PCI-1422 Problem

[Andrew Smith]

Hello all,

We're using a PCI-1422 framegrabber card with a Raytheon 2000B camera.  We've got

a one of these systems running at a remote site which is literally on the other

side of the world and has limited network access.  Periodically it gets itself

into a state where any attempt to snap a single frame via imgSnap() fails with

the error:

<IMG_ERR_NOEM> there is not enough onboard memory to perform the requested

operation.

If we repeatedly try to snap frames, the system crashes eventually.  The remote

system is running Windows XP Pro SP2 and IMAQ 2.51.  When the system comes up

again, Windows complains "The system has recovered from a serious error".  The

system event log records, just before the reboot, that "A device driver is

leaking locked I/O pages causing system degradation".

The problems will persist after a system reboot.

Querying the amount of onboard RAM via imgGetAttribute(IMG_ATTR_RAMSIZE) returns

(after a delay of several seconds) 0 bytes.  Running standard diagnostics on the

card may return "On-board memory logic active test: Failed Critical".

Anyway, I accidentally managed to duplicate similar symptoms on my test system in

the lab which runs Windows 2000 SP4 (also with IMAQ 2.51).

When we log in to this system, we get the error dialog box:
-----
IMAQ Boot
Error initializing your IMAQ hardware.  Please contact National Instruments

Technical Support.
-----

If we then look at the properties of the device in MAX, there is a delay of

several seconds then the following appears:

Name: img0
Type: IMAQ PCI-1422
Revision: F
Serial Number: 0x10E5631
Onboard Memory: 0 Mbytes
Clock Frequency: 40 MHz
Interface: RS-422

Snapping an image though MAX produces the same error about not having enough

onboard memory.  The computer will spontaneously reboot after repeated attempts

to snap an image.

I initially suspected a software or driver incompatibility so I installed Windows

XP Pro SP2 and IMAQ 3.1.3 onto a clean hard drive in my test machine to see if

this would improve matters.  The hardware configuration is otherwise identical

but now I get the following error dialog in MAX:
-----
IMAQ Device Failure
The following IMAQ devices failed initialization:
Serial Number 0x010E5631
Error 0xBFF600E2: The scarabXCV200.bin file is corrupt or missing.
Please contact National Instruments for technical support.
-----

The device does not show up in the MAX navigation tree.

We've run out of ideas here so any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly

appreciated!

Cheers,

- Andrew.

[cgraf]

Hi Andrew,

You'll get error 0xBFF600E2 if there was a problem initializing the onboard memory hardware from the specified FPGA bin file.  This is typically caused by one of two things:

a) The listed FPGA bin file (scarabXCV200.bin) truly is corrupt or non-existant, or

b) Either the onboard memory hardware or the logic to program the onboard memory hardware has been damaged

Given that you've seen this problem with multiple NI-IMAQ versions, and given that it sounds like you just recently did a fresh NI-IMAQ install of 3.1.3, I'm doubtful that the problem is caused by (a).  Regardless, could you please attach your scarabXCV200.bin file to this thread so that I can easily sanity-check it for any corruption?  It is typically found in "c:\program files\national instruments\ni-imaq\bin".

Do you have multiple PCI-1422 boards?  If so, is this the only one that is exhibiting this problem?  How long has this board operated successfully?  If the problem is caused by (b), we can certainly RMA the board for repair.

Thanks,

Chris

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your response.

We've had the card that I'm using in the lab for about a year, I think,
but I'm not sure how much it has been used in that time.  It was working
just fine until a couple of weeks ago.  The card in the machine at the
remote site is two or three years old, and seems to have developed the
problem a few months ago.  The two seem to exhibit similar symptoms, the
only difference that I have been able to determine is that the card at
the remote site seems to come good eventually and will operate
successfully for a few weeks until it dies again, whereas the card in
the local system seems permanently dead.

We have a second PCI-1422 that we can try in our lab machine.  It has
problems of its own (the subject of another thread, perhaps) but it does
not exhibit the out-of-memory error with either set of drivers when it
is in the computer alone.  If I put both of our PCI-1422 cards in the machine
together, it depends on the PCI slot order: in one configuration the 'good'
one will work and the bad one will fail but if I reverse the slot order
they both fail with the out-of-memory error.

