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Support (Please note, this is primarily a user forum, for direct Atik support, please email support@atik-cameras.com) => Accessories => Topic started by: mcgillca on January 31, 2020, 10:24:05 am

Title: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: mcgillca on January 31, 2020, 10:24:05 am
Hi - I image remotely using The Sky X with an Atik EFW2 (plus 460ex and 314l+).

Until recently I was using the legacy software to connect to my Atik camera and filterwheel.

However, with the upgrade to TSX build 12473, I upgraded to the Atik core software Version 5.0.4.4.

While I can now connect to the filterwheel through ascom, I find that after a few hours, the filterwheel no longer responds.

The only way to fix it is to stop TSX, kill the Ascom AtikCameras Server and start again.

There is no problem with the filterwheel - I can still connect and move the filterwheel through the AtikFilterwheelrunner.

Any suggestions?

Thank you,

Colin
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on February 11, 2020, 11:52:10 am
Hello Colin,

This sound a bit strange, have you emailed our support? I'll try to replicate the fault at our test observatory for you but we have had no reports of similar problems that I know of.


Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: mcgillca on February 13, 2020, 03:55:32 pm
Dear Vince,

Hi - its not just me - see the bottom last post in this TSX thread. Its also repeatable (in that it happens every night!), but will be a really irritating bug to find since it all works well for hours, but then the ASCOM server stops working. I suspect its a memory problem - the memory grows from startup of about 25mb to over 1.7gb when it stops responding.

http://www.bisque.com/sc/forums/t/37495.aspx?PageIndex=2

Colin
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: mcgillca on February 13, 2020, 04:02:57 pm
Yep - definitely a memory issue. With ONLY the EFW2 connected through ASCOM, the memory starts off at around 9mb but grows at a rate of 0.1mb every few seconds.

Colin
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on February 14, 2020, 10:23:00 am
Hello Colin,

Thanks for the information, our software team are going to look into this over the weekend.

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on February 19, 2020, 06:22:11 pm
I seem to be experiencing the same issue. Were you able to reproduce this issue over the weekend?

It's very easy to reproduce:

- Connect to the EFW2 from TheSkyX using the ASCOM Filter Wheel driver
- Open up Task Manager in Windows
- Observe the memory used by ASCOM AtikCameras server (32 bit) grow by about 100KB per second

Latest versions of all relevant software and drivers are installed.
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on February 21, 2020, 10:28:13 am
Hello,

Yes we reproduced it on the Friday, it's currently with our software guys so should be fixed very soon. I'll reply on here once it's been done.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: mcgillca on March 12, 2020, 12:26:07 pm
Hi - any update on this?

Thank you,

Colin
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on March 12, 2020, 12:37:28 pm
Hi Colin,

I have just followed up on this, our software guys are going to look into it hopefully this afternoon. Sorry for the wait.

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on March 27, 2020, 01:29:41 am
Any news on this issue?

I'm kind of stuck because the new drivers have this memory leak that prevents all-night imaging, and the old ascom drivers don't really work at all (they say the filter wheel is "moving" forever and won't accept any commands.)
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: mcgillca on April 14, 2020, 07:03:57 pm
Hi - any update on this? Its been nearly two months now!

Thank you,

Colin
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on June 10, 2020, 08:50:20 pm
Make that 5 months.

Is there any hope of this memory leak getting fixed? I'm getting by for now by using the legacy drivers, but this ties me to an older build of TheSkyX as well, preventing me from using the updates I'm paying for with that software.
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on June 17, 2020, 03:01:09 pm
Hi all,

Sorry this has taken a long time, our software engineers have had a look at this now and have test build of a new core software that includes a fix for the EFW issue. You can download it from here temporarily

Removed

Please let us know how you get on.

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on June 17, 2020, 04:05:59 pm
Hooray! It seems that DropBox link is not publicly accessible, however.
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on June 18, 2020, 02:41:04 pm
Hello,

Sorry about that, hopefully this link will work OK, Temporary removed
Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on June 18, 2020, 03:13:08 pm
I un-installed the legacy Atik drivers and installed this new package.

I was able to select the EFW2/3 filter wheel via the ASCOM drive in TheSkyX Pro, but upon connecting to it I got an "error 206".

I tried connecting to it using the ASCOM Diagnostics app to see if it's a TSX issue, but that also had an error:

Create              Creating device
Connected           Connecting to device
Error               System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Specified argument was out of the range of valid values.
Parameter name: Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection.
Parameter name: index
   at System.Dynamic.ComRuntimeHelpers.CheckThrowException(Int32 hresult, ExcepInfo& excepInfo, UInt32 argErr, String message)
   at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , ComObject , Boolean )
   at System.Dynamic.UpdateDelegates.UpdateAndExecute2[T0,T1,TRet](CallSite site, T0 arg0, T1 arg1)
   at CallSite.Target(Closure , CallSite , Object , Boolean )
   at System.Dynamic.UpdateDelegates.UpdateAndExecute2[T0,T1,TRet](CallSite site, T0 arg0, T1 arg1)
   at ASCOM.DriverConnect.ConnectForm.btnConnect_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverConnect\ConnectForm.cs:line 265
Dispose             Disposing of device
Dispose             Completed disposal
ReleaseComObject    Releasing COM instance
ReleaseComObject    Completed release. Count: 0
GC Collect          Starting garbage collection
GC Collect          Completed garbage collection
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on June 19, 2020, 09:44:11 am
Hello,

Thank you for trying this! Our software engineer sends his apologies! He has seen what is wrong but unfortunately is on leave today. We will get a working version of this uploaded again early next week. Sorry.

Thanks
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on June 19, 2020, 12:11:38 pm
Happy to help; I'm a software engineer myself and understand it's challenging.

I'll be away from home next week but will test whatever is available as soon as I'm back. Thanks.
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on June 26, 2020, 03:18:58 pm
Hello,

Here is the latest version, I've tested it before uploading it and all seems to work fine for me.


https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dzrh2iqwtmfijx2/AACG53wmsYjCDlpq5mjq1_cra?dl=0

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on July 02, 2020, 12:23:07 pm
OK, finally got home to try this out. I think it works! I was able to connect to my EFW2 via the ASCOM driver in TheSkyX and control it, and observed that memory usage remained stable.

It will be awhile before conditions will allow for testing out an all-night imaging run again here in Florida, but this build looks promising. Thanks!
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on July 02, 2020, 01:58:57 pm
That's great, thanks a lot for trying out.

Best regards
Vince
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: fkane on July 18, 2020, 03:43:12 pm
FYI I finally had clear skies and was able to image all night using the new drivers. Worked like a charm!
Title: Re: Problem with Ascom AtikCameras Server
Post by: vince on July 20, 2020, 11:37:41 am
Excellent! Thanks for letting us know :)

Vince