Server Start Failed

[Roger Smith]

Using PHD2 for years with this setup and no problems.

Suddenly started getting the "Server Start Failed to Open PHD Guiding" notice at bottom of PHD2 window. Program crashes after I connect camera/mount and start looping. Win 10 with Ioptron CEM25p mount, powered USB.

Also, reinstalled PHD2, updated to latest ASCOM, replaced guide cam USB cable.   No idea what to do.

In the linked debug file in some places it started, and other times further down the file I get the message:

Socket server failed to start - Could not listen at port 4300

Please tell me what I can do!

Thanks!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ilj22j7m2x3pnoc/PHD2_DebugLog_2022-02-26_173011.zip?dl=0

[Roger Smith]

I did get the server to start after restart computer and restart mount, but when I start looping PHD2 disappears. This was the original problem I had 3 days ago.
Here is the update link to my debug file:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x93usof4gobhpuw/PHD2_DebugLog_2022-02-26_173011%281%29.zip?dl=0

[Bruce Waddington]

Hi Roger, sorry you’re having trouble.  It’s a little hard to tell what’s going on here.  The socket error failure seems to coincide with the installation of the latest release of PHD2, but that code hasn’t changed in years.  I think it’s possible that the installation ran into security/permission-related problems that are effectively blocking PHD2 from opening that socket.  Possibilities include:

1.       Blocking of PHD2 access by the Windows firewall, perhaps because you didn’t respond ‘yes’ when prompted to ok those permissions

2.      Blocking by an overly aggressive anti-malware app that’s running on your system

 

If you haven’t already done so, it would be good to reboot your computer before trying to run PHD2 again.  You can inspect the Windows firewall settings for PHD2 to see if things are enabled properly.  If the problem is because of an A-V app, you might have to temporarily disable that to do the PHD2 installation.

 

All of that said, that socket interface isn’t critical to PHD2 operation and there should be no reason to close PHD2 because of the server error if that’s what you’re doing.  I can only see a “crash” in one case, an attempt to start an exposure with the guide camera, nothing to do with this socket-related error message.  Those errors are typically hardware problems as you probably know.  Since you’ve updated a bunch of software, it would be prudent to also be sure you’re running the latest versions of the camera drivers.  In other words, you may have two problems to trouble-shoot here – a firewall problem with the latest install of PHD2 and possibly a hardware-related problem with the link to the guide camera.  You can trouble-shoot the camera operation during the daytime – just connect to the camera and start PHD2 looping continuously.

 

Regards,

Bruce

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[Roger Smith]

Bruce,

Thanks for your help. I found out these things and solution, none caused by PHD2:

1. Server not starting because, for whatever reason, PHD2 had crashed (probably due to item 2.) and I did not restart IOptron Commander the USB hub (I think). After 2. below, it connects properly.

2. Looping was very slow, and the PHD2 just disappeared. I found this to be that C States in Windows Boot Management (push F12 during boot up) was turned on. C States needs to be OFF.

C States is a nasty little process that saves power by turning off USB to save power.  

For me, when Windows 10 had some update, it reverted the C States setting to ON. Turn it off!

I would really like someone out there to investigate why astro programs are so sensitive to C states. C States in On state caused my main QHY camera to not download properly.

Thanks,

     Roger