460ex makes sequence generator hang

[pesa]

Hi

The scenario is this:
Intel NUC with 64bit win7
newest ASCOM and Sequence generator pro.
some other ASCOM stuff, ASA mount, scopeDome, lakeside focuser and SX filterwheel.I dont use guider.
The camera is atik 460ex.
I get this error sometimes even when focuser and filter Wheel isnt connected.
I start the focus and frame loop which runs fine for a while, after some time frame and focus-image doesnt get updated but is forever showing "downloading"
Have to use process handler (correct term?) to shut down SGP.

I've had the suggestion that this is a problem with my Atik, not with SGP so therefore I post here.

Any other with this particular problem?

I have included last piece of the atik log when this error occured
"SetPointControl, level 65, minlvl 0, maxlvl 255, setpoint -488
01:25:06.439 CoolerPower get 25,4901960784314
01:25:07.051 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraExposing
01:25:07.101 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraExposing
01:25:07.151 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraExposing
01:25:07.201 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraExposing
01:25:07.251 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraExposing
01:25:07.301 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraDownload
01:25:07.351 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraDownload
01:25:07.401 ImageReady false, CameraState cameraDownload
01:25:07.440 CanSetCCDTemperature get True
01:25:07.440 CCDTemperature get
"
download progress bar in SGP keeps on forever
Note that I didnt truncate last line, nothing is written in log after "get"

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pelle

[Chris]

As I said on the SGP forum we will need the entire log file, not just the fragment that you feel is relevant.  Can you please zip it up - it will compress well - and attach it to a message.  The full log will provide valuable context, not least the versions of the drivers you are using.  Bitter experience means that I don't trust "the latest" as reliable.

What you show indicates that for some reason a call to the low level driver to read the CCD Temperature doesn't return. This will have been done many times before.  It may be the USB system and the only way may be to time out and try to recover.

Chris

[pesa]

Here's one log that was created at a problem session
I'd apreciate a look at it to see if it reveals problem source.

pelle

[pesa]

Here's Another

Pelle

[Chris]

Thanks Pelle,  there's a lot going on here and I'll have to take a while to check what's happening.  There may be some sort of interaction between a task that's checking if an image is ready and the task that's checking the temperature.  I've a lock that is supposed to stop threads clashing but maybe there's a window where something can go wrong.

Chris

[pesa]

Hi again
Another type of error.
First, I forgot to mention that I connect via POTH

I sometimes get this error, SGP download hangs for a while but eventually (1-2 minutes) succedes in dowloading.
I managed to produce this result now so I can upload of that behaviour as well.
The exposure (I used SGP's "start", it continuosly exposes and downloads) that hanged a bit was at 14:48:14

Hope this helps. SGP is unusable for me atm.
Pelle

Edit: Just noticed that Artemis capture can hang as well during "loop"

[Chris]

Bad news:
I've just run for nearly three hours with no problems at all.
This is using SGP 2.4.0.2406, taking 2 second exposures, binned 1x1 in frame and focus.
The cooler is on.
I'm connected directly from the laptop to the camera - ATK 383L+.
I'm using the same ASCOM driver version and similar other versions, they were downloaded earlier this week, after the new website escaped.

This is running indoors taking dark frames.

Can you try to replicate this Pelle?  In particular connecting the camera directly to the system, not through a hub.

All I can do in the ASCOM code is tidy things up a little:

• Stop the log messages tripping over each other.
• Put locks in StartExposure and ImageArray so other threads can't get in.

Chris

[pesa]

Sure Chris, I will try running directly, not via HUB.
The hub is internal to the ASA mount and powered so I assumed that would be risk free.
Did you see my post (in this thread) about hangs that eventually "un-froze" ?
I repeat my offer to run the computer remotely, if that could add anything.

Could there be something wrong with the camera hardware?

I guess I post again in the Ascom forum to see if someone knows a way to pinpoint the problem. Do you Think that the hub "swallows" the parameter after the "get" command?
Btw, I made another post here about first column beeing zero and 2749*2199 instead of 2750*2200, but that post doesnt show up for some reason...(perhaps that could be a clue to what my problem is?)

Pelle

Edit: I just realized that I can restart SGP and camera without restarting computer if I kill ASCOM.Atik.Server.exe *32 in task manager (clue?)
+
I also can run camera a long time sometimes, its not ALWAYS getting frozen, maybe every second time.
+
Please let me know when the new driver is done! Perhaps I can beta test it perhaps? I really am desperate now, finally decent weather and I'm stuck with bad Connection to camera

[pesa]

Also...
Chris, did you run anything else in your error free scenario?
I most often get the freeze when running dome and mount also. Non of which goes thru the same hub as camera do.
The ASA hub is used for camera+filterwheel+focuser. But non of those are run when I get the error; only camera is ran thrue ASA hub then.

Pelle

[Chris]

Well I had a USB mouse running   And the usual email, browser and VS2010 development system.

I'd appreciate it if you could try it in a similar configuration.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was fine.

My usual imaging set up is with a USB extension connected to a 13 port hub that has a Camera, guide camera, filter wheel, focuser, and serial port.  Maybe an Arduino to handle a light box.  That can be a bit tricky to set up but once everything is going it seems OK.

I'm not very impressed by the Unreliable Serial Bus and I think it's a shame that camera manufacturers didn't go for something with a long history of reliability and resilience such as Ethernet TCP/IP but until recently that's been too expensive.

Chris

[pesa]

I have had some time to test usb setups.
Since the scope is remote I couldnt do a lot of testing with usb Cable directly from camera to computer cause of risk of Cable tangling.
less problems (not zero tho) but I also was able to test quite a lot with maximDL in the original setup, that is: Cable from atik460ex to mounts hub and from there to computer. Btw, same (high quality) Cable from camera was used in both occations.
Not one single error!
This makes me Believe that the driver is lacking in thread safety, a comdition that seems to be amplified by a usb hub.

I sure hope someone at atik takes notice of this.

pelle

[Chris]

I've been working with Atik to try to resolve this issue and there's a new version of the ASCOM driver in the current download package.

I wasn't able to fully reproduce what Pesa reported but it seemed to be associated with getting the temperature during an image read.  The hang was happening in a lower level driver.  What I've dine is to add locks so other camera control commands couldn't be done during the whole image download process.  Before that the locks were only round individual commands.

I also went through the connecting and enumeration process to make running the setup dialog more reliable with a second camera when the first one is already connected.

Please try this and let us know if it helps.

Chris.