Remote Camera Capture

MichaelM

I am looking to remotely operate a camera, e.g. Canon’s PowerShot S500.
Requirements:

• Small, lightweight controller
• Ability to program time interval between camera captures
• Ability to program camera instructions re depress shutter button ½ way before completely
• Small lightweight power supply (non-propriety easily available batteries)
• USB connection to camera
• Programming via USB connection to PC running Windows XP would be the easiest for me.
• Images can be stored on camera chip

·
I’m not sure whether Basic Stamp or Propeller is the right product.
I have done some programming, but have practically no computer hardware experience/ knowledge. Willing and anxious to learn so if you can help me, please use words your mother can understand.
I am looking for a similar project on the forums, but no joy yet.
Thanks,
Michael Mullin
mjmul@cox.net

Chris Savage

Michael,
·
·· Can these features on your camera be controlled via some PC side software currently?· If not they may not be implemented via the USB bus.· Either way you will need to be able to connect to the camera as a USB Host.· A BASIC Stamp would not have the resources to do this, and while the Propeller may, there is currently no object for handling this.· You may need to develop one.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support

MichaelM

Thanks Chris,
I have not confirmed, but I think either PSRemote (www.breezesys.com) or software which comes with the camera allow remote capture from a PC. That's what the camera documentation says. What is the weight of Propeller and what is its power requirement? Does Propeller have a USB port to connect to the camera or would a serial/USB adapter be necessary? I have started studying the Spin Code Examples by Dave Scanlon.
Which Propeller product will I need to purchase?
Thanks,
MichaelM

Chris Savage

Michael,
·
·· Not sure what you mean about the weight of the Propeller…It comes in a few packages, including a 40-pin DIP and the weight is typical of an IC this size.· The power requirement is 3.3V and there are examples of interfacing to 5V circuitry, however I don’t think that will be a problem since you first need to establish a method of talking to a USB device as a host.· If you’re interested in learning about the Propeller we have the Demo Board Kit.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support

Kevin Wood

You might want to download and read through the "What's a Microcontroller" manual, as well as some of the others in the Stamps in Class series.

The Propeller is a microcontroller, and it would only be 1 part in what would likely be a complex system. Looking through the Stamps in Class books should help you understand a bit more about the design process.

allanlane5

Michael:

The USB connection requires a 'master' and a 'slave' device. Your camera is a 'slave' device. While people are trying to develop 'master' devices for microcontrollers, currently the only 'master' device there is is a PC.

That's what Chris is saying. Probably, a Propeller plus some 'master' chip CAN be made into a USB 'master' device. But one does not currently exist.

A USB to Serial adapter is another 'slave' device, designed to be connected to a PC. So that's not going to work for a BS2 to Camera connection either.

MichaelM

Alanlane5
Thanks, very helpful to start understanding the big picture and problems. So, are you saying that at this point, I probably cannot connect a camera to a controller (other than a PC) for remote camera capture? In this regard, what is special about a PC? Operating System? or something else? What's the smallest, lightweight PC you know of? Keyboard, mouse, screen would not need to be connected at all times.
Thanks again,
Michael

Chris Savage

Michael,
·
·· Look at it this way…Before you can control your camera or download images you have to install a USB driver for that camera.· This driver was written for the PC.· This driver describes to the PC how to communicate with the camera.· When you connect the camera to the PC its USB host controller enumerates the device, connects it to the system through the driver and enables communication.· Now, if you connected the same camera to an embedded controller, it needs to know how to enumerate and connect to the USB slave controller on the device to enable communication.· This part is what is involved in being a USB Master or Host.· Afterward you then need to be able to talk to the camera and know what commands do what.· This may require a more detailed knowledge of the interface than is currently available.· I’m not saying it is impossible, just involved.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support

Larry~

There use to be lots on this subject when cameras were Serial.

I have done this two different ways one was to use push solenoids, this worked fine but was a power hog.

some people used servos which would allow you the push half way you want. and the second I used was hooking up the the serial port, I was able to control most aspects of the camera this way! focus, wide angle taking picture ect. this was part of a tracking device I made·5 or·6 years ago using a referb olympus D-400 zoom camera.

allanlane5

I was going to suggest an automated "Finger press" using a servo. Create a rigid holder for the camera, to which you mount a servo, whose horn can reach the camera button.

This will take some experimentation to find the servo settings that press the button half-down, then all the way down. But servo's should have enough torque for this, and the shaft positioning (button press numbers) should be·very repeatable if you mount the servo solidly.