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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Tormach Personal CNC Mill > Tormach PathPilot™ > Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Has anyone had any success with integrating a USB Camera with the PathPilot software to allow use of the Scanner functions? The scanner software was originally designed as an add-on th the Mach III version of the software; Path Pilot seems to include support for the scanner function, but I've not seen it used on anything but a Mach III setup.

    I'm running the most current version of PathPilot, Ver. 1.9.2 released 11/04/15 (available here: http://www.tormach.com/pathpilot_tracking.html)

    I have a number of USB microscopes (made by Saellig) that I have tried without success (to be fair, the Saelig cameras did not come with Linux drivers). I have requested help from Tormach; I am still waiting for their response.

    Since PathPilot runs on Linux, I believe that this probably simply a driver issue; but I curious if anyone has actually used or seen the scanner used with PathPilot...

    If so, what combination of camera & driver(s) did you use to get this function/hardware to work?

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    Ed

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    148

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    send me details of the camera , and i'll see about interfacing it , but may be a few days or so
    pm me

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Quote Originally Posted by cncbasher View Post
    send me details of the camera , and i'll see about interfacing it , but may be a few days or so
    pm me
    Model MV200UM (USB Digital Microscope)
    Camera Type Color CMOS Camera
    Sensor 1/3 image CMOS
    Resolution 2.0M Pixel
    Image Pixel 640x480, 1280x960, 1600x1200
    Image Quality High Definition
    Illumination 8pcs white adjustable LEDs
    Frame Rate 10fps @ 1600x1200, 15fps @ 1280x960, 30fps @ 640x480
    Optical Features Gamma Correction: Auto, Numerical Aperture, Auto, Exposure: Auto, White Balance: Auto, Black Reference: Auto, Flicker Avoidance: Auto, Defect Identification: Auto, color Saturation: Auto
    Signal Interface USB2.0/USB1.1
    Power Source USB5.0V DC
    Power Consumption 0.75W MAX
    Magnification 5X~200X base on 17" Display
    Object Distance 0~300mm
    USB Line: 2m
    Dimensions 36mm (diameter) x 120mm (length)
    Miview Cap Software Snapshot,Video Recorder,Take Time lapsed Picture,Measurement and Calibration

    --- OR ---

    Model: MV500UM-PL(Polarizer-5.0MP)
    Camera Type: Color CMOS Camera
    Sensor: 1/4" Imax CMOS
    Lens: Adjustable Polarizer and microscopical lens
    Resolution: 5.0M Pixel(MJPEG codec may be required to run at 2592 x 1944 resolutions)
    Image pixel: 640x 480, 1280x1024,1600x 1200,2048X1536,2592x1944
    Viewalbe area: 5x@82x65mm, [email protected]
    Image Quality: Highest Definition
    Save Fomat: MBP , JPEG
    Illumination: 8 white adjustable LEDs
    Frame rate: 10fps@1600x1200,15fps@1280x1024, 30fps@640x480
    Optical features: Gamma Correction: Auto, Numerical Aperture: Auto, Exposure: Auto, White Balance: Auto, Black Reference: Auto, Flicker Avoidance: Auto, Defect Identification: Auto, Color Saturation: Auto
    Signal Interface: USB 2.0
    Power Source: USB5.0V DC
    Power Consumption: 1.00W MAX
    Adjustable Magnification: 5x ~200x based on 17" Display
    Object Distance: 0~300mm
    Unit Weight: 100g±10g
    USB Line: 1.8m
    Dimension: 36mm(Diameter) x 120mm(Length)
    Software Features (Miviewcap): Capture Image, Take Video, Real-time measurement and calibration, Real-time image processing, Image Measurement and calibration



    Thanks for any help you can offer!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    OK, I finally got this to work... After hunting around the Tormach site for a while, I found a video on the CNC Scanner feature. Here's the video on youtube:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyKCFZxLTM

    Somewher else there was another video, I was able to freeze the video and identify the USB microscope. Here's what Tormach was selling/using:

    USB Microscope | Firefly Global

    Got one, plugged it in, (I had to enable camera support in from a command window, see previous comments on how to do this)... Scanner function works great!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    1788

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Did you find a free version of the software necessary to output a DXF from the scan?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Ok, so the camera works, but the path pilot software (scanner tab) seems buggy... The calibrate camera camera menu seems counter intuitive. The software seems to be able only to capture images, there is no stitching feature, and no way to export the captured data in a useable format... The capture function will capture an image and make an entry in the data table, but when you click save to file, it generates an error message about invalid entries in the facing conversational dialog...

    I know Tormach does not place a high priority on the scanner function on PathPilot (I called and asked tech support), but I'd really like to have this capability as I bought my machine to make replacement parts, and it was a major factor in my decision to purchase a Tormach.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    6

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    How did you enable camera support in the command window? I don't see it posted how to do this.

    Thanks for any info

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    624

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Quote Originally Posted by ehpepper View Post
    ...I know Tormach does not place a high priority on the scanner function on PathPilot (I called and asked tech support), but I'd really like to have this capability as I bought my machine to make replacement parts, and it was a major factor in my decision to purchase a Tormach.
    If you've got a version of the Tormach Mach3 controller software, you might be able to use that to run a scanner (Tormach is selling their older scan system at fire sale prices -or was). That system worked pretty well, and imported to several CAD/CAM programs to copy from broken parts. Some of the camera software needed a dongle, but I'm not sure the Tormach software did. This is admittedly an inconvenient kludge, but using M3 & your Tormach to scan and export might be a faster workaround than getting a buggy PP scanner function to work.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    624

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Quote Originally Posted by ehpepper View Post
    ...I know Tormach does not place a high priority on the scanner function on PathPilot (I called and asked tech support), but I'd really like to have this capability as I bought my machine to make replacement parts, and it was a major factor in my decision to purchase a Tormach.
    If you've got a version of the Tormach Mach3 controller software, you might be able to use that to run a scanner (Tormach is selling their older scan system at fire sale prices -or was). That system worked pretty well, and imported to several CAD/CAM programs to copy from broken parts. Some of the camera software needed a dongle, but I'm not sure the Tormach software did. This is admittedly an inconvenient kludge, but using M3 & your Tormach to scan and export might be a faster workaround than getting a buggy PP scanner function to work.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    In PathPilot, under the settings tab, enable (checkbox) the scanner.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    My machine came with PathPilot pre-installed. Is it possible to have both Mach 3 and PathPilot installer on the same controller? I'm not real familiar with Linix or how to download and install Mach 3.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Tormach is no longer selling the scanner software. Is there someplace I can download it?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Quote Originally Posted by rayclark View Post
    How did you enable camera support in the command window? I don't see it posted how to do this.

    Thanks for any info
    This is how I enabled my cam, just follow the instructions:

    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Webcam

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    11

    Re: Anyone using USB Scanner/Camera with PathPilot (Scanner Function)?

    Quote Originally Posted by rayclark View Post
    How did you enable camera support in the command window? I don't see it posted how to do this.

    Thanks for any info
    Follow the instructions on this link:

    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Webcam

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