USB webcam support added in SDK version 1.0.15

Press Announcements
1

We are excited to bring you another GHI Electronics exclusive feature. The new USB webcam support captures images on NETMF using EMX and ChipworkX. Images are simply placed into a standard “Bitmap” object. For saving images to media or transferring over networks, we’ve also added a method to convert the standard Bitmap object to a standard BMP file format.

There is also an experimental new WiFi driver in the SDK. This was only added for close partners and internal testing, public usage is not permitted yet.

The SDK has other important fixes and changes. Please see release notes for details:
http://www.tinyclr.com/release-notes/

GHI is offering a tested USB Camera, on the catalog for $11.95
http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/290

2

great

do you have plan to offer this feature to panda II users ?

I guess, because it is the same hardware it could be done, let’s say, quite easily…

3

The images would require too much memory for a Panda.
I think this will be just for the “big guys”.

4

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FINALLY!!!
Gonna try it out right away when I get home!! :dance:

5

and what about using SD memory as “virtual memory” ?

Could it be possible ? if so, it could increase drastically available memory :slight_smile:

6

Very sweet, now someone point me at a compatible camera. I dug out all I had and all seem to need some vendor driver :frowning:

7

We will have a compatible camera in our e-store soon.

8

Aha, good point that needs some history! Very recently, the USB organization released a USB class that is suitable for webcams. Before that, every manufacture had their own implementation and their own drivers. These cameras will not work on GHI’s NETMF devices as they are not “standardized”.

Now, how do you know if a camera is using USB class? Or it will work with GHI’s NETMF devices?
This is a tough question to answer.Generally, if a camera is advertised to run on windows/mac/linux then it is using USB class since these operating systems have the drivers built in, just like GHI’s NETMF devices.

To make this easier for our community, we will be offering a very low cost camera that is tested to work well. It should be up on the GHI’s catalog in couple days.

9

So basically the only thing needed is a driver less camera?
Found some on the web, which I think might work. They were cheap too, ~$10 (~7 euros), includes worldwide shipping.

I do not know if I am allowed to post a link, so let me know.

10

you can post a link but note in there that you have not tested the camera, unless you have one and tested it to work.

11

This is camera and I did NOT(!!) test this.
I do NOT know if this works.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/usb-1-3mp-driverless-webcam-with-microphone-clip-for-pc-laptop-black-silver-81574

It’s cheap and it’s driver less, so I guess it should be alright?
Could you ghi guys estimate if it would work?

If you can’t I am willing to test it.

12

See my long reply earlier, it is impossible to be 100% sure but it probably work.

13

But am I right if I think almost any driver less webcam would work?
Because they use the usb class instead of custom manufacturer drivers?

14

Is this something we could use Mark’s excellent work to enumerate what endpoints the device is offering?
[url]http://code.tinyclr.com/project/164/usb-discovery-helper/[/url]

15

Excellent work indeed. I will try it today with my webcam which unfortunately did not work.
I will order the webcam specified before to test it out. ;D

16

What class and subclass is your camera?

17

This is what Mark’s code outputs while having the webcam connected to the cobra:

[quote][Device, Port 0]
Type: Unknown
ProductID: 2210
VendorID: 1133
=== Interface ===
Class: Vendor Specific
SubClass: 255
Number: 0
Protocol: 255
Type: 4
– Endpoint –
Attributes: 1
Address: 129
Type: 5
Interval: 1

– Endpoint –
Attributes: 3
Address: 130
Type: 5
Interval: 10[/quote]

18

Yeah it doesn’t work because it is Vendor Specific. It should be standard Video class.

19

Yeah, thought so. :frowning:
Ordered the driver less webcam a few hours ago. :slight_smile:
Curious if it will work ::slight_smile:

I’ll let you know when it arrived and I tested it :wink:

20

Here is a tested webcam as promised :wink:
[url]http://www.ghielectronics.com/catalog/product/290[/url]