The thing stopped during the night...

[Per Frejvall]

God Morning (at least on this side of the ocean).

I am currently in the "pre-purchase" phase and have my new observatory control center running with a full compliment of ACP stuff. I use the ASCOM simulators for scope, camera and focuser, and the ACP weather simulator to get myself and my stuff in order. A two-foot startup script and a dito shutdown one have been added to the schedulaer and I have submitted three observations.

At around 17:00 yesterday the scheduler started acquiring images (59°N, dark comes early) and when I went to bed all looked fine. This morning I find that an overflow has occured in one of the ACP-supplied scripts when a CInt operation was attempted. Looking at the code:

    Console.PrintLine "    [flip check: " & _ 
        " Tn=" & CInt(timeNeeded) & "s" & _ 
        " HAc=" & CInt(Util.HourAngle12(Telescope.RightAscension) * 3600) & "s" & _  
        " GW=" & gw & _ 
        " HAz=" &  CInt(Util.HourAngle12(z) * 3600) & "s" & _ 
        " DWz=" & dwz & _ 
        " WF=" & wfs & "]"

And the log section:

27-nov-2012 23:19:46.1: Dispatcher cycle time: 0.2180125 sec.
27-nov-2012 23:19:46.1: Acquire data for Observation NGC 7380...
27-nov-2012 23:19:46.1:   (belongs to Project NGC 7380, Plan NGC 7380-B (1-20))
27-nov-2012 23:19:46.2: Send Observation NGC 7380 to ACP Sequencer
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.1: Acquisition time: 3887.9433777 sec.
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.1: Data for Observation NGC 7380 acquired successfully.
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.2: Image Efficiency: 92.6%
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.2: Cycle Efficiency: 100.0%
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.5: Dispatcher cycle time: 0.1840106 sec.
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.5: Acquire data for Observation NGC 7380...
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.5:   (belongs to Project NGC 7380, Plan NGC 7380-G (1-20))
28-nov-2012 00:24:34.5: Send Observation NGC 7380 to ACP Sequencer
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.1: Acquisition time: 3840.5746683 sec.
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.1: Data for Observation NGC 7380 acquired successfully.
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.2: Image Efficiency: 93.7%
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.2: Cycle Efficiency: 100.0%
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.4: Dispatcher cycle time: 0.1010057 sec.
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.4: Acquire data for Observation NGC 7380...
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.4:   (belongs to Project NGC 7380, Plan NGC 7380-R (1-20))
28-nov-2012 01:28:35.5: Send Observation NGC 7380 to ACP Sequencer
28-nov-2012 02:03:56.5: ** Sequencer script "AcquireScheduler" failed:
28-nov-2012 02:03:56.5: **Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**
Source:  Microsoft VBScript runtime error
Message: Overflow: 'CInt' at line 1801 column 5.


28-nov-2012 02:03:59.5: ACP ERROR: Run failed due to script error (see ACP run log)
28-nov-2012 02:03:59.5: ACP data acquisition failed for Observation NGC 7380.
28-nov-2012 02:03:59.5:   (Observation NGC 7380 interrupted by acquisition process failure.)
28-nov-2012 03:40:01.5: Dispatcher cycle time: 1.3090749 sec.
28-nov-2012 03:40:01.5: Acquire data for Observation M 81...
28-nov-2012 03:40:01.5:   (belongs to Project M 81, Plan M 81-R (37-48))
28-nov-2012 03:40:01.5: Send Observation M 81 to ACP Sequencer
28-nov-2012 04:52:28.9: Acquisition time: 4347.415658 sec.
28-nov-2012 04:52:28.9: Data for Observation M 81 acquired successfully.
28-nov-2012 04:52:29.0: Image Efficiency: 82.8%
28-nov-2012 04:52:29.0: Cycle Efficiency: 100.0%
28-nov-2012 04:52:29.9: Dispatcher cycle time: 0.7840449 sec.
28-nov-2012 04:52:29.9: Acquire data for Observation M 81...
28-nov-2012 04:52:29.9:   (belongs to Project M 81, Plan M 81-B (1-12))
28-nov-2012 04:52:30.0: Send Observation M 81 to ACP Sequencer
28-nov-2012 05:55:10.7: Acquisition time: 3760.7531028 sec.
28-nov-2012 05:55:10.7: Data for Observation M 81 acquired successfully.

So, one of the three CInts in that multi-line statement is going past the 32767 mark. Which can it be?

Luckily, the system recovered from this and continued with M 81, and I have verified that there were actual images.

Let me know what further information is needed in order to find it (complete log attached)!

