RasPi indi-allsky -- MQTT Broker == Bridge == MQTT Broker -- VM indi-allsky

[hoetzgit]

Hello,
I apologize in advance if I have overlooked any relevant documentation on this topic (please feel free to link to it). My text is automatically translated from de to en.

My desired scenario:
I would like to use a Raspberry P4 8GB RAM and the HQ camera as an Allsky camera. If possible, the Raspberry should only perform basic tasks for this purpose, such as image creation. The Raspberry is connected to my network via W-LAN. As far as possible, all post-processing activities for an image should then be carried out on a high-performance virtualized computer under Proxmox.
I would like the image creation and image processing to work asynchronously. This means, for example, that the Raspberry creates an image and saves it together with metadata (camera data, sensor data, weather, etc.) in an MQTT message broker. This is connected to a broker in the high-performance network via a bridge.
This would not lead to an image list even in the event of brief network problems. The VM computer then reads this data for post-processing.

My questions are:

1. can this be implemented - possibly partially - with indi-allsky?
2. if so, is there any documentation for this scenario?
3. if no documentation is available, how must the Raspberry and the VM computer be configured, i.e. which operating system is best suited in each case, which components must be installed in each case and which configuration deviating from the standard must be carried out on the Respberry and the VM computer?
4. where are the relevant configurations for image creation created?
5. where are the configurations required for post-processing created?

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with indi-specific processing. I would be very happy if I could receive support on this.

Many thanks and best regards
Henry

[aaronwmorris]

There is not really a way to do this, but I am not sure it is really needed.

If the goal is asynchronous processing, indi-allsky already performs most functions asynchronously. Image capture occurs in a separate process from image processing (timelapse generation and file transfers also happen in separate processes/threads respectively).

If you are interested in just offloading all processing, because INDI is a full client/server architecture, you could just run the indiserver process on the Raspberry PI, which will manage the camera, then the remote indi-allsky just sends commands and receives images from the remote indiserver. You would have to use indi_pylibcamera to utilize this mode with the HQ camera.

[hoetzgit]

@aaronwmorris Hello Aaron, thank you for your reply.
My current priority is to relieve the Raspberry of image processing. I should be able to achieve this with the method you have outlined. Later on, I want to become independent of a permanent network connection, as my WLAN connection is not always robust.

Now I have the following questions:

1. i have to install indi-allsky on both systems (RasPi/VM). How do the installations differ?
2. where are the corresponding configurations made? Is there a “master” on which all settings are made? Or do the settings for the camera have to be made on the RasPi and the settings for the post-processing on the VM? The settings for the camera are then ignored on the VM, and the settings for the post-processing are ignored on the RasPi?

Many thanks for your support
Henry

[aaronwmorris]

In order to use as remote indiserver, you only need the indi (and indi-3rdparty) component on the raspberry pi. indi-allsky would not need to be installed on the raspberry pi. There are no settings that need to be maintained on the indiserver component. You would just need to ensure the indiserver starts automatically on the raspberry pi.

indi-allsky would only need to be installed on the VM. All of the configuration for indi-allsky is stored in the database (sqlite by default).

When the indiserver is started, it starts listening on port 7624 and indi-allsky can connect to that port remotely. The hostname of the indiserver connection is on the Camera tab in the config page.

[hoetzgit]

@aaronwmorris
Hello Aaron, I think your answers are a good basis for trying out this configuration.

There may be further questions, I hope I can count on your support again.

Many thanks and best regards
Henry