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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Scottsville, Virginia
    Posts
    1,410

    Default FocusMax Version 4.1.0.25 settings for ACPExpert 8

    I have been using FM version 3 for years with ACP without issue and just upgraded to FMV4. I have configured FM for MaxIm, Robofocus Sever for the focuser, and ACP Telescope Hub. Version 3 was simply set for MaxIm and RoboFocus Server and worked reliably. With V4 I edited my startup script to point to V4 directory and changed the setting in ACP Prefs for the default FM ini file location. All goes well enough on startup until ACP calls for the initial focus. It locates, slews, and plate solves the focuser image but then the routine fails, attempts to focus again and fails. It's unclear to me from the help files in FM V4 what else might need to be done. I don't use the Acquire Star feature in FM so I'm not connecting to the telescope. Any suggestions would be gladly tried while I still have a bit of hair left. And that's not as funny as it use to be! ):

    Thanks,
    Steve
    http://www.astral-imaging.com

    Scottsville, Virginia
    ACP Expert
    AP1200GTO
    Mach 2
    Tak EM200
    AP 92mm Stowaway
    OGS 12.5" RC
    TAK FSQ-106ED
    ZWO ASI2600MC Duo Dual Chip CMOS
    STL-11000M/CF8
    STX-16803
    Pyxis 3" Rotator
    Starlight Xpress UltraStar Guider
    MMOGA
    12' Astro Haven Dome

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,158

    Default

    Can you post back with the log file(s)? Either the ACP log with the FMx log inserted or both the ACP and FocusMax logs.
    -- Bob

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Scottsville, Virginia
    Posts
    1,410

    Default

    I looked and couldn't see much. See the attached logs. I need to follow your advice on repairing ACP and Scheduler later this afternoon.

    Steve
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Steve
    http://www.astral-imaging.com

    Scottsville, Virginia
    ACP Expert
    AP1200GTO
    Mach 2
    Tak EM200
    AP 92mm Stowaway
    OGS 12.5" RC
    TAK FSQ-106ED
    ZWO ASI2600MC Duo Dual Chip CMOS
    STL-11000M/CF8
    STX-16803
    Pyxis 3" Rotator
    Starlight Xpress UltraStar Guider
    MMOGA
    12' Astro Haven Dome

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Scottsville, Virginia
    Posts
    1,410

    Default

    I don't understand this part:

    11-Nov-2015 23:04:58.5: Script started successfully
    11-Nov-2015 23:05:08.5: Sequencer is now active
    11-Nov-2015 23:07:30.5: Sequencer is no longer active
    11-Nov-2015 23:07:30.5: ** ACP script "AutoFocusScheduler" failed:
    11-Nov-2015 23:07:30.5: **Script Error (Tracking has been stopped)**
    Source: ACP Observatory Control Software
    Message:

    FM is no longer active (frozen) at this point or waiting for input but I can't see where. I had to use Task Manager to kill the program (FM4) I changed the startup script to FocusMax instead of FocusMax V4 and ran version 3 last night without issue, as usual. V4 is very different and the tutorial appears to be for version 3.

    Steve
    Steve
    http://www.astral-imaging.com

    Scottsville, Virginia
    ACP Expert
    AP1200GTO
    Mach 2
    Tak EM200
    AP 92mm Stowaway
    OGS 12.5" RC
    TAK FSQ-106ED
    ZWO ASI2600MC Duo Dual Chip CMOS
    STL-11000M/CF8
    STX-16803
    Pyxis 3" Rotator
    Starlight Xpress UltraStar Guider
    MMOGA
    12' Astro Haven Dome

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,158

    Default

    OK I'm stumped on this one. I confess to having had my head down trying to get PinPoint 6.1 then ACP 6.1 out. So FM4 runs fine and focuses when you click the Focus button (running by itself)... but when ACP picks a star and pushes the Focus button it freezes, requiring a task manager kill of FocusMax. Would you rather just run with FM3 for a while or I can get on with you and try to figure out what's going on. I can't do it tonight (already have an appointment) but could tomorrow night. Let me know and I'll check this before signing up for anything else tomorrow night.
    -- Bob

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Scottsville, Virginia
    Posts
    1,410

    Default

    Bob,

    Whatever works for you is fine with me. I'm still running Tues/Thurs nights for now so those I can't do but anything else is good. I can also put off longer as V3 is running. I have posted to FM4 forum but haven't gotten too far yet. It isn't a show stopper.

