Abstract: A medical diagnostic imaging system includes a system controller (16) which generates first logic format control signals. The first logic format control signals operate an x-ray source and are designed to operate a large format camera through a plurality of data paths. The large format camera is disconnected from the diagnostic imaging system and replaced with digital camera (32) and a digital imaging processor (34) which are incompatible with the diagnostic imaging system. A universal interface (36) is selectively connected to the data paths of the diagnostic imaging system and to the digital imaging processor (34). The universal interface (36) intercepts the first control signals from the system controller (16), and generates second control signals based on the first control signals which operate the digital imaging processor (34) and digital camera (32) transparent to the operations of the system controller (16).