1. Ap-Gto | Main
  2. Topics

Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

Micheal Fields Jr
 

Previously I posted about cold weather issues because I made an assumption that my gear, namely my cables and hub, didn't like 47F.  However after trying to determine which cable, USB 3 port, computer and hub was at fault, there was one common denominator.  The cable going through the mount.

Roland offered some information about what happens when you have multiple cables connected.  Something about a reflection of frequency that causes interference... That kind of thing is honestly over my head but it makes sense.

So in a last ditch effort to isolate the issue and exclude the internal USB 3 cable I bought a 3 foot long female/female USB 3 cable for $10.00 on amazon and "pretended" it was the through the mount cable.  This way I would have an equal number of cable to cable connections.

As it turns out everything worked 100%.  No failures at all.    Then swapping back to the through the mount cable, errors nearly every other frame.

I also want to mention that I also followed Roland's suggestion of boosting/stabilizing the signal by putting a good USB hub at the base of the mount and then a 1 foot male/male USB 3.0 cable going from computer's USB 3.0 port to powered hub, hub to mount via 1.5foot USB 3 cable, mount to another powered hub, powered hub to camera.    The idea  being it doesn't go move than about 4 feet before it is in a good hub.  I had the same issues.

There is only so much I can do to make this work.  At this point I have to say the cable is bad and I've only had it out a total of two times for a combined 48 hours.    I am going to try some spray contact cleaner on both ends of the mount cable just in case there was some moisture related corrosion but I can't believe there would be this quickly.

Anyways, here is a link to a video I made showing what is going on. https://youtu.be/K5Xwe9NnYhU    So I am either going to have to use USB 2.0 mode only (plug it into a USB 2.0 port) or simply forego the USB 3.0 when I want to do planetary imaging with USB 3.
Terri Zittritsch
 

Michael, I dealt with this, being one of the first Mach2 users, and evidently the first one to try usb3.   The issue is likely all of the signal loss due to the number of connectors between your computer and hub, especially including those inside of the mount.     I identified the initial USB3 issue (turned out to be crossed USB3 wiring) and had to send the mount back for rewiring. Given I'm an EE in the custom semiconductor business, I have some peripheral knowledge of the limitations of USB3, so it makes sense to me.   
This was solved with an active repeater cable (it was for me) and I tested all kinds of cable lengths and ultimately I was limited to a 3' cable between the mount and my computer plus 1' cable between dec axis output and hub for reliable operation (which isn't acceptable for me).   I now have a 15' repeater cable with a small 8" cable from the repeater head (which is female) to the mount (male-male usb3 cable).    Then I use a short cable on the DEC head USB port to my cheapo hub.   My cheapo hub works fine to 0F and doesn't miss a beat.  While some vendors specify all kinds of industrial specifications for various expensive hubs, they likely have the same silicon inside of them.  They may have some better environmental sealing so if that gives some peace of mind, which is ok if you need it.   My hub is so cheap I've just purchased a spare and bring it when traveling.    So this works for me and I use several ZWO cameras, although I have a new 60MP camera that I've not tested yet.  But it works for an ASI071, ASI290, ASI1600MM.    I also confirmed that none of this had anything to do with the hub itself, because the same results could be had when bypassing the hub entirely as well as bypassing the mount pass through.    



Terri
Dominique
 

Hi All,Hi,
I understood the constraints and limits of USB3.
I already had with my Mach1 and USB3 cables passing through the mount, an active 16ft extension cable and 2 USB3 hubs including one powered and I had no particular concerns
With the Mach2 I made the whole thing more complex by installing a Pegasus powerbox V2 under the plate connected to the top of the mount and to which all the accessories installed on the scope are connected. There are therefore 9 re-connections between the camera and the computer and it works. Against the effects of cold and humidity I protected the connections with foam sleeves and the last 2 sessions went well with my QHY294c. I also did sessions with the QHY284M-Pro in 47Mo mode.
It is normal, with the cables passing through the Mach2, to install a box as I did and test in George it seems to me. Apart from the quality of the USB3 cables, there is only between the low output of the Mach2 and the computer that we can gain and therefore it would perhaps be preferable to install the computer next to the mount and control it remotely. I had not planned my insatllation for this.
My experience with currently 9 connections may however reassure some and so Michael you should be able to find a solution.
I can also say that we can have some surprises with cameras. My qhy5III224c does not work with this configuration while an Altair GPCam3 224c is working. The so called QHY5III224c also does not work with a simple 3ft USB3 cable and works when this is plugged into an active 16ft extension cable and a non-powered USB3 Hub !!!

