oaCapture conflicts with EQDir/FDTI cable

[maxthebuilder]

Hello,

I successfully run an RPI4 with Stellarmate/KStars/Ekos for DSO imaging. Works great.

Unfortunately, this software package is not very good for planetary imaging (yet).

So, I installed Astroberry 2.0.3 which has oaCapture preinstalled.

It works but as soon as I plug-in a USB EQDir cable for my mount, oaCapture just refuses to start (silently crashes on start).

My cable uses an FTDI Chipset FT232.

Any idea on how to get around this?

Thanks!

Max

[MCinAZ]

  What may be happening is that oaCapture is confusing the USB device for an external timing module (the Timer device shown in the list of dropdowns at the top of the screen), then waiting for a response it never receives. I'm certain that this can happen if a USB device which uses a Cypress USB/serial transceiver is connected when oaCapture launches. I don't know of a way to convince oaCapture to ignore the USB device, though perhaps James can suggest a workaround. There is a way to distinguish between a timer and other modules which may use the same USB/serial transceiver, but that remedy is not incorporated into 1.7.0.

  You might try connecting the USB cable for your mount after oaCapture is up and running. I know the program looks for a timer if connected when it launches, but I think it's necessary to rescan if the timer is connected after oaCapture is started. If the hang you describe is related to the situation I described above, starting oaCapture first may get you going.

[maxthebuilder]

I'll give that a try - thanks!

On 21/09/2020 at 23:35, MCinAZ said:

  What may be happening is that oaCapture is confusing the USB device for an external timing module (the Timer device shown in the list of dropdowns at the top of the screen), then waiting for a response it never receives. I'm certain that this can happen if a USB device which uses a Cypress USB/serial transceiver is connected when oaCapture launches. I don't know of a way to convince oaCapture to ignore the USB device, though perhaps James can suggest a workaround. There is a way to distinguish between a timer and other modules which may use the same USB/serial transceiver, but that remedy is not incorporated into 1.7.0.

  You might try connecting the USB cable for your mount after oaCapture is up and running. I know the program looks for a timer if connected when it launches, but I think it's necessary to rescan if the timer is connected after oaCapture is started. If the hang you describe is related to the situation I described above, starting oaCapture first may get you going.

[maxthebuilder]

OK. That worked. Tried indoors. Will try shooting something real tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip!

[maxthebuilder]

Update.

So, the workaround works. Connect the mount cable after launching oaCapture.
That's for the cable I made out of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014GZTCC6 

The other mount/cable I have don't give me this problem.
That cable came with a used HEQ5 mount (don't know the origin of that cable) - it uses a different chip, I guess.