PDH2 crashing for no reason

[Nick Ambrose]

Nothing really actionable here but I've had PHD2 crash on me a couple of times.

I come back to the PC and the app is just gone. Nothing obvious in the logs and the Windows Event Viewer has

Faulting application name: phd2.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x678337ba

Faulting module name: phd2.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x678337ba

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x0026b160

Faulting process ID: 0x%9

Faulting application start time: 0x%10

Faulting application path: %11

Faulting module path: %12

Report ID: %13

Faulting package full name: %14

Faulting package-relative application ID: %15

And

Application: phd2.exe

Framework Version: v4.0.30319

Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.

Exception Info: exception code c0000005, exception address 00FFB160

Stack:

For what it's worth, here is the log file
https://openphdguiding.org/logs/dl/PHD2_logs_oswy.zip

Version: 2.6.13dev7 

This is on Windows 10 for what it's worth.

I don't see any obvious memory traces or dump files so I will add more robustness to NINA

-Nick

[Bruce Waddington]

Your debug log file shows you had PHD2 and NINA running, continuously looping guide camera exposures, with everything starting at 14:52 in the afternoon  Why?  We've had problems in the past with time-related crashes in the PPEC guide algorithm and we've fixed a number of them in the 2.6.13 development cycle.  These are very hard to identify and generally require extensive instrumentation and an end-user who sees the problem on a fairly frequent basis.  How often have you seen the problems?  I think the first thing to do here is avoid this practice of continuously running the apps long before you're ready to actually start imaging.   If you're trying to set up scripts and make sure things are working with NINA, shut them down when you are finished testing and then start over for the actual imaging session.  You can also revert to using Hysteresis for the RA guide algorithm which will probably avoid whatever the error condition is.  PPEC is a very complicated algorithm using a separate math library from anything else in PHD2 - and there are probably vulnerabilities we still don't know about yet.  In general PPEC is the only algorithm that relies heavily on wall-clock times in order to function and those are the areas where we have found problems in the past.  This also means it could be vulnerable to a system where the system clock is being automatically re-synchronized to a time standard on a frequent basis.

Regards,

Bruce

[Nick Ambrose]

It was running because I run remotely and started my sequence then left home for the day. PHD should have been disconnected (my sequence end logic does disconnect - I will look into that).

I can look into having the PC or the power strip turn on at a certain time. My NINA sequence is set to connect equipment  on start but occasionally NINA times out trying to connect PHD so I usually like to connect it myself if I am not going to be around when it starts.

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate it.

-Nick

[Nick Ambrose]

Would it be at all useful for me to modify the windows registry to generate a dump file / crash log if PHD crashes, or is it going to be impossible to get any useful information out of it ?

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[Brian Valente]

Nick as a slight digression, newer versions of NINA will connect PHD but not loop the camera automatically. That might be a short term workaround

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Brian Valente

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[Nick Ambrose]

Thank you so much. I *thought* was on the latest but if not, I will go download that ASAP

I am on 2.6.13dev7 

That's great advice. I'll also be more careful about starting too early

Thank you

- Nick

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[Brian Valente]

>>>I am on 2.6.13dev7

just to clarify, i meant the latest version of NINA, which I think means latest beta 

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[Nick Ambrose]

Ah understood. I am going to bite that bullet but I just got all the commissioning wrinkles out of my remote setup so I was apprehensive to start monkeying with things but yeah that's a good suggestion to.

I appreciate your help, thank you!

-Nick

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[Nick Ambrose]

Thanks folks, I re-installed PHD, Upgraded NINA, started my sequence later in the day, set the RA to hysteresis and it STILL crashed.

These 3 crashes have been the only ones in 3 or so years using PHD

I may reset the profile or something and recalibrate etc.

Is there any way to get a build with debug symbols ? I think I can make windows force a memory dump on a crash for it

[Bruce Waddington]

I can give you a version of the executable with debug symbols but it will take me a couple of days because I'm traveling.  If you switched to hysteresis for guiding, that somewhat reduces the likelihood that the problem is in PHD2.  One thing to check is whether the ASCOM driver for the mount is still running when PHD2 has exited.  

Bruce