CHDK USB Remote Control with Wireless Capability

[fvdk]

Hi Gregg
I have looked at the Canon style remotes, but I can't see any with the 2.5 mm plugs ??
Are these male or female ?
Can you see any on e-bay or somewhere to show me what is needed, Please ?
The ones I have seen in Aust are around $100 plus.
Cheers
Col

Well, I am not Gregg but here is one for example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wireless-Remote-R6D-Canon-350D-400D-450D-1000D-XS-/280525900563?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Camera_Camcorder_Remotes&hash=item4150a58b13

Frans

[colinbm]

Thanks Frans
That looks like what I need to buy.
Looks well made too.
I had seen others with different ends, some even with 3.5 mm, which I thought was a mistake.
Cheers
Col

[fvdk]

Thanks Frans
That looks like what I need to buy.
Looks well made too.
I had seen others with different ends, some even with 3.5 mm, which I thought was a mistake.
Cheers
Col

Yes, I have one of those and they are well made and work perfectly.
The nice thing is that you can still use the receiver part as a wired remote in case the battery lost power.

Frans

[colinbm]

Good, Thanks
Col

[gsbergman]

I have not had a chance to post the pictures since I've gone through a redesign of the product due to pre-mature battery depletion. The LED was drawing to much current. I'm looking at either a different battery source or dropping the LED indicator. TBD. I'll get back when I've redesigned the circuit. Incidentally I used the remote sucessfully duing my photo session from the 4th of July. It simply worked great (except for the battery depletion issue).

Gregg

[colinbm]

Thanks for letting me know Gregg.
I should have the Canon wireless remote any day now.
Col

[fvdk]

I have not had a chance to post the pictures since I've gone through a redesign of the product due to pre-mature battery depletion. The LED was drawing to much current. I'm looking at either a different battery source or dropping the LED indicator. TBD. I'll get back when I've redesigned the circuit. Incidentally I used the remote sucessfully duing my photo session from the 4th of July. It simply worked great (except for the battery depletion issue).

Gregg

Here is my version of it, just 11x42 mm I don't think much smaller is possible.
I have it now running with my timer remote on an A590 (1 picture every 5 seconds) to see how long the batteries will last.

So far, I have already changed the batteries of the camera 6 times and it has taken over 4500 pictures and still going strong. On average, in this mode, the camera batteries last two and a half hours

Frans

[colinbm]

Thanks fvdk
I now have the Meike Timer Remote Controller ( Canon EOS equivalent ).
I need to make a splitter or "Y" junction to join it to the 2 mini USB to controll two Canon A570 cameras for stereo photography.
There are three wires to the 2.5mm male plug.
I need to know which wires (Red, White & Yellow) go to which pin on the 2.5mm female plug Please.
Then I need to know which two of these three wires join to make the two wire connection on the mini USB plug Please.
Cheers
Col

[fvdk]

Thanks fvdk
I now have the Meike Timer Remote Controller ( Canon EOS equivalent ).
I need to make a splitter or "Y" junction to join it to the 2 mini USB to controll two Canon A570 cameras for stereo photography.
There are three wires to the 2.5mm male plug.
I need to know which wires (Red, White & Yellow) go to which pin on the 2.5mm female plug Please.
Then I need to know which two of these three wires join to make the two wire connection on the mini USB plug Please.
Cheers
Col

Hi Colin,
I assume that you already have a USB remote with two cables to control your A570's cameras, something like in my picture above. So this is in effect your Y-splitter that supplies the needed voltage to the two mini USB plugs.

So what you have to do, is solder two wires to the ground and left contacts of the 2.5mm female plug
http://pinouts.ru/Home/Tele35s_pinout.shtml and than connect these to the switch contacts of your USB remote.

The wireless remote when attached to the 2.5mm female plug will than with a full press, short-circuit  those two contacts, having the effect of pushing the button on the USB remote.

You do not have to alter or solder anything to the Meike Timer Remote Controller.

Let me know if this is not clear.

Frans

[colinbm]

Thanks Frans
I can now see a bit clearer Thanks.
So when the "" wireless remote is attached to the 2.5mm female plug will than with a full press, short-circuit  those two contacts, having the effect of pushing the button on the USB remote "". How many volts then goes to the cameras USB ?? 4.5 or 7.5 volts ?
The Meike Timer Remote Controller has three wires at the male plug, so I just have to establish which is ground ? & join the other two to the left contact in the female plug ?
Cheers
Col

[fvdk]

Thanks Frans
I can now see a bit clearer Thanks.
So when the "" wireless remote is attached to the 2.5mm female plug will than with a full press, short-circuit  those two contacts, having the effect of pushing the button on the USB remote "". How many volts then goes to the cameras USB ?? 4.5 or 7.5 volts ?
The Meike Timer Remote Controller has three wires at the male plug, so I just have to establish which is ground ? & join the other two to the left contact in the female plug ?
Cheers
Col

Hi Colin,
The voltage that will go to the cameras USB, is independent of the wireless remote as all that this remote is, is just a two-step switch. When used with a Canon DSLR for which they are made, they short-circuit ground + right for a half-press and ground + left for a full press. There is no voltage on the plug.

So the voltage that will go to the USB plugs will be the voltage that is supplied by the USB remote to which you will connect the wireless remote.

So forget about the wires at the male plug of the wireless remote as you will not have to do anything with that.
All you have to do, is attach a female 2.5mm plug to your USB remote as described in my previous message. When you have done that, you can plug your wireless remote into the female plug and it will work.

I hope this picture will make it clear, these are all variations of my SDM remotes to which I added the 2.5mm port (female plug).

Frans

Full info about these: Various SDM / CHDK Remotes with External Port

[fvdk]

Here is a small video that shows my A590's controlled by the type A USB remote with the wireless timer remote connected to it.
It's just to show how it works and I will probably upload a higher resolution video when I have more time.

First I manually press the shutter release twice and than I use the timer function which is programmed to take 5 pictures with a 5 second interval.

Frans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d28SJCW23cY

Here is a higher resolution video with a remote for one camera that will be mounted beneath a small airplane for aerial photography.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k89bZ7xMF2A

[colinbm]

Thanks Frans
I am off to get some hardware & get into it.
Cheers
Col

[colinbm]

Well after tearing out what hair I have left, It is the right channel that needs the plug contact soldered to ?
I got the contacts across the switch sorted out & have got up to the "Y" junction done.
Using a diode at each end of the two sets of wires all is working OK. I am now ready to make up some nice 90deg USB mini B plugs to connect to the camera.
Been a bit slow, but this has seemed a bit complicated to get my brain around ?? but now is so simple, but wasn't for me or so obvious.
I have been making lights for the IR & UV photography & making the mount for the stereo cameras too.
I hope Gregg is OK as I haven't seen him on here for a couple of weeks ??

I am enjoying this IR photography, & I can see once I get the stereo cameras up & working I might be tempted to make them IR too :-))

Cheers
Col

[fvdk]

Hi Colin,

Maybe it would be easier if you posted a picture of what you are doing.
Is it really that complicated? Here is a picture of the PCB of the LED torches that I am using.
On the picture, B is where the V- wires of the USB plugs are soldered to, the V+ wires are soldered to the other side of the PCB. If you than want to add a female 2.5mm plug as an external port for your wireless remote, it is soldered as in the picture.



Frans