Unstable connection to AC461 camera

Discussion in 'Aluma AC Series CMOS' started by Mark Marfoglia, Feb 20, 2026.

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  1. Mark Marfoglia

    Mark Marfoglia Cyanogen Customer

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    I am bench testing my AC461 on a Windows 11 Pro, and my connection to the camera is unstable.
    I purchased from SBIG the Solo10G adapter. I installed their windows drivers as instructed, and all went exactly as expected except that I was to receive "approve new Thunderbolt" message which I never received (not sure if this is relevant). According to the device manager, it seems to be OK.
    I set up the network adapter exactly as detailed in the SBIG manual without issue. I am able to connect the camera and take images, but when I tried to check my camera settings it disconnects. It also displays an "egain corruption" in that field (see attached screen shots). The only way to reconnect the camera, is to power it down, disconnect/reconnect the Solo, and power back up the camera in that exact order. It also is unreliable in certain maneuvers such as disconnecting and reconnecting. After reconnecting, taking an image can hang.
    Another thing I found odd was that at bin 4 the camera was saturated at 1 sec with the shipping cover on.
    Thanks for your help,
    Mark
     

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    Mark Marfoglia, Feb 20, 2026
    #1
  2. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Hi Mark,
    Glad to hear you got it installed.

    1. Check USB selective suspend/power management settings
    2. Check the power management settings on the Thunderbolt ports (this will be new, since you have the Solo Thunderbolt adapter):
    https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...rn-off-usb-selective-suspend.7848/#post-59481

    Additional tips here:
    https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...et-with-optical-fiber-sfp-transceivers.10113/
    Specifically see:
    3. Performance Tip #3
    https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...ical-fiber-sfp-transceivers.10113/#post-61402
    4. Performance Tip #4
    https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...ical-fiber-sfp-transceivers.10113/#post-61403


    I think that is a "red herring". The field doesnt understand how to handle the dual gain levels, so don't worry about that.

    I think we released updated software since the camera was shipped to you, as the driver version looks a bit stale.
    Are you running MaxIm 7.3.0 (the latest)?
    Help... About
    Help... Check for Updates.

    Try installing the latest MaxIm 7.3.0. It should update the DL Config x64 utility and the DLAPI.DLL file.

    I'd expect the sum of the dark current of 16 pixels, so perhaps 8000+, but certainly not saturation. Any chance you changed the Readout Mode/GAIN and/or did not power on the cooler?
     
    Colin Haig, Feb 20, 2026
    #2
  3. Mark Marfoglia

    Mark Marfoglia Cyanogen Customer

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    Regarding the Power Management Tab, the Solo did not have one. Sorry I forgot to mention it.
    Yes, I am running Maxim 7.1.30. I will take a look at the drivers, but when I mess with the settings it disconnects. Can I install them manually?
    Ahh, no the coolers were off! I did try them and they worked.
    Thanks for the tips. I will check them out once I get things reconnected again. Currently passing the wires thru the mount.
     
    Mark Marfoglia, Feb 20, 2026
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  4. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Sometimes there will be a USB4 device or Thunderbolt device, or Thunderbolt Controller, separate from the Solo device, but it is part of the same chain of hardware.

    7.1.3 or 7.3.0 ?
    It needs to be 7.3.0.

    Normally the new drivers are installed when you install MaxIm 7.3.0.
    You could install manually, but I recommend making sure you are at 7.3.0 first.
    Here's a download link for the driver installer: https://diffractionlimited.com/down/SetupDLAPIx64.exe

    OK great.
     
    Colin Haig, Feb 20, 2026
    #4
  5. Mark Marfoglia

    Mark Marfoglia Cyanogen Customer

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    I did find one USB device related to Solo and suspended its power off.
    Maxim is indeed 7.3.0, and I reinstalled the drivers anyway. DL Imaging is unchanged at 7.2.7.1. Please check out the screen shot indicating "UNINITIALZED [Net]" after a disconnect.
    I went thru your tips but some of it is beyond me. I did note that the setup should not be done remotely. Too late however as I did, including installing the Solo drivers. Is that why I did not get the "Approve new Thunderbolt" request? How do I fix this? I am still unstable, so something is wrong. I think it might be the Solo, as it's lights go out when I lose the camera, and the cameras lights start flashing.
    Lastly, even with the coolers at -10C, the chip completely saturates at 1 sec bin 4, even at low gain, cap on.
    Thanks for your help.
     

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    Last edited: Feb 21, 2026
    Mark Marfoglia, Feb 21, 2026
    #5
  6. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Let’s schedule a remote session. Can you let me know when that would be possible. Send a PM.
     
    Colin Haig, Feb 21, 2026
    #6

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