I faced the same issue today. Is the bug still there? Does it mean there will be no meridian flip or is the status message just nonsense?
Cheers, Åke

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I posted a request to StellarMate support and suggested to reconnect if the connection is lost. They will consider implementing it.
Meanwhile I will try the iStarFi Wi-Fi Adapter and see if that resolves the issue.

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Hi,
I have severe problems with driver disconnects and I suspect it's due to the USB-B connector in the mount.
I saw this: iStarFi Wi-Fi Adapter for CEM40/GEM45
Is it reliable? Does it work for controlling the mount with the INDI drivers?
If so, it would make my life a bit easier!
Cheers.
// Åke

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Thanks for your info and thoughts. Yes, I suspect it can be the connector. I actually had to replace the cable once before due to this.
I tried to provoke it yesterday manually but didn't succeed to disconnect it (unless I almost plugged it out).
It's not fun when it happens during an unattended photo session...

Could it maybe be possible to make the driver more robust and less sensitive to short disconnects?
Because if I manage to disconnect it, it will not reconnect again, but rather get stuck in the endless "Write Error" loop.

Not sure who developed this driver, does anyone know? Could be worth a try to discuss with him/her/them.
Or is it open source? Maybe I could look into it myself.

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Hi,
Not after every night but often enough I wake up to find that I lost half of the night's lights due to lost connection with the iOptron mount right after the meridian flip.
Unfortunately I don't have a verbose log, but perhaps the below can help?
It started to behave like this after the latest software update. I'm currently on Stellarmate SM-110 Version 1.7.2.

[2022-09-05T02:44:36.601 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI2600MC Pro : "[INFO] Taking a 300 seconds frame... "
[2022-09-05T02:45:33.340 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - "Meridian flip waiting."
[2022-09-05T02:49:37.707 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI2600MC Pro : "[INFO] Exposure done, downloading image... "
[2022-09-05T02:49:37.766 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ZWO CCD ASI2600MC Pro : "[INFO] Download complete. "
[2022-09-05T02:49:38.190 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/home/stellarmate/Pictures/Light/Light_058.fits"
[2022-09-05T02:49:38.712 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Download Time: 0.71 s, New Download Time Estimate: 0.68 s."
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.480 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 29 out of 65."
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.488 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Captured /home/stellarmate/Pictures/Light/Light_058.fits"
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.669 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - Meridian flip: slewing to RA= "00h 22m 58s" DEC= " 61° 48' 56\"" Hour Angle "00h 00m 41s"
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.669 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - "Meridian flip started."
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.700 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding aborted."
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.728 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Target updated to JNow RA: "00h 22m 58s" DE: " 61° 48' 56\""
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.733 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.mount] - "Meridian flip slew started..."
[2022-09-05T02:49:39.842 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - iOptron CEM40 : "[INFO] Slewing to RA: 0:22:58 - DEC: 61:48:56 "
[2022-09-05T02:49:40.572 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Mount is moving. Resetting calibration..."
[2022-09-05T02:49:40.588 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Calibration is cleared."
[2022-09-05T02:50:13.810 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - iOptron CEM40 : "[ERROR] bool IOPv3::Driver::getCoords(double*, double*, IOPv3::IOP_PIER_STATE*, IOPv3::IOP_CW_STATE*): Expected 20 bytes but received 0. "
[2022-09-05T02:50:14.814 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - iOptron CEM40 : "[ERROR] Write Command Error: Write Error: Input/output error "
[2022-09-05T02:50:14.819 CEST INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - iOptron CEM40 : "[ERROR] Write Command Error: Write Error: Input/output error "
...
And the "Write Error" continues forever.

Any ideas? Since I ran out of ideas I'm planning on trying to control the mount through the HBX connector instead of through USB, what do you think, could that be more stable?

Cheers,
// Åke

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I've used mine (Focus Cube 2) with a WO GT81 for 1,5 years now. Have never had an issue. I can recommend it.
Works especially well since I tuned it with the backlash.
// Åke

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I ended up buying a Pegasus FocusCube 2 which works great with Stellarmate.

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Hi,

When updating Stellarmate yesterday (KStars Build: 2022-01-23T11:52:31Z) the parking behaves really strange.
I set the parking position like this:
 

Hi,

I was in contact with iOptron support. They recommended me to upgrade the mount firmware.
So I upgraded from 210105 -> 210605 and can now confirm that it works fine with Stellarmate v1.6.1

So it turned out to be a bug in the mount firmware - good to know for any CEM40/45 user out there!

Thanks for your support in this forum!
Cheers, Åke

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Maybe this helps someone; I had the exact same issue with my CEM40 and spent many hours trying to figure out why the write error suddenly appeared.
It turned out it was the USB cable that came with the mount that was bad. Since I replaced the USB cable I've never had an I/O error.
I have seen posts in the FB iOptron group where people have had the same issue/solution.

Cheers, Åke

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I agree, It's probably not Ekos.
I'll try to get in contact with iOptron, and keep you informed here.
Thanks a lot for your support.
// Åke

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OK, so I have made several tests now and have come to the conclusion that the mount doesn't persist the meridian limit I set with the hand controller.

So if I set a new value, e.g. 6 deg (Ekos 2 deg as always) and start tracking somewhat west of the meridian, the it works as expected and Ekos flips when it passed the meridian by 2 deg.
If I then turn off and on the mount, check that the hand controller still shows 6 deg, start a tracking west of meridian, then the mount decides to flip exactly at the meridian. I.e. as I would have set it to zero deg...!
If I then again change the value (arbitrary, let's say 5 deg) and do the tracking again, then it works as expected (i.e. Ekos flips 2 deg after the meridian).

So I need to always have the hand controller connected and always change the flip limit in the hand controller before the session for it to behave as expected.

To me this looks like a bug in CEM40, right? Shouldn't the mount persist the value from the hand controller? Or at least use the current value in the hand controller?

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
// Åke

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Hi Wolfgang,
Thanks for the reply.
What you see is exactly my problem.
The slews and parkings are made manually by me (from within Ekos), not by Ekos nor the mount itself.

I slew to a position near (1 or 2 degrees) and west of the meridian. then, after a few minutes, exactly when the mount reaches the meridian, it stops tracking.
So Ekos correctly haven't yet seen the necessity to do the flip.

The mount is configured to stop 5 degrees after the meridian and Ekos 2 degrees after the meridian.
In the CEM40's hand controller there is no way to disable the meridian treatment, I can only choose between STOP or FLIP and choose degrees between +0 and +14.
I even tried +14 but it doesn't help, the tracking still stops at the meridian.

I will check if it makes a differens to choose FLIP instead in the hand controller.
I will also test to set everything and then disconnect Ekos and see if it the mount behaves differently when it's "on its own".

Cheers, Åke

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Hi Ron,

It's not exactly the same problem I have, but I recognise yours since I had similar issues earlier.
For you I guess the time and/or location are different in KStars vs your mount. Please make sure you let Kstars update both of those.

My problem is that (it seems) the mount stops the tracking each time it passes the meridian, even if I set it to stop 5 degrees past the meridian.

I hope someone has a clue why this happens.

// Åke

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Any ideas on what to do/try next? I'm going nuts... dizzy.png
Cheers, Åke

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