Scope Dome-Start up sequence ok, shut down sequence fails

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Hi Bob,

thanks for your help...so as stated before I can use ACP Dome control. I click Home (the dome moves to Home position) and then I click close and the the shutter closes. THE ONLY PRECONDITION FOR SHUTTER TO CLOSE IS THAT THE DOME IS IN THE HOME POSITION....

I have a weather station...

I want to use ACP....but I want it to return to the Home Position and close the shutter....

I have done the conformance test of the Dome Asco driver, see below. Is OK!!

Given the fact that manually ACP Dome control works and that Ascom compliance is there, I am sure there is a solution for my problem, or my utter lack of IT skills.

Eagerly looking forward for the next installment ,

kind regards, Roelof

ConformanceCheck ASCOM Device Conformance Checker Version 6.4.64.0, Build time: 6/7/2019 2:06:44 PM
ConformanceCheck Running on: ASCOM Platform 6.4 SP1 6.4.1.2695

ConformanceCheck Driver ProgID: DomeSim.Dome

Error handling
Error number for "Not Implemented" is: 80040400
Error number for "Invalid Value 1" is: 80040405
Error number for "Value Not Set 1" is: 80040402
Error number for "Value Not Set 2" is: 80040403
Error messages will not be interpreted to infer state.

08:27:34.115 Driver Access Checks OK
08:27:34.912 AccessChecks OK Successfully created driver using late binding
08:27:34.943 AccessChecks OK Successfully connected using late binding
08:27:34.959 AccessChecks INFO The driver is a COM object
08:27:35.865 AccessChecks INFO Device exposes interface IDome
08:27:36.037 AccessChecks INFO Device does not expose interface IDomeV2
08:27:37.677 AccessChecks OK Successfully created driver using driver access toolkit
08:27:37.692 AccessChecks OK Successfully connected using driver access toolkit

Conform is using ASCOM.DriverAccess.Dome to get a Dome object
08:27:39.614 ConformanceCheck OK Driver instance created successfully
08:27:39.708 ConformanceCheck OK Connected OK

Common Driver Methods
08:27:40.048 InterfaceVersion OK 1
08:27:40.146 Connected OK True
08:27:40.271 Description OK ASCOM Dome Simulator
08:27:40.350 DriverInfo OK ASCOM Dome Simulator 5.0.8
Developed by Jon Brewster
http://ascom-standards.org/
08:27:40.458 DriverVersion OK 0.0
08:27:40.565 Name OK Simulator
08:27:40.659 CommandString INFO Conform cannot test the CommandString method
08:27:40.752 CommandBlind INFO Conform cannot test the CommandBlind method
08:27:40.830 CommandBool INFO Conform cannot test the CommandBool method
08:27:40.908 Action INFO Conform cannot test the Action method
08:27:40.924 SupportedActions OK Driver returned an empty action list

Can Properties
08:27:41.096 CanFindHome OK True
08:27:41.158 CanPark OK True
08:27:41.299 CanSetAltitude OK True
08:27:41.346 CanSetAzimuth OK True
08:27:41.393 CanSetPark OK True
08:27:41.440 CanSetShutter OK True
08:27:41.486 CanSlave OK False
08:27:41.533 CanSyncAzimuth OK True

Pre-run Checks
08:27:42.002 DomeSafety Attempting to open shutter as some tests may fail if it is closed...
08:27:44.986 DomeSafety OK Shutter status: shutterOpen

Properties
08:27:45.048 Altitude OK 45
08:27:45.142 AtHome OK False
08:27:45.189 AtPark OK True
08:27:45.267 Azimuth OK 180
08:27:45.345 ShutterStatus OK shutterOpen
08:27:45.408 Slaved Read OK False
08:27:45.501 Slaved Write OK Optional member threw a PropertyNotImplementedException exception.
08:27:45.564 Slewing OK False

