Connectix QuickCAM webcam Interface for C64/C128

[airship]

That site belonged to Vanessa Ezekowitz who still participates (albeit somewhat irregularly) in comp.sys.cbm. You could always contact her about the contents of that site.

One of the more interesting projects she had was one to interface a Connectix QuickCAM webcam (which I just happen to have in a box somewhere) to the C64/C128 user port. I knew Nick Coplin at 64HDD had written some additional software for that interface, but I didn't realize until I looked at the D64 today that he includes Vanessa's circuit diagram.

Here's what Nick has to say about it:

QuickCAM64 (18kb) is a project by Vanessa Ezekowitz, with some new drivers by me. Vanessa made the original circuit to connect the Connectix QuickCAM to the Commodore's UserPort and provided the basic software for viewing pictures. I have recompiled the software into "easy-to-use" D64 format with appropriate loaders and have added 2Mhz support for the hi-res modes if you are using a C128-in-C64-mode.

In the future I plan to develop video capture software which buffers the data to RAM or expansion RAM and then lets you save it to disk or play it back, as the original code will not let you save the images directly.

Since Nick has added 2MHz support, I hereby decree that discussion of this project is pertinent to the C128 forums.



Here's Vanessa's ASCII circuit diagram:

Quickscan G1 interface for Connectix Quickcam-to-C64
----------------------------------------------------

Parts:  1 - 5-pin PC-mount Female DIN plug
        1 - User port connector (12/24 conductor, .156" contact centers)
        1 - 25 pin male D-SUB connector (the kind that can mount on the
            edge of a board is nice)
        1 - 4066 quad analog switch (standard DIP style of course)

The numbers, letters, and indications in parenthesis at each end of the
lines is the pin number to connect to.  The wording outside the
parenthesis (like SP1, /Reset-N, etc) is the name of the pin or connection
at each end of the line.

The Quickcam comes with a little power-connector that must plug into the
DIN connector, as well as the data plug which goes into the D-SUB
connector.

As is normal with Commodore schematics in text form, a slash / in front of
an indication, such as /Reset-N, means that the line in question is
inverted (a low/grounded level means a logic "1").

User Port                                                       Quickcam

(1,12,A,N) GND ----*------------------------------- GND (18-25, DIN Pin 4)
(2) +5v ---------*-!------------------------------------ Power (DIN Pin 5)
(5) SP1 ---------!-!---------------------------------- /Reset-N (16)
(9) /PA3 --------!-!------------------------------------ PC-Ack (17)
(7) SP2 ---------!-!-------*-----*-----*-----.
                 ! !       ! 5   ! 6   ! 12  ! 13
                 ! !    ,--"-----"-----"-----"--.
                 ! !    !  E2    E3    E4    E1 !
                 ! !    !                       !
                 ! "--7-! GND                   !
                 "---14-! Vcc      U 1          !
                        !        4 0 6 6        !
           ,----------2-!B1                   A1!-1------- Nyb0 (12)
           ! ,--------3-!B2                   A2!-4------- Nyb1 (13)
           ! ! ,------9-!B3                   A3!-8------- Nyb2 (10)
           ! ! ! ,---10-!B4                   A4!-11----- /Nyb3 (11)
           ! ! ! !      !                       !
           ! ! ! !      "-----------------------'
           ! ! ! !                        
(C) PB0 ---*-!-!-!---------------------------------------- CMD0 (2)
(D) PB1 -----*-!-!---------------------------------------- CMD1 (3)
(E) PB2 -------*-!---------------------------------------- CMD2 (4)
(F) PB3 ---------*---------------------------------------- CMD3 (5)
(H) PB4 -------------------------------------------------- CMD4 (6)
(J) PB5 -------------------------------------------------- CMD5 (7)
(K) PB6 -------------------------------------------------- CMD6 ( 8 )
(L) PB7 -------------------------------------------------- CMD7 (9)
(M) PA2 ---------------------------------------------- Cam-Rdy1 (15)

A "*" at a line crossing indicated that the lines connect at that point.  If two lines cross without a "*", the lines DO NOT connect.

The D64 for Nick's software is here: http://www.64hdd.com/download/qc64.zip

I have stolen borrowed freely from Nick's site, but I hope he won't mind.

[RobertB]

I knew Nick Coplin at 64HDD had written some additional software for that interface, but I didn't realize until I looked at the D64 today that he includes Vanessa's circuit diagram.

Ah, I did not know that Nick had improved the software.

QuickCAM64 (18kb) is a project by Vanessa Ezekowitz, with some new drivers by me. Vanessa made the original circuit to connect the Connectix QuickCAM to the Commodore's UserPort and provided the basic software for viewing pictures. I have recompiled the software into "easy-to-use" D64 format with appropriate loaders and have added 2Mhz support for the hi-res modes if you are using a C128-in-C64-mode.

Now the problem is finding that old webcam.  Vanessa was very specific about which would work with the program.  Another contact I had in Hungary tried a different but similar Connectix; however, the program was looking for the exact QuickCAM, and so, it failed.

