Can I Use a PIR Sensor to Enhance My Surveillance System Camera?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and technical considerations of enhancing a surveillance camera system using a PIR sensor and microcontroller. Participants explore hardware options for internet connectivity and the challenges of real-time monitoring and alerting.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes a project involving a PIR sensor to detect human presence, sending SMS alerts, and enabling real-time camera access via an Android application using an 8051 microcontroller.
  • Another participant suggests considering Raspberry Pi and Arduino as alternatives to the 8051 microcontroller for the project.
  • A participant highlights the complexity of the project, noting the separation of concerns between detection with the PIR sensor and sending images over the internet, mentioning that similar systems are commercially available.
  • Another participant shares their experience with a Synology Surveillance Station and suggests that using existing systems with APIs could simplify the project, while also expressing interest in integrating PIR sensors to reduce false triggers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the choice of microcontroller and the approach to building the surveillance system. There is no consensus on the best hardware solution or methodology, indicating multiple competing views.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the challenges of real-time application support and the potential for false triggers in motion detection, indicating that the discussion may involve unresolved technical details and assumptions about hardware capabilities.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in DIY surveillance systems, those exploring microcontroller applications, and developers looking for integration ideas with existing surveillance software may find this discussion relevant.

mickey25
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Hello everyone.i need your help to give the advice about my project.i want to make a surveillance system camera that can be monitor in anywhere.i will describe about my project. i am using pir sensor to detect the human.so when pir sensor detect someone , it will be sent the alert message through sms to owner. when that happen, owner will open the android to view what camera is recorded in real time.on the application, owner can take a picture or record the video. i want to using microcontroller 8051. the system like a e camera but want to add new features like sent the sms to owner. so owner can watch in real time. i want to increase the distance.so owner can watch anywhere through android application.so the problem is the hardware. i don't what suitable hardware that can be connect the microcontroller8051 to the internet that can be support my real time application.gsm module or 3G dongle that suitable to use?
 
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mickey25 said:
Hello everyone.i need your help to give the advice about my project.i want to make a surveillance system camera that can be monitor in anywhere.i will describe about my project. i am using pir sensor to detect the human.so when pir sensor detect someone , it will be sent the alert message through sms to owner. when that happen, owner will open the android to view what camera is recorded in real time.on the application, owner can take a picture or record the video. i want to using microcontroller 8051. the system like a e camera but want to add new features like sent the sms to owner. so owner can watch in real time. i want to increase the distance.so owner can watch anywhere through android application.so the problem is the hardware. i don't what suitable hardware that can be connect the microcontroller8051 to the internet that can be support my real time application.gsm module or 3G dongle that suitable to use?
Have a look at Raspberry Pi and Arduino microcontrollers...
 
mickey25 said:
i don't what suitable hardware that can be connect the microcontroller8051 to the internet that can be support my real time application.gsm module or 3G dongle that suitable to use?
You have certainly taken on a long and complex project here.

There are two quite separate problems. One is detection with a PIR sensor, then sending the sms, the other is sending the pictures over the net. Both those problems have been solved many times, with the systems available as cheap commodities made in China.

Why do you insist on using an 8051 micro ?
Why do you insist on doing it all yourself ?
 
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When I get chance I'm also planning to modify a camera system. Mine is based on Synology Surveillance Station (SS) running on a Synology NAS. It does 99% of the hard work for you.

As others have said it's a lot of work to write such a program from scratch. However if you are looking for a "project" then programs like SS have an API you can use to bolt on extra features. You can tell SS to start recording from a particular camera by sending the server a carefully crafted "web page request" over the network.

I get a lot of false triggers due to spiders and shadows triggering the motion detection. I'd like to switch to PIR sensors but my cameras don't have an alarm input. So I'm investigating connecting a PIR sensor to something like a Rasberry Pi that will send the necessary "page request" to the server to trigger recording.

That's a much more manageable project than writing a whole system from scratch.