Raspberry Pi
Tank nodes collect cameras and run local controls. The Sync hub combines their views and serves the display.
Deployed family; exact Pi models pending.
Official Pi products & resellers >>The parts behind the project
These hardware families have been used in the project. The source code and assembly photos identify some details; the project owner reports the MG995 motors and NETGEAR PoE switch as used and tested. Exact models, supply ratings and dated test results still need recording.
PCA9685 controller
Converts I2C commands into PWM servo signals. The current configuration uses bus 1, address 0x40 and 50 Hz.
Driver and board photo documented; PCB brand pending.
Reference board & documentation >>MG995 servo motors
Move the inspection mechanisms. Check the actual label, supplier and rotation variant before matching a motor or setting its limits.
Owner-reported use and tests; variant and measurements pending.
TowerPro manufacturer reference >>That legacy URL now describes MG996R. Its specifications are not a verified MG995 datasheet.
NETGEAR PoE switch
Connects the tank nodes and Sync hub over Ethernet, and supplies power to compatible PoE receivers.
Owner-reported use and tests; switch model and budget pending.
NETGEAR PoE range >>PoE HAT or active splitter
A compatible receiver converts PoE into the Pi's required supply. A bare Ethernet socket does not power a Pi.
PoE path documented; installed receiver pending.
Official PoE HAT reference >>This specific HAT supports Pi 3 B+ / Pi 4 B. Match accessories to your actual Pi.
Regulated servo supply
The motors need their own correctly rated supply and wiring. Controller logic power and servo V+ are separate connections.
Installed supply and load measurements pending.
Servo power selection guide >>Manufacturer references, not affiliate links or a verified shopping cart. Record exact variants before buying replacements.
The camera shelf
What we used, what we tested, and what is still a candidate. Use history is owner-reported; advertised resolution and water resistance are not measured build results.
Tonysa Mini CCTV
The wired NTSC camera used for underwater positions connects through an active video-to-USB capture adapter to the tank Pi. Advertised as a 170-degree camera.
Capture adapter, camera power and immersion limits still need recording.
Tonysa product reference >>1 m LED endoscopes
Soft-cord inspection probes used for views inside the tank. Adjustable LEDs; the precise brand, model, connector and focus range are still to be identified.
No product URL supplied. Confirm continuous-immersion limits before mounting.
Mounting work & open checks >>Arducam autofocus
The metal-case 8MP IMX219 USB camera is used on the Pi-connected pan/tilt rig. The matching manufacturer reference is B029201.
Verify the installed SKU, UVC video modes and focus behavior; the product page also offers newer variants.
Arducam product reference >>REVODATA I704-2-P-HSV6
A tested PoE IP camera, advertised with 5MP imaging, a 3.6 mm lens, IR lighting and H.265. It sends network video, not USB video.
Exact stream endpoint, codec and hub integration need verification. IP65 is not an immersion rating.
Tested model reference >>REVODATA I704-P
Another identified PoE IP camera, advertised as 5MP with a 3.6 mm lens and IR lighting. Kept separate from the tested model.
Acquisition and testing not confirmed. IP65 is not an immersion rating.
Candidate model reference >>Public product links only, without order details or referral parameters. Product titles do not qualify cameras, cables or connectors for continuous aquarium immersion. Ingress-rating reference.
Follow the connections
Camera data takes the local route
Floaters
Private tank Wi-Fi→Tank Pi
JPEG ingest + USB cameras↔NETGEAR switch
Local Ethernet↔Sync hub
Display + tank maps
Private tank Wi-Fi→Tank Pi
JPEG ingest + USB cameras↔NETGEAR switch
Local Ethernet↔Sync hub
Display + tank maps
Analog video needs a capture adapter
Tonysa
Analog NTSC video→Active capture adapter
Video to USB→Tank Pi
Linux capture + stream
Analog NTSC video→Active capture adapter
Video to USB→Tank Pi
Linux capture + stream
IP cameras take a different path
REVODATA
PoE IP camera→PoE switch
Ethernet video→Decoder / relay
Integration TODO→Sync hub
Streams + snapshots
PoE IP camera→PoE switch
Ethernet video→Decoder / relay
Integration TODO→Sync hub
Streams + snapshots
PoE powers a compatible receiver
PoE switch→Compatible HAT / splitter→Pi-rated power
The servo has signal and power
Pi
3.3 V logic / I2C→PCA9685
PWM signals→MG995 motors
3.3 V logic / I2C→PCA9685
PWM signals→MG995 motors
Regulated servo supply→Servo V+ rail
Common signal ground with Pi / PCA
Common signal ground with Pi / PCA
Pin mapping, configuration & bring-up checks >>
Next around the tank
First prototype: one removable rim support, one short probe cradle, and a lockable aiming joint. Validate tank-rim loads, wet materials, cable strain relief and probe immersion limits before a supervised livestock-free trial. This is proposed work, not a tested mount design.
- Identify the view. Label the probe and cable; match its changing feed to the correct Pi and tank.
- Set and lock the aim. Compare known landmarks, record lens position, image rotation and useful focus distance, then check drift after cable handling.
- Review necessary updates. Recheck all expected feeds, stream freshness, reconnects and placement persistence on each deployed tank.
- Decide where another arm helps. Map blind spots first; compare a fixed probe with a passive support or motorized arm before adding load, cables and collision risks.
Spatial TODO markers, calibrated underwater camera cones and multi-arm automation are future work. The current builder has object notes and planning exports, not live hardware commands.
Where did these designs come from?
Reeflex / EEZYbotARM Mk2
Our robotic arm uses the EEZYbotARM Mk2 design published on Autodesk Instructables. Sync Tank applies it to underwater camera inspection and automation experiments, with project-specific camera and control integration. The original arm design is upstream work, not a Sync Tank invention.
Design credit: theGHIZmo, the creator on Instructables. The guide is the starting point for model sources and assembly. Underwater inspection is our application, not a submersibility rating for the original arm or electronics. Autonomous inspection remains in development.
The exact arm file revision, model-license record and local modifications still need documenting. Raydar mounts, Floater housings and Shrimp City structures also need individual source records. The repository preserves code and assembly photos, but no tracked CAD or STL files; a photographed part is not automatically an original design, an approved aquatic material, or a model we can redistribute.