|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
I've never used them on USB connections previously but if there is a way to protect the connections and make sure they don't get moisture or start corroding I am going to do that. This will be in an observatory sitting for weeks at a time so once I have everything working reliably the cables will never have to come unplugged. (in theory)
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
Not going to take the mount apart for sure.
Thanks for the info about the reflections. Way over my head for sure. Be interesting though to see if my experiment next week shows the same issue persisting or not.
|
|
|
|
Re: AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
Hi Greg,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Which version of the ASCOM driver are you using? Since you are using a GTOCP3 you might want to stick with one of the older ASCOM drivers like 5.21.01. New rate commands were added in the 5.30.xx versions for the Mach 2 and newer GTOCP4 firmware, so maybe one of those rate tables is getting used. Here is the link to AP V2 v5.21.0: https://www.gralak.com/apdriver/AstroPhysics_V2_Setup_5.21.01.exe -Ray Gralak Author of PEMPro Author of APCC (Astro-Physics Command Center): https://www.astro-physics.com/apcc-pro Author of Astro-Physics V2 ASCOM Driver: https://www.siriusimaging.com/apdriver
-----Original Message-----
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Roland Christen
At the frequencies used in USB3, they begin to act more like light going thru various surfaces. At each connection there is a reflection of the signal just like the air-glass surfaces of a lens. So 2 more connections adds 2 reflections which lowers the signal amplitude and adds ringing of a steep rise-time pulse. If you have low signal to begin with, this may knock it down enough to cause the problem. There are hundreds of papers written on this if you care to search, but they are very technical if you're not knowledgeable of gigahertz stuff.
Running your own cable thru the mount would require taking the mount apart, which is highly not recommended and you could damage the internal wiring.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 6:58 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] USB and cold weather Hi Roland. I just did a ton of experimenting. Xentex was right. If I simply plug into a usb 2 port the problems go away. Also if I bypass the mount entirely even with a 6 foot long cable, the problems go away. It is only if I go through the mount with USB 3.0 do I have issues. The Pegasus USB box is nice. Probably worth having anyways but it is also an expensive "test". I just bought a 3.3 foot female to female cable USB 3.0 to simulate going through the mount so I can see if it is simply having those extra connections or something else.
$10.00 with free shipping from Amazon will let me know. Lets say it turns out that it works great with that "pretend" through the mount female to female cable. What is my next step? By process of elimination it seems so far that the internal cable is not up to 3.0 standards. I am waiting to hear back from my second favorite vendor to see if they have the usb control hub in stock then I'll probably go ahead and order it anyways. Nice being able to turn off and on usb ports. -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Hi Roland. I just did a ton of experimenting. Xentex was right. If I simply plug into a usb 2 port the problems go away. Also if I bypass the mount entirely even with a 6 foot long cable, the problems go away. It is only if I go through the mount with USB 3.0 do I have issues. The Pegasus USB box is nice. Probably worth having anyways but it is also an expensive "test". I just bought a 3.3 foot female to female cable USB 3.0 to simulate going through the mount so I can see if it is simply having those extra connections or something else.
$10.00 with free shipping from Amazon will let me know. Lets say it turns out that it works great with that "pretend" through the mount female to female cable. What is my next step? By process of elimination it seems so far that the internal cable is not up to 3.0 standards. I am waiting to hear back from my second favorite vendor to see if they have the usb control hub in stock then I'll probably go ahead and order it anyways. Nice being able to turn off and on usb ports. Edit: I was recording some of my experimenting. Here is a link to a unedited video if any of you people are bored enough to watch. At about 7:50 I bypass the mount and everything works great. At the end I used Xentex idea and swapped to a usb 2.0 port and everything works that way too. https://youtu.be/AOXtrYJypmA
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
A silicone grease can be useful to prevent corrosion of contacts, and if you're plugging and unplugging them a lot or they get jiggled in their sockets it will help reduce wear. I use it all over outdoor contacts that are exposed to the elements. I haven't ever used them on a USB connector because I wouldn't expect a USB connector to be exposed to elements.
Regarding download times for a 47M image file, that should be about 1 second on a USB 2 interface.
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
I saw a problem like this 2 days ago in 28 ° F. My installation is complex with the Pegasus powerbox V2 installed in front of the plate, 1 USB3 Hub at the output of the mount wiring, 1 active 5m extension cable and 1 other USB3 Hub (not powered) connected to the laptop (see the attached diagram). As it generally works well and ceal makes my life easier, I have no reason to change.
