ZoneMinder Forums

Hi all,

after poking and searching around for some days I cannot have any video from my box and I can't figure out why. This is my first post here and I'm a zoneminder newbie.
My configuration is a gentoo 2.6.31-r6 kernel and a pico2000 compatible card used in combination with a PAL composite camera and zonemider v1.24.2.
I managed to solve the apache2 permission issues but I still get just a black (or blue if I use color capture) screen with the capture time running on the top of it.
I tryed different modprobe configuration for the bttv module and from
dmesg | grep bttv i get:
[ 1742.690072] bttv: driver version 0.9.18 loaded
[ 1742.690079] bttv: using 8 buffers with 2080k (520 pages) each for capture
[ 1742.690167] bttv: Bt8xx card found (0).
[ 1742.690191] bttv0: Bt878 (rev 17) at 0000:05:04.0, irq: 16, latency: 66, mmio: 0xf9200000
[ 1742.690733] bttv0: using: GrandTec Multi Capture Card (Bt878) [card=77,insmod option]
[ 1742.690740] IRQ 16/bttv0: IRQF_DISABLED is not guaranteed on shared IRQs
[ 1742.690784] bttv0: gpio: en=00000000, out=00000000 in=00f360ff [init]
[ 1750.810019] bttv0: tuner absent
[ 1750.827698] bttv0: registered device video0
[ 1750.843718] bttv0: registered device vbi0
[ 1750.843747] bttv0: PLL: 28636363 => 35468950 . ok

zmu -lqv give:

Video Device: /dev/video0
General Capabilities
Driver: bttv
Card: BT878 video (GrandTec Multi Cap
Bus: PCI:0000:05:04.0
Version: 0.9.18
Type: 0x5000015
Supports video capture (X)
Does not support video output
Supports frame buffer overlay
Supports VBI capture
Does not support VBI output
Does not support sliced VBI capture
Does not support sliced VBI output
Does not support video output overlay
Does not have tuner
Does not have audio in and/or out
Does not have radio
Supports read/write i/o (X)
Does not support async i/o
Supports streaming i/o (X)
Standards:
NTSC
NTSC-M
NTSC-M-JP
NTSC-M-KR
PAL
PAL-BG
PAL-H
PAL-I
PAL-DK
PAL-M
PAL-N
PAL-Nc
PAL-60
SECAM
SECAM-B
SECAM-G
SECAM-H
SECAM-DK
SECAM-L
SECAM-Lc
Formats:
8 bpp, gray (GREY)
8 bpp, dithered color (HI24)
15 bpp RGB, le (RGBO)
15 bpp RGB, be (RGBQ)
16 bpp RGB, le (RGBP)
16 bpp RGB, be (RGBR)
24 bpp RGB, le (BGR3)
32 bpp RGB, le (BGR4)
32 bpp RGB, be (RGB4)
4:2:2, packed, YUYV (YUYV)
4:2:2, packed, YUYV (YUYV)
4:2:2, packed, UYVY (UYVY)
4:2:2, planar, Y-Cb-Cr (422P)
4:2:0, planar, Y-Cb-Cr (YU12)
4:2:0, planar, Y-Cr-Cb (YV12)
4:1:1, planar, Y-Cb-Cr (411P)
4:1:0, planar, Y-Cb-Cr (YUV9)
4:1:0, planar, Y-Cr-Cb (YVU9)
Crop Capabilities
Bounds: 1063 x 608
Default: 924 x 576
Current: 924 x 576
Inputs: 4
Input 0
Name: Composite0
Type: Camera
Audioset: 00000001
Standards: 0xffbfff
Power on (X)
Signal not detected (X)
Colour Signal detected
Horizontal Lock not detected
Input 1
Name: Composite1
Type: Camera
Audioset: 00000001
Standards: 0xffbfff
Power on (X)
Signal detected (X)
Colour Signal detected
Horizontal Lock detected
Input 2
Name: Composite2
Type: Camera
Audioset: 00000001
Standards: 0xffbfff
Power on (X)
Signal detected (X)
Colour Signal detected
Horizontal Lock detected
Input 3
Name: Composite3
Type: Camera
Audioset: 00000001
Standards: 0xffbfff
Power on (X)
Signal detected (X)
Colour Signal detected
Horizontal Lock detected

tail /var/log/zoneminder/zmdc.log give:

12/07/09 12:40:03.664431 zmdc[10454].INF [Server starting at 09/12/07 12:40:03]
12/07/09 12:40:07.030696 zmdc[10454].INF ['zmc -d /dev/video0' starting at 09/12/07 12:40:07, pid = 10491]
12/07/09 12:40:08.876681 zmdc[10454].INF ['zmfilter.pl' starting at 09/12/07 12:40:08, pid = 10503]
12/07/09 12:40:09.659426 zmdc[10454].INF ['zmaudit.pl -c' starting at 09/12/07 12:40:09, pid = 10509]
12/07/09 12:40:10.487481 zmdc[10454].INF ['zmwatch.pl' starting at 09/12/07 12:40:10, pid = 10516]
12/07/09 12:40:11.077408 zmdc[10454].INF ['zmupdate.pl -c' starting at 09/12/07 12:40:11, pid = 10521]

I've also tryed different channel and options but still no picture.
The card works well in wxp and pico2k software.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Hi again,

I solved the problem. That was an HW issue caused by a ground loop.
Due to long cables distance and the pico2k inputs tied to the chassis ground there was a loud hum on the line. When I lifted the earth the screens immediately bring on life. I used active preamplifier and coupling transformers to have a balanced transmission line.

Cheers