High power use with LCD display blanking? Ultimate intervalometer & D10

jules

73

High power use with LCD display blanking? Ultimate intervalometer & D10

« on: 24 / March / 2014, 08:42:50 »

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Trying to maximise run time with external battery, I got a very strange result...

Previously I used display blanking 'PlayKey'. The screen remains dark except during a shot when it comes on briefly. Presumably that's wasting a little battery power.

So it was nice to find updated ultimate script has a new option 'LCD' that "turns off the LCD & backlight completely". And yes, now the D10 screen remains dark all the time... but power draw is MUCH higher!

LCD option allows 24 hours run time vs 72 hours with PlayKey option. Testing with same external battery, same settings, review always off. Repeated tests, same results.

How can always-off screen draw much more power than mostly-off screen?
Have I missed something essential in the setup for LCD option?

« Last Edit: 24 / March / 2014, 08:56:30 by jules »

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reyalp

14110

Re: High power use with LCD display blanking? Ultimate intervalometer & D10

« Reply #1 on: 24 / March / 2014, 16:53:58 »

Quote from: jules on 24 / March / 2014, 08:42:50

How can always-off screen draw much more power than mostly-off screen?

The sensor hardware is still running if you turn of the display in record mode, and the processor is probably doing more. In playback, it the camera has very little to do.

An alternative on D10 would be to assign the sleep function to the print key and use that. I'm not sure if ultimate supports this method or not (it only applies to some cameras, and requires you to change the canon setting), but it should have similar power usage to play mode with the display off.

edit:
See this thread http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=9049.0

« Last Edit: 24 / March / 2014, 16:56:17 by reyalp »

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Don't forget what the H stands for.

waterwingz

12140

Re: High power use with LCD display blanking? Ultimate intervalometer & D10

« Reply #2 on: 24 / March / 2014, 18:42:35 »

Quote from: reyalp on 24 / March / 2014, 16:53:58

I'm not sure if ultimate supports this method or not (it only applies to some cameras, and requires you to change the canon setting), but it should have similar power usage to play mode with the display off.

It does. In fact I think it support every display power saving mode that has been discussed on this forum.

Quote

edit:
See this thread http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=9049.0

I never went back and retested the set_lcd_display() command after it was released. It appears I should do so based on what jules discovered.

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