Remote control Coolpix with a palm !

!!! News !!! I just received my coolpix back from Nikon, they tuned the CCD to remove stuck and hot pixels, I could work again on CoolCom.

Here are some coolpix remote applications for PalmOS, you may try them if you have :

a Palm with RS232 serial (tested with a Palm IIIxe)
a null modem cable for the Palm or a serial Hot Sync one with a dongle that cross TX and RX. Beware that Handspring RS232 cable has some electronic in the cable (TTL to RS232 converters) and it requires an externel power supply to work (When used with a PC, it gets power from DTR and RTS), but Palm such as PalmIIIxe have right input/output levels (RS-232C).
a serial SC-EW3 cable for Coolpix (sold for CP880/990, works with CP995 and other model) or look at http://delphys.net/d.holmes/photos/coolpix_e990/e990_usb_cable.html how to make a dual USB and serial cable from the Nikon Coolpix E990 USB cable
a Coolpix, of course :-)

Plug the null modem cable to the palm and the SC-EW3 to the Coolpix, then connect the two cable to each other by serial connectors. Launch CoolRemote, switch the coolpix ON in A-Rec or M-Rec mode, wait 5-10s and clic connect. If you see "can't connect" try to clic connect one more time.

Download CoolRemote version 0.27
New in test version 2 ! Now you can use hard button 1 of the palm to simulate half press on shutter release, hard button 2 to take the shot and page up&down to zoom IN&OUT !
New in test version 3 ! Camera model ID (SX581 on the picture) and name are displayed after connection. If name is Unknown send me the model ID and your coolpix name.
New in version 0.14 ! Picture left are displayed (updating is buggy). Smaller zoom steps.
New in version 0.20 ! Bulb mode. Coolpix power down are caught now and CoolRemote disconnect properly. Shutter press/release is handled properly now... I hope :-)
New in version 0.21 ! Bulb mode > 30s. The palm disconnect from Coolpix when leaving coolremote.
New in version 0.22 ! First connection after coolpix power up should not timeout anymore (you must leave enought time to the coolpix to initialise before first attempt). Picture count updated when pictures are recorded. Coolpix replay mode (only a new icon is shown now).
New in version 0.23 ! Mode (A-Rec, M-Rec, Play) is updated when switch is operated on the Coolpix. In Play mode, right and left arrows lets change current displayed picture. A timer is displayed in bulb mode. Bulb delay is right if focus is locked (press hard button 1 on palm) before taking the shot
New in version 0.24 ! Picture left counter can display up to 9999 instead of 99.
New in version 0.25 ! CoolRemote should not crash anymore on some PalmVx (but next&previous arrows are scrambled, I'm investigate this...). 4bits & small icon for CoolRemote.
New in version 0.26 ! Compatibility with PalmOS 3.3 and up, don't know for palmOS version <3.3. Next & previous picture buttons have been added in play mode, page up & page down hard button do the same in this mode. Zoom in & out buttons in Rec mode.
New in version 0.27 ! Preliminary interval shot support (don't handle well short periods), CoolRemote connect automatically and autofocus 5s before each shots.

Beware that it's beta software and may freeze your palm and/or coolpix (but soft reset the palm or pull the battery off the coolpix should restore them to working state without any data loss).

Todo list :

Change zoom in/out speed.
Store camera preset : zoom, speed, aperture, white balance,... (using Sierra Imaging protocol)
Anybody know if focus could be remote controlled ? How to know if focus is right ?
Any idea.. ?

Success report for CoolRemote :

Coolpix 880 + Palm IIIxe.
Coolpix 995 + Palm IIIxe.
Coolpix 5000 + Palm M105.
Coolpix 5700 + Palm Vx.
Coolpix 995 + Handera330.
Coolpix 4500
Coolpix 5700 + Palm M515.

Not working :

Coolpix 775 : don't have serial interface (?).

Trying CoolRemote on the Palm emulator (POSE) !

A easy way to try CoolRemote is to use the Palm emulator or POSE for Windows (or Mac, Unix,...). You need PalmOS roms, you can dump them from your Palm. You also need the Coolpix serial cable (SC-EW3 for newer Coolpix like 880, 990, 995, 5000, 5700, 4500,...).

Information about MC-EU1 protocol

Here is a link to a document I made about the MC-EU1 protocol, you are welcome to correct mistake and provide more informations to vladimir.vyskocil@wanadoo.fr

28/09/2002 : updated MC-EU1 protocol with reading picture left on coolpix.
30/09/2002 : updated shutter button press and release section and powerdown catching.
01/09/2002 : updated 0xFF "attention" packet description. Show next/previous picture packet added. Some mistake has been corrected.
03/09/2002 : updated 0xFF "attention" packet description.

In fact Coolpix understand two protocols, one is the MC-EU1 remote protocol which work only on Coolpix and CoolRemote use this protocol. The Sierra Imaging protocol, common to many digital camera is the other protocol (CoolCom use this protocol).
These two protocols are intented for different usage :

MC-EU1 is good for "interactive" use of the Coolpix and remote : you can adjust parameters using coolpix button and menu, take shoots with or without the remote, simulate half press on the shutter button,...
Sierra Imaging is good to fully automize shots, you can adjust many parameters by program, take shots (I don't know how to simulate half press on shutter...) but buttons on coolpix are not working, you must send command for everything (switch LCD on/off, display picture,...).

I want to mix these two protocols in CoolRemote (in fact Sierra protocol is already there, borrowed from CoolCom) but at first I must fully implement and understand MC-EU1 protocol as this is very new and I think I'm the first to publish information about it.

Download CoolCom 0.1beta (Standard protocol) (Discontinnued, no more developpement, use CoolRemote instead)

Links to other informations and softwares :

CamCom software for palm (home site is down ?). Author of CamCom sent me some C source of his program which I've extended to make CoolCom, many thanks to him !

Eugene Crosser site for information about Sierra Imaging protocol and photopc software.

PalmShot software for palm using Sierra protocol.

cPix software for windows and PocketPC.

Snappixx, remote control for Nikon Coolpix cameras for windows and PocketPC.

The Force software for windows.

PhotoPC with USB support for Windows and Unix, many informations there.

Digisnap remote control from Harbortronics

Per Madsens camera control software for windows.

make a dual USB cable