electrical / electronics question

[DickLowman]

Strange issue: I have installed a camera system (Foo Koo) for monitoring views around my towed travel trailer. Cameras are installed on each side of the trailer, allowing continuous split view awareness. Additionally, the system includes trigger wires for each side camera that is supposed to cause the correct side camera to fill the screen when a turn signal is activated. (i.e., when turning right the right camera fills the screen.) The camera system works almost flawlessly, but sometimes (perhaps 10% of the time) the trigger wire function fails - both cameras continue to show in the split screen but the activated side does not fill the screen. It is as if the trigger wire is not getting correct voltage. Moreover, in shop testing, when the system works, both side cameras work, but when one trigger wire does not activate, neither activates. The Foo Koo customer service is outstanding and is trying to help make this right. But I am uncertain if this is a camera issue or an electronic issue in the truck turn signal unit. I would hate to claim defective camera if the problem could be in the truck. The installation was done by a top ranked electrical shop, so I believe that was done correctly. My question: since these new (2022 2500) trucks are controlled with computerized electronics, could that account for the problem? Any ideas?

 

[Kickboxer]

What did that systehm cost you ? Sounds like tech.overkill, something not really
needed.

 

[BossHogg]

The installation was done by a top ranked electrical shop, so I believe that was done correctly. My question: since these new (2022 2500) trucks are controlled with computerized electronics, could that account for the problem? Any ideas?

It is highly doubtful it is an installation issue but more of an incompatibility issue between the camera's detection of a turn signal and the truck. The camera system's turn signal detection must have thresholds of what qualifies as a valid signal, this is likely the issue. I believe the truck use pulse width modulation to drive the truck's lamps. The PWM signal versus the camera's sampling of the control line may be the issue.

To prove this, you could wire in a relay that provides battery positive to the camera's sense line and wire in the relay's coil to the truck's turn signal. A mechanical relay is too slow to react to the PWM of the turn signal. You could also wire the camera's sense line to the truck's trailer wiring circuit, the lines are all relay controlled by the BCM.

 

[DickLowman]

BossHogg, thank you. Those electrical terms are over my head, but what you say sounds logical. That gives me a starting point and a direction. I will definitely be following up on those suggestions.