I have been using the sequencer for years and it has worked well.
But this is the first time I have tried to include a block to automatically do a meridian flip, then carry on.
The logic of this seems straightforward.
The start guiding line could be placed in a couple of different places, other than what I tried here.
I have everything running before I get to this step. Target, tracking, guiding, camera settings, etc.
But when it gets to the conditional step monitoring the meridian, it fails when it tries to start guiding again.
This is with an HEQ5 mount connected and controlled using ASCOM.
Got any idea why it fails at the start guiding step?
SEQUENCE
SAVE MOUNT COORDINATES
LOOP 4 TIMES
PRESERVE CAMERA SETTINGS
FOCUSER CONNECT
SET EXPOSURE TO 1
SET GAIN TO 350
AUTOFOCUS OFFSET -50 TO 50 STEP COUNT 9 BACKLASH 100
END PRESERVE
PERIODIC "Meridian Handling Steps" WHEN WITHIN 0 MINUTES OF MERIDIAN
GUIDING STOP
PRESERVE CAMERA SETTINGS
MOUNT GOTOTARGET
DELAY 5
SET EXPOSURE TO 1
SET GAIN TO 350
MOUNT SOLVEANDSYNC
END PRESERVE
END PERIODIC
GUIDING START **** It's failing here ****
GUIDING DITHER EVERY 4 FRAMES
CAPTURE 30 FRAMES REQUIREGUIDING True
END LOOP
END SEQUENCE
Meridian flip sequence
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Re: Meridian flip sequence
Hi,
Ok, your guiding is failing because the sequence is missing a 'Monitor Guiding Application' step at the start (it shows in the code as 'GUIDING CONNECT'). This tells SharpCap to start talking to PHD2 - without that, the instruction to start guiding fails because there is no connection.
The other thing I would suggest is to put your 'Periodic' definition at the top of the sequence rather than inside the loop. Once the periodic function is defined it will be checked regularly (between any two sequencer steps and between still frame captures) - there's no need to have it in the loop and it might just be part of the problem.
You probably also want to put a 'GUIDING START' at the end of the periodic handler too - that will mean that when it exits from the periodic it is back in the same state as when it started.
cheers,
Robin
Ok, your guiding is failing because the sequence is missing a 'Monitor Guiding Application' step at the start (it shows in the code as 'GUIDING CONNECT'). This tells SharpCap to start talking to PHD2 - without that, the instruction to start guiding fails because there is no connection.
The other thing I would suggest is to put your 'Periodic' definition at the top of the sequence rather than inside the loop. Once the periodic function is defined it will be checked regularly (between any two sequencer steps and between still frame captures) - there's no need to have it in the loop and it might just be part of the problem.
You probably also want to put a 'GUIDING START' at the end of the periodic handler too - that will mean that when it exits from the periodic it is back in the same state as when it started.
cheers,
Robin