Knowledge Base

Troubleshooting

Pylon Issues

1. Pylon IP Configurator is not detecting the camera:

   1. If your camera connects to an Axis Power Injector, confirm it is connected correctly. See the wiring diagram in Section F.
   2. Make sure that the Axis Power Injector or POE switch is powered.
   3. Reboot the PC if you did not reboot after installing the camera driver.

2. In Pylon IP Configurator, the camera is visible but the Status column says Not Reachable:

   1. The network card IP and camera IP do not match. For example, the network card should be 192.168.200.101 and the camera should be 192.168.200.1. The first three numbers must be the same but the fourth number must be different. Also verify the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0 and not 255.255.0.0.

3. No camera image appears in Pylon Viewer despite completing steps 1 and 2 above and swapping out hardware to cross-test the network card, cables, and camera:

   1. Disable firewall and/or anti-virus software.
   2. The network card could be defective.

4. Unable to save the camera configuration as User Set 1 in Pylon Viewer:

   1. Click the Stop button first before attempting to save.
   2. Confirm you have selected either Expert or Guru via the Tools menu. Select Options and check that the User Level is set to Expert or Guru.

5. Camera image is static or pixelated with red, blue, and green pixels:

   1. The Color Space setting in Pylon Viewer is incorrect for the camera type. This setting can be found in Pylon Viewer under Image Format Controls, then Pixel Format.
      • For a black and white (monochrome) camera, select Mono8.
      • For a color camera, select Bayer RG 8 (previously YUV 422 (UYVY) Packed).

EthoVision XT Issues

6. In EthoVision XT via Experiment Settings, unable to select Basler GenICam [Basler acA1300-60] even though the camera and network card are set up correctly:

   1. Confirm camera drivers are installed per Section D and that IP addresses are assigned per Sections C and E.
   2. Disable firewall and/or anti-virus software.
   3. The network card may be defective.

7. In EthoVision XT via Experiment Settings, no image appears from the camera when clicking the Camera icon:

   1. Make sure the camera is connected to the PC and powered prior to opening EthoVision.
   2. Make sure that the aperture of the lens is fully open, with the lens ring turned all the way to Open or O.
   3. Make sure that Pylon is closed.
   4. Make sure the correct camera is selected in Experiment Settings: Basler GenICam [Basler acA1300-60].
   5. If the PC is running Windows 10 but you have the Windows 7 driver (4.2.1) installed, download and install driver 5.1.0 per Section D. You will need to set up the camera again by following Section H in its entirety.
   6. Make sure the network IP and Subnet and camera IP and Subnet match. You can check and change the camera subnet via Pylon.

8. In EthoVision XT via Experiment Settings, when setting the Resolution to approximately 1280x960, the highest available Frame Rate is approximately 7.5 frames per second instead of 30 or 25 fps:

   1. Check that your Exposure setting is not too high.
   2. If the Exposure setting is correct, confirm that the Power Injector is a 1GB Power Injector.
   3. If the Exposure setting is correct, confirm that the network card is a 1GB network card.
   4. If the network card is 1GB, check that it is set to Auto-Negotiate. If it is, the network card may need a driver update or could be defective.
   5. Cheap, incorrect, or defective Ethernet cables can also reduce the frame rate.
   6. The PC may be insufficient. For example, it may only have an onboard video card. Send Support a PC report as described in Section N and see Section O.

9. In EthoVision XT via Experiment Settings, clicking the Camera icon shows "No frames available" in the Video Settings box:

   1. The Video Card (GPU) driver is missing or very old. Install or update the GPU driver.
   2. If you are using Windows 10, make sure you are using Pylon 6.2.0 or higher. The driver referenced in this document is version 7.1 for use with EthoVision XT 17.5. If you installed from an older CD, you may have installed an older Pylon driver (4.2.1) which does not support Windows 10.
   3. Check whether settings in Pylon Viewer have changed. This issue has been seen specifically with the Trigger Mode setting found in Pylon Viewer under Acquisition Controls. It should be set to Off.
   4. Other causes are possible, such as installing Windows 10 on an older PC that is not compatible with Windows 10.
   5. If none of these examples apply to your situation, contact support for further assistance and include a PC report as described in Section N.

