I am running SGP 3.0.2.94 on Win10Pro, and use it to control an ST2000XM with CFW8 filter wheel - the filter wheel is connected directly to the camera (so the camera needs to be connected before the FW, as normal). I’m using the latest SBIG drivers (as per the normal DriverChecker utility)
The current filter is never reported in SGP - it always says “None”, though moving filters works without any issue at all. Is there a way of getting this to work? It reports fine in CCDSoft/APT so it can be done…
I am having a similar issue with FW8 used with ST 8300. Error log reporting a motor time out, but works fine in Maxim. using latest version of SGP and SBIG drivers
Unfortunately not. It seems working fine with the SBIG Sim when using a ST-2000XM. Their sim is generally pretty accurate. Can you post a full log where you’ve set different filters a couple of times?
I’m guessing you’ve attempted the normal things like updating drivers, etc?
SBIG Drivers are all up to date - here’s a log with me connecting, then changing the filter manually a few times.
Then a sequence runs, and because “auto focus” on filter change is set, it attempts to refocus after each frame (which destroys the ability to kick off several filters in a run without manual intervention as it thinks it has changed filter after each frame…).
Digging around int he SBIG debug logs gives me this - assuming that cfwPosition shouldn’t be 00, but confirming. It’s not an issue with CCDSoft or APT (they clearly send the requested position but don’t check it afterwards) - I assume SGP does the check and reports “Unknown”, and thus flags the wheel as needing the filter setting.
At t = 617.321: =========================
At t = 617.324: CC_CFW : begin
At t = 617.328: -------------------------
At t = 617.332: CFWCommand Params :
At t = 617.337: cfwCommand : 01 - CFWC_GOTO
At t = 617.341: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 617.345: Attached camera ID : 14 - ST-2K
At t = 617.348: CFW - use cached model : 03 - CFWSEL_CFW8
At t = 617.456: Requested position : 04
At t = 617.462: CFWGoto Results : 00 - No Error
At t = 617.468: CC_CFW : end, err = 00 - No Error
At t = 617.577: =========================
At t = 617.581: CC_CFW : begin
At t = 617.584: -------------------------
At t = 617.588: CFWCommand Params :
At t = 617.592: cfwCommand : 00 - CFWC_QUERY
At t = 617.595: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 617.599: Attached camera ID : 14 - ST-2K
At t = 617.603: CFW - use cached model : 03 - CFWSEL_CFW8
At t = 617.618: CFWQuery Results : 00 - No Error
At t = 617.622: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 617.625: cfwStatus : 02 - CFWS_BUSY
At t = 617.629: cfwError : 00 - CFWE_NONE
At t = 617.633: cfwPosition : 00 - valid only if cfwStatus is CFWS_IDLE, 00=unknown position, otherwise 1,2,…10
At t = 617.637: CC_CFW : end, err = 00 - No Error
At t = 618.657: =========================
At t = 618.668: CC_CFW : begin
At t = 618.677: -------------------------
At t = 618.686: CFWCommand Params :
At t = 618.696: cfwCommand : 00 - CFWC_QUERY
At t = 618.705: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 618.710: Attached camera ID : 14 - ST-2K
At t = 618.716: CFW - use cached model : 03 - CFWSEL_CFW8
At t = 618.732: CFWQuery Results : 00 - No Error
At t = 618.740: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 618.749: cfwStatus : 02 - CFWS_BUSY
At t = 618.755: cfwError : 00 - CFWE_NONE
At t = 618.761: cfwPosition : 00 - valid only if cfwStatus is CFWS_IDLE, 00=unknown position, otherwise 1,2,…10
At t = 618.767: CC_CFW : end, err = 00 - No Error
At t = 619.712: =========================
At t = 619.722: CC_CFW : begin
At t = 619.741: -------------------------
At t = 619.749: CFWCommand Params :
At t = 619.756: cfwCommand : 00 - CFWC_QUERY
At t = 619.761: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 619.765: Attached camera ID : 14 - ST-2K
At t = 619.771: CFW - use cached model : 03 - CFWSEL_CFW8
At t = 619.787: CFWQuery Results : 00 - No Error
At t = 619.790: cfwModel : 06 - CFWSEL_AUTO
At t = 619.794: cfwStatus : 01 - CFWS_IDLE
At t = 619.798: cfwError : 00 - CFWE_NONE
At t = 619.803: cfwPosition : 00 - valid only if cfwStatus is CFWS_IDLE, 00=unknown position, otherwise 1,2,…10
At t = 619.808: CC_CFW : end, err = 00 - No Error
At t = 620.753: =========================
So I raised this issue on the Diffraction Ltd forums here:
The feedback from them (after using the SBIG driver debug log) is that the old CFW8s don’t ever report their position (but report if they are moving or not). Can some handling be built into SGP to handle these wheels at all?
Has this ever been implemented? I still can’t get the CFW8 to work properly under SGP, reports no filters selected which in turn makes autofocusing impossible to run upon filter changes, other than the listing in the software the CFW8 seems to connect fine and runs either through automation or manual input through the drop down menu in filter wheel control. I assume it is only choosing the filter wheel slot # as FITS info only writes that and not the color filter name in the header.
Chriss
Thanks Ken I have now purchased SGP (April 2020) and would be great if this feature starts working someday soon - Might make sequencing actually workable being able to focus on each filter wheel change, instead of manually having to pause the sequence, then run a focus, then back to shooting the sequence again.
I would like to get a new camera but that will take some time as money is tight having lost my job with quarantine time now.
Chriss
I purchased SG Pro because it states that it is compatible with SBig filter wheels. Unfortunately it is not compatible with the CFW8 or CFW8a filter wheels. I see from this thread that a fix has been identified (ignore the zero return and trust the filter wheel). Will this fix be implemented?
Thanks, John Murphy
Any chance this “assumption” of SBIG filter wheel position has been implemented in V4 of SGP? This approach works well in NINA, but for my use case (photometry), I love SGP - I just can’t automate filter offsets.