Dominique
Micheal Fields Jr
 

HI Terri,

Not sure if you just skimmed my post and didn't watch the video but I went through all of that in my testing point for point.  There should be two contact points in the Mach2.  One at the base of the mount and one up near the saddle plate.  Roland says the length of that cable is about 18 inches.   I bought a 3 foot female/female cable to duplicate the mount cable but on the outside.  This cable also has two contact points.   Simply swapping that "pretend" internal cable solves the problem completely.  I also have a computer that sits currently on the eyepiece tray of my tripod and has a short cable going to the mount.   I also tried to put a powered industrial USB hub between that computer and the mount just in case the USB port on the PC was weak.  Made no difference.  Then at the saddle I have a 3 foot cable going to the hub which is another industrial powered 4  port hub.  
There is no getting around it.  The internal cable has something wrong.  Not wrong enough that some devices won't work but wrong enough that when reaching to a higher point it can't remain reliable. If I had found that it must be flaky drivers for the camera or under powered hubs etc, then that is one thing but if I just swap the cable and it works as it should then it is not signal loss related to what I am doing.  Give my video a look if you have time.


On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 06:44 AM, Terri Zittritsch wrote:
Michael, I dealt with this, being one of the first Mach2 users, and evidently the first one to try usb3.   The issue is likely all of the signal loss due to the number of connectors between your computer and hub, especially including those inside of the mount.     I identified the initial USB3 issue (turned out to be crossed USB3 wiring) and had to send the mount back for rewiring. Given I'm an EE in the custom semiconductor business, I have some peripheral knowledge of the limitations of USB3, so it makes sense to me.   
This was solved with an active repeater cable (it was for me) and I tested all kinds of cable lengths and ultimately I was limited to a 3' cable between the mount and my computer plus 1' cable between dec axis output and hub for reliable operation (which isn't acceptable for me).   I now have a 15' repeater cable with a small 8" cable from the repeater head (which is female) to the mount (male-male usb3 cable).    Then I use a short cable on the DEC head USB port to my cheapo hub.   My cheapo hub works fine to 0F and doesn't miss a beat.  While some vendors specify all kinds of industrial specifications for various expensive hubs, they likely have the same silicon inside of them.  They may have some better environmental sealing so if that gives some peace of mind, which is ok if you need it.   My hub is so cheap I've just purchased a spare and bring it when traveling.    So this works for me and I use several ZWO cameras, although I have a new 60MP camera that I've not tested yet.  But it works for an ASI071, ASI290, ASI1600MM.    I also confirmed that none of this had anything to do with the hub itself, because the same results could be had when bypassing the hub entirely as well as bypassing the mount pass through.    



Terri
Liam Plybon
 

Howdy Micheal,


I gave your video a watch. What you are seeing is essentially data dropping in the USB cable. This is because the cable length is simply too long for such high speed communication. To put it simply, you are right on the verge of a perfectly working connection, so the data is intermittent. 


I saw this a lot in testing, whenever I used only cable between my laptop and hard drive or camera. If I linked three unpowered, passive cables together the setup would only work properly when the cable length was below 2 meters. As is, your cable length is nearly 3 meters. While USB 3.0 technically has no length limit spec, it almost never reaches more than 3 meters without some kind of repeater. 


