Hi, I'm getting my system back together after my computer crashed, then my camera malfunctioned. I got a new computer, and the camera got fixed, but I moved from one remote place to another, and am only now getting back up (after 4 months). The camera is an STX-16803, with an STX guider/AO-X. The images on my camera have some odd banding on them. All have the same bands at the same places, whether the image is acquired by my telling Maxim to take an image, or ACP tells Maxim to take an image. I have uploaded one of the images. Any thoughts? Thanks, Mark
Yes that RBI. You must have RBI Preflash turned on. Residual Bulk Image happens when infrared photons create charge deep in the bulk silicon sensor, below the pixels. It happens if you have a very bright IR source. The pattern you see are due to polishing marks on the back of the silicon wafer made during manufacturing. RBI can be a problem if there is a very bright star in the image. It will leave a ghost behind on the next few images, as the electrons embedded deep in the silicon slowly trickle back out. RBI Preflash is used to mitigate that, by deliberately inducing RBI everywhere. Then you take a dark frame with RBI Preflash turned on, and it eliminates the RBI. This is at the expense of some extra noise in the image. If RBI isn't a problem for you, then I recommend you simply turn off RBI Preflash.
Thanks for the quick replies! I had trouble finding the setting you're referring to in Maxim. In CCDOps, I found a place to check "preflash CCD" under "STX/STT Customer Options," and unchecked it (it was checked) with the camera connected to the software. Will that do it next time I use Maxim? Thanks again! Mark
Check what Readout Mode is set on the Expose tab. Additional RBI settings are available under Options / Camera Settings. See https://diffractionlimited.com/help/maximdl/HIDD_SETUPST7.htm
Thanks, Doug! I changed readout mode to "fast" from "fast with RBI pre-flash." I'm using "SBIG w/AO" as the camera on the expose tab, so I don't know that the RBI settings under options/camera settings are relevant. Just to be sure, I temporarily set the camera as SBIG Universal, and set RBI settings to 0.00. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know if I have any further issues with this. Mark
Hi, My thread from yesterday has been marked "Resolved," but, alas, it isn't. I made all the changed indicated in my posts there, but I had exactly the same strping last night. Mark
On the thread about the Maxim errors? Yes, and I've replied that these things are happening with the new wire.
This is a settings or configuration issue. What version of MaxIm DL are you running? Have you run the SBIG Driver Checker and made sure your drivers are up-to-date? Can you ZIP and upload your settings folder?
I am running Maxim 6.21. My drivers are up to date. I have attached a zipped copy of my settings folder. Thanks!
Thanks; odd, but I had changed that to "fast" yesterday. I'll try changing it to "Normal," and hope it stays that way! Thanks again. Mark
Good news: It turns out that ACP was changing it to "Normal w/RBI preflash." I think I've made the change is ACP to stop that. More good news: That does get rid of the banding! Bad news: One of the errors I previously reported is still there, and seems to be strongly associated with losing the guide star. Imaging completely out of Maxim (not using ACP in any way), I get a guide star, start guiding, and all is well. The AO-X is guiding at 6-7 Hz, with errors of less that 0.1 pixel. After a bit, I told it to start imaging. For the first several minutes, it was excellent, with the tiny errors. Then I started getting frequent (in the Camera 1 Information window in Maxim) "Error in plugin callback (400) Error in camera plugin callback." Pretty soon, the guide star wandered off, never to be seen again. And, of course, this problem is intermittent--it happens on some images and not on others (doesn't seem to happen in the first of a series of images; usually seems to happen part way into the second of a series, whether controlled by me just using Maxim, or by ACP).
Mark, I had sent a note to one of our experts on the Plugin Callback error. Usually it's harmless, but will let you know.
Ok, thanks! In this case, it's clearly associated with stopping guiding, either for a second, or for many seconds (in any case, ruining the image, since, once it starts happening in an image, it keeps happening). I cannot image without solving this problem. On the off chance that it indicates a loose wire, I have asked the guys at SRO to check carefully for that.
I've just spent a number of hours trying to figure out the circumstances that bring on the error, and the lost guide star. Without question, the issue is that when the tilt gets to 100% or 0%, it just stays there. Something isn't right on the communication between the AO and mount, and the guide star just goes away. I saw it do this many, many times. I have repeatedly successfully calibrated the mount and the AO, with no change in behavior. Interestingly, it will guide with the mount only (AO turned off, with SBIG Universal as the camera) just fine. Obviously, this is a show-stopper, and I cannot image (especially remotely) with this happening. I did some digging, and it seemed that for my equipment (AO-X), I should be using Guider Relays for communication of that sort; I had been using ASCOM Direct. The change, for a couple of hours, seems to have made a large difference, but there still are times when the tilt gets to 100% or 0%, and just stays there. I very much look forward to a diagnosis and remedy. Thanks. Mark
