Two webcams - why separate drivers?

[louarnold]

I have two webcams, one by Nexxtech and another by MIOS - rather non-descript USB Camera.

The Nexxtech camera seems to need a driver - I have installed it. But the MIOS likely uses the one in Win XP SP3. Why is that? Why won't one driver work for both cameras?

Rationale: I want to develop some software to process the live video, but could one piece of software be used for both cameras?

I am a noob about web cams and video processing.

Regards,
Lou.

 

[LookinAround]

Hi louarnold :wave:

A few comments

The drivers which can be used by a web cam are dictated by the web cam manufacturer
The mfr programs a set of "IDs" into each of their devices (such as web cams). The device sends its IDs to Windows. Windows uses these IDs to find suitable drivers which will match (i.e. "support") the IDs. (Window can find zero, or one or even more then one match!)
> If Windows finds zero driver matches, you get a "No Driver Found" type of error
> If Windows only finds one driver match, it uses that driver
> If Windows finds more then one driver match on your machine, Windows chooses what it thinks is the best match of all the matching choices it found on your machine.

See [post=755153]Plug and Play Overview: How Windows Finds Drivers for USB Devices[/post]

I am a noob about web cams and video processing.

Am just curious though, if you say you're a noob, will you know how to do all the video processing to do what you want?

 

[louarnold]

Hi louarnold :wave:

A few comments

The drivers which can be used by a web cam are dictated by the web cam manufacturer
The mfr programs a set of "IDs" into each of their devices (such as web cams). The device sends its IDs to Windows. Windows uses these IDs to find suitable drivers which will match (i.e. "support") the IDs. (Window can find zero, or one or even more then one match!)
> If Windows finds zero driver matches, you get a "No Driver Found" type of error
> If Windows only finds one driver match, it uses that driver
> If Windows finds more then one driver match on your machine, Windows chooses what it thinks is the best match of all the matching choices it found on your machine.

See [post=755153]Plug and Play Overview: How Windows Finds Drivers for USB Devices[/post]


Am just curious though, if you say you're a noob, will you know how to do all the video processing to do what you want?

That link was helpful - for more than the web cams. Thanks very much.

As for me being a noob, I am for web cams, but once the interface hurdle is overcome, the rest is fine. I have some experience with computer vision and the idea is to extend it.
Lou.