[sane-devel] Mustek ASIC 1505 Scanners

[Melanie]

Hello,

  this is my first posting to this list, even though I have read the list=
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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=
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be 1505 based (ID 0xA2). I have so far located 3 different Mustek backends,=
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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=
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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=
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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=
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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=
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that type of scanner.

I am well equipped and could possibly make traces of parallel port traffic=
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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=
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make it work. I have next to no experience with image processing, but since=
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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=
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move the carriage and start sending image data. My assumption, based on the=
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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=
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activating even the most basic functions on 1505 scanners, and possibly=20
source code or documentation to that effect. If there is driver development=
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in progress, I also would be interested to find out the current status and=
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maybe join in for a few lines of code, too.

Finally, I wonder if the person who has once received a favourable response=
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from Mustek is subscribed to this list and would be willing to try for the=
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source code to the 1505 based scanner's TWAIN driver as well, or would at=
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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=
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be far more pleasing if I could get it to work with my favourite operating=
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system, Linux!

All the best,

Melanie