DMK31 wont change frame rate... hung ICCapture.

[marsel60]

Hello folks,
I'm just passed on a new notebook and I'm experiencing problems with ICCapture and my DMK31AF03 camera.
Let me explain the problem:
ICCapture recognize fine my camera and start to show the live preview. Settings are 30fps and all the rest in auto mode.
As soon as I try to change the frame rate to e.g. 15fps, the live image went black and an error message appear. To have back the preview
I need to disconnect and reconnect the camera. I'm able to change exposure times and gain when the camera is set to 30fps.
The same problem appear if I try to change frame rate to 7.5fps... live preview freeze and I need to disconnect/reconnect camera.
Now, here is my configuration that has problem:
PC-HP Pavilion dv6-2136el RAM-4GB OS-Win7 Ultimate English 64bit DMK31 driver-4.1.1.3 ICCapture-2.0.1.517
Hope you've already seen this kind of problem and solved... Stefan
If you need more details, Stefan, just ask me... thanks in advance for your time and kind answer.
Regards
-Marco

[marsel60]

Stefan, I have an update of the problem.
Connecting the DMK31AF03.AS camera and trying to change the framerate to 3.75fps works fine. I'm able to use 30 or 3.75fps w/o problems but NOT 7.5 and 15fps. This is a very strange problem for me! I do not understand why at particular framerate it works while in other not. Just for a trial I disabled the 1394 controller embedded in my laptop and leaving only my ExpressCard 1394 enabled but... the problem remain.
By the way, attached you can find the error that appear as soon as I try to change framerate to 7.5 or 15fps.
Cheers.
-Marco

[Stefan Geissler]

Hi,

you may try the legacy FireWire bus driver of Windows 7. In Windows 7 is a 1394 bus driver issue. You must install the legacy driver for your 1394 bus. Then the DFG/1394-1e works fine.

You can load the legacy 1394 bus driver using the following steps: 1. In device manager, select the properties for the 1394 controller.

2. Select the 'Driver' page and 'Update Driver' button.

3. Select 'Browse my computer for driver software.'

4. Select 'Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.'

5. Within the list of devices, you will see a device with '(Legacy).' This is the 1394 bus driver that previously shipped in Windows. Select this device and select 'Next.'

This will install the legacy 1394 bus driver on Windows 7. You can use the same steps, changing the device you select in step 5, to revert back to the new 1394 bus driver.

But I am not sure, whether this is the solution. You may also have a look on the power options of your laptop. To low power options or an energy saving CPU slows down FireWire, USB and eSATA. With FireWire cameras this results in damaged image, which means, you should see at least something.

[marsel60]

Thanks Stefan for your prompt reply. I've already changed the driver of my 1394 controller to the legacy one but right now (at work) I cannot try if this is the solution or not. I'll do some trials this afternoon at home and I'll let you know if this is the solution. Will follow an update.... thanks for now.
-Marco

[marsel60]

GREAT news Stefan! Changing the device driver for the 1394 controller to legacy one as you suggested, works fine! I'm now able back to change the frame rate to 30, 15, 7.5 and 3,75 while the camera is working using ICCapture.... BUT, the images showed in live mode or recorded sometimes are "corrupted". The images corruption is ONLY at 15 and 7.5 fps NOT on 30 or 3.75fps. More corrupted frames quantity is at 7.5 fps while at 15fps is rarely corrupted. I call "corrupted frame" a frame that seems to have a "synchro" loss... the frame seems to be "divided" horizontally in two, rolled, portion.
So, have you, please, any hints for this frame corruption problem?
Thanks a bunch for your kind help and have a nice day.
ciao
-Marco

[Stefan Geissler]

Hello,

as written above, the corrupted images are caused by the power saving of the CPU:

But I am not sure, whether this is the solution. You may also have a look on the power options of your laptop. To low power options or an energy saving CPU slows down FireWire, USB and eSATA. With FireWire cameras this results in damaged image, which means, you should see at least something.

If you can get a progam like "cpustress" to create ~20% CPU load, then the corrupted images should be away.