building usb-remote-cable

[bondo]

Regarding usb remote control; the following electronics sites in Australia have some information on infra red devices:

http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=Z1611#

Infra-red Detector:
Jaycar Electronics

I have not used the devices; therefore I cannot supply any more information. Both companies sell kit sets and components. I have purchased components from both companies; they are both reliable and helpful. An email to their customer service department may give you the circuits and technical details.

I have used this infrared receiver (for LIRC project, do you know?).
It needs a u-controller in order to work and it is very noisy, so is *not* usable with sunny light...

[databoy]

Bondo, I agree with your thoughts. I found a number of IR circuits which use correction circuits to overcome the problems. The good quality circuits use a pulse sequence to transmit and receive the signal to correct for IR problems in sunlight. I live in Perth, Australia. In the summer months the cheaper IR motion sensors false trigger where the good commercial designs keep working. My understanding from talking to the manufacturers representatives is that the good detectors are both component matched for high temperature and sunlight IR filtering.

The trouble with IR remotes is that you need a line of sight for the devices to work. The last thing you want is a remote in a photo if you are taking a picture of yourself.

RF radio-controlled devices for switching a camera are hard to find in Australia. The commercial devices used for alarms are expensive and need adapting. Remote door bell controllers are common but the remote device is bulky.

I found a number of novelty devices on the Jaycar Electronics site which use RF control, have a small activator and relatively cheap; under $20 AUS.

Jaycar Electronics
In the top right hand search box type:
remote burp
remote farter
remote giggle

The devices should be relatively easy to modify. If the voltage drive is sufficient, taking an output from either side of the loudspeaker should be enough, otherwise a transistor driver off the loudspeaker should do. On the plus side anyone in a group photo will hear the audio and know when the photo is taken.

When I have time, I will visit Jaycar, purchase a device and modify it. I will post my results.

     

[databoy]

I have looked into a number of remote door bell chimes available in my area. I purchased a door bell chime which operates on 3volts marketed by Kambrook in Australia. The remote is small unit with a large press button ideally for concealing in a pants pocket. I have come to the conclusion that due to the variety of units on the market and depending on where a person lives a universal interface to the camera may be a common approach.

I found a simple microphone audio amplifier may be the answer to all constructors. A simple circuit with common parts is posted at queries
Schematics Depot (tm) - sound detector amp/electret mike amp
The circuit uses a 5volt power supply. The circuit could be adapted to drive a 74ls123 TTL  one shot device, if camera triggering is a problem.

One shot description and circuits can be found at:
  Monostable Flip Flop· Circuit Project Electronic

I have oscilloscope, can any of the software developers tell me what the ideal pulse to trigger the remote software on a Canon S3IS is. I may be able to build up a universal circuit which may benefit everyone.

[wontolla]

I am frankly curious: Why do you need a circuit with op amps and stuff in your remote control?

I got a led torch to build mine and it works.

Cheers!

[databoy]

I live in Perth, Australia. I originally looked at infra-red devices. Under certain conditions during the summer months, the bright sun can mask the infra-red signal. (38 to 42 degrees C for weeks on end during the summer is common in my region.) While it is relatively easy to build a corrective IR circuit the remote doorbell worked out cheaper.

I want to take photos of myself. I do not want to photograph the cable or be seen holding a large activator. The door bell remote is about double the size of car alarm remote with a large button. The alarm unit is a small device slightly larger than a cigarette packet and designed to clip on a belt. Basically it is designed for people who are working around the house but need to monitor the front door. The unit works on 2 x 1.5 volt batteries. The voltage drive is about 1.5 volts across the transducer. For my purposes I could built the driver unit for the camera inside the case using a transistor to drive the 5volts to the camera.

I have noticed in some of the forums that people wanted to use a cable-less device. My reasoning is if someone wants to photograph themselves without a cable in the picture a universal driver device may benefit everyone.

I paid $15 AUD for the doorbell. Another $10 to $15 to build an external universal driver circuit is negligible costs. In the event the door bell fails, I can buy whatever is available from the local hardware store.

[Barney Fife]

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[wontolla]

Thanks databoy, I am glad I asked.
I must be getting old. Of course the use of an IR control is for taking autoportraits. I never take photos if myself so I always saw a remote control only as a tool to avoid shake. Now I understand why you want to hide the control in the pocket. I leant something today!

what the ideal pulse to trigger the remote software on a Canon S3IS

According to my experience and our (still uncompleted) Camera Features page CameraFeatures - CHDK Wiki
it is 3V.

