Dual ZWO EAFs

[PeterC65]

I have just bought two of the new ZWO EAFs (the ones with the USB-C port) but can only get one of them to work with SharpCap.

I have renamed the EAFs so that in ASCOM I have:
- ZWO Focuser 150PDS
and
- ZWO Focuser 200PDS
These are connected to the two different hardware units which I've also named appropriately in ASIStudio.

When I run SharpCap I can see the two focusers and when I look at their properties they are connected to the different hardware, but whichever I connect to, when I move the focuser in SharpCap only the 200PDS focuser moves.

In the ASCOM device hub I can also see both focusers and connect to one at a time, but whichever one I choose it always moves the 200PDS focuser.

Both focusers work and I can operate either if they are connected alone.

Any suggestions about how to run two EAFs?

Peter

[PeterC65]

After some more testing I have discovered a work around ...

If I first connect just the Explorer 150PDS focuser USB cable (which is instance 1) and connect it in SharpCap, then I also connect the Explorer 200PDS focuser USB cable (instance 0) and connect it in SharpCap, then I can control both focusers separately, via two instances of SharpCap which is what I was wanting to do.

It's a workaround but a bit of a faff, requiring me to go outside to the mount and disconnect / connect the Explorer 200PDS USB connection at the mount hub.

Peter

[admin]

Hi Peter,

do you still have problems if you take the ASCOM device hub out of the equation and connect SharpCap directly to the ASCOM drivers for the two focusers? I am just thinking that because there is only one 'Device Hub Focuser', it could never work properly via the device hub.

cheers,

Robin

[PeterC65]

Hi Robin,

I'm not sure what you mean. I fire up SharpCap without firing up any ASCOM stuff and still have the problem. I only fired up the ASCOM Device Hub afterwards to check what the setup there was looking like.

When I fire up SharpCap, from a reboot, I see the two options "ZWO Focuser 150PDS" (was "ZWO Focuser (2)") and "ZWO Focuser 200PDS" (was "ZWO Focuser (1)") in the dropdown, and whichever one I select SharpCap will only control the 200PDS focuser, unless I first connect the 150PDS focuser alone.

Peter

[admin]

Hi Peter,

ah, OK, I was thinking that you had set both SharpCap copies up to talk to 'Device Hub Focuser'.

I thought I had two ZWO EAF devices, so I was going to try to test this myself, but actually I only have one (I was misled by having 'order placed' emails a year apart for an EAF, but it looks like one of them was a glitch from the suppliers system re-sending old emails).

I *think* that this has to be an ASCOM driver issue - one SharpCap will be talking to instance 1 and one to instance 2 of the ZWO ASCOM driver, which should be sending the commands on to the two different hardware devices, but are obviously getting mixed up. I guess you are on the lates ZWO ASCOM driver version already (if not, it would be worth updating).

cheers,

Robin

[AstroChessPilot]

I have two of the older versions of the EAF and have also been having issues connecting to the second one.

This is my work around.

In Settings, Focuser 2 is the selected hardware.

After connection a camera, in Telescope Hardware Controls or Scope Controls, (depends on your version), I select Connected [Step 1]. The box will say it is connected to Focuser 2, but it is really connecting to Focuser 1, and the position indicator reflects Focuser 1 [A and B]. Then I select setup [Step 2]. When the ZWO config screens appears, I select disconnect [Step 3], and verify Focuser 2 is in the box, [Step 3.5]. Then, I select scan [Step 4] and exit [Step 5]. After this, I am able to control my Focuser 2.

There was a CloudyNights thread discussing an issue with the EAF ASCOM driver not saving its config file.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/9380 ... p=14267361

I updated my EAF ASCOM drivers to 6.5.31 which come out on 8-21-25 which was to fix the config file issue, but it didn’t change anything for me.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[admin]

Hi,

interesting, especially Dale Ghent's post on CloudyNights which suggests the problem may be a missing directory that the driver is trying to write its config into. It may be worth running this in a Windows command prompt and then seeing if anything improves with the directory present rather than missing:

Code: Select all

mkdir %LOCALAPPDATA%\ZWO

I have a much older version 6.0.2.6, which seems to store some settings in the registry (although from the look of it the same place for both EAF1 and 2) and also looks like it stores the hardware ID in the ASCOM profile (look in ASCOM profile explorer).

In my version of the EAF setup, it shows the focuser id as 'ID0' - that's worrying because it might indicate that there is no real fixed way to distinguish one from another, just that they get assigned a number - zero, one, two, etc. On the other hand, in Tom's picture from the newer version there is something more in the box that we can't see - perhaps a serial number or similar that might be a better way of tracking which device is which.

cheers,

Robin

[AstroChessPilot]

Hey Robin,

The something more in the box is the Unique Device ID I gave to Focuser 2 = ID1, I named it GUIDE. The other Focuser 1 is name MAIN.

After I found Dale's post, I created the localappdata folder on my system. Here is a copy of my .ini file it contains. Does not show much though.

This two EAF issue is what drove my question in the Suggestions Forum about using the ZWO Native EAF drivers. Somehow the way NINA is now handling two focusers, it is remembering which focuser was selected. But, I still think it is a ZWO EAF Driver issue.

Tom

[PeterC65]

Hi Robin,

My apologies for the delayed response, we were out yesterday.

I am using the ZWO driver v6.0.13 for EAF according to the ASCOM dialog. This is from the v6.5.31 ASCOM driver package which is the most recent version from the ZWO website. I only installed the EAF part.

The ZWO folder already existed on my system when I tried to add it.

I have tried the workaround suggested by Tom, so disconnecting the hardware in the ASCOM driver called up from SharpCap, then selecting the correct hardware, and this does work. So the procedure I have to adopt is:
- Run up two instances of SharpCap and connect them both to cameras (or to a test camera).
- In the first instance, select Settings, Hardware, Focuser, ZWO Focuser 200PDS. Click on Connected and all is good for the control of the 200PDS focuser.
- In the second instance, select Settings, Hardware, Focuser, ZWO Focuser 150PDS. Click on Connected and it will incorrectly control the 200PDS focuser. While it is still connected, click on Setup, click disconnect in the focuser ASCOM driver, and reselect the ZWO Focuser 150PDS hardware, exit out of the ASCOM driver dialog and all is good for the control of the 150PDS focuser.

This only works if SharpCap remains connected to the focuser during the ASCOM driver disconnect and reconnect. If I disconnect the focuser in SharpCap and then disconnect and reconnect in the ASCOM driver then that doesn't fix the problem.

In all cases, when I'm in the ASCOM driver dialog, called up from SharpCap, when I disconnect and reconnect the focusers the dialog correctly shows the current position of each. Only when SharpCap remains connected to the focuser during this time does it also pick up the current position correctly and acquire control of the correct focuser.

This is an easier work around than having to physically disconnect the USB cable, but it is still not ideal.

Peter