APT Problems

[Geuse]

Hi All,

I have downloaded APT and i am pretty certain i have the version for the Digic II Processor but whenever i go to do anything it says there is a communication problem with the camera and disconnects. Can anyone shed some light on what i am doing wrong or if there is an alternate program that i could use?

Thanks.

[Leveye]

There are a few things that  can go wrong. Whats your set up exactly? OS used? Cables? Connections? I have fixed all my problems and might be able to help.

[Geuse]

There are a few things that  can go wrong. Whats your set up exactly? OS used? Cables? Connections? I have fixed all my problems and might be able to help.

Hi Leveye,

I am using a Windows8 Laptop, 350d, Usb to Micro USB. What other info do you need?

[JamesF]

I have found sometimes that after turning the camera on WIndows takes a while to load the drivers, by which time the camera has turned itself off again and APT then can't find the camera when it starts.  Turning the camera off and on again usually sorts that out.

James

[Geuse]

I have found sometimes that after turning the camera on WIndows takes a while to load the drivers, by which time the camera has turned itself off again and APT then can't find the camera when it starts.  Turning the camera off and on again usually sorts that out.

James

Hi James, tried that - the laptop is picking it up and APT is connecting to it but only momentarily before it seems to drop out.

[Dave_D]

check the cable between the camera and laptop carefully, i found last night that my cable (the thin one that came with my 1100d) had a small nick in the outer sheath and when i ran APT, the camera would connect, show the shutter count and then disconnect with a comms error. i replaced the cable with a thicker, more sturdy one and didn't have any disconnects.

[Leveye]

Hi Leveye,

I am using a Windows8 Laptop, 350d, Usb to Micro USB. What other info do you need?

How long are your cable runs and is it a usb 2.0 connection or a 3.0?

[Cornelius Varley]

I seem to remember reading that the 350d isn't supported in windows 8. Does the camera work when using EOS Capture software ?

[Geuse]

How long are your cable runs and is it a usb 2.0 connection or a 3.0?

I am going to be honest here and say i havent the foggiest, how do i find that out ?

[Leveye]

I am going to be honest here and say i havent the foggiest, how do i find that out ?

Read the specs on the laptop. You want to only be using usb 2.0 connections with power saving on the laptop turned off and any cables longer than 15 ft need a repeater cable used. Windows 8 is alright to use but 7 is more stable an OS for right now.

[Geuse]

Read the specs on the laptop. You want to only be using usb 2.0 connections with power saving on the laptop turned off and any cables longer than 15 ft need a repeater cable used. Windows 8 is alright to use but 7 is more stable an OS for right now.

Ok it was plugged into a USB 3.0 port so i plugged it into 2.0 port, it reinstalled the drivers and i opened apt but same thing it just disconnected again. The cable is maybe 5 ft at best.

[Leveye]

You're saying it for sure connects when you click on the icon and it does and then soon after it disconnects?

[Geuse]

You're saying it for sure connects when you click on the icon and it does and then soon after it disconnects?

Leveye it appears to, it certainly says it is connected to the camera then after about 10 secs it just disconnects. Also, in the camera settings if i change the communication to PC Connection it says it cannot detect a camera at all when i change it to the Print/PTP that is when it picks it up.

[Leveye]

If it's the same length of time every time that it does this i would count out a bad cable. You really need to try that camera on another laptop running windows 7. If thats not possible ask Ivo the programmer on the yahoo group. He is very quick to answer all questions and issues of this nature.

[Yoddha]

Hi Geuse,

Lets start with this. Is your win8 32bits or 64bits? If it is 64bits the things will be hard because there is no 64bits driver for this camera. The only workaround is to install virtual machine with 32bits OS. If your Win8 is 32bits then there is more hope The camera should be in "PC Connection" mode (not in Print/PTP).

[GuillermoBarrancos]

I am going to be honest here and say i havent the foggiest, how do i find that out ?

Ignore all that. He doesn´t know what he is talking about. It doesn´t matter, as even if you have a new Laptop with only USB 3.0 ports (like I have), it´s backwards compatible all the way down to USB 1.1. I Connect my 400D without any problems. Nor any other USB 2.0 Device.

You can even connect an USB 3.0 compatible harddrive (for example) in a USB 2.0 port and it just downgrades the connection to USB 2.0 speeds.

It´s most likely either compatibility/support issues regarding the 350D (what Peter said) or you got a dodgy cable / camera connection.

PS. And what is said above. You can check this by connecting the camera and see if it shows up in Explorer and you are able to browse on the camera folders.

[Astrosurf]

Ignore all that. He doesn´t know what he is talking about. 

That's a bit harsh!

[Spikey]

Ignore all that. He doesn´t know what he is talking about.

Come on Guillermo there's no need for that sort of comment - Leveye was only trying to help diagnose the problem for Geuse and it was well worth mentioning that cable lengths can & do cause USB comms issues !

