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Student Hands On Training I (2009)

CameraFirmware

Modifications

CameraFirmware

Modifications

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-The following instructions will walk you through the steps needed to change the firmware on this camera to take pictures automatically during the flight

Canon A590 IS Mods:

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-The CHDK code was originally written by Rick von Glahn from Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS)

-These steps are performed with the camera modified to turn on and off with a external switch or AVR microcontroller

-The steps to modify the hardware of the camera are contained in a different presentation

Canon A590 IS Mods:

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-This mod uses CHDK to add autonomy to a digital camera without the use of a timing circuit or further modifications to the camera

-CHDK is firmware enhancement

-CHDK = Canon Hack Development Kit

- It only works with Canon digital cameras

-Please see the following website for much more information http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

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-Take your camera out of the box

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- Insert the batteries

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- Turn on camera by touching two wires together

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- Set the date and time

- Power off the camera by touching the two wires together again

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- Insert SD card and close battery cover (not all SD cards support this mod)

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- Set Camera to “AV” mode- “AV” = Aperture Priority

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-Turn on camera by touching two wires together

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-Make sure the switch is on “play”

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-Press the “MENU” button and format the card – Use the “Low Level Format” setting

Canon A590 IS Mods:

1.1. 2.2.

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

-Press the “MENU” button and format the card – Use the “Low Level Format” setting

3.3. 4.4.

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

-Press the “MENU” button and format the card – Use the “Low Level Format” setting

5.5.

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-Power off camera and remove the SD Card

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-Connect the SD card to your computer

Canon A590 IS Mods:

1.1. 2.2.

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-The files we are going to copy to the SD card contain a script (macro) that will take pictures throughout the flight after an initial boot up.

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-Open the “CU_SGC_Interval.bas” file with text editor

Canon A590 IS Mods:

1.1.

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

2.2. 3.3.

-Open the “CU_SGC_Interval.bas” file with text editor

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

-Open the “CU_SGC_Interval.bas” file with text editor

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

-Open the “CU_SGC_Interval.bas” file with text editor

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-Copy the CHDK folder structure and files to the SD card

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-Make sure the switch is on “play”

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- Insert SD card and power the camera on.

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-Press the “MENU” button and press the left on the circle button until the “play” symbol is highlighted

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-Press up button and highlight “Firm Update”

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- Select “OK” and press “SET”

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-Camera should now be running the CHDK firmware.

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-Press the printer button to access CHDK firmware

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-<ALT> should be in the bottom of the screen

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-With <ALT> on the screen, press the MENU button

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- Scroll down to “Miscellaneous stuff”

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- Scroll down to “Make card bootable” and press “FUNC. SET” – Nothing will happen.

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- Scroll down to “Back” and press “FUNC. SET”

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- Select “Scripting parameters”- press “FUNC. SET”

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- Select “Load script from file”- press “FUNC. SET”

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- Select “CU_SGC~1.BAS”- press “FUNC. SET”

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- Should now see CU Intervals at middle of screen

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- Select and turn on “Script Autostart” You must press “FUNC. SET” for settings to save

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- Scroll down and select “Back”

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-Press “MENU” and power off camera

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-Press “MENU” and power off camera

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-Remove the SD card and slide switch to “LOCKED”

Canon A590 IS Mods:

Even though the card is in the “LOCKED” position it will be able to be written to via the CHDK firmware.

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Canon A590 IS Mods:

- Insert locked SD card and make sure the camera is in “RECORD” mode

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-Power on the camera

- “CU Intervals” and the “<ALT>” should be visible

- Script should be running

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- It will go through a series of camera setting changes which will take about 60 seconds

-Then the camera will begin to take pictures every 10 seconds for the first 30 minutes (~180 pictures)

-Then the camera will begin to take pictures every 30 seconds for 86 minutes (~172 pictures)

-Then the camera will begin to take pictures every 10 seconds for 15 minutes (~90 pictures)

-Total of ~442 pictures (2GB can hold ~ 566 pictures)

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-You can turn the camera off anytime.

- If you wish to stop the script during execution just press the shutter release button and that will interrupt the execution of the script

-Press the print button to gain control of the camera without having to remove the card

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-After the pushing the shutter, you must push the print button to have normal camera control

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-This is handy if you want to review photos, or do something else without the script running.

-To restart the script push the print button again followed by the print button

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-Remember, any setting you might make to the camera will be restored to factory default settings next time the script runs as that is the first action the script takes

- Once you interrupt a script it must be re-run from the beginning you can not PAUSE a script and RESUME it

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-You can modify your code without reloading the firmware

-You could modify the timing to get more or less pictures but you should test before flight.

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-Power off camera

-Remove SD Card

-Unlock SD Card

-Open CHDK/Scripts/CU_SGC_Interval.bas

- Scroll down to end of code and change b to 5000

- Save

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- Remove SD card and lock

- Insert SD card into the camera and power on

-You can also “rem” out pieces of the set up or other functions but test first

- You can’t speed things up too much however. Be careful.

Canon A590 IS Mods:

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Student Hands On Training I (2009)

Questions?Questions?