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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

V4L2 CCD PHD2 stacking not working

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At the moment this is not supported in PHD2 INDI camera.
I think less and less people use webcam for guiding and I use a v4l2 camera that support long exposure (DMK21) so I not take the time to implement this function when I rewrite the interface a few years ago.

But I let comments in the code where you can do that if you are interested:
github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/blob/master/cam_INDI.cpp#L183
github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/blob/master/cam_INDI.cpp#L638

Contribution are welcome!
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq, Tomasz Pszon
6 years 1 month ago #23279

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Thank you.
I have looked into cam_wdm.cpp to get an idea how it stacking is done, but I could not figure it out.
Any suggestions?
6 years 1 month ago #23299

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I take a look and remark that streaming in PHD2 do not work at all because the INDI property name changed from VIDEO_STREAM to CCD_VIDEO_STREAM, and the switch name from ON/OFF to STREAM_ON/STREAM_OFF since the last time I check that.

I make the fix in PHD2:
github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/commit/8d...03f2b471147487c4cee0

This is why you see an image in phd2 only when you turn streaming manually in the driver.

Can you compile phd2 from source and try with my last change?
There is information here:
github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/wiki/BuildingPHD2OnLinux

This must now show and image when you start capture from phd2. If this work we can continue with the stacking process.
6 years 1 month ago #23305

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I resurrect a webcam from the attic and continue my testing.

It still not work because the v4l2_ccd driver report an EXPOSURE property even it is not supported by the camera.
When I write the phd2 client in 2015 it was not reported and I use this missing property to know the driver must use streaming instead.

I attached a debug log, it show a warning as exposure is not supported but it still send a defNumberVector for CCD_EXPOSURE.

Jasem, is it possible to not report this property in this case? or is there another way to know I must use streaming instead of standard exposure?

File Attachment:

File Name: indi_v4l2_...4857.log
File Size:8 KB
6 years 1 month ago #23310
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I have compiled as per instructions given.
Still not working,
PHD works when stream is on, if I turn it off :
INDI server localhost/7624 disconnected.
Segmentation fault (core dumped)
Last edit: 6 years 1 month ago by Tomasz Pszon.
6 years 1 month ago #23312
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I have also tried with EKOS (like sombody in other topic here) and there even if I turn stream on nothing is captured and guiding does not work.
6 years 1 month ago #23313

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Now the webcam can basically work phd2 if you compile today last git.
See:
www.indilib.org/forum/ccds-dslrs/3078-v4...-property.html#23384

If this work for you we can continue with the implementation of stacking.
6 years 1 month ago #23386

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Unfortunately, there is no way to remove it since it is based on INDI::CCD now. Maybe you can add a checkbox in PHD2 to use streaming over standard capture when available? A user preference.
6 years 1 month ago #23391

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I am a bit reluctant to add a checkbox because many user like to check the options they not need, and the risk is they use a less performant guiding by forcing to streaming a camera that also support long exposure.
At least all the users of ZWO and QHY are at risk. On the other side the users of webcam or video acquisition card are probably very few because this is not working with phd2 for nearly two years before we get a report.
6 years 1 month ago #23393

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Thank you.
It works with my webcam, it falls to streaming after trying exposure. I don't need to turn on streaming in indi driver control panel.
How could we make stacking work?
Last edit: 6 years 1 month ago by Tomasz Pszon.
6 years 1 month ago #23395

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I implemented stacking now:
github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/commit/18...570b88a5dbc2b1201c13

Can you compile the last git and try it?
6 years 1 month ago #23405

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It works very nice. Thank you very much.
I have just noticed that it starts streaming and works for the time set in PHD's exposure control and then stops and starts again (This behaviour started in the version without stacking (github.com/OpenPHDGuiding/phd2/commit/8e...c203243953f11290b6f5))
It only lowers number of frames available for stacking if exposure time is set to 1, or 2 seconds (15 instead of 20 for 1s).
Last edit: 6 years 1 month ago by Tomasz Pszon.
6 years 1 month ago #23407

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