**Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**

[Jerry Gunn]

Bob, I received this error early this morning. The script halted and the observatory did not shut down as it has done before. Any idea what might have happened?

Jerry Gunn

08:32:25 (final exposure interval 6.11)
08:32:25 [T] [stpgdr] SelectStar is False, refinement pass, use previously selected star.
08:32:25 [T] [stpgdr] Starting exposure is 6.11 sec.
08:32:42 [T] [stpgdr] Guider detector is 657 by 495 pixels in size
08:32:42 [T] [stpgdr] Use star at [644.6,216.2]
08:32:42 [T] [stpgdr] Found at [644.9,216.5]
08:32:42 [T] BGRMS=2849 StFlux=6939 SNR=2.4
08:32:42 [T] New exp=7.53
08:32:42 (guide star SNR=2.4 X=645 Y=217)
08:32:42 **Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**
08:32:49 Source: MaxIm DL 6
08:32:49 Message: Bad input parameter
08:32:49 Location: line 1712 column 29.
ACP console log closed 23-Sep-2015 08:32:49 UTC

The offending command from the AcquireImages script is:

if(!SUP.AutoGuide(true)) // MUST ALWAYS DO THIS FOR RECOVERY!
{
//
// The cause of guiding failing to start could be because
// pointing is not "perfect." If using an internal/OAG guider,
// do a pointing update, then try to start again.
//
if(!SUP.ExternalGuider && Prefs.PointingUpdates.Enabled)
{
Console.PrintLine(" Doing pointing update to assure guide star on internal/OAG chip");
isPointing = true;
SUP.UpdatePointing(Tc.Name, Tc.RA, Tc.Dec, Tc.PA);
isPointing = false;
SUP.AutoGuide(true); // Try again
}

[Bob Denny]

Is this ACP 8? I looked through your other posts and can't tell... OK line 1712 is

                            if(!SUP.AutoGuide(true))                        // MUST ALWAYS DO THIS FOR RECOVERY!

and this is a call into the support library. The library is a big script component (AcquireSupport.wsc) and its errors are returned through the calls into it. It happened somewhere in the autoguiding setup (in the AutoGuide() function of the library). It would have been better for me to see the entire run log so in thue future attach it <- link to attaching instructions. Looking at the run log, it may have happened when ACP tries to tell MaxIm where to look for the guide star.

If it happens again where you can reproduce it at will, we can find out exactly where it is happening and go from there. In ACP Preferences, Debugging tab, enable "pop up message window on AcquireSupport errors". As the warning in that window says, do not leave this on or you will have a pop up stall your system. With this option on, if the error happens you will see a popup with a line and column in AcquireSupport where it happened. That may be enough for us to know what really happened.


Should this be moved out of the pre-sales section to the ACP section? I can do that.

[Jerry Gunn]

Bob, the ACP version is ver 8 build 5 production release A. Since you say this was probably an autoguiding issue, I think it may be related to the MaximDL multi-star guiding issue I have been having. Last night I used single star guiding and had no problems at all. So I won't be using Maxim's multi-star guiding at all. Thanks for your help.

Jerry Gunn

[Bob Denny]

OK, we'll leave it at that for now.

[LaVor Jenkins]

Well, I'm 3 years behind you but the same thing happened to me this weekend. I have recently switched to Maxim DL 6. I am wondering what you did to cure the problem with finality. LaVor

[Colin Haig]

Suggest you all upgrade to MaxIm 6.18. A lot of guiding issues were addressed, starting in 6.13.

[Bob Denny]

Yes, Colin is right. Get past those MaxIm 6 guiding issues.

[LaVor Jenkins]

Howdy again,
I did upgrade the MaximDL to 6.18 and looked forward for tonight. But, It is still the same error code. I can kill the program and switch to Maxim to see if I have any guide stars and I do. they seem to be good ones, too. And I can point on any of them and draw pretty little "L's" all night, but either ACP isn't picking up the script, or Maxim isn't giving it up without a fight. Jerry said that he switched from multi-star to single star and everything worked. I don't understand that or how to do it. Everything works great until it tries to calibrate the guiders or something in that area. I am using ACP V8, build 4. MaximDL V6.18 (as of this morning.) SBIG STXL camera with self-guiding filter wheel. Pyxis rotator and I might have to add Xanax if I don't soon get this figured out. Just kidding, but, yeah, I need help. LaVor

[Bob Denny]

OK, thanks for doing that. Now I need some log files to see what is going on. They will likely be in My Documents\ACP Astronomy\Logs\ddmmyy (for the date). Here are instructions on how to attach logs to your reply. Please don't paste it all into the message :-)

[LaVor Jenkins]

Howdy,
Here are the logs.