The video stream cuts out completely (black screen)

General Discussion
1

Hello Team,

I am experiencing a recurring issue with my ROV running a Navigator flight controller and Raspberry Pi. The video stream cuts out completely (black screen) specifically when the ROV enters the water and the thrusters are activated under load.

When this happens, the system cannot recover the video stream automatically; it only comes back after a complete power cycle (disconnecting and reconnecting the battery).

Here is the context and the troubleshooting steps I have already performed:

QGroundControl Logs: Exactly when the video drops, the log shows Warning: MYGCS: 255, heartbeat lost followed by Critical: Lost manual control. I am also seeing constant EKF3 IMU0 switching to compass 1 and compass 0 warnings.

Camera Hardware: I removed the USB camera and tested it directly on a PC using VLC. It works perfectly, so the camera hardware is not damaged.

Power Supply: I tested the output of the 5V power module to the Navigator board with a multimeter, and it is providing a stable 5V.

Wiring: I found and fixed a loose negative wire on the POWER MAIN 5V terminal of the Navigator. This resolved a previous EKF3 IMU0 MAG0 ground mag anomaly warning, but the video and heartbeat drop issue persists.

Peripheral Function: In some instances, even without video, the thrusters and lumen lights still respond, but the video stream never recovers.

Could this be a USB port dropout on the Raspberry Pi due to EMI, or a crash in the video streaming service (BlueOS/Companion) triggered by the thruster’s electrical noise?

Any guidance on how to fix this streaming stability issue would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Julio Lemos Quaresma Neto

2

Hi @JQuaresma -

I’ve never come across an instance of the EMI of any part of the BlueROV2 affecting the video stream - loose connectors are common though! Even though the camera works when plugged into your computer, could it be affected by Technical Bulletin 12?

What version of BlueOS are you using?

Are you throwing the ROV in the water, or placing it gently? Does the video not suffer until you turn on thrusters?