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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Guide camera binning state not loaded properly

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I'm having trouble with the settings for the binning state of my guide camera in Ekos.
I use the stable version of INDI and the latest stable version of Kstars (3.3.8 ) under Ubuntu 18.04 on a Rock64 SBC (arm64).
Whenever I load the guide camera (at the moment guide simulator because my equipment is in storage) into Ekos, it sets binning to 1x1. I can change the binning to 2x2 in the Image Settings tab of the guide camera. I can also save the profile with the correct binning. The configuration file in the .indi folder holds the correct binning state. But every time I reload the settings or close down Ekos and start it up again, the binning state falls back to 1x1. All other settings (pixel size, number of pixels) are loaded as they should, only the binning state is not loaded properly.
Does anyone have an idea what the cause might be?

Here's the relevant section of the config file (Guide Simulator_config.xml):

<newNumberVector device="Guide Simulator" name="CCD_FRAME">
<oneNumber name="X"> 0 </oneNumber>
<oneNumber name="Y"> 0 </oneNumber>
<oneNumber name="WIDTH"> 1280 </oneNumber>
<oneNumber name="HEIGHT"> 960 </oneNumber>
</newNumberVector>
<newNumberVector device="Guide Simulator" name="CCD_BINNING">
<oneNumber name="HOR_BIN"> 2 </oneNumber>
<oneNumber name="VER_BIN"> 2 </oneNumber>
</newNumberVector>
Last edit: 4 years 4 months ago by Wim van Berlo.
4 years 4 months ago #46200

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Wim,

I just tried to replicate the issue (KStars 3.3.8, Nightly Build: 2019-11-24T02:02:18Z, Indi nightly build) but I have to say Ekos did start with 2x2 guide head resolution after closing Ekos with this setting active. In order to make Indi remember this setting I had to save it in Indi control panel, CCD-Simulator, Options.

However, during my test I recognized another issue.

1) After a 1x1bin exposure I set the guide head to 2x2 binning, took a full frame shot and just like the 1x1bin it was displayed correctly.



2) I then set the guide head to 3x3 binning, took another shot and the resulting picture was kind of twisted.



3) I tried again with 4x4 binning and this time indiserver finished due to an indi_simulator_ccd driver crash.

I repeated the test with exactly the same outcome. Maybe someone else can try the same and verify my findings. Log is attached.
Last edit: 4 years 4 months ago by Alfred.
4 years 4 months ago #46202
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Thanks for trying this. When you wrote "guide head" did you mean the guide head tab in the ccd simulator? I used the guide simulator in the control panel. I will do more testing and report back.

Wim
4 years 4 months ago #46256

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Back at my computer and able to check some things.
1. The Guide Head tab in the CCD simulator driver (INDI Control Panel) has a binning 2x2 set
2. The Image Settings in the Guide simulator defaults to 1x1. The binning state in Ekos is also 1x1
When I change the binning state in the Guide simulator in the control panel, it also changes in Ekos. That's all good and well. I then save the Guide simulator configuration in the control panel, close ekos and reopen it. The binning state is now reset to 1x1 in the Guide simulator and in the Ekos Guide tab.

My conclusion from this exercise is that Ekos follows the simulator setting, but the configuration isn't read properly from the configuration file.
I even purged the configuration file and rewrote it with the 2x2 binning state. But it still sets the state to 1x1.
The default Guide simulator configuration file also has binning as 2x2, but even when I load the default settings from the control panel, it still sets binning to 1x1.

I'm out of ideas.
4 years 4 months ago #46328

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Sorry for being late. I did use the guide head in ccd simulator as you suspected. I re-did the test with the guide simulator and found the exact same problem that you reported. It appears the guide module needs an overhaul.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Wim van Berlo
4 years 3 months ago #46505

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And I did confirm that the guide head in the simulator works ok. But I'm not sure that other camera drivers have a guide head tab.
Due to recent knee surgery I haven't been able to any testing with my ASI cameras, but I may get them out of storage and just hook them up to my computer. Maybe it's just the simulator driver that has this issue.
4 years 3 months ago #46515

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An update:
I connected my ASI main camera and ASI guide camera plus the ASI filter wheel to my Rock64 sbc. Telescope and Focuser were simulators. I then started Ekos and all settings were fine. The guide camera loops happily at bin 2x2 while the main camera shoots away at bin 1x1. Unlike the ccd simulator driver, the ZWO CCD driver has no Guide Head tab (as is correct). Bin states of the main camera and guide camera are maintained when shutting down and restarting Ekos. It seems that the bin state issue is with the Guide/CCD simulator driver only.
4 years 3 months ago #46809

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