Hello, this is my first posting to this list, even though I have read the list= =20 achives, I may cover some ground that's been well trodden on already,=20 please forgive me.
I have been given a Mustek ScanExpress A3 EP scanner, which turned out to= =20 be 1505 based (ID 0xA2). I have so far located 3 different Mustek backends,= =20 only one of which offers the beginnings of support for the 1505 chipset. The one that is included in the most recent SANE release has a #define=20 that, when turned on, will make the driver recognize the chip. However,=20 there is no further support for the chipset and the scanner simply sits=20 there and does nothing. The other driver, fom www.penguin-breeders.org, does not mention the 1505= =20 chipset at all, but seems to permit some basic communication with the=20 scanner. At least it is able to turn the lamp off, after modifying the=20 driver to accept ASIC type 0xA2. In fact, it turns the lamp off at a time= =20 where it should be turned on. None of the drivers, with no possible option, can cause any carriage=20 movement whatsoever. I have read, on a web page that I've since lost the address of, that Mustek= =20 has in one case released the source code of a TWAIN driver for another=20 scanner model and that this was the crucial information needed to support= =20 that type of scanner. I am well equipped and could possibly make traces of parallel port traffic= =20 if someone would tell me how to do that in Windows. I also have much experience in C/C++ coding and controlling hardware=20 devices, so I could, with a bit of information, possibly write some code to= =20 make it work. I have next to no experience with image processing, but since= =20 the scanner apparently uses a well-supported CCD module, processing the=20 image data could likely be done using existing code. The main issue, as far as I see, is to write the code to get the scanner to= =20 move the carriage and start sending image data. My assumption, based on the= =20 fact that existing code is able to turn the lamp off, is that basic=20 communication with the scanner is possible using existing code as well. It seems to come down to decoding the register's meaning and possible=20 values. I would be interested in finding out if anyone has ever had any success in= =20 activating even the most basic functions on 1505 scanners, and possibly=20 source code or documentation to that effect. If there is driver development= =20 in progress, I also would be interested to find out the current status and= =20 maybe join in for a few lines of code, too. Finally, I wonder if the person who has once received a favourable response= =20 from Mustek is subscribed to this list and would be willing to try for the= =20 source code to the 1505 based scanner's TWAIN driver as well, or would at= =20 least disclose the contact at Mustek who has previously released=20 information and / or source code. Getting a scanner for free was rather unexpected, but the experience would= =20 be far more pleasing if I could get it to work with my favourite operating= =20 system, Linux! All the best, Melanie
