$5 Endoscope on Rev4 of the main body/ducts of the Apollo (Patreon)

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This is for REV4 and 5 of the main body only
working on a new setup for the rev6 body

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Playing with it more made me break another one, I even got the lens completely detached, but was able to just stack it in and it works.

But rev1 is much kinder on the endoscope electronics
I noticed, unsurprisingly, that different endoscope have different focus point, and adjusting focus is almost a guaranty breakage, so made 4 different mount 0mm being the closest to the nozzle (and there is room to go closer if needed), 3 other further away from the nozzle.

rev1 also allows space when re-soldering better wires, which is relatively easy to do. 24gauge was able to fit on the left side of the front fan, just barely. but 28gauge (which I think stock wires are) would likely fit more easily.

Stock cable it didn't fit next to the front fan which had to be not tighten all the way (which is the case on the picture above and not really a huge issue), so for that I recommend desoldering new 28 gauge wires.

Rev1 requires the heat inserts and M3x6 to secure it

I added more pictures above

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I only tested the 2mm lower duct
I unless you have a 6fin dragonfly BMS (old style), I recommend you now use the 2mm lower duct model (endoscope or not)


I was able to print the mount a couple times without a brim, but later version wouldn't adhere, so a brim was needed. (Only trued 0.2mm layer height)

This is specifically for the 7mm, 1.5m on this link (I only tried the soft cable)
I would recommend you buy more than one.

(I tried the 5mm one on that link and image quality wasn't as good)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256804147019750.html
(you can place multiple order to get free shipping, but no tracking, or order different length of cable)

This seems to be the same (I will order one from here to make sure)
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803563710276.html

There are decent chances other 7mm endoscope will work too (they likely come from the same factory). If you do get one on amazon or other place and it fits, do let me know.

They are cheap, image quality is plenty good for a nozzle cam, nozzle moves so fast during a print that it's mostly useful for the initial purge to help check the z offset. Or if you get spaghetti
it's only 640x480, but again that's enough, and LED on it works great.

They can break easily after taking it apart, so I recommend you get 2 or 3 of them.

I ripped the camera when taking it apart on one, broke one wire on the currently installed one, quick soldering job worked. But once it's all installed and working, there is not reason why it would break as the wires would not be moving.

The rubber on those ones linked above is pressure fit, so just use pliers to pull it, but careful as sometime the camera can get stuck, on one of them I had to break the aluminum enclosure, but on another it's slipped right out without issue.

Before you take apart your setup, give it a try in hand and see if you have suggestion to improve the user experience, as this is not the most user friendly. but then can improve things before you actually install it.

Also make sure the camera works and setup klipper before hand. (sometime the camera address changes if you have more than one USB cam, and at one point had to even restart the pi)

May want to cut some of the rubber to help it fit into the duct, but no need to cut it completely, as you might accidentally cut the wires.

Re-soldering better wire is an option at that point. (24~28gauge is likely enough).

First figure out how the printed endoscope mount fits in the duct (the tail end goes in first, and then the front camera end will "clip" itself on), and make sure it fits well.

The heat insert and screw (M3x6, button head preferably) is totally optional.

Thread the endoscope like a needle into the opening of the duct, tricky at first but not impossible. (Flat side of the PCB facing up on the one I got to have video oriented correctly) If you are fighting with it for more than 10second let me know and I'll make a bigger opening.

then slide the endoscope carefully into the endoscope mount.

Then route the cable on the left side of the front fan into the vertical groove which will then meet the left fan wires and go out the back right, tight but not impossible.

Instead of going through the cable chains I have the cable zipped along the PTFE tube. Not sure if it will fit in the small cable chain.




=======================ENDO CAM ====================

setting up multiple camera to one klipper/fluidd/mainsail/ instance

Connect the camera via USB, and reboot your pi, so that the video address sticks (at least usually does, and your first webcam, if you had one, may change video address)

Create a file webcam2.txt copy the content of webcam.txt (in the config file through the web interface)

look for these options, and edit/add them

in webcam.txt

camera="usb" ---or--- camera="raspi"
camera_usb_options="-d /dev/video0 -r 640x480 -f 15"
camera_http_options="-n -p 8080"

in webcam2.txt

camera="usb"
camera_usb_options="-d /dev/video2 -r 640x480 -f 15"
camera_http_options="-n -p 8081"


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top check the supported resolution and fps of the usb endoscope camera located at "video2"
in the command line of the pi type: (try video0, video1, video2 ...)

v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video2 --list-formats-ext

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The in the fluidd/mainsail camera settings add a second camera
give it any name and set the stream to
(the 2 in webcam2, matches the filename in your config webcam2.txt )

/webcam2?action=stream

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Once done restart the Webcamd service (can be done through the web interface on the top right under services), and refresh your webpage
Sometime a full reboot is necessary. (if I unplug and replug it, I often have to do a full pi reboot)