10. In EthoVision via Experiment Settings, clicking the Camera icon shows "No video frames" in the Video Settings box:

    1. Confirm that the PC monitor is plugged into the stand-alone video card (GPU) and not the motherboard.
    2. The Video Card (GPU) driver is missing or very old. Install or update the GPU driver.
    3. If you are using Windows 10, make sure you are using Pylon 6.2.0 or higher. If you installed from an older CD, you may have installed Pylon driver 4.2.1 which does not support Windows 10.
    4. Disable the firewall and/or virus scanner to determine whether they are interfering. See item 22 below.

11. The camera image in EthoVision is off-center rather than showing the area directly in front of the camera:

    1. This occurs when a lower resolution is selected in EthoVision's Experiment Settings and the Center X and Center Y options are not checked in the camera settings. Increasing the resolution to the maximum value will provide the full field of view and will be centered. If a lower resolution is preferred, refer to the relevant section of this document for guidance.

12. The camera image in EthoVision XT is too narrow to display the entire arena:

    1. The field of view is reduced when a lower resolution is selected in EthoVision's Experiment Settings. Rather than scaling the entire image down, the camera displays a limited area of interest to maintain full image quality. For the widest possible view, increase the resolution to the maximum value, typically 1280x1024.
    2. If you have a varifocal lens, which most systems include, you can adjust the zoom setting on the lens. Note that adjusting the zoom will also change the focus, so you will need to adjust the focus afterward to see the actual effect. You may also need to loosen the lock screw on the side of the lens before the zoom setting can be adjusted.

13. Image appears correctly in Experiment Settings but shows a white background in Arena Settings:

    1. The Resolution set in Experiment Settings is either too high or an unusual resolution is selected, such as 640x426. Reduce the resolution and/or select a standard resolution such as 640x480.
    2. Similar results may occur if no drivers have been installed for the computer's graphics adapter.

14. The first camera can be selected without issue, but selecting a second GigE camera in Experiment Settings causes EthoVision to crash:

    1. Select a standard resolution such as 640x480. Avoid resolutions like 640x426.
    2. The maximum supported resolution is 1900x1200. For Deep Learning, the maximum is 1280x960 or 1280x1024.
    3. 4K resolution is not supported, whether live or from pre-recorded video.

15. Image in EthoVision XT flickers or stutters:

    1. Fluorescent and LED lighting in the US cycles at 60 Hz, which does not align with a frame rate of 25. Use a frame rate of 30. This may be sufficient to resolve the issue.
    2. The Exposure setting in Pylon Viewer may be incorrect. The Exposure Time (Abs) [us] value is likely too low. Try a value in the range of 4000 to 8000. If lighting in the room is low, use a higher exposure value.
    3. Disable the firewall and/or virus scanner to determine whether they are interfering. See item 22 below.
    4. If none of the above resolve the flicker, the PC may be insufficient to run EthoVision, which is a very CPU-intensive program. If you would like Technical Support to review your PC specifications, create a PC report as described in Section N and send it to support.

16. The image in EthoVision XT does not flicker but has a subtle and ongoing change where the overall image lightens and darkens:

    1. Check that Exposure Auto is set to Off. This setting is found in Pylon Viewer under Acquisition Controls.
    2. Check that Gain Auto is set to Off. This setting is found in Pylon Viewer under Analog Controls.
    3. Check that Balance White Auto is set to Off. This setting is found in Pylon Viewer under Color Improvement Control.
    4. If none of the above resolve the issue, check that the Exposure Time (Abs) [us] setting in Pylon Viewer under Acquisition Controls is high enough. Try a value of 8000.

17. Motion blur appears in EthoVision XT:

    1. The Exposure setting in Pylon Viewer is likely too high. The Exposure Time (Abs) [us] value may be set to 20,000 or higher. Refer to the relevant section of this document for guidance on setting the camera's Exposure settings in Pylon Viewer.

