POLL: Which missing features would you like to see?

[PhyrePhoX]

i already had my thoughts about that, and will definitly try to implement some kind of editor. the color chooser will transformed into a letter chooser where you can quickly choose letters and numbers.at least that is in my mind. first i gotta finish my other stuff though

[wontolla]

i thought of a little bit more "script intelligent" one with list of uBasic keywords/macros, so all you need to write are variable names and literals. Sth like proposals/macros with Ctrl+Space in Eclipse IDE.

Hey m2tk, you came back to edit your post and mention Eclipse! Bad move! That make us think you have some experience with C language. Now you will have to help us with the script editor.

Should we keep this poll general? I opened a new topic to continue the discussion of the script editor File/script editor

[Barney Fife]

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[m2tk]

Hey m2tk, you came back to edit your post and mention Eclipse! Bad move! That make us think you have some experience with C language. Now you will have to help us with the script editor.

hi wontolla,
i would like to help somehow but my knowlegde of C is at basic level.
Though i'm certified Java programmer so i know how to program there is only need to learn new syntax & OS related stuff and 'ebuy' some spare time.
regards.

[a710is]

to add to these I would like HD video recording (1280 x whatever @ whatever fps). 720p would be nice but I've watched "Tokyo Drift" @ 1280 x 544 / 23 fps and can't complain.
I can't get over the coolness of the TX1 720p samples I've seen and I'd really like to try and see how the video would look on my cam with minimum compression
I hope that this and other video improvements will be possible (ISO limit, (auto) exposure compensation, S series focus behaviour etc)

[Polarigel]

Remote Capture (PTP) via USB on cameras without

This option is unfair, only the few people with cam models without this feature will vote for this (like me and my PowerShot A550).
I hope this will take in count

Full ACK. Remote control is the feature i missed most, when i took my A720IS out of the box.

Thanks to the developers for that great software
Polarigel

[fabphoto]

For "Use of USB port to control external devices. ":
Besides maybe complex data communication features, I would VERY much like a very basic function to output pulses to the USB port. Something like:

set_usb_power 1
sleep 100
set_usb_power 0

or: usb_pulse 100 (?)

Hopefully there is enough power to control external servos, e.g. for rotating the camera. (This would provide a lightweight and simple solution for my wishes for kite aerial photography).

[fudgey]

The camera's USB port can't toggle the USB power lines. The computer always powers the bus, not the camera.

But the status of the data line can obviously be changed by the camera, at least when a proper USB supply voltage is present. We just don't know how, but you are right that even the ability to slowly toggle the state would be great progress even if we couldn't follow USB protocol to transfer data quickly and in a compatible way. Even finding a way to make the camera draw more current from the USB Vdd would allow us to have some communication with the camera by measuring the current it's drawing.

But you can do simple binary I/O even now using the LEDs, but you obviously need to build an optical receiver and mount it properly for it to be useful.

[ewavr]

But the status of the data line can obviously be changed by the camera, at least when a proper USB supply voltage is present. We just don't know how, but you are right that even the ability to slowly toggle the state would be great progress even if we couldn't follow USB protocol to transfer data quickly and in a compatible way.

Somewhere in dpreview forum I found:

Is is possible to change state one of two USB data lines (near to USB power input ) writing bit 2 to port 0xC0721000 (1-high, 0-low). But before any operation with this port it is necessary to apply voltage to USB power line, otherwise camera hangs. It is tested on a710, for other digic2 cameras this address should be the same.

[fudgey]

Somewhere in dpreview forum I found:

Is is possible to change state one of two USB data lines (near to USB power input ) writing bit 2 to port 0xC0721000 (1-high, 0-low). But before any operation with this port it is necessary to apply voltage to USB power line, otherwise camera hangs. It is tested on a710, for other digic2 cameras this address should be the same.

Now that's very interesting. I have a Digic III camera so I can't test that, but I suppose similar address could exist on Digic III as well. USB is supposed to be driven differentially i.e. switching one of the data lines should turn the other one opposite, but if the USB port is built in the processor and just protected and maybe buffered by USB power, it's no surprise if there's a register in the processor that can toggle the lines independently.

Do these cameras have separate USB interface chips or is it all integrated in the processor sans maybe some ferrites and ESD diodes?

As to why the camera hangs if USB power is not supplied is slightly weird and I suppose the worst case scenario would be bad hardware design from Canon causing excess current sourcing from the USB I/O pins due to an USB interface chip or buffer lacking power. This kind of things tend to be hard to manage at boot time (and USB interface chips often take power from both sides to solve these problems and level conversion issues as well) so I find it an unlikely cause which makes me guess the hang is intended behavior to protect from faulty hw (the camera's firmware should never have a reason to write to those I/O pins unless it has detected USB power).

But anyway we already have a way to find out to check for USB power for most(?) of the cameras, so if that's all it takes it should be easy to allow safe serial data output from an externally powered USB data port to a non-standard serial line. What your quote doesn't say is how fast you can toggle this... if it's up to normal USB transfer speed the sky's the limit and we just need to stitch up some hardware to get this thing connected to a computer. This could be one more alternative to blinkers as well.

[ewavr]

Do these cameras have separate USB interface chips or is it all integrated in the processor sans maybe some ferrites and ESD diodes?

DIGIC2 has built-in USB interface, DIGIC3 maybe too 

I think that this register bit turn on/off built-in 1.5k pullup resistor required to USB device detection from USB host.

[dew]

A good stepping-off point to start other discussions from ideas the might crop-up in this thread. Sort of a stream-of-consciousness playground.

Well, I'm browsing and dreaming in the middle of the night.  This might seem like a step backward -- even to the Kodak Brownie days -- but how about a forced hyperfocal distance focus setting that varies with zoom setting?  Today I was walking in the woods with a dog leash (with dog attached) in one hand and my G9 in the other.  A startled deer ran, the dog lunged, and I got a photo of sharply focussed trees and a blurry white-tail.  I know, I know, "snap" shots are seldom as good as carefully composed ones, but whenever I (or someone better qualified) can get CHDK to run a G9 it would be nice to have a cocked-and-ready point & shoot. 

[GrAnd]

how about a forced hyperfocal distance focus setting that varies with zoom setting?

CHDK already has a shortcut to set focus to HYP.

[fudgey]

I think that this register bit turn on/off built-in 1.5k pullup resistor required to USB device detection from USB host.

That would make sense... it would be D+ (green wire) then. Even with toggling that resistor output speed in excess of 100 kbit/s could probably be achieved. The switch controlling the pull-up wasn't meant for data communications, though, so I'm not sure if there's a danger of overheating it.

[Barney Fife]

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