What is the correct path to add a camera driver?

Question

I have a long time difficulty getting Mathematica desktop ImageCapture[] to work with frame grabber devices. I am using a Pinnacle 510 and 710. The function is able to identify the device, but drops an error when selected from the drop down menu.

FindDevices is detecting my USB Web cam and the Framegrabber is the Pinnacle 510-USB. This devices make possible to connect a S video camera to a computer using a Frame Grabber.

But when I select the Pinnacle device, I get an error.

I look the Device properties

In[1]:= DeviceOpen["Pinnacle 510-USB"]


Out[1]= $Failed

I expanded the trace error an read the following:

During evaluation of In1:= DeviceOpen::noclass: A driver for Pinnacle 510-USB was not found on your local computer or currently available paclet sites. If you can locate the driver, add the driver directory to $Path or load the driver directly with Get. If you cannot locate the driver, contact the device manufacturer or create a driver using the Wolfram Device Framework. See http://devices.wolfram.com for more information.

I am not sure how to properly do this step.

From Windows Computer Manager found a driver with device name.

I entered the GET command with the field but no luck

<< C:\Windows\system32\PCLECoInst64.dll

DeviceOpen["Pinnacle 510-USB"]

Still returning the same error. Anyone has an idea what I am entering wrong?

Answer 1

After 2 years of research and posting this question in other sites, the answer is that although Mathematica (Windows) detects the Camera device, only imaging devices using the Windows video image capability are loaded to the ImageCapture command. In other words, only left to small WebCam devices linked to computer via USB.

Gig3 or any other video via a link driver as the one available in frame grabbers are WILL NOT deliver an image from the ImageCapture[] function. This issue responds to the fact that the process of the image delivery relies on a proprietary driver developed by the device manufacturer. They will purposely limit access from any external program other that the software deliver with the device itself.

The only work around this rest on using a device that offers an SDK developer kit application. But this options will not be available from any known cheap webcam vendor manufacturers in their effort to prevent you from hacking the device market.

With an SDK available, it will be possible to create your own programming application to manipulate the images using the Mathematica Link tools available for C, Java, Python.