Error code 8

Hello, here is my problem I have 2 camera SBIG a ST8300M and recently acquired STF8300M all my cameras and mount the devices installed on a extender USB204EXT2 4-Port USB startech when I connect my ST8300M all works fine but when I connect the STF8300M MaximDL returns me an error code 8, I have a friend who has a stf and we have that message with his camera, please help me identify this problem for me to be able to connect my STF on my extender USB204EXT2-4
STF if I connect directly to my laptop everything works correctly.
I give you the link to the datasheet of this extender and manual ...

Thank you to take it a few minutes to help me!

http://sgcdn.startech.com/005329/media/sets/USB200xEXT2_Manual/USB200xEXT2.pdf

http://ca.startech.com/media/products/USB2004EXT2/PDFs/USB2004EXT2_Datasheet.pdf

 

Fabien,
I can only say, the driver reports an error code 8 (RX_TIMEOUT) whenever it cannot read some data from USB device.
Did you try different lengths of USB cables on your local and remote sides of USB2004 devices ? Did you also try different
CAT5 cable, just to see if this helps ?
Jan

 

Hi Jan, thank you for taking your time to help me, I try different length RJ45 cat5 cable and USB (up to 15 feet usb), the only things I did not try it as an RJ45 Cat6 cable I will try this afternoon, I'll keep you updated of this test ...

 

I tried different RJ45 cable and have always this problem Error Code 8, no solution to this problem?

 

Unfortunately, I too have been suffering from code 8 errors when trying to read out frames from five different STF-8300 cameras (all checked to be running the latest drivers from SBIG) using MaximDL v6.08 (or indeed using TheSkyX - complete with the most up-to-date patches). The problem only occurs when there are saturated pixels on the image, meaning it is not possible to integrate deeply on a faint target if there are any remotely bright stars in the same field. If there are just a tiny number of saturated pixels then the code 8 errors don’t seem to occur (although it's not clear where the transition point between few and many occurs).

If there are a very large number of saturated pixels, then whatever causes the code 8 error sometimes wipes out the USB system and everything attached to that hub, necessitating all the devices being power-cycled, and in severe cases a re-boot of the observatory PC is required in order for the USB ports to calm down and behave nicely again.

These code 8 errors started when new USB hubs (all connected via active USB cables) were installed that had the desired properties of (i) being able to power the hubs only from an external PSU that could be switched on and off remotely to power cycle some of the USB-powered devices rather than have bus power maintained the whole time and (ii) when the power is switched off, the USB connection between the computer and device is shut down, thus allowing any USB device to be remotely reset. The hubs are able to be powered by 12V DC (rather than 5V) which is more readily available in the observatory. The hubs chosen to meet these desiderata were the StarTech industrial 7-port hubs (a model warmly recommended in many on-line reviews). Installing these eliminated many problems previously experienced with USB devices never being switched off (in observatories where the observatory PC remains up the whole time).

However, the problem doesn’t inevitably occur if the StarTech USB hubs are used: if, instead of the observatory PCs [which are Dell Opticron small form factor, running Win7], my colleague’s MacBook Pro (running Win7 on a Virtual Machine and MaximDL v6.08) controls an STF-8300, then no code 8 errors are observed at all -- even for highly saturated images. Perhaps the different USB bus structure on the MacBook Pro can handle the data stream from the STF-8300 better than the Dell Opticron can. The code 8 errors still occur if a different PC running XP is used to control the STF-8300, however the XP computer never has the entire USB system wiped out following code 8 errors (so power-cycling and rebooting is never required with the XP computer, even though code 8 errors do occur and you can't ever read out the frames).

I have performed similar experiments on an Atik 8300 camera and on a few FLI ML8300 cameras (again using MaximDL v6.08, Dell Opticron PCs, and StarTech Industrial 7-pier USB hubs) and found even very saturated frames from these same CCDs read out perfectly. My colleague has tested a ST-8300 camera and a ST-10 and neither of these give code 8 errors.

In summary - the problem seems to only occur on SBIG model STF-8300 (not the older, slower-to-read-out ST-8300, nor other manufacturers’ cameras containing 8300 CCDs) when driven through the StarTech USB hub and when there are many saturated pixels in the data. The problem is an interaction between the hub and the SBIG STF-8300 camera and/or its driver.

If anyone has insights into what might be happening to persistently give rise to code 8 errors when there are more than a tiny number of saturated pixels present in an STF-8300 frame, I should be immensely grateful. I’d also be glad to hear if anyone has successfully used an SBIG 6303 camera (which I had been anticipating buying presently) together with StarTech industrial USB hubs, without being troubled by code 8 errors that hang up the USB ports.

