ok, digging a little deeper on this problem. This is not consistent as I had originally thought. The previous post implies that every autofocus run in the scheduler script failed (even though they did not per the autofocus logs) however in later logs I can confirm that there are some successful autofocus events being flagged in the scheduler log. So this may not strictly be a scheduler related problem, but there is a twist...
I am wondering if Scheduler is acknowledging the focus status in general. For example when FocusMax AcquireStar fails perhaps due to the star flux not being bright enough and attempts to slew to another star (three retry attempts are configured), ACP/Scheduler doesn't want to know about it. As soon as auto focus fails, Scheduler just goes straight into observation mode, even if FocusMax is busy.
If I can draw your attention to what occurred at 09:30 UTC or 19:30 local time.
FocusMax fails as the star flux was too low for the exposure time. Clould have been passing cloud or whatever. The cause is not so important, its the effect of a failed autofocus which is the item of interest.
09:29:31 19:29:30 Exp = 2.00 HFD = 5.12 X: 2333 Y: 1494 Flux: 2105
09:29:31 19:29:31 ** Star is too dim **
09:29:32 19:29:31 Exposure > 15.00 maximum exposure setting
09:29:32 19:29:32 Stopping process
09:29:33 19:29:32 Cannot find target star
09:29:33 19:29:33 Focus not achieved with star 1 of 3 - trying next target star
09:29:33 **Autofocus failed. Check FocusMax log for details.
09:29:33 Autofocus finished.
09:29:33 ***AutoFocus failed.
So based on the above FocusMax tries again with star 2 of 3 per the below.
ACP console log opened 08-Aug-2015 09:30:22 UTC
This is ACP version 8.0 (build 5, V8 Production Release A)
Licensed to Jason Jennings
09:30:34 (AF will use Monochrome readout mode)
09:30:34 Starting FocusMax AcquireStar autofocus...
09:30:35 **AutoFocus failed. Check FocusMax log for details.
09:30:35 Autofocus finished.
09:30:35 ***AutoFocus failed.
ACP console log closed 08-Aug-2015 09:30:38 UTC
The FocusMax log lists the following;
19:30:31 ** Beginning Find Star **
19:30:31 Filter = Clear (slot 4)
19:30:31 Flux target: 200K
19:30:31 Star subframe width: 100
19:30:31 Base exposure: 2.00 sec
19:30:31 Min/Max exposure: 0.01 / 15.00 sec
19:30:31 Target star binning: 2
19:30:31 CCD central region: 45%
19:30:35 Error COM function AcquireStarAsync
19:30:43 * COM FocusControl.Halt initiated *
19:30:44 Moving to previous focus position of 12850
19:30:45 Stopping operation
19:30:46 AcquireStar not completed
So I'm lead to believe that ACP/Scheduler is not acknowledging the need to let FocusMax continue on to star 2 or 3. Has anybody seen this?
I'm running ACP 8, build 5, production release A with Scheduler 8.0.3.
Separate unrelated topic (answered inline below):
The next question I have is around the below line item in the ACP logs;
ACP console log opened 08-Aug-2015 10:30:06 UTC
This is ACP version 8.0 (build 5, V8 Production Release A)
Licensed to Jason Jennings
10:30:06 This is AcquireScheduler V8.0.8
10:30:06 Custom image file path/names are in use
10:30:06 [PreFlip=-300 PostFlip=300 AF=180 PU=60]
10:30:06 Hardware GEM pier side reporting is available.
10:30:08 Initializing AcquireSupport V8.0.3
10:30:08 Weather safe, server is WeatherWatcher Server
10:30:08 Telescope is ACP->Driver for telescope connected through TheSky, driver V3
10:30:10 MaxIm DL is version 6.08
10:30:10 Imager is Apogee USB/Net
10:30:10 Using focus offsets and star mags from FilterInfo.txt
10:30:10 Selecting filter Clear from previous ACP run at 20150808@092630 UTC
10:30:10 Imager readout modes:
10:30:10 0 is Monochrome
10:30:10 1 is Monochrome (Preflash)
10:30:10 Guider is SX Universal (no rotator)
10:30:10 Guider plate scale unknown, guided dither with guider pixels
What does this line in yellow mean?? Is it that when the Clear filter is selected it uses the previous runs focus position? What if that focus position was sub optimal? This looks to be something new in version 8.
Answer: It is the new "filter initialization" which simply selects the filter. No attempt is made to restore focus like it did a few releases ago. That was a bad idea.
[edit: changed hard-coded yellow text to [high]xxx[/high] (also the pencil icon on the advanced text editor toolbar) so can be seen on all themes (I use light colored Royal Flush)]
[edit: separated the filter initialization question and answered it inline to avoid fracturing the thread]