Computer Generated Port Maps
I am trying out using a scanning wand (normaly used for scanning documents) to scan the inside of cyclinders, then converting the image to a format that can be interpreted as a port map.
First step - I bought a SkyPix handyscan TSN410 off eBay for AUS$99. At first glance it appears it will fit in the barrel easily but may require some filing to handle the curvature of the barrel.
The scanner is 600dpi and that converted to metric is 23.6 pixels per mm. So it should be accurate to ~42um (0.042mm) - which is a pretty darn accurate port map :)
Next Step - Buy some batteries and try it out :)
YES IT WORKS! I needed to grind down the corners so that it could do curves but that was pretty straight forward since the unit was easily dismantled.
Here is the first result of a PX 200 barrel version- now I just need to work on my scanning technique and image processing skills :)
Update 05/03/2013
Refined the process with a rig based on a static wheel balancer and a sleeved roller from a printer.
Producing the following results with a KDX 200 head after a couple of goes (with the main issue being positioning the scanner so its rollers didn't catch on the ports)