Issue - EKOS Scheduler that was working only days ago performing meridian flip has now stopped performing flip
Test case set up and in the logs at 11:26 am Aug 4 -  - tracking  location successfully, images (darks) capturing fine
Mount Tab show MF_Ready and Flip if HA> 1.95 degrees is triggered
Scheduler finishes a capture after about 163 seconds after MF_ready is triggered
Scheduler does NOT pause next capture and basically ignores the flip ready to go
I manually STOP the  scheduler after the next capture -> the FLIP immediately starts and completes!!!!!!
so there is s break or block in transmission of the MF ready message pattern - or perhaps the acceptance
Please advise - since I have not rebuilt or updated code and I was successfully flipping within the past few weeks I am at a loss as to why this is happening

KSTARS 3.5.4Beta  (modified by me many months ago in ekos/capture.cpp to correct placement of pre-capture script - this has been operational with flip since changed)
INDI 1.9.1
 

Jamie,
that's really strange. Could you please increase the log level to verbose? Currently, I have no explanation for this behavior.
Cheers
Wolfgang

I will see what I can do and reproduce but since I posted this I found a work around (which actually point directly at the root) -if I add a small delay in the capture panel to the sequence being made (say 5-10 seconds) the flip happens consistently. So I know that sequence is rolling along and starting next capture while not seeing the MF_ready flag....since adding a delay between captured flip has been good 100% of the time

If I capture again with more logging I will post (lol...dont want to waste my good nights so will do in daytime with darks)

I was testing my OnStep LX200 mount controller today indoors and Ekos was counting down to the meridian flip and it never did it.

It says it started, then 2 seconds later Ekos says it is done.  The mount just keeps tracking and never does a flip.

try my post above - add a 5 sec delay between captures in the sequence you use - would be good to get a second confirmation....

I was not even imaging.  I was just letting the mount do it's thing and tracking a star near the meridian.  The software started counting down to the flip and never did it.

I noticed you had yours at 1.9 degrees.  Mine was at 0 hours.  I am new too this so i was not sure what setting to use.

I will test again tomorrow with 1.9 degrees.

This sounds like kstars and your mount do not share exactly the same location or the same time. Have you set the "Times & Location Updates" option? You can find the option under the INDI options of KStars. Typically "Kstars updates all devices" is the appropriate setting.

If this does not help, please set the logging level to "Verbose" and post the log file here. A meridian flip is nothing trivial...

More instances of flip not happening - this time I had a delay between exposures (my work around that did work for a while) - log is attached - around 23;22 through to 00:25 or so you can see that all levels KNOW MF is ready and requested - but I THINK that there are actions in capture that prevent the flip from happening and it never gets back to trying - the image downloaded here was a capture while mount was slewing!!!!! - this feels like the stages and states get out of sync as we should not even be in mid capture if a slewing is on the go...More instances of flip not happening - this time I had a delay between exposures (my work around that did work for a while) - log is attached - around 23;22 through to 00:25 or so you can see that all levels KNOW MF is ready and requested - but I THINK that there are actions in capture that prevent the flip from happening and it never gets back to trying - the image downloaded here was a capture while mount was slewing!!!!! - this feels like the stages and states get out of sync as we should not even be in mid capture if a slewing is on the go...

any help would be appreciated

[2021-08-20T00:52:19.122 EDT INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 1 out of 25."
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.156 EDT DEBG ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - setMeridianFlipStage:  "MF_READY"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.156 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - Received capture meridianFlipStatusChange  "FLIP_ACCEPTED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.156 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - meridianFlipStatusChanged  "FLIP_ACCEPTED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.156 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - Setting meridian flip status to  "FLIP_PLANNED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.157 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - meridianFlipStatusChanged  "FLIP_PLANNED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.157 EDT DEBG ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - meridianFlipStatusChanged:  "FLIP_PLANNED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.157 EDT CRIT ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Accepting meridian flip request while being in stage  1
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.157 EDT DEBG ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - setMeridianFlipStage:  "MF_REQUESTED"
[2021-08-20T00:52:19.180 EDT DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.scheduler] - Capture State "Image Received"  
 

OnStep asked me to document how i got my flip too work with Ekos. If people have time read this over and make sure it is accurate.

docs.google.com/document/d/11NlWvWyI5RxN...91M/edit?usp=sharing

Good doc - unfortunately I have all those bases covered - been flipping for a long while and whatever is happening now is random and new - I am currently rebuilding code to see if that helps but I can tell there a race or bug in here somewhere - it seems like all the moving parts (capture/scheduler/guide etc) all need to be working perfectly for a flip to happen instead of the parts seeing the flags set and pausing operation , they juts plow on though as if a flip is not even requested - the back end of my log is nuts! - non-stop flip requests to 4 am or so when I think KSTARS crashed - luckily my limits on the mount kick in well and stop damage to the gear...but it really is odd

I see the meridian flip stuck perpetually in capture and mount modules and appear to be going in some sort of loop. Not sure why, would check with Wolfgang as he might have a better idea on what's going on.

Hi Jamie,
at 00:42:19, the mount changes from tracking to idle:Are the stars in your frames really OK or do you have star trails?

If the mount is not tracking, a meridian flip is not issued - therefore the state switches back to "planned". But I think we should issue a warning message if something like this happens.
Cheers
Wolfgang