QHY294C - Sensor Analysis Issue

[gwsnyder]

As near as I can figure out, the QHY installer will install copies of the .DLL into specific directories (such as the ASCOM drivers, SharpCap, etc). Installing/Re-installing SharpCap after the QHY updater has done it's thing will copy the SharpCap specific QHY .DLL into the SharpCap directory only. The SharpCap Updater application will complain that the SharpCap DLL needs updating - just ignore it.

[IZ1IVA]

As near as I can figure out, the QHY installer will install copies of the .DLL into specific directories (such as the ASCOM drivers, SharpCap, etc). Installing/Re-installing SharpCap after the QHY updater has done it's thing will copy the SharpCap specific QHY .DLL into the SharpCap directory only. The SharpCap Updater application will complain that the SharpCap DLL needs updating - just ignore it.

Makes sense, thanks!

[sharpcapt]

...

I will put the fix for the default white balance values into the next update to SharpCap 3.2, but I'm not really sure what to suggest about the e/ADU graph being incorrect – I've seen a number of glitches with different types of camera from not responding correctly to small changes in exposure to doing completely weird things like producing a bright image even when the exposure is set near to the minimum value. Usually working out what is going on takes an awful lot of trial and error and isn't something that I can really do without having the camera to play with.

Cheers, Robin

Hi
I received my QHY294c about a week ago and I seem not to be able to do Sensor Analysis (ever) - must have tried 20-25 times now in various way.

Initially with stead internal light and then pointing telescope outside on white light and some layer on the lenses.

I agree in what you are saying, some cameras seem to have glitches - Mine too.

Often noticed between 160-185 there is NO change at all in the histogram, then soon after ~185 it jumps up!

Also, if go just over 210 it starts to flicker [with white fascia on top 15% of screen] - weird.

It is so unnerving, especially since I have so little time these days and little money too - I have sweated to get this camera!

I used Version 3.2.6457.0 21/11/2020 64bit and now back on 32bit - just in case it has problems with my pc [which is a Lenovo Intel core i5-6400 2.70GHz and 16Gb matched memory - it is fast enough.

I have no idea what to do next.

Also, Sharpcap seems to set RGB to 16 , RAW8 or 16 - RGB set on 16.

Looking at Histogram- if I set RGB to 64 I can have a 'stable' Histogram on 65% [at lower Exposure].
Start Analysis and it sets it to 16 as it should - I guess [!], I checked histogram before starting and set it to 16 to see and histogram flickers as above, on 64 it is stable and adjusting correctly.

Still Sensor analysis is never done.

[admin]

Hi,

you should be setting the camera to RAW16 for the analysis (primary choice, RAW8 as an optional extra). If the analsysis repeatedly fails/gets stuck then please share the contents of the SharpCap log captured after the failure has happened.

thanks,

Robin

[sharpcapt]

Sorry for late reply - I did not have email enabled in my forum account - strange!

Anyway, I did not have the time to retry it yet and yes I did 99% of tries on highest resolution at 16bit - 8 bit was only a try.

I have read that this camera RGB should be set to 64 and not 16, so I do not understand a this point.

I am not an expert on optics or cameras, I only did a 'few' lessons on Photometry and lenses decades ago, at a Electronics and TV 'practical' course and I have not really done any advancement on Electronics... never mind Physics and I am only grasping and partially understanding Sensor Analysis.

A little information on the 'newbie' area would help a lot.

I do not seem to understand what I am doing wrong and I will see if I can send a LOG file - thinking about it, I did have some kind of problem with SharpCap that failed twice and I did send LOG through your in-the-app script that pops up.

Thanks

[sharpcapt]

I had SharpCap 32bit failing 3 times - version is 3.2.6457.

Today too - sent Log.

Then 're-started' to use 64 bit version and it seems OK.

I also found out why it was flickering - idiot me ! - USB was set to lowest point!

Will try Sensor Analysis again ... now

[sharpcapt]

Finally done it - at 0°C - I explain

I have not changed anything, but after I tried with older version of SharpCap, I went to check for QHYCCD drivers and found they have 'generally' updated it yesterday!

Installed it and check on Device Manager [WIN10] and drivers has not changed from June 2020 - not any other files - including QHYCCD.dll within SharpCap.

So, I did sensor analysis and I noticed it went through further and thought - OK it is doing it.

I do not know if QHYCCD update, updated files I do not know about - maybe patched old June 020 driver with same date? Possible.

SharpCap is the same latest stable 64bit version.

Now, I am going to do it again at -15°C - if it changes anything I do not know.

I did my Darks all at -15°C - last week.

Hers is the Sensor Analysis at 0°C

Can anyone explain it to me - in 'newbie' terms?

Thank you
M

ADDED latest Sensor analysis using latest 22 Dec 2020 QHYCCD drivers and at -15°C

[sharpcapt]

Just replaced image - I sent the QHY174M mini one !

Now correct and I am doing QHY294c Sensor Analysis again and this time at -15°C and seems to be going, already doing he Black levels now [cap on]
Finger Crossed!
It would be really nice to know what happened, I still believe the driver was amended but leaving same details/date of June 2020 - maybe just patched?

This is the one at -15°C - actually done very swiftly - maybe less than 10 minutes:

[sharpcapt]

For what I understood, my settings should be between 1250-1500 although I see many stating to set it to 1601 and RGB at 64 and Black Level 10-30 or so I gathered - if I did not get it wrong - also noticed Analysis is done at RGB of 16.

Any 'practical' and 'on the point' input?

I guess I will have to test it at 1500 and 1601 at 10-30 Black Level and RGB at 16-64 ...

Now I will have to find enough 'clear skies hours' and match it with when I actually can get out and use SharpCap Brain, rather than mine - got it now!

Anyway, I can mark Post Title this as [SOLVED] ? I cannot find a way, unless only Forum owner can.

[admin]

Hi,

thanks for posting an update – what's very odd about your graphs is that the line of red crosses which is the read noise and the line of green crosses which is the measurement of e/ADU both jump up again towards their initial value after gain value 2000 is reached. This is an indication that the qhy SDK is giving SharpCap the wrong limits for the gain range on this camera. Basically it looks as though the values wrap around possibly from 2048, so I would definitely ignore the data for the gain values bigger than that threshold.

If you want to mark the issue as solved then the trick is to go back and edit the first post in the thread and you will find that you are able to make changes to the title of that post as well as to the content.

Cheers, Robin