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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Where to set gain settings

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Is there a way to set gain in the exposure module? The only place I can find to set the gain is in the INDI driver interface.

Related to that, is it possible to make a sequence queue with different gains in different rows? There is no column showing the gain that is set, only ISO, but that does not show a number if not using DSLR. So if I change the gain in the Indi driver and add a row to the sequence queue, will it use that gain, or will it use whichever gain is set in the Indi driver at the time of taking the picture?
Using an ASI1600MMPro.
5 years 11 months ago #24697

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I second that, it would be great to have an option for changing gain, offset and colorspace (RGB, Luma, 16bit or 8bit) in the exposure module and/or in the scheduler. As is, we are stuck for the entire night with one set gain and offset and colorspace if using automated imaging with the scheduler. Of course, manually, we can always change things throughout.
5 years 11 months ago #24698

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You can do this in the custom properties of the capture module.
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5 years 11 months ago #24707

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Thanks, now I got it. The .esq file also clearly shows now the preset gain and offset as well as the other chosen control parameters.
Are the instructions listed anywhere on the Ekos pages? I did not find it under the Capture Module. There are several other custom settings that are not immediately obvious, but one should be able to find out by trial and error and checking the .esq file for any changes.
5 years 11 months ago #24729

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I find the custom properties to be counterintuitive. I asked in another thread if we could report the gain in the capture module so I don't have to take a sub and look at the fits headers to confirm the gain was properly set. I tend to use a higher gain to focus than I use for LRGB subs.
5 years 11 months ago #24730

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While it would be good to see these settings in the capture module, I tried out the custom settings and they worked fine. You can also check them by just opening the .esq file where you programmed them. That's easy enough to check.
A bigger issue is that these settings then also override the gain settings in the focuser, so any subsequent focus runs then use the capture gain setting. And when I am imaging regions of the sky without bright stars then there is sometimes not enough signal for the focuser to work reliably. That is a problem when one wants to let the scheduler run overnight unattended.
Jasem, would it be possible to make the gain settings in the focuser independent of the capture settings? So that I can let's say capture at 0 gain but focus at 480 gain with the ASI1600? That would be a significant functional improvement.
5 years 11 months ago #24731

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Here's the other thread where I requested reverting to including gain in the capture module ( indilib.org/forum/ccds-dslrs/3154-gain-in-capture-module.html ).

I don't have any .esq files on my computer. Perhaps my "add exposures as I go" working paradigm makes me more sensitive to this.

In any event, being able to have different gain settings (I don't change the brightness) for different modules would be ideal. For example on LRGB, I image at Gain 30, but I focus and perform alignment/plate solving at Gain 139. When I go to narrowband, I expect I will be using the same gain for all modules.
Last edit: 5 years 11 months ago by Richard Beck.
5 years 11 months ago #24739

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Another issue I came across again last night is that in a seemingly random manner the bit depth of the image is being reset from 16 bit to 8 bit in the Control Panel. I have had this happen several times before and I could never figure out why that happens and whether there is anything I am doing that triggers that.

Has anyone seen that before and if so, what can you do to prevent that?

Unwittingly collecting only 8 bit images in a full night's session can be, should we say, deplorable?

Incidentally, the bit depth is not being set under Custom settings, which fix the gain, offset and other parameters you can set in the Control panel. Bit depth, however, is not one of them.

Last edit: 5 years 11 months ago by Jose Corazon. Reason: Add information
5 years 11 months ago #24740
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Thank you Jasem,
So that is the solution for building a sequence queue with different gain settings per row. Thank you for pointing to the esq files, as I had not used those before.
On my first point, is there any other way to set the gain than in the INDI panel, the answer seems to be no.
I've adopted the habit of keeping the INDI panel side by side the Ekos panel open all the time anyway, just to keep an eye on things in INDI that may not always be obvious elsewhere, so it's not a big deal. However, it does feel more logical to me to be able to set gain in the exposure module. A combined ISO/gain field, showing ISO numbers if connected to DSLR, or gain numbers if connected to CCD/CMOS camera would make sense from a user perspective.
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5 years 11 months ago #24792

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There are just many other properties that folks might deem important to show, and the GUI can't control it all, it's saturated now, so all properties (numbers for now) are added to the sequence via the Custom Properties.
5 years 11 months ago #24797

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Agree, the GUI is pretty full as is. But how can I add the bit depth (8-bit, 24RGB, Luma or 16-bit) to that sequence under the Custom Properties?
5 years 11 months ago #24798

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