Firmware Rev 14 issues.

Discussion in 'Aluma AC Series CMOS' started by Greg Nelson, Dec 7, 2022.

  1. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Hello,

    I am running AC4040/FW7 filter wheel/SC3 guider/AO-X and successfully loaded Firmware Rev 13 and connected to camera.

    I tried upgrading to Firmware Rev 14 and the upload was successful, and after power cycling DL Config and DL Camera control window verify Rev 14 loaded on the camera. However, when I try to connect I get an error that I cannot connect to Camera because Filter wheel will not connect. I reinstalled Firmware Rev 13 and after power cycling, it connects just fine.

    Any ideas?
     
  2. Colin Haig

    Colin Haig Staff Member

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    Greg, that's the first report of an issue. I'm looking into a different customer report that is superficially similar. As soon as we learn something, we'll let you know.
     
  3. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Colin,

    I was actually running firmware revision 8 before I was doing some hardware upgrades so I decided to do Firmware upgrade. While revision 13 firmware opened up OK I occasionally would get the filter wheel moving indicator and it would never complete the move and then take a frame. However, if I ask it to take a frame via ACP I never got that error so I don’t know if that information is useful or not. It will probably be a few days before I am ready to go to acquire and fall evenings worth of data so I’ll see if her version 13 is hanging and has any issues that might give you some clues.

    Version 9 was running perfectly and I can always revert, although I’d love to see the described improvements to noise from the cooler.
     
  4. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    As it happens I have an AC4040 and an AFW on my desk. I just connected them.

    The camera had firmware 12. I tested that and it worked fine.

    Then I upgraded to firmware 14. I power cycled the camera and tried again. Everything worked 100%.

    I can't explain why there would be a firmware difference - source control shows that the part of the firmware that controls the filter wheel was NOT changed.
     
  5. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Doug, when it works properly, the software immediately boots the AOX and I get those screens. When Firmware 14 tries, the AOX screens flash open then disappear and I get the filter wheel cannot connect error. I’l try once with AOX turned off to see if that may the source if the issue.
     
  6. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Okay if you find that is an issue, then I can find an AO-X to try with it.

    That said... the AO-X isn't connected to the AC4040!
     
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  7. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    AOX worked perfectly under Firmware 13, in a quick test I did last night.
     
  8. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Right. But of course the AO-X is connected to the StarChaser, not the 4040.

    It's possible that your filter wheel didn't work for some reason unrelated to the firmware. You should try firmware 14 again, just to make absolutely sure that really is the issue here.
     
  9. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Doug, that’s the same think I first pursued yesterday. I loaded rev 14 twice, going back to rev 8 in between each firmware load. Same issues on 14 each time and always worked on rev 8. Then I loaded rev13 and that worked, then I loaded rev 14, that failed in same way, then back to rev 13 and worked.

    I think I exhausted that path (and should have put that in original note).

    Don't you just love software hardware interaction?
     
  10. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    OK, I'm back to Firmware 8. I could not run targets using Firmware13 due to filter wheel non-responsiveness. Filter wheel would move, but the imaging window reported "Waiting" for over 5 minutes. I reinstalled Firmware 8, recycled power and everything worked flawlessly from then on.
     
  11. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    The difference between firmware 8 and 14 with respect to the filter wheel is the addition of dual filter wheel support.

    Can you confirm what position the address DIP switch inside the filter wheel is set to?

    Make sure the filter wheel setup in the DL Imaging driver is configured for a single wheel, not dual.
     
  12. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Doug, I reinstalled FW14 and cycled camera, but did not reboot computer. I checked and I did not have dual filter wheel selected, but I reselected "DL Imaging + FW" just to be sure. This time camera connected under FW14. I took several frames at different filter positions and after about 6 successful acquisitions, I got a message under Camera 1 information "waiting for trigger". The image never initiated and even after disconnecting and reconnecting, no imaging or filter wheel movement. I cycled camera power and rebooted computer and when I tried to connect it gave me errors after flashing up and then off the AO window. Same as original error. Strange that it at least booted with FW14 using whatever was originally loaded on my computer when the device first connected, but it would not after computer reboot.

    I'll have to check inside of filter wheel tomorrow for the dip switch.
     
  13. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Doug, where are the dip switches? Manual does not have that information. I have the FW7, not the new AFW version.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2022
  14. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    My bad - I was thinking you had an AFW. FW7 doesn't have the switch.

    I'll grab an FW7 and test it with the latest firmware.
     
  15. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Okay I've grabbed an FW7 and tried it out with FW14, and it works just fine.

    I'm thinking this is some kind of software configuration issue. Perhaps it would be best to try and set up a remote login by @Adam Robichaud to have a look.
     
  16. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    I can do that if we can coordinate. I am on Mountain Standard Time. I can get on before anywhere from 6-8:30AM Wed, Thurs or Friday this week. I can also get on Friday after 10AM.
     
  17. Adam Robichaud

    Adam Robichaud Lead Developer Staff Member

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    Let's try for 7am your time Wednesday. I can also make later in the evening work if you wanted to connect this evening after normal business hours.
     
  18. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    I will be home at 3PM MST if you want to go this afternoon. Let me know what time works for you. Otherwise tomorrow at 7AM is Ok.

    thanks
     
  19. Adam Robichaud

    Adam Robichaud Lead Developer Staff Member

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    I've got to pick my kids up from daycare around 3:30PM MST, but I can send you a private message as soon as I get back. Shouldn't be much later than 4PM your time.
     
  20. Greg Nelson

    Greg Nelson Cyanogen Customer

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    Adam that will work. Shoot me a message and we can get online. Thanks.
     

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