Since some time I’m having disconnection/connection issues of my devices using KStars.
I re-installed KStars on a new system (macOS) disk to no avail.
I checked and swapped the USB-cables and USB-hubs to no avail.
I checked and swapped the 12V power supplies and the 220V mains to no avail.

These connection issues DIDN’T HAPPEN USING THE APP THESKYX !

The connection issues might happen to the scope, the dome or the focuser.

Here is one example of such an event on my scope (named Reducer):

Alert of iStat Menu at 13:04:09 :
1/ USB Disconnection   USB-Serial Controller D (the scope has been disconnected)
2/ followed immediately after (a fraction of a second) : USB Connection   USB-Serial Controller D (the scope has been reconnected)

Alert shown in the INDI Control Panel
2021-09-24T11:04:10: [ERROR] Serial write error: Write Error: Device not configured
2021-09-24T11:04:09: [ERROR] Failed to read RA/DEC values.

KStars Log:
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.565 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - MaxDome II : "[DEBUG] CMD (01 02 07 F7) "
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.586 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - MaxDome II : "[DEBUG] RES (01 09 87 05 01 00 6F 01 64 00 96) "
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.586 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - MaxDome II : "[DEBUG] Dome status: az=111 home=356 "
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.586 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - MaxDome II : "Shutter error "
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.586 CEST DEBG ][org.kde.kstars.ekos.observatory] - Setting shutter status to  5
[2021-09-24T13:04:08.587 CEST DEBG ][org.kde.kstars.ekos.observatory] - Setting shutter status to  0
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.118 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Reducer : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.119 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Reducer :  "[ERROR] Serial write error: Write Error: Device not configured "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.120 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Reducer :  "[ERROR] Failed to read RA/DEC values. "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.562 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Microtouch : "[DEBUG] WriteCmd : ffffff8d  "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.566 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Microtouch : "[DEBUG] WriteCmd : ffffff84  "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.572 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Microtouch : "[DEBUG] WriteCmd : ffffff86  "
[2021-09-24T13:04:09.576 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Microtouch : "[DEBUG] updateTemperature : RESP (FFFFFF84 01 FFFFFFBC 01 FFFFFFCC FFFFFFFF) "

Once a very short USB-disconnection occurs (followed immediately by a re-connection), KStars gets stucked while TheSkyX keeps going.
I think that the problem lays in the too high reactivity of the INDI drivers when a USB failure occurs.
Am I wrong ?


 

I am completing my thread by adding some errors probably caused by USB-disconnections.
- Dome disconnection :
"[ERROR] No response from MAX DOME "
"[ERROR] Write Error: Device not configured "

- Scope disconnection :
"[ERROR] Serial write error: Write Error: Device not configured "
"[ERROR] Failed to read RA/DEC values. "

- Focuser disconnection :
"[ERROR] WriteCmd error: Write Error: Device not configured”
"[ERROR] WriteCmdGetResponse error: Timeout error”

- SQM disconnection :
"[ERROR] Serial write error: Write Error: Broken pipe”</strong>

Why are these errors only happening using the INDI drivers (KStars) and not using the X2 drivers (TheSkyX) ?

Since all the hardware seems to have been replaced it is difficult to understand what might be going on.
If the errors do not seem to be initiated due to application usage patterns then if it were me would try defining a new profile with just your mount and a single camera. Dome, focuser, GPS and so on disconnected. A minimal setup to see if a stable system can be obtained at some point. Then build it back up slowly towards your present configuration working towards the focuser and dome last. See if the problems reappear with a particular device or some number of devices. Testing each configuration to the extent possible. Its a pain but could perhaps expose another viewpoint.

Thanks for your suggestion Wotalota.

I finally solved my "connection issues" after a struggle of several weeks and a final complete reinstallation of KStars !
This issue had not a material origin because I found no problem with another software (TheSkyX).

Thus here are the soft solutions I could find:
1/ a probably corrupted .indi folder containing a number of custom drivers that I created.
We never think about the .indi folder because it is invisible. To see its content use ~/.indi/ (at least in the Mac world). I trashed the old .indi folder and replaced it .
2/ my setup includes a SQM the connection of which gave problems since several months
It needs the INDI driver INDI_sqm_weather.
Since INDI_sqm_weather v. 1.3 ( KStars 3.4.2) the driver seems to have issues.
Its size increased from 37 KB (v. 1.2) to 115 KB (v. 1.3) without changes in its interface.
I think it should be checked .

I was all wrong !
But I finally solved the problem after several months of struggling.
The disconnection were due to conflict between two serial-USB drivers : Prolific and FTDI.
Some months ago everything was fine when I was using only FTDI drivers : one for the Celestron scope, one for the dome.
But my scope hand control (with a RS232 connector + a FTDI serial-USB adapter) went dead.
I replaced it with a more modern hand control (with a built-in Prolific serial-USB chipset).
Thus my dome was still running on a FTDI driver, and my scope on a Prolific driver.
Apparently these two drivers don't like each other and the FTDI driver conflicted with the scope and focuser drivers.
I uninstalled the FTDI driver and everything works just fine.

Add-on : there is only a conflict between the two serial-USB drivers Prolific and FTDI when the Prolific serial cable and the FTDI serial cables are plugged in the same USB hub.
Interestingly when the FTDI serial cable is connected to a different USB socket to the computer, THERE IS NO PROBLEM !
This might be interesting when you have to use FTDI and Prolific serial cables.