[AZ-Observing] Re: Anybody Own The Imaging Source B&W Camera?

Hi Tom,
Martin Thompson has one of the Imaging Source cameras for the GRCO 
observatory -- not sure of the exact model, but I believe it is a B&W 
USB model.
You can probably borrow it....

May I politely suggest checking the following (none of this info is well 
documented):

(1)  When installing the camera (or ANY USB device, for that matter) for 
the FIRST time on A PARTICULAR USB PORT.... the Windoze PC (or laptop) 
will "hunt" for the drivers needed... there are two sets... one for the 
specific device (the device is "polled" and returns a unique ID code to 
the computer, which then attempts to match it against the drivers found 
on the hard drive, in various locations); the second driver is for the 
cable and/or hub device plugged in.  Ditto, a unique ID code is 
returned.  This "install" process WILL be gone through on EACH NEW PORT 
that the device(s) are plugged into... So you should try the devices in 
ALL of the USB ports, one at a time, so that you will not have to go 
through this IF you change ports...

The Install process takes a few minutes (each time), and WILL FAIL if 
you don't allow the PC time to complete out.  If the PC (Windoze) does 
not find a matching driver... then you may need to point it to the 
correct folder, and/or the install disk, or wherever you downloaded the 
TWO sets of drivers....

This necessity of installing on EACH USB port is NOT well documented.  I 
learned this (the hard way) by doing it...

(2)  USB devices such as cameras, which operate at maximum data 
transmission speed, REQUIRE USB 2.0 cables -- nothing less!!  USB 1.1 
cables WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY.  USB 2.0 cables (only) are marked on the 
cable and on the connectors as such.  If you intend to operate with a 
cable string longer than the standard (single) 16 ft (5 meter) length, 
you will need USB 2.0 "powered extender cables" -- which have a small 
"lump" or enclosure for an IC amplifier chip in line.  I have found in 
trials that a string of up to 4 sets of USB 2.0 powered extender cables 
can be successfully used (with a short USB 2.0 cable on the camera 
end).  However, NO USB 1.1 cables in the string will work successfully 
(no matter where placed in the string...)

Also -- for the situation using long strings of powered extender 
cables... recall that the USB system derives the 5VDC power from the bus 
inside the PC or laptop... which is also shared with all other USB 
devices on ANY of the other ports.. such as a mouse, keyboard, lights, 
etc.  You may find it necessary to use a multi-port powered hub (again, 
USB 2.0 rated) on the far end, next to the camera, and supply 5VDC 
externally to the power jack on the powered hub.

USB cables are notorious for the connectors working loose and/or being 
intermittent, both in line and at the camera and/or PC end...
Just because the cable "came with the camera" does NOT prove it will 
work successfully -- check for genuine USB 2.0 markings...

As far as the USB driver installation goes... another problem is that 
once installed and recognized... Windoze will attempt to go back to the 
original setup... (for instance, if it substituted a "generic" driver 
for the specialized one needed for the camera...) So to correct any 
problems, and/or upgrade drivers... you will have to search out and 
un-install the recognized drivers, then re-install new ones.... For each 
and every USB port, plugging the equipment into each one in turn, and 
waiting for the install routine to complete out...  (I believe this 
recognition process makes some sort of entries for the setup, probably 
in the Windoze Registry ??)

Note that EACH powered extender cable, and the powered hub, if you are 
using a cable string... will need to be recognized as a separate device, 
and drivers installed FOR EACH ONE... ON EACH PORT....  Again, evidently 
the amp chips in each cable send out a separate ID code when "pinged"...

NOTE >>>>Implies also that changing cameras will require a fresh install 
(on each port), as each device pings back a unique ID code.... (??)

I had difficulty trying to use a PCMIA to USB adapter card on my older 
laptop...  Not sure if it was a 5VDC power problem, or the driver for 
the converter card... Works ok on my newer laptop with USB ports...  I 
did have to plug into each port in turn... But that is true with ALL USB 
devices...

As a perhaps typical example of USB device operation.... The Meade DSI 
camera is a "power hog", and also does not "play well" with other USB 
devices on the bus.. evidently does not like to have its exclusive data 
stream interrupted while imaging...  I had problems with a SATIK USB 
lighted keyboard, which puts streaks in the pictures... Can't run it 
with the Meade camera...

Some older PCs/laptops are noted as NOT being compatible with USB 2.0 
drivers.... This was the case with a 3-year-old HP computer that Keith 
Parizek has... had to replace the computer, as it did not have expansion 
capability, and the USB card in the chassis was pre-USB 2.0, not 
upgradeable (!!)  One older Toucam USB webcam worked ok, the newer 
Phillips SP-900 camera did not.

Hope this info may help...
Gene
(17250)

tpolakis@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> After 10 months of flawless operation, I'm having all sorts of interesting
> installation problems with my DMK series B&W USB video camera.  It is
> giving me the USB "three chimes of death."  Some of the problems appear to
> be unique to my laptop computer.  One way to diagnose if it's entirely the
> fault of my computer would be to connect another nearly identical camera
> from The Imaging Source.  It has to be a USB2.0 (not firewire) model, and
> it also has to be one of their black-and-white cameras.
>
> So does anybody else in the Phoenix camera own one of these cameras? 
> Thanks.
>
> Tom
>   

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