I've just opened the camera which I bought recently / which until a couple of days ago had enough power to turn on.

On the test points near the battery connector I get 3.2v.
On the test points near the charge pad connector I get 0v.

Between the two negatives I have continuity but no voltage.
Between the two positives I have just over 3v. (with the pad near the battery connector being the positive of the two)


On the camera which still has enough power to turn on;

On the test points near the battery connector I get 9.3v
On the test points near the charge pad connector I get 0v

Between the two negatives I have continuity but no voltage.
Between the positives I have no voltage and no continuity.

You know those jobs you wish you'd never started but having done so you really dont want to admit defeat?....... 2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]

I think I have another board somewhere, it charged and operated OK but wouldn't transmit video, I'll connect that to the battery pack and see what happens, it does sound like the Dock needs to see some sort of voltage at the charge pads before it'll do anything.

Yep..... I'm hoping that the dock just hasn't come to life because it can't see a camera.

I'll open up the third camera (which shows no sign of having been opened previously) and try my (still charged) battery pack in there and see what happens. It looks like it's not worth taking it out to the car unless I can get a voltage across the charge pads.

If that third camera doesnt want to play, I wonder, remember my tin-foil idea...... what would you think to doing that (i.e. the strips taped along the camera), but putting a button battery or even an aa across the two pieces of foil (when the camera is in the dock), I suppose a button battery at 3v is close enough to the 2.95v you get across the pins on your camera. It would of course be in parallel to the camera.

If you think that might be worth trying then could you confirm please, with the camera button-side down and the charge pads on top, camera / LEDs facing away from you, the left-hand one is the + yep?

Edit to add: Third camera is the same....... No voltage on the test points near the charge connector. Could the 2.95 you measured be residual / left over from recent previous use & would disippate over time?

Cheers
Richard 2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]

I found the following in the WSM in the wiki; (although I have no codes showing relating to the cam)

Click image to enlarge

Sorry matey, not had time to look for the spare PCB yet - working yesterday plus gearbox oil & filter change plus some unplanned maintenance on No.2 Son's L319 today....
Oh, and it's my turn to cook dinner.

Oh there is definitely nothing to say sorry for!!!!!! Enjoy dinner!

I mainly posted that pic above as a handy place to keep all the info I've found.

I realised that I didn't re-scan for codes after the battery reset so just off to do that........ Would be nice if it decides to show one of the codes on that list, if it's one of the configure or clear-code-and-retest ones haha  2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]

I discovered I have the system description, in the locations file for 'DVD and Venture Cam' in the WSM. Under battery charging it states;

"The battery is re-charged when the unit is in the docking station. Two spring loaded pins in the docking station connect with contacts on the VentureCam™. The charging will occur only when the VentureCam™ is in the docking station and the ignition switch is in position II. Power is supplied direct from the vehicle battery via a fuse in the central junction box (CJB) and is permanently live. However, charging will only occur when the IHU receives an ignition on signal via the CAN. The IHU then sends a charge message to the docking station via its CAN connection. The docking station software will allow further charging of the battery for a period of 30 minutes after an ignition off signal is received from the IHU."

That seems to be saying that it doesnt rely on sensing a camera to provide voltage to the pins but does rely on receiving a can message from the IHU.......I suppose next stage is see if the voltage I detect on the charge pins changes with ignition on / off, which I guess should indicate if the dock is receiving a message. If it stays the same then I guess it's dash apart, again, to be able to test the can pins on the dock multiplug. Can failure at that plug would explain lack of connection etc too presumably.

Cheers
Richard 2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]

Yer, I've seen that too - it depends upon whether the charge control is done by the base or the camera, if you go onto the Venturecam screen, it shows 'venturecam docked' and the charge status, now unless there is some way for the dock to monitor both by the charge pins, it suggests to me that the ID of the camera, charge state and docking state is done via the IR link.
I think the only way to discount the IR is to block it, possibly with tinfoil!

I would read it as being that it's controlled by the dock, but it's a bit open to interpretation.

Yep, the link through the little window above the charge pins you mean? I think you're right, when a camera is detected and a charge / id is reported then it must come via that IR window (& if not what else could it be there for!), to the dock & then on to the rest of the car via can messages.

Versatile stuff tinfoil isnt it! haha (although I have ordered a set of meter probes with longer pins on the end) 2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]

I'll block the IR port and dock the Venturecam, if nothing happens then it has to be the return, if not bidirectional link. I think it does need both as even with a Venturecam in the dock but not latched, nothing happens.

Phoenix wrote:

Unless the signalling on MS CAN is different, I can't see why not - I suppose it's possible that the dock isn't getting the 'ignition on' message, that would prevent it working.

I think 'message format' is a bit misleading, the CAN frames haven't changed at all - that would be a change in protocol! It's possible that the addressing is different, i.e. the messages sent to the dock contain info that the earlier dock cannot act on - that also doesn't explain the difference in the Venturecam's themselves WRT terminal voltage at the charging pads.

I tried blocking the IR port, the Venturecam wasn't detected as docked for the 10 mins I had it in the dock for.

Yep, I presumed it to mean the addresses.

PowerfulUK have done a couple of fairly interesting videos on the subject. He describes can bus as being like a stadium full of people shouting messages about their particular component and the addresses as being the names of the people shouting.

When I can move properly I might take the glovebox out, check all the wiring (again!) and if it's all ok & the voltages on the can wires are right then take the dock out (but I won't admit defeat, I'll look for a 2010 dock). In the meantime a dupont cable fits the pins on the dock so I might order a fakra extension, make an extension for the multiplug and leave them through the hole in the glovebox so I can check any future dock before taking the dash apart.

Interesting that the cameras & dock have a physical connection for charging, the IR connection for handshake messages, UHF for operation & microwave for video transmission (& of course can from the dock to the head unit), more complicated than they appear!! 2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Santorini Black
2010 Range Rover Autobiography TDV8 Zermatt Silver [Gone]
2003 Range Rover HSE Oslo Blue [Gone]
1985 Camel Trophy 90 (Netherlands Team Vehicle) [Gone]
1990 Camel Trophy 127 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1989 Camel Trophy 110 (Workshop Vehicle) [Gone]
1998 Camel Trophy Freelander (South African Team Vehicle)
1995 Camel Trophy Discovery 300Tdi (Raft Unit) [Gone]