STXL 11002 guider shooting blanks

Discussion in 'STX and STXL Series Cameras' started by Rick McAlister, Mar 24, 2016.

  1. Rick McAlister

    Rick McAlister Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
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    I've been attempting to diagnose a problem in which my STXL 11002 guider regularly appears to lose the guide star (and/or auto-selects a hot pixel), most noticeably while initiating a CCDAP imaging run through TSX. I'm imaging with an SBIG STXL 11002 with the FW8/AOX using Ethernet (not USB). Once the guiding is lost, all guider images are basically blank until one disconnects then reconnects the camera to TSX. All the evidence now looks like as the failure occurs, the guider shutter is simply not opening until the camera is reset (i.e. all the guider camera is taking is darks). Interestingly, if I auto-guide with exactly the same parameters from within TSX I have no problem.

    Wandering through various log files, I noticed that, for reasons of its own, CCDAP is calling an abort right about the time this failure occurs. Eventually, I replicated a scenario where aborting a camera exposure results in all successive guider exposures being blank – presumably the guider shutter remains closed – until the cameras are disconnected and reconnected. Or it at least appears that way. I can’t physically verify that the shutter is not opening as the system under test is remote… very remote. Lastly, for the same reasons, I’m not in a position to test whether this behavior goes away if one is using the USB interface.

    I can replicate the problem manually within TSX by starting, then aborting a camera image, followed by trying to acquire a guider image. However, the attached test app is a lot more fun. The attached zip contains the VB scripting application that replicates the failure mode. The test is a simple executable that runs under Windows 7,8, or 10 in administrator mode as a console application using TSX. Source code is also zipped. The test 1) opens the cameras under TSX, 2) shoots a guider image, 3) starts then aborts a camera image, and, 4) shoots a couple more guider images (then rinse and repeat). The guider image content can be observed in the TSX window.

    With all of that, my primary question is, is this guide shutter behavior appear unique to my hardware/ firmware, or a known behavior of the STXL?

    - Rick


    TSX: V10.3.0 (Build 9334)
    CAO Driver: SBIG w/ AO (all models....)
    STXL 11002M: Current as of 3/1/16: Cam: F/W 2.45, Driver 4.90 Build 1, Enet Com V1.0 (I might be one rev back on the firmware - can't verify at remote location using the Enet interface.)
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Doug

    Doug Staff Member

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    Wow, a test application - nicely done!

    Unfortunately we're already closed for the Easter long weekend. One of our staff will give it a try next week.
     
  3. Rick McAlister

    Rick McAlister Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
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    No worries. Thanks for having a look.

    - Rick
     
  4. Robert Mueller

    Robert Mueller Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2015
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    Location:
    Sedona, Arizona
    Did this get resolved? Last night my STXL guider was taking images with no signal ADU values of zero. I tried switching to dark, changing binning, powering on and off but no success.

    Robert Mueller
     
  5. Rick McAlister

    Rick McAlister Cyanogen Customer

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2014
    Messages:
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    I think the issue with which I was dealing was successfully corrected in the May 27th driver and firmware release. The test app above also runs without encountering unexpected dark frames now.

    - Rick
     
  6. Robert Mueller

    Robert Mueller Standard User

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2015
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    Location:
    Sedona, Arizona
    Rick,
    Thanks for the reply. I'm running current firmware and drivers so I guess it's time to create a new post.
    Robert
     

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