The STC-7 works 100% correctly with Maxim DL (congrats on a complex device working so well). In using it via TS-X I selected camera - DL via Maxim. The filter choice was odd. At one try, there was a DL filter selection and choosing it did not detect the filters(*) although it connected. Choosing ASCOM filters, did not connect. Is there support for the CFW of STC-7 in TS-X? ---- Q2 - Temperature setpoints - How low should the temperature be set? If the outside temp is 0C and the camera can reach -30c with 75% power is it worth going to -35c or -40c assuming the sensor does not frost over? Software Versions: Windows 10 Pro - 20H2 absolute latest Maxim 6.26 TSX - absolute Latest Daily Build ASCOM 6.5.1 3234 SP1 DL API - latest DL ASCOM drivers should be latest. (*) the TSX software said the resply for filters present returned none (no filters at all).
The filter wheel should be usable as an ASCOM filter wheel. @Adam Robichaud - can you have a look at this?
Tim - Adam and I had a quick discussion. Please confirm the version of TSX you are running. e.g. 10.5.0 daily build 12868 Is it set up something like this: And in the ASCOM Properties for the FW did you make sure it was indeed selected?
Re Q2 - going below -30 probably doesnt buy a lot. Try it and let us know ;-) Or better yet, send us a few dark frames, 1x1, unprocessed, in FITS format to have a look. We designed the camera to be able to handle typical warm-ish summer nights.
Thanks for the quick responses. TSX is 10.5.0 Daily Build 12868 IF under "camera choose" this is selected: Diffraction Limited Maxim DL's Camera Connect via Maxim DL Pro or DSLR The FW won't connect as it's an ASCOM device and Maxim DL has the camera. The camera is controllable including the GAIN(*) settings via TSX - EXCEPT for the filters as there are none selectable. If the camera and FW are set to ASCOM, one can connect and the camera works as do the filters. The camera GAIN settings are NOT visible however. If one uses the camera from TSX (via Maxim DL), then the filters can be set in Maxim but not TSX. Hence from TSX once can't setup a multi-filter exposure sequence of R-G-B using TSX. So the two choice are pure ASCOM (and loose gain settings) or use via Maxim and loose filters. I'll give Q2 a go here. Wish I had some Tim Horton's coffee to keep warm and some fritters to go with it. Thanks.... _..-- Tim * GAIN - LOW- MEDIUM - HIGH - STACK......
Ah... Software Bisque never got around to having filter wheel or autoguider controlled by MaxIm, they just allowed main camera control by MaxIm. This is their issue to address, and it was reported by many people a few years ago. If you were using the TSX Camera Add On (or The Sky Imaging Edition) and not using it to control MaxIm, you'd be able to set it up like I outlined. Nothing we can do about the gain situation - again, that's on Bisque. Since MaxIm owns the connection to the camera, and the camera controls the filter wheel, this first option isn't going to work.
I'll talk to Adam about this some more. Am not sure if there is going to be a way to "split" this or "share" this, as DL Imaging owns the camera and presents the interface to the client.
Q1: Please don't go any extra effort on my part. I'll switch to Maxim for camera control and use TSX for the scope. Q2; I have some darks at 20c and 30c to work up and check the effects of the temp delta... Thanks.... Tim
Q1: Ok, I will probably bounce it off Adam anyway, but it is a bit of an edge case. Q2: -20 and -30C - am interested to note what your impressions are.
Q1: So, here's another idea that is half-baked. You might be able to do this: MaxIm Camera 1 = ASCOM = Choose DL Imaging Camera. TSX Camera = MaxIm controlled camera. TSX FW = ASCOM = Choose DL Imaging FW. Adam is working on some changes to our ASCOM stuff. When that is done (next couple weeks I hear), it might enable something like this. Not sure if it will work - unfortunately with COVID restrictions I can't just grab some hardware and test this myself.
