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NickK

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Blog Entries posted by NickK

  1. NickK
    So the GPU version _had_ a few annoying bugs that caused it to crash the GPU.. but after an hour or so of bug fixing.. it lives!
    http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/218697-atik-titan-gets-a-17fps-realtime-registration-test-d/
    When I have time I'll get the camera out on a lens/scope and get a proper image but for tonight that's good enough :D
  2. NickK
    Since B2 behind the scenes, B3 is becoming a hardcore test-fest.
    * 4-series have now been tested after a minor bug fix with the USB pids - they work (all - including the 490ex!)
    * Titan and 383L tested independently - working
    Now the bit that will interest 4000, 11000 owners - I have hardware incoming! (only temporarily!)
    This means I'll be setting them up on the Pentax and giving them some serious grief as we've noted a problem that I'd fixed at Olly's creep in with changes since then.
    Additionally B3 will also have the 10.6 drivers too and probably will become the first release (finally!).
  3. NickK
    Features (where camera supports)
    Image exposure
    Image Binning (up to 3 times in X&Y - this is an artificial limit imposed to shorten automated testing time)
    Image sub-framing
    Image preview
    Setpoint Cooling
    EFW2 Number of Filters
    EFW2 Filter selection
    Camera & Filterwheel Hotplug connect and disconnect
    Abort exposure time


    Lots of bug fixes, some improvements too - things such as being able to set the capture location by simply dragging the directory on it.. I should have time over the next few days to finalise the remaining outstanding bits.

    Experimental Alpha Release (internal) - v0.04 (xx Apr 2013)
    Changes/Fixes
    Internal bug fixes and continued restructuring - both for the current and legacy drivers.
    Added new 490ex series USB codes to current driver
    Camera and Filterwheel disconnection via thrown ATIKDeviceDisconnectedException
    Abort exposure/download now works
    Major improvement for initialisation coping with flushing etc
    Camera unique identities based on serial numbers etc or bus location
    USB codes correction - this should pick up 400 series and 16/16C/16HR/16HRC/16ICS series correctly
    Testing at SGL8: 16HR, 460ex OSC, 314L+ as well as at Olly’s: 11000M, 320E
    Sorting out of the header files... it’s a little easier - everything should work with one include per driver.
    Friendly comments in the header files.. documentation!
    Legacy driver - fixed for exposures less than 1 second

    Example application - Unlikely to have “unknown” now
    Example application - File Capture doesn’t show every image but every 10th image
    Example application - image save location
    Example application - removed thread race condition (Cocoa binding causing a bypass of my queue..whoops!)

