Atik Ascom & Windows 10

[smudgeball]

Hi

I'm having issues at the moment with my setup.

Fresh install of Windows 10

With Atik Core Software installed (with ascom driver selected), APT, CduC, PHD2

My neq6pro is working fine, guiding with eqdir no problems at all.

However, everytime I fire up APT and go to connect my Atik 460ex I can't select it from the ASCOM properties after choosing Atik Camera 2  (or Atik Camera)

A couple of uninstall, reinstall, reboot and eventually it will appear in the dropdown list and I can use it.

But I'm wasting half an hour each time doing this !

At all times the camera is listed in usb controllers as Atik 460 and no errors, listed as libusb for manufacturer

I'm considering going back to Windows 8.1 as I don't recall any issues using this OS ?

Am I missing something here ?

 

Thanks for any replies

 

Neil

 

[Thalestris24]

Hi - you shouldn't have a problem.... Make sure you power on the camera before connecting the usb. You could also try connecting it via the Atik software rather than APT though the latter works ok with my 383.

Louise

[smudgeball]

41 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Hi - you shouldn't have a problem.... Make sure you power on the camera before connecting the usb. You could also try connecting it via the Atik software rather than APT though the latter works ok with my 383.

Louise

Thanks, the Artemis software works ok with the camera, but I'm not a fan of it for imaging unfortunately ?

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, smudgeball said:

Thanks, the Artemis software works ok with the camera, but I'm not a fan of it for imaging unfortunately ?

APT should work too - it's what I use

[smudgeball]

Yeah APT is my main imaging software.

Been a fan for ages.

But when I click connect and get to the Ascom selection screen, APT gets a light yellow border as if there is an issue loading the camera.

Selecting, or trying to select a camera via Ascom, seems to be the issue?

[Oddsocks]

If I recall ASCOM needs .net 3.5 support but that is not enabled by default in Windows 10, check in Windows ‘Programs and Features’ > Features, that .net 3.5 has been fully enabled, if not, expand the entry for .net 3.5 in the ‘Features’ list and select all it’s components then reboot the computer and run Windows update as there have been several .net 3.5 specific updates since Windows 10 launched.

After confirming that .net 3.5 is enabled and if APT still won’t connect try launching APT at least once ‘As Administrator’, right-mouse-click the desktop icon or program shortcut for APT and choose from the context menu ‘Run as Administrator’, test the program to see if it now connects but don’t run it permanently with administrator rights.

With Windows 10 any programs that are using Windows COM interface seem to require running at least once with program administrator rights after install or they don't register correctly in Windows COM so repeat the above for each of your astronomy programs in turn whether you know they use COM or not. Windows 10 seems more susceptible in this than previous Windows versions.

When all your astro programs are running together they all should be running with equal rights otherwise they can’t talk to each other so do check that none of the programs are set to run permanently ‘As Administrator’ (this term does not refer to you, the user by the way, it only refers in this context to the program). Right-mouse-click each of the desktop icons or program shortcuts  for your astro programs, click ‘Properties’ in the context menu and ensure ‘Run as Administrator’ is not selected under the compatibilty tab or at the bottom of the entry page to the main properties window.

Make sure you have the latest ASCOM platform installed, current version is 6.4 SP1 which was released just a few weeks ago.

Install Atik’s own capture software and next time APT won’t connect launch the Atik software, if this connects ok that will show that the camera is ok and that the problem is with APT, ASCOM or communication between the two.

When launching APT and unable to connect check in the running programs list that no other camera capture programs are running in the background since you can only ‘grab’ the camera from one program at a time, if another capture program has launched and grabbed the Atik you won’t be able to make a second connection from APT.

Check that two instances of APT are not being launched. We had an issue at the astro club with another APT user recently who had configured APT to launch at bootup of the computer but was then manually launching a second instance from the desktop and could not make a connection to a camera.

Can’t think of anything else at the moment.....

HTH.

William.

[smudgeball]

Wow !

Thanks William

Plenty to be getting on with there. (I'll print it off and work through the points)

To comment on some, I'm sure it is the latest ASCOM as I only rebuilt clean last week and downloaded (latest)

Interesting comments on the Run As   I'll definately try that.

I'm sure the camera is ok as it runs fine in the Atik software but I just don't like it (sorry Atik)

When it does work in APT it's absolutely fine, cooling aid and warming aid all work.

Anyway, I'll try tonight. Think it will be roof closed but won't stop me from testing.

Thanks again

Neil

[Thalestris24]

Hi again

I was thinking... That in APT when you load the program it should automatically connect/be connected to your camera - assuming the Atik is already powered up and the usb cable is in place. So, normally, there should be no need to tell APT to connect. If the camera isn't coming up connected in APT then that suggests a usb-related problem - which would fit to the apparently erratic behaviour you described (or else possibly a camera power related problem). With my Atik 383 if I run APT with the camera connected via usb but with no power to the camera then it doesn't auto connect in APT.

hth

Louise