How to Connect a Car Backup Camera to Your PC
By Emma Green
Many vehicles have limited visibility from the rear window, so using a car backup camera makes sense in order to prevent accidents when trying to parallel park or perform other advanced driving maneuvers. Once you no longer have need of the camera for your car, connecting the backup camera to your PC can make a good secondary use out of the device.
Remove the car backup camera from your car if it is not already disconnected. The display for the camera will typically be plugged into the dash of the car while the camera itself is typically mounted on the back of the car or on the rear bumper. Simply unplug the cables from the dash to disconnect the unit and remove the screws or other connectors holding the display to the dash.
Connect the USB cable to the USB connection on the side of your car backup camera. Press firmly until the cable is fully in place to ensure the best connection.
Locate the USB port on your computer (typically on the front or rear for desktop computers or on the side for laptops). Plug the other end of the USB cable into the computer, ensuring that the cable is fully connected.
Press the "Start" menu in the lower left hand corner of your computer's Desktop and select the "Restart" option to restart the computer if it does not automatically detect the camera.
References
Warnings
- If your camera does not support a USB connection you will not be able to connect it to your computer unless it supports one of the other normal computer interface methods such as Serial connections.
Writer Bio
Emma Green holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and was the editor of her college's literary journal. During graduate school, she helped establish a student organization that focused on philosophy and literary theory, and she has written for both eHow and Answerbag.