Chromebox CXI5, issue with camera and the camera dont scan the QR codes.

fcreager

I recently replaced two labs at our elementary school with Add-in-One 24in touchscreen monitors (AIO 24 MA240T Dckng Mntr UK). The chrome box I attached was an Acer Chromebox CXI5 (Mini PC - 1 x Core i5 1235U / 1.3 GHz - RAM 8 GB - SSD 256 GB - Iris Xe Graphics - GigE, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E) - WLAN:
Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E) - Chrome OS - monitor: none - gray). The problem I'm running into is that we use Classlink and we use a login called Quickcards for the lower grades. If you are not familiar with this at the login screen you get an option to press Quickcards, it accesses the camera, scans your QR code and logs you into the device. I hadn't had any issues with this until I switched to the new Chromebox. The login screen comes up, the Quickcard button pulls up the camera no problem, but the camera will not scan the QR code. It just sit there. I've contacted Classlink and they believe it to be a hardware issue. Not sure what to even try to diagonize this problem. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice.

[Edited the thread to add issue detail]

billsey

The camera is only connected to the computer inside the All-In-One, not to any external computer like the Chromebox. You will need an external camera for the Chromebox.

fcreager

This is Acer's Add-in-One. I believe it's fairly new. https://www.acer.com/us-en/desktops-and-all-in-ones/add-in-one/add-in-one-24

It doesn't have a computer built into it. The Chromebox slides into a slot in the back and then attaches to the monitor with a USB-C cable. Sorry for the confusion it's not a true all-in-one. After trying many different configurations it seems that the camera will simply not scan a QR code unless a user has logged into the device. Not sure what the disconnect is but on to plan B.

billsey

Yes, that is new and they don't show any models yet available in the US where I am. I can't see any info on it yet. :( I'll see if the moderators can help.

fcreager

After some testing, I found that I couldn't get the camera to read a QR code whether I was logged in or not. It would read a code if I went into the camera app. I think I've found a workaround that seems even easier than the QR codes we currently use to login into Classlink. Classlink offers a facial recognition option to login to classlink. I've tested that with the built-in camera and it works great. We are going to use that for now. I appreciate your help and if you do find anything out I would love to know what's up with the camera, QR codes, and Classlink. Thanks

billsey

That's great to hear. With the Windows systems facial recognition (Windows Hello) requires an IR camera, so the standard cameras don't work…

billsey

I did get a little info, but nothing very deep into it. The webcam connects internally through to the docking station so there aren't very many places there might be a hardware issue. It sounds like your problems are almost certainly with software.

billsey

I finally got access to a service manual on the monitor and can't find anything in the hardware that would cause the issue. Same thing with the Chromebox itself, so it almost has to be the software side. Either the Chromebox isn't awake enough at that point to read the camera or Quickcards isn't up enough to do the same thing. As far as the hardware is concerned, the camera is just sitting on a USB port, like with any other camera…