Hello everyone, My ST-8300M stopped working, and I do not understant why. I worked well until some weeks ago, then one day I could not connect to it, and I am really thinking there must be something wrong, which is weird as I am very careful with it. When plugged in I can hear the fan starting and the filter wheel clicking (as I think it always did when it was working properly) ... but now on Maxim DL I cannot find the "USB" connection option under the SBIG Universal camera type. It just disappeared. Instead I am offered the Ethernet or ST-402 connection options (???) I have tried to reinstall the drivers to no avail. When I connect the CCD I cannot really access the camera, except if I select the ST-402 option. Then Maxim seems to connect to the camera, although I am not sure the cooler is doing its job properly. The images I get are smaller as if it was really operating a ST-402 camera ! I am using by the way Windows 10, the drivers and Maxim and other programs run under Administration mode. I have also tried in a different computer just to discard problems with the USB port, and also tried a different power source (just in case) but in both cases I end in the same place. I am starting to think some problem with the CCD itself, Can anyone provide some help ? Josep M.
It sounds like the camera has somehow lost its EEPROM programming. Among other things, this tells the camera what model it is. It may be possible to reset it remotely, using TeamViewer. Unfortunately most of our staff is on holidays over the Christmas holidays, so it may not be possible to resolve this until the new year.
Hi Doug, Thanks for the offering, I can wait till that day. In the meantime, with your suggestion I digged a little bit more and found some threads of this forum about the process, and tried it myself. This is what I got: CCDOps sees my camera as ST-402. While pressing "User EEPROM" option ("Read Data") I get a very strange message ... something like "yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" with two small points (if you know what I mean) on top of the "y". In the "Camera Configuration" settings I have selected STF-8300 (my camera says it is an ST-8300 but this is the only option I am offered with my chip, so this is the one I pick) ... and "Write it!" . AFter doing this, if I look at the "User EEPROM" option under the "Advanced" tab still shows the "yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" answer when prompted. If I press the "Read EEPROM" button I see the STF-8300 options as I selected them (so it seems it was actually recorded in the memory ?). However, after cycling the power / camera again ... it is recognised by CCD Ops as ST-402 again. Josep
Okay that confirms the EEPROM problem. You should power down the camera and restart it after programming the EEPROM. If it didn't reboot it won't have it's new "identity".
After doing this I unplugged the camera, and plugged it back again. Then if I look at the "User EEPROM" option under the "Advanced" tab still shows the "yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy". If I press the "Read EEPROM" button I see the STF-8300 options as I selected them (so it seems it was actually recorded in the memory). However according to CCDOps (I use the function "Camera Info" tab under the "Camera" menu) it is a ST-402 camera that I have connected. If I try to use the "Setup" tab under the "Camera" option, then the programs simply closes. I have also tried now to start the CCD on Maxim DL, but on the "Setup" menu I am only offered these options: "parallel-378" ,"parallel-278", "ethernet" , and "st-402" ... which seems to mean that still something not ok with ccd identitity ...
Hmm... I'm not that knowledgeable about these older models. It may have to go in to Bill for service, or he might have another suggestion up his sleeve. In any case please contact bill@sbig.com
Doug, Bill was very patient in trying to set the camera firmware back working. Although we could not start the camera again that day, when unplugging the FW all seemed to start working again, so I attribute the problems to some malfunctioning of the FW, it seems. Thanks for taking the time to read and help with my problem, Josep M. Aymami
