For my project I need a camera with CCD sensor (for global shutter). I have to trigger the camera from a computer. So I came across some Canon Powershots and CHDK.
There are no modern Powershot camera's with external flash capabilities like the G12. For example the SX410IS (currently not supported by CHDK) or SX170IS (
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SX170IS) are modern CCD camera's, but without external flash capabilities.
Searching for CHDK and external flash I came across
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:External_Flash_Control. For my project I do not want to use the internal flash device. I have to take a lot of pictures and that will blow up the internal flash.
I cannot use the USB because the USB is in use by the computer which controls the camera. Or I have to trigger a flash via the computer. But how to sync that? And is that fast enough? The camera is in an almost dark environment. So theoretically I can open de sensor for e relative long time (max 1/50 second) and flash somewhere in that timespan. But this is not my first solution (if working).
I came also across this script:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/UBASIC/Scripts:_LED_light. Maybe that idea is part of the solution? Is it possible to flash a LED on the camera in stead of the flash light? And pickup the LED signal by a sensor (or directly connect to the LED power). Next is to trigger the external flash, but that is not a real problem. Should this work?