Resolved Maxim DL V6 crashes when startup script terminates.

Discussion in 'Aluma CCD Series' started by Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020.

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  1. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    As the title states Maxim DL V6 crashes when my ACP startup script terminates. Up till now I have had no problems starting the observatory via script. I am now dealing with two variables that have changed very recently. I just purchased an Aluma 3200 with the self guiding filter wheel to replace my failing ST-10XME. I had to replace my Maxim DL V5 with V6 in order to support the new camera. The only change to the startup script was to start Maxim V6 instead of V5.

    I originally thought the problem was turning on the camera cooler since that was the last action in the script. I put in a significant delay as the end of the script to verify that but while the delay occurs the camera starts to cool down and everything has the appearance of success. When the script terminates Maxim goes down.
    If I do not connect to the camera, the script runs to termination and everything is fine. Everything appears to work fine manually, its just startup via script that is having a problem. This all runs on a Windows 7 machine.

    I reduced the start up script to the minimal amount. The script powers up the camera, starts Maxim, connects to the camera and turns on the cooler. Maxim still crashes as the script terminates. I reconfigured Maxim to support my ST10 and ran the exact same script and Maxim does NOT crash.

    Is there a setting somewhere that I am missing? I am running firmware v20.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
    #1
  2. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Which version of MaxIm DL Pro are you running? 6.21?
    Which version of ACP? 8.3? Scheduled or Manual operation?

    Have you turned on Camera 1 and Cameras 2 threading settings?
    threading.png

    Does MaxIm behave if you turn on cooler etc manually, outside of ACP, without ACP or Focusmax connected to MaxIm?

    Next steps:
    1. zip up your Settings folder and attach with Upload a file. Settings are somewhere like C:\Users\Tom\Documents\MaxIm DL 6\Settings
    2. In MaxIm, View... Log Window. Right Click. Enable the Show TimeStamps options.
    3. Repeat the crashing behaviour. Send us the MaxIm log using Upload a file. Logs are usually in C:\Users\Tom\Documents\MaxIm DL 6\Log and they have a date stamp filename.
    4. Attach the relevant ACP logs - I can usually interpret them, not as well as @Bob Denny mind you.
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #2
  3. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    MDL Version: 6.21
    ACP Version: 8.3
    Threads turned on: Yes
    Maxim behaves when used manually without any external players.

    This discussion started on ACP's forum. Mr. Denny suggested the minimum capability start up script. Only after I configured for the ST10 and the exact same startup script did NOT crash did I move over here.

    Tom
     

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    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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  4. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    A couple of things about your startup script:

    Line 74: is only giving 5 seconds from power-on to your AC power switch until MaxIm launched and connect attempt.

    If DoPowerCommand is turning on the AC to the power supply for the camera, 5 seconds is probably not enough time for:
    - the AC power pack to stabilize,
    - upon power reaching +12V the camera will reset
    - the camera will test itself, cycle the shutter, and home its filter wheel (which might have to go all the way around).
    - interface to initialize and be ready for the PC (WiFi will take longer than USB)

    Change this to something more like 60 seconds.

    Line 112: It's probably worth setting the cooler temperature setpoint BEFORE turning on the cooler.
    Otherwise whatever the old (last?) setpoint was will be used for an instant.

    Give those two things a shot, and I will have a further look through the info.
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
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  5. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    Did both, no change in the behavior. Maxim still goes down. The startup script is a pared down one, the original did a lot more within a much longer time frame. I had also previously reversed the cooler commands in my numerous troubleshooting runs.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
    #5
  6. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Your settings zip file is missing the CCDPlug directories and MaxIm CCD directory is missing the files.
    Please rezip including the subfolders and Upload again.
    Thanks
    Colin
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #6
  7. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    I sent the entire folder. There are no additional directories other than the Maxim one and it is empty.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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  8. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    When you say MaxIm goes down, are you getting any Windows error messages?
    If you are familiar with Event Viewer, can you check the Windows Logs - Application for any MaxIm_DL.exe messages?
    Is your machine set to capture crashdumps?
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #8
  9. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    This is all I get.
     

    Attached Files:

    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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  10. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    That's impossible.
    You have to manually configure the camera setup, and there is no camera setup in your Settings directory.
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
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  11. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Specifically, there should be the following files in the MaxIm CCD folder:
    CameraControl.txt
    CameraControlWindow.txt
    Setup.txt
    SetupFilterWheel.txt
    and more
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #11
  12. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    Faulting application name: MaxIm_DL.exe, version: 6.21.5.0, time stamp: 0x5e20b9b4
    Faulting module name: CCDPlugDLImaging.dll, version: 6.21.7.0, time stamp: 0x5e18a951
    Exception code: 0xc0000005
    Fault offset: 0x00081575
    Faulting process id: 0x%9
    Faulting application start time: 0x%10
    Faulting application path: %11
    Faulting module path: %12
    Report Id: %13
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
    #12
  13. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    I just checked the machine in the observatory again. The settings subdirectory is empty.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
    #13
  14. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Thanks for the error info from the Event Viewer.

    Go to the observatory PC.
    Shut down all applications.
    Run MaxIm manually.
    Check the camera configuration.
    Take 1 image.
    Exit MaxIm.
    Then check the directory again.
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #14
  15. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    BTW if it is still empty after that - are you running different user accounts on the observatory PC or non-standard documents directory or remote drive mapping? Autologin to an account? Anything weird?
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #15
  16. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    I am logged in as an operator. I think that settings file has what you are looking for.
     

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    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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  17. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Ok, this is more what I expected. Why were they different?
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
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  18. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    You assumed I was logged in as me and I just blindly followed your suggested link. I was in fact logged in as an operator and that was where the files were.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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  19. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Ok, we'll take a look into this and let you know if we need further information in a couple of days.
     
    Colin Haig, Mar 24, 2020
    #19
  20. Tom Haugh

    Tom Haugh Cyanogen Customer

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    Thanks.
     
    Tom Haugh, Mar 24, 2020
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