AFW-8-36R unresponsive using ASCOM diagnostics tester

I am using the AFW-8-36R with the USB-FW device and have followed the instructions step by step but when testing this the Device Connection Tester I am getting the following:

Create Creating device
Connected Connecting to device

Name SBIG.USB-FW
Description ASCOM FilterWheel Driver for SBIG.USB_FW.
DriverInfo An ASCOM Interface wrapper for the SBIG USB to Filter Wheel Adapter Version: 1.2
DriverVersion 1.2
InterfaceVersion 2
Position 0

Connected Disconnecting from device
Dispose Disposing of device
Dispose Completed disposal
ReleaseComObject Releasing COM instance
GC Collect Starting garbage collection
GC Collect Completed garbage collection

The "Get Profile" shows
<Default> ASCOM FilterWheel Driver for SBIG.USB_FW.
1:Empty:Empty; 1:Empty:Empty;
COM Port COM6
false False
FW 1 slots 1:UV/IR Block;2:U;3:B;4:V;5:Rc;6:Ic;7:None;8:Black;
FW 2 slots 1:Empty;2:Empty;3:Empty;4:Empty;5:Empty;
Trace Level True

 

Yes, It is unresponsive when I try to control it from AstroArt9.

All aspects of the AstroArt9 setup look correct - I am pretty certain they are correct as I have used AstroArt since AstroArt3 for focuser, filterwheel, camera, mount control. I am using the ASCOM driver in AstroArt9. When I set up the ASCOM driver using the ASCOM Diagnostics 'Choose Device' function I followed the instructions in the USB-FW User Manual. When I run AstroArt9 all the settings I put into the ASCOM Diagnostics (Port, filter assignments, ASCOM driver name, Single filter wheel) came through into AstroArt9. Incidetly, when I instruct a filter change in AstroArt9 it respondes with an 'ERROR'.

When I look at Device Manager it shows the FTDI in the USB-FW operating normally. However, I don't know if the settings are correct, baud rate etc, I changed baud rate to 4800 but this made no difference so I put it back to the default 9600. Since the the results of 'Connect' in the ASCOM diagnostics give the response that I sent you I think it is connected correctly.

An interesting thing. I have a second idetical filterwheel that I bought from you last April for my Aluma CCD47-10. When I swapped to that wheel and ran the "Connect" function it behaved differently. The outut was much longer and when I looked at the filterwheel setting in ASCOM (with the same driver settings) it was showing 16 filter positions, the first 8 were as I had put in. Then when I used AstroArt9 to control this wheel it also showed 16 filter positions and when I selected any of the first 8 filters the filterwheel immediately resoponded and changed filters. So I then went through the full set up according to the User Manual and then it behaved just like the first wheel. Only 8 filter positions shown and filterwheel unresponseive.

It is as though the USB-FW is sending control signals to the filterwheel that the filterwheel cannot interpret.

I am so sorry for the long story but at least you know exactly where I am up to.

I would be grateful for any suggestions and I can try any diagnostics that you suggest.

Many many thanks

 

Thank you for all the responses. I really value them.
Q oes the filter wheel carousel move when you power it all up? It would normally find the home position.
A :Yes both of my filter wheels #1 and #2 behave exactly the same at power up; complete rotations and then move to home position.

Q Does the it move when you change the position?
A : I believe so. I opened #1 unpowered and rotated the wheel by hand. After replacing the cover and powerup it did its usual spins and went to home position.

Q : Am I correct in assuming Astro Art indicates that connected to the filter wheel?
A : Yes AstroArt indicates "Connected" to the filter wheel. All settings appear correctly in AstroArt as were set in the ASCOM Diagnostics 'Choose Device'.

Q :Could you provide more info than "it respondes with an 'ERROR'"
A : It might be difficult as the 'ERROR' only flashes up for a fraction of a second in the AstroArt bottom status bar of the control window. The message appears each time I send the command to change filter position but no movement of the filter wheel.

Q :Is there an error log or a detailed error message?
A :I am not aware of one but I will ask the AstroArt author (Fabio) tomorrow and ask if others have reported the same issue.

Q :Could you take a screen shot of the error, and attach with [Upload a File] at the lower right.
A :I will try tomorrow night. I need to build the setup on my test bench (aka dining table).

"Since we know ASCOM Diagnostics are talking to the driver successfully, it is likely something with Astro Art."
I don't believe this to be an AstroArt issue because when I swapped to my second identical filter wheel #2, without changing and ASCOM settings after filter wheel #1,, it appeared as a 16 position wheel in AstroArt and when I selected any of the first 8 positions in AstroArt the wheel #2 immeditely reacted by changing the filters. This tells me that AstroArt is talking to the filter wheel or , rather, it is talking correctly to the USB-FW which is the correctly instructing the filter whhel to change position. But, when I ran through the full set up for the #2 wheel it then behaved exactly the same as the #1 wheel with no movement when requested from AstroArt.

• At the weekend I will try to run the filter wheel #1 and #2 using the Maxim software that I have. I haven't used MAXIM before but I am very familiar with AstroArt.
• I am running the USB-FW from the latest version of the ASCOM - could there be an inconpatability with ASCOM version?.
• I can perform the set-up using my laptop instead of my observatory computer.
• I can set up filter wheel #1 and #2 using the SBIG CCD camera to control the wheels and check that AstroArt can run in that configuration.

