New PHD2 bad behaviour after upgrade 2.6.2

[Notty]

It's always fraught with trouble changing a setup that works!  As part of migrating from a DSLR to the more complex world of mono cooled CMOS I quickly realised I needed to change my software toolset for goto/focus/sequencing etc, so my starting point is evaluating SG Pro, which does seem to have promise in some areas but a step back from my current setup in others.

 Having had a stable setup on my laptop for a couple of years among other things as little things threw themselves up I had to update the latest version of ASCOM, and last night had to upgrade PHD2 as well as SG Pro wouldn't retrieve the equipment profile.  That sorted however, once PHD2 was up and running, calibration immediately started generating multiple "pulse guide command to mount failed, guiding likely to be ineffective" errors (HEQ5).

So knowing I'm on the latest version of PHD2, with the latest ASCOM build, is there anything else I can try?  I don't really understand the ASCOM framework model but I assume everything to do with my mount is embedded in the ASCOM suite and there's no additional Skywatcher drivers that might be out of date?  I've had a search but can't find anything.   Incidentally my antivirus software warns me of the PHD2 site as harmful and really doesn't want me to visit it! 

Any help appreciated.

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I take it you're using a USB to serial connection from the PC to the mount, so have you checked\updated any drivers for that ??

[Starlight 1]

I have updated all these programs , had no problems from any .

[iapa]

I found this

""PulseGuide command to mount has failed - guiding is likely to be ineffective."  This is usually caused by a bug or timing sensitivity in the ASCOM mount driver, and there is generally no way to know if the guide command was executed properly or not.  If you rarely see the alert and your guiding results are acceptable, you can probably ignore it.  Despite the alert condition, PHD2 will continue to issue guide commands, so you don't need to take any immediate action.  If you see the alert frequently, you should send us your debug log so we can understand the details of the problem and possibly help you describe it to the author of the ASCOM driver."

in the PHD2 troubleshooting http://openphdguiding.org/man/Trouble_shooting.htm

 

[Notty]

1 hour ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

I take it you're using a USB to serial connection from the PC to the mount, so have you checked\updated any drivers for that ??

Its USB to the auto guider port, I've not changed a thing or but I'll check to see if Windows has updated anything for it.

32 minutes ago, iapa said:

I found this

""PulseGuide command to mount has failed - guiding is likely to be ineffective."  This is usually caused by a bug or timing sensitivity in the ASCOM mount driver, and there is generally no way to know if the guide command was executed properly or not.  If you rarely see the alert and your guiding results are acceptable, you can probably ignore it.  Despite the alert condition, PHD2 will continue to issue guide commands, so you don't need to take any immediate action.  If you see the alert frequently, you should send us your debug log so we can understand the details of the problem and possibly help you describe it to the author of the ASCOM driver."

in the PHD2 troubleshooting http://openphdguiding.org/man/Trouble_shooting.htm

 

Thanks, this is where I always wish I had debugging turned on all the time!  Will have to wait till next clear night.

[Notty]

So it's occurred to me, I upgraded EQASCOM to V. 6.2.0.2774 but does that include all the EQMOD bits or is that a separate download? I've been to the ASCOM website but I'm still not clear, but if I'm running the latest ASCOM, PHD2 but have out of date EQMOD mount drivers that wouldn't help much would it? 

[Starflyer]

The original PHD didn't report many problems to the user and it's likely that cause of "pulse guide command to mount failed, guiding likely to be ineffective" has always been there, you just weren't aware of it.  I see it from time to time and just ignore it now, it doesn't seem to be causing any problems with my imaging.  PHD2 is a million miles better than PHD, the developers have taken a great piece of software and made it amazing.  Be sure to check out the guiding assistant to profile your mount and get the best starting point settings for it.

I would recommend going to the latest version of EQMOD, (v2.00i available through Yahoo Groups), you may as well since you're updating everything else

SGPro has changed imaging for me, it's now a pleasure to hit run and see it unpark, go off to the target (within 20 pixels) see it focus and know that it will stay focussed throughout the night, calibrate PHD2 and then start imaging.  It's an amazing piece of software, but learn and master it a step at time or it may frustrate you, get your equipment profile and sequences set up and working, get plate solving set up and working, try out the brilliant Framing and Mosaic Wizard and then get autofocus set up and working (assuming you have a motorised focuser).

 

Cheers,

Ian

[Notty]

It was my EQMOD drivers!  A quick register on to the Yahoo group and an upgrade to the latest drivers seems to have cured it.  Guiding/Calibration working fine now, though the interaction between PHD2 and SG Pro is definitely not happening according to the settings I've configured in SG Pro, but that is probably me still on my learning curve.  Thanks for all your help.