MEGApix - CaaS Camera Troubleshooting

CaaS Camera Troubleshooting

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Affected Roles: Owner, Administrator

Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps: DW Spectrum Edge 4.2.0.34861(Recommended), 5.1.5.39242

Last Edit: October 2, 2024

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Camera as a System Troubleshooting

CaaS cameras are unique in configuration as they operate as both a camera and as their own self-contained recording media server. Because of this, some of the troubleshooting aspects differ when compared to an ordinary camera or media server.

This article will detail troubleshooting steps that can be performed to address the most common issues that may be encountered when using a CaaS camera.

**NOTE: If you are trying to set up a new CaaS camera for the first time and are not troubleshooting, please use the article “Initial Setup of a MEGApix CaaS Camera” instead.

DISCLAIMER: The steps below are provided as potential resolutions to most common issues but may not resolve every issue. It is always recommended to create a database backup of your system and copy any necessary/needed video recording archives before troubleshooting, if possible.

Supported/Affected Devices

CaaS (Camera as a System) Camera Series

Common CaaS Issues Include:

Camera/Server failing to record (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update, SD Card Format options below)
Failure to Update Spectrum (See Spectrum Edge Failure to Update option below)
Camera/Server is not detecting motion (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update options below)
Choppy/low framerate playback (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update options below)
Camera rebooting issues (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update, Factory Default options below)
General “Server Failure” message issues (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update, Factory Default, SD Card Format options below)
General camera connectivity issues (See Firmware Upgrade, Spectrum Edge Update, Factory Default options below)

Pre-Troubleshooting Recommendations

Network Environment Factors

While this article is focused primarily on the CaaS camera itself, it is worthwhile to consider outside environmental factors as well; particularly, the local network setup.

Communication issues in cases where CaaS cameras are in a merged Edge Server environment can be caused by network related items such as issues occurring with:

Network switches (PoE/Non-PoE)
Ethernet cable failures (damaged connectors, bad cable, etc.)
VLAN/VPN configurations
Slow upload/download network speeds (network bottleneck)

Items related to power input for the camera can also be a factor. For example, when using energy efficient ethernet switches (also known as “Green Ethernet”), the power output may not be sufficient for the required power budget of the CaaS camera and may be causing the camera to lose power. As a result, this can also be a contributing issue with camera recording and database file issues.

Before troubleshooting the CaaS camera or DW Spectrum Edge product right away, it is worthwhile to check all networking hardware topology and connections to ensure that all equipment is operating correctly and can support the required parameters of the CaaS environment.

Additional Factors

Additional basic items within the DW Spectrum Edge Server configuration can be relevant as well. Verify the following items before troubleshooting the camera.

Primary requirements for the Edge Server to operate as expected include:

CaaS camera is enabled to use the CaaS Edge Recording License.
CaaS camera has been configured with the proper network settings to communicate within the correct subnetwork (device IP Address).
Camera has been assigned a Recording Schedule within DW Spectrum IPVMS.
User Profiles within DW Spectrum IPVMS have been assigned to their necessary user roles and provided with needed user permissions.

Troubleshooting the CaaS Camera

Be aware that directly troubleshooting the CaaS camera device is a separate operation from managing the DW Spectrum on a desktop computer. You can use a compatible web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) when troubleshooting.

Generally speaking, the troubleshooting steps taken will start with minimal disruption, with each following step being more disruptive to operations of the camera. The total troubleshooting process would be:

1. Firmware Upgrade (if applicable) - This will leave your server service untouched, and ensures newer versions of Edge will function correctly.

2. Spectrum Edge Upgrade (if applicable) - Recommended to stay on 4.2, however if you are on 5.0 or higher, updating to 5.1.5.

3. Removing and Re-installing Edge - Re-installs the Edge files while removing older files no longer required on the camera.

4. Factory Defaulting the Camera - Requires the camera's base settings to be reconfigured, but your server service will still be left untouched.

5. Formatting the microSD storage - Deletes all recorded data and removes the existing database. Will require a database restoration.

6. New Database - Uses an entirely new database for Edge, requiring the server service to be reconfigured for desired settings.

7. Technical Support Involvement - If steps 1-7 do not resolve your issue, contacting DW Technical Support will be necessary for advanced troubleshooting/potential RMA. If you reach this step, DW Technical Support will require TeamViewer access to a PC that has direct network access to all affected CaaS cameras.

Firmware Upgrade

When encountering operational issues with your camera, applying a firmware update, or re-flashing the camera firmware can correct issues a most of the time. This is recommended as the first step when troubleshooting cameras as it is not unusual for outdated camera firmware versions to interfere with newer versions of the DW Spectrum Edge software.

Check the CaaS camera’s product page to determine if you are using the most recent camera firmware version. On the product page, select the Downloads tab and locate the “MEGApix CaaS firmware” file under the Software section.

You can either directly upload the camera firmware file using the camera’s web interface in the System > Firmware menu or by pushing the firmware through using the DW IP Finder camera finder software.

**NOTE: While not always necessary, a soft-default of the camera can help to ensure that all aspects of loaded camera firmware are implemented properly on the camera. This feature can be found in the camera’s web interface.

DW Spectrum Edge Update

The current CaaS camera models are recommended to use Spectrum 4.2 for stability purposes. If you are on a version of Spectrum older than 4.2.0.34861, update the Spectrum Edge software to 4.2.0.34861. The download is available HERE as well as on CaaS camera product pages. If there is need to update your CaaS cameras to current Spectrum 5.1 or you have already updated beyond version 4.2, we recommend the use of 5.1.5.39242. The download is available HERE.

