Can you ID this socket on my digicam?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Meep
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Meep

Can someone help me ID this socket on my camera.

In the base of my Casio digital camera is a socket which I can connect to
my PC's USB port (or using another lead I can connect to my television's
video and audio phono sockets).

You can see the socket here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z60/z60_bottom.jpg

The camera spec unhelpfully calls it a "USB/AV connector".

What sort of socket is this on my camera?
Is it a mini USB or perhaps an HDMI socket?
 
Meep said:
Can someone help me ID this socket on my camera.

In the base of my Casio digital camera is a socket which I can connect to
my PC's USB port (or using another lead I can connect to my television's
video and audio phono sockets).

You can see the socket here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z60/z60_bottom.jpg

The camera spec unhelpfully calls it a "USB/AV connector".
Click to expand...

Actually, that's very helpful. It is a Casio USB/AV connector, JUST LIKE IT
SAYS IT IS. In other words, proprietary, something that Casio created and
nobody else uses. -Dave
 
Dave said:
Actually, that's very helpful. It is a Casio USB/AV connector, JUST LIKE IT
SAYS IT IS. In other words, proprietary, something that Casio created and
nobody else uses. -Dave
Click to expand...

So, it uses one port to output both digital USB and analog RCA signals?
That's not only proprietary, it's also magic ;)
 
Meep <[email protected]> said:
Can someone help me ID this socket on my camera.

In the base of my Casio digital camera is a socket which I can connect to
my PC's USB port (or using another lead I can connect to my television's
video and audio phono sockets).

You can see the socket here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z60/z60_bottom.jpg

The camera spec unhelpfully calls it a "USB/AV connector".

What sort of socket is this on my camera?
Is it a mini USB
No.

or perhaps an HDMI socket?
Click to expand...

Definitely not.
 
Rex B said:
So, it uses one port to output both digital USB and analog RCA signals?
That's not only proprietary, it's also magic ;)
Click to expand...

Not magic at all; just simple engineering. One way of implementing it
would be for the electronics within the camera to detect the presence of
d.c. between the two USB supply pins, if there is no d.c. then it uses
the other two pins for analogue video and audio with one of the supply
lines as return, if there is d.c.then it uses the other two pins as
normal USB data. Quite simple; the technology is not even sufficiently
advanced to be indistinguishable from magic.
 
Actually, that's very helpful. It is a Casio USB/AV connector, JUST LIKE
So, it uses one port to output both digital USB and analog RCA signals?
That's not only proprietary, it's also magic ;)
Click to expand...

Not magic at all. It's quite common, in fact. When manufacturers try to
make things smaller, one trick they use is to combine multiple functions in
one connector. The fewer pins needed for each function, the easier it is to
combine functions in one connector. Each USB needs a maximum of 4 pins. In
the connector pictured, that leaves a lot of pins available for other
things, like multiple analog video and/or or audio signals, which need a
maximum of 2 pins each. -Dave
 
Prometheus said:
Not magic at all; just simple engineering. One way of implementing it
would be for the electronics within the camera to detect the presence of
d.c. between the two USB supply pins, if there is no d.c. then it uses
the other two pins for analogue video and audio with one of the supply
lines as return, if there is d.c.then it uses the other two pins as
normal USB data. Quite simple; the technology is not even sufficiently
advanced to be indistinguishable from magic.
Click to expand...

Hi...

The newest Oly's do the same "magic" :)

For the op, what he'll have to do is try to acquire a cable
from Casio if he wants to use it.

Ken
 
Dave said:
Not magic at all. It's quite common, in fact. When manufacturers try to
make things smaller, one trick they use is to combine multiple functions in
one connector. The fewer pins needed for each function, the easier it is to
combine functions in one connector. Each USB needs a maximum of 4 pins. In
the connector pictured, that leaves a lot of pins available for other
things, like multiple analog video and/or or audio signals, which need a
maximum of 2 pins each. -Dave
Click to expand...

Hi...

