My downloads are hanging up from time to time and the program flat out shuts down once in a while.
I have looked through the help files and can’t find a similar issue with the ASI 183. I say the ASI 183 because it never happened with my ASI 1600 and Moravian G3 16200. I am running the camera with USB 3 cable and the speed is turned all the way down. I can’t seem to find other forum posts on this type of issue except the hang on download for ASI 1600. I have used both the ASCOM driver and the ZWO driver. One shows up as ASI Camera and the other shows up as ZWO camera for selection.
As a result, I am creating a new post. SGP seems to be shutting down completely once in a while and I can’t find out why. Last night I set up a sequence and ran it. I was able to obtain about 18 frames and then all of a sudden it shuts down everything. Spectacular night, lost five hours of it. This has now happened several times over the past few days. I have installed a new ASI 183 camera. I had an ASI 1600 camera and it worked well. For some reason SGP is shutting down with the new ASI 183 intermittently with no apparent reason. The only difference is a new ASI 183 camera and scope.
The general time of the issue is between 11:30 PM and 1:00 AM eastern time on 12/11/2018 and 12/12/2018. Specifically it occurred at approximately 0.5 hours on 12/12/2018.
I am running 3.03.140
I can no longer launch the offending SGP file. It gives the following error message
“Error loading sequence”
Provides the file path.
Then says “End of Stream encountered before parsing was completed.”
Here is the SGP file link.
Here is the log file link.
I would really appreciate some help. I hope I composed this email correctly.
Unfortunately there’s not a lot of information in that log. If you’re having similar issues with the native and ASCOM driver it may be a problem with the actual ZWO system drivers. It may also be worth using another software application to attempt to determine if it’s the actual ZWO drivers or something else causing the issue.
If ASCOM and the native drivers are having issues that seems to point to a driver issue as SGP would access both of them in very different ways, yet the underlying system drivers are still the same. Also may be worth lowering the USB Limit (ASCOM driver only) as that can also cause issues.
There are settings in the ZWO driver that allow you to allocate a certain bandwidth to USB. I am sure about the setting, but not sure about how it works. I always keep mine down to the lowest setting no matter what I do, because I continue to have issues with my ZWO camera connections. Are you also having dropped frames or frames that sometimes don’t download as quickly as you have seen them downloaded before? I think Jared is referring to the setting in the ZWO drivers. I still maintain that there is a problem of some sort with the ZWO connections. I run a Moravian side by side and it never has problems. Never is not an over statement. I mean never.
By the way… I used to run an unsupported dual instance of SGP because I have a camera array. When the ZWO camera blinks, the entire application fatally crashes and disappears. I have experienced this in a single instance application. The funny thing is that in the dual instance scenario, the Moravian running right along side of the ZWO NEVER MISSES a beat. It is amazing to see one camera SGP combo completely zonk out while another still runs as if nothing is wrong. So, I have determined that this is an issue that is shared between SGP and ZWO.
Thanks bigastro for your comments . I will check the ZWO driver (by the way , I use ASI driver but not the ZWO driver) .
And Yes I have problems with the download of subs with my ASI1600. Sometimes during download a subs of 180s of exposure (for example) , but more frequently during the autofocus procedure with SGP and 1 or 2 seconds exposure at Bin 2X2 .
This is very annoying , and I asked SGP to add a timer (a time limit ) for AUTOFOCUS and DOWNLOAD of subs from the camera , but they did not do it …after timer expired, SGP could for example sent an ALERT with email or GNS.
Other solution , an automatic reconnection of the camera done by SGP when the dowwnload fails !!
It will be GREAT !!!
I have problems with both, but less problems with the ASCOM ASI driver for some reason. You are experiencing the EXACT same issue I am having. I appears to be connected to the focus routing and I am wondering if the size of the file, the time it takes to calculate the parameters for focusing and some other memory related issue is not knocking us off.
Very annoying is an understatement. This is a lost data hog and is unacceptable. I have also read from others that their system is crashing with ASI cameras when they are messing with the histogram. I am experiencing the same issue there also.
I am able to find some stability by using a USB 2 cable and demoting the entire ZWO to SGP system to a USB2 cable using only USB2 slots. I started having issues with the first issuance of the ASI 1600. I was one of the earliest adopters of the camera. It came out of the box with a fight to connect it to SGP. Maxim DL did just fine and does better even today. The issues got better but after some time, they are still present and have reared their ugly head again upon receipt of a ZWO 183, which has even larger files.
Using a USB2 cable seems to point to the USB Limit to me. Can you use the ASCOM driver, lower the USB limit and see if that helps to add some stability (with a USB3 cable)? The native driver still has a USB limit, we just don’t expose it as it generally seems to cause more problems than it fixes. If that addresses it, let me know the value you ended up with and I’ll tweak our native limit for USB3 cameras to be lower.