    Steve
    Steve
    http://www.astral-imaging.com

    Scottsville, Virginia
    ACP Expert
    AP1200GTO
    Mach 2
    Tak EM200
    AP 92mm Stowaway
    OGS 12.5" RC
    TAK FSQ-106ED
    ZWO ASI2600MC Duo Dual Chip CMOS
    STL-11000M/CF8
    STX-16803
    Pyxis 3" Rotator
    Starlight Xpress UltraStar Guider
    MMOGA
    12' Astro Haven Dome

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
    33,158

    Default

    OK, let me get these releases out. Regression tests for PinPoint are about half done, nominally 10-12 hours with no interruptions, much longer in reality :-)
    -- Bob

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Celina, TX
    Posts
    208

    Default

    Same thing happened to me last night with a twist to the issue I think!! I had run 9 session using ACP FM4 without any issues at all but with my tiny 80mm TMB. Got some nice images!! Last night I moved to the 8" F/5 which in FM with a target of 300K for flux requires for L filter a mag 5 to 8 star. Minimum exposure for my QSI is ~ 0.05sec so I set min exposure in FM to 0.06.

    Sorry for the rambling post.

    My filterinfo:
    ;
    ;Filter info
    ;
    0, 0, 0, 5, 8 ; #0 Luminance, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    7, 0, 0, 5, 7 ; #1 Red, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    0, 0, 0, 5, 7 ; #2 Green, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    -12, 0, 0, 5, 7 ; #3 Blue, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    4, 0, 0, 4, 6 ; #4 Ha7nm, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    -10, 0, 0, 4, 6 ; #5 Oiii8nm, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance
    -2, 0, 0, 4, 6 ; #6 Sii8nm, relative to Luminance, Pointing w/Luminance

    This exact file but with slightly different offsets worked perfectly with TMB.. and in TMB file asked for mag 4 to 7 for L.

    Now he kicker. Last nights logs showed focus failing because the star was too bright so ACP kept trying but selected like a max 4.3 star which at 0.06 sec went over flux target. i tried in FM to use pinpoint first then TheSky then back to Pinpoint. It never ever worked. It seems if my understanding of filterinfo is correct thta ACP was not using my request for a mag 5 to 8. On TMB it did what I wanted which was focus with L then use offsets. Last night with the 8" I could manually slew to a mag 5 to 8 and FW 4 focused perfectly. Once again.. zero issues with 80mm scope and star.

    I COULD tell the filterinfo file to ask ACP to focus through Blue and change offsets to match but think ACP should parse the mag star request. MOST likely the issue resides someplace in FM 4 because now that I think about it I have the check for FM choosing star in my autofocus prefs!! I made that change because autofocus with the TMB went much faster letting FM pick star. The TMB worked by accident because if there is a mag 4 default with FM picking star is seemed to match my filterinfo for that OTA.

    FYI i ran into this same issue prior to my using ACP when I originally moved from FM 3 to 4 with manual focus until I realized FM 4 enforces the flux target rigorously. I COULD also determine resulting flux for mag 4 star with the 8" newt for L and get going.

    Tonight I'll do two things. 1.) change autofocus prefs to let ACP/pinpoint choose focus star. If that works cool. If it is too slow I'll try and find where the heck pinpoint chooses star from.


    Best,

    Ron

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mesa, AZ
    Posts
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    Default

    I need a log file showing that ACP was using Luminance (filter #0) for focusing, and then selecting a star outside the range of 5-8. Also, please check to see that you don't have multiple FilterInfo files. Is there one in the old WIndows XP location under Program Files\ACP? Is that the one you posted here. If there is one in Public Documents\ACP Config, it will always be used. Please attach the log <- link to attaching instructions
    -- Bob

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Celina, TX
    Posts
    208

    Default

    What I see is that my checking in prefs to have focusmax choose focus star means that in FM prefs->acquire star it was set for range 4 to 6 hence the too bright star for the FM picky flux target. Indeed it all worked with the TMB where the default mag 4 in FM prefs is OK flux-wise. ACP properly uses 0 (L) for focus. Tonight I'll test again but with the target's changed in FM prefs and also with ACP picking star. Here is ACP log.. yes I do have FM check to log to ACP but it just says failed.. follows

