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Issue:
My laptop's IEEE-1394 port or PCMCIA card doesn’t supply power to my camera.
Solution:
Some FireWire PCMCIA cards for laptop / notebook computers are built for use with a 4-pin FireWire cable, which will not work with Point Grey cameras which require a 6-pin connector (the additional two pins provide power). Some FireWire accessory manufacturers sell cables that have one 4-pin end and one 6-pin end. However, the cameras still require power to be provided. Please consult your camera's Technical Reference or Getting Started manual (downloadable from our Downloads section) for specific power and voltage requirements by camera model.
In this case, we suggest trying one of the following:
- Use an externally powered FireWire hub or repeater to power the bus. Connecting the camera and the laptop to the hub will power the camera, via the hub’s external power supply. This is also an alternative for any 6-pin PCMCIA cards that do not provide power directly from the laptop.
- Use a different FireWire PCMCIA card that provides full FireWire bus power through an optional external AC power supply, such as that found at IOGEAR or LaCie. NOTE: Point Grey has not tested any IEEE-1394 products from IOGEAR.
- Use a FireWire cable that is designed to hook into an external power supply, such as those manufactured by Newnex. NOTE: Some Point Grey camera models may require more power than the cable is able to supply. An externally powered 1394 hub/PCMCIA card is generally the most reliable method for powering PGR cameras.
- Use a 1394 cable as described above and connect it to a USB connector such as the ADP-AP-06 manufactured by Newnex. This allows the camera to draw power from the laptop's USB port. NOTE: Not compatible with Dragonfly2, Flea2 and other newer products that require greater than 8V. Some Point Grey camera models may require more power than the cable is able to supply. An externally powered 1394 hub/PCMCIA card is generally the most reliable method for powering Point Grey cameras.
While some battery solutions have been implemented, whereby a portable battery is used to power the hub, Point Grey Research urges users to be cautious when creating any makeshift devices. Point Grey also discourages users from attaching or soldering any such devices directly to the camera.
Power Requirements To determine the specific power requirements in watts (W) for a given camera, refer to the camera's Technical Reference or Getting Started manual. As a general rule, the maximum power output of a device such as a FireWire hub is dictated by its power supply, specifically power (W) = voltage (V) * current (A), or W = V * A. For example, the maximum power output of a 12V 1A power supply would be 12W (although some power supplies may limit the power output further).
Related
Articles:
1.) Maximum number of IEEE-1394 cameras on a single 1394 bus.
2.) Connecting more than 2 cameras to a 2-port IEEE-1394 card.
3.) PGR camera not recognized by system and not listed in Device Manager.
4.) Image capture freezes after a period of successful image capture.
5.) Providing power to Point Grey Research cameras
6.) Can I use a PCMCIA-ExpressCard adapter with my camera?
Article
ID: |
93 |
| Published: |
12:00:00 AM |
Last
Modified: |
4/6/2010 8:23:38 AM |
| Keywords: |
laptop, notebook, PCMCIA, power, 4-pin, 6-pin, cardbus, adaptor, current, voltage, hub, repeater, current |
Issue Type: |
Installation |
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