18. The camera will not focus regardless of mounting height or zoom adjustment, and the image is always blurry:

    1. The camera will not focus if the wrong type of lens is mounted, for example a C-mount lens on a CS-mount camera or vice versa. If you have a C-mount lens on a CS-mount camera, an adapter ring must be installed between the lens and camera. If the camera and lens share the same mount type, ensure that no adapter ring has been installed, as it will prevent correct focus.
    2. Perform a factory reset on the camera using the following steps:
       1. Open Pylon Viewer and at the bottom left of the interface, confirm that the User Level is set to Guru.
       2. In the Features Window, select your camera, for example Color Camera 1 with its serial number, and expand it.
       3. Near the bottom of the list, expand Configuration Sets.
          1. For Configuration Set Selector, select Default Configuration Set.
          2. For Default Startup Set, select Default User Set.
          3. For User Set Save, click the Execute button.
          4. For User Set Load, click the Execute button.
          5. The camera should now be reset to factory defaults.
       4. While still in Pylon Viewer, configure the following settings:
          1. Go to AOI Controls:
             1. For Width, type 1280.
             2. For Height, type 960.
             3. Select the checkbox for Center X and Center Y.
       5. Follow Section H to set the remaining settings including Exposure.
       6. Save your settings.
       7. Close Pylon Viewer.

19. When using multiple GigE cameras, if one camera signal is lost, the order of cameras in EthoVision XT becomes scrambled:

    1. Always plug cameras into the same ports. Label the ports and camera cables if needed to keep things in order.
    2. Restore the camera signal.
    3. Once the camera signal is restored, open EthoVision XT and toggle between Acquisition and Experiment Settings. Go to Acquisition, then go to Experiment Settings, and then return to Acquisition. The camera order should now be restored to the original setup.
    4. Note that despite this visual swapping of cameras listed in the Source table via Experiment Settings in EthoVision, the order of cameras should still load in the correct order per your Arena Settings definition.

20. When tracking in EthoVision XT, there is a significant lag. The system freezes periodically, then catches up and resumes:

    1. Reboot the PC daily to refresh the PC's resources.
    2. If you are using a PC purchased from Noldus and the setup is not overly demanding, such as tracking multiple animals, arenas, or multiple body points, the issue is likely caused by incorrect Exposure settings in Pylon Viewer. Also review the Resolution and Frame Rate set in EthoVision, as these may also need adjustment. See Section K for more information.
    3. Note that a small lag when navigating between modules in EthoVision is normal. Moving between Experiment Settings, Arena Settings, Detection Settings, or the Acquisition module will cause a brief delay as EthoVision accesses the camera. This is expected behavior.
    4. To confirm that the lag during tracking is related to camera setup, check for Missing Samples. See Section L for details.
    5. If none of the above resolve the lag, the PC may be insufficient to run EthoVision, which is a very CPU-intensive program. If you would like Technical Support to review your PC specifications, create a PC report as described in Section N and send it to support.

21. The track file in EthoVision XT contains a high number of Missing Samples or Interpolated Samples:

    1. Missing Samples or Interpolated Samples can be observed while EthoVision is acquiring data, or after the fact via the Trial List by clicking Show/Hide, selecting Variables, and choosing Missed Samples and/or Interpolated Samples.
    2. Missing Samples or Interpolated Samples percentage should be at or very near 0%.
    3. The Exposure Time (Abs) [us] in Pylon Viewer is likely too high. Refer to the relevant section of this document for guidance on setting the camera's Exposure settings in Pylon Viewer.
    4. If your Pylon Viewer Exposure settings are correct and you are tracking live rather than from pre-recorded video, make sure that Video Pixel Smoothing is set to None. This setting can be found in Detection Settings.
    5. If none of the above resolve the issue, the PC may be insufficient. When a PC lacks sufficient resources, it will miss samples. If you would like Technical Support to review your PC specifications, create a PC report as described in Section N and send it to support.

22. Everything is set up correctly per this document and the PC and video card are sufficient, but the camera is still not working properly in EthoVision XT, for example producing missing samples:

    1. Disable the Firewall using the following steps:
       1. Go to the Start menu and type "firewall", then click Firewall and Network Protection.
       2. Click Advanced Settings at the bottom.
       3. Under Overview in the middle panel, click Windows Defender Firewall Properties.
       4. Click the Public Profile tab.
       5. Next to Protected Network Connections, click Customize.
       6. Deselect the option in front of Local Area Connection. If there is more than one local area connection, refer to the relevant step in the Ethernet card configuration section of this document to identify the correct connection.
       7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for the Domain Profile and Private Profile tabs.
       8. Click Close.
       9. A warning balloon will appear in the bottom-right of the window. Ignore this message and close all windows.
    2. Disable anti-virus software by checking the settings in your anti-virus software or by asking your local IT administrator to disable it.
    3. Perform a factory reset on the camera as described in Troubleshooting item 18-B. The camera must then be set up again per Section H.

Source: EthoVision XT 17.5 - GigE Install and Setup