APT: How do I control gain and offset on ASI1600MM Pro?

[Notty]

Hello. Silly question, with a straightforward solution I hope, but I'm controlling from APT. I have the option to control ccd gain checked in my ccd settings tab, which I am led to believe means I can specify gain and offset per filter in the filter wheel settings, which I have done (138 gain which I understand to be unity and offset 50) but when I execute a plan it is using zero offset.  I unchecked the box in settings to see if I could access the ASCOM settings for the camera, which I've seen screenshots for a proprietary looking window of settings with a big ZWO label on, but I just get a simple APT option box with 2 settings on, one is "black point offset" the other some usb setting or other.

as the function in APT isn't working as advertised anyone know how else I can access that ZWO ascom settings window please? Thank you

[Thalestris24]

47 minutes ago, Notty said:

Hello. Silly question, with a straightforward solution I hope, but I'm controlling from APT. I have the option to control ccd gain checked in my ccd settings tab, which I am led to believe means I can specify gain and offset per filter in the filter wheel settings, which I have done (138 gain which I understand to be unity and offset 50) but when I execute a plan it is using zero offset.  I unchecked the box in settings to see if I could access the ASCOM settings for the camera, which I've seen screenshots for a proprietary looking window of settings with a big ZWO label on, but I just get a simple APT option box with 2 settings on, one is "black point offset" the other some usb setting or other.

as the function in APT isn't working as advertised anyone know how else I can access that ZWO ascom settings window please? Thank you

Hi

Have you got the 'manage gain' option checked under settings->ccd ?

[Notty]

Yes, sorry I think I called it “control cc’d gain” towards the beginning of my text. I’ve tried with and without it checked.

[Thalestris24]

3 minutes ago, Notty said:

Yes, sorry I think I called it “control cc’d gain” towards the beginning of my text. I’ve tried with and without it checked.

I got this from the apt forum

"If Settings->CCD->Manage Gain is unchecked APT will not touch the gain value and will leave the ASCOM driver to take care. If the option is checked then APT will use the gain values in Settings->Filter Wheel and Camera tab if they are not empty and if the ASCOM driver accepts setting gain value from APT."

So looks like it's  normally set in the Ascom driver

[symmetal]

It looks like APT only allows the Ascom driver settings to be changed when the camera is disconnected.

If the camera is connected click the 'Settings' button at the bottom right of the camera tab. This will temporarily disconnect the camera to allow the Ascom settings to be changed.

If the camera is already disconnected hold 'Shift' while clicking the camera 'Connect' button and the CCD Ascom camera option is selected. Click OK and select your camera in the Ascom select box and then click 'Properties' to set the driver options.

In either case this dialog box should appear. You need 'Advanced' ticked in order to see the see the Offset and USB Limit setting.

Offset is not available to be set outside of the Ascom driver as due to a limitation of the current Ascom implementation, that parameter is not accessible to the parent program (APT).

If the ZWO native driver was able to be used in APT, then the offset could then be set in APT. However it only seems to use Ascom drivers only.

Alan

 

[Notty]

13 hours ago, symmetal said:

It looks like APT only allows the Ascom driver settings to be changed when the camera is disconnected.

If the camera is connected click the 'Settings' button at the bottom right of the camera tab. This will temporarily disconnect the camera to allow the Ascom settings to be changed.

If the camera is already disconnected hold 'Shift' while clicking the camera 'Connect' button and the CCD Ascom camera option is selected. Click OK and select your camera in the Ascom select box and then click 'Properties' to set the driver options.

In either case this dialog box should appear. You need 'Advanced' ticked in order to see the see the Offset and USB Limit setting.

Offset is not available to be set outside of the Ascom driver as due to a limitation of the current Ascom implementation, that parameter is not accessible to the parent program (APT).

If the ZWO native driver was able to be used in APT, then the offset could then be set in APT. However it only seems to use Ascom drivers only.

Alan

 

Thanks all, I found my mistake; I'd selected ZWO CCD camera from the list in the SGP camera selection box instead of ASCOM Camera. Works fine now, thank you

[symmetal]

2 hours ago, Notty said:

Thanks all, I found my mistake; I'd selected ZWO CCD camera from the list in the SGP camera selection box instead of ASCOM Camera. Works fine now, thank you

Glad it's working Notty. Just curious, your initial post said you were using APT, hence my and Thalestris24's replies, but your last post said you were using SGP. SGP does allow native Zwo drivers to be used so the offset is available to be set in SGP should you wish. If you choose the Ascom driver then it's not as I mentioned above. 

Alan

[Notty]

18 hours ago, symmetal said:

Glad it's working Notty. Just curious, your initial post said you were using APT, hence my and Thalestris24's replies, but your last post said you were using SGP. SGP does allow native Zwo drivers to be used so the offset is available to be set in SGP should you wish. If you choose the Ascom driver then it's not as I mentioned above. 

Alan

Hi Alan, sorry about that, yes I own SGP as well, but after a long long gap where i've done no AP for best part of 2y I decided APT would be easier to get back into that SGP... though APT has come on in leaps of complexitiy since I last used it I'm not sure my decision was valid! Thanks again for your help. Andy