Camera Watchdog Problems, Help!

[rclothier]

We managed to run only one practice round today, and the robot died the instant Teleop started. We got this error information:

Watchdog Expiration: System 3, User 0
Watchdog Expiration: System 2, User 0
Watchdog Expiration: System 1, User 0
ERROR <Code> 1 occurred at TCP Close Connection in WPI_CameraSend Images To PC.vi
LabVIEW: An input parameter is invalid. For example if the input is a path, the path might contain a character not allowed by the OS such as ? or @.
ERROR <Code> -44003 occurred at WPI_CameraIssue HTTP Request with Authentication.vi>>WPI_CameraIssue Get.vi>>WPI_CameraSet Image Appearance Property.vi>>WPI_CameraSet Enum Appearance Property.vi>>WPI_CameraSet Image Size.vi>>Begin.vi>>Robot Main.vi
<time>11:43:36 03/11/2011
FRC: Operation failed due to a communication failure with the camera.
Modified Network Configuration: Set
I/O unit not detected or not installed correctly.

Error -44003 is "Operation failed due to a communication failure with the camera." I dug through the sub VI's, but can't tell what input parameter the error message is referring to.

This is eerily familiar to what happened to us last year, and we eventually had to pull the whole camera off. We need it this year, though. Any suggestions?!?

[Greg McKaskle]

For the camera, I'd check the IP address, check that the FRC account and FRC password exist, verify that the camera is plugged into port 2 using a crossover cable, make sure the camera is powered with a green light on the back or around the lens, make sure that the reset button isn't constantly pressed, and you should be able to simply run Begin over and over and watch a probe of the error output to determine if you've fixed the issue.

For the communications and watchdog issue, have you considered where your radio is mounted or how it is mounted? If the radio is overwhelmed by noise or buried in a metal box, the signal strength may drop to the point where packet loss is too high for reliable communication. The field displays some of this information, so if you can politely ask the FTA or FTAA before a match, or ask a CSA if one is at your regional, they can help also monitor the loss and trip time. There are probably some other tools for measuring signal strength built into either Win7 or the dlink, but you'll likely need to reconfigure the radio to be an AP in order to test it. If you go this route, be sure to reprogram it and return it to Bridge mode.

Greg McKaskle