Trius 694 readout modes?

[DaveS]

Bear with me, there are several strands to this question / problem

I'm trying to sort out why Sequence (NOT SGP, the ASA software) throws up an unhandled exception error involving unset variable (Plus lots of C++ stuff that I don't fully understand) as soon as it wants to take an image. I thought it was down to the laptop running Win 7 Pro that I had been using, but it also does it with the new Win 10 Pro computer that I've set up. The Win 10 Pro has up-to-date Visual C++ libraries.

In Sequence there is a box for the CCD Readout Mode, starting with 0 and increasing to 4 (I think), However when I set up an Autosave sequence in Maxim DL (Which I have to use to get anywhere as Sequence crashes) there is also a Readout Mode box which stubbornly says "Undefined".

I'm wondering if this undefined readout mode is crashing Sequence. Although I can image without it, just using it for plate solving and encoder guiding, it has functions for automatic meridian flipping that would be useful to have.

It doesn't throw up these errors when plate solving, but I think it's using Maxim DL / PinPoint directly, instead of its own routines.

Can anyone suggest a plan of attack on this? Perhaps @Waldemar might have encountered and overcome it?

Or am I missing something obvious that I've overlooked?

[DaveS]

Anyone?

I found a box marked "Don't Use Readout Modes" that I've checked, will see if it works, the next clear night. Yeah, right ☹️.

 

Edit: I tried connecting the ASI 183MM Pro that's on the piggy-back 80mm, and that showed up "Readout Modes" in Maxim and Sequence, so either a characteristic of the camera, or something wonky in the driver.

Edited August 22, 2019 by DaveS

[DaveS]

Anyone? At all?

So nobody knows anything at all about Readout Modes and SX 694 cameras?

I guess I'll have to email Terry, see if he can shed light on the problem.

[andrew s]

I have never come across such a thing with mine only with ZWO ASI1600  CMOS camera which has two modes.  Have you tried on the SX Yahoo group?

Regards Andrew 

[DaveS]

Not tried the Yahoo group, but I have sent an email to Terry.

[DaveS]

Terry has just confirmed that there are no Readout Modes with the 694, as those are specific to CMOS cameras, so I haven't missed something in the drivers.

Will see if checking "Do not use readout modes" in Sequence will solve the problem.

[andrew s]

🤞

Regards Andrew 

[DaveS]

Didn't work. I guess it's just plain rubbish software. Looking at the unhandled exception error list it looks like a whole slew of variables are unset or undefined. I'm getting an imaging run anyway, and may have another look then.

[Waldemar]

For problems with Sequence you best try the ASA forum: http://forum.astrosysteme.com/index.php?/forum/16-software/

[DaveS]

Yes, I know but it's a bit quiet ATM. I may get a better result with a direct email to ASA support.

[Waldemar]

Yes it is very quiet... But people will answer your questions if you put them there.
Just not a lot of traffic at the moment. That could be explaned in a very positive way... 😉
I do believe not many people have problems with their ASA mounts, nor the software.
 ASA support is not very fast either sometimes. 
 

[DaveS]

I wondered if I had done something wrong / stupid when setting the exposures, as when I set a sequence running the line with all the settings turned green apart from the exposure, but now I can't even set an exposure, as when I click on the box to set exposures I get another blasted "unhandled exception error" saying variable cannot be zero. Why the errors cannot be handled I don't know, it looks like defective software writing.

[Waldemar]

Delete Sequence, re-start and re-install. ?
don't forget the ini files

Sequence200.pdf

Edited August 26, 2019 by Waldemar
added manual

[DaveS]

I tried deleting and reinstalling but had no effect.

Will try again with a total uninstall, nuking the files.

I don't know how to take a screenshot in Win10, but I took a couple of photos which I'll post on the ASA forum.

[DaveS]

Tried a total uninstall including all the Sequence ProgramData files, restart, reinstall. No avail. I'm beginning to think the last Win10 update might have broken Sequence as this has only happened since then. I have to unplug and replug the SX filter wheel for Maxim to recognise it.

[DaveS]

19 hours ago, Waldemar said:

For problems with Sequence you best try the ASA forum: http://forum.astrosysteme.com/index.php?/forum/16-software/

Posted on the ASA forum with some photos of the screen, Could not do screenshots at the time.

Had one reply by another member as annoyed as I am, and thanks to him I now know how to screen capture in Win10 (Just missed the print screen on my keyboard).

Hope the new software will be better, when it arrives. Yeah, right.

[Waldemar]

Why don't you just use SGP?

If only to prevent an attack of some kind 

[Waldemar]

6 hours ago, DaveS said:

Tried a total uninstall including all the Sequence ProgramData files, restart, reinstall. No avail. I'm beginning to think the last Win10 update might have broken Sequence as this has only happened since then. I have to unplug and replug the SX filter wheel for Maxim to recognise it.

Mmm that is a possibillty... can't you do a recover from before the last update to see if that makes a difference?

 

 

[DaveS]

7 minutes ago, Waldemar said:

Why don't you just use SGP?

If only to prevent an attack of some kind 

I had thought of SGP but isn't the whole ASA system one and a whole? I want to keep using the  MLPT and pointing models using Sequence, and it needs Maxim and Pinpoint for camera control and plate solving.

So what would I do? Set up the MLPT as normal, then instead of using the Autosave sequence in Maxim, set up one in SGP?

[DaveS]

8 minutes ago, Waldemar said:

Mmm that is a possibillty... can't you do a recover from before the last update to see if that makes a difference?

 

 

I might have a look at that, trying to think when it was. I vaguely remember seeing a warning in Fforbes that came up on my google feed but thought it was the usual scaremongering.

[DaveS]

Well I've sort-of solved the Exposure problem (Which also affected Autofocus settings. I don't have an autofocuser), only sort-of as I don't know which bit of what I did worked but I looked at what I had on the laptop (Which worked) realised that I had a lot of boxes unchecked (And which I thought I didn't need / use) rechecked them and now I can at least set exposurs. Now just to sort out the Sequence Run problem.

Still doesn't address the whole "Unhandled Exception" business, which just looks like bad software writing.

[DaveS]

OK, to bring this up to date, and a conclusion of sorts.

With help from Wolfgang at ASA support the original problem was traced to a software bug, causing Sequence to crash if an autofocuser wasn't installed, even though there was a box to tick if there wasn't one. Fortunately there is an ASCOM simulator which I have running now, and Sequence seems happy. How many of the other errors were red herrings I don't know but I now have "Don't use Readout Modes checked" and "Never autofocus during sequence" checked.

Sequence now appears to be running as it should, at least until the next Unhandled Exception rears its ugly head.

[JamesF]

Bonkers!  You'd think they'd find a bug like that in testing.  Pleased to hear you have it working again though.

James

[andrew s]

2 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Bonkers!  You'd think they'd find a bug like that in testing.  Pleased to hear you have it working again though.

James

It was by end user testing, seems the way with ASA.

Apologies could not resist.

Glad it is fixed.

Regards Andrew 

[DaveS]

Yes, way back Olly did say that ASA had a bad habit of using their end users as beta testers, and Wolfgang did imply that that the software is effectively in beta, a  bit like Stellarium, but at least that works.

The documentation is also dire with many functions barely mentioned, or not mentioned at all.