[sdiy] CCD cameras for control

[Barry L Klein]

Check out the CCD Cookbook in astronomy circles.  It describes how to use
a TI part to make a simple imager with variable sample time.  Has imaging
software too.  Describes the circuit in detail.  Lots of stuff on CCD's in
additional astronomy-targeted books.  I built one up but sold it.  Check
on a sales site called astromart - it has a daily newsletter of things for
sale and often people sell theirs there - as well as the books.

Barry

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From: 	Rob[SMTP:cyborgzero at home.com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, February 07, 2001 6:01 PM
To: 	Synth-DIY list
Subject: 	[sdiy] CCD cameras for control 

     Just wondering if anyone knows exactly how a CCD works.. I have
access to a few of them, and was wondering how feasible it would be to
*tune* one to work in the IR range, use a transmitter that reflects the IR
from a hand or some other object into the CCD.   I *think* a CCD is
strobed on its elements with a known voltage then sampled by looking at
the residual charge left on the individual pixels then recombined using
some micro to make a sort of picture. In this case the picture would be my
hand in the way reflecting the IR and I would look for intensity and
off-center direction and set *zones* that would trigger different midi
responses, controllers, or midi notes.   I have not been able to find any
app notes on raw ccds.. Most of them are setup in an assembly with the
strobe and mux attached, along with some primitive optics.   Rob