# Re: Microtek scanners

Warren Early (earlyw@sphinx-group.com)
Tue, 16 Mar 1999 18:12:27 -0800

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This is a response from a technical person at Microtek. Hopefully this info
is useful for Bernd. The names were changed to protect the innocent. ;-)

>Hey Wearly,

>The SCSI command set can be downloaded from our ftp site at:
> ftp://ftp.microtek.com/microtek/devpack

>Don't worry about the fact that the dates are old--this info covers
>everything up to and including the SM-5. The SCSI command sets >were
determined way back when.

>One problem XXXX said everyone runs into is in how to read the >color data
that comes back from the scanner. Each line of data that >comes back is
preceded by a letter R, G, or B. That first letter tells you >what channel
the line is for. The scanner does NOT send back one >line of R, one line of
G, one line of B, etc. The scanner sends back like >20 to 40 lines of red,
20 to 40 lines of G, etc. So you have to check >and buffer each line that
comes back.

>Apparently, this method of transfer is the fastest way there is and
>Microtek holds the patent on it. :-)

>For the EPP stuff, you have to get the info from OnSpec--not even >XXX has
that info. But it seems unlikely that OnSpec would pass out >that info.
Apparently, in order to talk to the chip, you either have to >have OnSpec
develop the driver/backend for you, or you need the >whole source code for
how they do it on the PC. In explaining how >they do the communications,
they would be giving away their "trade >secrets" and helping their
competitors. So you're right; it would be >easier to get OnSpec to write a
Linux backend than to get them to >show you how.

>I hope this helps. Let me know if you need other stuff. I hope Linux
>really takes off and crushes MicroSquash!

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