Video out for Digital camera

[robe_uk]

Hi All
I picked up a HP E317 5MP digital camera from Argos 1/2 price with the intention of using it for Aerial Photos. I bought on a whim and found out that the camera has no video out which I can use to send to a ground station for frameing shots.
Is it possible to hack the signal going to the video display on camera and send that down?
So does the video display receive a pal signal that can be hacked into? What sort of signal do these small displays work from?

Any help/thoughts welcome.
Rob

[chrisgood]

I have been doing searches for the past few days on digital camera chipsets trying to find any that have video out, but have not been brought to the outside of a camera. I am working on the E417 also for the very same reason you are. I have been looking for data on its chipset and the Smal chipset, used in Flatfoto and disposable digital cams. I found the chipset data from the Smal manufacturer, and unfortunately found that the chipset does not have any kind of analog video out.

The CCD or CMOS to display connection is all done via digital links, so you can't hack into those signals for a straight analog RS-170 signal. It has to be done at the chipset (digital to analog conversion) or as an addition to the base chipset by a special purpose converter.

It seems to be at random if an analog output will be put on a camera. The Smal-based cameras don't have it, but other inexpensive ones do. The Argus DC3640 is a very cheap little camera with horrible optics, but it has video out. The E317 and E417 have better optics and are much better cameras, but don't have video out. I just bought a Kodak CX7430 a few days ago for the same price I paid for the E417, but it does have video out.

I will keep hacking at the E417, and will publish info if I find anything. Please do the same if you find anything. The more looking for data, the better.

Chris

[chrisgood]

Sorry - I meant E317, not E417. I took my E317 apart apart last night and have researched all the chips on the boards. There are two boards, and the main one contains chips with these markings:

Hynix
HY27US08281M
TPCB 513B
: This a NAND flash memoy chip.

ATMEL
AT76C113H-J
58A15C052
5P0893
: This is a "digital camera DSC product, with USB interface, DMA engines to transfer data", which sounds like the USB and SD card interface chip.

PSC
A2V56S40BTP
520ALA08
Taiwan - G75
: This is a "digital processor, IC & buffer memory", and appears to be the heart of the camera image processing. I can't find the datasheet for this chip.

Under the LCD screen on the main board is:
TPG040A
TZD4
SPKN8
: I am having problems finding data on this as well, but from where it is I am guessing it is the LCD screen driver.

On the smaller board are these chips:
BA3308F
426 H72
: This is an audio preamplifier, and that makes sense because the microphone connection runs right into the board next to this chip.

APW7095A
AH5BN
: This is a power supply chip.

SHARP
LR38667
: This is a "timing generator, V-driver, CDS/PGA/ADC". It peaked my interest for finding an analog video out because SHARP recommends using this with the SHARP LR38669Y, and that is a DSP with video out. After checking the board again in the E317, it looks like HP decided not to go with the LR38669Y and instead used the PSC A2V56S40BTP. I have not been able to find the datasheet for that chip.

I will start poking around the testpoints and see if I can find possibilities, but it does not look good at this point. The higher end HP cameras have video out, but you have to go through HP docking ports to get it. The source is the camera itself since the menus have NTSC/PAL switches.

Chris

[robe_uk]

Hi Chris
I must say you are doing great work with this. I haven't even had time to take sample photos with the camera to see what the quality is like.
Would it be possible to take the digital signal going to the display and use some sort of extra convertor chip to change it to an analog signal for transmission, quality would not matter as it is to be used for view finding.

Rob

[amworks]

PSC
A2V56S40BTP
520ALA08
Taiwan - G75

----------

PSC-----> http://www.psc.com.tw/english/index.jsp

Part Number A2V56S40BTP-G75
SDRAM 16MX16 3.3V 7.5ns TSOP54 LT/LF PSC

----------

That's what I found.......Hope useful!

[chrisgood]

After amworks submitted the data he found on the A2V56S40BTP, I did more research on the ATMEL DSP. It is the main processor in the camera, and does include an video out line driver. An NDA is required for the full datasheet, so I will poke around the pins on that chip to find the video out.

This is the spec sheet on the Hynix flash memory.
http://www.hynix.com/eng/02_products/03_flash/down/NAND%20Flash.pdf

This is the overview of the ATMEL DSP.
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/2391s.pdf

Chris

[chrisgood]

Well, after trying every connection I felt comfortable jumping, I could not get an analog video signal out of the E317. The ATMEL DSP is a BGA (ball grid array) chip, which means unless I want to use heat and reflow the solder to get the chip off the board, I can't get direct access to the chip. The connections are under the chip. I tried all the test points on the board and a few other points with no luck. At one point I thought I had fried the camera, but it still works. I gave up and installed a CamMan chip so I can take pictures via remote control, but alas, no analog video. I will post pictures on the installation of that remote control later this week.

Usually the analog function must be turned on somehow on cameras; such as a software switch or via a plug in which grounds something out and lets the camera know to turn off the LCD screen and start the analog out. In this camera, there is no software switch in any of the menus, and I don't know which test points to ground without more specs on the ATMEL chip. I did discover that if you hold the REDEYE Flash switch down when you turn the camera on, you get to a manufacturing menu that allows you to go through the burn-in procedures that HP must use as the final step in their test process.

I surrender to the camera for now. If anyone gets any specs on that ATMEL DSP, please let me know.

Chris