Multiple camera support?

Sequence Generator
1

Are there any known issues for running 3 separate instances of SGP and controlling 3 different camera/telescope systems piggybacked on a Paramount MX mount? Thanks. Rick

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2

It’s not supported nor would it be coordinated between the three instances.

I believe that is one of the goals of v2.5 if you can wait.

3

While @mads0100 is correct (we do not currently support it), I don’t think there are any obstacles preventing you from doing it so long as you understand the issues you can encounter… like dither, auto focus (when it affects the guider), target changing and other factors can can ruin frames from the other instances.

4

Seems like it might be best to have 4 instances with one dedicated only to the mount. Wow, crazy! Rick

5

I wouldn’t change the targets once the sequences started. It’s more a field of view difference of the same target.

6

Dithering can also be problematic as this won’t be coordinated between the multiple cameras. But if you don’t dither you should be ok. Or be prepared to throw out frames from other cameras besides the one that is controlling the dither.

Jared

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7

Gotcha, makes sense.

8

Depends too on the differences in image scale. I use the Small Dither setting on my main rig (1.1 arc sec) and I’m hard pressed to see it in my SV60EDS-Canon T3i (2.7 arc sec) light frames.

Looking forward to coordinated dithering when it gets implemented so that I can use higher dither settings and/or the smaller image scale of my other imaging train, the SVR90T-Canon T3i (1.4 arc sec).

…Keith

9

I have been operating with 3 imaging scopes/cameras running simultaneously for the past year, and very successfully, I might add. Dithering, of course, you do not want to do, unless as you say, it is small enough to not affect the shorter FL scopes. I personally do not dither. Never seemed to make any difference for me since PI does a great job of rejecting all the hot pixels. My long scope is 1950mm, then 714mm and 350mm.
I usually image around 5 targets a night. I set each target with an end time, and use the correct target name on each copy of SGP. Have not seen any problems with this setup. Other than, usually one image on each of the slave copies is messed up when the target changes.
Works wonderfully well. Great product SGP. Ken and Jared have produced a marvel. Keep up the good work.

10

Quick question. If you have multiple instances of SGP running and (say) two identical cameras and filter wheels, how does each instance of SGP identify which camera/wheel combo is which?

11

This is not yet supported (will be part of the official multi-camera add-on release). The camera selection part will not be part of the add-on (that part will just be standard). If you use an ASCOM camera, this will likely need to be supported through your ASCOM driver or SGPro won’t be able to do much to help. Directly, we can support connection of specific camera instances for SBIG (already implemented), QSI, FLI (already implemented), Canon and Nikon.

12

You can also have two Atik cameras in the ASCOM driver. I run with one as a main camera and another as a guider.

Chris

13

Technically this is already implemented for Nikon as well, provided you’re using different camera models.

Jared

14

Chris, Ken –
Do you know if the QHY10 driver supports 2 QHY10 cameras? I am planning on buying a second one.

15

Probably not. It would need to do install 2 distance drivers to do that. May want to ask on the Qhy forum.

Thanks
Jared

16

Any words on multi camera support?

17

Nope, and I can assure you, we’ll post in the forum when there is :slight_smile:

Thanks,
Jared

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