FreeTrack Forum

I've recently acquired a Logitech C160. I've updated it to the latest drivers and I've tried testing it with Freetrack by just using an LED torch (non-IR). It seems to work ok, but the torch has a very small field of projection (is that the right term? Field of view, but it's not viewing, but projecting...?) so it's difficult to get it to track for more than a few degrees. It doesn't seem particularly slow, but maybe I'm just not noticing it enough.

I've ordered some IR LEDs and they should be here in the next few days. However, I really need to know now whether the camera will work or not. There's a C200 I could buy for $15 (cheap where I am), but if I don't buy it soon, I may miss out on the chance.

So, will the C160 be good for FreeTrack? Will it be laggy, have some kind of delay or anything like that? Will it for some reason not be able to pick up light points well or does it have an IR filter which is too strong and unremovable?

I can't find much information on it on here. I found a post (http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=39&message=15199) from 2 years ago by a user named Shadow, who says the C160 is good, but has a delay. I don't know whether this delay has been removed with new Logitech updates or through some other means; or whether it is still there. I can't notice it with a torch, but my torch also isn't tracking smoothly because of it's field of projection.

So, should I get the C200 and sell my C160? Or should the C160 be fine now?

Thanks

Hi,

as far as I know the C-Serie has all similar optics.
(And you have to remove the ir-filter which is to strong for the sfh485).

There are filter removal guides for the C120 and C200.
For the settings reset problem (...some Logitech C-serie webcam reset there settings to default on every Freetrack start), see this thread:
http://forum.free-track.net/index.php?showtopic=2947&message=15779

Awesome, thanks for the reply

From what I've read the C160 came with a software limit of 15 FPS, which was changed to 30 FPS with a later software update.

Is there any reason it should have some kind of delay, when it's 30 FPS? I don't really know much about cameras. I saw that Shadow (the poster who was saying it had a slight delay) hadn't taken the IR filter off - perhaps this is the cause for the delay he noticed? If the IR filter is strong, could that mean that in order to see the IR points, the camera was running slower? Sorry, I don't know much about webcams.

It's encouraging that you said the C series have similar optics - I'd rather not spend the money to buy another camera if possible, so if this one works as well as a C200 for FreeTrack, I'll be very happy.

Thanks for the links - I've read through the C200 IR filter removal guide and I've already fixed the Logitech issue, but I hadn't seen the C120 IR filter removal guide. I haven't tried removing the filter yet, just in case I decide to sell the C160 instead.

Thanks again

Ok, I've fully set up my Freetrack build and got it working great. I removed the C160 IR filter using the C200 guide (the C120 has the filter in a different location). For anyone scared about damaging the glass with the IR filter, don't be - the glass is only there for the purpose of filtering out IR, so just smash it out.

The C160 seems very responsive with a constant 30 FPS, 0 jitter and no noticeable "lag" or "delay", even when in game. It picks up IR LEDs excellently once the filter has been removed, though it did not seem to do so well when the filter was still on. This might also have been what was causing Shadow to experience delay/lag with his camera.

I used 3 5mm IR LEDs which have a forward current of 60 amps and forward voltage of 1.5. With a USB cable, these provide more than enough light when I use a 10 ohm resistor (in series, of course). I had to file the heads down so that the beam spread out wider and now I can move my head in quite a decently large arc and still have the movement detected.

Thanks to everyone on the forum and the creators of Freetrack - it's amazing the difference this hardware makes