Hi, I am asking for a friend with an AP 1200 Cp4, no APCC, Esatto Focuser.
Mount is connected through a LAN cable, focuser through USB.
He usually connects everything in NINA and start the session.
Focusing is ok, pointing, plate solving, start guiding, everything ok.
First exposures starts ok.
Then the system halts when guiding resume before the second image.
A shutdown and restart is required.

It seems the focuser uses COM6 but "engage" COM3 for some reason.
The mount is connected via LAN , but, if we unflag IP address in the driver panel the port selector shows COM3.
we don't know if this is a coincidence.
We don't know if the driver connects through LAN but works on COMs behind.
It seems is not possible to select a different port for the focuser.

I am planning to have a remote session with his pc to try to help him, any help is welcomed.
Thank you,
Andrea

What do you mean by "the system", exactly? The computer itself freezes up? NINA freezes up? And, by "halts", do you get a blue/green screen, as if Windows crashed and you must reboot the computer?

Some more detail is needed, but it sounds like perhaps the focuser's USB connection is intermittent and the COM port for it is flapping as the USB connection is made then lost. This can happen because of a fault in the focuser, but often because there is insufficient power on the USB bus. I've known the PLL ASCOM drivers to not have robust handling of a lost serial connection, which could explain the driver eventually crashing and taking NINA along with it, if that is what you are referring to.

A few points to check, which is my standard "Unfark your USB bus" checklist:

1. If a USB hub is in use, ensure that it is a powered hub. A 12V powered hub is much preferred over a 5V one, and it also makes general 12V wiring for your setup more straight-forward due to not having to use a voltage regulator.

2. In Windows' power settings, ensure that "USB Selective Suspend" is off in the power profiles used for imaging. Laptops on battery power will often have this on. It's a good idea to have it off under any power profile on an astro-PC anyway. https://www.windowscentral.com/how-prevent-windows-10-turning-usb-devices

3. Avoid using the built-in hub on the rear of cameras (ZWO, ToupTek & ToupTek-OEMed) for high-bandwidth devices, such as the guide camera.

4. Install USB Device Tree Viewer, which monitors USB devices on the system. In addition to showing the topology of the USB buss(es), it will display color-coded entries when a device connects and disconnects from the system. This is handy to have if you suspect that there is a device that is dropping out and reconnecting on the USB level. https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html

5. Another free app I use for unattended logging of USB bus events is Simple USB Logger. It simply records when something connects and reconnects. This is useful if you have a device that is flapping or going missing at random times and you don't feel like staying up all night to watch for the moment it does so. I run this all the time regardless of whether I'm having a chronic issue or not, so if a surprise does occur on the USB level, I have one additional piece of forensics to draw a clue from https://www.incentivespro.com/usb-logger.html

/dale

Hi Dale,
I understand I used the wrong words probably, sorry :-)
I try to be more precise and answer the questions:

-the computer doesn't freeze
-NINA itself doesn't freeze; you can move across the different sections.
-all usb peripherals become unresponsive: ccd, autoguider, focuser, Ap1200 (that by the way it is connected through a LAN cable)
-phd send a message that the mount doesn't "answer" (can't remember the exact terminology right now)
-disconnection of devices in NINA become impossible
-killing drivers is the only way to regain control
-a shutdown is required to re-initialize devices.
-the hub is powered, 12volt
-the pic is a desktop; it is set with "perfermance power profile".
-Devices except the focuser, are connected to the hub and this to the pc
-the focuser is connected directly to a USB port on the pc.


I am downloading the two apps you suggested, hopefully they will clarify what is going on.
thank you!
Andrea

Hi Andrea,

It seems the focuser uses COM6 but "engage" COM3 for some reason.
The mount is connected via LAN , but, if we unflag IP address in the driver panel the port selector shows COM3.
we don't know if this is a coincidence.
We don't know if the driver connects through LAN but works on COMs behind.
It seems is not possible to select a different port for the focuser.

Under the conditions described above, APCC was not using COM3, nor would it use COM3 unless you changed the connection to "Serial" and connected to the mount.

-Ray

On Sat, Nov 26, 2022 at 12:59 PM, Andrea Lucchetti wrote:

Hi Dale, I understand I used the wrong words probably, sorry :-) I try to be more precise and answer the questions:

I'm curious, were you able tot find anything interesting?

/dale