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Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
- DaveGrennan
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- IFAS Astronomer of the Year 2010
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18 years 6 days ago #37571
by DaveGrennan
Regards and Clear Skies,
Dave.
J41 - Raheny Observatory.
www.webtreatz.com
Equipment List here
Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's was created by DaveGrennan
Folks,
Over the last year I have designed and built a microcontroller based unit to control the shutter on a Canon 300D or 350D. The device (in conjunction with) a serial port shutter cable allows you to sequence exposures without the need for a PC in the field. You can sequence up to 99 exposures of 100 minutes each. You can also set the duration of a delay between exposures. Mirror lockup is also supported.
The unit can be built by anyone with the ability to follow some simple circuit diagrams and lay these out on a stripboard. I reckon the parts for the unit will cost less than €30, maybe even cheaper.
I have decided its time to share this and as such have written an article describing how it works, how to build it. All the necessary circuit diagrams and firmware is available for download. I plan to publish a neat stripboard layout and gerber files for a full PCB over the Christmas period.
You can read the article here;
webtreatz.com/content/view/45/1/
I do hope that one or two consider building the unit. I find it invaluable even in my observatory.
Have fun!
I will just add that I have a number of other projects under development including a focus control unit for telescopes! I will publish these as articles too once they are through the development cycle!
Over the last year I have designed and built a microcontroller based unit to control the shutter on a Canon 300D or 350D. The device (in conjunction with) a serial port shutter cable allows you to sequence exposures without the need for a PC in the field. You can sequence up to 99 exposures of 100 minutes each. You can also set the duration of a delay between exposures. Mirror lockup is also supported.
The unit can be built by anyone with the ability to follow some simple circuit diagrams and lay these out on a stripboard. I reckon the parts for the unit will cost less than €30, maybe even cheaper.
I have decided its time to share this and as such have written an article describing how it works, how to build it. All the necessary circuit diagrams and firmware is available for download. I plan to publish a neat stripboard layout and gerber files for a full PCB over the Christmas period.
You can read the article here;
webtreatz.com/content/view/45/1/
I do hope that one or two consider building the unit. I find it invaluable even in my observatory.
Have fun!
I will just add that I have a number of other projects under development including a focus control unit for telescopes! I will publish these as articles too once they are through the development cycle!
Regards and Clear Skies,
Dave.
J41 - Raheny Observatory.
www.webtreatz.com
Equipment List here
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- dave_lillis
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- Super Giant
18 years 6 days ago #37575
by dave_lillis
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
Replied by dave_lillis on topic Re: Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
Thats mighty impressive Dave, a very nice peice of work, Can I ask, in the first diagram, you are using +12v and -12v, is the -12v a typo, did you mean gnd=0, just wondering.
I'm deffo going to build this one, thanks for sharing !
I'm deffo going to build this one, thanks for sharing !
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- DaveGrennan
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- IFAS Astronomer of the Year 2010
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- Posts: 2707
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18 years 6 days ago #37576
by DaveGrennan
Regards and Clear Skies,
Dave.
J41 - Raheny Observatory.
www.webtreatz.com
Equipment List here
Replied by DaveGrennan on topic Re: Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
Dave you are right -12v is just another way to annotate ground. The Americans tend to use -12v rather than gnd. The Germans use 'erde' and the French just don't bother at all
Regards and Clear Skies,
Dave.
J41 - Raheny Observatory.
www.webtreatz.com
Equipment List here
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- dave_lillis
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- Super Giant
18 years 6 days ago #37578
by dave_lillis
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
Replied by dave_lillis on topic Re: Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
Jeepers!!, I never heard it been called that, you learn something new every day. what a non intuitive way of doing it !
It might explain why some of those LXD mounts didnt work out of the factory :lol: did anyone tell the chinese of this ? :lol:
It might explain why some of those LXD mounts didnt work out of the factory :lol: did anyone tell the chinese of this ? :lol:
Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go.
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
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- philiplardner
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- Red Giant
18 years 6 days ago #37581
by philiplardner
Replied by philiplardner on topic Re: Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
Nice job, Dave, and dirt cheap too! There's a similar unit being advertised in the back of S&T for over $100 and it doesn't do as much as yours
Couple of quick Q's. You are supplying your 78L12 12v regulator chip with 12v. The normal supply voltage for these chips is 14.5v - 35v. I don't have the specific specs for the UA78L12 (which may accept a 12v input) but it may not be able to continue supplying a regulated 12v output if the input drops below 14.5v - say as your battery voltage drops. This may or may not be a problem for your electronics.
Q2 - What for the double 1N4148 diodes coming off the UA78L12 output?
Happy Christmas to you and Carol,
Phil
PS - You should do an article for Sky&Tel - I'm pretty sure a lot of peoplewould find it extremely useful... and it gets you a bit of free publicity for your website and for future projects you might want to produce commercially!
Couple of quick Q's. You are supplying your 78L12 12v regulator chip with 12v. The normal supply voltage for these chips is 14.5v - 35v. I don't have the specific specs for the UA78L12 (which may accept a 12v input) but it may not be able to continue supplying a regulated 12v output if the input drops below 14.5v - say as your battery voltage drops. This may or may not be a problem for your electronics.
Q2 - What for the double 1N4148 diodes coming off the UA78L12 output?
Happy Christmas to you and Carol,
Phil
PS - You should do an article for Sky&Tel - I'm pretty sure a lot of peoplewould find it extremely useful... and it gets you a bit of free publicity for your website and for future projects you might want to produce commercially!
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- philiplardner
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- Red Giant
18 years 6 days ago #37582
by philiplardner
Beg pardon - that's supposed to be "coming off the Common leg of the regulator?"
Phil.
Replied by philiplardner on topic Re: Build your own device to control Canon DSLR's
Q2 - What for the double 1N4148 diodes coming off the UA78L12 output?
Beg pardon - that's supposed to be "coming off the Common leg of the regulator?"
Phil.
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