Re: [vox-tech] need help with a windows app :(

[Peter Jay Salzman <pMAPS@dirac.org>]

begin: Jeff Newmiller <jdnewmil@dcn.davis.ca.us> quote
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2001, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> 
> > hello all,
> > 
> > i'm trying to reverse engineer the protocol for the polaroid pdc 700 digital
> > camera (currently unsupported by gphoto).
> > 
> > i'm using "comlite32" to snoop on the serial port of a windows machine while
> > downloading thumbnail images from the camera.  it gets the data, and in
> > fact i THINK i may have the init string that this camera uses to identify
> > itself to windows applications.
> > 
> > the problem is comparing saved buffer files.
> > 
> > * they aren't written as text files, so i can't simply scp them over to a
> >   linux box and view them.
> 
> scp is perfectly happy with binary files.
 
yes, but i can't view them once they get scp'ed over.  i guess i was a bit
vague.  i should've written

they aren't written as text files, so although i can scp them over to a linux
box, it would be like looking at a word document with vi.   :)

> > * there doesn't seem to be an "export to text file" option.
> 
> Crappy software. :)
> 
> > 
> > * comlite32 doesn't seem to be able to send its buffer to a printer!
> 
> This is windows software? Did you pay for it? If not, did you expect it to
> be useful?
 
yeah, it was free.  but so's linux.    :*)

> > * when i try to compare two saved buffer side by side, it crashes windows
> >   with an "illegal operation" error.
> 
> Not sure how you are doing this... with views presented by comlite or via
> some other method?

sorry for not being clear.   you can load a previously saved buffer with
comlite and view it.  looks just like a "sector editor" with hex on the left
and ascii to the right.  but encapsulated in a "buffer window" within the
"application window".   i tried to open two buffer windows side by side to
compare strings but the thing crashes windows consistantly.  like this:

|------------------------------|
| Comlite32  (crashes)         |  
|                              |  
| |-----|           |-----|    |
| |D5 AA|           |D5 AA|    |
| |A5 EA|           |A5 FF|    |
| |-----|           |-----|    |
|                              |
--------------------------------

> > (and i also have the polaroid pdc 2300Z which i'll work on next).  but i need
> > to understand comlite better, or else get a better tool.
> > 
> > has anyone used this program?
> 
> No.
> 
> > has anyone used something similar under windows?
> 
> No, but I used a program for DOS a few years back that came with a special
> serial cable that allowed me to listen in with a third computer.  That
> program had numerous options for saving files.
> 
> You could a) wire to /dev/ttyS0 from the Winbox with a null modem and wire
> from /dev/ttyS1 to the camera with the camera cable, and use sersniff
> (http://www.earth.li/projectpurple/progs/sersniff.html) or equivalent, or
> b) borrow the sniffing cable from me if hardware handshaking is a problem
> and record the data streams as they go by.  To get synchronization in
> option b, you might need to write a program to monitor both serial ports
> (or modify sersniff).
 
thanks jeff, expect a phone call from me either tonight or tomorrow.  :-)

pete