               Truly,
               Robert Bernardo
               Fresno Commodore User Group
               CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

[Andrew Wiskow]

So once you have the right model of webcam, and get it successfully connected to the user port, what can you do with it?

[RobertB]

So once you have the right model of webcam, and get it successfully connected to the user port, what can you do with it?

Make webshots with it.  When it was demonstrated years ago at the SWRAP Chicago Commodore Expo in 2000 (or was it 2001?), it was exciting to see it running under SuperCPU control.

              Those were the days,
              Robert Bernardo
              Fresno Commodore User Group
              CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

[airship]

For those who missed it, Vanessa recently posted some comments* about her QuickCam interface in this thread on comp.sys.cbm:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.cbm/browse_thread/thread/718cb5aea35a5791

Here's the pertinent quote:

The basis of the circuit is a 4066 quad switch, wired such that I could use /PA3 (serial /ATN) on the User Port is used to turn all four gates
on/off in one go.  Otherwise, most of the lines just go straight to the camera.

I don't have the schematic or software in front of me right now, but as I recall, this was done to switch the interface between the camera's "command" mode, where eight lines used to send commands to the camera, and its "data" mode, where four bits used to read image data from the sensor.

I chose the 4-bit-wide "data" mode because it was the simplest to implement - the "command" mode always used an 8-bit data path but the only other "data" mode the camera could do was 12 bits wide.

In retrospect, I probably should have tossed a flip-flop in so that I could use the /PC line as a clock instead of a plain data line (PA2 I think). This would have reduced the CPU load slightly.  For whatever reason, the designers of the camera chose to use a toggling clock line (high for one command or data byte, then low for the next, and repeat) rather than a simple pulse like you'd expect.

*Rather graciously, I should add, considering the ignorance of the poster she was answering. 

[darkatx]

Oh my god, that thread was a trainwreck! Vanessa is sheer class.
I'm just drooling about adding scans or screen captures in greyscale which would probably look awesome on the Commodore.
I just wish I had the components though At least I have a capture card and old camcorder plus a new digital one to boot - I can transfer images to the Commodore that way at least...what's the image compression like - has anyone tried this thing out already?
I'm wondering how many pics can fit into a standalone 64?

[RobertB]

I'm just drooling about adding scans or screen captures in greyscale which would probably look awesome on the Commodore.

Some captures do, and some don't look so awesome on the C64. 

I just wish I had the components though

Yeah, to natively capture, you'd need the Connectix QuickCam, interface, and program.  Alternatively, you can use a C64 video digitizer, such as ComputerEyes, the PrintTechnik video digitizer, the VideoByte II (my favorite), or even a Handyscanner (with which to scan printed materials).  Those digitizers save to 160 x 200 or 320 x 200 screens.

At least I have a capture card and old camcorder plus a new digital one to boot - I can transfer images to the Commodore that way at least...what's the image compression like - has anyone tried this thing out already?

For a C64 jpeg viewer, you can use Stephen Judd's JPX, JPY, or JPZ programs, or use the jpeg viewer in Arndt Dettke's Godot.

I'm wondering how many pics can fit into a standalone 64?

Depends on your storage media, whether it is disk, card, or hard drive.    The Judd programs mentioned above prefer 160 x 200 screens; anything bigger than that and you'll be scrolling the screen to see the full image.

             I should bring the VideoByte to CommVEx (as I have done at VCF),
             Robert Bernardo
             Fresno Commodore User Group
             http://videocam.net.au/fcug
             The Other Group of Amigoids
             http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
             Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
             http://www.sccaners.org/

[airship]

I'm just drooling about adding scans or screen captures in greyscale which would probably look awesome on the Commodore.
I just wish I had the components though

As Vanessa said of her software:

the original code will not let you save the images directly.

[RobertB]

As Vanessa said of her software:

the original code will not let you save the images directly.

However, with a capture cart, like the Super Snapshot or the Super Explode, you can grab the screen and save it as a multi-color or hi-res image file.

             Back from the Lions' Club
             all-you-can-eat crab feed,
             Robert Bernardo
             Fresno Commodore User Group
             http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[darkatx]

Yeah its a nice idea - but that electronics book I'm hunting for shows you how to make your own (low res version) but again its a matter of finding the right components again.
I understand the image size factor for saving images - I was just wondering how big the image feed was on the quickcam that when you captured it if it needed scaling down to 160*100 as opposed to a full blown screen - I was just wondering if anyone ever captured a screen with the quickcam before successfully and how 'big' was the file as a result.
Robert, you said you took some images before - it'd be cool to see a posting of one or two images of your Con from a few years back.

[RobertB]

Robert, you said you took some images before - it'd be cool to see a posting of one or two images of your Con from a few years back.

Heh, I didn't save those show pics to disk.  However, I do have some close-ups of my students taken years ago with the trusty VideoByte II.  Also Lord Ronin of the ACUG group regularly plays around/makes digitized pics with his ComputerEyes.

               Back from a scary trip on the freeway,
               Robert Bernardo
               Fresno Commodore User Group
               http://videocam.net.au/fcug
               The Other Group of Amigoids
               http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
               Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
               http://www.sccaners.org/