To make your setup work, you need to either:

  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 

Liam Plybon
Astro-Physics

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> on behalf of Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 12:16 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp
 
HI Terri,

Not sure if you just skimmed my post and didn't watch the video but I went through all of that in my testing point for point.  There should be two contact points in the Mach2.  One at the base of the mount and one up near the saddle plate.  Roland says the length of that cable is about 18 inches.   I bought a 3 foot female/female cable to duplicate the mount cable but on the outside.  This cable also has two contact points.   Simply swapping that "pretend" internal cable solves the problem completely.  I also have a computer that sits currently on the eyepiece tray of my tripod and has a short cable going to the mount.   I also tried to put a powered industrial USB hub between that computer and the mount just in case the USB port on the PC was weak.  Made no difference.  Then at the saddle I have a 3 foot cable going to the hub which is another industrial powered 4  port hub.  
There is no getting around it.  The internal cable has something wrong.  Not wrong enough that some devices won't work but wrong enough that when reaching to a higher point it can't remain reliable. If I had found that it must be flaky drivers for the camera or under powered hubs etc, then that is one thing but if I just swap the cable and it works as it should then it is not signal loss related to what I am doing.  Give my video a look if you have time.

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 06:44 AM, Terri Zittritsch wrote:
Michael, I dealt with this, being one of the first Mach2 users, and evidently the first one to try usb3.   The issue is likely all of the signal loss due to the number of connectors between your computer and hub, especially including those inside of the mount.     I identified the initial USB3 issue (turned out to be crossed USB3 wiring) and had to send the mount back for rewiring. Given I'm an EE in the custom semiconductor business, I have some peripheral knowledge of the limitations of USB3, so it makes sense to me.   
This was solved with an active repeater cable (it was for me) and I tested all kinds of cable lengths and ultimately I was limited to a 3' cable between the mount and my computer plus 1' cable between dec axis output and hub for reliable operation (which isn't acceptable for me).   I now have a 15' repeater cable with a small 8" cable from the repeater head (which is female) to the mount (male-male usb3 cable).    Then I use a short cable on the DEC head USB port to my cheapo hub.   My cheapo hub works fine to 0F and doesn't miss a beat.  While some vendors specify all kinds of industrial specifications for various expensive hubs, they likely have the same silicon inside of them.  They may have some better environmental sealing so if that gives some peace of mind, which is ok if you need it.   My hub is so cheap I've just purchased a spare and bring it when traveling.    So this works for me and I use several ZWO cameras, although I have a new 60MP camera that I've not tested yet.  But it works for an ASI071, ASI290, ASI1600MM.    I also confirmed that none of this had anything to do with the hub itself, because the same results could be had when bypassing the hub entirely as well as bypassing the mount pass through.    



Terri
Dominique
 

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:

o make your setup work, you need to either:

  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 
Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique
Liam Plybon
 

Sure thing! Glad to help.

 

Liam

 

From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> On Behalf Of Dominique
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 2:13 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

 

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:

o make your setup work, you need to either:

  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 

Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 

Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique

Roland Christen
 

One thing that may be happening with the internal cable is that it is inside the metal shafts and wraps partially around the Dec shaft before exiting out the back. That may distort the waveform enough if the signal is marginal.

Rolando



-----Original Message-----
From: Dominique <d.h.durand@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2021 2:13 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:
o make your setup work, you need to either:
  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 
Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Dale Ghent
 

Adding to the confusion, not all cables are the same although they might be outwardly identical.

A notable example are the more consumer-oriented cables which tend to be thinner, primarily for aesthetic and flexibility reasons, but also for cost. Internally, these cables have smaller separation between pairs and use smaller gauge conductors in their construction. This invites issues such as alien crosstalk or even impedance mismatches as the signal travels across different conductor types, gauges, and through connectors that have different qualities.

The golden rule with any data-carrying cable is use only as much as you need and to minimize excess length. Avoiding potential sources of interference is also recommended, such as runs close to and certainly parallel with AC power wiring and nearby 2.4GHz and other ISM band equipment.

Good reading on that latter subject is here:
https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/327216.pdf

Cable quality is important so always choose well-designed and well-constructed cables where it matters and where data rates will truly be at high rates.

/dale

On Jan 13, 2021, at 15:13, Dominique <d.h.durand@...> wrote:

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:
o make your setup work, you need to either:

• Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
• Use an active cable between the computer and mount
• Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables.
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables.
Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique
Micheal Fields Jr
 

I just ordered a Pegasus Astro USB hub thingy that you recommended.  I like it anyways so it was a good buy.

