Second alpha release of Linux capture application

[JamesF]

Well, I wasn't sure I'd make it but I'm not quite down to the wire yet...

I'm pleased to announce that the second alpha release of my Linux capture software is now available as both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries and source.

source code: http://www.fidell.co.uk/oacapture/oacapture-0.0.2-alpha.tar.bz2

binaries: http://www.fidell.co.uk/oacapture/oacapture-0.0.2-alpha-bin.tar.bz2

The username is "alpha" and password "centauri".

As some of you will already have seen, I have now used this software for actually capturing some images.  There's still a fair way to go before I could consider it complete in any sense, but it may now at least be usable.

It should work with the SPC900 and with the ASI120MM and ASI120MC.  I expect it to work with the other ZWO cameras, but I can't test those as the non-ST4 ASI120 models are the only ones I have.  Support for the Imaging Source cameras is slated for the next release, hopefully along with some of the QHY5 models.

If you're after building the source, read the files in the docs directory first otherwise you're likely to get nowhere.

Have fun,

James

[AstroTux]

Sorry for being a bit quiet recently ( although some like it like this ), but other things have recently been getting in the way - as well as the clouds. Will give it a try and let you know my thoughts once I can get around to it.

Many thanks for all your hard work and effort ( although I bet you enjoyed it really ),

Alan

[JamesF]

Many thanks for all your hard work and effort ( although I bet you enjoyed it really ),

It's been bags of fun, to be honest  I don't think I've enjoyed coding so much since I wrote my BBC Micro emulator.

James

[JamesF]

Actually, if someone has the new ASI034MC and wants to test it on Linux, I'd be pleased to experiment a bit there.  I know I need to make some changes to get it to work but I have no way to test it myself.  My desk is now smothered by planetary imaging cameras and a Gordian Knot of USB cables so I can't face buying any more

James

[Moromete]

Does this software support QHY5L-II Color and LODESTAR Color cameras?

Does this software run on an old netbook like Asus EeePc 4G 701 with a 600Mhz Celeron processor, 1GB Ram, GNU Linux?

[Moromete]

Does this software support QHY5L-II Color and LODESTAR Color cameras?

Does this software run on an old netbook like Asus EeePc 4G 701 with a 600Mhz Celeron processor, 1GB Ram, GNU Linux?

[Moromete]

Does this software support QHY5L-II Color and LODESTAR Color cameras?

Does this software run on an old netbook like Asus EeePc 4G 701 with a 600Mhz Celeron processor, 1GB Ram, GNU Linux?

[JamesF]

Does this software support QHY5L-II Color and LODESTAR Color cameras?

Does this software run on an old netbook like Asus EeePc 4G 701 with a 600Mhz Celeron processor, 1GB Ram, GNU Linux?

Any camera with a V4L2 driver should work.  Because there's no V4L2 kernel interface for them, in this release none of the QHY5 cameras are supported.  My intention is to support them, along with the Imaging Source cameras, in the next release.  I only have the mono version of the QHY5L-II, but if it works with that then I think it should work with the colour model.  I'm happy to work with you to resolve the problems if it doesn't once I get that far

My understanding is that Starlight Express have a quite enlightened attitude to support for their cameras, so it's possible that the Lodestar might already have a V4L2 driver.  If there isn't one then additional coding will be required to get it to work.  Unless I can find a Lodestar camera second hand at a price I can afford that may take a while...

I have run the application on an Acer Aspire One.  The data for the images here was captured that way.  It's a little awkward because of the screen size and I intend to make some changes to help with that, but it did work well enough.  The Aspire One has a 1.6Ghz Atom processor and 1GB RAM.  I don't think the application should be particularly CPU-heavy as mostly it is shifting data from camera to memory to video memory and disk so it may well work on your slower machine.  If the EeePc has a built-in webcam that works on Linux then the application should find so you could probably test it just capturing data from that camera.

James

[Moromete]

Thanks James. You are doing and excelent work.

My primary goal is to use the Asus EeePC 701 outside at the telescope during winter for focusing the QHY5L-II and Lodestar and initial star alignment of the mount.

It would be very usefull, if possible, to put in your software a function which allows one to focus the camera wihtout a Bahtinov mask and to support pixel binning for easier star detection at slow F ratios.

[JamesF]

Binning is already supported if the camera and driver supports it.  The ASI120MM will do it now, for instance.  I hope to add support for at least the QHY5, QHY5L-II and Imaging Source cameras in the next release.  I can attempt support for the Lodestar at some point after that, but testing might have to be done by someone else unless some kind soul fancies dropping a Lodestar to me in the post

Some sort of focus aid is on my enhancement list, but I'm going to need to study the methods first as I really know very little about how it's done.

James

[JamesF]

I found out today that support for the ASI034MC will require a new cut of the ZWO SDK, so it looks like another release may be required to get that going.

James

[bilbo-le-hobbit]

Hi, I'm Eric, French amateur astronomer (who uses and abuses of google translate)
I followed your advice (given on the mailing list of uvc-devel) and I just installed oacapture. Very fast installation.

I have several cameras: DMK41 AU02.as, unmodified SPC900 and Starlight Xpress Lodestar. I just connect the DMK. It is recognized!

First problem: when I want to maximize the window, the program crashes.
Second problem before the crash, I noticed that the image is divided into three frames.
Last point I wanted to launch a video capture AVI, it crashed again. In .fits o .ser, no recording of images.

Well, that's all for now!

Astronomicalement ! (contraction of astronomy and amicalement (friendly)    )

Eric

[JamesF]

Thankyou for the feedback, Eric.  I'll see if I can repeat the problems here.  The first and third problems may be because of the second problem.  Would you be able to send me a screen capture of that so I can see what it looks like?

Thanks,

James

[bilbo-le-hobbit]

I also tested with my integrated webcam. no problem to maximize the window or to save in AVI. A single non splitted image.

Here is the screenshot with the dmk:

[bilbo-le-hobbit]

I do not know if it can be useful to you, the result of dmesg :

[22457.821037] oacapture[8473]: segfault at 7f1192921002 ip 00007f11a11b5a98 sp 00007fff4eb8a6d8 error 4 in libQtGui.so.4.8.4[7f11a0e20000+a65000]

[22616.498788] oacapture[8478]: segfault at 7f9b454a3002 ip 00007f9b4efd0a98 sp 00007fff3c1b7628 error 4 in libQtGui.so.4.8.4[7f9b4ec3b000+a65000]

[23784.838298] oacapture[8719]: segfault at 7f7a5a000002 ip 00007f7a63b2da98 sp 00007fff1bdbaf48 error 4 in libQtGui.so.4.8.4[7f7a63798000+a65000]

[24285.141065] oacapture[8733]: segfault at 7fe417ba1ff8 ip 00007fe420255610 sp 00007fff9bccf048 error 4 in libc-2.17.so[7fe42010e000+1bd000]

[26065.229601] oacapture[8757]: segfault at 7fa03c000002 ip 00007fa05e2f61da sp 00007fffd3f528a8 error 4 in libQtGui.so.4.8.4[7fa05df62000+a65000]

[JamesF]

Oh, that's not good

It probably is the reason for the other problems.  I have an idea why it happens and it should already be fixed.  I have a few more things I wanted to get into the next release, but they can wait.  I'll try to sort out a new release before next week.

I believe I have been to/through Hennebont  We sometimes drive down the coast from the ferry at Roscoff when we go on holiday.

James