Resolved SBIG AO-8T plug-in needed for MaximDL

Where can I download a plug-in for my AO-8T guider? MaximDL seems to require one. The guider is connected to a FW8G-STT filter wheel connected to an STT-8300 camera. I also need a driver for the filter wheel.

 

Where can I download a FW8G-STT filter wheel driver? ? It is connected to an STT-8300 camera. I also need a plug-in for my AO-8T guider. I haven't been able to find either on the Diffraction Limited website.

 

I have those two set and the filter wheel set to SBIG Universal. I just reinstalled the SBIG Driver Checker and got any online updates. The first time I got "Camera 2 failed. Could not initialize CCD camera (27)". After reinstalling I get the same message but with error code (1) instead of (27).

Update: I tried again after selecting "dual chip mode" and now get "Error opening filter wheel. Error (6) initializing filter wheel." Since the filter wheel is ahead of cam2 I believe this is a step backwards.

 

Per your instructions:

Camera 1 - check
Connect To - check
Swap Chips - not found; I have Guider ABG = OFF; Binning = On-Chip; Priority = High; Guide Chip = Internal because the other option is External Remote and I'm using the AO-8T, not a remote guider
Guider Chip - not found
Ext. Trigger - not found

This is all under panel "Setup Filter". (I'm using Pro V6 of Maxim.) I see the panel you're describing in Help. What Setup Filter is displaying for me under SBIG Universal is a table of filter names assigned to each filter wheel position. That's the mystery. How do I bring up your panel?

When I select "Dual Chip Mode" Camera 2 is greyed out. I guess that's okay? The only filter option other than SBIG Universal that seems remotely likely is AO Adapter and that went nowhere.

When I click Connect I hear 2 rapid kind of low beeps, an SBIG AO Control window briefly displays then disappears and the message "Error opening filter wheel. Error (6) initializing filter wheel" displays.

I think I have cables connected correctly:

• AO-8T to camera's I2C port for power and communication
• filter wheel to AO-8T's I2C port
• USB connecting camera to laptop
  
• HDMI connecting camera to filter wheel. ??? I haven't seen that instruction anywhere but the guy I bought the setup from says it's correct. If I remove the HDMI cable and try to connect I don't get the beeps, etc., just "Error opening camera in dual chip mode. Could not initialize CCD camera (27)"

Still unsure about a plug-in for the AO-8T (got a message once saying I need it) and driver for the FW8G-STT. Your website doesn't seem to offer one for this model. Problem or not?

Re: SetupDriverChecker. I decided to redownload and rerun it. I clicked the link for the download on the SBIG Universal Help page and on the panel that comes up a warning says if I'm using an SBIG camera for the first time (which I am), follow instructions in the "Installing USB" app, but the link to that pdf doesn't work. So I reinstalled anyway. Same result as above.

 

Thank you.

In the first set of instructions, Connect To now has my camera model as an option, not just USB, etc. Maybe checking the two boxes under Advanced did the trick!

Under Setup Filter: SBIG Universal is the only SBIG option showing. I've set model to Standard. See attached screen shot.

Now, after the two beeps, I get a different screen for two seconds though. (progress?) It's SBIG AO Control. Then I still get "Error opening filter wheel. Error (6) initializing filter wheel"

 

I installed MaximDL620 back in April (and reinstalled today with Maxim closed, then I rebooted) but Help->About Maxim DL Pro in my program says it's 6.10. Something's fishy. C: Program(x86) says 6.20. Will it take awhile for SBIG AO w/FW to to be added into the drop-down?

I made sure I followed your sequence: power, connect, start Maxim. Same result (filter wheel error). But I'm glad you specified because I did not know that.

 

Done. And I now have V6.20 and the SBIG AO w/FW option under Setup Filter! I checked all settings under Setup Camera, Options, Dual Chip and Setup Filter and everything is set up as directed above.

I am still getting the filter wheel error message. SBIG AO Control window pops up momentarily, then "Error opening filter wheel. Error (6) initializing filter wheel". It is surely in the software somewhere, a driver or something. So the FW8G-STT filter wheel driver is built in?

Thanks for sticking with me on this!!

 

Settings all as described. They are pretty straightforward. ??? We're missing something. Does it sound like hardware could have ANYTHING to do with it?

Where do we go from here? I've posted on another forum thinking someone may have experienced this error. Slim chance it will go anywhere but who knows?

 

Yes I ran SBIG Driver Checker (SetupDriverChecker64), which shows version 4.05 Build 0. Zip file is attached.

 

I downloaded and installed the Setup file which gave me the 4.9.9 version of the dll, which I moved from Windows->System where it landed into Maxim DL V6 along with a bunch of other dll's. That seemed to move things along some. No more filter wheel error. Instead I got a new message telling me to rerun SetupDriverChecker. I did and the resulting panel listed the dll as Not Found, presumably because I moved it. I clicked Update and the dll at the latest version reappeared under Windows->System and I get the filter wheel error again. Basically, assuming the dll is correctly placed under System, nothing changed. Screen shots showing new version, the new message when dll was moved, and a second message when I pressed Enter on that message. Thought they might tell you something. ?? Anyway I moved the dll back under System for now.

 

There are multiple copies in Program Files(x86): one under DriverChecker\SBIGdrivers, one under DiffractionLimited\MaxDL6, etc. So I should delete it under these applications that put it there when they were installed?

By the way, I am not connected to the mount. The camera and laptop are sitting on my desk. All I want to do is connect to the software. I don't think this should be a factor, should it?