Cheers,

- Andrew.

[Scott_R]

Hello Andrew,

When you upgraded your version of the NI-IMAQ drivers, did you uninstall the existing drivers first or did you overwrite the previous installation?  If you did not uninstall first, try doing so and removing the drivers completely and then reinstalling.  If the error repeats, you may also want to try uninstalling NI-MAX and then reinstalling all of your device drivers.  Uninstalling MAX will remove all of the device drivers that you have installed as well as a number of MAX configuration files that may not be removed otherwise. 

We will take a look at the file that you attached and compare that to a known good file to check for errors. 

Regards,

Scott R.

Applications Engineer

National Instruments

[Salvator]

Hi,

The failure with the onboard memory occurs with the 1424, too.

I using a PCI 1424 FrameGrabber, and the selftest and the Check with LabView (GetAttribute_Ramsize) shows

a RAM Value of 0. 

Running standard diagnostics on the card return "On-board memory logic active test: Failed Critical".

Configuration data:

WINDOWS 2000

LabVIEW 7.1.1

MAX 3.1.1

IMAQ 3.1.3

I have deinstalled the older IMAQ Version, and then i have installed the 3.1.3 version. And after that, i have installed the board to the PC.

The Selftest "in Depth" shows no failure !

Interface Name: img0
Interface Type: 1424
Serial Number: 0x00AFA8DA (With Switch S1 !, its a board from the loaner pool)
Onboard Memory: 0 MB
Interface: RS-422

All *.bin files are with the date 08.06.2005

At this time i have not try to snap an image because i does not have installed a signal source (camera).

I want to install the whole configuartion, to be ready when the Signalsource will be available ...

Will be the missing onboard memory really a problem ? Or is this only a bug with low priority ...

(RAM is present but not detected e.g. ....)

Jörg

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Scott,

I am installing IMAQ 3.1.3 onto a fresh installation of Windows XP.  I have done this several times (rebuilding Windows each time) but the problem persists.

Cheers,

- Andrew.

[Scott_R]

Andrew,

We have examined the FPGA binary file, and it is identical to the one that we ship. Therefore, I don't suspect any corruption with it.  Could you tell me more about your system configuration?  I.e. what motherboard, chipset, and CPU are you using?  How is your CPU configured (single CPU, single hyperthreaded CPU, dual, etc)? 

Regards,
Scott R.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Scott,

The machine I'm mainly using in the lab has a 1600MHz P4 on an ASUS P4B-M motherboard.  No hyperthreading or anything fancy.  We have used several PCI-1422 cards in this system or similar ones in the past and there have been no problems.

The card definitely used to work in this system until recently.  We have since installed it in other systems and we observe the same problems.

My suspicion is that this card has developed a fault.

I'll have to ask someone to get the details for the other system at the remote site.  I do know however that this card used to work just fine with our lab system too.

Cheers,

- Andrew.

[ryanm]

Hi Andrew,

Based on what you have described so far:

1)  The card worked for a long time and now does not.
2)  You have tried multiple driver versions including the latest.
3)  You tried multiple computers.
4)  Other cards work, but this one does not.

It seems there is something wrong with the board.

Regards,

Ryan M.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[SmileyDog]

Hello,  I am working with a PCI-1424 on a Windows 2000 System and I am getting exactly the same memory 0 errors.  I recently rebuilt the entire software system, reinstalling windows and all the NI/Labview software.   The PCI-1424 was working perfectly before the rebuild.  The rebuild was to resolve *.Dll issues associated with a USB-6501, which is now working fine. 

I doubt the problem is with the card, because it was working well before the changes with both the on-board memory only, and with a 128 MB mem expansion card.  I was careful in handling of the card during the removal and reinstation.  The other functions of the card check out fine with the self tests, both standard and detailed.

 I had to reset the Bios settings to the defaults as part of the rebuild process.  Is it possible that  some setting in the BIOS associated with memory is the problem? 

I have downloaded the above lists file, to try that fix.  I don't have another PCI-1424 to try.  Do you have any advice on how to proceed.