Many of your questions can be answered by reviewing the following questions and responses.  

What version of code is my camera running?
The image looks 'grainy'.
How do I do a 'factory reset'?
What is the polarity of the camera and IQpoet power?
Why does my IP address disappear I re-boot the camera?
What can I, exactly, connect to the relay out and trigger in connector?
Can my camera boot any quicker?
I've installed everything properly, why won't my camera work?
Can I communicate to the IQeye camera via modem only?
I've installed everything properly, why won't my camera work?
Why are my images blank/all black/all white?
Why are there spots/streaks/horizontal lines in my images?
Why is there static in my images?
Why are my images too red/green/blue?
Why are my images blurry?
My outdoor scene looks good at some parts of the day, and bad at other times.
Why can't I get the advertised rate of streaming images from the camera?
When I am looking at a streaming image and want to capture a single frame to disk, my browser options saves the entire stream until I cancel, then I can't view the result. How do I capture and save a single image from an image stream?
I plugged everything in properly, why doesn't the green LED on the back of the camera blink?
I can't access my camera and the green LED is blinking every two seconds. What's wrong?
Why won't my camera boot?
My camera appears to be working (both LEDs blinking intermittently), so why can't I access it to get an image?

IR illumination source

Question: Do the OKIQeye cameras work with IR light sources?

Answers: Our cameras are not designed to work with IR light sources.  Color cameras are particularly affected by IR light - the image gets a sort of "washed out" look. To avoid this problem, we affix an IR filter directly to the surface of our CMOS imaging chip, thereby blocking IR from the imager.

frame rate

Question: How fast is your camera?

Answers: Camera "speed" in the digital environment is related to several factors:
  - Image size (in pixels)
  - Amount of compression (i.e. the "willingness" of image to be compressed)
  - available network bandwidth

Tip: See our description of frame rates and image sizes for IQeye cameras.

Tip: The Image Management Page on your IQeye camera has a 'frame rate' test button

power consumption

Question: How much power does your camera use?

Answers: IQeye network cameras are designed to consume minimum power - less than 5 watts!

lenses

Question: What lenses are supported by your cameras.

Answers: OKIQeye network cameras support a wide array of industry-standard lenses including C, CS and Megapixel lenses.

modem support

Question: Can I communicate to the IQeye camera via modem only?

Answers: Yes. IQeye cameras are all equipped with a serial port and support PPP. The camera can be configured to dial an ISP and e-mail or FTP an image.

Tip:  Configuring modems can be a complex and time consuming exercise and is recommended only for the most technical integrator or OEM.

camera code version

Question: how do I tell what version of code my camera is running?.  

Answers: From a telnet session or the console port, type show version.  From the web administration pages, select the 'server' tab, and look for 'firmware version'.  You can check for a more current version on our software page.

grainy image

Question: The image from my camera looks 'grainy'.  

Answers: The typical cause of a 'grainy' or 'noisy' image is too little light hitting the imager chip.  Check the iris to make sure it is all the way open (smallest f-stop numbers).

factory reset

Question: how do I do a 'factory reset'?  

Answers: There are two ways to do a factory reset - via the command line, and by using the NVR/Reset button on the back of the camera.

To use the command line:

Connect to the camera via telnet or the console port.  Log in as the privileged user and issue the init factory command.

To use the NVR/Reset button:

• Unplug the power from the camera
• Using a straightened paper clip, push and hold the NVR/Reset button on the rear of the camera
  • IQeye 3, located between the Ethernet and Trigger connectors
  • IQeye1/2 - located immediately below the trigger-in/relay-out connector
• Apply power to the camera and continue to hold the NVR/Reset button in for a slow ten-count (10 seconds)
• Release the button and give the camera extra time to re-boot.

Note: This will clear all settings back to the factory defaults. 

IQeye and IQpoet power polarity

Question: What is the polarity of the camera and IQpoet power?

Answer: The IQeye cameras accept both AC and DC.  There is no polarity requirement for either the camera or IQpoet.

my IP address 'goes away'

Question: Why does my IP address disappear I re-boot the camera

Answers: If another device on the network has the same IP address as your camera, the camera will detect this at boot time and will not assign itself the IP address.  You can check for this by pinging for the IP address before you connect your camera or by connecting to the camera's console port and running both of these commands:  show ip and list ip.  If the IP address is zero's with the show command and correct with the list command, then this is the likely problem.

For versions of camera operating code prior to V1.7/1, using the ARP/PING method of assigning an IP address will assign a temporary IP address in volatile memory. This means the IP address will be lost after a re-boot or after power is cycled. After using ARP/PING, you must use telnet to connect to the camera and define a permanent IP address. Also, refer to the Installation & Initial Configuration chapter in the OkIQeye Users Guide.

Telnet to the camera.  User commands in bold:

OkIQinVision IQeye3 Version V1.7/1

Type HELP at the 'Local_1> ' prompt for assistance.

