PHD2 and ZWO camera driver requirements

[Richard Benoit]

I have been having difficulty creating a dark library with the current ZWO ASCOM camera driver (6.5.1.5) on a ASI120MM-Pro (PHD2 has occasionally told me a profile has no dark library). PHD2 would get to 4.5 seconds and time out. Per Bruce's recommendation I went back and tried the native driver. PHD2 could create the dark library with the native driver. So it looks like a problem with the current ZWO ASCOM driver (I tried all the 6.5.x drivers and had the same problem). On a backup PC I reverted to a prior ASCOM driver (1.0.4.5) and native driver (3.0.0.11) and was able to create the dark library. Several messages have instructed people to use the latest camera drivers with PHD2 2.6.9 dev5 because the vendor SDK was updated (ZWO SDK was updated in 2.6.9 dev 4). Is this necessary? I have been using only the ASCOM drivers with all my equipment so far.

[Brian Valente]

Hi Richard

Are you using a second zwo camera and other software at the same time?

if so, try running only PHD and connecting to the 120 and doing your dark library, just to see if it works

On Tue, Jun 15, 2021 at 5:15 PM Richard Benoit <richard...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have been having difficulty creating a dark library with the current ZWO ASCOM camera driver (6.5.1.5) on a ASI120MM-Pro (PHD2 has occasionally told me a profile has no dark library). PHD2 would get to 4.5 seconds and time out. Per Bruce's recommendation I went back and tried the native driver. PHD2 could create the dark library with the native driver. So it looks like a problem with the current ZWO ASCOM driver (I tried all the 6.5.x drivers and had the same problem). On a backup PC I reverted to a prior ASCOM driver (1.0.4.5) and native driver (3.0.0.11) and was able to create the dark library. Several messages have instructed people to use the latest camera drivers with PHD2 2.6.9 dev5 because the vendor SDK was updated (ZWO SDK was updated in 2.6.9 dev 4). Is this necessary? I have been using only the ASCOM drivers with all my equipment so far.

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Brian Valente

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[Richard Benoit]

Brian -

I set up inside to build the dark library, but just as I would if I were imaging. Power supply to PowerBox Advance to ASI120; USB cables always connected to same ports (labeled) on PowerBox and PC. I did not have the imaging camera (ASI2600) connected to avoid possible conflict. I always use ASCOM ASI camera (2) for the guide camera. This problem started when PHD2 forgot/lost track of existing dark library (got a warning that there was no dark library associated with the profile I was using, which has happened before). I was using the latest drivers when I tried to rebuild and ASCOM driver failed to build library. PHD2 was only software running while building library (did not connect mount driver). I started with 2.6.9dev5 but also tested with 2.6.9 and 2.6.8 (same result irregardless of PHD2 version). I tested building the library with older drivers using ASCOM 6.5sp1 as well as 6.4sp1; both ASCOM versions seemed to work.

I'm okay with reverting to older drivers - they support both of my cameras. I wasn't sure if I would be seeing a conflict using the native ZWO driver with PHD2 and ASCOM driver for imaging camera; or native driver for both. My main question was what impact using older drivers with latest PHD2 would have since other threads recommended the latest. 

Richard

[Brian Valente]

Hi Richard

>>> My main question was what impact using older drivers with latest PHD2 would have since other threads recommended the latest. 

I have no idea since i haven't tested it, but i would not recommend it

The latest dev release is based on using the latest zwo drivers, and many many people use this successfully including building darks with that camera. It's not a general issue with latest zwo drivers and PHD dev release (at least I have used them and haven't seen mass reports of this issue on the PHD forums)

I think going back to older driver versions is just avoiding whatever the issue is, so i personally suggest trying to hunt down what exactly is causing this and get it resolved. 

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[Richard Benoit]

Brian -

Thanks for the input. There isn't much left that I can try. I don't see any obvious hardware or software issues other than the latest ZWO ASCOM driver (which combined drivers for all their hardware into one installer). I can create dark frames with their native driver. I posted on the ZWO forum and they immediately replied that this is a PHD2 problem. I don't think it is so I'm just going to stick with what seems to work. I reviewed the change log for their SDK and there wasn't anything but bug fixes and adding a new camera here and there so I should not have a problem. I just need some clear weather to verify it.

Richard

[bw_msgboard]

If you want to post your log files, we can take a look to see if there's any error information coming back from the ZWO ASCOM driver.  You should use the Help/Upload Log Files menu function in PHD2 because the debug log file will be large.

