Hardware
Components
- ICOP Technology eBox-2300
- Xenarc 705TSV Touchscreen LCD Monitor
- PhidgetTextLCD
- Custom Relay Box
- Nikon D80 dSLR with modified wired remote shutter release
- Outdoor Pan Tilt Drive unit w/ Controller CCTV-75AV
Photographs
Click the arrow on the right to see the different components and photographs. To view the full-sized original images click in the center of the image.
PhidgetTextLCD
The USB controller board used. The 5 digital outputs are used to control the custom relay box.
Custom Relay Box
The relay box is controlled via digital outputs of the PhidgetTextLCD board. If the digital outputs go high, the Custom Relay Box, which is powered via USB, closes the appropriate relay. There are 4 micromini relays for platform movements and 1 reed relay for the shutter release.
Modified Nikon D80 wired remote shutter
The modified shutter release has connections wired in parallel with the metal plates that come in contact when one presses down the remote shutter button, this way if the reed relay in the Custom Relay Box closes, the camera takes a picture.
Nikon D80 dSLR
The camera used. Any camera could be used for this, given that a shutter release can be modified to trigger via the Custom Relay Box. Several lenses were used, including the Sigma 105mm F/2.8 EX DG and Nikon Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR.
ICOP Technology eBox-2300
- Windows CE 6.0
- 200 MHz Vortex86 System-On-Chip
- 128MB SDRAM
- 2 RS-232 serial ports
- PS/2 port
Xenarc 705TSV Touchscreen LCD Monitor
- Supported Resolution: 640 x 480 ~ 1024 x 768
- Screen Size: Diagonal 7" (16:9)
- Adjustable backlight level for night-time use
- VGA Input (15 pin D-SUB) x 1 & AV Input x 2
- 4-wire resistive Touch Screen (USB)
PhidgetTextLCD
- 8 Analog Inputs
- 8 Digital Inputs
- 8 Digital Outputs
- 120cm Custom USB Cable
Outdoor Pan Tilt Drive unit w/ Controller CCTV-75AV
- Operating Current -- 960mA
- Turn Angle -- Pan : 350°, Tilt : 60°
- Speed -- Pan: 6°/ sec. ; Tilt: 2°/sec.
- Power source -- 110V AC / 24V AC power supply
Nikon D80 dSLR with modified wired remote shutter release
- 10.2 million effective pixels
- 23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD (DX format)
- Optional, 0.4 sec (mirror lock-up) Exposure Delay
- Modified 3rd party wired remote shutter release (parallel connections wired with the contact plates)
Custom Relay Box
- Powered via an USB cable
- 5 inputs (5V) -- in our case controlled with the PhidgetTextLCD Digital Outputs
- 5 relay controlled channels with a LED in parallel with each relay
- 4 MicroRelays for the Pan Tilt Drive directions and 1 Reed Relay for the remote shutter release
Each channel in the Custom Relay Box were wired as follows: