Crash with FCUSB focusser?

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BlueAstra
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:56 am

Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#1

Post by BlueAstra »

I'm using Sharpcap Pro 3.0.4076 on a HP Touchsmart TX2 laptop (3GB, 32bit) with Windows Vista Home Premium. I have an Altair 178M camera, a Zwo filter wheel and an Shoestring FCUSB focus interface.

If I have the camera, FW and FCUSB attached (separate USB sockets) and I can start Sharpcap normally. When I select the camera (or test cam 1) the Sharpcap windows go white, with 'Sharpcap not responding' displayed at the top. If I attempt to close the main window I get a box saying 'Sharpcap not responding, close or wait'. If I close it, windows tries to find a solution, which I cancel, and Sharpcap closes.

If I attach the camera and FW everything works normally. If I start up with only the camera and FW attached, the program starts normally and I can select the camera (test camera 1 in this case). I do get an error message that the FCUSB is not attached. If I then attach the FCUSB and go to Settings/Hardware/Apply/Cancel (FW and FCUSB listed), the FW and FCUSB appear in Scope Controls and both work normally (previously it would also crash if I ended with OK rather than Cancel, but this seems to have stopped happening).

I have tried the FCUSB with 'FocusPal' software and MaximDL and it works normally. I've added the log as an attachment (only FCUSB and Test Camera 1 attached).

I did have some trouble upgrading to 3.0.4076 recently. It looked like the upgrade had failed, but when I tried the program it showed the upgraded version number and operated normally. I did not try the FW and FCUSB prior to the upgrade. I don't seem to get a crash bug report, and running the program with sharpcap.exe /dump doesn't seem to produce a file.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,
Graham
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Log_2018-01-29T02_32_29-4948.log
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admin
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Re: Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#2

Post by admin »

Hi Graham,

looks like the ZWO ASCOM driver for the wheel is giving an obvious error in the log you include, so let's focus on fixing that first and then move on. I have a ZWO wheel here - I will test and see if I see the same issue. What version of their ASCOM driver do you have installed?

Another thing to check - are you using a USB hub? If you connect a high speed camera and other devices to a single port via a hub that can lead to issues if the camera is using all the available USB bandwidth. If possible bring all devices back to separate ports on the computer. If not, have a hub for the low bandwidth things (mount, wheel, focuser) and bring the high speed camera back to another port.

cheers,

Robin
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Re: Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#3

Post by admin »

Hmm, searching for "System.Dynamic.ExcepInfo.GetException" I find this thread https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/5546 ... tart-over/ where someone has the same error from the ZWO wheel driver in SGP :(

Everything works as expected with my ZWO EFWmini with the latest ZWO ASCOM drivers - mind you I'm using Win10 - I don't have a Vista system any more.

Robin
BlueAstra
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:56 am

Re: Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#4

Post by BlueAstra »

Sorry for not being clear. There is no problem with FW. It gave an error because it wasn't connected when I did the test. When connected the FW works fine. The camera, FW and FCUSB are in separate USB sockets in the laptop. The problem appears to be purely with the FCUSB.

Regards
Graham
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Re: Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#5

Post by admin »

I was sure I'd replied here - maybe I started writing the reply and got distracted and closed the browser :(

Am I correct in understanding that it all seems to go wrong when SharpCap tries to start all 3 devices at once, but works if you start the camera first and then connect the other hardware?

In that case, SharpCap 3.1 might already have the solution for you - in 3.1 you can choose to not have the hardware autoconnect when you open a camera - the focuser/filterwheel will start disconnected and you can connected them by simply ticking the 'connected' box in the control panel for each device.

The downside is that 3.1 will not install on Vista - Vista is too old to understand the modern code signing that I put on the installer. If you have a Win7 or later machine, you should be able to install 3.1 on that, then copy the files to the Vista machine and that should work.

hope this helps,

Robin
BlueAstra
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2017 9:56 am

Re: Crash with FCUSB focusser?

#6

Post by BlueAstra »

If I connect the camera and FW only, prior to or after starting Sharpcap, there is no problem. The problem occurs if I also add the FCUSB prior to starting Sharpcap and select the camera, I then get the white windows. If I connect the FCUSB after selecting the camera, and then go to settings, I can get the FCUSB working - as described above. Unfortunately I only have Vista Pro on the laptop so I will have to use the work around.

Graham
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