Can TinyPilot be installed on a Raspberry Pi that contains minimal pre-existing software on the device? Currently I'm running a RPi 4 2GB with PiHole and a few minimal scripts. Can I install the TinyPilot alongside this software, or does TinyPilot need to be the sole application on a Pi?
Would using an Official POE Hat cause issues?
Michael Lynch @michael2021-03-01 20:10:53.498Z2021-03-19 22:48:23.738ZThanks for those questions!
Can I install the TinyPilot alongside this software, or does TinyPilot need to be the sole application on a Pi?
You can run it alongside other scripts. I can't offer support if an issue is caused by another application on the device, but most of my users run other applications alongside TinyPilot without any issues. TinyPilot's resource usage is fairly small, so it doesn't use much RAM, or CPU.
Would using an Official POE Hat cause issues?
The PoE HAT is fine if you're using an HDMI to USB dongle. If you're using an HDMI to CSI-2 chip, the official PoE HAT clashes with it because they both assume exclusive access to the I2C port. Other PoE HATs don't have that problem, though.
Edit: Even with a PoE HAT, you still need to protect against reverse current. There are PoE HATs that will protect the HAT and Pi from reverse current, but I've never seen one that protects against power flows from the Pi to the target computer. You can put a TinyPilot Power Connector between the Pi and the target computer (just leave the power port empty) or use a 3-wire USB cable.
- C@cinemafunk
Excellent. It's understandable that support can't be provided is there's a conflict with other applications and scripts. I did pick up the recommended HDMI to USB dongle, so I think I'll be in good shape. Thank you. Looking forward to trying this out.
- C@cinemafunk
Wanted to confirm that the POE doesn't interfere with TinyPilot.
Installing TinyPilot was stupid easy and worked out of the box with the HDMI to USB dongle. Thank you for this excellent product.
Michael Lynch @michael2021-03-19 22:49:52.021ZFrom more testing, I've found that the other issue with PoE HATs is that they don't protect against reverse current. You might have a computer that can negotiate power with the power coming in through the USB cable, but there's risk of damaging your USB port if there's nothing protecting the connection. I've updated my answer above.