So therefore he does know what he's talking about !

[Geuse]

Hi Geuse,

Lets start with this. Is your win8 32bits or 64bits? If it is 64bits the things will be hard because there is no 64bits driver for this camera. The only workaround is to install virtual machine with 32bits OS. If your Win8 is 32bits then there is more hope The camera should be in "PC Connection" mode (not in Print/PTP).

Hi,

You are probably not too surprised to find out that i have 64bit Win 8.1. As for PC Connection - when i do that it doesnt detect the camera at all. 

virtual 32bit machine - is this easy to find/dowload/run?

Thanks ! 

[Yoddha]

Hi Geuse,

I don't have personal experience with virtual machines, because two additional laptops left after my upgrades and keep one 32bits Win7 as observing/imaging machine... Here are some links that can be used as initial research:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/hyper-v-run-virtual-machines

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh846766.aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/11/05/step-by-step-enabling-hyper-v-for-use-on-windows-8-1.aspx

If you have XP or Win7 license, it will better to use them in the virtual machine, because the astro support is better Also check your BIOS if it is possible to configure the USB 3.0 to 2.0. I have found that some devices work better when the port is acting as 2.0

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Come on Guillermo there's no need for that sort of comment - Leveye was only trying to help diagnose the problem for Geuse and it was well worth mentioning that cable lengths can & do cause USB comms issues !

So therefore he does know what he's talking about !

I know it sounded a bit harsh (sorry about that), but if you check in Leveye´s post history I think you might understand why I start to sound a bit harsh towards him. As sometimes I getting a feeling he is either trolling or simply unaware what he is actually posting.

As in this case he wasn´t helping and creates confusion and problems for the OP that ain´t there.

My response was not to the cable lengths, but him commenting on USB port compatibilties issues that don´t exist. As USB ports are fully backwards compatible and always have been.

So sorry....I didn´t try to be mean or anything on purpose.

[Thalestris24]

Hi Geuse

As Yoddha pointed out, it appears the 350d uses a digic 2 processor and does indeed require a 32-bit virtual machine to run on a 64-bit system: http://www.ideiki.com/astro/EOS.aspx

Cheers

Louise

[Russe]

Hi All,

I have downloaded APT and i am pretty certain i have the version for the Digic II Processor but whenever i go to do anything it says there is a communication problem with the camera and disconnects. Can anyone shed some light on what i am doing wrong or if there is an alternate program that i could use?

Thanks.

I get that quite often. My fix works pretty good. I connect my cam, then go to "my computer", right click on my camera and "explore". I minimise that window and then start APT. No more connection issue. Hope that helps.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Hi Geuse

As Yoddha pointed out, it appears the 350d uses a digic 2 processor and does indeed require a 32-bit virtual machine to run on a 64-bit system: http://www.ideiki.com/astro/EOS.aspx

Cheers

Louise

This must be specific for the 350D then, as my 400D also has the DIGIC II processor, but works fine under Windows 8 64bit. Just that I need to order a seperate cable to do Remote Bulb exposures.

It is still strange tho, that he managed to connect to the camera for 10 Seconds. This shouldn´t be possible at all if the camera is not supported on 64bit OS. As the camera would not be detected and thus APT shouldn´t be able to Connect to the camera at all (as it basically doesn´t exist in the Device list).

So I have a feeling the problem may lie elsewhere, like a dodgy cable or worn out connector port on the camera.

PS. Come to think of it. Did the OP install the correct version of APT? Digic2_and_CCD installer, instead of the Digic3_4_5_and_CCD installer?

As when you unpack the APT download zip file, you will have 2 different installers like I mentioned.

[Thalestris24]

This must be specific for the 350D then, as my 400D also has the DIGIC II processor, but works fine under Windows 8 64bit. Just that I need to order a seperate cable to do Remote Bulb exposures.

It is still strange tho, that he managed to connect to the camera for 10 Seconds. This shouldn´t be possible at all if the camera is not supported on 64bit OS. As the camera would not be detected and thus APT shouldn´t be able to Connect to the camera at all (as it basically doesn´t exist in the Device list).

So I have a feeling the problem may lie elsewhere, like a dodgy cable or worn out connector port on the camera.

PS. Come to think of it. Did the OP install the correct version of APT? Digic2_and_CCD installer, instead of the Digic3_4_5_and_CCD installer?

As when you unpack the APT download zip file, you will have 2 different installers like I mentioned.

Hmm... the plot thickens! I do remember when I first installed my 1100d I had problems. I think it was one of those issues where you need the canon driver/utility installed and working before Windows tries to install a driver. Anyway, I think I solved it by simply re-installing the canon eos utility. Also, ignoring APT for the moment, the canon eos utility should work (I'm assuming one is available for the 350d?). If it does then all well and good and that would eliminate usb/connection problems as a source of difficulty.

Hth

Louise