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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Denny View Post
    Hello everyone -- If I don't hear on this soon I'm going to close it. There are three people here too :-)
    Hi Bob,
    On my end I could not get around this issue after several tests. So we implemented a new dome control system instead. We made an arduino with a heartbeat such that it is always be about to close the dome if the control PC doesn't check-in. My environment code that was feeding Vaisala weather data to ACP via the boltwood file is now doing this check-in and it is also controlling the 7ft clam during alerts etc. My automatic ACP plan generating code adds a dome schedule to each plan as a comment. This is then parsed by the environment code to automatically control the dome (allows for partial shutter positioning etc too).

    The dome is disabled in ACP but I still feed the Vaisala weather data to ACP via the boltwood file so ACP knows to park the telescope etc during a weather alert.

    If people are interested in these heartbeat systems and/or the astrohaven serial control systems we could make them for you. They are pretty cheap to build.

    Cheers,
    James

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,149

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    James — This is interesting but I’m unsure why you wouldn’t use ACP dome control and a Dome driver.

    And Jeff — I still want to talk with you about Shutter Status and the role of a driver. James, would you be OK with chatting some time next week? If so can you give me a few times/days?
    -- Bob

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Virgil, NY
    Posts
    5,986

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    Hi James,

    I'm chiming in here because I have just installed an AstroHaven clamshell. My understanding is that they do not make any drivers for these domes. The interface, from their point of view, is the serial com port and you using a "terminal" program. That worked for you; it works for me.

    Stan Ralph (FosterSystems.com) has an application/driver that is ASCOM compliant and, according to them, ACP aware. There is also the 2011 ASCOM driver available on the ASCOM-standards website. Both of these work for me as standalone tools. I have not completely integrated all my parts and systems since moving from DC to central NY and building a new observatory, so I don't know what will happen when I finally (and soon) turn on and operate the system as a whole. I may encounter the same problems you did/do.

    In addition to the usual concerns about closing the dome for weather events, I need a fail-safe way to ensure the dome closes if the utility power goes off for more than a few minutes. I have a UPS and so am writing a script the UPS will trigger to do that if the power doesn't come back on after 5-10 minutes.
    Dick
    www.VirgilObservatory.us
    Pier-mounted Meade 12-inch SCT "classic"
    Optec TCF-S focuser
    SBIG CFW-8A and ST7-XMEv
    H-alpha, BVRI, RGB & Clear filters
    FOV ~15’ x 10’



  4. #24

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    Hi Bob,
    The Astrohaven driver started timing out before the dome was closed and I could not figure out why. It just appeared from nowhere, maybe something is responding more slowly now. The dome was working fine under direct serial control.

    The other main driver for the heartbeat system was to add redundancy for when the computer dies/freezes/updates_during_the_night. The arduino heartbeat will spot that the computer is not checking in, then it will latch onto control of the serial line and close the dome. At this point ACP would not be running so the dome would not close without this external system.

    I've managed to stop windows from updating which negates most of the need for the heartbeat, but this covers all general computing failures now too which is nice. We run everything on a UPS so hopefully are robust against common failures.

    Cheers
    James

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,149

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    Interesting. The heartbeat is a great addition. For example, the Digital Domeworks control system requires a heartbeat. ACP polls the dome for azimuth and shutter status on a regular schedule, and for DDW this furnishes the heartbeat. If the PC freezes, or ACP gets frozen (by a reluctant bit of hardware or ??), the dome closes within 60 sec.
    -- Bob

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Telescope hosted in Benson, Arizona; I live in northern Maine
    Posts
    56

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    Hi Bob,

    It looks like my earlier reply didn't post. The problem for me turned out to be magnetic limit switches. From the lights on the controller panel (Foster Systems AstroMC), it appeared as though the roof controller was reading the limit switches properly, but apparently because my roof has a lot of play, the magnetic switches were causing extra pulses on open and close. This is the error AstroMC was reporting to ASCOM. When I got roller switches onto the setup, I got sensible behavior for roof _state_: the roof reports closed until the open limit is hit, and open until the closed limit is hit. No more errors in the ACP logs. Sorry for my rant and thanks for your responses.

    jpm

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,149

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    Oh good!!! Thanks for letting me know!
    -- Bob

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Milton, ON, Canada
    Posts
    1,028

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    James, one thing I've see is Windows Power Management using Selective Suspend on USB to Serial Adapters. This causes a COM failure. Has to be turned off on the USB hubs, root hubs, and serial adapters. Ran into this with a MaxDome controller and another brand (not yours).