Methods
08:27:46.014 AbortSlew OK AbortSlew command issued successfully
08:27:47.754 SlewToAltitude 0 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:27:59.173 SlewToAltitude 15 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:28:10.639 SlewToAltitude 30 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:28:22.608 SlewToAltitude 45 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:28:34.016 SlewToAltitude 60 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:28:45.215 SlewToAltitude 75 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:28:56.529 SlewToAltitude 90 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:29:07.308 SlewToAltitude OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to -10 degrees
08:29:07.324 SlewToAltitude OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to 100 degrees
08:29:20.102 SlewToAzimuth 0 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:29:34.615 SlewToAzimuth 45 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:29:48.708 SlewToAzimuth 90 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:30:03.032 SlewToAzimuth 135 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:30:17.298 SlewToAzimuth 180 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:30:31.251 SlewToAzimuth 225 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:30:45.420 SlewToAzimuth 270 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:30:59.494 SlewToAzimuth 315 OK Asynchronous slew OK
08:31:10.429 SlewToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to -10 degrees
08:31:10.507 SlewToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to 370 degrees
08:31:10.679 SyncToAzimuth OK Dome synced OK to within +- 1 degree
08:31:10.750 SyncToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for sync to -10 degrees
08:31:10.804 SyncToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for sync to 370 degrees
08:31:14.008 CloseShutter OK Shutter closed successfully
08:31:38.737 OpenShutter OK Shutter opened successfully
08:32:04.262 FindHome OK Dome homed successfully
08:32:27.718 Park OK Dome parked successfully
08:32:38.575 SetPark OK SetPark issued OK

Post-run Checks
08:32:38.897 DomeSafety INFO Attempting to close shutter...
08:32:42.178 DomeSafety OK Shutter successfully closed
08:32:42.178 DomeSafety INFO Attempting to park dome...
08:32:42.554 DomeSafety OK Dome successfully parked

Conformance test complete

No errors, warnings or issues found: your driver passes ASCOM validation!!

[Bob Denny]

Roelof -- I understand your frustration. You tested the Dome Simulator. From the log you posted:

ConformanceCheck Driver ProgID: DomeSim.Dome
...
08:27:40.271 Description OK ASCOM Dome Simulator
08:27:40.350 DriverInfo OK ASCOM Dome Simulator 5.0.8

Of course this passes the conformance tests, it is the "reference implementation" used by application developers to check that their software works with a properly functioning dome system. If you were to test at your observatory against the Dome Simulator instead of the ScopeDome dome... you would find that ACP works perfectly. Were you not surprised that the dome never moved or opened or closed during the test? This test is supposed to be performed by the maker of the system, in the presence of a real dome, with functioning electronics, etc.

Of course I could always add more logic to ACP "just for ScopeDome" to make up for its inadequacy. I have survived as a business by not making up for inadequacies of devices. See

Policy for Working Around Device Errors, Quirks, and Limitations

I see how enthusiastic you are about ACP and I feel very bad. You seem to trust the ScopeDome more than what I am trying to explain. Of all things, Domes have provided me more stress and pain than any other astronomical device. I have another open ScopeDome ticket here as well, and it is different (you can't see it because the ticket i in the paid-customer support area). On the other hand I have many hundreds of systems out there with roll-off roofs and domes that are functioning just fine. ACP has always worked with proper functioning domes!

I think perhaps you should just move on and forget automating with ACP. I have exhausted my patience trying to explain the situation. I have lost other business to poorly implemented devices. That's OK. I don't need the pain of not making you a happy customer for reasons I have no control over and I am not going to "make up" for things. I have learned that along with some problems that go uncorrected, there are sometimes others that come up and I am then expected to make up for those and so on. I stopped doing that years ago. And I am not going to patch my software to accommodate one brand/model of non-conforming device.

Once the ScopeDome passes the conformance test (with the dome actually performing the requested/tested operations), and you can click the Open and Close buttons in the ACP dome control panel, and then the dome will open and close as it should, I'd be happy to have you as a customer assuming your other equipment is working OK.

[Roelof Platenkamp]

OK Bob, I can understand your frustration with me as a potential customer. I think our communication can be improved. I hope you understand, that I can open and close the shutter using ACP Dome control without any problem. It just does not work in a script. It is not an issue of trusting one party more than the other.
All other parts work fine, ie camera, focuser, rotator etc. Focusmax lives up to its specs...it is just the end of a planning sequence that trips me.

And by the way, I made sure that Maxim is NOT connected as per ACP instructions.

So if I understand you correctly, I can buy ACP, you cannot help me, and I have to write my own workaround? Worth reflecting: I started this entire journey in February 2018 with the assurance of automation at the start (not by you of course), spent more than x00,000 $ to arrive at this point. Well life never ceases to amaze me.
I figured out to do the conformance test with the dome connected. I will let you know the result. And believe me Bob, I am not frustrated with you at all, I just hate to resolve a problem already solved.

