Computer Control limits...?

[Earl]

I have been having issues with general instability, which I have solved atm by using a dedicated PC for guiding via PHD and ST4.

Will a 4GB E6600 Dual Core Windows 7 control the following.

QHY6 for guiding with PHD

QHY8L Imaging with Nebulosity 2

Serial Focus Control Lakeside

Serial EQMOD

Could I in future add another CCD and or DSLR?

[Starblazer]

Providing it's dedicated just for the job, I can't see there being any problems. The Dual Core e6600 is more than capable of delivering the power you need when coupled with 4gb ram for processing and general tasks. It might be a long haul working with stacking images but that said, the ram will be one of the biggest helpers here.

You should be able to run as much as you like providing you have the usb connections/power connections and software that can handle them all at the same time.

Hope all goes well

[Psychobilly]

I used to run a couple of DSLR's a Meade DSI Guidecam Guiding (through PHD) on an old AMD Sempron laptop with 1 GB of shared memory... You should be fine...

[Earl]

I used to run a couple of DSLR's a Meade DSI Guidecam Guiding (through PHD) on an old AMD Sempron laptop with 1 GB of shared memory... You should be fine...

Cool ill play with this and see how i get on.

[blinky]

Can I ask why you are using ST4 to guide? I use the pulse guiding in EQMod and it works really well, means you need a cable less!

[Euan]

Can I ask why you are using ST4 to guide? I use the pulse guiding in EQMod and it works really well, means you need a cable less!

Here is a nice paper by Chris Shillito on it http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/PEC_and_guiding.pdf

..and to quote the man himself...

The speed of reponse of ST4 v.PulseGuide is typicaly insignificant when considered in the context of the lags introduced by image capture and the guiding alogorithm itself (which may stack or average several frames)

[Earl]

well PC (A) controls, EQmod, CdC and my QHY8L

And it point blank refuses to be reliable with PHD and my QHY6 for what I believe to be a poor quality USB controller integrated on the PC (no slots free for a separate card)

PC ( just has PHD and the QHY6 hence why it guides via ST4

Now I have this beefier PC im going to Do it all on that I hope....

[Earl]

It looks like this new PC will run everything even the guide cam appears to be working fine on it now.

Fingers crossed!

I reinstalled the QHY6 Windows Drivers and the SCI Driver, this appears to resolve my issues.

[Earl]

Im glad to report that the hardware worked fine, everything running on the one PC with out any problems.

quality of the images taken is another story though LOL

[martin_h]

I run everything in the obs on a 5 year old laptop, I don't even know what the spec is off hand and have never had any problems with it...thats jinxed it now I suppose.

[Earl]

I run everything in the obs on a 5 year old laptop, I don't even know what the spec is off hand and have never had any problems with it...thats jinxed it now I suppose.

The PC is well over spec, but I still really cant nail down exactly what was causing all my issues with the QHY6 and guiding.

All is good in the end though.