First Use Guide

After installing PiTrac, you’re ready to access the web interface and start tracking shots!

Time Required: ~10 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Step 1: Access the Web Dashboard

The web interface provides control and monitoring for PiTrac.

Start the Web Server

If not already running:

sudo systemctl start pitrac-web

Or use the CLI:

pitrac web start

Access the Dashboard

Open a web browser and navigate to:

http://[YOUR_PI_IP_ADDRESS]:8080

To find your Pi’s IP address:

hostname -I

Or use the hostname:

http://raspberrypi.local:8080

Note: The default port is 8080. You can change this in the web server configuration if needed.

Step 2: Start PiTrac

From the web dashboard:

  1. Navigate to the PiTrac Process section
  2. Click Start to launch the launch monitor
  3. Monitor the status indicators for Camera 1 and Camera 2

The web interface will show:

  • Camera connection status
  • ActiveMQ broker connectivity
  • WebSocket connection to browser
  • Real-time shot data when balls are hit

Web Interface Overview

The PiTrac web dashboard provides comprehensive control across several sections:

Main Dashboard

Real-time Shot Display:

  • Ball speed and carry distance
  • Launch angles (horizontal and vertical)
  • Spin rates (backspin and sidespin)
  • Shot trajectory visualization

System Status Indicators:

  • WebSocket connection status
  • ActiveMQ broker connectivity
  • Camera 1 and Camera 2 status
  • PiTrac process state

Shot Images Gallery:

  • Browse captured images from recent shots
  • View dual-camera synchronized captures
  • Analyze ball position and strobing

Configuration

Camera Settings:

  • Configure camera types (Pi Global Shutter, Innomaker)
  • Lens parameters (focal length, sensor size)
  • Camera gain and exposure settings
  • Flip and rotation adjustments

Detection Methods:

  • HoughCircles: Traditional circle detection
  • YOLO: AI-based ball detection
  • YOLO+SAHI: Enhanced detection for small objects

Simulator Integration:

  • E6 Connect: Configure E6 simulator connectivity
  • GSPro: Set up GSPro communication
  • TruGolf: Configure TruGolf interfaces
  • Port and protocol settings

Logging:

  • Control log levels (debug, info, warning, error)
  • Enable/disable specific logging categories
  • Diagnostic verbosity settings

Calibration:

  • Fine-tune strobing parameters
  • Adjust spin analysis thresholds
  • Camera positioning settings
  • Ball detection sensitivity

Process Control

Start/Stop PiTrac:

  • Launch the PiTrac process
  • Stop running processes cleanly
  • Monitor resource usage
  • View process health

Monitor Status:

  • Real-time health monitoring
  • Service dependency checks
  • Error alerts and warnings

Dual Camera Management:

  • Independent camera control
  • Per-camera configuration
  • Camera status indicators

Calibration Wizard

The calibration wizard provides a 4-step process:

Step 1: Setup Cameras

  • Verify both cameras are detected
  • Set camera types and lens parameters
  • Confirm camera positioning

Step 2: Verify Ball Placement

  • Check ball is visible in both cameras
  • Ensure proper lighting
  • Validate strobing

Step 3: Run Calibration

  • Automated calibration sequence
  • Takes multiple reference shots
  • Calculates camera angles and distances

Step 4: Review and Save Results

  • View calculated parameters
  • Compare before/after accuracy
  • Save calibration data

Tip: Run calibration after any camera position changes or hardware adjustments.

Testing Tools

Hardware Testing:

  • IR strobe test (verify strobes fire)
  • Still image capture (test cameras)
  • Ball detection test (verify algorithms)

Calibration Verification:

  • Test shots against known references
  • Accuracy validation
  • Consistency checks

Automated Test Suites:

  • Comprehensive system tests
  • Regression testing
  • Performance benchmarks

Logs Viewer

Real-time Logs:

  • View logs from all services
  • Filter by service (pitrac, activemq, web-server)
  • Filter by log level (debug, info, warning, error)

Log Management:

  • Download logs for offline analysis
  • Clear old logs
  • Configure log retention

First Shot Checklist

Before hitting your first shot:

  • Web dashboard accessible at http://raspberrypi.local:8080
  • Both cameras showing “Connected” status
  • ActiveMQ broker showing “Connected”
  • PiTrac process showing “Running”
  • Cameras positioned and secured
  • Ball on tee and visible in camera views
  • IR strobes tested and working
  • Simulator connected (if using E6/GSPro/TruGolf)

Making Your First Shot

  1. Open the main dashboard in your web browser
  2. Verify all systems are green (cameras, ActiveMQ, WebSocket)
  3. Set up a ball on the tee in view of both cameras
  4. Hit the shot!
  5. Watch the dashboard display real-time shot data

The web interface will show:

  • Ball speed (mph or km/h)
  • Carry distance (yards or meters)
  • Launch angle (degrees)
  • Launch direction (degrees)
  • Backspin (rpm)
  • Sidespin (rpm)
  • Captured images from both cameras

Understanding Shot Data

Ball Speed

  • What it measures: Initial velocity after impact
  • Typical values: 100-180 mph for drivers
  • Accuracy: ±1 mph with proper calibration

Launch Angle

  • What it measures: Vertical angle off ground
  • Typical values: 8-15° for drivers
  • Lower = less carry, higher = more carry (to a point)

Launch Direction

  • What it measures: Horizontal angle (left/right)
  • 0° = straight, positive = right, negative = left

Spin

  • Backspin: Affects carry distance and ball flight shape
  • Sidespin: Causes hooks (negative) or slices (positive)
  • Typical driver backspin: 2000-3000 rpm

Next Steps

Now that PiTrac is running:

  1. Calibrate Your Cameras - Calibration Guide
  2. Configure Your Simulator - Set up E6, GSPro, or TruGolf in Configuration section
  3. Hit Test Shots - Verify shot detection and accuracy
  4. Fine-tune Settings - Adjust detection parameters for your setup
  5. Check Managing Guide - Managing PiTrac

If you encounter issues:

Return to:

Quick Tips

Improve Detection Accuracy:

  • Ensure consistent lighting (avoid windows, bright sunlight)
  • Clean camera lenses regularly
  • Use high-quality balls (avoid scuffed or dirty balls)
  • Keep cameras stable and secure

Web Interface Not Responding?

# Check service status
systemctl status pitrac-web

# Restart if needed
sudo systemctl restart pitrac-web

Camera Status Shows Disconnected?

# Test cameras
rpicam-hello --list-cameras  # Pi 5
libcamera-hello --list-cameras  # Pi 4

# Check PiTrac logs
tail -f ~/.pitrac/logs/pitrac.log

No Shot Data Appearing?

  • Verify ball is visible in both camera views
  • Check IR strobes are firing (should see brief flashes)
  • Ensure ActiveMQ is connected
  • Try adjusting detection sensitivity in Configuration

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Page last modified: Jan 4 2025 at 12:00 AM.