 

Bruce

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From: open-phd...@googlegroups.com [mailto:open-phd...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Benoit
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2021 8:07 AM
To: Open PHD Guiding
Subject: Re: [open-phd-guiding] PHD2 and ZWO camera driver requirements

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/open-phd-guiding/d86bbe0f-4dc9-4d54-a063-bdff465604fbn%40googlegroups.com.

[Richard Benoit]

Bruce -

I uploaded the log files to https://openphdguiding.org/logs/dl/PHD2_logs_aLFX.zip.

I started with a fresh install of ASCOM 6.5SP1, ZWO native driver 3.16, and ZWO ASCOM driver 6.5.1.6. The PHD2 version is 2.6.9dev5. My PC is running Windows 10 Pro 20H2.

I experienced the same timeout I have received each time I tried to create a dark library with these ZWO drivers.

Thanks for the help you and Brian have provided.

Richard.

[bw_msgboard]

Hi Richard.  I looked in the debug log and there were no errors returned by the ASCOM driver - only the elapsed time of 31 seconds with no result returned from the requested exposure or 4.5 seconds.  The PHD2 dark file code treats all cameras equally and ASCOM camera drivers, whatever their source, are expected to behave the same way for these kinds of basic operations.  So it's a little hard to see how this can be a PHD2 problem.  From past experience, it's not too amazing for the ASCOM drivers from a camera vendor to lag behind their native drivers in terms of feature support and regression testing.  If things are working for you with the native drivers, that may be good enough for now - I don't see any way for us to help you out on the problem.  One question does come to mind - can the camera/driver combination successfully take 4.5 - 5 sec light-frame exposures?  If so, that would point to the dark frame handling logic either in the driver or in the camera firmware.

 

Bruce

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From: open-phd...@googlegroups.com [mailto:open-phd...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Benoit

Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2021 1:32 PM

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/open-phd-guiding/57a0faa3-52bb-4e14-b3a0-77325bcf7bf8n%40googlegroups.com.

[Richard Benoit]

Bruce -

Thanks for looking at the logs. The current native driver works, as do previous native (3.0.0.11) and ASCOM (1.0.4.5) drivers. I don't see any further paths for investigation. I'm probably going to use the older ASCOM drivers because they support all my cameras. There is a firmware update for the ASI120MM-S but the description doesn't look like it would be applicable. Maybe at some point ZWO will figure it out. I have an installation set up in a virtual machine for testing as needed in the future.

Richard

[bval...@gmail.com]

Richard are you connecting your 120 through the ZWO camera USB hub or directly?

My thinking is still that there's a problem with the camera connection part of it. i may be flogging a dead horse here but hear me out:

You first said there were issues with "dark library not being present" - that is a dead giveaway it connected to the wrong camera

Then you confirmed everything was on the 'correct and latest' software versions

Then you state it hangs after 4.5 seconds, so it works to a point in time, and then stops. 

Have you tried connecting your imaging zwo camera to PHD and trying to make a dark library, just to see if that camera completes the dark library correctly (just for testing)? My guess is that will work

[Richard Benoit]

Bruce -

I've tried connecting the ASI120 through a Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance (which has built-in USB hub) and directly to my PC with no change in outcome. Used different cables too. Connected my imaging camera, ASI2600, and tried to generate a dark library and it did not work with that camera either, using latest ASCOM driver.

I think you are correct about the missing dark library. A couple of times I have rushed setup and not clicked on the camera settings button (in both PHD2 and the imaging program I am using right now, Astro Photography Tool) to verify ASCOM camera settings and connected to the wrong camera. I believe the missing library message appeared at those times. I will have to be more careful in the future.

Richard

[Jon Bryan]

This is ancient history now, but I was having similar problems with my ASI120MM-S on my MacBook that turned out to be a bad (brand-new) USB3-USBC cable.  When I switched to the ZWO cable and a USBC adapter it started working reliably.

-Jon

[Brian Valente]

Hi Richard

>>>PHD2 would get to 4.5 seconds and time out. 

this particular issue can come up when connecting to a cooled zwo camera that does not have adequate power.

I assume by 120mm pro you mean 120mm mini? if so, that is not a cooled camera, but if you are connecting to the wrong camera (which can happen often with ZWO camera drivers) that could be a cause to look into 

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