Failed to save image - hardware or software issue?

Sequence Generator Sequencing
1

Running a semi-unattended session last night, captured a single 1hr sub before meridian flip. Sat by during flip and successful start of capture for second frame just to make sure that went properly, then left unattended for the remaining sequence.

Upon checking this morning, additional capture had failed with the error message that camera had timed out (see screenshot https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5wo30sNzTssNGcwRC0ycFJNa0E/view?usp=sharing). It appears PHD2 lost guiding for a while (light clouds?), but regained guiding and recovery was successful. The second frame was collected for the full hour, but then the data failed to be saved and the sequence was aborted.

Gear: Win7 Home Premium, SGP 2.4.3.21, PHD2 v2.5.0dev7QHYTest5
Guide cam: QHY5L-IIM connected vis ASCOM driver
Imaging cam: QHY8 connected via QHY8 StarSense driver
Mount: CGEM
Focuser: Rigel nStep GCUSB
Filter Wheel: Xagyl

Cameras, focuser and filter wheel connected thru a Dycom industrial powered USB hub to a USB3 port, CGEM connected to a separate USB 3 port on the computer.

Running the dev7QHYTest5 version of OHD2 because I was having timeout issues with the non-forked dev versions. This is also the first time I was running a 2.4.3.x version of SGP after resolving timeout issues with the QHY5 (after updating PHD to v2.5.x). I had successfully run an 8-hour session 2 nights ago using SGP 2.4.2.11 with no issues, and had never encountered an error of this type before.

The relevant lines in the SGP log detailing the failure start at:

12:38:26 Recovery successful
…
1:46:35 Error saving ASCOM image. : Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at ev.e7(b A_0, List`1 A_1)

SGP log: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5wo30sNzTsseFpKa3haMGdZODA/view?usp=sharing
PHD Debug log: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5wo30sNzTssOUVmRjA4ZGRYUFE/view?usp=sharing
PHD Guide log: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5wo30sNzTsscHkxNURKZVRTTkU/view?usp=sharing

It’s odd that the error thrown was due to an object reference not set, when the previous frame was captured and saved successfully. Is this a driver issue, or a hardware issue?

Thanks in advance

Serge

2

I have had this same problem with my Atik 314L+ after recovery succeeds. Exactly as you describe :

  • Session starts, frames capture fine.
  • Something causes PHD to lose its guie star
  • Recovery picks guiding backup, restarts the current frame
  • Frame finishes, but SGP reports a camera timeout error downloading the image.
  • Session ends.

I’ve disabled recovery for now, and had merely presumed it was a CCD issue. Seeing that others have this problem, I’ll re-enable Recovery, and next chance I have see if I can force a recovery event, and upload a log.

3

Unknown… we can’t really tell unless we have the camera’s trace log to cross reference it with.

4

Hi Ken, thanks for the reply. I’m not familiar with camera trace. Is that done in the ASCOM driver upon connection? I don’t see a trace option, and ASCOM instructions only mention serial trace from a hub.

Thanks

Serge

5

Serge,

I am not sure. Varies by camera, but your driver author or QHY boards will likely lead you in the right direction. Once we can see SGPro and camera logs side by side, we will likely have a pretty good idea what is causing your issue.