FLI Centerline Struggles - AND THE SOLUTION

[Richard Asarisi]

I wonder how steve is doing it. I should test the OIII and SI filters in FM4 when I get a clear sky and see if it works or fails. Could be a good test. Thanks much Bob!

[Bob Denny]

You may have gotten it right by putting names into the unused filter slots. I had a conversation with Colin at Diffraction yesterday (far more efficient than writing in the forum). He suggested adding the names back nto the unused filter slots, calling them Unused2 Unused3, etc (to help diagnosis). With names in the slots, he thinks the numbers in the list and the number used for direct filter selection and reading will match up, avoiding that problem with index out of range etc. The downside is that the lists of filters on the web UI will contain all of those Unused entries. Give it a try. Not a long term solution but it could get you going.

[Richard Asarisi]

Okay So I tried this, I set up a quick LRGB test, before I did that I went to the blank filters and put in unused+slot number or sequence number. Then I made the test, and I check the autofocus before start. So the interesting thing here is that focus worked, except it focused prior to every filter run. And L G B worked fine but instead of the R filter it used the unused2 instead. It did get LRGB correct before putting the unused in. here is the log.

[Richard Asarisi]

Okay first let me say that the instructions that FLI provide with the CenterLine Filter Wheel are garbage and that is where they belong! I sat down and played with this filter wheel for hours and I learned a few things about it and figured out how to set it up any way you want! First off the normal sequence this wants to run when changing filters is 0 4 3 2 1 right? So on the filter wheel in the CFW all the slots are marked 0 1 2 3 4. But when the software sequences it it always goes 0 4 3 2 1. So this tells me that if you want the fastest filter moves you need to put them in the pockets in the right order. So for me this works out like this:
slot wheel 0
0 L
2 B
3 G
4 R
slot wheel 1
0 Ha
4 OIII
3 SII
Now open up the centerline filter wheel application that you downloaded from FLI and right click in the title bar and select configure filter positions.
Now go through and edit them so they look like this. And you can move slots up or down or delete them so they don't show up in the filter list. Hit Apply then OK. this seems to write some kind of configuration in ram. Mine looks like this. Delete all those slots that are unused you don't need them!

clfw_FLIFilter_setup.JPG clfw_FLIFilter_setup_what_filters.JPG
Next open MaximDL and select the camera control and then select Setup Filter make sure you are using the ASCOM driver for the FLI filter wheel and click Advanced. Select ASCOM FilterWheel Driver for FLI.. then select Properties. Now Maxim should have read the filter settings from the filter wheel you should see something that looks like you see below and the Alt names will be incorrect but you can edit them to be anything you want. When you are done it should look like this
maxim_ASCOM_layout.JPG
Now click OK in this setup window and that will take us back to the window with the Pos numbers and the filter name. Make sure your names match what you put in the previous screen, like this Now click OK and connect your camera and filter wheel go to the Expose tab and select each filter one at a time and take a 2 sec image. When the image completes open the FLI centerline application and connect to the filter wheel look down the bottom and it will show you what filter/position you are on verify that its the correct filter. Close the FIL application and do the same thing for the next filter and repeat until you verified them all and they are correct.

[Bob Denny]

Oh Wow, this is good info Richard!!!

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I'm going to alert Colin Haig of Diffraction to all of this, and also George Silvis of AAVSO and Gary Walker, all of whom have been wrestling with these wheels.

[Richard Asarisi]

Tell these guys to contact me directly if they need help. I will be happy to connect in and help them.