SC4 and Maxim v6.4

yes we can do that, but first, upload some video to demonstrate to me that the SC4/AOX combination can be calibrated with the SC4 binned 2x2 or 3x3. Then show me video of the AO working as it should be without the star jumping all over the place. After all, you must have tested this release right?

 

ASCOM driver 6.4.23 has a problem in that I do not seem to be able to connect to the SC4 in other apps. But that is not the point here….I am working entirely inside Maxim DL

 

Here are the results of trying to connect to the SC4 using the 6.4.23 ASCOM driver....this occurs in SkyX and PHD2 which means the driver does not work, and I have to revert to the previous version

 

Do you think you could make the previous drivers available somewhere on the website? Might be useful when customers like myself are faced with a failure and need to revert to the previous versions. Another thing you should note is that when the driver states that it is removing the previous version, it isnt. They are still listed as an installed app, but of course they do not register as being available when you try to select them in SkyX etc

 

Here are 2 more images for you.....the first shows the result of AO calibration before I exercised the AO, the second shows the result of AO calibration after I exercised the AO. As you can see there are significant differences in the first and 4th movement. I would like your views on this.

I also have video showing how calibration fails when trying to calibrate either the drive or the AO with the SC4 binned 2x2 or 1x1. The only way drive calibration works is with the SC4 unbinned. I am not so sure calibration is working on the AO given the above results.

I also have video that shows the star jumping wildly around as before when calibration has been done 1x1 but tracking 2x2.

 

Sorry Adam…I normally get notifications of posts in reply, but not this time. Are you referring to the ASCOM driver fix? If so I would need it to be 64bit as I use The SkyX.

But right now, the ASCOM fix is not a priority for me….I need to get the SC4/AOX working via Maxim DL

 

any update?

 

any update?

 

What?! it is not crashing any longer, the SC4 and the AOX does not work….you cannot calibrate the mount or the AO when binned 2x2 or 3x3. You can only calibrate unbinned, and then when you have done that, and you switch to tracking, the star bounces all over the place just like it did in the previous version

This is ridiculous.

Please review the previous posts including Adam’s reply and all the screen shots I have sent.

 

In fact, I cannot categorically say it isnt crashing any more because I have not used or attempted to use the system awaiting on a fix from DL Why dont you address all of the issues I have outlined. I mean, even when you advertised 6.4 you stated that that things had been implemented, like a delay between calibration exposures, and they have not. I feel totally ripped off by this…I have bought hardware from you and you cannot make it work with your own software.

 

I see John Downing has version 3.0.0.0 of the dlapi.dll. Where did he get that from? I downloaded the link on your website, but it is still version 2.8.0.0

 

Hi Colin,

I've been working with Martin for the last month on this. I have a nearly identical installation at SRO (CDK24 / L-600 / Moravian C3 / AOX / SC4 / Maxim DL). I thought I had mine calibrated successfully. That is, I could go through the full calibrate process. The guider would then work perfectly in AO / bump mode. Last night I found that this is true ONLY when the rotator is not moved. If the rotator is moved to a new target guide star ( I have a nice target with suitable guide stars at PA 0 and PA 272) the mount will guide properly in AO mode but when a bump is required the bump will be incorrect and send the guide star off the sensor. I've tried this repeatedly (the log file is attached) and found this to be true. Calibration was done bin2. It works only for the calibrated rotator angle. Note the rotator (IRF90) was calibrated and aligned to be exactly correct (within 0.002 degree). Each PA for the calibration yielded a different numbers in the manual calibration box (-175 for PA of 0 and 94 for a PA of 272). Autoguider output is set to ASCOM Direct. The Activation Level was set to 5 to force bumping. I have attached the log file from last night. A few more notes: The graphing panel on Camera Control / Guide / Graph does not show ANY data. The graph shows but no data on either axis. On four or five occasions Maxim DL halted and exited unexpectedly. No crash dialog was shown. The application simply closed - and could be restarted without harm. In each case this exit was co-incidental when the Locate guide star function was initiated or when the Calibrate Drive function was initiated. DL Imaging was used as the guider camera driver with default options. ASCOM was used for the primary camera (Moravian Ethernet1 selected). The Moravian camera on this system with an external guide scope (a Moravian) has been used without issue for the last nine months. Software is all up to date. DLImaging panel is attached.

Something is amiss with the rotator angle bumping algorithm. PWI3 is the current version (3.5.7) which has been in use for many months. It appears the algorithm that sets the bump switches in Maxim is ignoring the actual rotator PA and using only the PA for the original calibration.

Best,

John Downing