CMU camera search

[Windward]

Our camera is working, but it cannot find the green light. It just turns around randomly looking for the light. We know that it cannot be other lights, and our green light is visible. We are using Kevin Watsons most recent simple camera code. We would appreciate some help. Thank you.

[rappo]

Have you tried it while connected to the serial port of a computer? You can have the camera directly connected to the computer and a power supply, open the CMUCam2 program for LabView, then load the 2006 Target.cfg configuration straight onto it. If it doesn't work there, then you probably have a bigger issue on your hands. But, it's most likely the best place to start.

[devicenull]

My guess is you need to focus the camera.. Open up labview, keep using grab frame and rotating the lens until the picture is pretty crisp. It's possible someone thought the lens was loose and tightened it, screwing up the focus

[Windward]

Originally Posted by devicenull

My guess is you need to focus the camera.. Open up labview, keep using grab frame and rotating the lens until the picture is pretty crisp. It's possible someone thought the lens was loose and tightened it, screwing up the focus

our labview won't work. we get a message that says the serial cable (we're using a converter) isn't working or the camera doesn't have power. We don't know how to fix this and the instructions say to just "fix the error."

[CmptrGk]

Originally Posted by Windward

our labview won't work. we get a message that says the serial cable (we're using a converter) isn't working or the camera doesn't have power. We don't know how to fix this and the instructions say to just "fix the error."

which com port is your converter. i know that with mine i am unable to connect to the camera using anything other than com1 or com2. which i was able to change in device manager. also make sure that you arent just typing comx, where x is the com port number, directly into labview. follow the format that they have and just change the x into the com port #.


for reference you can change the com port # by going to device manager->ports (COM &LPT) then double click on the converter name. click on the port settings tab, and change it to a com port that is not currently in use. for me com1 worked. and then voila labview started working. and the camera was sucessfuly recognized.

also, if your converter is not recognized in MAX you can manually change the port options so it can actually talk to the camera.

this may be stupid, but make sure that the camera is actually powered on.

[Windward]

Originally Posted by CmptrGk

which com port is your converter. i know that with mine i am unable to connect to the camera using anything other than com1 or com2. which i was able to change in device manager. also make sure that you arent just typing comx, where x is the com port number, directly into labview. follow the format that they have and just change the x into the com port #.


for reference you can change the com port # by going to device manager->ports (COM &LPT) then double click on the converter name. click on the port settings tab, and change it to a com port that is not currently in use. for me com1 worked. and then voila labview started working. and the camera was sucessfuly recognized.

also, if your converter is not recognized in MAX you can manually change the port options so it can actually talk to the camera.

this may be stupid, but make sure that the camera is actually powered on.

I switched the com port to COM1 and it did not change anything. What do you mean by

if your converter is not recognized in MAX you can manually change the port opitons so it can actually talk to the camera.

[CmptrGk]

Originally Posted by Windward

I switched the com port to COM1 and it did not change anything. What do you mean by

like changing the baud(sp?) rate and etc. to the correct settings

[Windward]

Originally Posted by CmptrGk

like changing the baud(sp?) rate and etc. to the correct settings

according to the instructions, I already have.

[Joe Hershberger]

Originally Posted by Windward

according to the instructions, I already have.

What is the error message and error code in the error cluster on the upper right side?

If you click the arrow on the side of the serial port control, do you get a list of ports that has the port you expect in it?

Can you connect to the camera in hyper-terminal on that same port?

-Joe

[ryan_f]

We kind of have the same problem. But our problem is that the camera finds the green target, but doesn't lock onto it. It just posts its coordinates (when we're watching the screen from ifi_loader) and then just keeps going on its search pattern. Is this supposed to happen or is it supposed to actually track the target?


P.S. It tracks the target fine when we use labview with the servos connected to the camera

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by ryan_f

We kind of have the same problem. But our problem is that the camera finds the green target, but doesn't lock onto it. It just posts its coordinates (when we're watching the screen from ifi_loader) and then just keeps going on its search pattern. Is this supposed to happen or is it supposed to actually track the target?


P.S. It tracks the target fine when we use labview with the servos connected to the camera

Depending on the version of the code, enter the tracking menu and adjust the search delay up by one, which will slow down the search and give the camera more time to let the RC know that it found the green light. Don't forget to save the new value to EEPROM when you get it dialed in. For the streamlined code, open tracking.h and look for #define SEARCH_DELAY_DEFAULT and increase the number to the right of it by one, compile the code and try it out. Repeat if necessary.

-Kevin

[Windward]

Originally Posted by Joe Hershberger

What is the error message and error code in the error cluster on the upper right side?

If you click the arrow on the side of the serial port control, do you get a list of ports that has the port you expect in it?

Can you connect to the camera in hyper-terminal on that same port?

-Joe

What exactly do you mean by "hyper-terminal?"

[Joe Hershberger]

Originally Posted by Windward

What exactly do you mean by "hyper-terminal?"

Meaning in Windows, go to Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Communications >> HyperTerminal.

It's a simple terminal application. You could also use the IFI loader terminal window.

Cheers!
-Joe

[Windward]

just as an update, our camera will now track green when we program it with MPLAB. We got a more updated version of the program for labview and got a new different error. It says it can't find the file. Another programmer is presently working on it. Although we got a different error, we still might get an the same error as before when we solve this present one.

Thanks for all your help, update you later.

[Windward]

Originally Posted by Windward

just as an update, our camera will now track green when we program it with MPLAB. We got a more updated version of the program for labview and got a new different error. It says it can't find the file. Another programmer is presently working on it. Although we got a different error, we still might get an the same error as before when we solve this present one.

Thanks for all your help, update you later.

Turns out the error from before came back.

The error says the camera might:
1- not have power
2- not connected by serial cable (using converter and haven't gotten to try hyperterminal)
3- not in correct serial port

We have checked and checked again 1 & 3 and are in the process trying hyperterminal.