    ​So these will have the testing done at SGL8 too :)
  5. NickK
    Workload at work is current about 250%.. covering for boss and getting product launched means working from home to save time travelling.. 7am, shower,breakfast, enter office… quick lunch at 12 and then often sandrine only sees going to bed.. very little time to read forums let alone do any programming atm..
    Next week it should ease off.. a bit..
  8. NickK
    So, after much pfaffing - my C++/OpenCL pipeline implementation is just starting to come alive! :D
    Previously it was using Apple GCD, however it quickly became clear that GCD's ability to sort out it's concurrency (it has it's own cl_command_queue) isn't strong part.. but I'm happy that it's starting to execute kernels and it shouldn't be too long before the pipeline is back at full tilt with some much needed OO refactoring :)
    This makes it rather portable too :D
  9. NickK
    Folks, don't worry - I've not disappeared.
    I have been DIYing two things:
    * Spectrometer - giving me chance to dogfood the drivers further, I have some changes and I'm up to R1.15 from the previously released R1.13.
    * Bathroom - mrs would like the bathroom finished; including new wider towel radiator (think soldering pipe extensions under floorboards), underfloor heating loop and tiling. I managed to shatter the outer toilet so add a new toilet to the mix. This has been taking my 4 days of carryover vacation from last year and hence why it's gone quiet.
    I should be back next week on this - finalising the spectrometer too.
    Change log so far from R1.13 for the interested:
    // 1.13 Cameras now can create their relevant post processor, addition of virtual API abstracts implementation. Fixes 285 using non-legacy post processor.
    // ExampleApp no longer crashes at the end of a capture set.
    // RELEASED
    // 1.14 Added PostProcessor calculation of histogram,average and min/max if requested. Requires one less scan of image data as we're doing that anyway.
    // 1.15 Added Artemis 285 as ART-285, including image to ExampleApp - TestLegacyCamera appears as 285 not 16IC now.
    // Added 100ms delay for data read when FIFO disabled for Legacy driver (may remove later)
    // ExampleApp code tidy around the OpenCL prototypes
    // Modern cameras - existing driver amp behaviour corrected - amp was enabled, only to be possibly switched off on reading the CCD.
    // Some Modern cameras - Amp left on after preview mode exposure switches off.
    // * Supporting cameras - addition of keArtemisExtensionKeyDisableAmpOnCCDRead extension to force CCD amp off for maximum linear readout.
    // All Cameras now ensure amp is disabled on camera startup by default, amp is enabled only when required.
    // Titan read now has option of providing disabled amp read for long expsures (more linear and less noise but less sensitive).
  10. NickK
    I looked at 16GB originally when I first bought this MBP after the demise of my long serving previous MBP.. but decided that the update from 4GB to 8GB was better at that time than the ridiculous prices they charged for 16GB.. now with time 16GB is reasonable and so I took the plunge.
    Firstly everything is naturally quicker.. now HD limited on initial loading but after that everything is in memory making the machine pretty much instantaneous in normal use.. however this also means that compiling is exceptionally quick and processing large sets of images (stacking and the like) is lightning fast with the i7 running maxed out without waiting for the HD.
    So for ~£100 for 16GB (Crucial memory) for my early 2011 MBP this is a great move :D Most people would be fine with 4GB.. APers need a bit more ram and 8GB is a good size to help stacking etc.. 16GB still offers good additional gains in performance.
  12. NickK
    If you've not been following - we have been working on a re-architecting (v2) of AOSX which is starting to appear. Just plugged my Titan in and it's recognised it. Early days but it's always a good feeling to see something to reassure you!
    I'm also taking delivery of ATIK 4000 carcass for testing. Electronically working to allow testing of the 4000/11000 support in the driver.
  13. NickK

    Nailed the flush..

    By NickK,

    So I've been quiet - lots of things happening in the real world.. so rather than drop a beta, I've been focusing on a few bug fixes and enhancements as mentioned in my previous blog.
    One of the outstanding things that has been hanging around is solving the camera start up when something bad has happened - in this case when you pull the cable and the restart the application. Due to the difference in the way windows and OSX work at a low level this caused an the OSX driver to hang if a download was interrupted by an unplug until the camera was restarted.
    OSX doesn't flush USB or return data if a USB read times out.. now if you don't now how much you need to flush then reading till you timeout would be a very useful thing - Go Apple..
    This mornings fun has now resolved this scenario for the OSX drivers :D which is very very very important for remote installs and normal human beings that just want to get on and image :D Like me at SGL7.. as kev saw this bug at close hand with the titan.
    During this exercise I've located and fixed a few bugs - both in the driver and in the example application (one is a race condition that caused it to hang/crash).
    So I'm going to release an Alpha4 with fixes for this and the other fixes for issues in the Alpha3 drivers.. shortly..
  14. NickK
    So, with the wedding done and dusted.. I've started to get the itch to crack on with the ATIK stuff again. With it being mid-summer.. it's a good time to get the camera work out the way ready for the coming 2013 galaxy season :D Sandrine has booked me a trip to Olly's so there's also another, further driver to have some things working!
    To recap I have a basic driver working for the Titan and 3-series, with the 4000/11000 waiting until a later release. I have an application with the basic connect/disconnect working. So next up is to continue with the app to systematically nail each camera feature on the application. I have made the luxury purchase of a mini-display port monitor adaptor.. so I can now sit at a desk rather than huddled over the laptop. I may also expand the laptop to 16GB from the 8GB as the ideas I've been playing (which will follow on from this driver/AOSX) require a little more oomph but enough of that and back to the application!
    Nick
  15. NickK

    Bugs!

