Not enough USBs?!

[Doberamus]

This might be a really simple question....

 

I just purchased my first "proper" CMOS camera, after using a DSLR for the last while, but I hit a snag while setting up the cabling. I have been using a Guide cam with PHD2 and then sending the pulse instructions to the mount, which was working fine. (I couldn't get the ST4 to work).That's both of my USB ports on my PC used though.

Now I  need another USB port for the new Camera (an Altair 269C).

so, do I just buy a USB 3.0 hub and plug the 2 cables for the guide set-up into that, and then into one USB port on the PC, and leave the camera in the other USB port;

Or, can I connect some of this "through" the Usb ports on the back of the 269C? (i.e. connect either the mount, or the guide cam, to those Usb ports on the 269c and then through the USB 3.0 already connecting the 269 to the PC)

Am I missing something obvious here?

Thanks!

D

[GATChris]

I bought a cheap USB hub for this reason. (only 1 USB port on my laptop).

I connect my guide cam to my main cameras USB hub (ASI294MCPRO). The main camera then connects to the pc through the cheap 4 port USB hub. This works fine, both cameras are seen in sharpcap.

The mount connects to the PC throught the 4 port USB

I never tried connecting the Mount to the Main camera as well as the guide cam. I will try it out.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Use the USB hub on your 269C for the guide camera and it will be fine, also a lot less cables trailing about.
The guide cam will be perfectly olay through USB2 which the hub will be.

Steve

[Doberamus]

Ah that's good to hear. So basically camera info IN through one USB port, and then mount guiding info out through the other...

Will give that a go later.

Thanks!

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Yes I think thats what most people will do, I had the guide cam and filter wheel going through the USB2 hub on my ASI1600 and it never put a foot wrong and kept all the cabling nice and neat.

Steve

[Rustang]

Be careful if you buy a cheap USB hub, I had issues. I was recommend to get a powered hub and that has been working a treat. 

[Doberamus]

Hmm. Tried bringing the guidecam through the USB hub on the imaging camera but Astrophotography tool would only recognise one or the other. This may need more working out...

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Hmm, odd.

What is the guide camera ? Is this also an Altair camera and so APT uses same driver ? I have read somewhere about an issue with somebody using two ZWO cameras in APT and having an issue.

I personally do not have any experience of Altair cameras with USB hub but I assume it is no different to the USB hubs on ZWO cameras.

Does APT recognize both cameras if you plug then direct to your PC and us the hub for the mount ?

Steve

 

[Shimrod]

3 minutes ago, Doberamus said:

Hmm. Tried bringing the guidecam through the USB hub on the imaging camera but Astrophotography tool would only recognise one or the other. This may need more working out...

I have to connect my ASI533 direct to my laptop. I can successfully connect through my hub but any attempt to capture an image fails. I had a similar issue with the camera and an USB wifi adapter plugged into the hub - the wifi adapter would drop out. I can only assume that even though the camera is powered separately the communication between laptop and camera requires more power than I might expect. I run my laptop off battery power rather than mains, so that may be part of the issue (Although I have do not have any power saving options set when doing astro-work).

[Doberamus]

2 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Hmm, odd.

What is the guide camera ? Is this also an Altair camera and so APT uses same driver ? I have read somewhere about an issue with somebody using two ZWO cameras in APT and having an issue.

I personally do not have any experience of Altair cameras with USB hub but I assume it is no different to the USB hubs on ZWO cameras.

Does APT recognize both cameras if you plug then direct to your PC and us the hub for the mount ?

Steve

 

Yes, the guide camera is an Altair 290c so that might be the issue. I didn't get a chance to try many other permutations...

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 minute ago, Doberamus said:

Yes, the guide camera is an Altair 290c so that might be the issue. I didn't get a chance to try many other permutations...

I am not really sure what I am talking about here so take it with a pinch of salt but I certainly do remember some issues with using two same make cameras on APT (I think) and somebody suggested using the native driver for one and the ASCOm driver for the other. Like I said this is from a year or two ago and I am not computer wizard so I could be wrong with this thought.

I have to go out now but I will have a search when I get back if nobody else chips in in the meantime.
APT is a great piece of software and the chap that wrote and maintains it is very approachable and very helpful you could always drop him an email.

Steve
 

[Mr Thingy]

1 hour ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I am not really sure what I am talking about here so take it with a pinch of salt but I certainly do remember some issues with using two same make cameras on APT (I think) and somebody suggested using the native driver for one and the ASCOm driver for the other. Like I said this is from a year or two ago and I am not computer wizard so I could be wrong with this thought.

I have to go out now but I will have a search when I get back if nobody else chips in in the meantime.
APT is a great piece of software and the chap that wrote and maintains it is very approachable and very helpful you could always drop him an email.

Steve
 

I had this issue. I fixed by moving to NINA 😂

Very happy with that decision as I find NINA very intuitive, save for a few very minor quality of life annoyances.

[knobby]

I use APT with 2 ZWO cameras, as Steve suggested I use the Native  driver for the 1600 and the Ascom for the 290.

I also use the hub built into the 1600 with no problems.

[knobby]

1 hour ago, Doberamus said:

Hmm. Tried bringing the guidecam through the USB hub on the imaging camera but Astrophotography tool would only recognise one or the other. This may need more working out...

APT only needs to see the imaging camera. It's PHD2 that needs to see the guide camera.

[Mike Atkinson]

I use a powered 7-port USB hub. I've read somewhere that these in fact are two hubs, with 4 ports being on a secondary hub. Generally ports 1-3 are straight through, but ports 4-7 are daisy chained off the 4th port on the first hub. I did find issues with my ASI1200MM (guidecam) connected on the higher numbered ports, resolved by moving this to port 2. So I now have ports 1 and 2 for my cameras, with greatest bandwidth needs, using other ports for mount, dew heater control, gamepad and hopefully soon for filter wheel and focuser. YMMV - what I read may have been wrong, but it tied in with what I've experienced. 

Mike

[geeklee]

On 25/04/2021 at 13:42, Mike Atkinson said:

I did find issues with my ASI1200MM (guidecam) connected on the higher numbered ports, resolved by moving this to port 2. So I now have ports 1 and 2 for my cameras,

Very interesting Mike.  I have experienced similar issues with a basic, powered USB3 port & 120MM-mini.  I got down to the low ports during testing but not low enough!  I'll aim to give ports 1 and 2 a try at some point - hopefully save that extra cable I ran...

Edited April 26, 2021 by geeklee