Issue with CMUCam2 Demo application

[Bio]

We're trying to calibrate our CMUCam2 with the instructions provided, but we seem to be running into some problems. With the old version of the application (the one updated on the thirteenth) we could run the binary tracking indefinitely, but we had the purple problem. So with the latest version (the one updated on the seventeenth), we can upload the settings, but when we attempted to run binary tracking mode for the required 5 seconds, the camera crashed.

We tried using last years camera and realized that the hardware in the camera was the part that was failing while interacting with the software. Nothing works until you restart the camera itself (we tried opening a new instance of the CMUCam 2 gui, the camera restarts; third gui worked, but settings were cleared)

Any way we can fix this? Any updates? Other ways of configuring?

Thanks in advanced for any help.

[kitscuzz]

Just as a side note: this happens even when we don't upload the target.cfg
It simply crashes when you try to use the Tracking frame for too long.

[Joe Hershberger]

Originally Posted by Bio

We're trying to calibrate our CMUCam2 with the instructions provided, but we seem to be running into some problems. With the old version of the application (the one updated on the thirteenth) we could run the binary tracking indefinitely, but we had the purple problem. So with the latest version (the one updated on the seventeenth), we can upload the settings, but when we attempted to run binary tracking mode for the required 5 seconds, the camera crashed.

We tried using last years camera and realized that the hardware in the camera was the part that was failing while interacting with the software. Nothing works until you restart the camera itself (we tried opening a new instance of the CMUCam 2 gui, the camera restarts; third gui worked, but settings were cleared)

Any way we can fix this? Any updates? Other ways of configuring?

Thanks in advanced for any help.

Please define "Crashes".

Thanks,
-Joe

[kitscuzz]

After running the tracking frame for too long, none of the buttons in the application function. The tracking frame freezes, and even if you stop tracking and try again, remains frozen. If you try to grab a frame or start monitoring the tracking again the buttons gray-out and nothing happens. The camera remains this way even if you close the demo application and start a new instance (without restarting the camera). The camera no longer registers (as in Labview asks you if the camera is properly connected) and on the third attempt to reconnect the camera accepts the connection, but all the settings are cleared.

This does NOT happen with the earlier versions of the application.

[Bruce C.]

We're having pretty much the same problem. After 10 sec or so of tracking the camera/LabView seem to "hang up." Servos go left and down, blank screen on the tracking screen, and if you try to do a frame grab it just runs the bar back and forth with no frame. Then LabView app closes with an error. We've had to turn off the camera, re-start the gui app then turn camera back on. It works again for awhile, then hangs up again.

Also, the first set of calibration instructions are confusing. It seems like we load the 2006 target.cfg file twice, and never save the parameters from the new illuminated target. I'm still scratching my head on this one.

[Danny Diaz]

Originally Posted by Bruce C.

We've had to turn off the camera, re-start the gui app then turn camera back on. It works again for awhile, then hangs up again.

Do me a favor and download the old code (without changing the backup battery) and let me know if it still happens. If it does, then it's the backup battery (the battery goes dead in no time when working with the servos). If not, then I'll ask Joe to look into this problem a bit more.

-Danny

[Bruce C.]

Originally Posted by Danny Diaz

Do me a favor and download the old code (without changing the backup battery) and let me know if it still happens. If it does, then it's the backup battery (the battery goes dead in no time when working with the servos). If not, then I'll ask Joe to look into this problem a bit more.

-Danny

When you say "the old code" what do you mean? I'm still using the first release of the LabView CMUCam2 App.2006.01.13. I just found the new one today and haven't tried it yet.

[Joe Hershberger]

Originally Posted by Bruce C.

When you say "the old code" what do you mean? I'm still using the first release of the LabView CMUCam2 App.2006.01.13. I just found the new one today and haven't tried it yet.

That would seem to suggest that the problem is not related to the update. There wasn't anything changed from the 13th to the 17th that had anything to do with communication.

That doesn't mean it's impossible that there is a bug in it, just that nothing with communication changed. The changes dealt with how to display the data.

Try a freshly charged 7.2V back-up battery.

-Joe

[Joe Hershberger]

Originally Posted by Bruce C.

We're having pretty much the same problem. After 10 sec or so of tracking the camera/LabView seem to "hang up." Servos go left and down, blank screen on the tracking screen, and if you try to do a frame grab it just runs the bar back and forth with no frame. Then LabView app closes with an error. We've had to turn off the camera, re-start the gui app then turn camera back on. It works again for awhile, then hangs up again.

Also, the first set of calibration instructions are confusing. It seems like we load the 2006 target.cfg file twice, and never save the parameters from the new illuminated target. I'm still scratching my head on this one.

Let's see... another hint that your hardware is giving you is the camera actually stops tracking ("Servos go left and down"). Once the application requests the camera to start tracking, it doesn't send anything to the camera until you click quit. It just listens for the tracking frames to stream in. If the camera stops tracking, that indicates a problem unrelated to LabVIEW. Chances are you'd experience something similar if using Kevin's RC code.

Definitely check the power.

-Joe

[Wheelman]

My team has not even been able to get the CMUCam2 program to work. Could some tell me how to use this program.

[Danny Diaz]

Originally Posted by Wheelman

My team has not even been able to get the CMUCam2 program to work. Could some tell me how to use this program.

The documentation provided with the CMUCam2 application is fairly good, at least that will get you started. From there it's a simple matter of pressing the right buttons... I would read this forum, there are a lot of good discussions.

-Danny

[kitscuzz]

Our team is still kind of suffering for the issue listed in the start of this thread, any updates on the situation with the latest code?

[Danny Diaz]

Originally Posted by Kickmyassman

Our team is still kind of suffering for the issue listed in the start of this thread, any updates on the situation with the latest code?

The latest code is nothing special, if you must go back to the older version then please download the 1-06-2006 and use that code. No sense in spending all your time just trying to get configuration information.

-Danny