ASCOM driver for DMK51??

[Merlin66]

OK, now I have All Sky Plate Solver working for me, I'm using a 60/227 eFinder and a DMK51 camera......

To connect ASPS to the camera it looks for an ASCOM driver. I've been unable to find one for the DMK51.

Any ideas???

 

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Does the drivers\software available from https://www.astronomycameras.com/support/downloads/ not give you what you want ??

[Merlin66]

No, not really.

These are the IS camera drivers, they don’t show up when ASPS calls the ASCOM camera drop down.

I’m beginning to think there may not be an ASCOM driver developed for the DMK series.

 

[Dr_Ju_ju]

There may not be an Ascom driver, but a native driver instead ??

[Merlin66]

Julian,

yes, I already use the DMK under AstroArt and FireCapture.

The issue is getting ASPS to recognise the camera to take the plate solving to the next level.

 

[james_screech]

IS never produced an ASCOM driver for their cameras. I contacted them years ago about it and they said that they weren't astronomers and weren't interested in producing drivers just for them. That was the main reason I stopped using their cameras.

James 

[melsmore]

Celestron Skyris cameras are Imaging Source. They say "Skyris cameras are not ASCOM compatible. However, they do work as DirectShow cameras with generic webcam software." I haven't tried it but there is an ASCOM driver for DirectShow here http://www.hristopavlov.net/ASCOM/ You could try that.

 

[Merlin66]

Been there, done that that web link does help....no usable DMK ASCOM drivers.

James, after all my searching I can only but agree with you.....there are no ASCOM drivers for IS DMK51 cameras.

 

[Iver]

I have an SBIG camera, they do not have ASCOM drivers.  Nebulosity 4 has a  plugin that allows the cameras that Nebulosity supports to be seen as ASCOM cameras. I use AstroArt for imaging but I wanted to try the Polar Align feature in CCDciel and using the trial version of Nebulosity with the ASCOM plugin I am able to use the CCDciel (ASCOM & Indi only) polar align feature. I haven't tried it with the WDM camera in Nebulosity but it does have one.

http://www.stark-labs.com/downloads.html

[Merlin66]

Iver,

Thanks for that... I'll download Nebulosity and the camera drivers...see if the DMK is "recognised" and then try in ASPS.

Keep you posted.

Ken

 

[Merlin66]

OK, no success....

The Nebulosity native camera drivers are not recognised by ASPS.

Selecting ASCOM camera, just brings up the listing of installed ASCOM drivers - which doesn't include the IS DMK.......

 

[AngryDonkey]

I haven't used it myself but I think with the Nebulosity ASCOM plugin the idea is that you start Nebulosity and connect the DMK camera to Nebulosity via the native driver. You then select the 'Nebulosity ASCOM driver' in ASPS and ASPS can take image with your DMK via Nebulosity (which is doing the actual image taking).

[Merlin66]

Mike,

No, that didn’t work for me either. ASPS opens the “Nebulosity ASCOM” then just looks at the drop down list, no option to use the DMK via Nebulosity or anything else.

 

[AngryDonkey]

Ah ok, sorry. I assumed that Nebulosity had native support for the DMK.

[Merlin66]

I contacted IS to see if they could help - they could only recommend using Genika Astro - but again this doesn't have ASCOM drivers for the DMK.......

Seems like a lost cause.....

[Iver]

How it works with my SBIG is that I connect the SBIG driver in Nebulosity and the Nebulosity ASCOM in CCDciel . At the 2nd from bottom of the supported camera list in Nebulosity is   WDM webcam selection isn't that what you should use with the DMK 51 ?

https://www.theimagingsource.com/media/blog/archive/20080502/

Edited May 28, 2020 by Iver

[Merlin66]

Iver,

Thanks for your continued interest.

That's basically what I did - opened Nebulosity and then ASPS, opened the Nebulosity ASCOM and the WDM option - no success. I didn't open the camera in Nebulosity first....

I'll try again later today.

 

[Merlin66]

OK, update report.

Opened Nebulosity, opened WDM camera, the drop down list showed the DMK51, selected that. Took a image with the camera to verify it worked - it did.

Left Nebulosity open on the screen, opened ASPS, set camera to "Nebulosity ASCOM driver". Asked to "click, solve and sync" - Nada! Then this error message "Property read sensor type not implemented in this driver"

Still looking for a solution. ( Haven't managed to make contact with Giovanni - the author of ASPS.....)

 

[Iver]

Well, good luck with your search for a solution.

BTW I see you are using AstroArt I've tried 3 or 4 plate solvers and in my opinion AstroArts solver is by far the fastest. Doesn't it work well for you?

 

[Merlin66]

Iver.

Yes the plate solve in AA7 works well.

I haven't used it as I don't understand how to set up a script to re-sync the mount to the found WCS central coordinates.

Further investigation needed.

 

[Iver]

Telescope.SyncTo(Image.RA, Image.DEC)    <--   Run  this to sync the scope to an open solved image

Maybe this will help. This is a script I run after a goto , it takes an image, solves it, syncs the scope to the image and then centers the target.

 

raOri = Telescope.RA
deOri = Telescope.DEC
 Camera.Binning(3)
 Camera.Start(5)
 Camera.Wait
ra,de = Image.EstimateRADEC
ok = Image.FindCoordinates(ra,de,5)
if not ok then Warning("Solve failed") : end
Telescope.SyncTo(Image.RA, Image.DEC)
pause (4)
Telescope.Goto(raori,deori)
Telescope.Wait
pause (5)
Camera.Start(5)
Camera.Wait
Camera.Binning(1)
end

Edited May 30, 2020 by Iver

[Merlin66]

Iver,

Thanks for the script.

I'm trying to set up AA7 on the office PC (not able to use the observatory set-up at the moment)

I have the simulator set up - Video camera (recognises my DMK51!) and the ASCOM/ EQMod HEQ5 simulator to allow me to see the impact on CdC/ EQmod.

I have many (!!) eFinder images - all of them can be solved by AA7.

Question: How can I use one of these images to practise with your script - need to extract the RA/ Dec

22 hours ago, Iver said:

ok = Image.FindCoordinates(ra,de,5)

I assume it's a matter of defining the image to use this command???

Your help is appreciated.

Ken

Edit: Just re-read your message above...

I think you've answered the question!

Telescope.SyncTo(Image.RA, Image.DEC)    <--   Run  this to sync the scope to an open solved image

Edited May 30, 2020 by Merlin66

[Merlin66]

Iver,

Hmmmm

I'm having problems solving an image from within the script. It solves with the "Find coordinates" tab but fails in a script.

I'll send you a PM with the details.

 

[Merlin66]

OK,

Just to wrap up this thread.

Iver has given me the solution! The parameters used for the plate solve in the AA7 script needed to be better defined..(to include the search area and the FOV)

Once this was done - Success!!!

I now have a robust way of "GOTO/Solve/ Sync/ GOTO" using my eFinder/ DMK51

Thanks to everyone for the help, support and guidance.

All's well that ends well.