Dangerous bug in Sequencer - SharpCap v4.1.13096.0 (X64, 64 bit)

[CarCarlo147]

Hi Robin, I found a dangerous bug in the Sequencer with the "Move the mount to (RA,Dec)" step.
The Right Ascension coordinates that are sent to the mount are wrong and tend to point the optic downwards .
The coordinates entered are correct ,as you can see from the log I attach, but the coordinates that are in the brackets are wrong.

This error occurs only in the Sequencer, not from the go to... item in the tool menu.

Code: Select all

08:58:44 Starting  : 
08:58:44 Starting  : Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:44 Info      : 'Setting target name to NGC7380, RA=22:47:21' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:46 Info      : 'Slewing, 18,1° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:46 Info      : 'Slewing, 10,4° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:47 Info      : 'Slewing, 2,7° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:47 Info      : 'Slewing, 2,7° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:48 Info      : 'Slewing, 0,0° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:48 Info      : 'Slewing, 0,0° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:49 Info      : 'Slewing, 0,0° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:49 Info      : 'Slewing, 0,0° from target at RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:49 Info      : 'Waiting for mount to settle' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:49 Info      : 'Mount slew complete, waiting for mount to settle.' while running step Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:54 Completed : Move the mount to (RA,Dec) NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=00:00:00,0,Dec=+58:07:56)
08:58:54 Completed : 
08:58:54 Finished

[admin]

Hi,

where did the target co-ordinates come from? It looks like the co-ordinates aren't handled correctly by the parsing code due to the ',' being used as a decimal separator in the seconds of RA

Code: Select all

NGC7380, RA=22:47:21,0,Dec=+58:07:56

I am guessing that the comma is set as decimal separator on your system and those probably came from some catalog selection in SharpCap, so I need to fix the co-ordinate parsing code to cope with this situation (and probably make it so that the code that creates the co-ordinate text uses '.' not ','. I will certainly try to fix that for the next update.

If your scope ended up pointing downwards then you should also check your ASCOM telescope mount driver settings. Most ASCOM drivers have altitude limits as a safety net to try to prevent this sort of thing happening even if software like SharpCap requests it. If those limits exist, it's worth leaving them switched on.

cheers,

Robin

[CarCarlo147]

I did not enter the coordinates, these are all steps performed with the sequence editor open, I open the target selection from the catalog included in sharpcap, select the object and click select Target.
See attachments for the steps.

Immagine 2025-02-07 162658.png (20.93 KiB) Viewed 555 times

Immagine 2025-02-07 162704.png (60.93 KiB) Viewed 555 times

If I perform the same steps from Menu, Tool, GoTo Catalog Target/Co-ordinates everything works. This confirms that the driver and the telescope settings work.

[CarCarlo147]

I also attach a portion of the log by performing the steps from: Menu, Tool, GoTo Catalog Target/Co-ordinates

As you say the comma is now a point.
But it is sharpcap that in the sequencer has formatted the coordinates incorrectly.

Code: Select all

SEQUENCE
    MOUNT TRACKING Sidereal
    TARGETNAME NGC7380
    MOUNT SET TARGET TO RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56
    MOUNT GOTO RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56
    WAIT FOR FRAME
    MOUNT SOLVESYNCONLY
    MOUNT GOTO RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56
END SEQUENCE                  in async Task SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.RunAsync(ScriptBlock script)
Debug   16:32:43.294941 #1  Sequencer : Starting  :                                                                                                 in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.295143 #1  Sequencer : Starting  : Set mount tracking rate to Sidereal                                                             in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.364876 #1  Sequencer : Completed : Set mount tracking rate to Sidereal                                                             in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.365082 #1  Sequencer : Starting  : Set imaging target name to 'NGC7380'                                                            in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Info    16:32:43.365384 #1  Target name changed to NGC7380                                                                                          in void SharpCap.Models.Application.set_TargetName(string value)
Debug   16:32:43.367324 #1  Sequencer : Completed : Set imaging target name to 'NGC7380'                                                            in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.367705 #1  Sequencer : Starting  : Set the target to (RA,Dec) RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56)            in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.371275 #1  Sequencer : Completed : Set the target to (RA,Dec) RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56)            in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)
Debug   16:32:43.371459 #1  Sequencer : Starting  : Move the mount to (RA,Dec) RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56 (RA=22:47:21.0,Dec=+58:07:56)            in void SharpCap.Sequencer.SequencerContext.OnProgress(string e)

[admin]

Hi,

yes, that was what I was worried about - that it was a co-ordinate that had come from catalog selection and was failing to be processed correctly

cheers,

Robin