Keep in mind that the CaaS camera uses two different firmware types to operate as its own self-contained server:

MEGApix CaaS Camera Firmware – responsible for running regular IP camera services (video stream creation, security authentication, etc.)
DW Spectrum Edge (ARM) Firmware – responsible for providing DW Spectrum Edge services (video record archival, DW Spectrum System configurations, etc.)

While DW Spectrum uses an automatic update feature to find the most current Edge/ARM version available on the update server, it may not always be the newest released version (depending on the development update schedules).

You can manually upload the DW Spectrum Edge/ARM firmware using the camera’s web interface in the Edge > DW Spectrum Edge menu.

Click the "Select File" button and select the .zip file. You do not need to unzip/extract the contents. Select the "update" button to begin the update process. Once completed, the camera will restart. If you are having issues with updating, review the following "DW Spectrum Edge Update" outline below.

**NOTE: It is generally recommended to create a database backup before and after applying a DW Spectrum update. You can create a DW Spectrum database backup using the Backup and Restore feature within the DW Spectrum Client desktop management software.

DW Spectrum Edge Update Issues

If you are trying to update to 5.1.5 and are receiving errors such as insufficient space or that file is too large, you will need to uninstall (Remove) the existing Edge software first. Once uninstalled, you should be able to install the current version.

Date/Time Sync Verification

When a CaaS camera is unable to establish a stable and constant Internet connection, recording synchronization issues can occur. This can also present itself as read/write issues, video retrieval errors and improper footage timestamp problems.

In consideration of this, if the CaaS camera is experiencing intermittent network connectivity, or if there is no Internet access provided to the camera at all to use an NTP (Network Time Protocol) setting, it is recommended to disable the “Time Sync” setting for the DW Spectrum Edge Server using the DW Spectrum Client desktop software.

This setting can be found in the System Administration > Time Synchronization menu of the DW Spectrum Client, where you can disable the “Sync Time with the Internet” setting.

Alternatively, you can configure the camera’s settings using the web interface to manually set the current Date & Time.

This setting can be found in the System > Date & Time Setting menu of the camera’s web interface.

**NOTE: If your issue continues and is suspected to be specifically occurring within DW Spectrum, and not the operational parameters of the camera itself, please contact DW Technical Support for further assistance.

Re-Install DW Spectrum Edge

If firmware updates have not resolved your CaaS issue or if the DW Spectrum Edge Server is not functioning properly, you can uninstall the Edge program from the CaaS camera then re-install.

In the Edge > DW Spectrum Edge menu of the camera’s web interface, click the “Stop” button, then click the “Remove” button to remove the DW Spectrum Edge version.

Once completed, upload the DW Spectrum Edge/ARM firmware file to the camera as mentioned above in STEP 2: DW Spectrum Edge Update.

Factory Default Camera

If the previous troubleshooting steps have failed to resolve your CaaS camera issue, you can hard reset the camera.

This setting can be found in the System > Factory Reset menu of the camera’s web interface.

Select “All” then click the Apply button to factory default the camera. After restarting, the camera will then be defaulted back to its factory settings.

SD Card Format

If the issue has not been resolved by this point in your troubleshooting, it is possible that the SD Memory Card in the CaaS camera may have some form of corruption and a format may be necessary.

This will delete the files stored on the SD Memory Card to refresh the local storage.

To format the SD Memory Card:

Use the camera’s web interface and open the Edge > DW Spectrum Edge menu.
Click the STOP button to stop the DW Spectrum Edge Server program. Formatting the SD Memory Card is not possible while the Edge Server is still running.
Navigate to the Edge > Storage menu and select the mounted SD Memory Card from the Storage List.

After selecting the SD Memory Card, click the FORMAT button to delete all contents stored in the SD Memory Card.
Allow the formatting process to complete. Once finished, click the UNMOUNT button.
Wait a moment then MOUNT the memory card, reinstall the DW Spectrum Edge/ARM program and START the Edge Server program again.

**CRITICAL: If the recorded data must be kept, please contact DW Technical Support so that the technical support team can verify that no other troubleshooting steps are necessary before formatting the SD Card. This will delete all recorded data on the SD card, as well as remove the existing database. This option should only be performed if all other steps have failed to resolve your issues.

**NOTE: It is NOT recommended to swap the included SD Memory Card with a personal SD Card as a replacement. It is instead advised to contact DW Technical Support to finalize the troubleshooting process and request an RMA of either the entire CaaS camera or to ship a compatible replacement SD Memory Card.

Approved Part Number	Part Description
WDD512G1P0C	512 GB Western Digital Purple SC QD101 microSD Memory Card
WDD100T1P0C	1 TB Western Digital Purple SC QD101 microSD Memory Card

End of DIY Troubleshooting

From this point the DW Technical Support team can determine if the issue is related to the SD Memory Card or to the CaaS camera itself.

Please contact DW Technical Support if the CaaS camera:

Fails to mount the SD Memory Card
Fails to indicate formatting the SD Memory Card
Fails to install the Edge/ARM Server program
Fails to respond to user prompts
Original CaaS issue persists

You must provide the camera’s Product Number and Serial Number (physically located on the sticker of the camera) to DW Technical Support so that they may create the necessary product issue documentation prior to an RMA request.

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: 866.446.3595

https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

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DW Sales: 866.446.3595 [email protected] www.digital-watchdog.com