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INDI Library v2.0.7 is Released (01 Apr 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Frustration !!!!

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Replied by Gilles Gagnon on topic Frustration !!!!

The middle image (Light_070.fits, vertical stripes) makes me think that there could be some interference from either a faulty or leaky part of equipment (switching power supply or PWM dew heaters maybe) into the camera signal. From the ATIK 314L camera specs and what I can see, "Horizontal drive frequency: 28.64 MHz", "Total number of pixels: 1434 (H)..." and 5 cycles of 'interference' horizontally, the interference pattern would have a frequency of roughly 100KHz. If you know of or can find the source of such signal that may lead you to a solution (replace/repair faulty part).

As far as the blank images (Light_075.fits), I can't help much as they don't fit in my interference hypothesis.

Hope any of this helps.
4 years 2 months ago #49710

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Replied by Andrew on topic Frustration !!!!

Have you tried testing the camera by adding one thing at a time from your kit? You said it worked with the laptop and observatory computer. What happens when the mount is connected, does tracking influence it? Does it conflict only with the guide camera connected? Powered hubs? Dome control system? Any one of these could come down to power load, power noise, or driver issues. Can you power the camera from an independent power source?
4 years 2 months ago #49711

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Replied by Gilles Gagnon on topic Frustration !!!!

Oops! From the info below the Lights_070,fits image, I understand that the image is zoomed-in. My estimate of the interference frequency will be off then. If only 46% is seen that means that the interference would be closer to 200KHz. I would be surprised that dew heaters and switching power supplies go that high.
4 years 2 months ago #49712

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Replied by Gonzothegreat on topic Frustration !!!!


That middle image isn't something I've had before, it's new to me. I can't explain it, I cannot replicate it as the camera produces nothing now.
4 years 2 months ago #49713

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Replied by Gonzothegreat on topic Frustration !!!!


The camera worked fine the other day indilib.org/forum/general/6181-frustration.html?start=24#49527
This is the only power supply I have here, I'll see what I can do by switching off what I can.
4 years 2 months ago #49714

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Replied by Andrew on topic Frustration !!!!

Can you describe how your power system is layed out? It could all just be due to a cheap AC inverter.
4 years 2 months ago #49715

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Replied by Jose Corazon on topic Frustration !!!!


Great advice, standard trouble-shooting MO. The simplest setup would be to connect the camera directly to your computer(s), then add everything else one by one. If I am not mistaken, the camera won't have to be connected to 12V to operate the sensor, the 12V power is only required to operate the cooler. So with a little bit of luck (:-() that may already make the stripes appear. Odds are that the problem lies within the circuitry of the camera itself, rather than outside.
Next, I would probably bridge the AC power source with a capacitor. There may be noise in the power line at your observatory. Unprotected LED lights are a prime source of that noise. I found that out when I installed LED lights in a couple of closets at home and my ethernet over powerline adapters went silent. Bridging the power supply to the LEDs with 5µF capacitors fixed the problem. That is easy to test, just switch off all the LED lighting then and see whether the patter disappears.
Either way, welcome to the world of troubleshooting misbehaving modern electronics! So much fun. Who needs astrophotography anyway? Way overrated!!! :-)
4 years 2 months ago #49716

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Replied by Gonzothegreat on topic Frustration !!!!


I do not have the specs of the power supply with me, but as you can see in the pictures from indilib.org/forum/gallery/1014-post-your....html?start=60#42212 it isn't a small cheap one.
It powers up my all observatory.


edit:
I'll check it tomorrow as it's late to open the box.
Last edit: 4 years 2 months ago by Gonzothegreat.
4 years 2 months ago #49717

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Replied by Gonzothegreat on topic Frustration !!!!


This Atik 314 requires the power to be on. It's not just for the cooler.
4 years 2 months ago #49718

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Replied by Gonzothegreat on topic Frustration !!!!

I've been able to find a picture on my laptop, took a crop of it:
4 years 2 months ago #49719
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Replied by Andrew on topic Frustration !!!!

Interesting. It's an LED driver. I wonder, could it be a half-wave rectifier? That could be problematic for this application without sufficient filtering.
4 years 2 months ago #49720

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Replied by Jose Corazon on topic Frustration !!!!


Actually, I meant the LEDs in the house. The noise may well come from the house powerlines. If you have changed or installed LED bulbs or tube lights in the house recently, they could be the source. All that is required is a cheap unprotected LED screwed into a regular light socket in the house somewhere that then sends high frequency noise through the entire grid. I managed to disable my entire internet access that way. It would work one moment and the next it would be dead. The effect was dramatic. Took me a while until I realized that it correlated perfectly with whether the kitchen lights were on or not. Adding the capacitors immediately fixed the problem.
Not saying that this is what is happening in your case, but if there is any LED lighting on in the house, you can easily test it. Just switch them all off, then see whether the picture changes.
4 years 2 months ago #49721

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