Pulseguide command to mount has failed

[Kenneth Crichton]

Hi all,

Ive been using phd2 for sometime now and after a poor start due to mount issues ive been getting very good results over the past year. Recently ive been getting error "pulseguide command to mount has failed". It does state in your help guide to let you know if/when this happens consistently. Any ideas?

Thanks Ken

Please see debug log and guide log
https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive

[Andy Galasso]

Hi Ken,

That link to the log files did not work for me.  I think you need to select Share... in Google drive to get the link.

Andy

[Kenneth Crichton]

Hi Andy,

I've changed the files to sharing so hope that works .

Cheers ken

[Andy Galasso]

Ken,

We still need a link to the files.  The one you posted is the generic "My Drive" link, which for me goes to *my* drive folder.

Andy

[Kenneth Crichton]

My bad

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qsEd4X930e7eolk57dxObwUGBDp1uteU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=15-5u3-sh0mG_Q9grAuafEq_XWZdTng8d

[Andy Galasso]

Ok, thanks, got it.

The error seems to pointing to some weirdness in the ascom driver.  At the time of the error PHD2 tells the ASCOM driver to Guide North 55 ms. PHD2 then waits for the ASCOM driver to report that the guide pulse is complete but up to over 2000 ms later the ASCOM driver is still reporting that the pulse is not complete.  At that point PHD2 raises the alert.

You may want to bring this information to the attention of the ASCOM driver developer.  Although you can tell phd2 not to show the alert, it is indicating a potential underlying problem with the ASCOM driver and even if you disable the alert it is going to impact guiding because phd2 is still going to be waiting for the ASCOM diver to say that the guide pulses are complete.

Andy

[Kenneth Crichton]

Thanks Andy,

I just left it when I first noticed it as the guiding graph appeared to continue around 0.8" which is about right.
I'm guessing the graph wasn't true as off that point because I have slight star trails in my pics. What was the graph then indicating, hot pixel etc ???

The only thing I've changed since this has started is I've checked not to redo the calibration but I can't see how that would have an effect . Maybe an update to w10 ? I'll try a different computer.

[Andy Galasso]

On Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 2:00 AM, Kenneth Crichton <kennethc...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm guessing the graph wasn't true as off that point because I have slight star trails in my pics. What was the graph then indicating, hot pixel etc ???

The only thing I've changed since this has started is I've checked not to redo the calibration but I can't see how that would have an effect . Maybe an update to w10 ?  I'll try a different computer.

Ken,

The guide log shows nearly continuous application of declination North guide corrections -- a sure indication of substantial polar alignment error.  Your star trailing is almost certainly caused by field rotation due to the alignment error. Not a software or computer problem at all. The PHD2 guide error you saw on the graph was correct -- the guide star really was locked in place to within less than an arc-second; however, the field was rotating around the stationary guide star.

You can see the North Guide corrections (red vertical bars) if you look at the log file in PHD2 Log Viewer.

Andy

[Kenneth Crichton]

Hi Andy,

I updated the ascom and celestron driver, i also completely redid the polar alignment. I did notice for a period of time the pulses were all in one direction again so i was thinking polar alignment was out but after switching to guiding assistant i was getting around 0.5-1" which was pleasing. Im very pleased with the guiding results and images from last night so thanks for your advice. I know i was chasing the seeing but guiding at 0.5" for most of the night im going to be seeing limited anyway.

I did still get the odd pulse guide has failed scenario but as far as i can tell looking at 21:58 on the log and other points. The ascom driver started to work again pretty quickly automatically and started to guide again?? Is that correct? It does appear to me every time i move the laptop i get this error so im thinking it may well be the usb connection. Ill ask the ascom celestron developer to have a look at my ascom log.

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HRjK5OOKU8eoxsiyhOp5cX_8ikkwYC_1/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13tK7FvLurDXBIabi6PRfndW9XsWlC-D1/view?usp=sharing

Thanks again
Ken

[Andy Galasso]

On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 6:21 AM, Kenneth Crichton <kennethc...@gmail.com> wrote:

I did still get the odd pulse guide has failed scenario but as far as i can tell looking at 21:58 on the log and other points. The ascom driver started to work again pretty quickly automatically and started to guide again?? Is that correct?

That's right, guiding does recover after the 2 second time-out.

 

It does appear to me every time i move the laptop i get this error so im thinking it may well be the usb connection.

aha! that sounds like a very good clue