Sniffing USB

[addoty]

I purchased a Logitech Orbit webcam. To my dismay there is no software
that remotely controls it's pan, tilt and zoom features, which to me
seems like it defeats it's purpose. I want to set one of these up and
remotely move it around to see what's going on.

It comes with software that locally does this. It's a USB cam. Is it
possible to see what commands it sending to the device though the USB
connection and mimic this in a VB app?

Thanks for any help.

 

[robert]

well...i prefer sniffing glue. ;^)

i don't understand your question.

you say you want to "remotely" control the webcam.
you say the oem software doesn't do this.
you say you want to make software to do this.
you say the oem software controls the webcam "locally".

at this point, all i can safely assume is that you want to put the camera
(without a direct usb connection...aka, "remotely") at some distance from
your computer and control it. if this is the case, then no amount of
programming you do is going to solve your problem. you can either purchase a
longer cable (with amp if needed) and still use their software...or you can
go from usb to rf at your pc and then from rf back to usb at the
webcam...and still use their software.

or you could have some fun and google for some simple electronics projects.
i control a "cantenna" to pan and pitch over a half sphere area to visually
map/survey waps and signal strengths. i made my own serial port to
communicate but you can just as readily make usb, infrared, wifi connectors.
all you need is a pic microchip, a few resistors, capacitors, power, solder
and iron...just send out electric pulses from the pic to two servos that
either pan or pitch. if you are like me and are NOT an EE, you can even buy
preassembled devices or kits. pololu has tons of each from $20 to $40+ usd.
personally, i just hacked some schematics i found for a similar homebrewed
project off the net and then bought the parts i needed.

anyway...back to the glue!



|I purchased a Logitech Orbit webcam. To my dismay there is no software
| that remotely controls it's pan, tilt and zoom features, which to me
| seems like it defeats it's purpose. I want to set one of these up and
| remotely move it around to see what's going on.
|
| It comes with software that locally does this. It's a USB cam. Is it
| possible to see what commands it sending to the device though the USB
| connection and mimic this in a VB app?
|
| Thanks for any help.
|

 

[Dick Grier]

Hi,

The BASIC answer is, no. USB devices (other than HID or standard Windows
hardware types -- modems or other serial devices, sound cards, network
devices, printers, etc.) require a virtual device driver for that specific
hardware. If the manufacturer does not provide an API for this, then you'd
have to write your own -- and this would be a much more expensive,
time-consuming, and down right hard task than should be considered.

For more information on the workings of USB devices in general, I suggest
Jan Axelson's book, USB Complete 3rd Edition. I have a link to it under
Books on my homepage.

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 4th
Edition ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages) published July 2004. See
www.mabry.com/vbpgser4 to order.

 

[robert]

| Hi,
|
| The BASIC answer is, no. USB devices (other than HID or standard Windows
| hardware types -- modems or other serial devices, sound cards, network
| devices, printers, etc.) require a virtual device driver for that specific
| hardware.

that is somewhat true...but entirely misleading, dick. while the os does
require a driver to handle the io on each device type it does not negate
that some of these you mention have a formalized protocol, under which
driver level communication is a mute point. one layer up it the actual data
sent over/though that protocol. i KNOW you know what i mean...your favorite
rs232 for example. ;^) anyway, i think this is the layer he was talking
about.

what i'm puzzled over is his definition of "remote" and "local"...which may
not even require anything other than getting or altering some hardware.

btw, i'm glad to see you recommending jan's book. i appreciate your
humility. yours too, is an EXCELLENT book...plus, jan still hasn't written
shit-for-code for serial comm and vb. how many years is it now? 5...7?

we all appreciate it when you're here, dick...keep 'em truck'n.

 

[Dick Grier]

Hi,
while the os does
require a driver to handle the io on each device type it does not negate
that some of these you mention have a formalized protocol, under which
driver level communication is a mute point
<<

Sure. However, without a formal API, you are shooting in the dark when
trying to understand the protocol the actual device uses. That's what I
meant by my comments.

If you don't know (in advance) the protocol, it would be less expensive to
simply buy a device that provides one than to try to figure this one out. A
hardware USB sniffer is very expensive, and software ones are only slightly
less expensive -- and there is nothing built into Windows to provide these
details -- The sniffer would be required, and even then there would be
significant work to do, even for simple commands and responses.

Jan is considering writing a new edition Serial Port Complete. I don't know
how far along she is with that project.

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 4th
Edition ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages) published July 2004. See
www.mabry.com/vbpgser4 to order.

 

[addoty]

Sorry for not being clear.

The webcam connects to a computer via USB. I call this the local
computer. It has software that runs on the local computer that can
pan, tilt and zoom the lens and you can see the image on the local
computer. I would like to develop some software that will contol the
pan, tilt and zoom through the internet from a another computer, a
remote computer, and view video.

I was hoping I could watch the data being sent via USB and create a VB
app that mimicks it. Is there way to call the webcams driver via
VB.NET without the API documentation?

Thanks.

 

[robert]

gotcha.

you know i found 3 very good examples doing just that after reading your op
and googling ".net logitech orbit". and on the first page too...funny how
that works!

uh...this is just one of the links:

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Network_and_Internet/Web_Servers/LogiSphere.html

freeware that does just what you want.

hth,

me



| Sorry for not being clear.
|
| The webcam connects to a computer via USB. I call this the local
| computer. It has software that runs on the local computer that can
| pan, tilt and zoom the lens and you can see the image on the local
| computer. I would like to develop some software that will contol the
| pan, tilt and zoom through the internet from a another computer, a
| remote computer, and view video.
|
| I was hoping I could watch the data being sent via USB and create a VB
| app that mimicks it. Is there way to call the webcams driver via
| VB.NET without the API documentation?
|
| Thanks.
|

 

[addoty]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I downloaded that and tried it a couple
days ago. It doesn't zoom and it doesn't have the source code. I
tried the Microsoft Media Encoder and it loads the Logitech driver and
streams the media to a remote Media Player. I'm going to try some
sendkey commands to the actual local application from a remote location
by having a local app running that listens to a port of something.

Thanks for everyones help.