Do you know of any users who are using the AFW Compact 36R with the USB--FW and possibly AstroArt and the latest ASCOM release. Or, perhaps someone at Diffraction Limited could duplicate my setup with the latest version of ASCOM as confirmation that there is no incompatabilty.

I am sorry to take up your time with this. I really appreciate it.

 

Hi Colin, I'm sorry for not responding last night. I didn't get home from work until 10:30pm.

! apologise for my rather wordy previous messages. Let me be more concise

• I have two filterwheels:
  • #1 is the "New One", S/N AFW250501 (shipped 2025-11-21) - This one was ordered with the USB-FW.
  • #2 is the "Old One , S/N AFW241206 (shipped 2025-02-23) - This one ordered with ALUMA CCD47-10.
• Filterwheel #1 and USB-FW installed following USB-FW user manual..
• Filterwheel #1 using USB-FW
  • Spins and goes to home position on power-up.
  • Shows CONNECTED in AstroArt
  • DOES NOT RESPOND to filter change commands from AstroArt.
• Straight swap filterwheels #1 and #2 without running through the instructions in USB-FW user guide.
• Filterwheel #2 using USB-FW for first time
  • 16 filter positions appeared on AstroArt! instead of the expected 8 but only 1 to 8 were labeled with the assigned filter names. However,
  • When I selected any of the filters 1 to 8 in AstroArt the Filterwheel #2 rotated correctly.
  • Then:
• Filterwheel #2 using the same USB-FW after following the setup process detailed in the USB-FW user manual.

• Spins and goes to home position on power-up.
• Shows CONNECTED in AstroArt
• DOES NOT RESPOND to commands from AstroArt.
• Now behave exactly the same as Filterwheel #1.

I am sure that you are correct that log files and screen shots are needed for you to analyse this better. I will generate that data over the weekend and package it up for you.

I have photographed the D plug that connects to the D socket on the filterwheels - attached. It looks perfect.

Thank you for your pateience with me.

Clive

 

Hi Colin. Yes, Both ends are D 9pin, one female and one male, and I understand that it is not a straight through cable.

I am gathering information and pictures and will pdf it and send it on in a couple of days.

I have had one thought/observation. The USB-FW driver I downloaded supports several SBIG filter wheel types. I chose the one that seemed most relevant. It is called FW8-8300/Aluma/STC/S as there is no specific AFW-8-36R option. I have tried all the other FW options but ASCOM rejects them all as 'Filterwheel not found'. Only the one above seems to work - but perhaps it is not correctly driving the filterwheel. Could this be the cause of the problems?

 

Hi Colin and Tim. Thank you so much for your valuable support. I really appreciate it.

Regarding the D9male to D9 female cable. I am using the one that was supplied with the USB-FW. I misread a caution note in the user manual regarding connecting the USB-FW to the filterwheel and thought that the cable was customised in some way.

I have attached a .pdf that follows step by step with captured images as I set up the filterwheel. I am pretty sure I follwed the USB-FW user manual accurately.

In the attachment you can see that I have started by detailing the overall system that I am stting up. It has two telescopes that will be mounted side by side. This is for your interest but it shows where my "filterwheel #2" has come from. It is identical to "filterwheel #1). At the moment I am trying to complete the set up of Telescope #1. I already have control of the mount, Starligh Xpress camera, Optec focuser with AstroArt9 and have had no problems with controling them. The filterwheel and then the SC4 are the last steps for telescope #1. Once this is done then I will bring up telescope #2 - I have not tried this one yet!

A remote session sounds like a great idea and thank you very much for that offer. Perhaps you could look at my step-by-step attachment and let me know what else I can try first. I work full time for Snap Inc. (aka Snapchat) running a hardware development team creating micro-displays. Our electro-optical charcterisation lab is here in Plymouth, UK. I am often on conference calls with our teams in the US and so evening calls are quite normal for me, although -5hrs is a bit earlier that my usual calls. Let's see about a call once we have explored other options.

Thank you again.

Clive

 

Dear Colin, Thank you for the message from yesterday. I was home late from the office, after 10:30pm, and decided to install the update tonight and see if it changes the filterwheel behaviour.

Yes, Fabio responded. He did not point to any AstroArt error logging file but, if I understood him correctly, that the ERROR is in response to and error reported by ASCOM. He recommended looking to the ASCOM log. He said,
"Run ASCOM Diagnostics, the log files are used saved in: C:\Users\<YourUserName>\Documents\ASCOM\"

This echo's what you told me.

I will install the update now and get back to you overnight.

Thank you.

 

Update and tests complete: Files attached:

Thank you Colin

 

Dear Colin, I hope you had a great weekend. I was wondering if the ASCOM log files that I attached to the last message helped to shed some light on my filterwheel issue? Please let me know if there are any other tests that I can do that might give more information. If you think a video call would be beneficial then I can be free during your afternoons from 14:30 onwards this week. Next week I will be away in Sweden.

Thank you for all the help you have given to me.

Clive

 

Hi Colin, That is great news that you have it working. Yes, I can be available ay 16:00 your time. Private message just sent