Issues with Camera

Hi all,

Having issues with the camera again. As you can see from the attached error message, it's saying that for both cameras it has the following issues: SetMinExposure: Min Exposure Time could not be set for your camera (Error in camera plugin calback).

The only thing I did was to open up MaxIm DL, set up an Auto sequence to only take flats, count 100, exposure time 0.025. It got through 21 images, saving them to the folder, then MaxIm DL froze. When I force quit of MaxIm DL and go back in, it can't seem to connect to the cameras. I have verified that they are showing up properly in device manager and working properly.

Here's the link to the logs as well as the 21 FITS files taken as flats.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w9zls10gcs4o05p/AAAt6dJXlIz-oALj9OAZCcnVa?dl=0

 

At this time, no matter how many times I close and restart MaxIm DL it can no longer connect to the cameras, so unfortunately another evening will be lost to technical issues w/ the camera and/or maxim software.

 

In fairness, y'all get a pass because the observatory roof had to close. I'd definitely like to see if we can schedule some time to take a look at things on my side, though. I've scanned through the forums and noticed several threads where people seem to have intermittent issues, so at least I don't feel like I'm totally useless.

Two suggestions for the forums, that might help people like me research more to become more educated on your products:

1. Allow us to click in to user profiles and see the posts that they've made. For example, there are individuals with my same camera, filter wheel, etc. I'd like to be able to follow them and learn from their mistakes. At the moment, my user access doesn't permit me to do that. I have to search for keywords from the main forum to try and stumble upon a thread.

2. Extend the logout timeout for the forum by quite a bit. There are times in which I go and read something, then bounce over to remote desktop to take a look at settings on my side, and come back to being logged out. Similarly, the timeout is so short that there are times that I start typing a thread (including uploading files/links) and I get logged out.

Best, Ira

 

Hi Ira.

Sorry I can't help specifically with the camera problem, although from your description this sounds a bit like a USB or network connection drop-out between the computer and the camera, whichever method is used for your camera, the necessity to shut down and restart the laptop in order to reconnect to the camera is a typical response when a device has simply disappeared from Windows and the driver(s) have become locked.

Do you have access to a different laptop/computer to eliminate the computer as being the problem?
If using USB as the connection method how long a cable and are there any hubs in use?
If using network as the connection method (assuming your camera has the option of either network or USB) have you tried swapping to USB instead to eliminate the network as being the issue?

To solve the problem will require working with Diffraction Limited staff closely, I think Colin said last week he was away for a few days, not sure who is around ATM but I'm sure they will be in touch ASAP.

Anyhow...as a fellow forum user I specifically wanted to respond to your usage questions re the forum.

1. What do you see when clicking on a users name in their icon/badge to the left of one of their posts?



If you click the users name in their icon/badge this opens the users profile window:



From the users profile window you can click the embedded links to their Profile page, Send a Private Message, Follow/Unfollow, Ignore, and see their previous public posts/messages.
(You can also send a Private Message directly from the embedded link on the users Icon/banner)

The automatic logout from the forum does seem to depend on the device and browser being used.

From my iPad, iMac or MacBook using Safari browser, if inactive I am automatically logged out after approximately an hour, sometimes longer, if active on the forum, reading/writing then I have never been logged out unless the network has gone down.
From my observatory Windows 10 machine using Microsoft Edge I can't seem to keep a login alive for more than ten minutes when inactive but as long as I am actively reading or writing then the connection stays alive. If I use FireFox then I am able to remain logged in for an hour or more when inactive and have never been logged out when actively using the forum .
From work on a Linux workstation using Chromium, Opera or Firefox browsers then very similar to the Mac, automatically logged out after an hour, or longer, of inactivity but never logged out when actively reading or writing .

When you login to the forum have you clicked the "Stay logged in" button?



If you use Private Browsing mode or "Block all cookies" then this setting is not sticky and has to be re-enabled each time you log-in.

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If you are being logged out while actively interacting with the forum then this suggested a network problem. AFAIK there is no absolute time limit on remaining logged-in to this forum, only automatic log out when inactive.

While writing this reply to you, which took over an hour and a half since log-in, I have been away for several periods of longer than fifteen minutes, editing screenshots in Affinity Photo, answering emails and making coffee etc and have remained logged in from Europe, and so this issue you are seeing of being logged-out sporadically appears to be specific to your computer/user environment.

Returning to your camera problem does it hang/crash when running autonomously or are you always connected remotely? I have had problems in the past with some remote desktop clients causing issues with Windows programs?

I hope the above may have been of some use.

William.

 

Which camera is this? I don't think the model is ever mentioned.

 

Aluma AC4040