ACP + PWI3 for focusing - Focuser Timing Out

[Daniele Malleo]

Hello Bob,
we recently swapped scopes in our setup (from a Ceravolo to a PW CDK), so we've had to make some changes to the ACP configuration.
I wasn't able to find much documentation on how to get ACP to work with PWI3 (instead of FocusMax, which we've been using up until now) most effectively.
What is the best way to get some pointers? Should I post questions here, or contact you directly?
Thanks

[Geoff Stone]

Hi Daniele,

If I remember correctly there is a tickbox under the ACP guiding tab for selecting Planewave autofocus. The focus parameters are set in PWI3 under the focuser tab using the config button.

[Daniele Malleo]

Hi Geoff, you are right.
I can get ACP to drive PWI3 - no issue there.
The question I have is how to use filter offsets with PWI3. That option does not seem to work: ACP seems to send the command to PWI3 to move the focuser a certain number of steps, but nothing happens - so ACP hangs in "focusing" mode.
Right now I'm focusing without offsets, just to get going - but I'd like to understand what I'm going wrong.
Thanks

[Geoff Stone]

Sorry, that's something I've not experienced. Does it need to be homed? Are there good values in the focuser config (the second layer one, after choosing focuser config at the tab)? Just some ideas.

[Bob Denny]

Daniele - First please attach a copy of your FilterInfo.txt. I have to make sure the values aren't someting crazy that might be jamming up the PWI focuser. So you are saying that, when it comes time to shift the focus for the specific filter, PWI hangs?

[Daniele Malleo]

Bob, see attached.
What seems to happen is PWI reports "focuser moving" (even though it's not) indefinitely, and ACP just hangs there waiting.
Note that I have since removed the filterinfo.txt file, so I'm doing by filter focusing, and that's working just fine.
Thanks for your help

[Bob Denny]

Daniele, your FilterInfo.txt has Linux or MacOS line endings. How did that happen?

Snap1.png

After converting to Internet/Windows CRLF it looks like this:

Snap2.png

I have attached a converted FilterInfo file called FilterInfoCRLF.txt. Rename to FilterInfo.txt and try with that. If that isn't it, we can go on from there. Others are using the PWI focusing with filter offsets so this isn't a bug in ACP. We need to get to the root cause so you can use focus offsets again.

[Daniele Malleo]

Bob,
you are right, the problem is not in ACP.
Just tonight I was watching PWI3 during an autofocus routine, and even though it had complete successfully, and moved the focuser to the chosen position, it reported that it had timed out waiting for the focuser to move - and failed.
So it seems the problem is on the PWI3 side.
Thanks

[Bob Denny]

OK, this is good info. There is probably a USB problem somewhere. Thanks for letting me know.

[Bob Denny]

Moved a separate question to a new thread http://forums.dc3.com/showthread.php...ocusMax-to-PWI