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BS2px, BS2, and prop. vision capabilities — Parallax Forums

BS2px, BS2, and prop. vision capabilities

A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
edited 2006-05-22 21:07 in General Discussion
What is the best processing job each one of these can do? The BS2 is probably limited to a CMU Cam, and can the px do a CMU Cam 2? And can a propellor process a serial webcam? What about a USB to serial adapter, hooking the web-cam and the propellor?
thanks,
ACfishing


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Comments

  • SciTech02SciTech02 Posts: 154
    edited 2006-05-20 02:33
    Funny, I've been asking the same questions too.· I think the propeller is the best (If not only) way to do good vision·processing·(At least for me).· Maybe the SX tools could work too.··What is your goal A. C. fishing?

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    There is always a reason.··· -SciTech02.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-05-20 09:52
    Using a USB-to-serial adapter to hook up an USB-based webcam won't work as you won't find any that will work as an USB-master for you.

    Where can you find a serial-port Webcam?
    (I've never seen one)
    I guess the Propeller should be able to process at least some of the data from it.

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  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-20 11:14
    I thought the prop was the best, but I'm also curious about the BS2 and the px. Here's a serial webccam:
    http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=serial+Webcam&pid=4712140183881044120&oid=2232322337849192327&btnG=Search+Froogle&ei=NvluRIXhL6LYqwLQ1pG8Dg&sig2=8KCBGe9wsOVD-8eK5PAEVw&scoring=mrd&hl=en
    a MAC one:
    http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=serial+Webcam&pid=4712140183881044120&oid=2232322337849192327&btnG=Search+Froogle&ei=NvluRIXhL6LYqwLQ1pG8Dg&sig2=8KCBGe9wsOVD-8eK5PAEVw&scoring=mrd&hl=en

    I hope those both might work.
    I'm trying to achieve simple vision, like following a line, with a webcam

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  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-05-20 12:54
    You are aware that the camera speaks PPP over the serial port?
    (TCP/IP 'Point to Point Protocol')

    Your best bet is probably to go for a CMU-cam, or if you could find one, an old Nintendo Gameboy Camera and hack that.

    Another possibility, depending on the resolution needed, and space available, is to put together a matrix of LDRs, Photodiodes or PhotoTransistors, and put a lens in front of them.
    (The smallest LDRs I have has a diameter of about 5mm, but with 1206-size SMT Photodiodes... In fact, I'm making a note to order a few the next time I shop for components)

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  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-20 15:07
    Can a BSpx process a CMU CAM 2?

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    Somebody said...
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    ·
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-05-21 17:25
    Don't know, but the BS2 can handle the original CMU-cam, so check the docs.

    I did find something interesting over at Sparkfun, a 640x480 CMOS camera designed for use in cellphones.

    http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=637

    It's only $20 (add another $ for the connector) so it's no big loss if it can't be used...

    The only problem is that they don't have the documentation for it, only a few docs for similar chips.

    I've ordered one, but have no idea of when I'll get a chance to look at it and experiment.
    (I'm about buy an apartment in a building that I'll have to help build, so...)

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  • pharseidpharseid Posts: 192
    edited 2006-05-22 16:49
    · For the algorithm I'm familiar with (which is pretty dated), it takes a couple dozen machine language ops to get an edge map for each pixel. Memory space for these processors is as critical as instruction speed. For a serial camera, probably one cog of the Propellor could process the edge map, because of the relatively low frame rate. If you had something like a CMOS image chip directly connected to the propellor, you would probably need to devote the whole chip to the process (and depending on the resolution of the chip, you might need to do something tricky to fit the edge map on the chip). Of course, you can always skip frames and process at whatever frame rate you want.

    -phar
  • A.C. fishingA.C. fishing Posts: 262
    edited 2006-05-22 21:07
    Can the CMU cam be a frame grabber?

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