    05:29:10 ; ---------------------------------------------
    05:29:10 ;
    05:29:10 ;
    05:29:10 ; === Target IC 342 ===
    05:29:10 ;
    05:29:10 (turning tracking on for live image(s))
    05:29:14 Start slew to IC 342...
    05:29:16 (wait for slew to complete)
    05:29:26 (slew complete)
    05:29:26 (request plan-start pointing update)
    05:29:26 Ready for IC 342 (# 1 of 1 in set 1)
    05:29:26 IC 342 will be repeated 2 times.
    05:29:26 IC 342 specifies 4 sets of images.
    05:29:27 === Starting target repeat 1 of 2 ===
    05:29:28 === Starting filter group 1 of 4 ===
    05:29:28 Selecting Red filter (1) for imaging
    05:29:28 Do requested auto-focus...
    05:29:28 [flip check: Tn=300s HAc=-6439s GW=F HAz=-6139s DWz=F WF=no]
    05:29:31 (AF will use Image Quality readout mode)
    05:29:31 Starting FocusMax AcquireStar autofocus...
    05:33:59 **Autofocus failed. Check FocusMax log for details.
    05:33:59 Autofocus finished.
    05:34:02 Start slew to IC 342...
    05:34:03 (wait for slew to complete)

    Now the log in FM itself shows the star being picked is too bright follows.
    19:48:30 System 1: QSI_8IncheNewt
    19:48:30 ...Camera control 1: MaxIm
    19:48:30 ...Camera 1: QSI Universal
    19:48:30 ...Camera 1: Connected = False
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: RoboFocus Server
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: Connected = True
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: Startup position = 4237
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: Guard band = 0
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: Max travel = 20000
    19:48:30 ...Focuser 1: Temperature = 566.0
    19:48:30 ...Filter wheel 1: QSI Universal
    19:48:30 ...Filter wheel 1: Connected = False
    19:48:47 ...Camera control 1: MaxIm DL/CCD V 6.1
    19:48:47 ...Camera 1: QSI Universal
    19:48:47 ...Camera 1: Connected = True
    19:48:47 ...Camera 1: Sensor 3326 X 2504
    19:49:28 ** Beginning Find Star **
    19:49:28 ...Filter 1: Luminance (slot 1)
    19:49:28 ...Focuser 1: Position = 4237
    19:49:28 ...Flux target: 300K
    19:49:28 ...Star subframe width: 100
    19:49:28 ...Base exposure: 0.20 sec
    19:49:28 ...Min/Max exposure: 0.06 / 5.00 sec
    19:49:28 ...Target star binning: 2
    19:49:28 ...CCD central region: 100%
    19:49:41 Target star found
    19:49:41 Exp: 0.20 HFD: 25.53 Flux: 658162
    19:49:41 Unbinned X: 1430 Y: 692
    19:49:41 Binned X: 715 Y: 346
    19:49:41 Setting Focus Parameters
    19:49:41 ...Focus binning: 1
    19:49:41 ...Frame width: 100
    19:49:41 ...Exposure: 0.20
    19:49:41 Taking image...
    19:49:44 Star X: 1427 Y: 694 Flux: 1680988
    19:49:44 Adjusting exposure based on flux target
    19:49:44 ** Star is too bright **
    19:49:44 Required exposure 0.04 is < 0.06 minimum exposure setting
    19:49:44 Could not adjust focus exposure to target flux setting
    19:49:44 Aborting focus run
    19:50:31 ** Beginning Find Star **
    19:50:31 ...Filter 1: Luminance (slot 1)
    19:50:31 ...Focuser 1: Position = 4237
    19:50:31 ...Flux target: 300K

    My gut feeling moving from FM3.7 to 4 is that 4 is nice but to complex and picky. If setting acquirestar prefs in FM fixes or not tonight I'll let you know.

    So.. this boils down to a cockpit error. I tell ACP to let FM pick the star so my filterinfo about star mags is out of play. Then in FM the prefs for star mag range and exposures MUST work together inside the flux target or it bails without trying anyway.

    Ron

 

 

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