Username> Bob   (type anything here)

Local_1> su  (for "super user")
Password>
Local_1>> define ip ipaddress 111.222.333.444

The other possibility is that there is a DHCP or BOOTP server on your network that is assigning an IP address to the camera during boot-up. To prevent your camera from looking for a DHCP, RARP or BOOTP server, you need to disable DHCP and BOOTP. This can be done via telnet (see quicker camera booting) or by logging into the cameras HTML management pages, selecting the Server tab, and selecting 'disable' next to the DHCP, RARP and BOOTP entries. Re-boot the camera for this setting to take effect.

relay out / trigger in electrical characteristics

Question: What can I, exactly, connect to the relay out and trigger in connector?

Answer: Our relay output is an "optoMOS relay", wired to be bi-directional. It is fully isolated, and the +/- on that are technically inaccurate. The equivalent circuit, assuming relatively ideal  components is:

            camera                           outside world

                     +-----------------------o  relay +

                     |

                     o  350V holdoff

      software ---- /   120mA max continuous

      control        o  >2kV isolation

                     |

          max 35ohms <

           (note 1)  <

                     |

                     +-----------------------o  relay -

Our trigger input is a transistor circuit set up to sense current between the pins. The +/- really DO matter, and there is no isolation circuitry. The equivalent circuit is:

                    camera                           outside world

                  +-------+

                  |       |

        1620 ohms <       o current-sense

        (note 2)  <       o ~1mA threshold

                  |       |

                -----     |

         12V DC   -       +-----------------------o  trigin+

         source -----

                  -       +-----------------------o  trigin-

                  |       |

                  +-------+

The user can connect anything from a wire to over 5k ohms of resistance between the two terminals to complete the path and trigger our current-sense. (And in this ideal world, an ideal switch is really just a wire that's sometimes there, sometimes not there, so that would work fine too.)

quicker camera booting

Question: can my camera boot any quicker?

Answer:IQinVision offers a FastBoot software revision that speeds booting significantly, See your IQinVision Sales Rep for more information on this product. With a standard IQeye, you might be able to shorten your camera boot time by disabling some or all unused protocols used by the camera to obtain an IP address:  DHCP, BOOTP or RARP.  During the camera's boot process, the camera will query for a valid server, then, after a time-out period, will query for the next server, until all three protocols have been tried.

To disable these protocols, log into the camera's management web pages and select the 'server' tab.  Uncheck the boxes next to RARP, DHCP and BOOTP.  These are disabled by default.

or, establish a telnet connection to the camera.  Log in as a privileged user.  At the Local>> prompt, type

Define server dhcp disabled
Define server bootp disabled
Define server rarp disabled

Note: This is a good time to upgrade to the most current version of VisiCon

camera not working

Question: I've installed everything properly, why won't my camera work?

Answer:  

1. Confirm your camera has power. If you don't see any LED activity on the back of your camera, use a volt-meter to check power at the camera.  Power should be between 12-24VAC or 12-33VDC.
2. Ensure that the physical connections are secure. The cables should be gently but firmly seated into their connectors. Check your cables and connectors for missing or bent pins or other damage. Replace them if necessary. Refer to Appendix C in the IQeye Users Guide.
3. Verify that your camera must have a unique IP address on the LAN. Duplicate IP addresses can result in many errors, such as lost data.
4. Try a 'factory reset'.

blank images

Question: Why are my images blank/all black/all white?

Answers: Ensure that there is a lens attached to the camera. The imager cannot function unless there is a lens. Make sure that the lens cap is off and that there is nothing blocking the lens. If necessary, unscrew your lens and ensure that there is nothing inside the lens mount area obscuring the imager. In addition, verify that the lens is in a location that receives at least some light, but is not in the direct path of a strong light source.

distortions in images

Question: Why are there spots/streaks/horizontal lines in my images?

Answers: Try changing the Advanced Image Settings (see Adjust the advanced image settings on page 15 of the Quick Install Guide). Ensure that your camera lens is not in the direct path of a strong light source. Check your camera's lens for dust, scratches, smudges, or other problems.

static in images

Question: Why is there static in my images?

Answers: Check for electromagnetic interference. Excess interference can lead to poor image acquisition and/or processing. Also check your image resolution and compression settings. Low-resolution, high-compression imaging may result in pixellation or 'noise'. When light levels are very low, gain or ampliciation of the image can result in static or noise in the image. Make sure your lens aperture is fully open.

discolored images

Question: Why are my images too red/green/blue?

Answers: Try changing the Advanced Image Settings (see Adjust the advanced image settings on page 15 of the Quick Install Guide). Ensure that the lens is in a location that receives at least some light, but is not in the direct path of a strong light source.

blurred images

Question: Why are my images blurry?

Answers: Fast-moving subjects may appear blurred as a result of imaging hardware limitations.

image quality varies depending on time of day

Question: My outdoor scene looks good at some parts of the day, and bad at other times.

Answers: The dynamic brightness range between the sky and the ground can be phenomenal, particularly at some times of day. The human eye can discern detail in very dark and very bright scenes even when the contrast areas are right next to one other. Digital imagers and conventional film cannot duplicate this dynamic ability.

