Author Topic: Problem with getting the blackfin camera output to the computer (Read 1755 times)

Sarah21 · « **on:** February 28, 2011, 12:12:18 AM »

Good morning/evening,

Well, am trying to connect my blackfin camera directly to my laptop to check its output and all,

am using the breadboard USB that has the FTDI F232R chip used as TTL-USB converter

http://www.smileymicros.com/download/VSPCB/Breadboard%20USB%20Quick%20Start%20Guide.pdf

I checked it with the hyperTerminal and it is sending and receiving very well,

when I connect it to my blackfin camera and use the blackfin camera console from here:

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=9367.0

I don't get any picture, and the message that keeps on repeating is:(MessagePump)[Info]=>V

I tried to check the camera with the hyperTerminal and type V to get the camera Info but no thing came out...
I am connecting my VCC and 2 GNDs from the camera in addition to RX and TX to the right pins.. Any ideas people

Thank you in advance

Sarah21 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2011, 11:57:04 AM »

Hi all,

I am sorry, is this the right place for my post, or it is better to move it to the software sectoin??

Webbot · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2011, 01:11:11 PM »

As you've probably guessed the V command should make the Blackfin reply with its current version number - but either isn't or it's getting lost somewhere.

It normally outputs this message automatically on power up - do you see something when connected to Hyperterminal on start up

Sarah21 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2011, 12:55:15 AM »

Once I power it, it sends a symbol.. just for the first time, if i switch it off then on during the same connection, nothing will show up. any thoughts?

rbtying · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2011, 01:10:17 AM »

Check your baud rate. Strange symbols usually mean that something in your serial configuration is wrong.

Sarah21 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2011, 04:32:14 AM »

I checked my baud rate from the beginning and i made sure to have the port and the hyperterminal baud to be equal to 115200 which is the blackfin baud rate.

Webbot · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2011, 12:55:27 PM »

Just a quick thought - I'll bet its hardware handshaking. On your breadboard do you have RTS and CTS linked together?
If not then the Blackfin may be thinking your controller is too busy and so doesn't send anything.

waltr · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2011, 01:44:26 PM »

Not necessarily the Blackfin but some times the supposed default Baud rate is wrong. Look at the TX output with an O'scope or try other baud rates in hyperterminal.

Webbot · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2011, 01:53:42 PM »

Look at my description here re disabling flow control http://webbot.org.uk/iPoint/31.page?ContentPortlet_85ContentID=211

Sarah21 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2011, 12:51:17 AM »

Webbot:

I connected RTS to CTS in the breadboard. and the GPIO H0 to GND as mentioned in yr document. it didn't work

even from before, I was setting the flow control property to None, no hardware flow control. so i assume it there was no need for handshaking right?

Honstly I don't know what is wrong.

Alia · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2011, 02:07:48 AM »

Hi every one

How can I know the baud rate for the blackfin camera ?
It seems to have different baud rates as in the tutorial, the writer is mentioning that the default is 38k, Webbot mentioned that the default is 115k.. so what is the right one?

Admin · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2011, 02:48:40 PM »

Quote

I don't get any picture, and the message that keeps on repeating is:(MessagePump)[Info]=>V

It almost sounds like it is resetting often. Is the voltage going to the camera correct, ie a battery isn't low?

Quote

It seems to have different baud rates as in the tutorial, the writer is mentioning that the default is 38k, Webbot mentioned that the default is 115k.

Which tutorial says 38k?

Sarah21 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2011, 12:44:28 AM »

this tutorial,

BLACKFIN ROBOT CAMERA FOR AXON TUTORIAL

and am supplying my camera from the power supply. am giving it 3.1 V

my connections again are:

VCC (pin 1) to a power supply, am giving it 3.1v

2 GNDs (pin 2, pin 16)

UART0 Tx (pin3) to the Rx from the breadboard USB,
UART0 Rx (pin4) to the Tx from the breadboard USB

pin 17 grounded for the sake of the flow control

all the pins are directly to the blackfin, no greed board.

am also connecting RTS and CTS from the breadboard USB to each other.

I also tryed to use the TeraTerm program instead of the hyperTerminal and it didn't work either.

I tryed some other SRV1consoles that are made for the robot, and I used the latest firmware from the Surveryor website, but I keep on getting a wrote 'I' msg every half a second, but no picture.

Admin · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2011, 09:17:36 AM »

It has a 3.3V regulator, meaning you need to raise your voltage to ~3.5V+

Sarah21 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2011, 11:40:30 AM »

the camera has a regulator??

i thought that the green board placed under the camera has the voltage regulator... and am not using the green board...

so does the camera actualy have a regulator?

I put it 3.1V to avoid damage since the maximum voltage is 3.3 and it is dangerous to supply it with more..

Webbot · « **Reply #15 on:** March 07, 2011, 12:45:46 PM »

Quote

I tryed some other SRV1consoles that are made for the robot, and I used the latest firmware from the Surveryor website, but I keep on getting a wrote 'I' msg every half a second, but no picture.

If thats with the Webbot console - then at least you are now getting past the 'V'ersion msg - in which case you must be receiving something. Does it display the version number in the title bar of the console window?

The 'I' command is not guaranteed to illicit a response according to the Surveyor docs - it depends on how busy it is!

