focusser com port not found, setup not responding

[tedcrampton]

hello
I am using windows 10 up to date with a zwo asi294 mc pro camera and a baader steeldrive focusser with steelgo software installed and working ok with the focusser on Com 3. Sharpcap version SharpCap Version 3.1.5038.0
The Sharpcap focusser module setup button is not responding and if the connect tickbox is clicked the error message appears that com1 does not exist.

Log below:
Warning: 09:22:17.5414534 Thread:#1 SharpCap.Base.Utilities.Logger.Warn(Exception e, String action, String additionalInfo, Boolean stackTrace) :: Exception of type DriverException from Not showing report button for external error : CheckDotNetExceptions ASCOM.BaaderSteelDrive.Focuser LinkSet System.IO.IOException: The port 'COM1' does not exist. (See Inner Exception for details)
Stack Trace: at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CheckDotNetExceptions(String memberName, Exception e) in c:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 630
at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.SetTargetInvocationExceptionHandler(String memberName, Exception e) in c:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 647
at ASCOM.DriverAccess.MemberFactory.CallMember(Int32 memberCode, String memberName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] parms) in c:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\MemberFactory.cs:line 373
at ASCOM.DriverAccess.AscomDriver.set_Connected(Boolean value) in c:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.DriverAccess\AscomDriver.cs:line 140
at Sharpcap.FocuserProxy.ASCOM.FocusAdaptor.set_Connected(Boolean value) in C:\Documents\Source Code\SharpCap\src\Sharpcap.FocuserProxy.ASCOM\FocusAdaptor.cs:line 263
at Sharpcap.FocuserProxy.ASCOM.FocuserWrapper.set_Connected(Boolean value) in C:\Documents\Source Code\SharpCap\src\Sharpcap.FocuserProxy.ASCOM\FocuserWrapper.cs:line 110
at SharpCap.Models.Focuser.set_Connected(Boolean value) in C:\Documents\Source Code\SharpCap\src\SharpCap\Models\Focuser.cs:line 165
at SharpCap.ViewModels.FocuserViewModel.<>c__DisplayClass66_0.<set_Connected>b__0() in C:\Documents\Source Code\SharpCap\src\SharpCap\ViewModels\FocuserViewModel.cs:line 225
at SharpCap.ViewModels.FocuserViewModel.DoWithErrorHandling(Action action, Boolean connectionCheck) in C:\Documents\Source Code\SharpCap\src\SharpCap\ViewModels\FocuserViewModel.cs:line 69
Warning: 09:22:17.5424544 Thread:#1 SharpCap.Base.Utilities.Logger.Warn(Exception e, String action, String additionalInfo, Boolean stackTrace) :: Inner Exception : System.IO.IOException: The port 'COM1' does not exist.

Apologies if I have missed something

[admin]

Hi,

I think the COM1 does not exist error is probably accurate - ie the COM port is not found or maybe it has changed to a different port number. The bug is that you can't get to setup to change the COM port - looking into it.

cheers,

Robin

[Diogenes505]

Dr. Glover
I am getting a SC error msg "connect focuser failed: IOException" I am able to connect to and control the focuser using ASCOM or the Gemini Control app so the Gemini EAF physical connection and port assignment is set up to their liking. Just not SC where I alected the same correct focuser and port assignment. Many restarts, reboot this afternoon. I can reproduce the error everytime. I cannot fix it. Please help

Cheers,
Dave Ochadlik

[admin]

Hi Dave,

the first thing to note is that there are a lot of ASCOM drivers where by default you can only connect from one application at a time - if you are connected in something else and then try to connect in SharpCap, you will get the sort of error you are reporting. On the other hand, if you are connected in SharpCap and then try to connect in something else then that second thing will get the error. What happens here is that one application connects and puts the COM port into use, meaning that the second cannot access it. I don't think this is what is happening to you, but worth pointing it out, just in case it turns out that it *is* the problem...