Can the di-electric silicone grease for the connections make things better? In the meantime I have covered all the USB3 connections and I will see tonight (it will still be cold) if it gets better. It would be a shame to do without USB3 especially when you have to do the flats with the QHY294M-pro used in 47M. Dominique
|
|
|
|
Re: AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
Steve Reilly
I would also look for loose equipment, snagged cables, and software settings. It sounds like you image using TSX software so maybe try a simple stand alone program and see what happens without TSX. What camera/guider are you using?
-Steve
From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> On Behalf Of Roland Christen via groups.io
Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2021 6:46 PM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
P.S. unplugging the keypad won't do a thing one way or other. The keypad does not communicate with the mount unless you push one of the buttons. It is totally silent at all times and does not interfere in any way with any other program that you connect to the mount.
Rolando
-----Original Message----- Guide at 1x. Going slower will not help. Make sure you have a good calibration run. Remove all backlash compensation, both in the keypad and in the guide software.
If using PHD2, you should first use the mount wizard to find out what you have fundamentally. You can find out things like PE, Dec backlash, sky scintillation and other good stuff.
A good calibration near the celestial equator and meridian is a MUST. Without that, you won't be able to guide successfully.
Rolando
-----Original Message----- I have a usually reliable AP1600 mount.
|
|
|
|
Re: AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
Roland Christen
P.S. unplugging the keypad won't do a thing one way or other. The keypad does not communicate with the mount unless you push one of the buttons. It is totally silent at all times and does not interfere in any way with any other program that you connect to the mount.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Roland Christen via groups.io <chris1011@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 5:44 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] AP1600 autoguiding gone bad Guide at 1x. Going slower will not help.
Make sure you have a good calibration run.
Remove all backlash compensation, both in the keypad and in the guide software.
If using PHD2, you should first use the mount wizard to find out what you have fundamentally. You can find out things like PE, Dec backlash, sky scintillation and other good stuff.
A good calibration near the celestial equator and meridian is a MUST. Without that, you won't be able to guide successfully.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Bradley via groups.io <bradgregley10@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 5:31 pm Subject: [ap-gto] AP1600 autoguiding gone bad I have a usually reliable AP1600 mount.
It is slewing fine but autoguiding suddenly went wild a little while ago. So normally I get very small guide errors .2 to .6 arc sec guide errors. They suddenly went to 15-20. I couldn’t get it to callibrate either using relays. I switched to pulse guiding and I could callibrate. But guiding is still wild. I tried various settings for the guiding. I pulled apart the electronics box and inside it looks lile new. I noticed in the driver you can set the guide rate and it was set at 1 so I reduced that to .5 and I can set it lower. I will disconnect the hand controller tonight in case that is having an effect. Any suggestions? I am using SkyX, ascom mount and the AP driver. Its an AP cp3 electronics. I am able to do plate solving, polar alignment using TPoint so go to’s are working. Greg Greg -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
|
|
|
|
Re: AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
Roland Christen
Guide at 1x. Going slower will not help.
Make sure you have a good calibration run.
Remove all backlash compensation, both in the keypad and in the guide software.
If using PHD2, you should first use the mount wizard to find out what you have fundamentally. You can find out things like PE, Dec backlash, sky scintillation and other good stuff.
A good calibration near the celestial equator and meridian is a MUST. Without that, you won't be able to guide successfully.
Rolando
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Bradley via groups.io <bradgregley10@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 5:31 pm Subject: [ap-gto] AP1600 autoguiding gone bad I have a usually reliable AP1600 mount.
It is slewing fine but autoguiding suddenly went wild a little while ago. So normally I get very small guide errors .2 to .6 arc sec guide errors. They suddenly went to 15-20. I couldn’t get it to callibrate either using relays. I switched to pulse guiding and I could callibrate. But guiding is still wild. I tried various settings for the guiding. I pulled apart the electronics box and inside it looks lile new. I noticed in the driver you can set the guide rate and it was set at 1 so I reduced that to .5 and I can set it lower. I will disconnect the hand controller tonight in case that is having an effect. Any suggestions? I am using SkyX, ascom mount and the AP driver. Its an AP cp3 electronics. I am able to do plate solving, polar alignment using TPoint so go to’s are working. Greg Greg -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
|
|
|
|
AP1600 autoguiding gone bad
Greg Bradley
I have a usually reliable AP1600 mount. It is slewing fine but autoguiding suddenly went wild a little while ago. So normally I get very small guide errors .2 to .6 arc sec guide errors. They suddenly went to 15-20. I couldn’t get it to callibrate either using relays. I switched to pulse guiding and I could callibrate. But guiding is still wild. I tried various settings for the guiding. I pulled apart the electronics box and inside it looks lile new. I noticed in the driver you can set the guide rate and it was set at 1 so I reduced that to .5 and I can set it lower. I will disconnect the hand controller tonight in case that is having an effect. Any suggestions? I am using SkyX, ascom mount and the AP driver. Its an AP cp3 electronics. I am able to do plate solving, polar alignment using TPoint so go to’s are working. Greg Greg
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
I do not use video for sure. Not with this camera. 3 seconds on USB2?
