AV50 Validation Mode¶
What This Mode Does¶
AV50 mode checks whether the camera(s) can see a valid barcode on each case. It does not check what the barcode says -- only that a readable barcode is present. This is a simple presence check used to verify that labels are applied and readable.
Sites Using This Mode¶
- Hormel Austin
- Hormel Beloit
- Hormel Barron (Teguar hardware)
Required Hardware¶
- 1 or 2 Cognex DataMan cameras (Front, Side, or both)
- Arduino controller (optional, for reject signal)
How It Works: Step by Step¶
- A case passes the photo-eye sensor on the conveyor.
- The photo-eye triggers the camera(s) to take a picture.
- Each camera reads any barcodes visible on the case.
- The system filters out invalid reads (
NOREAD,ERROR, blank values). - The system counts the remaining valid barcodes.
- If the count meets or exceeds the required minimum, the case passes.
- If the count is below the minimum, the case fails.
Camera Modes¶
AV50 supports different camera configurations:
| Camera Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Single | One camera, checks total barcode count |
| Front | Two cameras installed, but only the Front camera result is checked |
| Side | Two cameras installed, but only the Side camera result is checked |
| Both | Two cameras, both must independently meet their minimum barcode count |
The camera mode is selected via a dropdown in the application UI (only visible when 2 cameras are configured). The dropdown is disabled during active validation.
What Makes a PASS¶
- Single camera mode: Total valid barcodes >= minimum required (default: 1)
- Front mode: Front camera valid barcodes >= Front camera minimum
- Side mode: Side camera valid barcodes >= Side camera minimum
- Both mode: Front camera AND Side camera each independently meet their minimums
What Makes a FAIL¶
The system displays one of these error messages when validation fails:
| Error Message | What It Means |
|---|---|
Found {X} valid barcodes, required {Y} |
Single camera mode: not enough barcodes read |
{CameraName} has {X} valid barcodes, required {Y} |
Multi-camera mode: a specific camera did not read enough barcodes |
Both cameras failed: Front - {reason}; Side - {reason} |
Both mode: neither camera read enough barcodes |
Front camera: {reason} |
Both mode: only the Front camera failed |
Side camera: {reason} |
Both mode: only the Side camera failed |
Common Failure Reasons and What to Check¶
| Symptom | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
Consistent NOREAD from one camera |
Camera misaligned, dirty lens, label not in camera view | Check camera alignment, clean lens, verify label placement |
| Intermittent failures | Labels partially obscured, inconsistent label placement | Check conveyor speed, label position consistency |
Found 0 valid barcodes |
Camera not triggering, cable disconnected, camera offline | Check camera connection in diagnostics panel, verify photo-eye |
| Failures only in one camera mode | Wrong camera mode selected for product type | Switch camera mode using the dropdown |
Troubleshooting Steps¶
- Check the diagnostics panel for camera connection status (green = connected).
- Look at the last barcode read in the diagnostics panel. If it shows
NOREAD, the camera is triggering but cannot read the barcode. - Check the log file for entries with
[AV50]prefix: [AV50] Validation FAILED: {Reason}-- shows the exact failure reason[AV50] Received {X} barcodes, {Y} valid-- shows what the camera read[AV50] Barcodes by role - Front: {X}, Side: {Y}-- shows per-camera breakdown- Verify the camera mode matches the site's needs (Front/Side/Both).
When to Escalate¶
- Camera shows as disconnected and restarting the application does not help
- Camera reads barcodes in diagnostics but validation still fails
- Failures started after a configuration change
- The camera mode dropdown is missing or shows unexpected options