Hi

I would like here to report on the problem of video freeze after some time.
This problem has been already discussed in different topics, but I think it is worth starting a new one, as -at least on my machine- the problem remains unsolved.

The latest driver CL-Eye-Driver-4.0.1.0501 and the latest SDK CL-Eye-Platform-SDK-1.1.0.0509 explicitly addressed this image freezing issue and some users already reported that these releases solved their problems, but I experience the same freezing problems on my machine, and the new software did not help.

This problem affects both standard applications that come with the driver and my own applications written with the SDK. In my examples, I will report on the standard applications, but fixes to the SDK should also be considered.

Short description of the problem:
1. Uninstall any previous driver and SDK
2. Install the driver CL-Eye-Driver-4.0.1.0501
3. Start the application C:\Program Files (x86)\Code Laboratories\CL-Eye Driver\CL-EyeTest.exe
4. Wait

After some time (depending on the camera, see hereunder), the image freezes. The camera cannot be used anymore until it is unplugged and re-plugged again.

I’ve been testing with different cameras, and the strange thing is that each camera has its own, quite predictable “grace period” time before it freezes. For the “worst” camera (in that sense), the image always freezes in a maximum of 3 minutes. Other cameras can work for 20 minutes, but still freeze after some time.

I’ve read in other threads that the camera should not be plugged in a USB hub. I therefore tried all the USB slots of the machine, inclusive the ones directly connected to the mother board, and the video always freezes.

Here are the specs of my machine:
Windows 7 - 64 bits
Intel Xeon CPU W3520 @ 2.67 Ghz (4 cores, 8 threads)
24 GB RAM

I know this problem is difficult to track down, as it cannot be easily reproduced, but I’m happy to help testing different things on my machine. What we (beta-users) could need is a debug driver that logs the state of the camera in a file. I think this could help to find out what causes the problem.

Thanks for looking at that problem

Steph

What is the DPC latency when cameras are running? Since there are many factors that could possibly affect the performance, I suggest starting from a clean Windows 7 install and testing this. What is the motherboard/chipset you are using? BTW, I read on some forum that people were having issues using Xeon on certain motherboards.

It seems that I have large latency values (3000-4000 microsec) every 20-30 seconds, even when the camera is not running.
I’ll try to find out which device causes the latency and let you know if this solves the problem.

Steph

What is the graphics card you are using? Do you have the latest drivers for all of the hardware on your machine (including any BIOS updates)?

Problem solved!

The freezing problem was due to a combination of factors:
The large latency values I had were due to a virtual box I had running in parallel on the computer. Stopping the virtual box made the latency decrease to the acceptable value of 150 microseconds. In parallel, the camera was not plugged in the best USB port. As already recommended in several other threads, I can confirm that the camera should be plugged in a USB port directly connected to the motherboard.

When using the right USB port, the latest CL-Eye drivers and disabling the software/hardware that could produce high DCP latency, the camera works perfectly for hours.

Thanks for your help

Steph