PhotoRobot Locator App & FRFind
Locator is a small module by content volume but high-frequency in daily use. These exercises drill the choice of which surface to use, and the typical diagnostic outcomes.
Exercise 1 — Choose the right surface
For each scenario, pick the best Locator surface to use: (a) CAPP integrated, (b) iOS app, or © FRFind CLI.
| # | Scenario | Best tool |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Daily operator at the control computer needs to verify all 5 Control Units are online before starting production | |
| 1.2 | On-call network specialist receiving a Slack alert from home — needs to check from phone | |
| 1.3 | Studio manager wants weekly automated health check across all studio’s Control Units, logged to file | |
| 1.4 | New employee walking the studio with a tablet, trying to identify which Carousel is “CU-7a2f” | |
| 1.5 | DevOps engineer integrating PhotoRobot Control Unit checks into existing CI/CD monitoring pipeline | |
| 1.6 | Lead lecturer demonstrating Locator workflow to a class — wants single-screen view |
Tip: re-read Section 2 of textbook for the three surfaces and their use cases.
Exercise 2 — Interpret Locator output
CAPP’s integrated Locator shows the following list. Answer the diagnostic questions below.
| Name | Network | Unit | Version | Discovered | Status (dot color) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CU-7a2f | 10.1.2.42 / 24 | Cube V6 | G7-1.4.3 | 2 min ago | Green |
| CU-5d91 | 10.1.2.43 / 24 | Robotic Arm V8 | G7-1.4.3 | 2 min ago | Green |
| CU-c308 | 10.1.2.44 / 24 | Carousel 5000 | G6-2.8.1 | 2 hours ago | Gray |
| CU-9b14 | 10.1.2.42 / 24 | Cube V6 | G7-1.4.3 | 5 min ago | Green |
2.1. What is wrong with CU-c308? What is the likely cause?
Answer:
2.2. What is suspicious about the CU-7a2f and CU-9b14 entries?
Answer:
2.3. The Carousel 5000 runs firmware G6-2.8.1. The other units run G7-1.4.3. What does this discrepancy suggest, and what should you do about it?
Answer:
2.4. A new operator wants to power down the Cube V6 for maintenance. How do they ensure they’re powering down the correct physical unit (since there are two Cube V6 entries in this output)?
Answer:
Exercise 3 — Triage with Locator
For each network anomaly, decide if Locator alone is enough to diagnose, or if you need to combine with other tools.
| # | Symptom | Locator alone? | Or need to combine with: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Locator shows a unit, but CAPP says “no Control Units found” | ||
| 3.2 | Locator shows empty list entirely | ||
| 3.3 | Locator shows unit, but ping to its IP times out | ||
| 3.4 | Locator shows wrong firmware version after a CU upgrade | ||
| 3.5 | Locator’s “Identify” doesn’t make any LED blink |
Tip: Locator is a discovery + identification tool. Beyond discovery, you combine with ipconfig / ifconfig (subnet check), ping (reachability), browser direct access (web interface), and CAPP restart (cache refresh).
Exercise 4 — Mobile vs. desktop decision
Scenario: Your studio has 12 Control Units across 3 photoshoot bays. Your operator team uses iPhones for daily floor walks. Your network specialist works from a Mac control station. Your studio manager wants nightly automated reports.
4.1. Which Locator surface(s) should each team member install / use? (Operator, Network Specialist, Studio Manager.)
Operator: Network Specialist: Studio Manager:
4.2. A new Android-only operator joins the team. What’s the recommendation?
Answer:
4.3. The studio manager wants the nightly health check to alert them via email when any unit is offline for 6+ hours. Can FRFind do this directly, or does the manager need additional tooling?
Answer:
Exercise 5 — Pre-flight checklist
Before your first hands-on session with B05 Workspace configuration:
If you can’t tick all eight, re-read the relevant section of textbook.md before moving on.
Solutions
Don’t look here until you’ve finished the exercises.
Exercise 1 — Choose the right surface
- 1.1 — (a) CAPP integrated. Daily operator workflow, computer is at hand.
