Resolved sbigudrv.dll has broken our FW7 in MaxIM D 6.14

Discussion in 'CCDOPS and SBIG Universal Driver (Retired)' started by astro, May 16, 2021.

  1. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    We get an 'error connecting to filter wheel' message when trying to connect our STX+FW7 using the latest SBIG Driver Checker update. The offending file is sbigdrv.dll.

    Version 4.97 Build 1 05-25-17 works fine.

    Version 5.0.2.0 04-15-21 produces the error.

    I have repeated the test several times (updating via DriverChecker64, testing, then restoring the old driver from backup).

    Camera firmware is up to date. MaxIM DL is not the latest, but shouldn't really be a problem.

    Would appreciate some feedback asap, as we're in the middle of a student project. I presume it should be fine to continue to use the old driver for the time being.

    Paul
     

    Attached Files:

  2. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    This could be Windows 10 or MaxIM version related. I've been unable to connect the camera on a brand new Win10 build with latest versions of everything with either of the two sbigudrv.dll's I've been testing. However, plugging the camera into an older Win 10 PC running MaxIM 6.14 and sbigudrv 4.97 and the camera connects perfectly every time.

    In all cases, the SBIG camera is appearing in device manager, so there's no reason to suspect hardware, or even USB for that matter.

    Help!

    Paul
     
  3. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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  4. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    Hi Colin,

    This is not resolved for us. I upgraded to MaxIM DL 6.27 yesterday and have spent the last day rebuilding a Win 10 machine and troubleshooting this from scratch. The FW7 will NOT connect with 6.27 and the latest sbig driver. Can you provide a link to 4.99? I only have 4.97 and it is also not behaving with the latest version of MaxIM.

    Paul
     
  5. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    The 4.99 package was included in the thread that Colin linked above.
     
  6. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    Can you please clarify the state of this? In order for us to operate an STX 16803 + FW7 do we need both MaxIM DL 6.14 and the 4.99 driver package? The reason I ask is that I've just restored a fresh Windows 10 install. I've installed the latest MaxIM DL 6.27, and the 4.99 driver package. Even without the filter wheel configured, the camera is not found.

    Screen shots attached.

    Thanks in advance,

    Paul

    screen1.PNG

    screen2.PNG
     
  7. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    Further info that might help. On the PC that the camera successfully connects, the SB Univeral setup screen in MaxIM DL includes a "16803" option. The new PC build does not include this option - it only has USB (along with ethernet, parallel etc). Where / what is the driver / config file that might hold the key to this? I've already tried copying over the My Documents, MaxIM program directory and Windows system and system32/drivers without success.

    Paul
     
  8. astro

    astro Cyanogen Customer

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    Further update.

    Latest install procedure and we have 6.27 working with drivers 4.99. The idiosyncrasy has to do with the presence of STX-16803 as a selection option in the SBIG Universal Driver dialogue in MaxIM. If it's not there, selecting USB will not work.

    I'm not sure what the sequence to ensuring its appearance is, but in my case a fresh install of Windows 10, followed by the SBIG driver checker 4.99, followed by MaxIM DL 6.27, followed by powering up and selecting the SBIG camera in Device Manager seems to encourage the STX-16803 option to appear.

    For the moment everything appears to be working on this fresh platform.

    Paul
     
  9. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    The 16803 option will happen when the camera is seen by the computer, driver, and MaxIm.
    The STX-16803 is the normal option to select.
    If the camera is powered off, disconnected, or the Windows low level device driver is not installed, you will not see it, and will get Parallel, Ethernet, USB etc.

    To get the option to show up on a new PC:
    Download and install the SBIG Driver Checker that has 4.99, and was included at the bottom of the thread I posted earlier.
    Launch the SBIG Driver Checker
    Click Update. When it asks Download latest drivers? Click NO. That's not the behaviour you are used to - but it will install the 4.99 build 7 drivers.
    sbig_driver_no.png

    Then it will move on to the next screen, and you need to click Update Me:
    sbig_driver_updateme.png
    This will install 4.99 Build 7.
     
  10. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    For additional clarity:

    Installation Steps:

    The steps are normally:
    (a) Install the ASCOM Platform 6.5 SP1,
    (b) Install MaxIm, register the license, and quit
    (c) Install hardware drivers. This includes installing, running, and installing the device drivers in SBIG Driver Checker-installed stuff
    (d) Install any ASCOM drivers for third party hardware
    (e) Install any MaxIm Plug-Ins
    (f) Configure ASCOM,
    (g) Configure MaxIm.
    (h) Once you have it all working, I encourage you to save a Configuration with a name that would clue someone in
    In MaxIm,
    File... Configurations
    Save a configuration with a name like "20210512_Perfect_Install".
    That way you could revert to it if someone makes a mistake.

    SBIG Driver Checker:

    The SBIG Driver Checker installs:
    1. low level Windows hardware device drivers to allow Windows to talk to the camera. Once this is installed, it will show up in the Device Manager properly without error.
    On a 64-bit Windows install, these end up in:
    C:\Windows\System32\drivers
    and have names like sbig*.* such as sbigu64.sys

    2. SBIG application-level drivers - the sbigudrv.dll - that is used by programs such as CCDOps, MaxIm DL Pro, and third party programs to natively communicate with any SBIG ST/STL/STXL/STX/STT/STF camera.
    This like is installed somewhere like:
    C:\Windows\System
    and is named sbigudrv.dll

    MaxIm DL Pro has a "plug-in" component - CCDPlugSBIG.dll - that connects MaxIm's camera control functions to the sbigudrv.dll
    This lives somewhere like:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Diffraction Limited\MaxIm DL 6

    You don't need to manually put those there -the SBIG Driver Checker does it for you.
     

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