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Image Spasms
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/18/2011 - 09:11 PM
Message has been edited, click here to see original contentOriginal Message - [05/18/2011 - 09:17 PM]WinXP SP3, AbelCam 4.2.2, Logitech Orbit MP (drivers only installed, no apps)
I've got this set up for motion detection, local save, email, rectangle defined.
About every twenty seconds, the image "spasms" as though some sort of fault was happening.
Here's a normal image:
Here are a few samples of the others:
I've reinstalled AbelCam and the cam drivers, no change. I've tried both the Logitech PTZ and the Virtual, no change.
Any idea what's up?
Thanks. WinXP SP3, AbelCam 4.2.2, Logitech Orbit MP (drivers only installed, no apps)
I've got this set up for motion detection, local save, email, rectangle defined.
About every twenty seconds, the image "spasms" as though some sort of fault was happening.
Here's a normal image:
Here are a few samples of the others:
I've reinstalled AbelCam and the cam drivers, no change. I've tried both the Logitech PTZ and the Virtual, no change.
The spasms seem to coincide with when motion is detected, because every pic that is saved and sent via email is distorted.
Any idea what's up?
Thanks.
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By:
MelvinG
Rank:
Magna Cum Laude
Topics:
661
From:
Los Angeles, USA
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 02:36 AM
So what happens when you view the cam's video using something other than AbelCam, e.g. AmCap or the crappy video viewer XP provides when you click on your cam in Windows Explorer? I ask this because those samples look more like a hardware and/or driver issue than anything to do with AbelCam.
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 03:50 AM
>>>look more like a hardware and/or driver issue than anything to do with AbelCam.
Yeah, I wondered the same.
But it seems to tied to the motion detection cycle. I'll check it out.
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By:
MelvinG
Rank:
Magna Cum Laude
Topics:
661
From:
Los Angeles, USA
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 05:38 AM
From ScottL:
>>> tied to the motion detection cycle.
Which of course points to AbelCam. I'll be interested in hearing what happens when you test with a simple viewer though. I've certainly done localsaves with and w/o motion detection before, with OrbitMP as well as with AF (although nor currently since my last MP is now dead) and never had any such problem.
I take it the images saved on your hard disk are mangled in the same way the emailed images are, right?
Those samples also look a bit like an old fixed bug in FTP. But as I understand you, you're not using FTP...
Edited later to add: Rather than continuing to speculate, I set up a test here: Local Save + Motion Detection + Email on Motion. Images are fine - both the saved ones and the emailed ones. Since I don't have a working MP I used an AF. This shouldn't (hmmm) matter on the AbelCam side because neither AbelCam core nor the TyCapture interface treat the video from an AF any different than the video from an MP. |
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 06:33 AM
>>>I take it the images saved on your hard disk are mangled in the same way the emailed images are, right?
In fact those are the images I used for the posting. I put them through Photoshop just in case optimizing helped (silly me...they're only 100K in the first case). I still have all the originals with the time-stamp file names. Let me know if it would help to send them.
>>>Those samples also look a bit like an old fixed bug in FTP. But as I understand you, you're not using FTP...
Nope.
>>>This shouldn't (hmmm) matter on the AbelCam side because neither AbelCam core nor the TyCapture interface treat the video from an AF any different than the video from an MP.
Agreed.
Something else I wonder about: I've got the cam start position set to H= -90 V= -80 (bottom left corner). I wonder if this is a factor; maybe Logitech's driver doesn't appreciate having it's neck permanently cranked! haha
Another observation: It doesn't seem to happen as much in low light, but perhaps this is simply because it doesn't detect motion well in low light.
Lots to think about...I'll gather some more symptoms in the coming days. It's a long weekend in Canada so I might not report back till next week.
Thanks for your brain work.
Scott.
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By:
MelvinG
Rank:
Magna Cum Laude
Topics:
661
From:
Los Angeles, USA
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 08:38 AM
A long shot... have you checked this page:
http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3428/section/troubleshoot/crid/435/lt_product_id/245/tabs/1,3,2,4,5/cl/us,en/kw/
to make sure you have the right driver version? Scroll down the page, see driver/cam matrix. Also note there are 2 flavors of OrbitMP, each with different driver requirements. The only ways to tell them apart are either the numbers printed on the paper tag on the cord, or by checking VID_ and PID_ in Device Manager.
In case your paper tag is missing: the OrbitMP designated as "p/n 861207" in the matrix has a USB PID of 08c2. And the one designated as "p/n 861305" has USB PID 08cc. Logitech's USB VID is always 046d.
I've spent an awful lot of time these last 5+ years using AbelCam and getting into the gory details of the Logitech hardware and drivers. Never have I seen a case where Pan/Tilt had an unexpected interaction with the video stream. Don't totally scrap the thought about the cranked neck, but I'd suggest putting it at the bottom of the list for now. |
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 04:33 PM
>>>to make sure you have the right driver version?
If you work your way through their website menus, you are given webcam software version 11.10. This hasn't changed in years, and is what I've been using. This is the first I've known about the two part number specs. Thanks, I'll check it out.
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By:
JeanMu
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
16
From:
CH
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 06:10 PM
For me it looks very much like a broken JPEG file. You can see the blocks. I had a malfunction SD card and the pictures had the exact same look.
So does it happens in other video applications too ? Or in the live preview of the Abelcam GUI ?
I am wondering where in Abelcams image processing the JPEG Encoding is done. Perhaps some overlay grafics or text in the top and lower parts of the picures would give us some clues because I think the got added before the JPEG encoding.
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/19/2011 - 06:25 PM
>>>So does it happens in other video applications too ?
No.
>>>Or in the live preview of the Abelcam GUI ?
Yes.
As I mentioned, it seems to be tied to the motion detection trigger. The preview image looks fine 99% of the time with motion detection turned on. It looks fine 100% of the time with MD turned off. But when motion is detected, the image becomes garbled.
I'm going to try Melvin's suggestion of an earlier driver, and I'll also try MD with the cam pointed to different locations. Probably won't get to it until next week though.
Thanks.
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/20/2011 - 12:27 AM
Here's an update. (Got bored at work today so I VNCed home to play around with the cam  )
I'm no longer thinking the image distortion is tied to motion detection. I turned off Local Save and MD, then restarted the machine. The spasms persist.
So the next step will be to try a different cam driver. |
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By:
ScottL
Rank:
Frequent User
Topics:
25
From:
n/a
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Added:
05/20/2011 - 02:41 AM
Ok...problem identified.
After installing the old driver, the problem persists, so it's almost certain that we've got a CMOS/hardware failure (As Melvin suspected in the first place). Looks like I'm in the market for a new cam.
I can even witness the problem by opening the cam in Windows Explorer. (Someone above asked about this...sorry, perhaps I didn't wait long enough for the symptom. It's certainly evident now.)
So I'm pleased to report that the problem is certainly nothing to do with AbelCam.
Thanks all!
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