Ron, that is probably because your dome ASCOM driver is not a hub. The one I created for myself is the same. There is a simple workaround, I bought the Optec ASCOM server and it allows multiple connections to all ASCOM devices. My observatory control application and SGP can both communicate and control my roof. It is $25.
Hundreds of hours of unattended operation during the night, with SGP shutting up shop at dawn or with unsafe conditions prove it does just that. Heck, I could not leave MDL to its own devices for an hour before it messed up.
All we are talking about here is the a strategy to resume imaging after a safety shutdown when the good conditions return and where that functionality is best placed. If it was trivial and not full of logic traps, do you think that K&J would hesitate to integrate it into SGP?
@joelshort
I think the desire is clear and the implentation is not. I suggest this thread should lock out before this becomes personal.
Iām not talking about a RESTART. That would be nice, but that is a kettle of fish for sure. Iām after something much more simple. TO CLOSE the dome if unsafe. It needs to do that BEFORE it can even start to consider resuming. I hear it will do it if the sequence is running. But 50% of the time one isnāt running. Iād simply like them to change it from anytime SGP is running - (doing a sequence or not).
A local friend and club member owns Optec near me. I installed the server and so far - itās not working.
But I have SGP connected to the optec server (that works). The other software isnāt really software that opens a com port. Iām trying to run scripts that write directly to the com port - without a really opening them. Maybe the script can be more formal about port handling and not just a echo > port.
Only one application can be attached to a COM port at any given time. Thatās a limitation of com ports. You can use something like POTH to act as a hub and talk to POTH through multiple applications but still only one thing (POTH) would he connected to the dome ASCOM driver.
Why is it open then? Youāve manually opened it and are just leaving it open prior to running a sequence? I guess I donāt really understand the workflow youāre using here.
My ASCOM dome driver uses a COM port to communicate to my roof controller. In my case, the observatory controller also uses some non-standard commands and the ASCOM POTH hub does not pass them through. The Optec server/hub is completely transparent and gives me the option of creating hubs for all devices as well as dual devices of the same type.
In the Optec configuration panel I select my ASCOM Dome driver and set up its COM port number. I then select the Optec ASCOM driver for the Dome in the various applications (observatory control and SGP) The Optec ASCOM server acts as a hub. Please donāt get confused with the two tabs - this software also has the ability to overcome an ASCOM limitation and connect to two like devices with the same PID. You would use this if you had two similar cameras, focusers etc.
Similarly if you were using POTH, you first configure POTH to connect to your dome ASCOM driver and then connect everything to POTH.
Regarding the SGP not shutting down on Unsafe event when not running a sequence: I would love to see this changed too. In my workflow I start a project by framing up and shooting test subs outside of a sequence. That can be hours of imaging without the safety system in place, meaning that I am monitoring things far more closely from my sofa! So, for SGP to shut down on an Unsafe event even when not running a sequence would be an excellent improvement to an already great piece of software.
Iām trying to send a close shutter command when conditions become unsafe. (from separate external app or script) since SGP wonāt do it unless a seqment is running.
SGP will just display a āREDā button lower right corner - but doesnāt close the shutter. So - if unattended - dome is open to rain.
The easiest solution is for you to add a ascom/dome driver close command when the safe/unsafe button turns red as reported by the safety driver.
I have CW running (it says unsafe) I run SGP and I click OPEN (shutter opens).
Itās unsafe (red) but doesnāt seem to update to close the time. (is there a timer?)
If I click (cloudy - off - (safe) then on) unsafe then it closes. (as it should).
might this be due to the shutter still opening? (I click stop) but it may not report at open if not fully open.
It is an interesting article. It is the same or worse with database design. It is almost impossible to envisage the end game and structure all the tables and fields and relationships. The ones at work (probably 100 and counting) are so interconnected that when the designers retire in the next few years, unless they have passed their knowledge on, we are in for an interesting time. A friend of mine set up a consultancy employing retired software engineers. They charge a fortune to companies who let their staff go and then realize they cannot maintain their business processes!
What I would recommend in that case is to set a start time on your first target and click the āRun Sequenceā button. SGP will sit there and monitor your gear. If an unsafe event happens SGP will shut things down even though nothing is happening. But since you clicked āRun Sequenceā youāre now inside of the automation.
Worth mentioning that this is not currently working as designed, but Iāll be making a release soon that fixes it how Iāve mentioned. Initially we did have the unsafe handling when sequences were not running but that caused a lot of issues with people not understanding why the sequence was getting shutdown. It seems ādaylightā is often considered to be an unsafe condition.
Thanks Jared. Is it possible to do āmanualā things like autofocus and frame & focus while running a sequence that is waiting for its start time? If so - result! If not - I am still at square one! I look forward to seeing how this particular feature develops.
I have been following Ron_Kramerās situation and see that he has a work around using POTH Hub, however in the past I have had issues with not everything working as expected on sequence shut down with POTH.
Ron, is this still your dome automation solution? Or have things changed since this post?
Iām starting from scratch with SGP setting up the AAG Cloudsnsor