Kind regards, Roelof

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Hi Bob,

thanks for hanging in there. Here is the Ascom Conformance Test with the Dome itself. There are three errors at the end related to my problem: ie closing the shutter before it is "homed". However the driver homes the dome and then closes the shutter. End result "No Issues". Please see below. Where does this leave us? Ascom Ok, ACP Dome control opens and closes shutter....me buying ACP license. Any comments?

Kind regards,
Roelof

Start-up ASCOM Device Conformance Checker - 64bit mode
Start-up ASCOM Platform 6.4 SP1 6.4.1.2695


ConformanceCheck ASCOM Device Conformance Checker Version 6.4.64.0, Build time: 6/7/2019 2:06:44 PM
ConformanceCheck Running on: ASCOM Platform 6.4 SP1 6.4.1.2695

ConformanceCheck Driver ProgID: ASCOMDome.Dome

Error handling
Error number for "Not Implemented" is: 80040400
Error number for "Invalid Value 1" is: 80040405
Error number for "Value Not Set 1" is: 80040402
Error number for "Value Not Set 2" is: 80040403
Error messages will not be interpreted to infer state.

17:08:41.976 Driver Access Checks OK
17:08:42.763 AccessChecks OK Successfully created driver using late binding
17:08:51.449 AccessChecks OK Successfully connected using late binding
17:08:51.449 AccessChecks INFO The driver is a COM object
17:08:52.282 AccessChecks INFO Device does not expose interface IDome
17:08:52.297 AccessChecks INFO Device does not expose interface IDomeV2
17:08:53.500 AccessChecks OK Successfully created driver using driver access toolkit
17:08:56.312 AccessChecks OK Successfully connected using driver access toolkit

Conform is using ASCOM.DriverAccess.Dome to get a Dome object
17:09:07.995 ConformanceCheck OK Driver instance created successfully
17:09:10.940 ConformanceCheck OK Connected OK

Common Driver Methods
17:09:11.208 InterfaceVersion OK 2
17:09:11.255 Connected OK True
17:09:11.398 Description OK ScopeDome Dome Driver LS
17:09:11.493 DriverInfo OK ScopeDome USB Card Driver ver:5.1.37
17:09:11.602 DriverVersion OK 0.0
17:09:11.743 Name OK ScopeDomeUSBDome
17:09:11.868 CommandString INFO Conform cannot test the CommandString method
17:09:11.915 CommandBlind INFO Conform cannot test the CommandBlind method
17:09:11.946 CommandBool INFO Conform cannot test the CommandBool method
17:09:11.962 Action INFO Conform cannot test the Action method
17:09:11.962 SupportedActions OK Driver returned an empty action list

Can Properties
17:09:12.180 CanFindHome OK True
17:09:12.321 CanPark OK True
17:09:12.415 CanSetAltitude OK False
17:09:12.493 CanSetAzimuth OK True
17:09:12.555 CanSetPark OK True
17:09:12.649 CanSetShutter OK True
17:09:12.696 CanSlave OK True
17:09:12.836 CanSyncAzimuth OK True

Pre-run Checks
17:09:13.383 DomeSafety Attempting to open shutter as some tests may fail if it is closed...
17:09:49.111 DomeSafety OK Shutter status: shutterOpen

Properties
17:09:49.767 Altitude OK Optional member threw a PropertyNotImplementedException exception.
17:09:49.845 AtHome OK True
17:09:50.048 AtPark OK True
17:09:50.126 Azimuth OK 179.057591623036
17:09:50.189 ShutterStatus OK shutterOpen
17:09:50.267 Slaved Read OK False
17:10:48.029 Slaved Write OK Slave state changed successfully
17:10:48.123 Slewing OK False

