Hey all!

I am in the process of designing and coding a new camera switch for you guys. Here is the list of features I want to include:

Auto-mode: snaps a picture at user-set interval automatically
Wake-up: snaps a picture every 20 seconds or so to keep cameras awake
Auto-set: allows user to set desired switching point with a simple movement of the stick, very similar to ESC programming.
Dual-mode output: can use cameras that require either logic state to switch, so you can do Mustek and Aiptek with the same type of unit.
LED indicators: tell you what you are doing


Here is the deal. If any of you guys come up with something I did not list that you want on the controls and I decide to use on the production models (coming soon), you will get a free switch from me. Deal? So let's hear your ideas!




Super-switch, the camera switch of the future!





Thanks,
Matt Aurand

would it be possible to make a switch that can go into a USB slot in the camara? like on the side of the aiptek. this way you dont have to hack into the camara and just simply plug it in. somehow send in signals through that port? i dont know if this is possible but it might make it easier and temp more people to get one.

It is a good idea, but sadly I don't think it can be done. If it could the interface would be very complicated. Thanks anyway!


Anything else?





-Matt Aurand

I've got one for ya Matt. How about a switch that can control two seperate devices on the same channel? I've been slowly going insane trying to make my tethered balloon switch work for me. I've got a laser pointer on one side of a converted servo board, and the camera shutter switch on the other..the idea is to move the stick one way to use the laser to aim the cam, then the other way to snap the picture.
I'm pulling my hair out trying to get this silly thing right, and I haven't got that much hair to spare these days!

My recomendation would be to ad a programable function to play a command "macro" to enable switching between "STILL" and "MOVIE" mode. I.e ....record which buttons pushed and how many times..... store that info and play back with a single command. You would need to be able to record and store two sequences, in order to get "TO" and "FROM" a given camera mode


My two cents

Vince

How about a "tilt interupt switch" . Something that senses the plane's vibration.
It would postpone clicking the shutter untill it was reasonably still. It would work during the 20 second interval mode.
jimbo

You know what I would like to see is a built in LMA. Since you are reading the PWM from the Rx it would be trivial to have a pizzo speaker sound a loud beeping if the pulses are out of what would normaly be sent to the RX. That way the next time an AP platform gets blown downwind and stuck in a tree with a $400 digital camera in it, we will have a way to track it down.

Hi Matt,
What I am really working on now is a way to control the zoom. I have a downlink from the video out and now need that function.

I had a job for the paper last week photographing the dedication ceremony for a new public park and the county bigwigs were all there. I got great photos but couldn't get close enough because of trees and power lines. The zoom would have make it easy.

The zoom control could be from a three position toggle or from the unused rudder control functioning as a three position switch rather than a proportional control.

Regards, John

Ok,

Here are my thoughts on each idea.

1. Would you guys use 2 devices (buttons) per channel. Swing stick one way for shutter, swing the other way for mode or similar?

2. I have no idea how I could do a tilt interupt switch. Any ideas?

3. The LMA sounds like a good idea, but will people want the switch that much bigger? The buzzer would make it like 3X as big. The current PCB I am doing is .34" X .43", the buzzer would add alot of size.

4. Zoom, hummm. I will have to look into how this works and how I can control it. We'll see what happens from there.




Thanks guys, and keep 'em coming!


-Matt Aurand

Originally posted by ZRX Doug
I've got one for ya Matt. How about a switch that can control two seperate devices on the same channel? I've been slowly going insane trying to make my tethered balloon switch work for me. I've got a laser pointer on one side of a converted servo board, and the camera shutter switch on the other..the idea is to move the stick one way to use the laser to aim the cam, then the other way to snap the picture.
I'm pulling my hair out trying to get this silly thing right, and I haven't got that much hair to spare these days!

Doug:

I just took a quick run at what you describe. Strictly as an academic exercise. Maybe somebody with more experience than me could verify the circuit and code.

http://www.rc-float-flying.rchomepag...o%20Switch.htm

David

It looks like ideas 2 and 4 could both be accomplished with Ironsides technique.
John

Looks good Ironsides, you need gate-dropping resistors. The funny thing is that I just wrote up a code for him too! Great minds think alike?

John, the problem is that I don't know what the camera wants to see (high, low, what?) to activate a zoom change. It is not really a trivial thing for the zoom control.

I have decided to use the LMA idea. This is how it will work:

1. There will be an option when ordering so that you can select the larger model of unit that includes the LMA, or a standard model that is the small size. Cost will increase $5 or so for the LMA model.


Dax, you have gotten yourself a free unit! PM me with your address and I will get one out as soon as I can (2 weeks or so)







Thanks,
Matt

Matt,
Another suggestion.
You can't call it the "Super Switch of the Future" if it can only do trivial things.

(John, the problem is that I don't know what the camera wants to see (high, low, what?) to activate a zoom change. It is not really a trivial thing for the zoom control.)

Just a thought.

John

I told you I was looking into it. I am looking into it.

It is state-of-the-art controller, there is very little trivial about it, other than the simple fact that I know how to activate the shutter control on most all cameras. The software is very sophisticated to allow for the auto-set feature, and that is a first in camera controls.

How many people would use the zoom feature? How many people use simple camera's without zoom capabilities?

I am not trying to get in a fight with you John, but try to see my perspective for a bit. I want to make all my customers happy (you too! ) but when I start adding features that only 10% of people would have a use for, 90% or my customers are getting extra size that they did not want or pay for. If I made this a piggy-back PCB (like I am doing with the LMA) it might make sense as an option you could select on ordering. I am looking into how it can be done and if it is worthwhile. I appreciate your suggestion, but I need to decide whether or not it is worthwhile for my customers, or size-effiecient.

I really need to know how many people you think would use the zoom feature. What camera are you using? I wonder if the zoom button can even be hacked like the shutter button could.





-Matt

Originally posted by zagisrule!
Looks good Ironsides, you need gate-dropping resistors. Matt

Matt:

Thanks. How is it now?

http://www.rc-float-flying.rchomepag...o%20Switch.htm

David