From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: May 9, 2005 1:08:23 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Which Astroiidc option best?

Tim;

On 9-May-05, at 12:12 PM, Tim wrote:

Milton:

Well, I bid on another firewire webcam on ebay and got it this time. It should arrive in a

few days. It's an Aplux, the model that looks like the Unibrain Fire-i. Price was "way right"

so I couldn't resist. I like that I can daisychain firewire cameras in case I want one on a

guidescope or finder at some point.

I think you made a mistake here on that camera.

As I've said in the past if the camera is NOT listed on the Astro IIDC home page

http://www.outcastsoft.com/ASCASTROIIDC.html

-------------From the WebSite Site --------------

Supports the following inexpensive IIDC / DCAM FireWire cameras, listed by manufacturer and camera model:

ADS Pyro (API-200 to API-203 Series)

Orange Micro iBot

iREZ Stealth

Unibrain Fire-i Color

Unibrain Fire-i400 Color

Unibrain Fire-i400 Monochrome

Unibrain Fire-i Board Camera Color

Unibrain Fire-i Board Camera Monochrome

The Imaging Source DMK 21F04

The Imaging Source DFK 21F04

The Imaging Source DMM 21F04

The Imaging Source DFM 21F04

The Imaging Source DMM 21F04-ML

The Imaging Source DFM 21F04-ML

The Imaging Source DBK 21F04

The Imaging Source DBM 21F04

The Imaging Source DBM 21F04-ML

NOTE: If your camera is not on the list it will not be recognized and is not currently supported. Apple's iSight will never be supported as it lacks some of the IIDC modes we need and is not capable of doing extended CCD exposure times.

------------------------

as a supported camera, then it is not supported. Regardless of what it looks like externally, the internals (i.e. firmware, internal identifiers, configrom and controller chips used) of the camera are unknown and if they are "unknown" it's NOT supported.

For example, Point Grey Research produces the FireFly which similar to the Unibrain, TIS, iBot etc cameras (of course it's way more expensive having a metal case and a real C/CS-Mount) but it IS NOT compatible with Astro IIDC and will NEVER work. They use the same chip sets as the others, but they have "tweaked" some of their components very differently and so you can't do extended exposures to 1 second, you can't extract Bayer video out of it, you can't control it at all.

I can guaranty that if we have not tested the web cams ones then the camera will NEVER even be recognized as attached with Astro IIDC 1.0x. Astro IIDC 2.0 (still in beta testing) will recognize more (higher end) IIDC/DCAM cameras - but not more cheap IIDC webcams. Since due to "Home Land Security" red-tape for all products crossing the Canadian - USA border, it now costs me $150CDN to receive and return "free" cameras, we don't support anything that is left of center.

HTH..

Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.

Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5

1-(403)-229-9456

milton@outcastsoft.com