PrecisionHD 4X Camera Failures
Recently we have seen camera connectivity and camera boot issues with PrecisionHD 4X cameras in the field. We have managed to narrow down the reported problems to two scenarios:
1. Wake from Standby:
Certain Precision HD 4X cameras may also display the following after working for a period of time:
1. System is configured for standby;
2. System goes into standby;
3. When system resumes from standby, camera cannot be controlled by the codec - no PTZ control from any input device no video on self-view.
This issue is documented in the following bug:
CSCts05788 PrecisionHD 1080p 4x Camera losing connectivity after going to standby
Workaround:
- Rebooting the camera, or rebooting the entire system with the camera attached, may allow the camera to reestablish a connection.
- Turning off standby on the system may prevent the issue from recurring.
- Powering the camera separately with its own power supply will also prevent the issue (PSU-CAM-V=).
- Connecting the camera to a codec running TC 5.1.2 or later should upgrade the camera version 20010, as a fix for this issue. Faster booting codecs such as C40, C60 or C90 are more likely to successfully upgrade a camera with the older firmware.
Corrective Actions for Wake from Standby:
The permanent fix for the issue is to upgrade to TC 4.2.3 or TC 5.1.2, which contains camera firmware 20010 that resolves this issue. Images can be found here:
2. Failed Camera Boot:
Customers are also reporting the following symptoms on new installs, new replacements, or after rebooting their codec on a previously working installation for certain Precision HD 4X cameras:
1. Orange LED present on camera at all times
2. Green LED present on base of camera
3. No PTZ control from any input device (e.g. touchpanel, remote, etc.)
4. No video on self-view from camera.
5. The admin CLI command "xstatus camera 1" shows "Connected: False" and no other camera information is displayed.
xstatus camera 1
*s Camera 1 Connected: False
*s Camera 1 HardwareID: ""
*s Camera 1 Manufacturer: ""
*s Camera 1 Model: ""
*s Camera 1 SoftwareID: ""
*s Camera 1 SerialNumber: ""
*s Camera 1 IpAddress: ""
*s Camera 1 MacAddress: ""
*s Camera 1 Position Pan: 0
*s Camera 1 Position Tilt: 0
*s Camera 1 Position Zoom: 16
*s Camera 1 Position Focus: 4000
*s Camera 1 Capabilities Options: ""
*s Camera 1 Flip: "Off"
** end
OK
6. Power cycling the camera or codec does not allow codec control of the camera.
As a result of the above, the camera cannot be controlled by the codec. There currently is no workaround once the camera gets into the above state, other than to manually apply a firmware image via the USB port on the camera (see below).
Corrective Actions for Failed Camera Boot:
If camera control becomes lost after several power cycles of the codec and/or camera, and control cannot be regained, there are troubleshooting steps and potential corrective actions that can be taken.
1. If possible, plug the camera into another working C40, C60, or C90 codec at the same TC software level to see if camera control is regained. From the admin CLI, run "xstatus camera 1" and verify if the camera shows as connected, and verify the software ID.
2. If the C20 codec is running TC 4.X, upgrade to TC 4.2.3, which contains camera firmware ID 20010. The camera should upgrade the firmware ID to 20010; verify the camera status from the admin CLI as above. Powercycle the codec at least three to five times to see if camera control returns; be sure to verify the camera status after each reboot.
3. If the C20 codec is running TC 5.0 or 5.1.1, upgrade to TC 5.1.2, which also contains camera firmware ID 20010. The camera should upgrade the firmware ID to 20010; verify the camera status from the admin CLI as above. Powercycle the codec at least three to five times to see if camera control returns; be sure to verify the camera status after each reboot.
4. If camera control has not returned after the above steps, plug the camera into another C40, C60 or C90 codec (not C20) running TC 4.2.3 or TC 5.1.2. The camera should upgrade the firmware ID to 20010; verify the camera status from the admin CLI as above.
If all of the above fail, then the only way to recover the camera to a working state is to apply firmware ID 20010 manually via USB.
USB Recovery Procedure:
In order to recover the camera image via USB, we connect directly to the camera via the serial port. The USB recovery procedure will recover the camera to a working state for a period of time; however, the potential does exist for the codec to lose camera control at some point in the future.