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Virgil, NY
    Posts
    5,986

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    Hi James,

    I have also been unable to make the ASCOM org's AstroHaven driver work with my AstroHaven dome. When I use PuTTY (serial comm program), and send the C's or O's, A's or B's to the dome, the dome responds as it should. However, when I use ACP to connect the telescope and dome (Dome enabled, Safe to slew), nothing happens. The dome fails to respond when I push the buttons in the dome control panel in ACP.

    Are you still using this 'French" ASCOM dome driver for any of your domes? I'd be happy to learn anything about how you've dealt successfullly with this, or happier still if you had a particular suggestion about what I need to "fix" in my situation. (I'm not keen on building an Arduino controller.) If a POTH log would help, I can generate one when the rain stops - wouldn't want to accidentally have this begin working and open the dome in the rain!

    I have also been unable to make the Foster Systems AH Driver work, but there are other issues with that one to overcome first.

    Do you know if the source code for the ASCOM-org version is available? Perhaps it needs a refresh.
    Dick
    www.VirgilObservatory.us
    Pier-mounted Meade 12-inch SCT "classic"
    Optec TCF-S focuser
    SBIG CFW-8A and ST7-XMEv
    H-alpha, BVRI, RGB & Clear filters
    FOV ~15’ x 10’



  10. #30
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    867

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    Well, I seem to be in this boat again. I . Last couple nights I have seen this error again:

    Parking scope 2
    **SHUTTER FAILED TO CLOSE! This is a dome controller problem**

    **Error: Shutter error or shutter still in motion**

    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<here I restart ExpertScheduler which has "operator Intervention on it"



    OK
    Disconnecting Scope 2
    Shutting down imager. Please wait...
    (raising temperature to +5.0C... 20 min max)
    (cooler is now at -30.0C

    Etc, i.e. it shuts down properly

    I am not sure what to do to debug this. I think in the past I have to check the closer open sensors on the roof, which I did last night and they looked OK. The settings have not changed since this was originally installed. This is the log from the Scheduler Engine:

    2018-11-06 09:06:26.3: Data for Observation Sh 2-170 of Plan Sh 2-170-S-II 1800s (7-8) acquired successfully.
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.3: Plan Sh 2-170-S-II 1800s (7-8) completed successfully.
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.3: Image Efficiency: 79.2%
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.3: Cycle Efficiency: 100.0%
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.4: **EXCEPTION IN SCHEDULER:
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.4: DOME FAILURE: Dome reports shutter error status
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.5: Traceback:
    at DC3.Scheduler.ACPSequencer.get_DomeOpen()
    at DC3.Scheduler.Engine.DoStartupIf(Boolean openDome)
    at DC3.Scheduler.Engine.Run()
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.5: DOME/ROOF FAILURE: In addition, attempting to close your dome/roof this error occurred:
    2018-11-06 09:06:26.5: DOME FAILURE: Dome reports shutter error status when asked to close.
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Run statistics:
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Observations: 418
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Considered: 321
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Completed: 274
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Skipped: 13
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Never Eligible: 97
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Failed: 34
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Shutter-Open efficiency: 79.23%
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Overall Efficiency: 99.90%
    2018-11-06 09:06:27.0: Release ACP sequencer
    Log closed at Tue, Nov 06 2018 09:06:28 UTC (actual time)


    I am pretty much at a loss on how to troubleshoot this.

 

 

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