Cisco Room USB (mini) : camera stops working in MS Teams call

[arjan.de.goede]

Hi,

We have several small meeting rooms with Cisco Room USB systems.  The user connects the HDMI and USB cables to the laptop and starts the meeting. Now recently on many laptops the camera stops working in a MS Teams call, using the camera of the Room Kit.

What can this be? When using webex with the same room USB system, the camera keeps working.

In Teams the message is: the camera is not responding or stops working or something like that and the user has to select the laptop camera. Before the meeting the camera is still working (when go into the Teams devices screen), bus as soon as the meeting is started, the camera stops working sooner or later....

[PJMack]

I doubt this is your issue, but why are you connecting HDMI and USB-C between the devices? You should not need HDMI - your laptop (if it's a modern one) can use the USB-C for both the AV in from the Room USB and for AV out to display on the monitor connected to the Room USB. I have a desk Mini - same setup really, and my laptop is only connected to the device with one cable, not two. Again, maybe not your problem, but give it a try, perhaps your redundant connections are causing your issue. 

[Wayne DeNardi]

As @PJMack suggested, connecting the HDMI cable is likely unnecessary and could be the cause of your issue.   You should only need to connect the Room device to the laptop with the USB-C cable.

[arjan.de.goede]

Does the Room Kit mini (usb) support video over USB-C then ? the Room kit mini has an HDMI port to connect a monitor and an HDMI input port for the computer. The instruction on the screen says also: connect both USB and HDMI cables to the computer for a video call.

[Nithin Eluvathingal]

USB Passthrough

• Provides the ability to deliver video, microphone, and speaker functionality over a single USB cable to a connected computer.

If you’re using a Room USB device that supports USB passthrough, you don’t need to connect both HDMI and USB-C cables, as the USB-C handles passthrough. Simply connect the laptop via USB-C and use it.

I suspect the issue might be related to the Microsoft Teams app rather than the device itself.

In this case, I’d recommend testing with a different laptop brand to narrow down the problem. If the different laptop works fine, check the problematic PC for any driver updates. I’d also suggest upgrading the Teams app to see if that resolves the issue.

[arjan.de.goede]

USB passthrough is not applicable here, since it is a room kit mini with USB port (for BYOD), not the larger room kit without USB port..

But we will try using another laptop and also try to update the firmware of the room kit mini.

[arjan.de.goede]

yesterday we tried again and the camera works in Teams web version and Zoom, but not in the Teams app. Camera works in preview mode, but as soon as a call has been made, the camera picture freezes and the message appears: Your camera isn't working....

The speaker and microphone keep working then.

[Matt_W]

I would have said make certain the USB-C cable is version 3.2 or better, but being that it works until it is a teams call makes me think it is the application.  If you are under support I would open a case with Cisco on something like that.  You can also verify you are running the latest firmware on the device.  Microsoft Teams App has been doing a lot of upgrades lately which may have caused an issue that needed a Cisco update to the device.  I tested a Room Kit Mini I had here running the latest firmware and could not replicate your issue.

[arjan.de.goede]

I have upgraded the firmware to Room OS 11.20.2.3  (was 10.3.3.0)  and it seems this solved the issue.

[arjan.de.goede]

one remark:  when connecting the USB-A connector from the cable coming from the room kit mini  to a USB-C port on a Dell laptop  (using an USB A/C converter) , it works for some seconds, but then the error: USB device not recognized.