In outdoor scenes we recommend that you set an exposure (gain) window that eliminates the sky. Setting the exposure window in this way simulates nature photography. To get good images, nature photographers often use a neutral density filter that is graduated -- the top is dark, the bottom clear, with a soft horizontal transition. they can slide this up and down in a holder to line it up with the horizon, and the filter darkens the sky by 2 or 3 stops (one stop is a doubling of brightness). Of course, the situation is if the sun passes through the image at part of the day. But changing sky makes a large difference in the quality of your images without the sun, too. When the exposure window specifies that the camera should disregard the sky, the IQeye will select exposure settings that optimize the image for the subject area, and not the average of the whole scene. This effect sometimes causes interest areas in the sky to lose appropriate lighting. A bright red sunset with a dark shade foreground is one example. If the foreground is selected in an exposure window, the IQeye will make a good image from the shade area -- but will wash out the colors in the sky by over exposing that area. If you are taking images of the sky (meteorological use, for example) you would want to set an exposure window on the sky.

Tip: The situation described above is lessened with a north or south view, worsened by an east or west view.

streaming image capacity

Question: Why can't I get the advertised rate of streaming images from the camera?

Answers: Ensure that you are using Ethernet hardware and cabling that supports 100BASE-T. The maximum 4fps image transmission rate is only possible over 100BASE-T Ethernet connections. Frame rates will be lower over 10BASE-T and lower-bandwidth connections. You can check the actual output of the camera on the Image Settings page, using the 'frame rate test' button. If the results of this test do not match your actual use, look to the network connections as a possible cause. Some PCs do not have adequate graphic performance to display large image streams and this can also be a bottleneck.

Reduce the task load on the computer you are using to view images by quitting all unnecessary applications. The camera's data throughput rate is high enough that it can often send more data than the viewing computer can process.

Tip: For better performance, try decreasing your image resolution setting (See Configure the basic image settings on page 13 of the Quick Install Guide).

saving an image

Question: When I am looking at a streaming image and want to capture a single frame to disk, my browser options saves the entire stream until I cancel, then I can't view the result. How do I capture and save a single image from an image stream?

Answer: It depends on how your are obtaining the images. If you are connected to the IQeye camera web site, go to the 'single image' page. /now.jpg **** confirm path and filename On this page the image is a static JPEG, and your browser save options will work (right-click or click while you hold the mouse over the image you want to save, and select 'save this image as' or 'download image to disk'). Unfortunately streaming images in a browser using serverpush in Netscape or Java based viewing in Internet Explorer does not support the ability to save a single image. You need a link on the web site to a single image. This feature is built in to the web site on the IQeye camera. If an alternate web host is used, direct access to the IQeye web site may not be available. In this case, the designer of the alternate web site would have to make a link to the current JPEG image available.

If you have access to an FTP server you can also use the IQlibrarian feature to save images to disk.

Tip: Move a saved JPEG image from your desktop into an open browser window to quickly view it.

green "status" LED not blinking

Question: I plugged everything in properly, why doesn't the green LED on the back of the camera blink?

Answers: Ensure that you are using the proper power supply - it should be 12-33V DC, or 12-24 VAC. Verify that the power supply is in working condition. Try connecting it to a voltmeter or another 12-33 V device to see if it works on that device. If not, contact IQinVision to get a replacement power supply.

green "status" LED only blinks every two seconds

Question: I can't access my camera and the green LED is blinking every two seconds. What's wrong?

Answers: There is probably a boot error. Unplug the camera and plug it back in to force the camera to reboot.

camera won't boot

Question: Why won't my camera boot?

Answers: Before troubleshooting boot problems, make sure that you are using a valid software loadfile. The nvis025.sys loadfile should not be altered. If necessary, download a new boot file from the software updates section of this web site.

For TFTP protocol, check the file and directory permissions. They should be world-readable. Ensure the loadhost name and address are specified correctly and that their case matches what is listed on the host system. Ensure the file and pathnames are enclosed in quotes to preserve case. Ensure that TFTP is enabled on the host; several major UNIX vendors ship their systems with TFTP disabled by default.

For MOP protocol, ensure that the Ethernet circuit has the service characteristic enabled. Ensure that the MOM$LOAD search path includes the directory containing the loadfile (nvis025.sys). Ensure that the files were transferred in Binary mode.

camera appears to be operational but won't display images

Question: My camera appears to be working (both LEDs blinking intermittently), so why can't I access it to get an image?

Answers: Verify that the camera has an IP address. Ping the IP address you think belongs to the camera and wait for a reply.

Example (UNIX) % ping 192.0.1.123

Example (DOS) C://PING 192.0.1.123

Ensure that the camera's IP address is unique to the network. You may need to consult your system administrator for assistance.

When using a LAN, verify that your computer and camera both have an IP address within the same subnetwork. Consult your system administrator for assistance.

Check your host's ARP table for an entry that includes the IQeye camera's hardware address, and make sure the IP address of that entry matches the address you are using to access your IQeye camera.

Check the LEDs. If they do not light, there is probably a problem with your Ethernet connection. Check your cable connections and hardware. If you are connecting to the Ethernet via a hub or repeater, ensure that you are using a functional port and that the hub or repeater is connected properly to the network.

Ensure that you are using Netscape Navigator 3.0 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher. Certain other browsers are not supported.