It looks to my old eyes like my oly sp-350 (which does the same
magic) has 6 pins.

Take care.

Ken
 
Not magic at all. It's quite common, in fact. When manufacturers try to
make things smaller, one trick they use is to combine multiple functions in
one connector. The fewer pins needed for each function, the easier it is to
combine functions in one connector. Each USB needs a maximum of 4 pins. In
the connector pictured, that leaves a lot of pins available for other
things, like multiple analog video and/or or audio signals, which need a
maximum of 2 pins each. -Dave
Click to expand...

Another example is Sony's use of what appears to be a standard
stereo mini-jack for analog line input on their MiniDisc recorders.
But if you plug in an optical cable instead, you can make "smart"
digital copies from CDs that preserves individual track info. so
that the copy isn't a single, long track.
 
It is alleged that Meep claimed:
Can someone help me ID this socket on my camera.

In the base of my Casio digital camera is a socket which I can connect to
my PC's USB port (or using another lead I can connect to my television's
video and audio phono sockets).

You can see the socket here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z60/z60_bottom.jpg

The camera spec unhelpfully calls it a "USB/AV connector".

What sort of socket is this on my camera?
Is it a mini USB or perhaps an HDMI socket?
Click to expand...

My Casio EX-Z500 looks the same, only a different color.

It's the camera's docking port. You should have a cradle in the same
box the camera came out of. The cradle has a matching plug. The
cradle is the USB connector, A/V connector, and charger.

My cradle also has two buttons on the front. One labeled "Photo" for
pict-bridge type transfers (which I don't use) and one labeled "USB"
which turns the camera into a mass storage device giving drive letter
access to the memory card.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

"By G'Quon, I can't recall the last time I was in a fight like that! No
moral ambiguity, no hopeless battle against ancient and overwhelming
forces. They were the bad guys, as you say, and we were the good guys!
And they made a very satisfying thump when they hit the floor!" (G'Kar,
B5 "A Late Delivery From Avalon")
 
Rex B said:
So, it uses one port to output both digital USB and analog RCA
signals? That's not only proprietary, it's also magic ;)
Click to expand...

I would guess that this "magic" could be easily enough implemented if

(a) the AV lead connected with two (four for audio) particular pins
(b) the USB lead connected with two quite different pins.
 
Me <[email protected]> said:
I would guess that this "magic" could be easily enough implemented if

(a) the AV lead connected with two (four for audio) particular pins
(b) the USB lead connected with two quite different pins.
Click to expand...

Another way, which avoids the cost of more than four pins is for the
electronics within the camera to detect the presence of DSc. between the
two USB supply pins, if there is no DSc. then it uses the other two
pins for analogue video and audio with one of the supply lines as
return, if there is d.c.then it uses the other two pins as normal USB
data. This can be implemented with the USB convention of only four pins.
Quite simple; the technology is not even sufficiently advanced to be
indistinguishable from magic.
 
Hi...

It looks to my old eyes like my oly sp-350 (which does the same
magic) has 6 pins.

Take care.

Ken
Click to expand...

This isn't OTto the thread but since you own an sp-350 I'll ask.

I just bought one a few day ago and have been putting it thru its
paces after I upgraded to the 1.3 firmware to fix the NImh battery
problem. I still aren't getting the battery life I hoped for before I
I see a low battery warning. But last night when I was going thru the
manual and the menu system--a high current draw since I was viewing
the LCD almost continously--I must have gottten a hour to an hour and
half out of the batteries despite the camera's low battery warning.
Moreover, every time I turned the camera off and on it would come with
a green battery icon before switching to red maybe five minutes
later.

Is this normal behavior? Despite the firmware upgrade, does the camera
still misread Nimh battery life?

jpc
 
It is alleged that Meep claimed:

Jeffrey Kaplan said:
My Casio EX-Z500 looks the same, only a different color.

It's the camera's docking port. You should have a cradle in the
same box the camera came out of. The cradle has a matching plug.
The cradle is the USB connector, A/V connector, and charger.


