CVS camera disconnects and causes reboot

[MartyP]

Thanks Brad, I have been fighting this issue for two years and this is the first time anyone has actually acknowledged that there is a problem. I think you will find there is more to it than you think. I don't think changing inspections will solve the problem. Once you lose communication with the camera something gets corrupted in the CVS which requires powering down and restarting. This is the only way to clear the fault. At times the camera would also get corrupted requiring re-installation of the camera firmware. I have not seen this with the lower function AVT Guppy camera, It seems like the Legacy driver doesn't work well with cameras that have more advanced onboard processing capabilitys. There needs to be a knowledge base article explaning that the CVS running VBAI requires the camera to use the Legacy driver. This was unknown to everyone, even the technical support people at NI.

[Hony2]

Hello Brad, I know, that I will be pushing now, but for me is important to have some view for future in case of some prepared modifications of inspections which are dependent to driver. For example curently i have problems to switch from grayscale to color mode only to make some new inspections to recognize color components. Some inspections are working some not due to aquisition step. I can not run it in serial conditions due to this issue, but action plan for this is prepared and I am late. On the base of information with driver I would like to know what is Your planning, If You write that You will look. And how I will receive new driver or information about it. The only thing i need to know is planning for driver revision and for corrective actions(in case if need). As some support from my side i can offer You some capacity for testing in case that You need.

Thanks Jan 

[ChristopheC]

From a user's experience, are you expecting to switch to a color camera and only have to reconfigure the acquisition step?

One of the problems if that many functions in Vision Builder used to work only on Grayscale image. We addressed this in Vision Builder 2009 and enabled many functions to work on both color and grayscale images. You can see the complete list in the readme file, meaning you don't have to modify the inspection to extract the luminance plane for example to get it to work with a color camera.

-Christophe

[Hony2]

I have SONY colour cameras and I use grayscale setting for curently 100% of inspections. The only thing I need is to use one time one camera for colour setting. It is working, but not in one inspection. I must first close grayscale inspection and then open new one with colour setting. And again back. I do not know why, but it is working with one camera and seccond one has problems with acquire image (black image and inspection step error - no result to TestStand ). And I see a big potencial with driver. Our VBAI already has included colour steps.

[MartyP]

If you are convertin to grayscale using vision assistant all of the images after that step will be  in grayscale. If you need a color image you need to select image (acquire step) and everything from that step on will use the color image. The other way around this is to place your color step before the vision assistant step if possible.

Marty

[Hony2]

It is a way to convert picture, but more effitient from bus point of view is to switch camera to grayscale mode (less data for transfer). Everything we did on the base of some problems or non stability of system and our internal experiences maybe more then 3 years ago. We normally don't need color aqusition, only in one case to recognise right colours of components (color is the only marker). The way to switch to colour aquisition (capture) in 100% of tests is to big risk for us, that it will be worst then now.

And finally I prefer that if there is some step, which is declaring that it is possible, that it is working properly without any problems.

[Brad]

So just to make sure I understand correctly...if you switch between two inspections on the CVS, one with a color video mode on the Sony 1394 camera and the other with mono video mode on the same Sony 1394 camera, the acquisition/camera sometimes gets messed up and you can't acquire the correct images anymore? If this is the case, have you checked if Sony has a new firmware for the camera? What Sony model are you using and what video modes are you trying to switch between?

I'd also be interested to hear if the same camera on Windows using the IMAQdx step to acquire and the Read/Write Camera Attribute step to change the video mode works for you? This will only work on Windows or an EVS, not the CVS currently, but I want to see if you get different behavior with the different drivers.

Thanks,

Brad 

[Hony2]

Hello Brad

I have two test benches (boxes) per one line to improove cycle time(output). Per each box I have 4 cameras (totally 8). In each box i need to use only one camera for color mode. Because cameras was bought in same time I do not think that there will be additional firmware. But to tell the true, I do not know how to check it or to change it. In box "A" I have made inspection using only pattern detect (color), in box "B" It was complicated due to not the same possition of camera I made a diferent inspection using count pixel (color) with start of cartesian system to be precisse and this camera is making problem described. But in VBAI everything is working well and when I switch to driving of inspection from TestStand with activeX it is repeatable bad. I stoped the activity due to non availability of line.  There is in both cases secured that first is inspection with grayscale after that color and after that grayscale in each box.

My feeling is that camera firmware will not be a problem. I will try to make the same test(inspection) like for box A in box B and if it will works we can forget it. In any case I will inform You when I will make test to send You results, cause I must ask production for window or the last possibility is during the weekend. 

And this is what I would like to see from Your side, because then I have an argument for production to give me a time on the line. Give me some planning please, because when noone will see that You really want to do something (not only try this 100 X time) and no clear output on time horizont i have no arguments for production and I am not payed by NI, but by production. 

Thanks Jan

[JeffL]

Hi Jan,

So you're driving an inspection from TestStand to VBAI via ActiveX, and you switch inspections, your pictures start coming in incorrectly? I'm afraid I don't quite understand.

As for firmware, you can check with Sony to see if there is a version from a newer date than when you purchased the cameras.

[Hony2]

Hi Jeff, it is not so easy understand, but it is comming from history. Before we use VBAI lower version W/O activex connected with teststand thrue digital IO (from NI) card. After that NI comes with activeX so we bought new version of VBAI with activex and modify controle sequence in teststand. It was running, but twice per week KOuted PC without an explanation from NI.  On the base of those problems we tested lot of good ideas from NI side, but W/O sucess. It was better but not aceptable. Once per week PC knockout. So I decided to ask our suplier (the best NI implementator in our country) to show me CVS. I pushed to my manager to give me money again to buy CVS for elimination of PC KO. From this time we have no problems with PC KO like before. But time to time (back on track) we have a problem with lost cameras, last time 8 cameras from 8 lost, before 7 from 8 lost. Powersuply of cameras are O.K. and I am facing really to a big pressure to solve it. (Only for information I found at home PC that driver for FireWire card for WinXP has historically some issue, I replaced card from PC and selfrestarts stoped.) It means all the time it is looking that it is a driver. So why do not try something without to dismounting camera from fixation to read all informations and after that put it back and make review of all inspections if the camera did not moved. It is taking time, and in fact we do this only in case of broken camera and it never happend. If You need some informations from my side please concentrate this to some list and give the list of some actions from Your side, not only try this, check this, but review of driver by pilot NI will be done in date and corrective action in case of possitive match will be done in date by this person. Until I will not have some action plan from NI, I will not help You, sorry it is forbiden by my manager. Thanks for understanding. Jan