Alnitak Flat Box - not opening camera shutter

Sequence Generator
1

I recently built a Arduino flat panel controller which uses the Alnitak Flip Flat protocol. The arduino appears to work fine. I can adjust the brightness of the panel from within SGP.

The problem comes when I actually try to take flats in a sequence. With the flat panel connected I can take a frame and focus image and the flat comes out fine. However, when I try to take a flat in a running sequence it appears as though the camera shutter will not open. I get what looks like a BIAS instead.

I’m new to automated flats and chances are I just don’t understand something. Anyone help me out?

2

When that happens to me it is because I didn’t set the flat exposure time in Equipment Profile Manager | Filters | Set Filters | Flats for that particular filter.

3

Thanks Bob, you are right. I simply opened a sequence, connected the flat panel and set it at a certain brightness. I assumed that if I didn’t enter any other settings that the flat panel would stay at the same brightness level, but when running the actual sequence SGP set it to 0 since I hadn’t defined the brightness level in the equipment/control panel.