I also ordered two short 1 foot USB 3.0 A to B cables and will be able to go from the output on the mount to that hub by a 1 foot cable.  And my little computer will go from itself to the bottom of the mount by the shortest cable I can find.  I have a 2 foot USB Type C to USB 3.0 Type A cable and my PC has a USB Type C output. I have noticed things actually work much better if I use that output instead.  unfortunately other than charging cables for phones I can't find a short one. 

Regarding cable wrapped around the shaft, what can I as an end user do about that?  

But lets wait then and see if going with super short cables and putting the Pegasus hub under the saddle plate(or on top if there is room) will fix this. 


On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 01:11 PM, Roland Christen wrote:
One thing that may be happening with the internal cable is that it is inside the metal shafts and wraps partially around the Dec shaft before exiting out the back. That may distort the waveform enough if the signal is marginal.
 
Rolando
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Dominique <d.h.durand@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2021 2:13 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:
o make your setup work, you need to either:
  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 
Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Roland Christen
 


Regarding cable wrapped around the shaft, what can I as an end user do about that?
Nothing whatsoever. The cable is wrapped 1/2 way around in either direction internally as the mount rotates from one side to the other. It's not what you think, it's routed that way inside the mount.

Roland

-----Original Message-----
From: Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2021 4:20 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

I just ordered a Pegasus Astro USB hub thingy that you recommended.  I like it anyways so it was a good buy.

I also ordered two short 1 foot USB 3.0 A to B cables and will be able to go from the output on the mount to that hub by a 1 foot cable.  And my little computer will go from itself to the bottom of the mount by the shortest cable I can find.  I have a 2 foot USB Type C to USB 3.0 Type A cable and my PC has a USB Type C output. I have noticed things actually work much better if I use that output instead.  unfortunately other than charging cables for phones I can't find a short one. 

Regarding cable wrapped around the shaft, what can I as an end user do about that?  

But lets wait then and see if going with super short cables and putting the Pegasus hub under the saddle plate(or on top if there is room) will fix this. 


On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 01:11 PM, Roland Christen wrote:
One thing that may be happening with the internal cable is that it is inside the metal shafts and wraps partially around the Dec shaft before exiting out the back. That may distort the waveform enough if the signal is marginal.
 
Rolando
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Dominique <d.h.durand@...>
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Sent: Wed, Jan 13, 2021 2:13 pm
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Through the mount USB3.0 on Mach2 trouble unrelated to temp

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:51 PM, Liam Plybon wrote:
o make your setup work, you need to either:
  1. Get shorter cables between the camera, mount and computer
  2. Use an active cable between the computer and mount
  3. Use a powered, USB hub at the base or top of the mount along with shorter cables. 
Otherwise, your setup will keep giving you these errors. I promise that this error is not caused by a mechanical issue in the cable, because if there was any kind of problem you wouldn't have been able to recognize the device in the first place. USB 3.0 is too finicky to work on damaged cables. 
Thanks Liam,
This explains why it works rather for me.
the Pegasus V2 powerbox at the top of mount and a powered USB3 Hub at the base connected to an active extension cable.
Dominique

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics

--
Roland Christen
Astro-Physics
Terri Zittritsch
 

Michael, you're right, I did not watch the video initially, but I just watched it and it didn't tell me a lot more than what you shared above.   I didn't notice any mention of an active repeater cable in the video.   The active repeater I have will not only allow a 15' length of USB3 from my computer to the active repeater head, it also drives 15' in the mount direction (which is longer than run-of-the-mill USB3 (which doesn't really have a length spec, but generally accepted length of 3M is what people go by).    It worked for me.  My opinion remains the same, that your cabling inside the mount has some signal loss issues.   The talk of industrial hubs (expensive) doesn't really mean they do anything electrically better than your computer or a cheap hub.  I remember when I initially raised the USB3 issue, I was told to go buy XYZ 'industrial' hub, and when I looked at the electrical specifications, they were no better than my $20 hub.   Now I didn't scour the market for something better, but these small hub companies aren't building custom silicon to do the job, they're using the same silicon that every other hub maker is using..off-the-shelf standard products.    

good luck,
Terri


On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 01:16 PM, Micheal Fields Jr wrote:
HI Terri,