This is my very first run of ACP and I am truly impressed so far!


All the best,

Per Frejvall

[Robert Wahlström]

Hej Per.

It's a newly found problem and will be fixed in ACP 7.


Console.PrintLine " [flip check: " & _
" Tn=" & CInt(timeNeeded) & "s" & _
" HAc=" & CInt(Util.HourAngle12(Telescope.RightAscension) * 3600) & "s" & _
" GW=" & gw & _
" HAz=" & CInt(Util.HourAngle12(z) * 3600) & "s" & _
" DWz=" & dwz & _
" WF=" & wfs & "]"

To solve it in the meantime change change the CInt() to CLng() in AutoFlipIf() -

[Per Frejvall]

Hah! I knew it

All of them or just one (or two)? I'll try with all and correct me if im wrong.

Thanks for prompt reply!

/per

[Robert Wahlström]

Only 2 is needed but changing all 3 works too.

And welcome to the swedish ACP fanclub

[Per Frejvall]

Thanks!

I changed all three and we'll see what happens tonight. I want to see it in real time with all communication to MaximDL and Focusmax live.

On another note, the shutdown (from scheduler) failed to run because of this. That, for sure, would have been a show stopper of massive proportions

/p

[Bob Denny]

Thanks Robert!!! This thing "appeared" because it is winter in the far north!!!

[Per Frejvall]

It's kickin' pretty good now. I've had it running last night with no issues and it just started up the second "night" of imaging where it left off this morning. I'm checking on its behavior to find the right way of doing things. All in all I'm pretty impressed so far. I would, however, like some distinction between unsafe weather and just a bit cludy, the latter causing a pause but no other actions, and the former shutting down...

/per

[Per Frejvall]

And it hits me again... This time a few lines down in the same source code:

ACP console log opened 29-nov-2012 16:02:15 UTC
This is ACP version 6.0 (build 11, Build for Hot Fix 4 (Nov 2011))
Unlicensed copy - 30 day demo mode
Licensed to 
16:02:15 This is AcquireScheduler V3.5.2
16:02:15 Custom auto-flip parameters are in use
16:02:15   PreFlip=300 PostFlip=120 AF=300 PU=60
16:02:15 Hardware GEM pier side reporting is available.
16:02:15 This mount can be flipped on command.
16:02:16 Initializing AcquireSupport V6.0.7
16:02:16 Weather safe, server is Weather Server Simulator
16:02:16 Telescope is ACP->Simulator, driver V3
16:02:16 Dome is Simulator
16:02:16  and must not close unless scope is parked
16:02:16 MaxIm DL/CCD is version 5.23
16:02:16 Imager is ASCOM
16:02:16 Calculated unbinned plate scales (arcsec/pix): H = 3.12 V = 3.12
16:02:16 Calculated field of view (arcmin): H = 41.6 V = 31.2
16:02:16 ACPS Observation M 81(1 of 1)
16:02:16   (belongs to Project M 81, Plan M 81-G (37-48))
16:02:16   (turning on sidereal tracking)
16:02:16 Pointing updates are enabled
16:02:16   Start slew to M 81...
16:02:17   (wait for slew to complete)
16:02:19   (slew complete)
16:02:19 **Autofocus requested, but it is disabled in ACP, skipped
16:02:19   (skipping pointing update, last target close enough)
16:02:19     [flip check:  Tn=600s HAc=42879s GW=T HAz=-42921s DWz=F WF=YES]
16:02:19   (GEM must flip before next operation)
16:02:19 **Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**
16:02:19 Source:  Microsoft VBScript runtime error
16:02:19 Message: Overflow: 'CInt' at line 1818 column 9.
ACP console log closed 29-nov-2012 16:02:19 UTC

I'll change to CLng on line 1818 as well...

The bad thing about this is that the scheduler doesn't run the shutdown script, so had this been a real run I would be left with an open dome - and it's snowing like heck here...

/per

[Bob Denny]

The scheduler is not responsible for the shutdown. Your weather station should have reported unsafe weather to ACP, and ACP would immediately kill any job that is running, then run the ACP-Weather script, which will safe the observatory. Scheduler will not shut down just because the weather is unsafe, it might become OK later in the night! The ACP_Weather script should leave the observatory in a "stand by" condition ... it is OK if it does shut it down because Scheduler will run StartupObs when the weather becomes OK, but you probably don't want your equipment turned on and off during the night as weather goes from safe to unsafe to safe, etc.

[Per Frejvall]

Agreed. The weather station should have stopped it had it been for real. My bad...

/per