As presented at BarCamp LA, November 2006.
[Special note to BarCampers who participated in my workshop - please upload a shout-out to the BarCampLA youtube group so I can include your video in the end of this page. Tag it BarCampLA and 35videocamera.]
This is a step-by-step guide in how to hack a Rite Aid “one time use” video camera into a reusable digital video camera. I love this hack for several reasons. First, it’s pretty easy to do (although I have yet to see one step-by-step guide that covers the whole process). Second, when you are done you will have this great little camera that you won’t mind giving to a four year old or attaching to a mountain bike.
This how-to was inspired by a Make Magazine article (they skipped lots of steps!) and was made possible with help from CameraHacking.com community.
[pictures coming soon]
[tools coming soon]
Step 1: Remove back sticker and screws
Step 2: Remove top sticker
Step 3: Remove battery cover
Step 4: Pry case open
Step 5: Remove mainboard
Step 6: Prepare USB Cable
There are a couple of ways to create a cable for this camera. One method involves repurposing a palm pilot sync cable. This entails lots of cable fabrication and no taking stuff apart. Boring.
My preferred method involves taking any old USB cable that you may have lying around the house (say attached to an old keyboard) and soldering onto the mainboard inside the camera. FUN!
- Find a male usb cable with a type A connector. You have the right cable if it plugs into your computer.
- Cut it so it’s about 6 inches long, remove the insulation and cut off the shielding to reveal 4 wires. They should be green, white, read and black. Carefully strip about an 1/8th of an inch of insulation off each wire so it looks like this:
[insert picture of prepped cable]
Step 7: Solder USB cable to mainboard
This is the most difficult part. Eric, the ninja modder at our BarCamp LA session, had some great tips. His tatoo gave him instant street cred. (He finished the whole project before we had taken our battery covers off.)
- Have everything ready and positioned beforehand so you have two free hands to solder.
- It’s best to clamp the wire to the mainboard with alligator clips but eric did a pretty good job by steading his wiring harness with a leatherman.
- Heat the joint and solder the joint. Do not use the soldering iron to carry solder over to the connection.
- Red Bull makes a great soldering iron holder.
[insert picture]
Until I upload a picture, here are the pinouts:
Shoot a quick video before you put your camera back together so we can make sure that you soldered everything properly.
8a. Software Install
Beginner Install
[Heather tried this @ BarCamp and it appeared to install all the proper software. However, we couldn’t locate the Ops 20 exe file. We ran out of time so please drop me a comment if you can figure it out. Until then I will leave the second install option here.]
Download the “one click setup” software that ry.david made. ZIP file is here. Discussion thread on CameraHacking.com is here.
Intermediate Install
- Plug in camera and create INF file using libusb.
- Install OPS 20 software
8b. Test Interface
- Plug the camera into your USB port - it should wake up and power-on.
- Run OPS 20
- Click “Open Camcorder”, “Unlock Camcorder” and then “Download All Files”
Troubleshooting
- If any of the steps above didn’t work, chances are that you soldered the wires to the wrong place (been there) or messed up a connection (done that).
- If the camera powered up when you plugged it into your computer but failed to open or unlock then you probably messed up the data connections (green and white wires). Check those first.
Install software & test interface - MAC
[I don’t have a Mac and haven’t tried it. But, some folks are doing a mac/linux version. Check out the thread and please report any useful info back here!]
Step 9: Reassemble camera
After you put everything together, make sure that you secure the cable with something like electrical tape.
Now, go out and shoot video. If you upload it to youtube, please tag it 35videocamera!
– pete mauro
Further reading:
CVS Based Camcorder Night Vision
Can’t you solder the USB connector onto the cam w/o taking it apart? Seems possible to me.