From: Milton Aupperle <maupperl@gmail.com>

Date: February 28, 2015 9:07:25 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Help?

Hi Ron;

PHD used the libdc1394 open source compiled binaries to access the IIDC cameras. So you'd need to get the source code from libdc1394 project to try and do something. I'm assuming PHD2 uses the the same libraries as PHD did.

There is no Driver in PHD, just as there were no Drivers in Astro IIDC. Apple doesn't want you building drivers. Apple provide API hooks to that pass data and control codes through user Application space into the Kernel. So Apple since OS 9 rarely use the conventional HW -> Driver -> Application model as does Windows or Linux.

About the only time there are "real" kernel drivers is for things like Audio or Serial devices - where you push small packets of data and have a low tolerance for latency (5 ms is about the maximum for audio). And this will get even less common and more difficult because of all the restrictions on developing Kernel drivers - not only do you need to buy a developers license from Apple, you have to prove to them that the product you are creating is of value to Apple. Otherwise they just lock it out in 10.10.

With the removal of QuickTime, Apple has made it basically economically impossible to bring new video hardware to the Mac and access it from common apps with a system level API. It all has to be custom internal code - which means not only do you have to create this from scratch, you have to convince application developers to adopt your interface to use it. That makes developing on the Mac even less economic than it was before and a smaller more fragmented market.

Hope that explains things..

Milton Aupperle

On 2015-02-28, at 6:14 PM, "Ron Pearson ursamajor_1@mac.com [Astro_IIDC]" <Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Hi Milton,  I was adding a thought to an earlier  post from Steve Ramsden that he didn't know of any drivers for firewire cams for Macs anymore.   And a related question came up on cloudy nights for a IS firewire camera.   So I just remembered that PHD or PHD2 will run a IS firewire camera on Macs.   As PHD2 is Open source, perhaps the driver may be of some use or someone can build on it when nothing else is available.   We're all struggling and grasping for straws without your AstroIIDC.      Ron