FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) &
Support
|
FAQ's
|
Question |
Answer |
| Which PixController board is best for me? | This
really depends on your project, and what you feel comfortable
doing. The PixController boards were designed so you could put
a "commercial" quality product together yourself. If you are a beginner and you do not want to take a camera apart look into the RS-232 PixController. Even though these compatible cameras are no longer made, most can be found on eBay for a very reasonable price. If you are a little more adventurous try one of the Direct PixControllers. This will require you to open your digital camera, but with the How-To documents that cover this area here you should not have a problem. |
| Which case should I use with my PixController board? | For
a digital setup we often recommend the Pelican 1060 case. The PixController board will fit nicely into this case, and also give
you a very small compact unit when you are done. For a LANC video setup we have found that the Pelican 1300 case works best. Photo examples of both of these layouts can be found on this web site under the products section. Be sure to look at our accessories section for switches, glass, and many other items you might need to complete your PixController project. |
| When I turn power on to my PixController board the green PIR LED is blinking, and nothing else happens. | This is the indication that your batteries are low. The PixController board have a built-in battery level indicator and when the power supply is too low the PIR will shut down, and blink the green LED. Unlike other systems that will take false photos when when batteries get low, the PixController will shut down and prevent this action. |
| When I put my Direct PixController unit into “Movie Mode” I still get still photos. What am I doing wrong? | Be sure to setup your Olympus Digital Camera into Movie
taking mode. After setting this mode up on your camera you need to
make sure your camera retains this setting.
Refer
to your Olympus Digital Camera manual for setting this mode.
Be sure to set your digital camera to remember the settings
or it will default back to still photo mode.
This is done by selecting the “Setup” tab, and setting
the “ALL RESET” function to “Off”. |
| Why is there sometimes nothing in my photo on my outdoor setups? |
Sometimes birds can fly past your camera setup and trigger
the camera. A bird
flying past can be too fast for this camera to catch. You may also have a “false photo”. Sometimes on warmer days objects that heat up to warm blooded
animal temperatures and move can fool the PIR into thinking an
animal walked passed. |
| What battery should I use with my PixController board? | We suggest using a 4 C-Cell battery supply with your PixController board. Investing in rechargeable NiMH batteries is the best way to go. They will last up to 4 times longer than standard batteries, it's a good investment, and it is also good for the environment. |
| Should I get a front mounted controller or a back mounted controller? | This depends on the type of setup you want. The PixController was designed not to limit the builder into a certain way to make a camera system. Some people like to mount the controller to the lid. In this case you would want a back mounted PixController. Others like to mount the controller inside the case, and in this case you want a front mounted PixController. |
| What about custom delays? | At the time you place your order for your PixController board you can order your board with custom delays programmed into the boards "firmware". Firmware is software that runs on your PixController board. If at any time you would like to change your delays, or add other custom features please contact us at support@pixcontroller.com Your PixController board can be easily "re-programmed" for a small fee. |
| Can I use the same 4 C Cell battery supply for both my camera and my PixController board? | No, this will not work. Be sure to use a separate battery supply for the PixController board and any other devices in your system. Using the same battery supply to power your camera externally and power your PixController board will cause the board to not function properly. |
| When will you have a USB PixController board to control my USB digital camera? | At
the moment it's not looking like this is going to happen anytime
soon. The problem is you need USB Host controller, which are very
power hungry. This makes them out of the question to use them for
battery power devices. And, this is why you don't see any PDA's with
USB ports! Recently, however, there is a new standard called USB On-The-GO (or OTG), which is designed to allow peripheral devices to talk directly with one another without the presence of a USB host controller. They will also let you power down the USB device enabling them for use with battery controllers. We are at least a year away from a controller like this. Until we start seeing more PDA and such with USB ports to prove this technology I think it will be a while before we have a USB digital game camera controller. Note, there are a lot of PDA's with a USB port, but the USB port on them is so you can download your information to your computer. The PDA is acting as a USB device. If you could connect your digital camera or printer to your PDA then your PDA would be acting as a USB host, but this is not the case..... |
| What is the difference between the Direct RSS PixController and the Direct RSP PixController? | The
Direct RSS board is a design for the Olympus D-370/D-380, and most
35mm cameras. This design keeps power to the camera at all
times, and keeps the camera in a more ready state to take a photo. With all of the new digital cameras on the market today, which can not be controlled in this manner, we brought out the Direct RSP controller. The Direct RSP controller powers the camera up to take a photo, and afterwards it powers it down. The Direct RSP controller can be used with the Olympus D-370/D-380, and will extend the battery power in the camera, but the trade off is you will not be able to use features like fast shutter mode. |
| Will it hurt my camera to be powered on all the time? | No! We are aware of a current game camera manufacture that is stating this untrue statement on their web site. These statements are simply false, and are no more than a marketing ploy to sell their "slow" camera system. Electronics are designed to be powered all the time, and anyone knowing anything about electronics will know this. |
| What is the sensing area of my PIR? | The
best way to show the sensing area is with this graphic: The sensing area is very dependant on PIR lens placement to the PIR sensor on the PixController board. You must have the distance between the PIR lens and sensor at 0.65" or 5/8", and it must be centered. |
| I just built my Direct PixController and it's taking photos by itself. What is the problem? | If
you have installed a connector between your camera and your Direct PixController board, say a 2.5mm stereo connector, it can sometimes
cause this behavior. Make sure you can plug the male end of
the connector all the way into the female end of the connector.
It may also be that you have wired the shutter and refresh contact points backwards. |
