Celestron PWI Telescope Control Software, CPWI ASCOM and PHD2 crash

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Hi,

Celestron has recently released new CPWI software (version 2.1.25) for all their mounts (https://www.celestron.com/pages/celestron-pwi-telescope-control-software). It comes with ASCOM drivers as well. I can connect Cartes du Ciel and AstroPhotographyTool (APT) without problems to mount via CPWI ASCOM driver, but with PHD2 (version 2.6.6) there seems to be a problem in guiding and in calibration. PHD2 connects fine, but after I try to guide or calibrate, PHD2 crashes. This happens every time guide button is clicked. Log files are here:

https://openphdguiding.org/logs/dl/PHD2_logs_4YYe.zip

What seems to problem? Many thanks for your help!

Sincerely,

Tero

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Here are ASCOM logs from the time

[Andy Galasso]

Tero,

Thanks for the logs.  We do not know whether the crash is in PHD2 or in the ASCOM driver itself. If you could look in Windows Event Viewer there should be an entry at the time of each crash. Could you post that info, or email it to me directly?

In both ASCOM logs we see something like this:

23.47.24.437    INFO:   Submitting Synchronus request: /mount/pulseguide?dir=3&msec=750&rate=0,00355136351388889
23.47.24.443    INFO:   could not communicate with CPWI, request =/mount/pulseguide?dir=3&msec=750&rate=0,00355136351388889

I do not know if that message about "could not communicate" is expected or not or whether it has anything to do with the problem.

Andy

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for your reply! Windows logs are attached.

Sincerely,

Tero

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[Andy Galasso]

Hi Tero,

Apparently the ASCOM driver is creating a thread and some code running in that thread is throwing an exception and the exception is unhandled by the thread so the driver thread crashes and brings down PHD2 with it.  Unfortunately I am not aware of how to isolate PHD2 from a driver crashing like this and bringing down PHD2.

You'll need to bring this issue to the attention of the ASCOM driver provider.  The Windows event log should allow them to identify the problem and fix it.

You should be able to reproduce the problem with the Manual Guide tool in PHD2 without requiring any guide camera to be connected -- just connect to the mount and open the Manual Guide Tool and click West with the duration set to 750 ms.  That should make it easy for the ASCOM driver developers to reproduce the problem on their own and validate any potential fix.

Andy

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for the info and help! I have sent email to Celestron support. I keep you posted.

Sincerely,

Tero

[peter wolsley]

Tero,

I did a quick search of the TeamCelestron site and discovered that CPWI V2.1.25 has a bad problem with excessive CPU loading.  Some users on this site have had problems guiding using CPWI.  The site moderator stated the following...

"The CPU consumption problem is a known bug of 2.1.25. This bug will be corrected in the first beta of 2.2.x."

It sounds like this problem will correct itself when a new version is released.

Peter

[Otto Du Plessis]

Hi 

I have this same issue.

AVX mount and HC updated via CFM to latest

CPWI 2.1.25

PHD 2..6.6

SGP 2.6.1.114

I connect via the HC and RS32 cable

CPI quick align

In PHD  I connect to the CPWI (ASCOM) driver.

I then go to Tool - Manual Guide

Soonest I click on any of the slew buttons PHD closes

CPWI continues to work.

In SGP, I connect to the CPWI driver.

I can slew successfully and control the mount as per expected.

Hope this helps.

[Andy Galasso]

Hi Otto,

Please see this post earlier in the discussion thread: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/open-phd-guiding/8WyRKRwi0XA/7q8GdPVsDQAJ

We traced the problem down to the ASCOM driver, so you'll need to bring the issue to the attention of the ASCOM driver developer so they can fix it.  Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it on the PHD2 side.

Andy

[Otto Du Plessis]

Many thanks Andy, will raise it with Celestron.

On the Team Celestron forum they indicate that CPWI 2.2 is on it's way and that this version will apparently fix the issue....

Otto

[Otto Du Plessis]

Hi

I changed the Decimal Symbol in laptop's Regional Settings to ".". It was set to ",".

This resolved the issue and I could successfully guide in PHD2 using the CPWI selection..

Regards

Otto

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Hi Otto,

I have to try that change. Where is the team celestron discussion about CPWI 2.2? I have registered to teamcelestron.com but I cannot find any discussions about it. 

Sincerely,

Tero

[Otto Du Plessis]

Hi Tero

There is not a specific CPWI 2.2 thread that I could find, however, in some of the threads Derik states that some features will be available in 2.2. Also, I could not find an eta .

Check this thread : http://teamcelestron.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=1396

Regards

Otto

[Tero Hiekkalinna]

Even I have registered to the site I get this message, when trying to open that link:

--clip---

Information

You are not authorised to read this forum.

--clip---

No wonder why I cannot find anything, because I don't have permissions to view anything. Oh well.... 

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[Jay Landis]

Tero,

You have to be approved to join a particular group within the TeamCelestron site by the group owner.  It usually takes a few days for him to approve.

Then you can access the link.

Jay

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[Tero Hiekkalinna]

OK! Many thanks for the info! I will join! 

Sincerely,

Tero

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/open-phd-guiding/CAP7wNyhkwUvz8_WGqHUzokGX5dd_DxwBp-mb1UQ2QLDFZ%3DBuQg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Claudio Nunez]

Hi Otto Very interesting solution. Is CPWI continue to works with PHD2 after this setting modification?

Thank you

[fatboy1271]

Version 2.2.3 has been released! I just installed it and don't know when I'll be able to test it, but hopefully this has been fixed.

fat