iCamera

A modular, multi-threaded camera system designed for embedded applications with real-time audio/video processing and network communication capabilities.

Features

• Multi-threaded Architecture: Efficient task management with thread coordination
• Inter-Task Communication: Thread-safe mailbox system for message passing
• Hardware Abstraction: Modular design for audio, video, and network components
• Real-time Processing: Low-latency audio and video processing
• Network Integration: MQTT support for IoT connectivity
• Graceful Shutdown: Proper resource cleanup and thread management
• Cross-platform: Support for native and ARM cross-compilation

Architecture Overview

iCamera uses a layered architecture with the following components:

• Task Management Layer: Centralized task coordination via ManagersTask
• Communication Layer: Thread-safe mailbox system for inter-task messaging
• Application Tasks: Specialized tasks for user input, message processing, audio, video, and networking
• Hardware Abstraction Layer: Device managers for audio, video, and network hardware

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• CMake 3.10 or higher
• C++17 compatible compiler (GCC 7+, Clang 5+)
• Threading library (pthread)
• SSL/TLS libraries (for MQTT)
• Paho MQTT C library

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd iCamera

2. Build the project:

   # Native build (development)
   ./scripts/build_project.sh native
   
   # Cross-compilation for ARM
   ./scripts/build_project.sh cross

3. Install (optional):

   ./scripts/build_project.sh install

Running the Application

# Run the application
./build/bin/iCamera

Usage

Basic Commands

Once the application is running, you can interact with it using the following commands:

• msg <text> - Send a text message
• signal <number> - Send a signal event
• event <name> <payload> - Send a custom event
• quit - Shutdown the application gracefully

Example Session

iCamera starting...
[INFO] ManagersTask: Starting
[INFO] ManagersTask: Started task Sender
[INFO] ManagersTask: Started task Receiver
Enter command (msg <text> | signal <num> | event <name> <payload> | quit): msg Hello World
[Receiver] From: 2 To: 3
[Receiver] String: Hello World

Enter command (msg <text> | signal <num> | event <name> <payload> | quit): signal 5
[Receiver] From: 2 To: 3
[Receiver] SignalEvent: 5

Enter command (msg <text> | signal <num> | event <name> <payload> | quit): event test data
[Receiver] From: 2 To: 3
[Receiver] CustomEvent: test | data

Enter command (msg <text> | signal <num> | event <name> <payload> | quit): quit
[Receiver] From: 2 To: 3
[Receiver] SignalEvent: 0
[Receiver] Shutdown signal received. Exiting...
[INFO] ManagersTask: Stopping
[INFO] ManagersTask: Stopped task Sender
[INFO] ManagersTask: Stopped task Receiver
iCamera stopped

Project Structure

iCamera/
├── docs/                          # Documentation
│   ├── ARCHITECTURE.md           # System architecture
│   └── API_REFERENCE.md          # API documentation
├── include/                       # Header files
│   └── paho/                     # MQTT library headers
├── lib/                          # Library files
├── scripts/                      # Build scripts
│   └── build_project.sh         # Main build script
├── source/                       # Source code
│   ├── app/                      # Application tasks
│   │   ├── aiotek_managers_task.cpp
│   │   ├── task_sender.cpp
│   │   └── task_receiver.cpp
│   ├── common/                   # Common utilities
│   │   └── aiotek_timer.cpp
│   ├── core/                     # Core system
│   │   └── aiotek_mailbox.cpp
│   ├── module/                   # Hardware modules
│   │   ├── audio/
│   │   ├── video/
│   │   └── network/
│   ├── utils/                    # Utility functions
│   │   ├── aiotek_log.cpp
│   │   └── aiotek_console.cpp
│   └── main.cpp                  # Main application
├── CMakeLists.txt               # CMake configuration
└── README.md                    # This file

Configuration

Build Configuration

The project supports multiple build configurations:

• Native Build: For development and testing on the host system
• Cross-compilation: For ARM-based embedded targets
• Debug/Release: Different optimization levels

Runtime Configuration

Configuration can be modified through:

• Hardware Settings: Device parameters in respective manager classes
• Network Settings: MQTT broker configuration
• Task Parameters: Task-specific settings in ManagersTask

Development

Adding New Tasks

1. Define the task function:

   void my_new_task() {
       while (true) {
           // Task logic here
           if (AIOTEK::g_shutdown_requested) break;
       }
   }

2. Register the task in ManagersTask constructor:

   tasks.push_back({"MyTask", my_new_task});

3. Add message handling if needed (optional)

Adding New Message Types

1. Extend the MailboxMessage variant:

   using MailboxMessage = std::variant<
       SignalEvent, ErrorEvent, CustomEvent,
       std::string, int, MyNewEvent  // Add new type
   >;

2. Update message processing in task_receiver

Hardware Module Integration

1. Implement device manager following the existing pattern
2. Create task wrapper for the hardware module
3. Add to task list in ManagersTask
4. Configure device parameters as needed

Testing

Unit Testing

Individual components can be tested in isolation:

# Test mailbox functionality
# Test task management
# Test hardware modules

Integration Testing

Test the complete system:

# Test task communication
# Test system startup/shutdown
# Test error handling

Performance Testing

Monitor system performance:

# Measure message throughput
# Monitor resource usage
# Test under load

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Build Errors:

   • Ensure all dependencies are installed
   • Check compiler version compatibility
   • Verify CMake configuration

2. Runtime Errors:

   • Check hardware device availability
   • Verify network connectivity (for MQTT)
   • Review log output for error details

3. Thread Issues:

   • Ensure proper thread cleanup
   • Check for race conditions
   • Verify thread safety

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging:

AIOTEK::Logger::setLevel(AIOTEK::LogLevel::DEBUG);

Log Analysis

Review log output for:

• Task startup/shutdown messages
• Error events and codes
• Performance metrics
• System status information

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests for new functionality
5. Update documentation
6. Submit a pull request

Coding Standards

• Follow C++17 standards
• Use RAII for resource management
• Implement proper error handling
• Add comprehensive logging
• Maintain thread safety

License

[Add your license information here]

Support

For questions, issues, or contributions:

• Issues: Use the GitHub issue tracker
• Documentation: Check the docs/ directory
• API Reference: See docs/API_REFERENCE.md
• Architecture: See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md

Roadmap

Planned Features

• Plugin System: Dynamic task loading
• Web Interface: Configuration and monitoring UI
• Advanced Logging: Structured logging with rotation
• Metrics Collection: Performance monitoring and analytics
• High Availability: Fault tolerance and recovery

Performance Improvements

• Load Balancing: Task distribution optimization
• Memory Optimization: Reduced memory footprint
• Latency Reduction: Faster message processing
• Scalability: Multi-node support

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For detailed technical information, see the Architecture Documentation and API Reference.