NI-MAX crashes when opening DirectShow USB Camera (BMS Microscope)

[mm22]

We are trying to use a BMS Microscope in LabVIEW. This USB 2.0 camera has a DirectShow driver. Thus it should be plug&play compatible in LabVIEW using the NI Vision Acquisition Software, which provides the IMAQdx driver.

First of all, the camera works with its own software and also using a different DirectShow compatible program (AMCap).

Under NI-MAX it shows up correctly but when clicked on MAX crashes with error "Exception: Access violation (0xC0000005) at EIP=0x68520855". We have tried many different versions of VAS and MAX (2011 through 2015), the only difference being that in recent versions (>=2014) the IMAQdx devices folder is NOT shown (cameras are listed directly under Devices). Is this normal, by the way?

I attach a screenshot where AMCap is visible, with the working camera. Also the crash report from MAX can be seen. Normally I close AMCap before running MAX, but even starting them at the same time does not produce a different result.

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Marco

ps We are using Vision Acquisition Software in Evaluation Mode, we want to make sure it works before purchasing it. Does that make a difference?

[mm22]

EDIT: LabVIEW crashes in a similar way Exception: "Access violation (0xC0000005) at EIP=0x0000000000000000"

[=Jean]

Hi Marco,

Best advice here is to contact your local NI support if you have SSP. I guess they will forward this problem to the Vision Team, because it seems to be a IMAQdx driver problem or incompatibility.

Have a nice one 🙂

[EloyPE]

Hello

I have the same issue with a directshow compatible USB camera (ToupTek). I have used this camera in 3 computers, and the problem appears only on one of them, which runs  win7 64bits; the other two computer runs win7 32bits and the camera works fine. By the way, the camera is a little bit old, about 6-5 years.

Any kind of further suggestions?. Maybe the problem appears only on 64bits machines.

[rrobe]

I looked at the error reports from both of you.  It seems like the crashes originate while communicating with the DirectShow drivers for the cameras.  Unfortunately, this means there is no quick or easy fix to get them working with Vision Acquisition.  We would have to get the cameras in-house, debug the cause of the crash, and then work with the camera company to figure out a solution.

To answer an earlier question, there is no difference between an evaluation version of Vision Acquisition and the licensed version.  The camera will still not work even if licensed.

As for one camera working in 32 bit Windows versus 64 bit, the camera has different drivers depending on the bitness of the operating system.  Although you would expect these to behave the same, in this case one works while the other doesn't. 

[EloyPE]

Thank you for your reply

The camera has different drivers for 32 or 64 bits right. And I installed the correct driver for each of the OS. Indeed, the camera works fine in both OS with the provided sw of the vendor

The same problem occurs in my case algo for GigE cameras. So, in my opinion, it is not only a dirceshow problem.

Regards

[rrobe]

GigE Vision cameras are completely different than DirectShow cameras.  Problems with one type of camera are unrelated to the other type.  What issues are you having with your GigE camera?

[EloyPE]

We got the same error: "Exception: Access violation (0xC0000005) at EIP=0x68520855"

[Joseph-S]

Hi EloyPE,

Which GigE camera specifically is causing this exception? I have worked with a camera before that was advertised as a "GigE camera" but is not actually GigE Vision compliant and instead uses directshow to interface with the host computer. This would be my guess as to why you are getting the same exception with your GigE camera. A screenshot of how the camera appears in MAX might also help to get to the bottom of this.