VC-C3 Control Software v1.
Important Usage Instructions ! Please read this software instruction manual and the VC-C3 Camera Instruction Manual carefully before use and keep it at hand for reference to ensure optimum performance. Copyright © 1997, Raster Builders, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means without the expressed, written permission of Raster Builders, Inc. and Canon U.S.A.
CONTENTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN ..............................................................................2 Introduction System Requirements The VC-C3 Control Software Package Registration GETTING STARTED ................................................................................3 Connecting the VC-C3 Camera to Your Computer Using Multiple Cameras INSTALLING SOFTWARE ..........................................................................5 Installation Start Up Operation PROGRAM OPTIONS CONFIGURATION .
BEFORE YOU BEGIN Introduction Welcome to the VC-C3 Control Software – proprietary control software for the Canon VC-C3 Communication Camera that enables you to control all of the features and functions of the camera via Microsoft Windows 95. You will find that the VC-C3 Control Software allows you to incorporate the VC-C3 camera into many different applications.
GETTING STARTED Connecting the VC-C3 Camera to Your Computer To connect the VC-C3 camera to your PC, will require a specially pinned RS-232 control cable. Do not attempt to use any other RS-232 cable besides the one that Canon sells for the VC-C3 camera. The VCC3 camera has a special pin configuration and will NOT work with an ordinary RS-232 cable.
Using Multiple Cameras To connect more than one VC-C3 camera to your PC, will require one available COM port for each camera, up to a maximum of four. You still must use the special RS-232 control cable for each camera. Do not attempt to use any other RS-232 cable besides the one that Canon sells for the VC-C3 camera. The VC-C3 camera has a special pin configuration and will NOT work with an ordinary RS-232 cable.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE Installation To install the Canon VC-C3 Control software on a computer running Windows 95, follow these steps: 1) Open your local hard drive (usually c:) to view the contents of the root directory. 2) From the file menu select New > folder and name it VC-C3 Control. 3) Drag copy all of the files from the VC-C3 Control Software distribution diskette into that folder. 4) Open the newly created VC-C3 Control folder 5) The VC-C3 icon should appear in this folder if successful.
Start Up Operation 1) Make sure the VC-C3 is connected to a serial port (COM1 is the default setting in the software) and the power is ON. 2) Double click on the camera icon, VCC3.exe, to start the program. The program first checks to see if the default COM port is present, then checks to see if the VC-C3 is connected to it. The camera will automatically initialize upon start up and the selected camera button will show a green dot. If an error occurs, (see below) the dot will blink red.
3) If you have the COM port configured but it is being used by another device such as a modem, this error will be displayed: 4) If the VC-C3 is not connected to the selected configured COM port, this error will be displayed: Note: There may be a several second delay before an error message shows, depending on how far the initialization gets before an error is encountered.
PROGRAM OPTIONS CONFIGURATION Program Options To access the Program Options window, choose ‘Program Options’ under the ‘System Menu’ in the upper left corner of the VC-C3 Control Software application window.
Communications The RS-232 communication speed can be set to 4800, 9600 or 14400 bps (bits per second). To adjust the speed, select the arrow next to the default value (9600) and choose a different speed from the drop menu and choose ‘OK’. The bps dip switch setting* of the VC-C3 should be the same as what is set in the software. Consult your computers’ manual for the speeds your computer supports. *Dip switch setting – Below is the table for setting the communication speed on the VC-C3 Camera.
Pan/Tilt Speed Accelerated Speed Mode – This will cause the camera to ‘step up’ its pan/tilt speed based on the length of time the respective pan/tilt button is pressed. The speed setting of the pan and tilt motor can be adjusted from 1 – 70 degrees per second. To adjust the motor speed, slide the Pan/Tilt Speed control bar to the desired setting or manually enter a value in the window and choose ‘OK’. Zoom Speed The speed setting of the zoom motor can be adjusted from slow to fast.
