I recently purchased and received a new STC-428-P CMOS camera with the FW8-STC filter wheel. After running Windows Update and updating Maxim DL Pro to version 6.29.2, I am able to get the camera to connect and take images. This only works, though, if I select "No Filters" under the Setup Filter option in the Camera Control window. When I try to add the filter wheel, I use Setup Filter and select DL Imaging+FW from the drop down menu in the window that opens. Then I click the Advanced... button to open the DL::FW Config window. In this window, under FW Setup. I see "Wheel 1 (Unknown FW)". There are no other options to select and no button that I can press, so I have no choice but to leave this as it is. Finally, after returning to the Camera Control window, I try to connect and get the message: "Error initializing camera or filter wheel Error opening filter wheel Filter Wheel not connected" I repeated all these steps on a second PC (also running Windows 10) and the "Unknown FW" and "error opening filter wheel" messages were identical. Also, when I plug in power to the camera and filter wheel combo, the filter carousel moves and, I assume, zeroes correctly. I am making a mistake when setting up Maxim DL to work with the filter wheel? Is this a hardware issue? Any help would be appreciated.
Camera 1: DL Imaging. Advanced. Pick the camera from the list in the DL::Config screen. Double click it - so the the * shows up at the end of the camera serial number in the list. You must do this, or DL Imaging drivers won't know which camera you mean to use. Filter Wheel 1: DL Imaging + FW. If you are using the 8th position as a Dark Filter (metal blank) to act as a shutter for shooting dark frames, make sure to set it up in the list of filters, and then select it in the Options. Options: If you also have the optional SC-2 guider, you will need to select that under Camera 2, and in the Advanced, pick the SC2 out of the list, double click for the * to show up to indicate it is selected. Then if you have the AO-8A attached to the SC-2, select AO = Sensor 1.
I should probably add that the bigger cameras (like the amazing AC4040) can have 2 stacked filter wheels, so the Advanced lets you set up a pair of filter wheels.
Thanks for the quick reply, and the clear instructions for setting up the camera and filter wheel. I have checked all my settings against yours, and all were the same except for setting the 8th filter wheel position as the shutter (which I have now done). I am not using any accessories like the SC-2 or AO units. All software is top to date, and the camera firmware is version 8. I have no trouble getting the camera to connect in Maxim DL Pro and acquiring images, as long as the filter is set to "No filters." When I try to set up the filter wheel as directed, I still get the "Error opening filter wheel." The attached screenshots show the setup (matching yours, Colin) and the error message. The next image shows what I get when I click the "Advanced" button in the DL Imaging+FW setup window. I'm not sure what is supposed to show up here, but the software reporting "Wheel 1 (Unknown FW)" seems like it could be symptomatic of the bigger issue. As always, any advice would be appreciated.
I never updated the firmware. The camera was shipped to me in mid-January, and it came with firmware version 8 installed.
Ok, thanks for clarifying. I'm wondering if there is a bent pin in the connector that goes to the camera body. Please power OFF the camera (unplug the +12V power supply from the wall), and wait 30 seconds. Then disconnect the cable that goes between the filter wheel and the camera body. Use a magnifying glass, and inspect the end of the cable that plugs into the camera body. It's 9-pin male Mini DIN connector - there are 9 tiny pins in there - make sure none are bent. If the cable wasn't oriented correctly upon insertion, a pin could get bent or broken.
That was exactly it! I quickly found a badly bent pin, which explains perfectly how the filter wheel can respond in one sense (rotates and homes when powered up) but not another (failed to connect in Maxim DL). Thanks for this insight, Colin. Here's a warning to anyone checking out this thread: I have a lot of experience with electronic instruments, and I consider myself to be pretty careful when using them. Even so, I easily bent the pin in the filter wheel cable without even knowing it. Double check the connector orientation before applying force to insert it into the AUX port on the camera! Now for the predictable bit: When attempting to straighten the bent pin, it snapped off altogether. (It was bent at a nearly 90 degree angle.) Is it possible to get a replacement cable without having to send the camera and filter wheel in for repairs? Inside the filter wheel body the cable connects simply to the circuit board - no soldering needed. Thanks again for the help with this.
