Here is a listing of the hex codes sent via serial port to the SmartCam controller - and thus to the camera(s) - to control pan/tilt/zoom, ect. (note: this information was "reverse-engineered" using a VTEL dos-based control program running in a window on an NT server with serial port sniffing, I attempted to obtain this information from VTEL - their technical support flatly stated that they had NO DOCUMENTS FOR THIS PRODUCT! )

MOVEMENT COMMANDS

(command)(0)(camera #)(2)(increment) (increment)
example: 30 02 F0 00 = move camera 0 increment 1.0
or c0 n2 xx xx where c=command, n=camera number (0-3 for smartcam), and xx xx=increment

(command)(0)(camera #)(1)(increment)
focus, iris, and zoom have only one increment packet (and 14 was only value witnessed in tests)
example: 00 21 14 zoom in camera 2 increment 14
or c0 n1 xx where c=command, n=camera number (0-3 for smartcam), and xx=increment

note that the value immediately following camera number is equal to number of increment packets

Command values:

0=zoom in xx
1=zoom out xx
2=left xx xx
3=right xx xx
4=up xx xx
5=down xx xx
6=focus in xx
7=focus out xx
8=iris open xx
9=iris close xx

Increment values witnessed in this test:
0.20 AF 04
0.25 60 03
0.45 15 02
0.70 56 01
0.95 FC 00
1.00 F0 00
1.20 C8 00
1.45 A5 00
1.70 8D 00
1.95 7B 00
2.20 6D 00
2.45 61 00
2.70 58 00
2.95 51 00
3.20 4A 00
3.45 45 00
3.70 40 00
3.95 3C 00
4.20 39 00
4.45 35 00
4.70 33 00
4.95 30 00
5.20 2E 00
SMALLER INCREMENT = COARSER MOVEMENT
LARGER INCREMENT = FINER MOVEMENT

CAMERA IMAGE SETTINGS
16 n2 00 0x
where n=camera number and x equals setting value 0-f hex (0-15 binary)

settings table:
blank=manual x=auto

Gain=1
Iris=2
White balance=4
Focus=8

simple binary really.

0B 00 <---- always returned after successful command

Get camera postion:

01 n0 where n=camera number

Ten packets are returned, ie: 00 10 00 AE 78 24 24 60 87 45 (not real values, example only)
I have not yet parsed them :) (BUT FIRST FEW PACKETS REMAINED CONSTANT, probably acks & cam #)
return values contain pan tilt zoom focus iris, tests for values oscilate constantly!
(float around a little, normal with Analog-to-Digital Conversion)

Remember: Questions can be posted in the FORUM section.

Article last modified: Fri Feb 27, 2004 7:20 pm