Help Determining Make of Webcam

I've got this webcam and it was given to me, I don't know what the make or model is so I can't get drivers or anything. It is a regular, small, round, black webcam. It doesn't have any name or model number on it. If anyone can help, it'd be greatly appreciated.

 

anyway you could take a pic of it with different camera nad upload it here?

there was one that creative made a LONG time ago that sounds similiar to what you described. it was like a black golf ball (without dimples) sitting on a base.

 

No, I don't have any other webcams. That's all it is, is a little black ball, it had a base but I don't have it.

On the wire it says...

AWM E89980 SUNF PU STYLE 2725 80ºC 30V VW-1

It has 3 different ways to hook it into the computer all in one wire. there is a printer port adapter, small serial adapter like a newer mouse and keyboard uses, and one of those real old half inch round keyboard adapters. That's all the info I can provide. Thanks in advance for any help anyone may be able to provide.

 

That is the markings on the cable, not the camera itself. Most webcams will not have a PS/2 adapter. Now if it was for a older Mac system, then it would have a ADP plug which looks like a PS/2 for the serial interface.

 

That doesn't tell me much, I was just giving you all the info I had.

 

Take a photo of the cable end (pins), and the camera. Also, what does the marking (graphic) on the cable end look like? The Connectix Quickcam for the older Mac's was a Serial end (looks like a PS/2 connector), and only shot B&W.

 

Does it look anything like the photos: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=connectix%20quickcam

Also, this info may help:

1.1. Technical differences between Mac and PC versions

The Mac version connects to a RS422 serial port and includes a built-in
microphone. (With video conferencing, it looks pretty silly when you
approach your camera and yell into it...)

The PC version connects to a Centronics parallel (printer) port and needs
an additional link at the keyboard connector for 5V power supply. There
is no built-in microphone.

The PC version allows bi-directional data transfers on parallel ports.
This feature is not supported by some older PC computers. (The parallel
port was originally designed to send data bytes to the printer and receive
only a few status bits like "printer online" or "out of paper".
Bidirectional ports allow to receive data bytes, too.) This makes the
image transfer about 2.5x faster compared to uni-directional transfers.

In an earlier version of this text, I assumed that the Mac and the PC
versions are basically the same hardware except for a serial to parallel
converter in the PC version's connector plug.

Here's what William Lewis (wiml@omnigroup.com) had to say about that:

"Actually, in the PC version, the only thing in the eyeball itself is the
CCD and some power-supply stuff and signal conditioning stuff.
Everything else, including the A/D converter, is in the connector shell,
which contains a 20-MHz PIC 16C64. The PC camera seems to be a completely
new design, not just a Mac camera with a parallel interface; for example,
the circuit board in the eyeball says "WCAM100" on it and doesn't appear
to have any blank spots where a microphone would have been connected for a
Mac version.

One consequence of this is the cable between the eyeball and the shell is
actually carrying the pixel values as analog voltages. I gather from some
postings to this list that it's not too hard to induce noise on this line,
which shows up as sparkles in the image. This gets worse if you hack up
the camera to extend the cable length."

The color version of the camera appears to send digital signals between
the eyeball and the shell. The analog-digital conversion and optional
compression are taking place in the eyeball.

 

I am going to say, it is the PC version, due to your description, it has a Parallel & PS/2 keyboard connections.

 

http://munin.irf.se/bilder/quickcam.gif

Looks like that, only black.

 

http://www.webcam.crevier.org/img/quickcamvc.gif

This looks closer

 

Most likely the Connextix Quickcam then. No drivers available, but look at it this way, good addition to your computer museum.

 

There is this driver, but for Win95/98/nt http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/downloads/software/US/EN,CRID=1795,contentid=5959

 

creative's early webcam looked just like that as well, just a different style base.

 

Correct.

So there isn't anything I can do without downgrading my windows to comply with the drivers? And, are we sure that it's a logitech quickcam, they do look pretty much exactly alike, but there's still a chance of it being a different make or model that would be somewhat compatible with Windows XP. I've got an adapter that makes the PS/2 into a small parallel, like the ones near the bigger printer parallel. So I'm Pretty sure I can get it hooked up correctly, all I need is a driver, or some other sort of software to start capturing, or at least getting still shots. I don't much care about the B&W, as long as it works.

 

The older Keyboard connector would need a Din to PS/2 adapter, and then there is that chance that it may not work. I would forget about it, and just get a decent USB camera, since most older cameras where not that great quality to begin with.

There are some Linux drivers out there for the older cameras, but you would have to find out if they would work or not. Once again, I myself feels that it would not be worth the hassle, and just go and get a decent camera.