The USB camera stuck inside the lid of the laser worked fine:
Until a month or two ago, when it began disconnecting randomly.
The camera cable has a standard USB A connector on one end and what looks like a 1.5 mm JST ZH connector on the other:
Of course, it’s not quite long enough, so it plugs into a good-quality 1 meter USB 3.0 extender to the PC sitting atop the laser cabinet.
Some low-effort tweaks were unavailing:
- Different USB ports
- Different USB extension cable to the ports
- Hub vs. direct
Eventually, some rummaging in the Box o’ USB Cables produced a cable from a different camera and, as you might expect, swapping the two identical cables solved the problem.
I have no idea what’s going on, but I’d lay significant money that when this cable gets flaky, swapping the original cable back in will solve the problem once again.
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 