-- snip --
Click to expand...


I am the OP.

My EX-Z60 is a model for the European market and (sad but true) does
not actually come with the docking station as standard in the box.

However even that would not really help because I would like to be in a
position where I could just buy a suitable lead from the PC store if I
am away from home and forget my Casio lead. Then I could transfer/view
pictures from the camera.

It seems that in order to do this I would have to order the correct
lead from Casio.

I guess a poor alternative is to physically remove the SD memory card
and place it in a PC-attached card reader. But that still does not
allow me to replay stills and movies from the camera onto the TV.

GRRRR!

There *must* (mustn't there) be a plug which goes into that socket
without damaging it?
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z60/z60_bottom.jpg
 
jpc said:
This isn't OTto the thread but since you own an sp-350 I'll ask.

I just bought one a few day ago and have been putting it thru its
paces after I upgraded to the 1.3 firmware to fix the NImh battery
problem. I still aren't getting the battery life I hoped for before I
I see a low battery warning. But last night when I was going thru the
manual and the menu system--a high current draw since I was viewing
the LCD almost continously--I must have gottten a hour to an hour and
half out of the batteries despite the camera's low battery warning.
Moreover, every time I turned the camera off and on it would come with
a green battery icon before switching to red maybe five minutes
later.

Is this normal behavior? Despite the firmware upgrade, does the camera
still misread Nimh battery life?

jpc
Click to expand...

Hi jpc...

I don't know if it's normal or not, but mine acts exactly the
same way...

It seems it really really costs to charge the flash (even though
you don't want/need it, so if you're sure you won't need it, manually
turn it off before your first pic, that way it won't try to recharge
itself between pictures. Or set up one of your mymodes to disabled.

And it's costly to open the lens, so if you're just looking at
pics, turn the selector to view before turning the camera on.

Take care.

Ken
 
Hi jpc...

I don't know if it's normal or not, but mine acts exactly the
same way...

It seems it really really costs to charge the flash (even though
you don't want/need it, so if you're sure you won't need it, manually
turn it off before your first pic, that way it won't try to recharge
itself between pictures. Or set up one of your mymodes to disabled.

And it's costly to open the lens, so if you're just looking at
pics, turn the selector to view before turning the camera on.

Take care.

Ken
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Now that I know I can ignore the low battery
icon, I'm guessing I'll get as much out of four battery with the
sp350 as I got with my 3020. I'll just have to changfe the batteries
twice as often, which make sense since both cameras must draw roughly
the same amount of power.

From what I've sen so far, the sp350 certainly isn't a low light
camera but as a full featured minature camera you can stick in your
pocket and carry around with you at all times, it's llooking good. I
haven't done any serious photography with it yet, but I already have
one shot of a skate boarder I'd brag about in my camera club.

jpc
 
It is alleged that Meep claimed:
My EX-Z60 is a model for the European market and (sad but true) does
not actually come with the docking station as standard in the box.
Click to expand...

Bummer. I had verified with the salescritter before buying mine that
it came with the appropriate connectors.
However even that would not really help because I would like to be in a
position where I could just buy a suitable lead from the PC store if I
am away from home and forget my Casio lead. Then I could transfer/view
pictures from the camera.
Click to expand...

Sorry to say, but if that is a priority for you, then you should have
checked into that +before+ buying the camera. Considering the form
factor, and not having actually looked into it, my +guess+ is that no
sub/ultra compact camera will do that.
It seems that in order to do this I would have to order the correct
lead from Casio.
Click to expand...

Yep.

If you don't have a cradle, and from context it sounds like you don't
have the correct cable either, how are you managing now?
There *must* (mustn't there) be a plug which goes into that socket
without damaging it?
Click to expand...

Sure there is. Check casio.com.

--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol

Guidelines for Legion of Doom Troops: 6. Get plenty of firearms
practice, and shoot at the Hero, not at the ground around him; kicking
up lots of dirt looks cool, but it won't stop the Hero.
 
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