Try playing with the gain settings until you get a desirable result. It works fine on my QHY5L-II

I read through this topic but I cannot figure out how people got INDI to connect to their SSAG.

Thanks to a post in the second page of the thread, I have working udev rules that load the QHY5 firmware on the device when I plug it in, and I can even connect to it with PHD2. If I try to connect from KStars/Ekos with "QHY CCD", I get an "Unable to establish".

I'm on Ubuntu 16.10 using with everything installed from the PPA. The KStars log has this in it:

2016-11-28T18:25:59.877 - DEBG - Ekos: "Starting INDI services..."
2016-11-28T18:25:59.877 - DEBG - INDI: Starting local drivers...
2016-11-28T18:25:59.883 - DEBG - INDI: INDI Server started locally on port 7624
2016-11-28T18:25:59.883 - DEBG - INDIListener: Adding a new client manager to INDI listener..
2016-11-28T18:25:59.884 - DEBG - INDI: Connecting to local INDI server on port 7624 ...
2016-11-28T18:25:59.884 - DEBG - Connection to INDI server is successful
2016-11-28T18:25:59.884 - DEBG - Ekos: "INDI services started on port 7624. Please connect devices."
2016-11-28T18:25:59.893 - DEBG - INDI Server: "2016-11-29T01:25:59: startup: /usr/bin/indiserver -v -p 7624 -m 100 -f /tmp/indififoec7cd979 "
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: "2016-11-29T01:25:59: listening to port 7624 on fd 3"
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: "FIFO: start indi_qhy_ccd"
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: "FIFO: Starting driver indi_qhy_ccd"
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: "2016-11-29T01:25:59: Driver indi_qhy_ccd: pid=12661 rfd=4 wfd=7 efd=8"
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: "2016-11-29T01:25:59: Client 5: new arrival from 127.0.0.1:43816 - welcome!"
2016-11-28T18:25:59.894 - DEBG - INDI Server: ""
2016-11-28T18:26:05.060 - DEBG - Ekos: "Unable to establish:\n+ QHY CCD\nPlease ensure the device is connected and powered on."


There are no INDI logs because the device will not even connect.


I guess I could use PHD2 for guiding and Ekos for the rest, but I'd like to get it all working in Ekos. Anyone who has it working have any ideas?

You know the PID:VID? Post it.

There are 2 problems and solutions to the Orion SSAG issue.

First, is the address (PID,VID) for the camera is not the same as the QHY5, thus, the camera can not be recognized.

Second, is the directory location of the camera's .HEX file. Over the years, different authors have moved this location from the original directory.

The solution options are:

1: Reprogram the camera's microprocessor to give it the address of the QHY5 camera. (I do not advocate this method only because you will own a confused camera should you ever want to resell it.)

2: Give the OS and the camera what they want. In the udev rules include a rule which identifies the PID:VID of the Orion SSAG and automatically loads the HEX file and sym link for it to be seen as a QHY5.

Now, once and for all, here is the problem with this solution. Whatever guide software you use, whether its Lin_guider, PHD, or some other, you MUST locate the .HEX files for the camera wherever that software wants to find them. You can always have multiple locations for udev and .hex files; duplicates. But, they must exist in the proper location, and, you must have permissions to access them.

Best wishes,
Dan

I have already done this (setup the udev rules to load QHY5.HEX). That is why the device shows up as:

16c0:296d Van Ooijen Technische Informatica

And it *works* with PHD2.

My issue is that INDI does not connect to it, and I'd like to setup a remote indi server to control everything.

I have always had trouble connecting my SSAG via INDI. Sometimes it connects and sometimes not. It's never very stable for me either. I have also had trouble with the SSAG in controlling my mount via the on camera ST-4 port. I ended up having to use PHD2 with the QHY5 drivers for the SSAG and selected INDI mount to control my mount. If I try controlling both of my iOptron mounts (SmartEQ and ZEG25GT) via the ST-4 ports N-S works in manual guiding, but E-W does not. I have tried multiple ST-4 cables and two different SSAG's. I suspect there may be an issue with the drivers for the iOptron mounts in that regard. It seems to work ok if I select INDI mount instead of on camera though. I haven't had weather allowing for a field test, but I can hear the motors slew in manual guide mode now.