I could built the driver unit for the camera inside the case using a transistor to drive the 5volts to the camera

Triggering the base terminal of the transistor with 1.5V and get 3V from the battery. I think this transistor solution would be simpler/smaller than an op amp circuit.

I hope your wireless control works. Please share your schematics when you are done!

Then just use a small laser pointer...

Come on Barney!, now I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't get that laser and find out if the MD can react to the beam and ignore a person's movement at the same time.

[bondo]

Hi folks!
I want to suggest another idea without using external batteries...
idea is simple, take a look here:



(very very bad hand-drawing......)

a series of diode replace batteries in order to give a voltage - diode can be 1n4007 which has Vd around 0.7 volts, so it's needed from 5 to 8 diodes (5*0.7=3.5V for 3V threshold cameras, 8*0.7=5.4V for 5V threshold cameras)
diodes don't suffer of descharge with the past of time such as batteries.
(the parallel resistor maybe it's needed for descharging coupling capacitor on usb input)

[databoy]

I have another idea which will interest the creative photographer. A few years ago I saw some spectacular impact photographs. I did not take any notice at the time how they were triggered but I think the guy used some sort of sound detection to get the photos.

I am useless at software, but I can build hardware. With an audio detection unit the creativity is limitless. You can use a remote doorbell to trigger the device; let us look at other possibilities. Have you ever scared a cat and seen it jump. It would be good to take a series of high speed photos. Lets say that the audio detection circuit can be used to trigger a pulse circuit of up to 10 pulses. Stop motion photography is a possibility. The device can used to photograph avalanches, wilderness, motor sports or in the case of a water-drop shot, from the time it leaves the tap to the time it makes impact.

My idea is to make the device flexible and universal so anyone regardless where they live can buy common off the shelf parts and build it themselves. A cmos version of a 555/556 is ideal for building a variable pulse device.  Maybe someone with programming experience can program the camera start sequence for a series of repetitive shots.

My camera is an S3IS.     

[databoy]

Regarding my previous post; what is the practical limitation to continuous photo shooting with a Canon S3IS via the usb cable?

[Pauls9]

Bondo: The USB interface isn't powered by the camera. You need to supply the voltage from outside.

[wontolla]

Regarding my previous post; what is the practical limitation to continuous photo shooting with a Canon S3IS via the usb cable?

If I'm not mistaking, when you have the camera in continuous mode and hold your finger in the control button, it will keep shooting. I mean, while there is a voltage present at the USB cable, the remote control script will shoot indefinitely. I will try it tonight to make sure.

So, I guess what you could build is some kind of circuit with a microphone and an amplifier. The microphone will give you mV when it hears a sound and you have to amplify that voltage up to 3V. That's to take a shot if you clap or something.

To take multiple shots you can go either the hardware or the software way:

In a hw solution you need to hold those 3V for a few seconds may be using a timer like the 555 you mentioned. You can adjust it to give you a pulse, say every 5 seconds and when there is a voltage present at the microphone the 555 starts counting and provides the 3V needed.

In a sw solution, you just modify the control remote script to hold the shooter button for several seconds.

IMO the software way is easier. I can help you with the script if you want but I bet you can understand it anyways, it is pretty easy.


P.S. You can add a potentiometer to the cirtuit, so the user can addjust the level of sound needed to trigger the camera.

[databoy]

Wontolla, thanks for the reply.

I checked my local electronics stores for kits. While the components are cheap; finding a ready made printed circuit board is the problem. I found an electret microphone kit; by the description it has enough drive to trigger a 555 timer circuit. Saturated audio distortion is not a problem. As long as the 555 timer is triggered that can drive a second 555 with either a square wave or an extended pulse.

The remote doorbell I purchased has a chime of about 8 seconds. In my case the doorbell will trigger the 555 which will trigger the camera. If I want to use the trigger for detecting noise it is a simple matter of mounting the microphone in a tube or reflector.

I will purchase the components next week and build it on a breadboard. As you said software may be easier; probably a combination of the two may give users enough flexibility. For example detect pulses for the duration of the pulses, if there is a one second delay stop the shutter.

I will post my results so everyone can benefit from them.

[rocstar]

This article shows how to modify a Heath-Zenith doorbell for a 3V trigger.  It should work for a camera.
Hacker's Bench : Wireless Doorbell Hacking

[Barney Fife]

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