Hello Folks!

I love my RPI3+ running Stellarmate, but I wanted something faster. Faster image solving, faster previews (STF and Debayer). And less crashes... I think the RPI3+ is a tad light for all it has to handle and the CPU spikes regulary.

So I got a NanoPi M4 with 4GB ram.

Thus I have tried the Friendly Desktop and Lunbuntu images provided by Friendly Elec (the manufacturer).

After installing KStars I connect just my ASI294MC Pro and run some tests. In all tests I will get 2 max 3 images out of my camera. Then it nothing. I then need to unplug the camera. Restart Kstars and I can do the same again.

I tried just about anything: bandwidth to 40/80/100 Highspeed mode on/off, shorter cables, usb2 cables instead of usb3 (there is a thread here that says this should work). Several power supplies.

Then I saw a thread here that said it should work with Armbian (bionic) running on the NanoPi.

That seemed to work out well... I get in between of 15 to 40 frames out of the camera and then the same unresponsiveness.

So after two days of struggling with this I hope someone can release me from my pain I really want this to work.

Thanks,

Marco

Heat maybe? What does Htop report for a cpu temperature? My NanoPC-T4 (same RK3399 SOC as yours) has problems unless I run a fan on it. I was stuck with 30 or so images before I put the fan on.
I'm using Armbian 5.85.
I'm curious if you have the same problem with your ASI385MC?

I ran it again today. Initial CPU temp 32C. I began capturing immediately. Same issue, after about 10 frames, no frames come in anymore. Temp goes up to max 55C.

I also tried the ASI385. It also fails after a while. I think after maybe 30 frames or so.

I even tried it without Fits previews. This does not make a difference at all.

I also run Armbian 5.85 Stable

The NanoPi keeps functioning without freezing, kstarts keeps running, no problems there either.

I just tried moving 22GB in older captures from a USB drive to the NanoPi. No issues moving loads of data, CPU heat about the same when capturing.

Those temperatures are pretty much the same as mine with the fan running, without fan the idle is around 50 and working around 65-70.
Are you using a powered hub? I just checked here, when I take the hub out, I have the getting stuck at 30 images problem, plugging the hub into the single USB 3 port I have on the NanoPC-T4 and plugging everything else into the hub, the problem disappears. As soon as I plug anything into the USB 2 ports on the NanoPC-T4 the problem returns....turning the fan off will also cause the problem to return.....really hard to diagnose, there might be more than one thing going on.

I use a Odroid XU4 running Ubuntu Mate 18.04. I have always used a powered USB3 hub and have never had a problem with image transfer ( also use a ASI294MCpro). The odroid likes a 4A power supply. It also gets pretty hot so I use a thermostatically regulated fan although I have not encountered obvious heat related issues. Sometimes you just have to keep trying different settings until it works. It does sound like a hub related problem though.
Good luck
Mike