Triplett Cobracam USB User Manual

TRIPLETT

CobraCam

USB

Inspection Camera

with USB Interface

Instruction Manual

84-883

10/09

CobraCam USB Features

• Low Cost Digital Inspection Camera Solution for use with PC or Laptop

• Handheld 25" flexible 'snake' can be bent to numerous shapes

• SnapShot and Live Video function

• Snapshots and Video can be saved to memory on the PC or Laptop

• Full color image (settable to Black and White)

• Camera is only 9/16" diameter, inserts in small places

• Camera has 2 adjustable white LEDs for illumination

• Camera is waterproof

• Camera focuses at approx 2 1/2" (usable to infinity)

• No batteries needed (powered by USB connection)

• 6ft cable from Camera to computer

• Hard-Sided Carrying Case included

• Magnetic Pickup accessory included

• Works with Windows XP, ME, 2000, and Vista

• One Year Warranty

Provided software allows capture of still images (bitmap or JPEG) or video (AVI). Image
can be rotated and/or mirrored, and properties are adjustable (brightness, contrast, hue,
gamma, etc.) Various special effects included (Solarize, Mosaic, Invert, Edge, Distort, etc.)

Uses for the CobraCam USB

• See plumbing and electrical installations in inaccessible places (wall, ceiling, etc.)

• See behind or beneath objects that are difficult to move

(bookcase, desk, refrigerator, etc)

• See inside furnace ductwork or in and around the heat exchanger or ‘A’ coil

• See inside pipes

• See hidden nameplates

• See how cables are connected to the back of equipment

• See hidden leaks

• See Insect or Rodent infestations

• See lost jewelry

• See the part you dropped

• See hidden sensors on car engine

• See under car seats

• See around corners or through small holes

• Retrieve small magnetic objects (nuts, bolts, washers, screws, etc.)

• Many other uses too numerous to mention . . . in industry, around the house,
during surveillance, or just as a fun toy.

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Introduction

The Triplett CobraCam USB Inspection Camera is a hi-tech tool that uses the latest tech­nology to see images of difficult to view locations. Its water resistant flexible shaft and
miniature camera fit into awkward spaces, tight locations or through small holes. Bright
LED headlights in the camera illuminate dark areas, allowing the camera to ‘see’ in total
darkness. An included magnetic probe allows the user to retrieve small metal (magnetic)
objects.

The USB interface provides a low cost solution for users who already have a computer with
a USB connection. The provided software allows the CobraCam USB to display its images
on computers running Windows XP, ME, 2000, or Vista.

The CobraCam USB requires no additional power source, and the software allows the user
to conveniently save photos or video of anything the CobraCam USB sees. Adjustable
software controls allow the images to be enhanced or modified in various ways.

Product Specifications

Size: Flexible Snake: 3/8" dia x 23" long

Camera: 9/16" dia x 2 1/4" long
USB Cable: 6ft

Camera: 640 x 480 (300K) pixels

1/6th VGA CMOS imager
Focal distance 2 1/2". Usable to infinity
54 degree viewing angle
F 2.8 lens
Auto exposure
Waterproof to 1ft

Snake: Polyethylene covered steel flex. Minimum radius bend, 1 1/2"

Illumination: 2 adjustable brightness white LEDs in camera head

Interface: USB, 1.1 or higher

Operating System: Windows XP, ME, 2000, or Vista

Provided Software: AMCAP Telescope Driver on CD

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Installing the Software

The details of software installation vary depending on the PC and Operating System used.
These instructions are for a generic installation on a computer running Windows XP.

Install the software before connecting the CobraCam USB to the computer.

Insert CobraCam USB CD into the computer. The computer may automatically start the
Installshield Wizard, it may open a dialog box showing the location of the ‘Telescope Driver’
software, or it may do nothing. If the Wizard starts, follow the instructions to install the
software. If a dialog box opens showing the Telescope Driver file, left click (or double click)
on ‘Telescope Driver’ to start the Installshield Wizard and follow its instructions. If nothing
happens when the CD is inserted, use ‘My Computer’ or ‘Windows Explorer’ to find the file
named ‘Telescope Driver’ on the CD. When Telescope Driver is found, left click (or double
click) on ‘Telescope Driver’ to start the Installshield Wizard. Follow the Wizard’s instruc­tions to complete the first part of the software installation. A dialog box may appear with a
message about software compatibility (Windows Logo testing). If this message appears,
click ‘Continue Anyway’. Follow the Wizard’s instructions to complete this part of the in­stallation. The dialog box may disappear several times during the installation. Wait until
the box reappears and completes the installation. The last screen of the Wizard will ask the
user to click the Finish button. Click the Finish button and wait for the box to close.