- 1.2 — (b) iOS app. Mobile use case, no computer needed.
- 1.3 — © FRFind CLI. Automated / scripted check fits a CLI tool.
- 1.4 — (b) iOS app. Walking with tablet; CAPP would require computer access.
- 1.5 — © FRFind CLI. CI/CD integration prefers CLI tools that can be scripted.
- 1.6 — (a) CAPP integrated. Single-screen lecture demonstration; CAPP is what students will use long-term.
Exercise 2 — Interpret Locator output
2.1. CU-c308 (Carousel 5000) is offline — gray dot + “Discovered: 2 hours ago” means it was last seen 2 hours ago and isn’t responding now. Likely causes: power off, network cable disconnected, unit crashed. First triage step: check the unit’s link LED on the RJ45 port.
2.2. Both units have the same IP (10.1.2.42). This is a DHCP collision or duplicate assignment. CU-7a2f and CU-9b14 cannot both legitimately have the same IP. Only one will respond on that address. Resolution: power-cycle one of the units to force re-DHCP. If the issue persists, escalate (may indicate router DHCP misconfiguration).
2.3. Mixed firmware versions suggest the Carousel 5000 hasn’t been upgraded. Newer CAPP versions may require minimum firmware to communicate properly. Action: plan a coordinated firmware upgrade for the Carousel (via PhotoRobot Support or per the appropriate upgrade procedure). Don’t upgrade mid-production.
2.4. Click Identify on each Cube V6 entry separately. The LED on the corresponding physical unit will blink. Confirm by physical walk to the bay. Power down the correct one. Never rely on Name or IP alone for physical actions — visual identification is mandatory before service.
Exercise 3 — Triage with Locator
- 3.1 — Combine with CAPP restart. Locator confirmed the unit is on network; CAPP’s discovery cache may be stale. Restart CAPP.
- 3.2 — Combine with ipconfig + firewall check. Empty list = computer can’t broadcast UDP 6666. Check subnet match + Windows Defender / macOS firewall.
- 3.3 — Combine with ipconfig (subnet) + browser direct access. Locator may have found unit on a routable subnet but ping is blocked by ICMP filter. Test web interface in browser.
- 3.4 — Combine with browser direct access. Open the unit’s web interface (
http://<unit-ip>) to see authoritative firmware info. If discrepancy persists, escalate to PhotoRobot Support. - 3.5 — Combine with physical inspection. LED may be obstructed, broken, or off due to power issue. Verify unit is powered up and LED is visible from your angle.
Exercise 4 — Mobile vs. desktop decision
4.1.
- Operator: CAPP integrated (primary daily tool) + iOS app on phone (for floor walks)
- Network Specialist: CAPP integrated + FRFind CLI (for automation + advanced diagnostics) + iOS app (mobile triage)
- Studio Manager: Doesn’t need Locator daily — they use management dashboards. But should know it exists and how to access CAPP integrated if asked.
4.2. Recommend an iOS device for studio use (company-provided iPhone or iPad shared by team), OR use FRFind on their personal laptop. Android Locator was discontinued — there’s no replacement on Android. The discontinuation is intentional (PhotoRobot’s mobile strategy is iOS-only).
4.3. FRFind alone can’t email alerts. FRFind is a CLI scanning tool — output goes to stdout. The studio manager needs a wrapper script (bash / Python / Node) that:
- Runs FRFind periodically (cron / Task Scheduler)
- Parses output for offline units
- Maintains state (which units were offline how long)
- Triggers email when threshold (6+ hours) is exceeded
This is standard sysadmin scripting. PhotoRobot Support may have a template script — ask before building from scratch.
Done?
When you’ve worked through all exercises and reviewed the solutions, ask your instructor (or self-administer) the module knowledge check: 5 questions drawn from a pool of 10.
Knowledge check is not graded for certification — it’s diagnostic. If you score low, re-read the relevant textbook section and try again. Then proceed to module B05 — Workspace configuration.