Beyond that, it's probably best if you can share the following so that I can get the exact info about the error

* A screenshot showing the exact error that you see
* The SharpCap log file (full text of log) captured after the failure to connect has happened

Often there are details in these that help narrow down the possible causes - things that are not obvious from a quick description of an error.

cheers,

Robin

[Diogenes505]

Robin,
The error message flashes on the screen then poof disappears. I cannot grab a screen capture. I am running two instances of SC one for the electronic finder the other for the imaging scope. This morning without opening ASCOM or Gemini. The EAF opened worked on the first instance the electronic finder. When I opened the second instance it failed. Here is the log as an attachment.

What is weird is this was all working two days ago and now it is not. Latest release of SC as far as I know.

Thanks
DaveO

[Diogenes505]

And I figured out how to get the screen capture. See attachment.

[Diogenes505]

I changed to comm port 11 First instance of SC opened successfully, second failed per the message in the screen shot.

This may be a duh self revelation but if I open one SC instance for the main scope which has the focuser (main scope + focuser)
Open a second instance for the electronic finder which doesn't need to control the focuser I'm all set except for the error popping up which I'll ignore.
I can get about my business Sunday night if the forecast is correct.

Thing is I swear the focuser was connected in both instances the other night. Right now things are behaving as you describe only one app can be connected to the focuser at a time. Which ssems odd to me because that's not the way the mount works but I am no software guy. What I mean by that is the SynScan Pro app is open on the PC and I can move the mount with it OR SC is open too and moves the mount as well.

Thank You
Dave Ocahdlik

[admin]

Hi Dave,

thanks for posting all the additional details - I think I understand what is going on now...

You have SharpCap configured to automatically connect to hardware like mounts and focusers when you open a camera. You also have it configured to use your EAF and are using two copies for the two different cameras. It's the combination of these factors (and the design of the ASCOM driver for your focuser) that are causing the problem.

As I mentioned previously, only one program can connect to a serial port at once. Some ASCOM drivers are designed with the idea of working around this problem - those ones run a separate program to actually talk to the hardware and then programs like SharpCap all send requests to that separate program and that works. Things like EQMOD, Synscan, etc, work that way. On the other hand, it's simpler not to bother with that complexity and just write an ASCOM driver that talks direct to the serial port from within SharpCap - that's what your EAF driver is doing.

OK, so when you open a camera with the first copy of SharpCap, it auto connects to the configured hardware, which will connect to the serial port and work. Now when you try opening a camera in the second SharpCap, it will also try to auto connect to the focuser, but that's already in use in the first SharpCap, so it fails.

You have the choice of a few different ways out of this...

1) Turn off auto-connect in the SharpCap 'Hardware' settings page and just manually connect the focuser in the right copy of SharpCap for the main camera.

2) Use the ASCOM 'Just a Hub' focuser to work around the problem of only being able to connect once. Configure SharpCap to talk to the 'Just a Hub' focuser, and inside the settings for that, tell it to connect to your real focuser. The 'Just a Hub' focuser will manage sharing for you between two or more copies of SharpCap

3) Set up alternative SharpCap settings profiles (this can be done via the 'File' menu if your SharpCap is right up to date). This way you can have two independent configurations for SharpCap, one for the main camera that is set to use the focuser, and one for the finder which is set not to use it.

Hope this helps,

Robin

[Diogenes505]

Hi Robin,

Got it! Based on what what you wrote on Sat Jan 31 that two apps can't talk to the EAF at the same time. Sunday night I only accessed the EAF on SC instance for the main camera. Everything worked like a charm! I was able to use autofocus and feature tracking functions. Thanks to your software I've built myself a remote control rig where I can sit in the comfort of my home office while the little telescope chugs away in the back yard. Very happy camper thank you for your help.

Dave Ochadlik

[admin]

Hi Dave,

good to hear that you are all sorted. Having remote control is brilliant - unless something goes wrong or I need to collimate then I'm always indoors while the telescope and camera are doing their bit

cheers,

Robin