Interestingly I have an Icron Ranger 2304 which is a USB 2.0 over Cat5e which was allowing me to run long ethernet cable out to my mount in the back yard but use my in home computer to control everything. I would take about 30 seconds per download. You are right, I don't love your solution but it is either that or not use the through the mount cabling. Such a shame. I just did some experiments. Bottom line is if I bypass the mounts internal cable, I have zero issues at USB 3 speeds. You are right though. USB 2 port doing the same cables resulted in perfect no error images. Damnit.
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Roland Christen
I think you only need the Pegasus powered hub on the scope.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
From: Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 3:11 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] USB and cold weather Do you have any suggestions? I was considering the idea of a powered hub with a short cable plugged into the mount bottom and then another hub at the top but I believe there is a limit imposed by Windows on how many hubs you can have.
So it would be PC with USB 3.0 Port > powered hub of some kind > Mach2 in ~~~~ Mach2 out > Pegasus USB 3.1 control box (which seems like a fancy product) > cameras/focuser/MGbox I also ordered some di-electric silicone grease for the connections. -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
You may not love this solution, but if you downgrade the USB cable from the PC to the mount from a USB3 to a USB2 cable then it will likely solve your problem. Or the cable from the mount to the hub. Either way, once there's USB2 in the chain it's going to drop back to USB2.
The only downside is download speed. If you're shooting individual frames you'll probably not notice a difference. If you're doing video you might, depending on your camera. With my ASI6200 and its 119MB file sizes, it takes about 3 seconds to download a frame at USB 2 speeds.
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
Do you have any suggestions? I was considering the idea of a powered hub with a short cable plugged into the mount bottom and then another hub at the top but I believe there is a limit imposed by Windows on how many hubs you can have.
So it would be PC with USB 3.0 Port > powered hub of some kind > Mach2 in ~~~~ Mach2 out > Pegasus USB 3.1 control box (which seems like a fancy product) > cameras/focuser/MGbox I also ordered some di-electric silicone grease for the connections.
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Roland Christen
The mount adds 18 inches of cable plus two connectors, which may be a problem for your camera. The USB3 signal from your camera is probably too weak to pass thru the extra length and connections. It may take the signal from a robust hub to go thru the mount axis reliably.
Roland
-----Original Message-----
From: Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...> To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Sent: Sat, Jan 9, 2021 1:55 pm Subject: Re: [ap-gto] USB and cold weather My camera unfortunately doesn't have a built in usb hub so I can't go from camera to hub. I am going to further experiment with this later today but at this point the only solution seems to be to not have through the mount cabling which was one of the factors that steered me towards this mount over its competitors.
I hope I can get this working reliably. -- Roland Christen Astro-Physics
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
My camera unfortunately doesn't have a built in usb hub so I can't go from camera to hub. I am going to further experiment with this later today but at this point the only solution seems to be to not have through the mount cabling which was one of the factors that steered me towards this mount over its competitors.
I hope I can get this working reliably.
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
This is the hub I am using. https://www.startech.com/en-us/cards-adapters/st4300usbm It claims it can go down to 32F as well. I'll check out the pegasus astro product. I still find it weird though that if I bypass the mount pass through it works fine.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Sat, Jan 9, 2021 at 09:55 AM, Don Anderson wrote:
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Micheal Fields Jr
I am using a Pyramid 12 amp linear regulated power supply that is AC to DC supplying a nice heavy duty power cable using anderson power poles from that unit to a rig-runner distrubution box on top of the mount. Power of course goes through the mount. The USB hub is the https://www.startech.com/en-us/cards-adapters/st4300usbm and is powered from that rig-runner with 12v. Nothing on my system draws more than an amp or two so I know there is plenty of amps. Also I measured the voltage with everything turned on to make sure it didn't drop under 12v and it was all stable at 13+
|
|
|
|
Re: USB and cold weather
Worsel
Are you using AC power with an AC-DC adapter or are you using DC power for the hub, etc? If the former, no big deal. If the latter, what battery?
Bryan
|
|
|