Gentlemen, this might be a useful rant about INDI, so, just for this once, I am going to indulge myself. The system I am familiar with is fairly complex (telescope, mount, guide camera, focuser, filter wheel, and main camera), all from different vendors. By that I mean, no two devices are manufactured by the same company. As one can imagine, this is rather problematic when it comes to drivers and software control.

IMHO
For us, solving the camera here, camera there, camera gone game, was solved using separate usb cabling and using separate software packages for guiding and the remaining items. It has already been mentioned that we use Lin_guider. It should also be mentioned that Lin_guider allows remote operation of it. Though, I have never tried it out. Further, it should be mentioned that power up connection of devices is critical in both, available current for usb powered devices such as the SSAG, AND, in connection timing. The likely problem being, devices such as the telescope mounting, ccd camera, or filter wheel, may require longer than usual 'boot sequence' times. In our particular case, powering the mount, filter wheel and primary ccd camera long before attempting connections is necessary for proper device discovery.

I should go on to mention, we utilize usb repeated cables of 50' and place our small powered hub near the telescope. Cables with ferrite filters were also found problematic and required elimination for certain devices.

I wasn't trying to start a rant or anything, I am pretty new to astrophotography (but not linux development/sysadmin stuff) and just acquired an AVX and the ssag. I'm setting up a software stack to do the guiding/imaging on a laptop for testing but my goal is to move everything to a rpi3 attached to the mount and connected to my network. INDI connects to and controls the mount just fine, but I have yet to get the SSAG working. It works in PHD2, but I didn't think that could be used remotely like INDI; if lin_guider can maybe I'll try that.

After that I just need to get it working with my Canon t4i...

I also am not on a rant. I personally really like the INDI/Ekos package and have had very little issues with it other than the autoguiding. I believe my autoguiding issues to be something specific to my iOptron mounts and the SSAG. Even though those worked under windows, there is probably just enough of a difference in something that is making it problematic out of the box. I think I have a workaround solution for my particular issue but am waiting for clear skies to try it out. I know I am consistently able to connect to the camera using the native QHY5 drivers in both PHD2 and lin_guider. I haven't been able to get the successful calibration yet since the ST-4 cable doesn't want to step E and W with my mount. Changing the mount to the INDI mount in PHD2 seems to have overcome that issue, but I haven't been able to test it out yet. I agree with what you said about manufacturers. They change stuff under the covers all the time and don't bother to tell the consumers as long as their published drivers and API's still work. I do think the INDI/Ekos solution may very well own the world someday as it's maturity continues to develop. I am plate solving in under 10 seconds and imaging just fine. Once guiding is a go, I will be in like flynn.

I have this same setup. AVX + SSAG + DSLR + RPI3. I'm using a Nikon D5100 :-/ I have had my share of troubles, but mostly it's working, though weather is really hampering my efforts. The biggest problem is I fight with my mount alignment, but I think I'm just trying to skip too far ahead versus my skill level. It should all be doable in theory right?

My SSAG also works in PHD2. You can run PHD2 as a server and connect to the PHD2 server via Ekos. That at least gets you AG status in Ekos and it will work as an integrated solution as intended. PHD2 can be run directly on the RPI with a remote window over X11 forwarding.

I haven't been successful with the autoguiding yet in Ekos, but the SSAG does connect and it does take exposures. The first time I tried it could not calibrate, but I think some settings were off, since it was calibrating in PHD2.

For me PHD2 is the gold standard. If it works there it should work everywhere else, but there may be some difference between your model SSAG and mine (I bought mine used). I'll post the stats I have on mine to this thread next time I'm sitting in front of the setup.

Update.

So I tried with my Canon 650D and INDI woudln't connect to that either (gphoto2 command line can see it). I wasn't sure what else to try so I downloaded the Ekos VM to try a pre-made environment.

With the Ekos VM, INDI connects to both my SSAG and my 650D. I haven't tried anything beyond connecting yet but since I couldn't even do that before I'm guessing the problem has to do with the driver versions in the mutlaqja/ppa repo and the libraries in ubuntu 16.10 ( libgphoto2-6 is 2.5.10-3 and libqhy is 0.1.8+r2746)

So I'm back from Windows to Linux again, as Windows was just... well... Windows. Indi and Linux are so much better suited for remote work. I can now confirm binning is finally working again (huge thanx Jasem!), but I also had this white-image all of a sudden. Didn't turn gain down yet, but it used to be fine setting the gain at 60 and getting a well exposed image. I also wouldn't expect a 100% white image even at high gains. I'll give it a dry test later today.