Potential ASCOM focuser bug in SharpCap v4.1.10700.0 (32 bit)

[A.Cidadão]

Hi Robin, v4.1 32 bit looking good!!

Here is a potential ASCOM focuser bug that I noticed in SharpCap v4.1.10700.0 (32 bit). I do not know if it was existent in previous 4.1 32bit version(s).

1) the focuser (FLI, 32 bit ASCOM driver) works perfectly in 4.0

2) in 4.1, when I click to connect the focuser, it links, moves to home position and returns to the specified initial step value as it should. then it disconnects and an error message appears (attached png file) stating that the focuser name is not recognized. Interestingly, the word focuser is repeated twice in the error name (FLI focuser focuser).

3) also attach the log file showing the error details.

Thanks!

António

[admin]

Hi Antonio,

from the log it looks like the attempt by SharpCap to connect to the driver is failing. I suspect that the driver is quite an old one and only implements the first version of the ASCOM focuers specification. In that early version, you had to use a command called 'Link' to connect to focusers, but in later versions the command becomes 'Connected' to be compatible with other ASCOM hardware like mount and filter wheel drivers.

The ASCOM platform is supposed to handle this discrepancy for apps like SharpCap, but maybe the new version in 4.1 is not quite doing the job right?

Do you have the download link for the driver please? Since it is failing on connection I should be able to debug this without needing the hardware.

thanks,

Robin

[A.Cidadão]

Thank you so much Robin!

The current links for the setup downloads from FLI are the following (32 and 64 bit versions)

https://www.flicamera.com/downloads/FLI ... 1.0-32.zip
https://www.flicamera.com/downloads/FLI ... 1.0-64.zip

I also have the original installation files from FLI that also provide a stand-alone focuser control software (FLIfocus; it's 32 bit software). Please let me know if they are needed. The focuser has an USB dongle.

Here is the resut of performing ASCOM diagnostics (32-bit; 64-bit does not recognize the driver).

FLI.Focuser
..............................................................................
Create Creating device
Connected Connecting to device
Connected Trying Connected
Connected Trying Link: 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'Connected'

Name Property not available - 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'Name'
Description Property not available - 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'Description'
DriverInfo Property not available - 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'DriverInfo'
DriverVersion Property not available - 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'DriverVersion'
InterfaceVersion Property not available - 'System.__ComObject' não contém uma definição para 'InterfaceVersion'
IsMoving False
Position 1000

Connected Disconnecting from device
Dispose Disposing of device
ReleaseComObject Releasing COM instance
ReleaseComObject Completed release. Count: 0
GC Collect Starting garbage collection
GC Collect Completed garbage collection

.....................................................................................................................

Thanks!

António

[admin]

Hi Antonio,

I had a look at the FLI focuser driver, and it seems to be pretty ancient in software terms (dating from 2011). It's clearly not built to modern ASCOM standards and it's worrying that the conformance checker is seeing the same errors as SharpCap.

However, I tried accessing it via the ASCOM 'Device Hub Focuser' and when I tried that it still doesn't work, but I get a sensible error - that it cannot connect because I have not selected a focuser. That to me looks like it is actually getting to the code that should do the connection and failing because I don't have the right hardware. Hopefully if you try that approach, it will work properly.

cheers,

Robin

[A.Cidadão]

Thank you so much Robin!

It now works

I chose FLI.focuser as the focuser in ASCOM device hub, and device hub focuser as the focuser in SharpCap, as you suggested.

Super great user support!

Kind regards

António

[admin]

Hi Antonio,

I did some more digging and there is a tiny bug in the ASCOM library that I am using in SharpCap that is causing the original problem. I have reported it to the ASCOM developers and hopefully we will soon have a fix that doesn't need the device hub.

cheers,

Robin