lifecam vx6000

[Nige]

my pc wont see my vx6000 webcam. I see on forums others are having the same
problem. It sees a "usb20" webcam when I connect the unit. I have uninstalled
and reinstalled the latest software, as well as trying older software, but
Windows always sees the cam as a "usb20". Have tried the microsoft email
support, which doesnt work by the way. Anybody got any ideas on this issue?

 

[Paul]

my pc wont see my vx6000 webcam. I see on forums others are having the same
problem. It sees a "usb20" webcam when I connect the unit. I have uninstalled
and reinstalled the latest software, as well as trying older software, but
Windows always sees the cam as a "usb20". Have tried the microsoft email
support, which doesnt work by the way. Anybody got any ideas on this issue?

When you go here, and go to downloads, is there a different package depending
on whether your copy of WinXP is SP1 or SP2 ?

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/default.aspx

If you installed SP2, perhaps you need a different version of package for
the VX6000.

Paul

 

[Nige]

Sorry Paul, I should have said the webcam worked for nearly 4 months before
this problem appeared. My pc is XP SP2. Apparently the problem arose after a
recent windows update. what i cant understand is why windows doesnt see it as
a vx6000 as if it sees a "usb20" camera, thats what its going to want drivers
for

 

[Paul]

Sorry Paul, I should have said the webcam worked for nearly 4 months before
this problem appeared. My pc is XP SP2. Apparently the problem arose after a
recent windows update. what i cant understand is why windows doesnt see it as
a vx6000 as if it sees a "usb20" camera, thats what its going to want drivers
for

One posting I found the first time I looked, suggests the VX6000 doesn't have
a serial number. (Some USB devices have a serial number, and that makes it
easier for the OS to track it, as the device is moved from port to port.)

The VID and PID were listed here. 045e:00f4. Which apparently maps to a
Sonix/Microdia chip inside the camera. That ID information, is one of
the ingredients for the OS to install a driver, from the Microsoft
software package you installed.

http://www.linux-projects.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=287&forum=6#forumpost1066

Since the chip is described, as 9C20X, it might be one like this.

http://www.sonix.com.tw/sonix/product.do?p=SN9C202

*******
SN9C202 Drivers
SN9C201_5.7.23.000_Latest_Win98/ME/2000/XP32&64/Vista32&64

http://www.sonix.com.tw/sonix/download.do?d=2051,2

==> USB20PCCam_5.7.23.000.exe 12,358,393 bytes

SN9C202 Drivers
SN9C202_5.7.22.000_WHQL_Win98/ME/2000/XP32&64/Vista32&64

http://www.sonix.com.tw/sonix/download.do?d=2050,2
(Presumably this is the previous version)
*******

Will those work ? I haven't a clue. Installing them, could
do more harm than good. It all depends on whether you expect
Microsoft to fix the issue. The thing is, the Sonix driver
may know about specific webcams (like what image sensor is used),
or it might not. The drivers might be removable via add/remove
or perhaps you could prepare a restore point just before installing
them.

To look at the config info coming from the camera, you can use UVCView.
This is an archived version, as Microsoft removed the page from their
web site. This should allow you to see the 045e:00f4 part, and if
the Sonix package has an INF file in it, you could compare the information
coming from the camera, to see if it matches an entry in the INF.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060509...f-a31d-436b-9281-92cdfeae4b45/UVCView.x86.exe

I cannot really do anything with the USB20PCCam_5.7.23.000.exe
file here, as it looks like an Installshield package.

If I was experimenting with that here, I'd probably use a spare
disk with an OS install on it, as a test.

Contact info for Microsoft hardware, starts here.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/contact/default.mspx

I followed that link, and ended up here. The techniques suggested
appear generic in nature, and yet the text at the very bottom
of the page implies the info is provided for Microsoft hardware
customers.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933311/en-us

You could also have a look at their contact page here (but aren't
going to like the options).

http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx?rdpath=1&gprid=11859

Paul

 

[Nige]

Hi Paul
Thanks for the links. See the UVCView report below. The PID and VID are not
the same as in the INF file, they are as you reported. Are we on to something
here?


Nigel



===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0200
bDeviceClass: 0x00 -> This is an Interface Class
Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x0C45 = Sonix Technology Co., Ltd.
idProduct: 0x62BF
bcdDevice: 0x0100
iManufacturer: 0x00
iProduct: 0x01
English (United States) "USB20 Camera "
iSerialNumber: 0x00
bNumConfigurations: 0x01
===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0200
bDeviceClass: 0x00 -> This is an Interface Class
Defined Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x00
bDeviceProtocol: 0x00
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x0C45 = Sonix Technology Co., Ltd.
idProduct: 0x62BF
bcdDevice: 0x0100
iManufacturer: 0x00
iProduct: 0x01
English (United States) "USB20 Camera "
iSerialNumber: 0x00
bNumConfigurations: 0x01

 

[Nige]

Latest update!!!
I changed the VID and PID no's in the installation programme (extracted to
a new file and originals backed up). The info was in the setup information
files and I changed them to match the ones reported from the webcam on
UVCView. Re-installed application and windows is now recognising the VX6000.
Problem now is that device manager is saying "the device cannot start. (Code
10)". The report below shows there are other issues reporting from the
webcam. These were there from the frist time I used UVCView and have not
changed. Any ideas folks???
Seems something has actually changed the data in the webcam itself!


