Can anyone suggest some help??

I’m struggling to get the AutoFocus script to work in ACP with FocusMax. I can usually get the AcquireStar feature of FM to work when I invoke it from the FocusMax GUI, but when I run the AutoFocus script from ACP everything locks up with FocusMax giving an error:

“An action cannot be completed because a component (STOP) is not responding...”

(BTW “STOP” is the emergency stop GUI for the RCOS Professional series controller.)

The only remedy is to Crtl-Alt-Del out of everything and restart.

Here are the relevant logs from ACP and FM when this happens

ACP Autofocus Log

ACP console log opened 01-Nov-2008 00:49:38 UTC
This is ACP version 5.1 (build 3, Maintenance release 5.1)
Licensed to Mark R Williams
00:49:39 Initializing AcquireSupport V5.1.7
00:49:40 Weather safe, server is WeatherWatcher Server
00:49:40 Telescope is ACP->RCOS Professional Series Alt Az, driver V2
00:49:40 Dome is ASCOM Proxy for Observa-Dome Dome Controller Library
00:49:40 Imager is Apogee USB/Net
00:49:40 Calculated unbinned plate scales (arcsec/pix): H = 0.38 V = 0.38
00:49:40 Calculated f

Corresponding FM Log

19:49:40 FocusMax Version 3.4.14
19:49:40 System is Apogee Alta U16M
19:49:41 RCOS TCC is connected
19:49:41 RCOS TCC is an Absolute Focuser
19:49:41 MaxIm DL/CCD V 5. 2. 0 is the Imaging Software
19:49:41 PinPoint is connected
19:49:41 NOVAS-COM Vector Astrometry Engine is connected
19:49:43
19:52:39 Acquire Star not completed

My system is FM (v3.4.14) connected via the ACP Telescope hub which in turn is connected to the RCOS Professional Series Controller. ACP is v5.1 with all current hotfixes. I’m running MaximDL v 5.02 also connected to the ACP Telescope Hub. Operating system is WinXP sp2.

In ACP Preferences "Enable Autofocus" and "Use FM AquireStar" are checked. Adaptive autofocus is off.

Many thanks,

Mark Williams