Cable problems
Bought a couple of PV2 cameras at Rite-Aid. Both are 6550 2B versions with ID realm 23. Carefully built a cable around a insulation displacement 24 pin centronics connector. Seems to fit in good and the pin spacing looks like it lines up OK, but I can get ANY acknowledgment from my computer or the camera that they see each other...no light on the camera, no New Device found on the computer...nothing. I've checked the cable a hundred times and even tried it wired a few different ways: 6 to USB red 7 to USB black 8 to USB green 9 to USB white 10 to USB shield then with no shield then moving the USB black to 10... Batteries in Batteries out Camera off Camera on (only after hook up) I have some experience building cables and I'm usually pretty good, but nothing here. Any ideas? Could the Rite Aid camera have a different pin out? (not likely I guess). Shouldn't the camera come on and the computer give me a "new device found" no matter the state of my software...although I have loaded the 0.1.10.1 libusb software and the PV2Tool. I've been on this for days, reading as much of all your work as possible, but can't move forward. Please give me some ideas before my wife takes away my computer privileges!

First off, some cheapo USB cables come with non-standard colors, so do yourself a favor and double-check that this one's ok with a multimeter and a cable pinout-color diagram. ( http://wikiwonka.dolske.net/index.php/Cables ) Ignore the above advice at your own peril. Non-standard cables are rare, but some camera hackers have discovered this a week into trying to get a cable to work. Second off, the centronics cable is the worst design of the bunch. Stick with it if you must, but beware that it's mismatched pin pitch has caused all sorts of connection heartache in the past, and has even been reported to fry some cameras. Third off, focus first on getting your computer to recognize that a device is there - this is completely reliant on the +5v and ground connections being ok. You might even disconnect the data ones in the meantime. Double check for solder bridges or cold joints - if in doubt, reflow the joint for 8 seconds. Play with shimming your connector. Do all of this until you can get Windows Device Manager to show "Unknown Device". Once you've managed to get that far, then move on to the +-data connections, with the same tips listed in the previous step. When Windows reports that it has found a new device called "Digital Camera", then you'll at least know that low-speed communication is working. (File transfers with PV2tool will verify high-speed)

Thanks. Great summary and good info link. I have done continuity on the cable and even switch to another USB... I'll keep trying focusing on the +5v and grd as you suggest...maybe try to track down the Palm III recommendation... Appreciate the input!

Usb Cable
I have made three cables and this worked every time: Pin | Color | Use 6 | Red | +5v 8 | Green | Data+ 9 | White | Data- 10 | Black | Ground if you want to you can (and should) connect the shields of the connectors (if it has one) Hope this helps!