Methods
17:10:55.746 AbortSlew OK AbortSlew command issued successfully
17:10:55.809 SlewToAltitude OK Optional member threw a MethodNotImplementedException exception.
17:12:01.603 SlewToAzimuth 0 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:12:47.015 SlewToAzimuth 45 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:13:29.132 SlewToAzimuth 90 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:14:15.293 SlewToAzimuth 135 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:14:57.455 SlewToAzimuth 180 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:15:43.444 SlewToAzimuth 225 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:16:26.606 SlewToAzimuth 270 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:17:17.672 SlewToAzimuth 315 OK Synchronous slew OK
17:17:28.826 SlewToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to -10 degrees
17:17:28.935 SlewToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for slew to 370 degrees
17:18:06.411 SyncToAzimuth OK Dome synced OK to within +- 1 degree
17:18:38.856 SyncToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for sync to -10 degrees
17:18:39.028 SyncToAzimuth OK COM invalid value exception correctly raised for sync to 370 degrees
17:22:51.653 DomeShutterWait ERROR Timed out waiting for shutter to reach state: shutterClosed, consider increasing the timeout setting in Options / Conformance Options
17:22:51.747 CloseShutter ERROR Unable to close shutter - ShutterStatus: shutterOpen
17:27:15.150 DomeShutterWait ERROR Timed out waiting for shutter to reach state: shutterClosed, consider increasing the timeout setting in Options / Conformance Options
17:28:53.297 FindHome OK Dome homed successfully
17:29:12.230 Park OK Dome parked successfully
17:29:23.086 SetPark OK SetPark issued OK

Post-run Checks
17:29:23.274 DomeSafety INFO Attempting to close shutter...
17:29:58.390 DomeSafety OK Shutter successfully closed
17:29:58.405 DomeSafety INFO Attempting to park dome...
17:30:03.248 DomeSafety OK Dome successfully parked

Conformance test complete

Your driver had 3 errors, 0 warnings and 0 issues

[Roelof Platenkamp]

In answer to Dick's question: Dome is explicitly not aconnected to ACP and MAxim at the same time. Thanks for the support!

Roelof

[Bob Denny]

Please see below. Where does this leave us? Ascom Ok, ACP Dome control opens and closes shutter....me buying ACP license. Any comments?

ASCOM is not OK:

17:22:51.653 DomeShutterWait ERROR Timed out waiting for shutter to reach state: shutterClosed, consider increasing the timeout setting in Options / Conformance Options
17:22:51.747 CloseShutter ERROR Unable to close shutter - ShutterStatus: shutterOpen
17:27:15.150 DomeShutterWait ERROR Timed out waiting for shutter to reach state: shutterClosed, consider increasing the timeout setting in Options / Conformance Options
...
Your driver had 3 errors, 0 warnings and 0 issues

If you increase the timeout I predict it will still fail. This dome is not working properly. The conformance check never got to testing OpenShutter because the Close Shutter failed. As soon as ACP tries to close the dome, and then checks to see it is closed(!!! under script control)) it will also fail. There is nothing more I can say.

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Bob, can we have a brief chat? I am on +31681845402 or I can call you if you give me a number.

Thanks, Roelof

[Bob Denny]

Bob, can we have a brief chat? I am on +31681845402 or I can call you if you give me a number.

Not at this time. I have several other people queued for tech support and a short time fuse on some materials for an upcoming conference (AIC). Please consider that you have all of the information you need to make your decision on ACP. I am not going to release a new version with "fix-up" code for a malfunctioning dome. I'm sorry I can't make you happy.

[Bob Denny]

Here is the email I sent to Dome Parts, ScopeDome, and copied to you. This is all I can do right now:

---

Hello --

I am writing to advise you that one of your customers, Roelof Platenkamp is having issues with our ACP Expert software and the ScopeDome control system. Rather than write all of this up (again) I refer you to the discussion on our pre-sales forum.

Scope Dome-Start up sequence ok, shut down sequence fails

And in particular to this test he ran at our request, which shows an ASCOM conformance failure for the ScopeDome.

http://forums.dc3.com/showthread.php...7959#post77959

The ASCOM Conformance test shows that the controller is failing to complete closing the dome. It does not go on to test the Opening because the closing has already failed. Our software "works" with ASCOM devices that conform to the ASCOM specifications and which pass the ASCOM Conformance test. Hopefully you can address this issue either at his site or in the product. The failure will show up elsewhere. I suspect he is also working around an OpenShutter() problem by calling for MaxIm to home the dome, which connects your power, before calling OpenShutter(). This is also not conforming. A call to OpenShutter() must either complete the operation or raise an error. The interfacing rules are clearly spelled out on the ASCOM developer's site.

Thank you for your attention. Please feel free to contact me for clarification.

-- Bob Denny

---

[Niklas Storck]

Dis you receive any answer?