After clicking the Finish button, plug the USB cable from the CobraCam USB into a USB
port on the computer. The ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ dialog box will open (this may
take 10 seconds). Select any of the search options. Click ‘Next>’. Although the dialog box
says to insert the CD into the drive, this is not necessary (The CD may be in or out of the
drive). ‘Install the Software Automatically (Recommended)’ should be selected. If it is not,
select it and click ‘Next>’. The Wizard will search for the driver. A dialog box may appear
with a message about software compatibility (Windows Logo testing). If this message
appears, click ‘Continue Anyway’. Follow the Wizard’s instructions to complete this part of
the installation. After ‘Finish’ is clicked, the computer should display a message that says
the new hardware has been found and is ready to use (this may take 30 seconds).

Other Operating Systems

When the CobraCam USB software is installed on a Windows Operating System (OS) other
than XP, different but similar dialog boxes will appear. There may be some additional steps
. . . or fewer steps. Generally, follow the instructions in the Wizard to complete the soft­ware installation.

First use of the CobraCam USB

With the CobraCam USB plugged into the computer’s USB port, click the Start / Snapshot
button on the handle of the CobraCam USB. This will open the application software (called
AMCAP) and the image from the CobraCam USB will appear on the computer screen. (On
some OS’s, the AMCAP window may not open, but its icon appears on the Task Bar. If this
happens, click on the icon to open the AMCAP application. Some OS’s may not automati­cally set AMCAP to the proper driver. If an error message appears, open the Program
menu, hover over Telescope Driver, and select AMCAP. When the AMCAP application win­dow opens, click on the Device tab, and select Telescope Driver. Click on the Options tab

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and select Preview. Then click the Start / Snapshot button on the CobraCam USB to initial­ize the image capture.) AMCAP may be opened manually by selecting Telescope Driver,
then AMCAP from the Program menu.)

The video image from the camera should now be displayed in the AMCAP main window.
The tabs at the top of the AMCAP window allow various settings and adjustments to be
altered. The user may change these experimentally and observe their effect upon the im­ages. More information about these settings is available on-line at www.triplett.com.

Many features of the CobraCam USB are automatic. The camera adjusts itself to produce
the best image obtainable. As with all video cameras, the image becomes more noisy as
the light level is reduced. Since the CobraCam USB is a digital camera, it produces digital
noise (instead of analog noise) that looks like random vertical lines in the image. These
become less visible as the light level is increased.

The CobraCam USB has relatively slow response time. If the camera is moved quickly, the
image seen on the computer will blur. To obtain the best images, move the camera slowly
and hold it steady.

The best image focus occurs several inches in front of the camera lens. Objects farther
away are slightly out of focus but still easily viewable.

1

CobraCam USB Controls

1) Headlite Control

2) Start / Snapshot Button

2

Using the CobraCam USB Controls

The proper use of the Headlite control (located on the handle of the CobraCam USB ) is not
obvious and requires some experimentation. It has little effect when there is adequate light
for the camera, but has a dramatic effect when the light level is low or absent. The Headlites
are intended to illuminate objects near the camera lens. They will not light up objects that
are several feet or more away. The Headlite control is adjusted so that the best view of the
desired object is obtained. If the adjustment is too bright, the image will ‘glare’ and ob­scure visibility. Generally, the lowest brightness that produces a useable image is best. It
will often be found that a better image can be obtained by slightly repositioning the camera
and adjusting the Headlite brightness.

The Start / Snapshot button on the CobraCam USB serves two purposes. First, with some
OS’s, like XP, it will automatically open the application software and the image window with
its initial press. Subsequent presses with take a ‘snapshot’ of the image in the window. If
you do not save the images, the next press of the button will overwrite the previous image.