Try reducing the resolution to a minimum - which can be done in the console

Admin · « **Reply #16 on:** March 07, 2011, 12:52:23 PM »

Quote from: Sarah21 on March 07, 2011, 11:40:30 AM

the camera has a regulator??

i thought that the green board placed under the camera has the voltage regulator... and am not using the green board...

so does the camera actualy have a regulator?

I put it 3.1V to avoid damage since the maximum voltage is 3.3 and it is dangerous to supply it with more..

Oh, I thought you had the green board.

In that case, you still need to apply 3.3V, as 3.1V won't cut it. I don't know what power supply you are using, so make sure with a multi-meter it's what it claims to be.

Sarah21 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 07, 2011, 10:07:47 PM »

Quote from: Webbot on March 07, 2011, 12:45:46 PM

If that's with the Webbot console - then at least you are now getting past the 'Version MSG - in which case you must be receiving something. Does it display the version number in the title bar of the console window?

Try reducing the resolution to a minimum - which can be done in the console

I am not able to receive anything from the camera, whether from the Webbot console or any other console. Even the title bar doesn't change to anything, it remains as it is (SRV1console).

I'll try to reduce the resolution, but i guess it is minimum now.. I'll report back..

Sarah21 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2011, 06:40:39 AM »

I checked the output from the camera with the oscilloscope, before the breadboard USB, am getting almost no signal, it is in mV, I think as a TTL output, I should get something like 5V or so... so I think the problem is with camera maybe ?!!

Admin · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2011, 07:48:07 AM »

Quote from: Sarah21 on March 09, 2011, 06:40:39 AM

I checked the output from the camera with the oscilloscope, before the breadboard USB, am getting almost no signal, it is in mV, I think as a TTL output, I should get something like 5V or so... so I think the problem is with camera maybe ?!!

You should be getting around ~3.2V output TTL.

Have you verified 3.3V is going into the input power?

Sarah21 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2011, 03:38:17 AM »

Yes I did, am sure that the 3.3v is reaching the camera...

Sarah21 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:38:40 AM »

Hello again... am back with good news and bad news...

Finally, I solved my issue with my serial interface.. and I got a responce from my camera to the V command, I did the steps from this subject

http://www.surveyor.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1205225367/15

reply no. 32

and I got all the responds back and everything was perfect..

now it is the bad news time..

I started the the latest java console.. the one I flashed its firmware.. and I got this screen...

I didn't understand what was it..

also this was written in the cmd prompt ..

am seeing stuff like connection refused and things... Do any one know what is this.. and what is the problem??

joe61 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2011, 06:41:44 AM »

Quote from: Sarah21 on March 23, 2011, 05:38:40 AM

am seeing stuff like connection refused and things... Do any one know what is this.. and what is the problem??

I haven't followed this very closely, so forgive me if I'm off base here.

Is there a TCP connection involved? "Connection refused" in TCP communications means that nothing is listening on the port you're trying to connect to. Maybe something on the other end isn't running?

Joe

Sarah21 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2011, 07:52:37 AM »

No, am not using any TCP... am connecting my camera to the laptop via a serial connection.. exactly a TTL to USB converter..

also.. I forgot to mention... once I switch off the camera then switching it on again.. the V command doesn't return any thing... so I repeat the steps again.. to flash the firmware.. it is like the memory is gone.. but I don't know why.. I do the zZ command to the save the firmware in the flash memory,,,, $:-\$

Admin · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2011, 08:17:03 AM »

Quote from: Sarah21 on March 23, 2011, 05:38:40 AM

am seeing stuff like connection refused and things... Do any one know what is this.. and what is the problem??

Try searching those errors in google to get some clues to what is causing it.

joe61 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 23, 2011, 11:35:05 AM »

Quote from: Sarah21 on March 23, 2011, 07:52:37 AM

No, am not using any TCP... am connecting my camera to the laptop via a serial connection.. exactly a TTL to USB converter..

Well, from the exception log it looks like Java is trying to make a connection someplace. SRV1Console if I'm reading it right. You might take a look there and see what it's doing.

Joe

Webbot · « **Reply #26 on:** March 23, 2011, 01:20:00 PM »

Have you tried the Webbot Blackfin console rather than the Surveyor one (just in case the Surveryor one is trying to do something 'funky' with none camera hardware etc).
The log window should hopefully show what messages are working or not !

Sarah21 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 24, 2011, 01:04:23 AM »

Yaah I considered using it.. but actually I couldn't find the ldr file I am suppose to flash to the camera... Is there any ldr file with the Webbot console.. or it is something differet..?

also, the console only supports ports to TCP right?? coz at some point, once am sure that the camera works well, I'll use the matchport to send the camera output.. am still not using the surveyor robot, and i wont.. I'll have the blackfin and the matchport.. any console that can support that??

Admin · « **Reply #28 on:** April 06, 2011, 08:29:00 AM »

The latest ldr can be found here:
http://surveyor-srv1-firmware.googlecode.com/files/srv1-blackfin-022411.zip

http://code.google.com/p/surveyor-srv1-firmware/downloads/list

News:

Author Topic: Problem with getting the blackfin camera output to the computer (Read 1755 times)

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