C920

[VK3BVR]

Dave,
I've just noticed that my Portsdown 4 does not transmit when I use my C920 webcam.
It shows normally in M2 with C920 monitor selected.
It always used to work and I'm wondering if it has happened since the enhancements you added to recognize the later C920.
It still works normally with the Lime mini.
There's always a chance that I'm doing something wrong of course.
Regards,
Bob.
VK3BVR.

[G8GKQ]

Hi Bob

I need far more information to fault find this:

• What type of C920 do you have (shown at the bottom of the info screen selected from Menu 2)?
• What Output SDR are you using?
• What Transmission mode are you using (DVB-S/S2 or DVB-T)?
• What SR and FEC do you have set?
• What encoding are you using (MPEG-2 or H264)?

I need this information (and preferably more) to find any faults in 25,000 lines of code!

Dave

[VK3BVR]

Thanks for the reply Dave and sorry I didn't give more information.
Camera info: C920(HD Pro Webcam C920) with H264 encoder.
Pluto
DVB-S
Sr 4000 (This has always worked). Checked at lower symbol rates as I'm aware that 4000 is not guaranteed. It still wasn't working at 500.
FEC 3/4
H264
When transmit is selected the blue camera lights come on and go straight out.
My permanently connected Pi Cam works normally.
Not sure what else I can tell you that is relevant but don't hesitate to ask for any more information from me.
I am fully appreciative of how hard it might be to trace this problem and desperately hope I'm not doing something silly and sending you off on a wild goose chase.
Bob.

[g0mjw]

The Portsdown 4 does not support 4MS. Please don't talk about it, even if it does work sometimes, as it encourages others who then get upset because they heard that it would work and bought into it without reading the spec and then find they can't access their local repeater.

You say you are using a Pluto and a Lime but the Lime works? That would imply there is no issue with generating a TS. The Pluto needs specific firmware as explained in the Wiki. Is this also working with the PiCAM? If so which USB ports are you using? Did you try others? Is the Pluto on a network? Is the power supply up to it? E.g. is the Webcam, Pluto, PI sharing a supply?

Mike

[VK3BVR]

Hi Mike,
I probably should explain that my main reason for bringing up the issue was to se if anyone else has the same problem.
It has only recently occurred and to the best of my knowledge I have not changed anything,
The power supply is the raspberry pi one that came with the pi 4 and should be well up to the task.
If I use the Pluto it is direct into the pi usb port and I unplug it and plug in the Lime mini to use the Lime.
I am using the blue pi usb ports.
I can't answer any of your other questions as I don't understand them and as best I can tell they are not relevant to my set up.
I covered the 4Ms issue in my comments to show this is not the issue
Given that nobody else appears to have the problem I will assume that I am doing something wrong as I don't wish to cause any unnecessary work for Dave.
regards,
Bob.

[VK3BVR]

Problem solved!
Bruce, VK3MN advised me that he had found that it was necessary to select Webcam for the audio and mine was selected to the Easycap.
Selecting webcam or auto for audio fixed the problem.
I was not aware of this requirement, hope it helps others.
Bob.

[VK3IE]

Yes thanks Bruce VK3MN who also had a similar Question other a week or so and also got a similar riot act.
If Audio is not set to Auto or turned off output will fail as in NO picture.

Robert
vk3ie

[g0mjw]

Problem solved!
Bruce, VK3MN advised me that he had found that it was necessary to select Webcam for the audio and mine was selected to the Easycap.
Selecting webcam or auto for audio fixed the problem.
I was not aware of this requirement, hope it helps others.
Bob.

Ah yes, we should have spotted the 'no USB audio source breaks it' symptoms, but that still doesn't explain why it works with the Lime and not the Pluto. At least it works.

Mike

[VK3BVR]

The reason it worked with the lime is that I had audio selected to auto in the lime preset.
The reason for the pluto problem was that I had been trying out a tone generator through the easycap with the pluto and had not returned to the auto audio position.
Bob.