    By NickK,

    Well I've been doing some dogfooding.. this time for image processing live in realtime using the titan :D
    However it appears I have found slightly minor programmer issue.. hands up who can tell me seconds, milliseconds, microseconds and nanoseconds.. in short the beta 1 drivers have a little issue with converting between these after the abort changes I made.. hence the odd timing behaviour. This is fixed (and the programmer supplied with beer for his troubles).
    Expect an update for beta shortly..
  20. NickK

    Adding

    By NickK,

    Many thanks to those that helped with testing the OSX ATIK drivers at SGL8!
    Added Legacy camera: 16HR
    Added Modern cameras: 460ex OSC, 314L
    More dogfooding with the Titan with whitelight solar too!
  21. NickK

    Update :)

    By NickK,

    I've been concentrating on a few things at the moment for the Alpha3 release:
    * The example application - this is smoothing out and I'm rounding out some of the issues/look + I'll be adding the filterwheel into this
    * The 16IC PC application to read the FTDIChipID - FTDI created a neat little example app in c# which I've been getting to work. Just run and read the id for your camera
    * Driver bug fixing with the threading - adding disconnect for the alpha3 too
    Basically I want the beta1 to be usable
  22. NickK

    EQ6

    By NickK,

    My NEQ6 Pro (EQ6 SynScan) arrived today. I spent the entire evening playing with it and setting up the polar scope..
    The controller is whizzy and easy to use.. however at the back of the manual are the RS232 protocol commands :D (much joy and merriment!)
    Also, it seems SW wish users to interface through the SynScan using PC Direct mode as they supply an RS232 cable for the SynScan that will plug into a USB<->RS232 cable. It seems this doesn't have the 12V lines that the mount D9 connector has.
    I just so happen to have an FTDI USB<->D9 RS232 that will connect to the RJ11 serial socket on the controller as well as the EQDIR (Prolific chip) adaptor box.
    Currently have the EQ6 connected via FTDI to have a play using the ATIK test code. Only thing different is that the handset PC-Direct mode uses 9600 with no parity or stop bits (different to the ATIK which uses the bitbang mode of the FTDI to get decent transfer rates - although overkill for a mount!).
    Although it's possible to play further, my current priority is to finish the refactoring. Once that's done then I can play with additional transports (ie the prolific) and additional vendor plugins (ie the EQ6).
    Assuming there's not a break in the cloud :p
  23. NickK
    Got a bit distracted in the last week with work and my birthday yesterday, however the AOSX re-architecture now detects ATIK (and other USB devices), along with serial and firewire.
    It shouldn't be too long until we start seeing images and mount control that the V1 architecture had :D
  24. NickK
    The 'little' test app is coming along nicely..

    That's all my hardware running :)
    You select the camera at the side and the current live view is displayed :)
    I still have the following todo:
    * Threading - to allow things to happen concurrently.
    * Duration, temp controls - allowing you to select something in the UI
    * Image save - well you can play with it but you can't save it through the UI atm
    * Info tab - a simple table with info about the camera
    * Debug log tab - making it easy to email the debug log output to me
    * EFW2 live view and controls.
    As you can see it's all UI work so things I can do without the cameras attached.
    The only driver thing I may add is disconnect (clean unplug) as this was pencilled in for the beta as this would make the entire thing more 'clean' and feeling complete.
  25. NickK
    I've spent the time between the last release focusing on the 4000/11000 - with some fixes that also apply to other series cameras. Many thanks to Olly for allowing me access to his 11000M for testing during my stay there.
    Before releasing I just want to regression test the existing cameras and I'll package the new drivers along with a small demo application (including a pre-built version for people to try themselves).
    This will probably be the last alpha release (with it's specific functionality and associated bug fixes) before I move on to the beta release with it's additional functionality.
    Edit: added screen snap of the test application:

    Here's a test shot with the 383L against the wall.. (I've not added icons for the cameras yet):

    You can zoom in, change the contrast etc
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