Error on Start-up - Focuser

A place to report problems and bugs in SharpCap
Forum rules


If you have a problem or question, please check the FAQ to see if it already has an answer : https://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap-faqs

Please also read about Troubleshooting USB Issues before posting.

*** Please do not post license keys - please report any problems with licensing to 'admin' by private message ***

Please include the following details in any bug report:

* Version of SharpCap
* Camera and other hardware being user
* Operating system version
* Contents of the SharpCap log after the problem has occurred.
[If SharpCap crashes, please send the bug report when prompted instead of including the log]
Starmapper
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:55 pm

Error on Start-up - Focuser

#1

Post by Starmapper »

I'm using version3.0.4008.0 and every time I start it and connect to any camera (including the Test cameras) I get an error message "An error occurred while trying to connect to your focuser". I can hit "Ignore" but the error repeats every 10-15 seconds. It took me awhile but I found under "File/SharpCap Settings/Hardware the Focuser drop down menu is blank. Under the drop down menu there are nine lines - but only 8 have a value, and the blank line is selected. (The other lines are "None", "ASCOM Simulator Focuser Drive" etc.) It seems the default Focuser for any camera is the blank line. If I select "None" the problem goes away until the next time I start SharpCap. Note that the Filter Wheel and Mount items under Hardware both default to "None". Is there a way to change the default value for Focuser or delete the blank line from the focuser list?
Scripting works - but without the Pro license I can't run the script at startup.

Thanks
SharpCap Log 1.txt
(11.75 KiB) Downloaded 172 times
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#2

Post by admin »

Ah, that's interesting...

SharpCap stores the focuser name of the focuser it wants to connect to or an empty string if no focuser is selected. It looks like the 'Meade.Focuser' device you have installed has no name configured, which means that SharpCap incorrectly picks that device at startup when no device is selected (and that device appears as a blank line in the list of devices).

I will fix this in the upcoming 3.1 release to give a device a name even if no name is configured.

Some things you can try for now would include uninstalling the Meade focuser driver or selecting one of the 'simulator' focusers that ASCOM has.

cheers,

Robin
Starmapper
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:55 pm

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#3

Post by Starmapper »

Thanks Robin. I didn't even know I had a Meade.Focuser installed, and I'm not sure how it got there. I'll try to find the driver and un-install it, and let you know if anything works.
Starmapper
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:55 pm

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#4

Post by Starmapper »

I upgraded to Version 3.2.59580.0 and now I have the exact problem I had with an older version, except with the Mount instead of the Focuser (see original post). The program opens to a default mount of "blank" (not NONE) and so the error message shows up. I was never able to find Meade drivers to fix the focuser issue, but your subsequent releases fixed the original problem. The problem doesn't occur using version 3.1.5220.0. I also noticed in the current version there are 10 mounts listed under the drop down Hardware Menu in Settings, including "none" and a blank line between "Generic Hub" and "Pipe diagnostic tool" (exactly where a Meade mount would show). In version 3.1 there were only two: None and On Camera ST-4. Also of note: when I select some of the mounts in version 3.2 and display properties, I get error messages. Others display mount controls.
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#5

Post by admin »

Hi,

I've looked through the uploaded bug reports and I think I've located the ones that relate to the problems that you've been having. It looks to me that you have an Ascom driver for the mount 'lxp.telescope' installed, but it doesn't seem to be working correctly as it creates an error when SharpCap tries to activate it. I'd suggest that the best way to try and fix this problem would be to uninstall and then possibly reinstall that Ascom driver to see if that fixes the problem.

Cheers, Robin
Starmapper
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:55 pm

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#6

Post by Starmapper »

Thanks Robin. I'll try, but just like with the focuser issue I have trouble finding/uninstalling the various specific drivers. That's my problem though.
Carlesa25
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 1:25 pm

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#7

Post by Carlesa25 »

Hi, I could not connect my nFocus focuser, whether I use the Ascom POTH_hub option or the GCUSB_nFOCUS option.
Error when connecting to COM5 (which is where it is correctly connected).
There is no log with information about this error.
With other programs the focuser works perfectly. Thanks and regards.
I have PRO version 3.2.5.964.0
Last edited by Carlesa25 on Sun Mar 24, 2019 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#8

Post by admin »

Hi,

Please can you share your SharpCap log captured after you have tried to connect to the focuser. You can find the SharpCap blog by looking in the help menu and choosing 'show log'.

Cheers, Robin
Carlesa25
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 1:25 pm

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#9

Post by Carlesa25 »

admin wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:06 pm Hi,

Please can you share your SharpCap log captured after you have tried to connect to the focuser. You can find the SharpCap blog by looking in the help menu and choosing 'show log'.

Cheers, Robin
Hello: I enclose report error, I can not select the log since the error blocks SharpCap.

COMException at {TargetType}.{TargetFunc}_{LineNumber}#59378.error
User avatar
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: Vale of the White Horse, UK
Contact:

Re: Error on Start-up - Focuser

#10

Post by admin »

Hi,

In that error report it looks like the focuser has connected correctly but has triggered an error when you try to use the focus scan functionality. It looks like you may have a focus position of very close to 0 which may be part of the problem – normally you would expect to start with the focus position that is quite high – for example 10,000. Focus positions are not supposed to go below zero, but maybe the scan is trying to set the position below zero and causing the problem. I think with the GC USB focuser there is a way to reset the value without moving the focus of the to get yourself back to a sensible starting value.

Hope this helps, Robin
Post Reply