 

Hi Katherine,
Two days ago I run a Pempro curve on my Titan mount with my STF-8300 and had no problems. I never had a problem with Error8 before. The seeing was not too good and because of the focal length (about 2m LX200 12" f6.3) the selected guide star was "pulsating". Yesterday we had a good night and I wanted to run the curve again I run in to trouble with this error 8. I checked my setup for lose cable and stuff but the same thing It took about 8min to bum out. I run the STF direct in to the computer no hub. I shut off Pempro and started a 600sec guided exposure with Maxim 6.08... no problems. Just wanted to share this. Cheers Olaf

 

Dear Olaf,

Many thanks for reporting this. The code 8 errors occurred on our STF-8300M cameras only (but always) when using a StarTech USB industrial hub AND when there is a saturated star on the image.

Best wishes,

Katherine

 

Did you ever get this solved? I too just implemented a STF8300 and I use a startech industrial hub at the observatory. My quick tests with the camera didn't reveal the problem. Then I get some clear sky finally and now this. Ugg..

 

Hi Bryan,

I am not clear from your message if you are encountering Camera Error 8 problems or not. Can you describe further?

We were able to repeatably reproduce this fault with a variety of different STF8300 cameras: if there were many saturated pixels Camera Error (8) would always appear. Biases, darks or fields with no saturated stars all worked fine. We isolated this fault to an interaction between the SBIG STF8300 camera and the StarTech USB hub. The error did not occur with the earlier SBIG model ST-8300, nor with an Atik-8300, nor with an FLI-8300. The fault did not appear with any cheap USB hub that we had easy access to, only with the industrial hub made by StarTech.

An important design requirement for our systems is the ability to remotely switch on and off the USB hubs and the StarTech hubs were the only practical solution that we could find. SBIG didn't follow up our findings and so we no longer have STF8300s.

Best wishes,

Katherine

 

Sorry if it wasn't clear. Yes identical problem. error code 8, startech industrial hub, stf8300. And the problem only occurs on longer exposures, say over 60 seconds. Thanks for your reply. Sad to hear there was no resolution. In my case I am controlling power to the entire pier from an ethernet relay (PRO XR type). So the entire pier is powered off when not in use (which includes any hubs, cameras etc.) I guess the easiest way for me to solve is to run an extra (sigh) usb cable down to the computer.

 

I updated everything today.

sbigudrv.dll - 4.88 Build 5 06-25-15
stf-8300usb.bf2 - 2.47
stf-8300ga.bf2 - 2.18

Incidentally it doesn't seem to happen in ccdops, but the resulting image is blank, e.g. no pixel saturation. If I set an exposure that is low enough, then I get levels in the image.

 

Also, this thread here seems to be the same:

http://www.diffractionlimited.com/forum/index.php?threads/stf-8300m-driver-update.958/

 

Hello Adam,

When I first raised this problem with Alan Holmes (then at SBIG) he made the same suggestion of checking that the drivers were up-to-date. My experience was the same as Bryan's: up-to-date drivers don't solve the problem.

Best wishes,

Katherine

 

Hi Adam,

Yes, I was using the industrial USB hubs made by StarTech - all details described above (fifth message from the top of this thread) dated Jan 22, 2015.

An important design requirement for our systems is the ability to remotely switch on and off the USB hubs and the StarTech industrial hubs were the only practical solution that we could find.

Best wishes,

Katherine

 

I had the same problem last night - StarTech 7 port hub and error 8. First timeout error message (30008 on my system) happened with a bright flat. Had to reboot system (Win 7 Pro) but kept getting the error. Then switched to laptop (also Win7 Pro) and no problems at all (took 90 minutes data series w SkyX Pro w/autoguiding w/SSAG).
Is this insurmountable?
If so I would have to run a longer USB cable to get inside my warm room, or have laptop outside whenever imaging which would be cumbersome. Would asynchronous I/O setting in the sbig driver utility do anything to help, since the startech hub has a transaction translator for each port and should be able to cope with the differing downstream elements (e.g., my CGEM hand controller on another port on the hub)?
Thanks,

 

Thanks - this is a straightforward answer, which I appreciate.
A lot of people use hubs, and the one I am using is the same StarTech powered hub others are using. It has a bunch of low-bandwidth devices running fine, e.g., telescope control, autoguider, focuser. I have a pretty new STF8300M but it doesn't have Ethernet.

To solve this for my situation, I went out and bought a 4 meter USB cable, that is working without any difficulty - no errors! - and reaches my indoor warm room through the conduit I have to my pier. A hub-workable solution would be best, as I am now being extremely careful about doing any slews with this cable attached, lest the cable hang up on the mount.
Jeff