Unknown network error

[samapico]

Hello,

We are using 2 Prosilica cameras connected via gigabit ethernet. We keep getting "Unknown network error" messages after we configure some settings (Trigger source, trigger mode, exposure time) on the camera. The error comes from the VI 'NI_Vision_Acquisition_Software.lvlib:IMAQdx Configure Acquisition.vi'.

The error code is -1074360277, with the description "Unknown network error". We even checked in the imaqdx.h file, and the error code tells us nothing else. It happens sporadically (~50% of the time, maybe), but when it happens, it happens on both cameras at the same time. Also, once it happens, we usually have to exit LabVIEW, open MAX, do a snap on each camera, and start over.

We used mostly the same code in another project and never had this issue, the only difference being that we did not set the exposure time parameter in that other project.

Any clues on what this 'unknown' error could be?

Thanks

[BlueCheese]

Hi samapico,

Just for the sake of possibly trying to replicate this, would you be able to post the Prosilica model numbers and firmware revisions of your cameras?

That particular error when applied to GigE Vision cameras should be very rare. It is generated when we are trying to match up the network interface we are talking to the device from in kernel mode with the adapter information in user mode. The error is generated when a match is not found. We would never expect this to happen because in general those two lists are identical in the system.

Here's some thoughts:

- What the the host adapter IP address listed in MAX? You can see it on the camera information tab.

- Can you attach a copy/paste of the output of "ipconfig /all" from the command line?

- Do you have some 3rd-party software firewall that might be interfering with this?

Eric

[samapico]

Cameras info:

Prosilica GC1290M (02-2185A) @ 169.254.200.2

Prosilica GC2450M (02-2170A) @ 169.254.100.2

Both are using firmware 1.36.0

ipconfig from one of the PC's attached.

We are using Windows 7 x64 Professional, only the windows firewall is enabled, but we disabled it for the camera adapters. We also tested with firewall completely off, didn't change anything.

Both cameras are plugged directly on the PC on a Intel PRO/1000 PT Dual Port Server Adapter ethernet card.

I didn't mention that we have 2 independant similar machines, and they both get this problem. By similar, I mean they run with the same software (which is still being developped, so they get slightly different versions at differrent times) and the same hardware. It's therefore unlikely this is due to an actual fault in the hardware, because both machines get pretty much the same symptoms.

Thanks for the quick reply, by the way 🙂

[BlueCheese]

Thanks for the ipconfig info. Would you be able to check the host adapter IP address listed for each camera and see if it matches your local adapter's IP address you have plugged each camera into?

I did notice your IP addressing information is a little odd. You have both cameras in different explicit subnets off the 169.254.x.x link-local address space. By default this network will have an entry in the routing table for the whole 169.254.x.x address space (especially if things like Apple's Bonjur/mDNSResponder client are installed). If you're going to assign the cameras manual addresses you should assign them in a range such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x (with appropriate subnet masks for the addresses you intend to use). An easier method I'd suggest would be to configure both the cameras and the system to simply use DHCP with automatic link-local addressing. On Windows 7 this combination should work perfectly regardless of how many cameras and local network interfaces you have and then you don't have to statically assign addresses to anything.

Eric

[samapico]

As shown in the ipconfig.txt attachment, the host IP for both cameras are 169.254.200.1 and 169.254.100.1, so it should work fine. But if the 169.254.x.x range is handled in a particular way, I guess it could get messy...

With the AutoIP option, both cameras get assigned a 169.254.x.x IP... Altough both cameras are listed in GigEIPConfig, only one of them appears in GigEViewer 😞 Even seeking the missing camera by IP using the IP shown in GigEIPConfig fails.

I rebooted both the PC and the cameras after setting the adapter card and the camera to auto/dhcp

Edit: I rebooted again, and now there isn't any camera listed in GigEViewer... Maybe there's something I did wrong somewhere, since I never personally configured these cameras...

[BlueCheese]

Try using their GigEIPConfig utility to reconfigure all the cameras to remove any static IP address and enable DHCP and LLA.

Eric

[samapico]

Well, I had them configured with GigEIPConfig to DHCP, and I also tried AutoIP. Same problem with both options...

I set them back to use a static IP, but in the 10.xxx range  in a subnet that doesn't interfere with our local network. I can detect the cameras that way. I'll be able to tell later if we get the unknown network error still.

Would it be better to configure both cameras in the same subnet, even though they are on two different adapters? If so, why?

[BlueCheese]

As long as you are using Vista or later, you can use multiple interfaces using the same network subnet and the IMAQdx driver can still properly talk to individual cameras behind each one. This would be an advantage as then you would not have to be careful about plugging the right camera into the right port.

Eric

[samapico]

We still get the "unknown network error" message with the cameras in the 10.200.xxx.xxx range (10.100.xxx.xxx being our LAN)...

Anything else I can check?

[BlueCheese]

Try going to device manager, deleting your network interfaces being used for GigE Vision, and then rebooting to have them reinstalled again. You might also want to consider removing any other vendor's GigE Vision driver software since they often install network filter drivers that perhaps could be causing some odd effects.

Eric