CAMERA CONTROL FUNCTIONS Camera The camera buttons (1–4) at the bottom of the window correspond to COM ports 1–4. Choosing one of these numbers will switch camera control to the camera connected to the corresponding COM port. Operate The power button will mute the audio and video output the VC-C3 camera. When the camera is in operate OFF mode, no video or audio will be active. Until the Operate button is pressed again, the camera will sit idle and the LED on the Pan/ Tilt base will blink.
PEDESTAL CONTROL FUNCTIONS Pan/Tilt Control The Pan/Tilt buttons, marked with up, down, left, right and diagonal arrows can be used to control the movement of the camera head. Pressing one of these buttons will make the VC-C3 move in the respective direction. For additional control of the Pan/Tilt, the arrow keys on most computer keyboards will allow you to Pan/Tilt the camera. L/R The L/R button will swap the left and right Pan buttons.
SETTING PRESETS Six preset locations can be set using the VC-C3 Control Software. A preset location consists of pan, tilt, zoom and brightness position information. To set a preset location: 1. Adjust pan and tilt position of camera. 2. Zoom in or out as needed. 3. Select the desired brightness setting. 4. Press the Preset button once. 5. Press one of the preset buttons (1 – 6) which will be used for the camera’s current position. 6. The desired preset will now be programmed.
PRESET CYCLE MODE To access the Preset Cycle Mode window, choose ‘Preset Cycle Mode’ under the ‘System Menu’ in the upper left corner of the application window. The Preset Cycle Mode can be used to cycle the VC-C3 camera through 6 presets, one preset at a time. Using the Preset Cycle Mode: 1. Using the IR Remote or the Control Software, set the preset positions you want the camera to cycle through.
IMAGE CONTROL – Auto To access the Image Control window, choose ‘Image Control’ under the ‘System Menu’ in the upper left corner of the application window. The VC-C3 can automatically adjust its settings (AGC, Shutter Speed, Iris, and White Balance) to provide an image it calculates to be the best based on its programming or the user can choose a Manual Mode and adjust those image controls manually.
IMAGE CONTROL – Manual Exposure Settings – Manual To access the Image Control window, choose ‘Image Control’ under the ‘System Menu’ in the upper left corner of the application window. AGC This slider will adjust the Automatic Gain Control. AGC is the automatic adjustment of the amplitude of a video signal. This adjustment will either brighten (raise) or darken (lower) the image’s amplitude to conform it to a pre-specified target value for proper image quality.
Iris This slider will adjust the Iris. The Iris consists of overlapping adjustable blades that regulate the amount of light passing through the VC-C3’s lens aperture, or opening. The more open the Iris is, the more light is let in to the camera. White Balance – Manual This slider will adjust the White Balance. White Balance is the adjustment of an image to calibrate it so that a white object appears white on the video monitor.
WIRELESS CONTROLLER An infra red wireless controller was included in the VC-C3 camera box when you bought the camera. The wireless controller allows you to control the camera without using a computer. At times you might want to disable the wireless controller signal and only control the camera via the RS-232 connection on the VC-C3. When the VC-C3 software program is initially started the wireless remote is always active.
VC-C3 INFORMATION By selecting the ‘System Menu’ button in the upper left corner of the application window and selecting ‘About’, the VC-C3 information window will appear. This window is helpful in determining the version of application software and ROM hardware you are using.
USAGE WITH VIDEOCONFERENCING APPLICATIONS Far End Control The VC-C3 Control Software can be used with any videoconferencing application that supports Application Sharing. These applications include but are not limited to PictureTel’s desktop PCS products and Intel ProShare desktop videoconferencing products. Once the VC-C3 Control Software is shared, a remote user can control the functions of the camera that are normally available through local control.
APPENDIX A – RS-232 Pin Out Diagrams 9-pin DSUB to 8-pin (VC-C3) Connection Below is a cable pin out diagram of the cable required to control the Canon VC-C3 camera from a computer with a 9-pin serial port. 8-pin to 8-pin (VC-C3) Connection Below is a cable pin out diagram of the cable required to control the Canon VC-C3 cameras from a computer with a 8-pin serial port.
