Webcam crashing

[musherrob]

Hi All, Using a Logitech 9000 as Weather cam and lately is deciding to crash after approx 8-10 hours.Have yet to install WDL so using animated image for web site.Am using WD,S setup to capture image etc and close down the webcams own software.In the Capture settings it is showing repeatedly" Device Lost".It then means having to reboot pc to enable Live image and upload.So any thoughts appreciated.
Rob

[Budgie]

How far away is the webcam from the PC (what's the cable run length)?
If it's over about 5 metres, do you have any "active" USB cables in the cable run?
It could be that you're right on the limit for the power from the normal USB port to reach the webcam and it's dropping out occasionally. If you fit an Active USB cable[/ur] in the run then that will boost the power from the port and should eliminate the problems. 

[musherrob]

How far away is the webcam from the PC (what's the cable run length)?
If it's over about 5 metres, do you have any "active" USB cables in the cable run?
It could be that you're right on the limit for the power from the normal USB port to reach the webcam and it's dropping out occasionally. If you fit an Active USB cable[/ur] in the run then that will boost the power from the port and should eliminate the problems. 

Yes already have them connected. The total active USB,s are 2 plus the camera lead.The cam is on a 10 ft pole attached to the chimmney.Thanks
Rob

[TokKiwi]

There is a thread here... http://www.weather-watch.com/smf/index.php/topic,44753.0.html  about WdWebcamCapture and connections to cameras (Logitech each time?) being lost.  Mine is only lasting about 20hrs each time and I have to check every morning before work.  My logitech - 2nd webcam, seems to switch off and leaves a blank window in WDWebcamCapture.  It may be due to USB port settings - they were all left permanently on with Sleep mode turned off.  I will revisit the port setup again.

TK

I have checked and every hub is not checked for letting PC put port to sleep.
I have enclosed an image of the setup of the PCI - USB Host Controller that the webcam is using.

Note the 398% of Bandwidth. Is this an issue?  Nothing else on a USB port.  Mouse is PS2. I have an Active USB cable but not an externally powered one.

TK

[Silversword]

Hi,

If length is an issue, a suggested solution would be to use an USB to Cat5 to USB system that could extend the length to 40 meters or so.  The down side is that the adapters are USB 1.0 instead of USB 2.0 Unless there may be adapters that support 2,0 after I got my adapters a few years ago..

Hope that this suggestion may help you with the drop outs.

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii

[Weather Display]

well, I now have this problem
after changing to a windows 7 PC (Atom CPU, Netbook)

I was not getting this problem on XP

so its the Vista/W7 driver update for the Logitech 9000 that is the possible cause

the cable length has not been increased

a PC reboot is needed to get the camera working again...


has anyone found a solution?

[TokKiwi]

I never replied in this thread for the cause and the fix - I was having voltage drop-outs in the power circuit (Freezer, washing m/c, drier all on same circuit as Wx PC, 100m cable to house from pillar box, 2 phase supply).

Apparently the usb was going ding-dong - off - and then re-instating with Dong-Ding - I only learned this once I fitted speakers to the PC!!  Sometimes this would happen inside 2 secs - Off and then On again.  So Windy setabout checking in the WDWebcamCapture software for re-instating a link to a camera when signal or connection was lost and this has fixed the problem for my No2 Camera.  I didn't need to replace the camera after all!!

Sorry, this will not be your problem Windy, but thought others may need to know what was my problem and how you fixed it.

TK

[Dave1680]

It always seems to be a Logitech 9000 that does this and always with Windows 7.
The answer is to get WDwebcamcature version 8.4 or earlier, the latest one does not like this configuration.

Dave

[Weather Display]

I will see if I can find an earlier version of the component that was used in that 8.4 version and try that
for now I have the pc rebooting daily