K3's Software - K3CCDTools
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is Man that You are mindful of him?" -- Psalm 8:3,4

K3CCDTools - SC modified webcam settings

For proper work of SC modified webcam it is necessary to properly set parameters, which determine control of webcam. It can be done in Settings dialog - in Camera tab.
Here is Settings dialog with default parameters. Default parameters should be suitable for the most of webcam modified according to
Steve Chambers (see also my SC modification page).

Default settings for parallel port control
Default parameters are suitable for the following hardware configuration:
Data bit Parallel port pin Description
D3 Pin 5 Shutter (LX Mode ON/OFF)
D2 Pin 4 CCD Amp ON/OFF
D1 Pin 3 Field B transfer
D0 Pin 2 Field A transfer

Defaults parameters are working with basic and enhanced SC modifications.

Default settings for serial port control

!!!ATTENTION!!!
YOU MUST HAVE SPECIAL CIRCUIT FOR CHANGING VOLTAGE LEVELS
(from -/+12V to 0/5V) TO BE ABLE TO USE SERIAL PORT CONTROL.
IN ANOTHER CASE YOU CAN DAMAGE YOUR CAMERA.

Using serial to parallel port adapter with transistors
Default parameters are suitable for the Serial to Parallel Port Adapter,
which uses the following hardware configuration:
Data bit Canon 9 port pin Description
D1 (RTS) Pin 7 Fields AB transfer
D0 (DTR) Pin 4 CCD Amp ON/OFF

Defaults parameters are working with basic and enhanced SC modifications.

Note: This setup is supported correctly only in K3CCDTools version 2.1 and above.
The older versions may have some incompatibility problems.

Using serial to parallel port adapter with 2 resistors + 1 diode
This adapter was published on the web some time ago.
Currently its construction is obsolete.
Data bit Canon 9 port pin Description
D1 (RTS) Pin 7 CCD Amp ON/OFF
D0 (DTR) Pin 4 Fields AB transfer

Defaults parameters are working with basic and enhanced SC modifications

SC Long Exposure modified camera - Check it if you want to use Long exposures with SC modified webcam

Control Port - Specifies the port used for controlling camera. Current version of K3CCDTools supports either parallel or serial ports. If your parallel port has another address, you can specify its address in K3CCDTools.ini file, e.g.:

[SCLongExposure]
Port=$3BC

The next items represent control bytes which are sent to parallel/serial port. They are expressed in binary code for easier settings. This means, that the bit 0 is in the most right side and bit 7 is in the most left side. 1 represents HI level, 0 represents LOW level. You can change individual bits by clicking them by left mouse button.

Initialization - Specifies initialization byte, which is sent to port in K3CCDTools start-up. For webcam modified according to Steve Chambers it is necessary to set to lowest 4 bits to 1. Without sending Initialization byte the camera may not work properly (black frames) also in not long exposure mode. It is especially necessary for webcams without hardware switch for controlling long exposure mode.

LXMode ON - Specifies initialization byte, which is sent, when Long exposure dialog box is recalled. By default the bit 3 is set to LOW level (shutter disable).

LXAmp ON Mask - Specifies the mask, which is used for switching CCD amplifier ON/OFF. It is used with XOR operator:

Amp ON port byte = Exposure_Field_AB  XOR  LXAmp_ON_Mask
Amp OFF port byte = Exposure_Field_AB

Exposure Field A - Specifies the byte, which is sent, when Field A is exposed (the 1st sub-frame). The port byte value must be specified with AMP OFF. (Amp ON is achieved by applying LX Amp ON mask).

Exposure Field B - Specifies the byte, which is sent, when Field B is exposed (the 2nd sub-frame). The port byte value must be specified with AMP OFF. (Amp ON is achieved by applying LX Amp ON mask).

Exposure Field AB - Specifies the byte, which is sent, when whole frame is exposed (both fields A+B). The port byte value must be specified with AMP OFF. (Amp ON is achieved by applying LX Amp ON mask).

Exposure End - Specifies the byte, which is sent, when exposure is stopped. It must include AMP ON.

LXMode OFF - Specifies the byte, which is sent, when Long exposure dialog box is closed.

Post Exposure Time - Specifies the time interval between end of exposure and frame reading.

Turn AMP ON lead - Specifies the time which is needed for switching AMP ON before end of exposure.

Default Amp Mode - Specifies the default CCD amplifier mode - ON or OFF. Default mode is set when Long Exposure dialog is recalled.

Log LX exposure to file - Enables to log the exposure data for each captured frame to file. The data contains frame number, time of start of exposure and length of exposure (in ms precision).

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Last Update: 14.09.2005