ROV Waiting for Connection, Used to Work, Detachable Cable Problem or Pixi?

[ellieechoes]

Hello,

My ROV used to work really well (in 2019). I am a Master’s student and our Engineering shop installed and design water proof connectors and detachers for the tether. The tether seems to work well but the vehicle won’t connect to ground control. The engineers tested the connection of the wires in the tether and they were live. They checked the altered cables and they were like too. The engineers noted that the ROV tether connection had only one point of connection to the hardware. (Which they were unsure if that was the issue? The guide showed only 1 connection).
We don’t know if its the modified tether or a software/rov hardware issue. So I’m trying to elimnate all the software problems before I take the ROV back to them to check the tether and lumen light additions they did.
I assumed it was a software issue because the ROV/ ground control hasn’t been updated in a year. I have attached more screenshots below. I have gone through the connections trouble shooting guide. I have installed ground control on a separate computer, to see if it was a computer issue and the new (beefier laptop) had the same issues.

I noticed a lot more lights flashing on the some of the computer components in the ROV. Here is a video of it below:
https://youtu.be/Xei8eU4xlec
I don’t really remember it having rapid blinking like that on those parts.
I have attached pics of the internet connections. I was unsure of which one to edit now because nothing is working. The 3rd Ethernet connection said it was for realteck controller which I assumed was the connection for the controller. I personally think it’s ethernet 2…

I was reading that I might have to physically install something on the onboard computer. I’m not sure if that’s the issue. I don’t have much experience in building the ROV or wiring but I am somewhat ok with computers. They also installed 2 more lumen lights and did not daisy chain them in. (Which I am fine with I’d rather press 1 button control all the lights).

Do you think its the onboard computers? Or the modified tether? Or maybe the Lumen lights installed?

[EliotBR (Eliot)]

@ellieechoes

The engineers noted that the ROV tether connection had only one point of connection to the hardware. (Which they were unsure if that was the issue? The guide showed only 1 connection).

Our Fathom ROV Tether comes with 4 twisted pairs, and only the blue/white pair is used by default - I assume this is what your engineers are referring to by their ‘only one point of connection to the hardware’. The other three pairs can be used for additional devices/expansion as required, eg:

@ellieechoes

I noticed a lot more lights flashing on the some of the computer components in the ROV. Here is a video of it below:
https://youtu.be/Xei8eU4xlec
I don’t really remember it having rapid blinking like that on those parts.

All those lights look fine to me. The faster flashing yellow and green ones are from the ethernet communication, but you often don’t see them because they don’t stick out and they’re not super bright - especially if you’re commonly looking at the ROV electronics from the front.

@ellieechoes

I have attached pics of the internet connections. I was unsure of which one to edit now because nothing is working. The 3rd Ethernet connection said it was for realteck controller which I assumed was the connection for the controller. I personally think it’s ethernet 2…

Ethernet 3 is the correct one here. When I’m running on Windows FXTI connection also comes up as “Realtek USB FE Family Controller”, which makes sense since it’s using an ethernet to USB converter in the box

Once you’ve ensured your IP address and subnet mask are set correctly for that ethernet connection, can you confirm whether the companion web interface is working when the ROV is connected? If so I’d guess that the QGC issue is from your firewall.

@ellieechoes

They also installed 2 more lumen lights and did not daisy chain them in. (Which I am fine with I’d rather press 1 button control all the lights).

I’m not sure what you mean here. If the lights are controllable from one button then they’re connected in parallel, most likely through a daisy chain. Or are you saying the new pair of lights is connected to a separate pixhawk port, so uses separate control but you’d prefer it if both pairs were controlled by the same button? If so they can just connect the signal wire from each set of lights together and the single wire can go into one pixhawk port for lights control instead of using two separate ones.

@ellieechoes

Do you think its the onboard computers? Or the modified tether? Or maybe the Lumen lights installed?

While it’s possible for tether and lights modifications to cause issues if they were performed incorrectly, I doubt that’s the case here. Most likely this is a surface computer setup issue that can hopefully be resolved without too much effort

[ellieechoes]

Thank you very much all these suggestions helped solve my problems. I had the wrong IP settings on the wrong ethernet connection. The real teck was the right one! Thanks again!