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Saving Pictures

After AMCAP is running, take a ‘snapshot’ by pressing the Start / Snapshot button on the
CobraCam USB. The snapshot will appear in a Snapshot Reader window. To save the snap­shot, click on the File (F) tab, then click Save. The File Save Dialog window opens. Choose
a location to save the snapshot. Give a name to the file (the software defaults to ‘Image’).
Choose to save the file in Bitmap (bmp) or JPEG (jpg) format. Click Save.

Saving Video

Start AMCAP. Click the File tab, select Set Capture File and the Set Capture File window will
open. Choose a location to save the video. Give a name to the file. Be sure to put ‘.avi’ on
the end of the name. Click Open. The Set File Size window will open. Click OK. The window
will close and the main AMCAP window will be displayed. Click on the Capture tab then
select Start Capture. The Ready to Capture window will open. To start recording video,
click OK. The Ready to Capture window will close, displaying the main AMCAP window
showing the video image that is being recorded. To stop recording video, click the Capture
tab and select Stop Capture.

Note: Video files can be very large. To reduce the size of the file, capture it a low frame
rates and low resolution.

Viewing Snapshots and Video

AMCAP does not contain viewers for the saved snapshots or video. Windows contains
various ‘viewers’ and ‘players’ for these files. To view or play the files, find them in the
locations that they were saved to, then click on them to open them with a Windows viewer
or player. The snapshots can usually be viewed in Windows Explorer, and the video can
usually be viewed in Windows Media Player.

On-Line Instructions

Additional details on using the AMCAP software is available on-line. Please go to
www.triplett.com for more information.

CobraCam USB Includes:

Magnet Atttachment PN: 13844
Software CD PN: 13847
Carrying Case PN: 10-4301

6

Maintenance

No regular maintenance of the CobraCam USB is required. In the event the product is
defective or is damaged, please contact Triplett for repair information.

TRIPLETT PRODUCT RETURN INSTRUCTIONS

In the unlikely event that you must return your Triplett
equipment for repair, the following steps must be taken.

1) Call 1-800-TRIPLETT to obtain a Return Material
Authorization (RMA) number from Customer Service.

2) Enclose a copy of the original sales receipt showing date
of purchase.

3) Clearly print the RMA number on the outside of the
shipping container.

4) Return to: Triplett / Jewell Instruments

Triplett One Year Limited Warranty

Triplett / Jewell Instruments warrants instruments and test equipment manufactured by it to be free from
defective material or workmanship and agrees to repair or replace such products which, under normal
use and service, disclose the defect to be the fault of our manufacturing, with no charge within one year
of the date of original purchase for parts and labor. If we are unable to repair or replace the product, we
will make a refund of the purchase price. Consult the Instruction Manual for instructions regarding the
proper use and servicing of instruments and test equipment. Our obligation under this warranty is limited
to repairing, replacing, or making refund on any instrument or test equipment which proves to be defective
within one year from the date of original purchase.

This warranty does not apply to any of our products which have been repaired or altered by unauthorized
persons in any way so as, in our sole judgment, to injure their stability or reliability, or which have been
subject to misuse, abuse, misapplication, negligence, accident or which have had the serial numbers
altered, defaced, or removed. Accessories, including batteries and fuses, not of our manufacture used
with this product are not covered by this warranty.

To register a claim under the provisions of this warranty, contact Triplett / Jewell Instruments’ Customer
Service Department for a Return Authorization Number (RMA) and return instructions. No returned product
will be accepted without an RMA number. Upon our inspection of the product, we will advise you as to the
disposition of your claim.

ALL WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY LAW ARE HEREBY LIMITED TO A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM
DATE OF PURCHASE, AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE WARRANTY ARE EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF
ANY OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

The purchaser agrees to assume all liability for any damages and bodily injury which may result from the
use or misuse of the product by the purchaser, his employees, or others, and the remedies provided for
in this warranty are expressly in lieu of any other liability Triplett / Jewell Instruments may have, including
incidental or consequential damages.

Some states (USA ONLY) do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages,
so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. No representative of Triplett / Jewell Instruments
or any other person is authorized to extend the liability of Triplett / Jewell Instruments in connection with
the sale of its products beyond the terms hereof.

Triplett / Jewell Instruments reserves the right to discontinue models at any time, or change specifications,
price or design, without notice and without incurring any obligation.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to
state.

850 Perimeter Road
Manchester, NH 03103
ATTN: Repair Dept.

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