DiCaControl's USB REC toggle problem...

[DuaneMac]

This is a question for users of Eckhard Henkel's "DiCaControl" remote control software for Casio cameras. I tried contacting Eckhard by email regarding this but he never replied so I'm hoping someone here can help me.

I'm trying to use DiCaControl on my QV-4000 so that after each shutter release the camera will automatically switch from REC mode to "USB" mode, download the picture to my PC, then switch back to "REC" mode again to be ready for the next picture. But it doesn't work at all.

The problem is, the moment I connect the USB cable, the camera immediately retracts it's lens, the upper LCD display changes to "USB", the casio new drive icon is created in My Computer ready for data transfer, and the camera remains stuck in USB mode forever until I disconnect the USB cable. I cannot make the camera switch back to REC mode no matter how many times I click DiCaControl's "USB REC" button. When I click it, it seems to try and do something because the "USB" in the upper display disappears for a couple seconds, but then comes back again. As long as the USB cable is connected the camera stays in USB mode and nothing will make it go back to REC mode. Is there a certain hardware setting I have to make on the Camera to allow it to be switched back & forth between REC to USB mode via software control? What am I doing wrong?

All the other functions of DiCaControl & the QV-4000 work perfectly. All the buttons work, I have full remote control of the camera, and the USB cable connection works fine too as I can download photos in the normal manner. I'm running DiCaControl version 1.7 configed for QV-4000 in Windows 98, I have Photoloader 2.0 installed but have it CLOSED when using DiCaControl, and the Casio USB drivers are installed. Like I said the camera works flawless and DiCaControl works flawless too except I just can't toggle USB/REC mode via DiCaControl's "USB REC" button while the USB cable is connected. I've tried various delay times in DiCaControls Config USB/REC delay settings. Nothing I do will toggle USB back to REC mode. The ONLY way I can get back to REC mode is to "remove" the USB cable from the camera, when I do that the lens comes back out, the upper LCD changes from USB to REC mode, the drive icon in My Computer disappears, and I can begin taking pictures again. Weird.

Please can any Casio experts out there help me?

Thanks for your time,
Duane

 

[JosKa]

I had the same problem, but found that you can download older versions of the program, which work with the QV-4000, just try versions like
http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW163.zip or http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW162.zip or

http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW161.zip , i'm not sure which one's the best, but i know they worked for me.
I also send an e-mail about this, but never got a reply about it.

 

[Eckhard Henkel]

This is a question for users of Eckhard Henkel's "DiCaControl"
remote control software for Casio cameras. I tried contacting
Eckhard by email regarding this but he never replied so I'm hoping
someone here can help me.

Duane,

I'm sorry for not replying to you yet.

During the last months I focussed myself on a new project (my first child, it's a son, now 4 months old ...).

So I didn't find the time to reply to emails related to DiCaSoft stuff.

I'm trying to use DiCaControl on my QV-4000 so that after each
shutter release the camera will automatically switch from REC mode
to "USB" mode, download the picture to my PC, then switch back to
"REC" mode again to be ready for the next picture. But it doesn't
work at all. [...]

It's a behaviour of a small change of the remote control protocol Casio made, starting with the QV-4000 and continued with the QV-5700.

Technical background: Usually an uppercase command letter is followed by a corresponding lowercase letter. But this rule is broken in especially the case you describe: The change form USB to REC mode. Now the lowercase letter "m" isn't needed any more.

However - today I found the time to fix it.

Please download the new version 1.7.1 of "DiCaControl for Windows" and give it a try.

Because I don't own a QV-4000 or a QV-5700 I need the feedback of users.

So please let me know if the fix works.

Regards,

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

 

[Eckhard Henkel]

I also send an e-mail about this, but never got a reply about it.

Joska,

my apology to you too!

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

 

[DuaneMac]

Eckhard, you are the man!

It now works. I'm able to have DiCaControl remotely take a picture and send the file to my PC automatically. I'm testing your latest version on my QV-4000. I've found a couple of minor bugs but overall seems to be working good.

Regards!

However - today I found the time to fix it.

Please download the new version 1.7.1 of "DiCaControl for Windows"
and give it a try.

Because I don't own a QV-4000 or a QV-5700 I need the feedback of
users.

So please let me know if the fix works.

Regards,

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

 

[Eckhard Henkel]

[...] I've found a couple of minor bugs [...]

Duane,

please let me know some details (better: all details ...) of the bugs you found.

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

 

[technicsplayer]

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

If anyone has not tried Eckhard's program, you should!

I recently changed to a laptop with no legacy support, and bought a usb to serial converter just so I could continue to use DiCaControl with my 3500.

It's an excellent remote control program for the camera.

 

[Tom Z]

It does look neat. The only problem is finding a cable to connect the QV-4000 isn't easy to find.

Tom

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

If anyone has not tried Eckhard's program, you should!

I recently changed to a laptop with no legacy support, and bought a
usb to serial converter just so I could continue to use DiCaControl
with my 3500.

It's an excellent remote control program for the camera.

 

[technicsplayer]

Tom

Eckhard Henkel
http://www.dicasoft.de

If anyone has not tried Eckhard's program, you should!

I recently changed to a laptop with no legacy support, and bought a
usb to serial converter just so I could continue to use DiCaControl
with my 3500.

It's an excellent remote control program for the camera.

after trying the casio agent for your country ('cus they might have a spare relatively cheap) and then try these:

http://pfranc.com/pclink/a.shtml

and http://www.lynks.co.uk/casio.html

this usb to serial definitely works because I'm using it, but the lynks people sent me a serial casio cable by mistake, so I also tested that with the 3500 before I sent it back and it worked fine, and worked with the usb converter too, so they could answer that question if anyone asked.

 

[DuaneMac]

JosKa, in case you didn't receive my email from yesterday, I wanted to thank you for your help and the links.

Take care

I had the same problem, but found that you can download older
versions of the program, which work with the QV-4000, just try
versions like
http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW163.zip or
http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW162.zip or
http://www.dicasoft.de/CtrlW161.zip , i'm not sure which one's the
best, but i know they worked for me.
I also send an e-mail about this, but never got a reply about it.