Hi there, I have two STF-8300 cameras that I use with CCDOPS. Recently, the download speeds of one camera slowed down to taking several seconds to download high quality images while the other remains extremely fast. Nothing was updated or changed about either camera or computer before the slowdown. I tried a suggestion of making sure the debug log was clear and unchecked but that did not fix the problem. We tried the camera with other software and the download speed was normal. We also tried swapping out cables and that did not make a difference in the download speed for either software. The download speed did improve when the image quality was lowered to ultra low but the image was too poor to use for focusing. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Are you using the latest SBIG Driver Checker 4.05 with SBIGudrv.dll 4.99 build 7 (or 5.0.2), latest firmware in both cameras, and CCDOps 5.66 Build 1 ? Did you swap cameras between computers to see if it was computer-specific or camera-specific? Download speed is a function of image size. Binning set to 1x1 will give you the largest image, and take the longest, but it should still be fairly quick. Hardware problems, bad cables or contact corrosion, bad USB hubs, or a mix of devices on the USB bus can slow things down. Make sure you have the latest Windows Updates in the machine. Make sure the camera is directly connected to a USB2.0 port in the PC, no hubs, extenders, or othr stuff.
I have checked a few of those things! The cables are relatively new - I replaced then as part of regular maintenance earlier this season. The cable goes directly from the computer to the scope with no hubs or extenders or adapters. We have had issues with corrosion in the past though it usually manifests in different issues. I'll take a closer look at the laptop ports and check for that. As for updates, firmware, and software - neither the cameras or computers have been updated in years. Is there a thread on how to update the firmware? I inherited maintenance of these cameras and our institutional documentation is lacking on this front. I'll try that next. I can definitely get the laptops and CCDOps up to date for now. Also, I was planning on changing the bin size as a test based on advice on other forums but couldn't find that setting. Where do I go to change that? Thanks for your help! I've got some things to try!
Firmware update is straightforward. Connect ONE camera to the computer via USB, power it up. Launch the SBIG Driver Checker 4.05. The manuals and software for the STF-8300 are in the DOWNLOADS part of the product page: https://diffractionlimited.com/product/stf-8300/ CCDOps is here: https://cdn.diffractionlimited.com/downloads/InstOps.exe All the stuff for even older equipment is here: https://diffractionlimited.com/legacy-product-support/ There are two tabs - the Driver tab - and the Firmware tab. Like so: (for a different model): [Get Firmware Version] will report what is in the camera. If it says "No" in the column labelled Camera is Current, then you'll want to [Update Camera Firmware]. Follow the steps. Don't interrupt the process, and don't let the PC go to sleep (if you are using a laptop with power saving). It normally takes a minute or so, however I've seen it go long on some systems. It should definitely be completely within 20 minutes. Then when it indicates it was successful, power cycle it, and check the firmware again. Repeat for next camera. One other thought: Make sure they are both STF- models, as the ST- model is similar, but electronics are different, and it's slower. The label on the side will tell you. Binning - the 1x1, 2x2 resolution is set on the Camera Setup screen in CCDOps. Note that most people use MaxIm DL Pro these days - you can get a Free Trial here: https://diffractionlimited.com/maxim-dl/
Hi there, I was able to update CCDOps on one of the computers. Something went wrong with the software update on the other computer and I think I need to start over with that laptop. I was also able to update the firmware on the fast camera just fine. However, when I plugged the slow camera into the same laptop, it would not let me update the firmware or even show me what firmware was currently installed. Instead it gave me the message "Found camera that doesn't require firmware uploads. Simply update the drivers and reboot the camera." The drivers were already updated and the slow download speeds persisted even with the updated drivers. This seems to suggest that the issue is with the camera, not the computer as they same computer had no issues with the second camera. We are looking to upgrade our software, however it isn't feasible for us to do so at this moment.
This sounds like you have two DIFFERENT camera models. You say you have two STF-8300s, but I bet you have ONE that is an STF-8300 and the other one might be an ST-8300 (no F, and the F stands for FAST). STF cameras have uploadable firmware and are much faster. Earlier models have permanent programming that cannot be updated - that's what the "doesn't require firmware" message means. What is the model and serial number of each camera? Then I can probably tell you what you actually have. You could upload a photo of each one (showing the label) using the [Upload a File] button.
Oh my god we do have two different cameras. I am so sorry. It looks like we replaced only one camera in 2017, not both of them. That would certainly explain why one is slower - it is an ST. Thank you for all your help in updating our firmware and software. This thread can probably be taken down since there wasn't actually a problem with our camera. Thanks again for your time.
No worries. We can actually upgrade the ST to an STF at a very reasonable price. Send a Private Message if interested.
