USB - Serial cable [Archive]

Tottanka

28-10-2007, 10:53

Hey guys,
i am trying to get a picture from the cmucam2 using mplab to my laptop, which doesnt have serail ports, only usbs (4 of them).
i read somewhere that i need a driver of some sort...
the usb cable im using is from the vex kit, i think, and its orange, if it helps you help me =]

Thanks, im depsperate here!

MrForbes

28-10-2007, 10:56

maybe this thread will help?

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46174

a real serial port does seem to work better, though. Don't you have any old computer around? (asks the guy with about 100 old computers at home)

Tottanka

28-10-2007, 11:25

thanks, its ALIVE!

Tottanka

29-10-2007, 07:18

ANOTHER PROBLEM:
i've downloaded kevin's whistling code to the RC, connectede the camera as said (i think), and it isnt searching for the light at all...
anyone knows what it might be?

Alan Anderson

29-10-2007, 10:26

...it isnt searching for the light at all...
anyone knows what it might be?

It might be any one of a dozen wiring issues.

It might be that you don't have camera power applied.

It might be that you don't have the pan and tilt servos correctly connected.

It might be that you don't have a fully-charged backup battery connected.

It might be that you don't actually have the camera serial data connected properly.

It might be that you don't have the Robot Controller enabled.

It might be that you have a faulty camera board.

What is it doing? You should be able to monitor the process with a terminal window while the computer is connected to the RC's program port.

MrForbes

29-10-2007, 10:41

yup, having a few photos showing your setup, including all the wiring connections, and maybe some screen shots, would help others help you figure it out.

Tottanka

29-10-2007, 14:46

the camers is on, backup battery is good too...
it might be the wiring, though i dont thins so. pan is pwm1 tilit is pwm2, power is frome pwm16 and the ttl is connected, is that it?

The window is supposed to say search, but it doesnt...
any clue?

whytheheckme

29-10-2007, 15:22

What is the LED on the camera doing?

How about when you put the green light in front of the lens?

Jacob

Alan Anderson

29-10-2007, 16:58

The window is supposed to say search, but it doesnt...
any clue?

At the risk of (almost) repeating myself...what does it say?

It sounds like the Robot Controller is not running the program. Are you running it tethered or via radio? What color are the status LEDs on the RC and OI?

Tottanka

29-10-2007, 18:06

OK, now i've got her searching for the light, but once she finds it she doesnt stop searching, but keeps on going..
the red led doesnt turn on when she's "on" the target.

Alan Anderson

29-10-2007, 19:10

OK, now i've got her searching for the light, but once she finds it she doesnt stop searching, but keeps on going..
the red led doesnt turn on when she's "on" the target.

Make sure the camera lens is properly focused.

You might find most of your concerns are addressed in Kevin Watson's CMUCam2 FAQ (http://www.kevin.org/frc/camera/).

bear24rw

30-10-2007, 01:26

If the red light doesnt come on the camera is not tracking it, even though its pointing at it. You might want to recalibrate your camera and get new color values.

Tottanka

30-10-2007, 07:27

The camers if focused. I have calibrated her udins LabView, but it still doesnt work.
Any ideas?

Tottanka

30-10-2007, 12:57

Any ideas anyone?

JamesBrown

30-10-2007, 19:06

Any ideas anyone?

Download the CMUCam2 GUI and capture an image with the light in it. Next select the light and check to make sure that the values Y, Cr, and Cb are within the ranges you found when you calibrated the camera.

If the red light does not come on then the camera doesn't see the light, it must either be out of focus, calibrated wrong, or wired wrong.

James

Tottanka

30-10-2007, 19:26

ok. now it gives me the red led, but keeps on searching....
sorry for all the mass...

DavidGitz

31-10-2007, 10:01

We kept getting the problem you are having. We tried downloading the default camera.hex file that comes with the default code on Kevin Watson's page, and it worked. Then we used the default code from there on. I think the problem had something to do with a conflict between pwm01 and pwm02.

Tottanka

31-10-2007, 10:17

DavidGitz

31-10-2007, 10:24

We had to start over with the default code. But first download the default code and immediately load the precompiled hex file to the controller without compiling anything, since the code is supposed to work with the camera immediately.

Tottanka

31-10-2007, 14:42

Yea, but what code is taht?
Bells and whistles 2.1/2.0 ?

DavidGitz

01-11-2007, 09:45

Sorry yes the Bells and Whistles 2.1

Tottanka

01-11-2007, 18:28

It doesnt seem to work for me.
The camers sees the light, stops on it momentarily, red light is on, and then just keeps on searching as if it never saw the light.
Anyone familiar with that?

Alan Anderson

01-11-2007, 20:23

It doesnt seem to work for me.
The camers sees the light, stops on it momentarily, red light is on, and then just keeps on searching as if it never saw the light.
Anyone familiar with that?

That's #14 on the CMUcam2 FAQ (http://www.kevin.org/frc/camera/) I pointed to a few days ago. Read it and follow the suggestions.