DIsconnecting ZWO camera

[Giles_B]

After a few months grappling with imaging - that's months not weeks owing to almost unbroken cloud through January and February - I'm finally getting to grips with imaging on a "proper" rig (having got the bug using a SeeStar).

I'm using an Asiair Pro, and one major problem I've had is with equipment disconnects. So few sessions means that it's taken a while to get to the heart of the problem and develop a workaround. Last night was the first night I took advantage of the who night of clear sky.

I've isolated the problem down to the main camera - a ZWO ASI 585MC - disconnecting 2/3 of the time the EAF autofocuser runs a sequence. Having just run the EAF with stock settings - refocus every two hours, on filter change and on a new target - the main camera reliably disconnected within a couple of hours of leaving the rig to image unattended overnight - often reassigning the guide camera (a ZWO ASI 462MM) to main camera. Having lost the camera, and lost the guiding, the Asiair stops the sequence and shuts down. very frustrating. The only thing that seems to fix this is to not use the EAF in my imaging plan, and only use the autofocuser attended. Then I can jump in and reconnect the camera (in the software - a physical unplug and reconnect of the usb lead is rarely needed).

Things that didn't fix this are:

- Making sure the Usb connectors are not oriented toward the ground

- Using copious amounts of gorilla tape to stabilise the usb connector sockets

- Investing in some cable management clips

- Buying a new usb lead

Having now isolated the problem, tonight I will tape a loop to keep the usb lead fixed at the camera and Asiair ends, to the allow extension when the focuser moves. However, I doubt this will stabilise more than I have done with the current arrangements.

 

Has anyone else on SGL suffered these disconnection problems?

Is there something I am not thinking of that will fix them?

Is this normal for ZWO cameras or should I return it?

Is it because I am using a planetary camera and the usb connection is less robust?

Can I expect less problems when I upgrade the camera?

Or is there something else in my setup I should look at?

Edited March 4 by Giles_B

[Elp]

You don't necessarily have to wait for clear skies to troubleshoot, you can run most of it during the day as long as each device is powered on and running (ie you can have your guide camera on loop, it's still running just not looking at stars, your main camera can be set on autorun taking images, the EAF may not be able to be used but I assume you can control it manually).

I suspect power may be your issue, how are you powering it and do you have a WiFi extender or dew heaters plugged into the air too as they are very power hungry.

No issue running planetary cameras, I use them for DSO all the time.

The flat usb cables included with the cameras aren't very good, better to get good quality shielded cables (I got mine from Kennable) and as short as necessary to ensure good data connection through the cable.

Edited March 4 by Elp

[Giles_B]

I don't think my system is underpowered - it was an issue before I got a powered hub - but see what you think:

The whole system is run off a battery box built off a 30Ah 12.8v LiFePO4 Battery with 3 12v sockets, and a double usb3 socket all fused at 5a

12v socket (1) powers the Asiar Pro - which in turn is connected to:

• ASI 585MC (USB3) [main camera]
• ASI 482MM (USB2) [Guide camera - connected to USB2 to reduce the power draw]
• EAF (USB3) [Focuser]
• USB hub (powered separately)

12v socket (2) powers 2x dew heaters and runs an auxiliary 12v cable to power a Vonets wireless bridge/extender

12v socket (3) powers the EQ6 mount

USB 1 powers a USB hub - which in turn is connected to:

• EFW [filter wheel]
• EQMOD to the mount
• USB memory stick

There is a volt meter that doesn't  show any obvious drop.

 

Cables - thanks for the tip to Kennable - The cables I'm using aren't the flats, but I admit I couldn't find short USB3 A->B cables anywhere. I ended up with an 2m Amazon essentials cable as this was the only thing I could find that fit the spec. So I will order some 0.5m cables and see if this helps. It will certainly help cable management! @Elp can you recall which cables you are using exactly as there are a couple of different specs there? [ EDIT: both types out of stock anyway, ordered these "reassuringly expensive" cables instead: https://www.lindy.co.uk/cables-adapters-c1/usb-c449/0-5m-usb-3-2-type-a-to-micro-b-cable-5gbps-anthra-line-p11405]

 

Edited March 4 by Giles_B
update

[Elp]

Yeah I checked this morning and the 0.5m are out of stock and I need some more, figures. The Lindy ones are good too.

Seems like you don't have a power issue, but for troubleshooting I'd try removing one device at a time and see if it makes any difference after you've tried the new USB cables. With the Pro I also had a WiFi extender and camera disconnect issues during a plan, but my issue was slightly different in that I was using the air to power the WiFi extender via one of the usb, I noticed whilst it was running the extender kept restarting, the issue went away when the extender was powered separately, but you're already doing that.

Edited March 4 by Elp

[Elp]

I'm not 100pc sure on this, there could be a usb short where you plug the cables in. I only raise this because on one of my airs when I use a specific usb cable, the subsequent usb port directly above or below it won't work, haven't looked into it but could potentially be an avenue for exploring. The 12v in port has a similar issue if you're not using snug fitting 2.1 x 5.5mm 12v cables (IE the air can reset (power off and on again)) mid slew.

Edited March 4 by Elp

[Giles_B]

Thanks for that - presumably the USB short would be cured by swapping out the cable if that was it? Hopefully the cable will fix it. If not I'm sure I'll be back...

 

 

[Clarkey]

Have you tried running the EAF through the hub and the filter wheel directly through the ASIAir? In theory it shouldn't matter, but it is worth a try. If the EAF is causing the problem with the air, this might prevent it?

I have similar problems to this in the past and I appreciate how frustrating it can be. Even though I never managed to get the root cause sorted, by changing ports or cables etc, would normally cure the issue eventually.

[Giles_B]

Thanks - glad to know it's not just me!

I'll try swapping things around as you suggest. I think I started out doing this but then I wondered if the power to the hub was the problem, and I've not tried it with new cables, gorilla tape and all - so it's good to get a reminder to keep plugging away.

It really is a pain. Last night the camera did a meridian flip with no disconnection problem, but as soon as the EAF moves in plan mode, everything falls apart!! Grrr.

[Giles_B]

Success - of a sort : The Lindy cables seem to have sorted it out - however, I also swapped the focuser onto the hub, so I will swap things back tonight and see what the effect is.

Interestingly, soemthing I did seems to have caused a couple of other issues:

The short cables have made it very difficult to balance near the horizon. Clearly one effect of the long dangling bits of cable was to stablise the x-axis and I'm going to have to look at other ways I can do this

I also got some random shutdowns and disconnects from the asiair as I tried to sort out the balance issues mid-session - but this was probably me destabilising the connection with my fiddling!

[Vroobel]

I also use the ASIAir (Plus v1) and I experienced an odd behaviour of the main camera. 

The ASIAir is based on a Raspberry Pi computer, simply saying, the newer ASIAir, the newer RPi board. In case of the RPi 4 with 2xUSB3 and 2xUSB2 there is a known problem of using the USB3 ports when a WiFi 5GHz is working. You can try to switch the WiFi to 2.4GHz mode which I did. I also found that the main camera (ASI2600MC-Pro) works flawlessly when it's connected to an upper USB3 port, which is in fact a bottom USB3 port of the RPi board installed there up side down. 

Edited March 24 by Vroobel

[Giles_B]

Thanks, interesting to hear about the 5Ghz WiFi issue.

For the record, the Lindy cables seem to have done the trick for my set up.