Hi Colin, That idea almost worked. The camera is controllable from TSX and the filter wheel is detected but no filters. From Maxim one can set the filter. This didn't pan out so I put Maxim back to using DL-imaging for Camera model and set the CFW also. Now have a strange problem. Taking an unbinned image, Maxim + STC hangs at the end of the download. One has to power cycle the STC to bring it back to life. A 2x2 binned image can run continuously - no issue. Tried a workstation PC with the supplied USB cable and power supply but exact same result. It seems some state variable in the camera is perhaps incorrect. Would reloading fpga rev 4 be a worthy try? Below is a log showing many 2x2 and one 1x1 stopping. I'll look at it with WireShark. 02:53:50*1 MaxIm DL Version 6.26 started on BASE 02:53:55>6 View, Camera Control Window 02:54:50*3 Connecting cameras - thread ID 52104 02:54:52$3 Connected to camera 1 "DL Imaging" (CCDPlugDLImaging.dll v6.25.1.0) 02:54:52$3 Connected to filter wheel 1 "DL Imaging+FW" (CCDPlugDLImaging.dll v6.25.1.0) 02:54:52$14 DLImaging: OpenCamera(): Querying for cameras 02:54:52$14 DLImaging: Attempting to Connect to camera with S/N 692518913 ... [Success::USB] 02:54:52$14 DLImaging: Attempting to Connect to camera with S/N 692518913 ... [Success::USB] 02:54:52$14 DLImaging: Aluma Camera Flag State: 0 02:54:59*4 Filter wheel moving to position 0 02:54:59*4 Started 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:00*4 Completed 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:01*4 Started 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:02*4 Completed 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:02*4 Started 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:04*4 Completed 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:04*4 Started 1.000s 1608x1104 exposure, binned 2x2, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:05$4 Camera Exposure Aborted 02:55:15*4 Filter wheel moving to position 0 02:55:15*4 Started 1.000s 3216x2208 exposure, binned 1x1, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:17*4 Completed 1.000s 3216x2208 exposure, binned 1x1, ROI (0, 0) 02:55:20$14 DLImaging: Retry 1/3 :: Encountered an API error (255) Unknown Error 02:55:20$14 DLImaging: Retry 2/3 :: USB Comm Error: 32 02:55:29$14 DLImaging: Retry 3/3 :: Promise timed out. 02:55:29$14 DLImaging: Retry 4/3 :: Promise timed out. 02:55:34$3 Disconnected from filter wheel 1 "DL Imaging+FW" 02:56:19*1 MaxIm DL Version 6.26 started on BASE 02:56:27>6 View, Camera Control Window 02:57:25*3 Connecting cameras - thread ID 37168 02:57:26#3 Failed to connect to camera 1 "DL Imaging" (CCDPlugDLImaging.dll), error -286758212 02:57:26$14 DLImaging: OpenCamera(): Querying for cameras 02:57:26$14 DLImaging: Attempting to Connect to camera with S/N 692518913 ... [Failed] :: Serial Number not found 02:57:26$14 DLImaging: Could not find your camera w/ S/N: 0 Please verify your camera can be discovered in the Advanced Setup dialog before proceeding. 02:57:31*1 MaxIm DL Version 6.26 exited
Disregard the above - the STC is working properly. The Fix: I turned on the cooler and that was the only change that allowed 1x1 bin to work. The camera works with cooler ON or OFF so it's 100% working. Very odd to say the least. _..-- TiM
Hi Tim - that sounds like there may be a subtle bug under the hood somewhere. We'll want to reproduce the scenario internally if possible, so we may need some details. One of the messages in that log looks like USB communication issue. Please follow the steps here so we can eliminate USB selective suspend and related: https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...connects-turn-off-usb-selective-suspend.7848/ Also confirm the threading options are turned on: Let us know if this fixes it (or not).
Just so I'm clear, when you say "The camera is controllable from TSX and the filter wheel is detected but no filters" do you mean you can't get the filter names in TSX or can't set them up?
Hi Colin Sorry for the confusion on the filter wheel. TSX connects to the FW but no filters present and one can not edit a list of filter names. To resolve this I'll use Maxim for camera control and all is well. For the USB, the power settings are proper as is threading. Momentarily turning on cooling resolved the problem and it hasn't come back. Very strange.... Tim
Tim, with respect to the Filter Wheel issue in TheSky X, I did a simple test. Using an Orion Nautilus 4x2" ASCOM filter wheel (Chuck Faranda ASCOM implementation on top of the original Perseu.AT low level driver). This passes the ASCOM Conform 6.5 tests. In TSX, I do Filter Wheel Setup.. Choose... ASCOM Chooser... Nautilus Filter Wheel. If I then connect, it doesnt give me the filters - it only lists 1 filter in Filter Name Setup. If I then disconnect from the driver, and do Filter Name Setup then it does give me all 4 filters. It does not give the offsets. So I think this is TSX weirdness, not a bug on their part, just weird UI. I don't have an STC here, but you might try this approach of disconnecting and then doing Filter Name Setup.