===>Interface Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x04
bInterfaceNumber: 0x00
bAlternateSetting: 0x00
bNumEndpoints: 0x03
bInterfaceClass: 0xFF -> Vendor Specific Device
bInterfaceSubClass: 0xFF
*!*CAUTION: This appears to be an invalid bInterfaceSubClass
bInterfaceProtocol: 0xFF
*!*WARNING: must be set to PC_PROTOCOL_UNDEFINED 0 for this class
iInterface: 0x00
*!*ERROR: 0xFF is the prerelease USB Video Class ID

 

[Paul]

Latest update!!!
I changed the VID and PID no's in the installation programme (extracted to
a new file and originals backed up). The info was in the setup information
files and I changed them to match the ones reported from the webcam on
UVCView. Re-installed application and windows is now recognising the VX6000.
Problem now is that device manager is saying "the device cannot start. (Code
10)". The report below shows there are other issues reporting from the
webcam. These were there from the frist time I used UVCView and have not
changed. Any ideas folks???
Seems something has actually changed the data in the webcam itself!

I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner. My news server just bit the
dust, and I allowed a day to see if the guy could fix it or not. (AIOE.org)

OK, this is an unofficial file of USB identities. When I looked up the VX6000,
the poster mentioned he thought the device was a Sonix chip. But the
045e:00f4 is a Microsoft value. (The 00F4 is not listed here.) So
that would suggest, that perhaps the Sonix chip has a programmable
identity, or an external EEPROM connected to the Sonix chip,
was used to set the 045E:00f4 value. The Sonix web page says the
PID is programmable to one of 26 values, but that wouldn't account
for the 045E part.

http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids

The info in this post, jumped to a conclusion, based on info other than
what is shown here. The dump says the thing is SN9C20X, but that is not
based on the 045e part, which is Microsoft's identity. So this is what
led me in the wrong direction.

http://www.linux-projects.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=287&forum=6#forumpost1066

So, now, why does UVCView see 0x0C45:0x62BF. In the USB.ids file (open
with Wordpad), 0c45 is Microdia (presumably bought by Sonix), but the
62BF is not listed.

Can you uninstall your hacked driver ? What does UVCView show after
a reboot, for the camera ?

They had a problem here, with Vista SP1, but this problem had
something to do with streaming.

http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php?topic=31219.msg251703;topicseen

I'm going to try downloading the Lifecam software, and see if there is
anything to see in there.

Paul

 

[Paul]

I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner. My news server just bit the
dust, and I allowed a day to see if the guy could fix it or not. (AIOE.org)

OK, this is an unofficial file of USB identities. When I looked up the
VX6000,
the poster mentioned he thought the device was a Sonix chip. But the
045e:00f4 is a Microsoft value. (The 00F4 is not listed here.) So
that would suggest, that perhaps the Sonix chip has a programmable
identity, or an external EEPROM connected to the Sonix chip,
was used to set the 045E:00f4 value. The Sonix web page says the
PID is programmable to one of 26 values, but that wouldn't account
for the 045E part.

http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids

The info in this post, jumped to a conclusion, based on info other than
what is shown here. The dump says the thing is SN9C20X, but that is not
based on the 045e part, which is Microsoft's identity. So this is what
led me in the wrong direction.

http://www.linux-projects.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=287&forum=6#forumpost1066


So, now, why does UVCView see 0x0C45:0x62BF. In the USB.ids file (open
with Wordpad), 0c45 is Microdia (presumably bought by Sonix), but the
62BF is not listed.

Can you uninstall your hacked driver ? What does UVCView show after
a reboot, for the camera ?

They had a problem here, with Vista SP1, but this problem had
something to do with streaming.

http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php?topic=31219.msg251703;topicseen

I'm going to try downloading the Lifecam software, and see if there is
anything to see in there.

Paul

I downloaded Lifecam 1.3 for WinXP SP1 (assuming I might have even more
trouble if I used the latest one). Thank goodness it wasn't an Installshield
package. First, it unzipped all the files, and placed them on the C drive.
I copied them to a safe place, before the EXE could delete them.

Down in lifecam\setup\files\driver32\vx6000 is the vx6000.inf and other files.
These are some of the interesting bits.

;ProductKey=VX6000
ProductKey=SN9C201

(Presumably this is for audio, and there didn't seem to be one for video.
Implying that perhaps it is a USB Video Class device and is Plug and Play
for video. But that doesn't seem to mesh with the symptoms at all.)

SN.PCamMic.XP,USB\VID_045e&PID_00f4&MI_00

OV9650 (could be the optical sensor connected to the Sonix chip)
http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=26577789&rb=1

I tried reading a few reviews on Amazon, and they report a bunch of different
problems. Some of them are easy to recognize (one person probably had a USB 1.1
port connected to the thing). On this page, I found an initialization problem,
but no cure.

http://www.amazon.com/review/produc...ageNumber=9&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

I suspect the thing should be reporting itself as 045E:00F4 and that somehow
the Microsoft VID/PID is no longer coming from the camera for some reason. I
just cannot imagine the serial EEPROM, if there is one connected to the 9C201/202,
as being the reason. Since the camera stopped after a software update, there
has got to be some other reason. Would Windows Update have installed a custom
hardware driver for it, after improperly recognizing it as someone else's
product ?

Paul

 

[Nige]

Paul


Been a while with no success. Finally contacted Microsoft tech support and
they are replacing the cam! no arguments. Thanks for your help


Nigel