STX Guider failure

Hi Colin

my STX guider failed tonight. I am not getting completely black readout, as there does appear to be some noise/data there but no stars.

Usually, when I select this in Maxim DL I get the option to select 'USB' in the drop down and 'external remote' and no problem. But the USB option has now gone.
I have changed the HDMI cable from the STX guider to the main camera (STX 16803) with no change.

any thoughts?
Martin

 

I did not realise it was dual chip. I have been using it in TSX for several weeks (rather my customer has), but tonight no stars, just a blank image.

The main camera does show up in device manager....but the STX guider never has of course.

 

Yes this is all very familiar to me Colin. As I said, it has been working for weeks, just failed tonight. It is not seen in CCDOPS.

 

Its more like a dark frame with speckles. I have changed the HDMI cable, and unplugged/replugged. As I said, working fine for weeks. I will remove the camera today.

 

Will do. Can you confirm that the STX 16803 is to be configured as ‘dual,chip’ for the STX Guider to be recognised - and we are talking about the same thing right? i.e this is the STX Guider not the second guiding CCD inside the main camera.

 

FIT image attached. The HDMI sockets seem very firm and I can hear the shutter operating correctly. As you can see there is 'data' there i.e it is not completely black, but 2 nights ago there were 'in focus' stars on that chip, but not last night.

 

Camera now reassembled.
I am getting around 800 ADU whether I bin the guider 2x2 or not. After dark subtraction, around 100 ADU. Also, suddenly lost the ability to bin the STX guider 3x3, no longer an option in TSS and it was yesterday! Please advise.

 

Yes, operating correctly. I visually watched it open and close. I took some images while shining a light down the baffle and you would expect it to saturate but the images showed the smallest kind of gradient, that’s it.

 

I cannot interrogate the guider in ccdops either. I can switch to it, and I can take images and hear the shutter actuate, but the readout is the same. I dont seem to be able to read the offset/gain in Ccdops D.

 

Took a dark and a light frame of 1 sec duration - adu the same and image the same.

so this must be a clue - I disconnected the HDMI cable altogether and I still got an image out of the guider (no shutter actuation) and the image was identical - same ADU value etc. amd yes, I can absolutely confirm ‘external remote’ is selected.

 

Guys - any advice please? STX guider still under warranty.

 

There u go.

 

I am going to plug in an STi with a HDMI connector into the 16803. If the STi works its the guider, if not its the camera electronics.