From: "Milton Aupperle" <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: February 24, 2009 1:37:17 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Point Grey USB Camera support..

Hi Folks;

After some back and forth conversations with PGR, it looks like it may

be possible to add support for PGR's USB cameras  (two models

Chameleon and FireFly MV USB2 currently) to probably Astro IIDC.

Basically they have implemented the IIDC camera registers under USB,

which means that with some changes to the underling hardware I/O code,

Astro IIDC would think it's talking to a FireWire camera. One of the

big sticking points with supporting USB cameras is that most

manufacturers require you to load firmware and other data from a

binary file before the USB camera goes from being a USB vendor device

into a USB Camera. However PGR has no firmware to load up which makes

it a lot less cumbersome and it basically becomes plug and play.

Before I decide to look a lot further into this, I would like to know

if people are interested in PGR USB cameras. I'm not looking for a

"Yes write it and I'll buy 6 cameras" type commitment, just "Yes I

might be interested in the future", especially since Apple may stop

selling Macs with FireWire next year.

So if your interested in their USB cameras, let me know at

support@outcastsoft.com.

The reason I say "probably in Astro IIDC", is because I'm not 100%

sure if it makes sense to do it in Astro IIDC or perhaps develop

another application for it. I'll have to do a extensive code review

for the I/O source before I make that sort of decision.

The Imaging Source has expressed ZERO interest in providing us with

any information on their USB cameras, so their USB cameras may as well

be a brick with a USB connector on them. I have no hope at all that

this will change.

There is another popular high end USB camera manufacturer that I may

dialogue with in the near future too. I've done work for them in the

past and am very familiar with their cameras, so we will see where

that goes too.

Lastly I expect to have the complete release verison of Astro IIDC

4.02.00 out by this friday.

TTYL..

Milton Aupperle