bbb71073b8
git-svn-id: https://svn.code.sf.net/p/gphoto/code/trunk/libgphoto2@8237 67ed7778-7388-44ab-90cf-0a291f65f57c
75 lines
3.8 KiB
Plaintext
75 lines
3.8 KiB
Plaintext
MARS MR97310 STILLCAM DRIVER
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Theodore Kilgore <kilgota@auburn.edu> April, 2004.
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(Driver is LGPL like most of the rest of libgphoto2; see any of the
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source files for a more complete statement of the license.)
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INTRODUCTION
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This driver is for a camera which uses the Mars MR97310 chip. I understand
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that there are several of these. Mine is an Aiptek PenCam VGA+ (Vendor:Product
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ID 0x08ca:0x0111). The interface is proprietary, and these cameras are
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supported commercially only in Windows.
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FEATURES OF THE CAMERA
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The Aiptek PenCam VGA+ is a "budget" camera. The camera has resolution settings
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of 640x480 and 320x240. The default behavior of the manufacturer's camera
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driver is to save photos in JPEG format, with BMP format optional. However,
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the raw data is in Bayer array format. Here, everything is saved in PPM format.
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The camera can also be used as a webcam (unsupported here) or to make a "video
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clip." This driver supports the 640x480 and 320x240 *uncompressed* stillcam
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and "clip" modes only. Clips download nicely as a succession of PPM files.
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There is an optional compression mode, proprietary and not obvious.
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The adventurous and persistent are hereby encouraged to play with it.
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Update 09/12/05: Decompression sort of works, now. Thanks to Bertrik Sikkens
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for the basic algorithm, and to Michel Xhaard for testing my additional tweaks.
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With some of the cameras it is possible now to get decent photos in compressed
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mode, at least some of the time. For this, the camera seems to function best
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at outdoor use.
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The outside of the package advertises "Interpolated XGA (1024x768) Resolution"
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(which can be turned on or off). If "enhancement" is turned on, the appearance
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of the photos does change, but not much to the better. The photos are only
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slightly sharper but become much more blocky with jagged lines and curves.
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It seems not worth the trouble. If you find that the "enhancement" does
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something nice, please let me know. Especially if you can understand how to
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get "Interpolated 1024x768 Resolution" from 640x480 bytes downloaded from a
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640x480 Bayer array.
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The camera uses a configuration "block," as do the sq905 cameras. However,
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here the information can be used to run options such as gphoto2 -p 3 and
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gphoto2 -p 3-5. Whether this flexibility is of any practical effect or not
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is another question, since apparently the camera will not download thumbnails.
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The driver provided with the camera is for Windows only, and that driver does
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not take full advantage even of the mentioned abilities. There, one has the
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choice either to download all photos, or none. If all are downloaded, then
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thumbnails are created. The user can then do previews and decide what to save.
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USABILITY OF DRIVER WITH GUI FRONTENDS
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The camera library presented here seems to work with gtkam as a frontend. To
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use gtkam for the first time with the camera, you must choose the camera.
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For this purpose, after starting gtkam click on "Camera." Then choose
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"Add Camera." Then "Detect." After this, AFAICT gtkam will be fully functional,
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including in particular the production of thumbnails for the photos.
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The use of digikam as a frontend works almost as well, but for some reason
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digikam seems unable to display thumbnails from this camera. Anyone who knows
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what the problem is here, please let me know. Meanwhile, as I said, gtkam seems
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to work without problems.
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FURTHER DETAILS
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Further details are given in "protocol.txt". These details have been obtained
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through trial and error and are intended solely to meet the problems of
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compatibility in other than a Microsoft Windows (trademark) environment.
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WARRANTY?
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Absolutely none. Remember, I did not sell you this software. I have written
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this driver for my own edification and in the sincere hope that it might help
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you to use of your camera. Please see also the warranty clauses
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in the LGPL license. |