]]},{"id":"be7eadbb.841a1","type":"base64","z":"79d93680.e2a8a8","name":"","action":"str","property":"payload","x":540,"y":180,"wires":[["b90914f7.24b718"]]},{"id":"b90914f7.24b718","type":"template","z":"79d93680.e2a8a8","name":"","field":"payload","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"<img width=\"320px\" height=\"240px\" src=\"data:image/jpg;base64,{{{payload}}}\">","output":"str","x":740,"y":180,"wires":[["98ec9daa.0d285"]]},{"id":"98ec9daa.0d285","type":"ui_template","z":"79d93680.e2a8a8","group":"c7a43587.2944e8","name":"","order":0,"width":"6","height":"5","format":"<div ng-bind-html=\"msg.payload\"></div>","storeOutMessages":true,"fwdInMessages":true,"templateScope":"local","x":960,"y":180,"wires":[[]]}]

After I click the Inject node, I receive an Error: 70 status message at the raspistill node.

My platform is running Buster with latest update/upgrades as follows:

`$ uname -a
Linux raspbari1 4.19.93+ #1290 Fri Jan 10 16:34:37 GMT 2020 armv6l GNU/Linux
pi@raspbari1:~ $ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
model name : ARMv6-compatible processor rev 7 (v6l)
BogoMIPS : 697.95
Features : half thumb fastmult vfp edsp java tls
CPU implementer : 0x41
CPU architecture: 7
CPU variant : 0x0
CPU part : 0xb76
CPU revision : 7

Hardware : BCM2835
Revision : 0010
Serial :
Model : Raspberry Pi Model B Plus Rev 1.2
$
`
When I run raspistill from the command line, I get the following error messages at the tail of the output:

mmal: mmal_vc_component_enable: failed to enable component: ENOSPC mmal: camera component couldn't be enabled mmal: main: Failed to create camera component mmal: Failed to run camera app. Please check for firmware updates
The camera interface has been set (verified from raspi-config and Preferences/Interface UI) and the cable connection is tight. I know that the issue is at my end but if you can provide some alternate debug ideas, I would appreciate it very much.

Kind regards.

Well looks like the camera isn't working correctly... did you try googling that error ? ENOSPC mmal

eg
https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/13764/what-causes-enospc-error-when-using-the-raspberry-pi-camera-module

Yes! Operator error!!! Sorry for the bad report on my part that wasted a few cycles at your end.

I forgot all about motion (running as a service) that I had installed for a comparison test. I attributed the always on LED to some 3rd party (pan-tilt servoblaster) driver issue. After stopping the motion service (and the LED went off :)), the flow (your suggested demo test) started working. I've now connected the PIR sensor too as a trigger.

I was trying to self-study a [tutorial](Developing a Machine Learning IoT App with Node-RED and TensorFlow.js). I have a Rube Goldberg solution on the same box (my first RPi with OpenCV/MariaDB/multi-server/etc.) and I had installed TensorFlowLite previously with some workarounds but this article looked like a good opportunity to practice some N-R and with your help I'm back on track.

Appreciate the follow up. Kind regards.