Eqmod + ASI120MM = Crash?

[long_arms]

Hello, 

My Heq5 mount works very well with the Eqdir and Eqmod on its own. It also worked fine when I was using the little Point Grey Firefly plugged in. 

The ASI120MM also works well plugged in by itself. I happily take pictures of moon/planets with just the synscan handset. 

But I cannot use the camera and mount together! The second I try to use the camera, eqmod loses connection with the mount  . Sometimes it doesn't realise it has (no errors)...but it has. 

Its not just firecapture, the same happens with PHD if I connect camera and mount together there. 

I use a pretty new laptop, running windows 7. As I say everything works flawlessly on their own. I've tried various combinations using a Belkin powered USB hub as well as without. can't get it to work  !

Could it be something to do with the settings in EQMOD ( Baud Rate, Timeout, Number of Retries)? Obviously I've tried numerous COM ports. 

Any suggestions would be reeally appreciated. 

Thanks, 

Dan

[knobby]

Sorry , no ideas but maybe post a question here

http://zwoug.org/viewforum.php?f=21&sid=2940eb8492a86a1ff749a0ef5876d6b8

Sams pretty helpful .

Good luck

[long_arms]

Thanks I may post there if I haven't resolved it soon. I have a feeling it has to be a problem on the eqmod side though as the camera has no problems at all. It keeps snapping away as eqmod loses connection with the mount. 

I just tried changing some Windows USB power options and it made no difference. Also established that I've tried every possible configuration of usb hub and laptop and the 2 devices. 

In addition, I tried an older version of eqascom but it made no difference.

It has to be a laptop/eqmod issue because everything works great on my pc! Shame thats not in the garden haha!

Dan

[ChrisLX200]

You're using COM ports?  If so, then open up Device Manager and double-click the COM port that is in use, open the Advanced Settings tab, and look for the option to adjust the settings for the 16550 UART buffer. Reduce the Xmit buffer right down to 1 (or even try disabling the buffer altogether). What may be happening is that the device on the other end cannot keep up with the sudden flow of buffered data from the laptop, the buffer overflows and the connection is dropped. I had exactly this issue with my mount (a Gemini L4).

ChrisH

[long_arms]

Thanks for the advice Chris, 

I just tried that (down to 1 and also disabled buffering). I also tried switching the flow options between Xoff/Xon, Hardware and None. None of them made a difference. 

This is very strange. I can see the bandwidth of the two devices and they're very low. The eqdir only uses 1%. 

I can also see the power and the camera requires the full 500ma and the eqdir 100ma. If it were a power issue though surely the powered hub would have made a difference. 

I checked that the eqdir drivers were up to date. 

Also tried it with the laptop plugged in and running on its battery. The laptop runs flawlessly, no lag or anything. The laptop doesn't make a "device disconnected" sound when eqmod loses connection and the eqdir can still be seen in device manager. Eqmod just won't connect to the mount through it. 

Running out of ideas now 

Dan

[StuW]

I can see the bandwidth of the two devices and they're very low.

Really?  the ASI should near enough saturate the USB bandwidth, that's it's advantage over other cameras i.e. high framerates.

Are you using USB3 ports?  Which driver are you using for the camera, the standard or the Ascom?

[long_arms]

You're right it could be a bandwidth issue. According to device manager though the camera isn't using 100% and the eqdir only needs 1. (I'll power it all up later for exact figures)

The camera runs easily over 200fps with region of interest on firecapture. I have tried seeing if the fps makes a difference (as low as 1) to the eqmod issue and it doesn't. 

There is no issue with the camera. Its running on firecapture but when I've tried it on PHD it uses the ASCOM driver. The same thing happens on PHD (loses connection with mount whilst the camera continues to work perfectly)

I'm using USB 2.0 but the eqdir is a USB 2.0 device so that can't be the issue can it? 

I'm going to borrow an older Windows Vista laptop and try that out. I have a feeling this laptop doesn't like what I'm asking it to do  .

Dan

[sulaco]

Hi,

Just came across your thread and have found a similar issue myself today.

I am running my ASI120MM through a Raspberry pi server and the camera is attached to a powered usb hub and when using Firecapture it just gives "capture fail".

The camera works fine when attached direct to the laptop but both hub and laptop give 5v power output.

Campbell

[D4N]

Could be a few things, the camera will basically use all the USB bandwidth and this won't work well through hubs as the bandwidth is throttled.

Have you tried dropping the USB traffic control down in firecapture?

Apparently these cameras don't like USB 3 ports (unless you have the USB 3 model!), is the hub USB 3?

Lastly there is a firmware patch that fixes some issues, you may well need this.

TSED70Q, iOptron Smart EQ pro, ASI-120MM, Finepix S5 pro.

[Ibbo!]

I have the same problem

strangely it all works fine on the slow old XP netbook though a bit slow on frame rate

Steve

[sulaco]

I haven't tried the patch yet but it sounds promising. I read on a ZWO forum in a reply from their HQ that they have issues with hp amd chips in some laptops. I have a compaq which I'd part of hp I think.

[D4N]

Indeed HP bought compaq some time ago.

TSED70Q, iOptron Smart EQ pro, ASI-120MM, Finepix S5 pro.