Not sure if you just skimmed my post and didn't watch the video but I went through all of that in my testing point for point.  There should be two contact points in the Mach2.  One at the base of the mount and one up near the saddle plate.  Roland says the length of that cable is about 18 inches.   I bought a 3 foot female/female cable to duplicate the mount cable but on the outside.  This cable also has two contact points.   Simply swapping that "pretend" internal cable solves the problem completely.  I also have a computer that sits currently on the eyepiece tray of my tripod and has a short cable going to the mount.   I also tried to put a powered industrial USB hub between that computer and the mount just in case the USB port on the PC was weak.  Made no difference.  Then at the saddle I have a 3 foot cable going to the hub which is another industrial powered 4  port hub.  
There is no getting around it.  The internal cable has something wrong.  Not wrong enough that some devices won't work but wrong enough that when reaching to a higher point it can't remain reliable. If I had found that it must be flaky drivers for the camera or under powered hubs etc, then that is one thing but if I just swap the cable and it works as it should then it is not signal loss related to what I am doing.  Give my video a look if you have time.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Allen Ruckle
 

Michael,
        I had problems with USB3 due to the length of the cable needed,  I purchased a 15' USB 3.0 active cable and it greatly improved things it did not eliminate every issue.  In searching for a product to solve USB cable length issues, I found a product that is specifically designed to improve USB 3 signal, and to stabilize the power .  It is basically the active element of a USB 3.0 Active cable that is about a foot long.
 you install it between your computer connection and USB 3 cable to the mount.  It is designed for problems with Tethered cameras.

  The product is named TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0   core controller.  here is the description from the manufacturer.  The TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0 Core Controller alleviates a common problem amongst USB 3.0 camera and digital back users who are experiencing dropped tethering connections or are unable to get a tethered connection started at all.

   https://tethertools.com/product/tetherboost-pro-core-controller/

aruckle
Micheal Fields Jr
 
Edited

That is a nice short repeater/booster for sure. My issue with it is that it has a female connection and so does the mount.  So I would have to add yet another connection between.  My computer is right next to the female USB3 slot in the bottom of the mount and I am using a 1 foot USB 3.0 cable.   If the signal and voltage drops that much along a 1 foot cable that I would need a repeater at the end of it, I am not sure what I am even doing.

I have a total of 48 inches from the port on the PC to the 12v powered hub. That includes the 18"? that is inside the mount.  I have 24 inches after the hub to the camera.  I have ordered new cables and the Pegasus usb hub.  I'll know more in a week.



On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 08:39 AM, Allen Ruckle wrote:
Michael,
        I had problems with USB3 due to the length of the cable needed,  I purchased a 15' USB 3.0 active cable and it greatly improved things it did not eliminate every issue.  In searching for a product to solve USB cable length issues, I found a product that is specifically designed to improve USB 3 signal, and to stabilize the power .  It is basically the active element of a USB 3.0 Active cable that is about a foot long.
 you install it between your computer connection and USB 3 cable to the mount.  It is designed for problems with Tethered cameras.

  The product is named TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0   core controller.  here is the description from the manufacturer.  The TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0 Core Controller alleviates a common problem amongst USB 3.0 camera and digital back users who are experiencing dropped tethering connections or are unable to get a tethered connection started at all.

   https://tethertools.com/product/tetherboost-pro-core-controller/

aruckle
Allen Ruckle
 

Michael,
    The TetherBoost Pro  USB 3.0 device has a 5v DC input port,   It can be used as powered by the computer USB 3.0 port as well with external power.   

Do you use a laptop, desktop, or NUK type computer connected to your mount?
deonb
 

Just want to add another option that may or may not work for some people:

I'm using a fiber optic USB A-male to USB A-male cable from NUC -> Through-Mount -> Ultimate Powerbox 2 (5m length). No other connections or amplifiers, just the cable.

This one specifically.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZPF3KDT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You need devices on both sides that can power the laser diodes, so it can't run to something like an unpowered hub. However, it seems to be fine running to the USB-B port of an Ultimate Powerbox.

On the NUC side only one of the USB ports had enough power to power the lasers, so it was a bit trial-and-error to get to work at first. But once it started working, it's been solid since (a few weeks, for whatever that is worth).

