SharpCap Forums

For those who have or are planning to purchase the new ASI294mm Pro, ZWO released an updated SDK yesterday to unlock the binning at the request of many users. Now you can use it at 2.31 um pixel size (x1 bin) in addition to the 4.63 um pixel size (now the default x2 bin) when it was initially released.

Hi,

yes, I had an email from ZWO this morning announcing the release of a new SDK. I will try to get it into a new version of SharpCap over the next few days. I'd suggest using the 64 bit version of SharpCap if you're going to use this camera in all its 47 megapixel glory

Cheers, Robin

HI Robin

Good reminder- I have been using this camera with the 64 bit version of SharpCap and it works perfectly.

Bruce

Further update from ZWO on bin settings............


bin1 2.3um 12bit ADC

bin2 sensor bin2 4.6um 14bit ADC

bin3 software bin3 2.3um 12bit ADC

bin4 sensor bin2 + software bin2 4.6um 14bit ADC

Essentially, bin 2 was the only option available when the camera became available.

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It will be interesting to test for higher resolution using HW bin 1 vs. SW bin 3.

Bruce

Hi,

you should also rerun the sensor analysis, since the data that's previously been collected will now be invalid.

Cheers, Robin

does this work with ZWO 294 MC Pro ?

When will SharpCap modify their driver for the new ASI294MM as their driver will not unlock the higher resolution? In fact, there is now a bug where if I use the ASCOM driver in another application, then come back to the SharpCap and use the SharpCap ZWO driver, the image is stretched horizontally. I have to close SharpCap and then unplug the power from the camera and the USB connector. Then plug them back in and start up SharpCap.

Using the 64 Bit version, I am able to access the higher resolutions. I did a sensor test at Bin 1, and the sensor does behave a bit differently and loses the bump in dynamic range at Gain 120. Also, as noted about, the bit depth drops to 12 from 14 and the dynamic range near unity gain drops from about 13 to 11. I think that I will still use Bin 2 for most of my imaging as I was not that impressed with the first images that I took at bin 1. Previous images at the old Bin 1...now Bin 2 levels were excellent and the dynamic range difference is more noticeable then then resolution change. Also, it is a pain dealing with the large file sizes.

One question though Robin. I wanted to try and do a sensor analysis with the 64 Bit application, but set the binning to 2. It will not perform a sensor analysis with binning set to 2. Is there a way to get it to do that?

Hi,

the sensor analysis isn't designed to be able to be run with binning enabled – in fact it's not really necessary, since once you have the behaviour of the individual pixels worked out, you can work out the behaviour of the sensor with binning enabled from standard statistical operations. Of course if things like the gain control of the switch between HCG and LCG mode behave differently when binning is applied then that assumption isn't true anymore.

It would be useful to see the final graphs and data from both types of analysis on the 294 MM (both with the later SharpCap running at the full resolution and an older SharpCap running at the lower resolution). Maybe that will let me work out if any additional adjustments need to take place with this model.

Cheers, Robin

Thanks Robin. I have attached the two analysis at the new Bin 1x1, and the old Bin 1X1. As you can see, the read noise does behave quite differently, and the camera also lowers to 12 bit from 14 bit. Another issue that I had last night was trying to use Focus assist with the 64 bit version and Bin 1x1. I kept getting an error, and SharpCap crashes.