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Deep sleep mode

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Offline RaduP

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Deep sleep mode
« on: 04 / March / 2009, 23:53:48 »
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I am working at a time lapse hardware for some non Canon cameras (it's based on a PIC, and will turn on the camera, take a picture, and turn it off again), and I was thinking if this could be done in software on Canon cameras using CHDK.

Basically, what would be needed is to find a way to turn pretty much everything off (sensor, LCD, LEDs, and put the CPU in the lowest power mode for a set time interval).
The idea is to leave the lens extended, because it takes a lot of battery power to retract/extend the lens, but have pretty much everything off.

If there is a method to turn everything off, then the camera should last for weeks, so it would be possible to take time lapse photos of plants growing, landscapes changing, and so on.

The camera I am working now with has a fixed focus, fixed lenses, so this is not a problem, but AFAIK, there is no Canon camera with fixed lenses, so without such a stand by mode, I don't think the batteries can last for more than a day at most. Some solar powers might help, but it is not that unusual to have a few cloudy days in a row.
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Offline PhyrePhoX

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #1 on: 04 / March / 2009, 23:56:17 »
the s3is definitly has such sleep mode, i dont know how to call it though, yet.
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Offline RaduP

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #2 on: 04 / March / 2009, 23:58:09 »
Any idea how long it can last in that sleep mode?
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Offline Microfunguy

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #3 on: 05 / March / 2009, 04:39:21 »
Quote from: RaduP on 04 / March / 2009, 23:53:48
I don't think the batteries can last for more than a day at most.

Put a wooden cocktail stick in the A/V socket (to blank the display) and power the cameras from two 6V sealed lead-acid batteries in parallel.
Put diodes on the battery +ve and join cathodes.
That way you can remove one battery for recharging.

You can buy high-efficiency step-down voltage regulators if your camera requires a lower voltage.
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Offline RaduP

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #4 on: 05 / March / 2009, 12:26:51 »
Yes, obviously.
But if you want to put the camera on some tree branch, or maybe you want to leave it in some remote area and come back 2 months later for it, it's not going to work.
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Offline PhyrePhoX

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #5 on: 05 / March / 2009, 13:07:54 »
i dont know how much energy is used in sleep mode. it goes to deep sleep when i activate the intervalometer feature, which afaik is present on the s3is ONLY. It is limited though, as in the maximum number of shots is 100, and the maximum interval is 60 minutes. although... this amounts to 4 days maximum usage. actually i could test this, as i have a project going on right now which would require this...

i wrote something about it ages ago - https://chdk.kernreaktor.org/mantis/view.php?id=19
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Offline RaduP

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #6 on: 05 / March / 2009, 17:12:23 »
Hmm, it would be nice if it can be used on other cameras as well. In theory, if you turn off the sensor, LCD, and put the CPU to the lowest frequency, in a hlt or nop loop, it shouldn't use too much energy (although the WDT must be disabled, of course).
What is the lowest frequency that the CPU can be set to?
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Offline reyalp

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #7 on: 05 / March / 2009, 22:00:09 »
Even if a super low power state is possible, getting there without blowing up the canon firmware will almost certainly be a huge task.

You may also run into other problems running weeks or months on end. I'd suggest
1) an external battery pack, as Microfunguy suggested
2) an external device to power on the camera as required (script should be able to shut down).
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Offline fudgey

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #8 on: 06 / March / 2009, 11:58:34 »
We know of 10^n ways to crash the camera so that the lens stays out and shuts down.

I don't have my camera here to test whether it gets drawn back in and then out when powering on after a crash directly to REC mode or if it stays out like you'd want (requires a model that can be powered directly to REC mode of course).
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Offline RaduP

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Re: Deep sleep mode
« Reply #9 on: 06 / March / 2009, 14:40:38 »
Well, afaik, the camera has an init routine that will retract the lens and then put them back again (if they are out). Not sure about the REC mode, but I would assume that it always does that.
Anyway, another option would be to do this whole thing in hardware, which I am doing now and works quite well (but the camera is not Canon). When I am done with the project, I'll post some pictures and maybe source code.
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