It's a pretty rigid cable. I'd recommend it for observatories but not portable use.
Don Anderson
 

Michael
Hopefully you get your usb communication problem solved. I think you will like the features of the Pegasus hub. Besides the cold temp capability, I like the ability to turn ports on and off with the app. Handy for me with my Starlight Xpress filter wheel that sometimes loses communication with the computer and needs to be rebooted.
Regards and good luck

Don Anderson


On Thursday, January 14, 2021, 12:35:20 p.m. MST, Micheal Fields Jr via groups.io <mpfjr@...> wrote:


That is a nice short repeater/booster for sure. My issue with it is that it has a female connection and so does the mount.  So I would have to add yet another connection between.  Also it seems to be bus powered.  This "booster" can't create energy out of nowhere.  My computer is right next to the female USB3 slot in the bottom of the mount and I am using a 1 foot USB 3.0 cable.   If the signal and voltage drops that much along a 1 foot cable that I would need a repeater at the end of it, I am not sure what I am even doing.

I have a total of 48 inches from the port on the PC to the 12v powered hub.  I have 24 inches after the hub to the camera.  I have ordered new cables and the Pegasus usb hub.  I'll know more in a week.



On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 08:39 AM, Allen Ruckle wrote:
Michael,
        I had problems with USB3 due to the length of the cable needed,  I purchased a 15' USB 3.0 active cable and it greatly improved things it did not eliminate every issue.  In searching for a product to solve USB cable length issues, I found a product that is specifically designed to improve USB 3 signal, and to stabilize the power .  It is basically the active element of a USB 3.0 Active cable that is about a foot long.
 you install it between your computer connection and USB 3 cable to the mount.  It is designed for problems with Tethered cameras.

  The product is named TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0   core controller.  here is the description from the manufacturer.  The TetherBoost Pro USB 3.0 Core Controller alleviates a common problem amongst USB 3.0 camera and digital back users who are experiencing dropped tethering connections or are unable to get a tethered connection started at all.

   https://tethertools.com/product/tetherboost-pro-core-controller/

aruckle
Don Anderson
 

Interesting product! I currently use a 65' active usb2 extension cable to connect the Pegasus USB3 hub on my mount to my computer inside my house. Works flawlessly in the summer and fall. I like the lower temp spec (0 C) on the Cosemi fiber optic cable.
Thanks for the tip!

Don Anderson


On Thursday, January 14, 2021, 01:14:05 p.m. MST, deonb <deonb@...> wrote:


Just want to add another option that may or may not work for some people:

I'm using a fiber optic USB A-male to USB A-male cable from NUC -> Through-Mount -> Ultimate Powerbox 2 (5m length). No other connections or amplifiers, just the cable.

This one specifically.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZPF3KDT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You need devices on both sides that can power the laser diodes, so it can't run to something like an unpowered hub. However, it seems to be fine running to the USB-B port of an Ultimate Powerbox.

On the NUC side only one of the USB ports had enough power to power the lasers, so it was a bit trial-and-error to get to work at first. But once it started working, it's been solid since (a few weeks, for whatever that is worth).

It's a pretty rigid cable. I'd recommend it for observatories but not portable use.
Don Anderson
 



On Thursday, January 14, 2021, 01:14:05 p.m. MST, deonb <deonb@...> wrote:


Just want to add another option that may or may not work for some people:

I'm using a fiber optic USB A-male to USB A-male cable from NUC -> Through-Mount -> Ultimate Powerbox 2 (5m length). No other connections or amplifiers, just the cable.

This one specifically.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZPF3KDT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You need devices on both sides that can power the laser diodes, so it can't run to something like an unpowered hub. However, it seems to be fine running to the USB-B port of an Ultimate Powerbox.

On the NUC side only one of the USB ports had enough power to power the lasers, so it was a bit trial-and-error to get to work at first. But once it started working, it's been solid since (a few weeks, for whatever that is worth).

It's a pretty rigid cable. I'd recommend it for observatories but not portable use.
Micheal Fields Jr
 

Hi Allen,

I use a Beelink U57 https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-i5-5257u-Processor-Performance-Business/dp/B0879KKTCB

Also if you plug in the 5v DC to a repeater cable AND you have an external hub like the Pegasus USB hub (or other) you will get a windows warning stating that you have too many hubs connected.

1 - 20 of 20