How do I connect my (Sony or Canon) PTZ camera to a standard serial port (instead of, e.g., the AUX port on my Pioneer)?
ActivMedia robots that are equipped with a PTZ camera often have the camera connected to the AUX port on the P2OS board in the robot. Player does not support control of the camera through this connection, for reasons explained here. Instead, Player requires a standard, direct, serial line to the camera. Documentation about the Sony PTZ units is available here. In particular, page 15 of this manual has a wiring diagram. Here are some detailed wiring instructions, courtesy of Jason L. Bryant at the Navy Center for Applied research in Artificial Intelligence: Instructions for rewiring a pioneer robot so that the PTZ camera device can be connected to a serial port (ttyS1) the on-board computer rather than to the robot’s microcontroller. Purchase a VISCA – DB9 conversion cable (item # 0002V448 on-line), as well as a length of 20 ribbon connection cable (our cable is about 18 inches long). You will also need a 20 pin header connector Attach the 20 pin header to one end of the ribbon taking n
