Vision Assistant will not let me acquire an image from the camera

[Robot Man]

I have been able to to do the "Image Processing in LabVIEW for FRC" tutorial with reasonable results.

I have NO past experience with cameras on a computer.

I am learning that the color template is significant in finding the object that I am looking for,

I believe that it would be a major advantage if I could be searching for colors that the camera sees rather than colors taken from an image file.

I have tried several different times to use the Acquire Image option in the Vision Assistant and I get the following error.

Error 56 occurred at TCP Open Connection in Read Axis JPG.vi->IVA Axis IP IMAQ Exec.vi->IVA Axis IP IMAQ Interface.vi->IVA Call Process Module Interface.vi:2->IVA Acquisition Tools Palette.vi

I hope there is a way of fixing this?

Thanks

[Nate.H]

Dear RobotMan,

To acquire images with the custom step developed for Vision Assistant (step name: Acquire Image (Axis IP)), you must:

1) Connect your Axis camera directly to the computer using a crossover cable (orange cable from the KOP).

2) Change the IP address of your computer to 192.168.0.xx where "xx" is any non used port. I used 192.168.0.8 in my testing. See section 5.5.1 of the FRC Control System Manual

3) Now try to snap or grab an image from Vision Assistant

If you still have problems, check on the IP address of your camera by using the tool shipped on the Axis setup CD, and make sure it matches the IP specified in Vision Assistant. The default should be 192.168.0.90.

Best Regards,

~Nate

NI FIRST Support

[Robot Man]

I did the things that you suggested without difficulty.

Now, when I press the "Acquire Image" button I get the following:

Error -20001 occurred at Read Axis JPG.vi

Data length from camera = 0

Possible reason(s):

Analysis:  There is not enough memory to perform the specified routine.

I am using a laptop with 1.5 GB of memory running under MS Vista.

Is the problem related to my laptop's memory or something else?

Thanks for your help.

[Nate.H]

Dear RobotMan,

The error message does relate to the available memory on your laptop, and this may be the cause of the problem:

Do you still get this error if you decrease the image resolution to 160x120, and increase the compression to double or triple the default?

Try acquiring with a minimum of other processing or programs running. Does this change the behavior?

Best Regards,

~Nate

NI FIRST Support

[sciencewhiz]

Somewhere I think I remember someone having this problem until they configured the camera with the "Setup Axis Camera" utility.

[Nate.H]

Good call sciencewhiz!

I neglected to check if the Setup Axis Camera tool had been run.

You must run this tool to have the camera correctly configured to work with all parts of the control system.

~Nate

[Robot Man]

Thank you both.

I had not executed that program.

I just did and the Vision Assistant has captured the images that I want.

I hope that I can figure out how to use the camera to find an opponent's trailer.

I have NEVER done any programming using a camera.

Thanks again.

Mike

[sciencewhiz]

You'll probably be interested in the example code that NI released for finding the trailer. It's posted at http://usfirst.org/frccontrolsystem

We released an example that uses that code to follow the goal. http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11298

[Robot Man]

Thank you for the sample program.

I have it running on my laptop and the servos just keep on moving.

I see a green and pink object move across the mask and they don't stop at any time.

I tried moving my target closer and further away with no luck.

I know that one should do something with the color thresholds but I don't have a clue as to what to do.

Is there a document somewhere that would explain how to adjust those things?

And, is it usable by someone who knows nothing except how to program a computer?

thanks,

Mike

[sciencewhiz]

Do you have it looking for the right orientation of the target?