Hi !
I have an explore HD camera.
when i connect it to my laptop (photo booth on macbook) it recognizes it but when plugged on my companion subsea i do not see it on blueos.
Have you guys had this before ?
thanks
eric
Hi @eric84200 -
While Blue Robotics doesnât make or sell that camera, we hope to have it on the Reef soon so Iâm eager to assist!
Can you share how long youâve had the camera hardware for (when was it received?)
Does the camera use a WetLink penetrator, and if it does, is it have the letters HC or LC present on the bolt?
With the camera plugged into your vehicle (a BlueROV2?) can you navigate to the terminal, and typered pill followed by enter and then dmesg? Please share a screenshot of the results.
Knowing what version of BlueOS youâre using would be helpful as well!
Finally, please share how you waterproofed the end of the cable that enters your vehicles main electronics enclosure (assuming it is an underwater / marine vehicle that is!)
Weâve seen this happen in a couple of the cameras weâve been evaluated, and are still hunting the root cause. I donât think it is software related, but potentially a hardware issue with the cable or shielding. There is a BlueOS extension that seems to coexist with BlueOSâs MavLink Camera manager process (that creates the Video Streams page), that may be worth giving a try too. Itâs a bit of a pain to install at the moment, but once the folks at DWE make a pull request weâll get it available in the Extensions Manager window alongside the current offerings!
hi tony,
Blue os : 1.3.1
i bought it in 2022 but never used it yet.
Wet link on POD side 4.5 HC and epoxy molded on the camera side.
when i type red pill i get command not found
What is weird is that my macbook sees the camera even through mly set up ( wetlink penetrators etc)
thanks for your help
Hi @eric84200 -
Apologies, did you type red-pill in the BlueOS Terminal? I forgot the hyphen, dâoh!
I suspect the HC may be part of the issue - can you share what calipers measure the OD of the cable to be at the âPODâ side?
It is indeed a weird situation - I believe the HC plug can over-compress the cable, leading to issues with voltage and/or the USB connection, the latter of which can be sensitive to impedance changes that result from a wire having many of its conductors cut. Different USB controllers / power supplies can seem to eliminate the issue. It may be also related to shielding the portion of the cable that goes through the enclosure, and making sure the data wires are tightly twisted togetherâŚ
Our own investigation is ongoing!
Tony,
OD is 4.0mm at the caliper.
i did type red-pill then dmesg and i get like 3000 lines which one are you interested in ?
thx eric
Hi @eric84200 -
A screenshot of the most recent lines should illustrate whether the exploreHD camera is maintaining a steady connection or notâŚ
Do you have any other USB devices plugged into your Raspberry Pi? Maybe just the standard ROV usb low-light camera?
Hi @eric84200 -
Thanks for the screenshots! They confirm that your Pi is having issues with supplying enough 5V power. This may be due to it being an older unit (Pi 3? or is it Pi 4 + Navigator?)
If you install an additional 5V power supply, and power the camera with it (while keeping the grounds common) that may resolve your issueâŚ
You may want to try twisting your data wires (green and white) more tightly together, and shielding them with foil that is attached to ground at the Pi.
2 Likes
Hi tony thx i will give it a try with an external 5v
i will kee you updated
ps : i have an older unit (PI 3).
Is it possible to upgrade to pi 4 with the pixhawk ?
eric
Hi @eric84200 -
You may also want to try a different USB cable! You can indeed use a pi 4 with the pixhawk.