Slow 1x1 download for sbig autoguider

I just received a new stt8300 and fw8g-stt and was able to successfully connect to the camera and autoguider chip in tsx. Problem comes in when trying to download the 1x1 image from the autoguider. Image is taken, but the download time is well over a minute. If I switch to 2x2 binning, no problem with the downloads being fast . Main imaging camera is also no problem at 1x1 for download times.
Right now, I'm just trying to get the camera to work with tsx.
Thanks for any help out there...................Jerald

 

After further experimentation, here is what I have found and my reply to a question from Matt Bisque on their forum:

Thanks to all for replying, I appreciate the help. Let me first say that I have been imaging with tsx, an fli 11002, and separate guide scope with lodestar. No problems and I am also using an icron usb powered hub. Weather here is stopping all imaging, but I wanted to get any potential bugs worked out in the meanwhile with the new camera. I have entered all the camera information into a new tsx profile (auto guide tab is using "sbig imager's built in autoguider", camera tab is using "sbig stt cameras". Connecting via usb hub to the sbig camera and the guided fw is not a problem. So one potential bug seems to be eliminated. I also am using pulse guide for my setting, even though i'm not truly autoguiding in this scenario.
In ccdops, I can connect to the camera with "dual ccdview" and I am able to see both chips working in unbinned modes with successful downloads. Granted I'm not actually focused on a star and autoguiding, but at least this shows the two chips are working and downloading.
In tsx, if I go into the main camera tab and take a binned or unbinned image there is no problem downloading the image. the download is very fast. Next, going to the autoguide tab, if I take a binned or unbinned image, the image is taken, but the download is very long (> 1minute). Answer to Part B of your question.
I've tried all kinds of hook ups, Including shutting down tsx and restarting the program. Weird thing is that if I restart and use the autoguider first ( IOW, not using the main imaging chip first), the autoguider will work fine in all binning modes with " take photo continuously" checked in the focus tab of autoguide tab. Downloads are fast as I would expect them to be. If I go back to taking an image with the main camera chip, and auto guiding images still downloading, I get autoguiding images slowing to a crawl and the main chip waiting for the autoguiding chip image to download before I can snap a main image again.
I've used this method of testing the fli and lodestar cameras before and not had a problem. It maybe that there is something I'm doing wrong here, since there is an internal guider chip on the sbig combo.............HTH, Jerald

 

Image as requested. Will send second file..............Jerald

 

Second image is reported as too large to send to you. Do you want me to try to send to Tim Puckett?

 

I too am having this problem but mine is with an SBIG ST-I camera. I'm sure it is not related to any TheSkyX plugin as I have been using the camera for at least 2 months with the same TSX version, one day it was working as usual, the next day, as above. The camera takes about 20 seconds to download 1x1 and about half that for 2x2. I downloaded the latest SBIG drivers but none loaded as mine were said to be current. Thinking it might be the insidious Window 7 x64 upgrades, I uninstalled those installed up to a month previous but that had no effect. The problem does not occur with the camera + TSX on my main PC but does occur on my imaging Laptop which has been used for a while with no problems. I tried with new USB cables and via a USB Hub or plugged directly into the laptop with the same result.
It's not a major problem with me as I have a Lodestar but I might be another test platform to help out.
Charles

 

Hi Charles,

Thanks for your input. Being relatively new to astroimaging, I thought the problem maybe due to my inexperience with sbig dual chip cameras, but the folks at maxim were nice enough to provide me with a second trial version of dl. Everything worked fine with the two chips and downloads were very fast.

On the software bisque support forum, another fellow chimed in that he was having similar problems with tsx and his sbig camera. Since things are working well with dl and ccdops, my thoughts are that the problems lie with in the tsx cao................................Now, can you help me with the lousy weather I've got here? ......................................Jerald

 

Hi Jerald,
Can't help with the weather unfortunately, I'm 'King of the Clouds' here in South Australia!
Since I'm sure my problem is either with Windows or other software I installed, I decided to start again from scratch. Wiped everything, reloaded Windows, SBIGDriverchecker64 and TheSkyX only and as I expected, the problem with my ST-I has gone. This proves that SBIG and TSX are good and I'll continue loading all my stuff, one at a time, to see if the problem reoccurs. I'll let you know if it does.
Charles

 

Thought I would wrap this one up for anyone experiencing similar problems. Here is the final post from the sb site (BTW, bisque was no help at all in solving this problem):

A BIG THANK YOU TO ROY SALISBURY, Tim Puckett, Bob Denny, AND CHRIS HENDREN AT OPT,

Thanks to Roy who provided the clues to solving this problem. Chris Hendren (A.K.A. LT. Columbo) at OPT got on teamviewer with me and discovered that checking the subframe box and changing the dimensions for 1x1 binning solved the problem. Drivers show 648 x 488 for the chip dimensions. Chris reduced the dimensions to 640 x 480 and all worked in simulation. I have since gotten a chance to image under real time conditions and the problem was solved.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Roy Salisbury, Chris Hendren, Bob Denny, and Tim Puckett from Sbig for their efforts in solving this problem......Wish I could say the same for the people at software bisque. Hopefully, this will help others who may encounter a similar problem.................Jerald

 

Great teamwork! I was only a bit player.

 

I'm gradually getting there Bob. Pleasure talking to you, and again thanks for the help..................Jerald