PIMA 15740: 2000
iv
© 2000 PIMA, Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Introduction
For the purposes of this standard, digital still photography devices (DSPDs) are defined as
devices with persistent storage that capture a digital two-dimensional image at a discrete point
in time. Most DSPDs include interfaces that can be used to connect to a host computer or other
imaging devices, such as a printer. A number of new, high speed interface transports have
recently been developed, including IrDA, USB, and IEEE1394 (Firewire). This standard is
designed to provide requirements for communicating with DSPDs. This includes
communications with any type of device, including host computers, direct printers and other
DSPDs over a suitable transport. The requirements include standard image referencing
behavior, operations, responses, events, device properties, datasets, and data formats to ensure
interoperability. This standard also provides optional operations and formats, as well as
extension mechanisms.
This standard has been designed to appropriately support popular image formats used in digital
still cameras, including the EXIF and TIFF/EP formats defined in ISO 12234-1 and ISO 12234-
2, as well as the Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) and the Digital Print Order Format
(DPOF).
Purpose
Numerous DSPDs have been developed in order to allow direct capture of digital images for
both consumer and professional photography applications. Most of these devices can interface
to digital computers or other imaging devices, such as printers, using various standardized
electrical digital interfaces. However, there is currently no standard operation set to enable data
transfer or control of DSPDs over these different interfaces. As a result, proprietary software is
typically developed to control image capture devices from specific manufacturers, and different
DSPD drivers are needed to support each interface. Standardizing the operations and data
requirements for DSPDs will assist transport implementers, platform aggregation of conforming
devices across all transports, and device manufacturers by providing a common ground for
interface support. It will also assist developers of host software and image receiving devices by
ensuring that their products can interface to many different DSPDs from different
manufacturers, and assist users by ensuring that the DSPDs they purchase will inter-operate with
those of different manufacturers.
The primary purpose of this standard is to provide a common protocol for any device, including
DSPDs, to exchange images with a DSPD, either by retrieving images from a DSPD or by
sending images to or from a DSPD. Secondary purposes include a mechanism for devices to
control DSPDs (e.g. a PC can request that a DSPD change its shutter duration setting and
capture a new picture) and the ability to transfer auxiliary information such as non-image data
files and associated information, such as a digital print order file (DPOF).