I no longer use SGP for the ASI 183. I am tired of trying to get it to work. There is some connection between focusing and the download from ASI183 that totally crashes the system. I am fed up with spending the time to get it to work. I went through something similar with the ASI 1600 long ago. The ASI 183 works on two other platforms without fail. I ended up demoting it to USB2 only use. I may try again in the future. Others may not have this problem. I acknowledge that the ASI 183 provides issues with other platforms and apparently users here use it with success. Good for them. For me, I solved the issue in other ways.
I’m a little late into this conversation, but I’m starting to pull my hair out. ( little there is )
Ever since I received my ASI183, I’ve had issues with SGP crashing completely, only leaving
PHD and POTH connected.
I’ve had connection issues. When it does connect, then the cooler won’t work or a blank screen when taking a single exposure to check on focus. Then a reboot and everything seems to chug along ok. This could be ok for many hours, exposures, focusing, plate solving, flips, or only a few minutes, then a blank exposure and you guessed it, bye bye SGP.
I didn’t realise at first that camera issues could crash SGP. I thought it maybe an OS problem or
some corrupted software. Many hours of uninstalling, installing, upgrading all drivers and software,
roaming around inside SGP, USB cables, hubs, even a new computer!
I had similar issues with the ASI1600mm, but changed the USB download speed and that seemed to stabilize the application.
I’m to understood that the 1600 has a direct download and the 183 has a buffer?
I like the 183 for it’s small pixels and the resolution on smaller F/L. I’m using the native driver as it allows for gain and offset in event settings.
Has anyone talked to ZWO about this, or, found a solution that still involves the SGP application?
Perhaps I’ve over looked something. Any suggestions?
A few things if you haven’t tried you might want to consider.
Are you using USB 3.0? Does your computers have USB 2.0 . I’ve seen laptops with flaky USB 3.0.
Turn your camera download speed down as low as possible.
Are you using the ASI183 rear USB hub. I had problems with this on my ASI071 and ASI294 cameras when using USB 3.0 with the QHY5III camera is attached as my OAG guide camera. I cannot use the USB 3.0 connection with the QHY5III Camera connected through the back of my ASI cameras. Seems like any USB 3.0 setup with the QHY5III camera causes issues on the USB 3.0 bus. I have to use USB 2.0 in this configuration or things just randomly freezes.
If you’re using repeater cables? try a short cable to see if that helps. with the amount of traffic and the speed of the USB 3.0 that might cause issues with things hanging.
Power hub is a must. I found running a USB 3.0 powered hub off of my laptop’s USB 3.0 plug then using only USB 2.0 repeater cables out to my mount works. I’ve never any any issues with this configuration.
Not sure if this is much help. But I found USB 2.0 seems to give me the most stability and the download speed isn’t really a big issue for me. Maybe 10 seconds to download over USB 2.0 versus maybe 3 seconds when using USB 3.0.
I relented last night and decided to use the ASCOM driver instead of ZWO Native driver.
It seems you can only set one gain and offset in the driver dialog box, but here you can set the USB
download speed. Set speed to 90 and the sequence went ok for around 4 hours. Checked the log and
an image didn’t download in the allotted time and SGP aborted. At least it went through the end sequence protocols and didn’t crash.
I’m not sure what USB speed I should set, but I will try a slower speed.
In regards to some of Marks suggestions.
I’m using USB 3 from a Intel NUC i7 and I don’t think it has a USB 2 port option. I do connect the
camera directly to the computer.
I will try a lower download speed in ASCOM. As Jared suggested, we can’t see the download speed in the native driver.
I do use the camera hub for only the filter wheel and have a ASI 290 guide camera USB 3 cable
into a USB 3 hub. Seems to work ok, just have to be sure to check the right camera in the driver box.
I have the computer next to the mount, but need at least a 2m cable to allow for mount movement.
I connect the camera directly into the computer, so, I wouldn’t expect to need a powered hub.
I should try this anyway, who knows, it’s an easy option.
That is interesting. I have a NUC i5 unit in my observatory setup similar to your’s and I don’t have any issues. my setup differs in that I only run one USB 3.0 cable and power up to the scope. I have A USB 3.0 powered hub, focuser controller and a 12Vdc power bus sitting on top on my scope with only short USB cables running out to my Filter Wheel, Rotator, Focuser, Guide Camera and Imaging Camera from the USB 3.0 hub. I don’t use the back USB hub on the ASI camera in this configuration.
I’m starting to wonder if there might be something wrong with the camera’s USB?