PHD2 not responding to ASCOM

[Davey-T]

I have an FTD / USB Serial adapter that has a flashing LED to indicate that signals are being sent, it does this in PHD ok but if I try PHD2 the light flashes when first connected but once it starts calibrating it just goes on West continuously but the light doesn't flash so presumably no calibration signals are reaching the mount.

Device is listed on Com 3 and working and on Com 3 in ASCOM setup and says mount connected in PHD.

Any thoughts welcome.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Maybe reboot and try again? If you still have a problem then some more info would be useful.

Louise

[Davey-T]

I think it's going to be another of those "lifes too short" things and I'll have to stick with PHD 1.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Here's an ASCOM/PHD Log, don't know what it means, "pulseguide returned control without completion" ?

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Hmm I'm not sure what's going on. It looks like PHD2 isn't communicating with your mount. Have you controlled your mount and guided successfully with the cable and PHD? What guide camera are you using?

Louise

[ChrisLX200]

Well you got a dropped connection for some reason. I spent a long time trying figure why my own PC/Mount would not communicate reliably via a USB>Serial adapter, and I tried several thinking it might be the type of convertor (I bought a new FTD one just to rule it out). You might try disabling the UART buffers first because it may simply be transmitting a burst of data so fast the mount cannot cope. That was the root cause of mine - bad timing on the USB bus - although disabling the buffer didn't help in my case (I had bad timing for a different reason, I was trying to run the USB>Serial converter on the end of a 15m USB repeater cable and it simply didn't like it). PHD and PHD2 may handle the coms differently so it's not unreasonable that one would work and the other not even using the same hardware.

ChrisH

[Davey-T]

Using SSAG camera, I switched from ST4 to ASCOM because ST4 wasn't working at all, tried various cables etc.

Bought an FTD Serial/PHD converter with flashing blue LED to show when signals are being sent OK.

Will try disabling the buffer and more cables.

Thanks for advice just needs to stop raining now

Dave

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Not sure if you've already seen them but there a couple of old relevant threads:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/170381-anyone-guiding-a-lx200-classic/?hl=%2Blx200+%2Bphd#entry1749037

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/193833-apt-phd-and-ascom-telescope-driver-problem/?hl=%2Blx200+%2Bphd#entry2030455

Maybe helpful?

Louise

[Davey-T]

Thanks Louise, will have a look.

Dave