Hi, I dont have this issue since some time, either because I now use scheduler - I do it since a couple of monthes - either since the last Ekos update, not sure :-) There have been too few clear nights, here where I live, these last monthes, to be sure :-/

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Hi,
I have an issue with dithering in PHD2:
The only thing that changed is the use of the Ekos scheduler to drive my job. Before I used to directly launch the job after launching focus, slew and guiding by myself, without using the scheduler at all. I wanted to try with the scheduler for once, it worked perfectly, including guiding... except for that dither issue.

Ekos logs at same time give me this:I restarted Kstars/Ekos, Indy and PHD2 but it didn't solve the issue.

What could have happened? Can this be linked to the scheduler??

Thanks,
Luis
 

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Hi,

I use PHD2 as guider. After a post-meridien flip calibration, I always got a "settling failed / timeout" error in Ekos: 

[2021-10-09T23:08:31.460 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Calibration Complete."
[2021-10-09T23:08:31.471 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Calibration completed."
[2021-10-09T23:08:31.856 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Waiting for guiding to settle."
[2021-10-09T23:08:32.110 CEST WARN ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Skipping flat/dark cap since it is not connected.
[2021-10-09T23:08:33.486 CEST WARN ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Skipping flat/dark cap since it is not connected.
[2021-10-09T23:08:33.590 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Exposure Time set to: 2.00"
[2021-10-09T23:08:33.663 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: DEC Guide Mode is Set to: Auto"
[2021-10-09T23:08:33.683 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Guiding started."
[2021-10-09T23:08:33.734 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Autoguiding started."
[2021-10-09T23:08:34.571 CEST WARN ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - Skipping flat/dark cap since it is not connected.
[2021-10-09T23:08:34.637 CEST INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 180.000-second  image..."
[2021-10-09T23:08:34.681 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Canon DSLR EOS 650D :  "[INFO] Starting 180 seconds exposure. "
[2021-10-09T23:09:06.766 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Settling failed (timed-out waiting for guider to settle)."
[2021-10-09T23:09:06.773 CEST INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "PHD2: Settling failed, aborted."

[2021-10-09T23:09:06.787 CEST INFO ][   org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Autoguiding stopped. Aborting..."

This is what PHD2 session looks like at the same moment:

 



In the Ekos settings the only place I see a timeout for settling is in "dithering" section (and it is 20s timeout, actually). But here it is not dithering... So, does this timeout applies also for settling after calibration? Should I put a bigger value here? Or is the problem elsewhere?

Thanks!


 

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Hi!
I got an issue tonight with my guiding in Ekos (version Kstars/Ekos 3.5.2 on Stellarmate) via PHD2, after meridien flip.

Just after the (successfull) flip PHD did a (successfull) calibration and started guiding, and Ekos started the next exposure. But after a few seconds, it received a "setlling failed" error from PHD2 and stopped the exposure. I restarted it manually, it worked. The strange thing is that from then PHD2 was still guiding OK, Ekos was still showing the live guiding curves as usual, but it didn't displayed the guiding progress bar anymore in Analyze window, and didn't sent anymore dithering commands after that:

 


(Sorry for my french :-D)

Unfortunatly I didn't have log to file enabled in Ekos at this moment :-/ But I copy pasted the console logs in order to keep tracking of this issue.

These are the lasts lines displayed in Guiding console. After that it didn't display any new line before I stoped the session 30 minutes later (bad weather invasion...).
2021-04-05T02:06:19 Autoguiding aborted.
2021-04-05T02:06:19 PHD2: Settling failed, aborted.
2021-04-05T02:06:19 PHD2: Settling failed (timed-out waiting for guider to settle).
2021-04-05T02:05:34 Autoguiding started.
2021-04-05T02:05:34 PHD2: Guiding started.
2021-04-05T02:05:33 PHD2: DEC Guide Mode is Set to: Auto
2021-04-05T02:05:33 PHD2: Exposure Time set to: 2.00
2021-04-05T02:05:32 PHD2: Waiting for guiding to settle.
2021-04-05T02:05:31 Calibration completed.
2021-04-05T02:05:31 PHD2: Calibration Complete.
2021-04-05T02:05:31 Unknown PHD2 event: ConfigurationChange
2021-04-05T02:02:55 Calibration started.
2021-04-05T02:02:55 PHD2: Calibrating, timing out in 600s.
2021-04-05T02:02:54 PHD2: Looping Exposures.
2021-04-05T02:02:49 PHD2: Star Selected.
2021-04-05T02:02:49 PHD2: Looping Exposures.
2021-04-05T02:02:49 PHD2: Star Selected.
2021-04-05T02:02:45 PHD2: Looping Exposures.
2021-04-05T02:02:43 PHD2: Calibration is cleared
2021-04-05T02:02:43 Calibration started.
2021-04-05T02:02:43 Calibration is cleared.
2021-04-05T02:02:23 PHD2: Calibration is cleared
2021-04-05T02:02:23 Calibration is cleared.
2021-04-05T02:02:23 Mount is moving. Resetting calibration...
2021-04-05T02:01:56 PHD2: Calibration is cleared
2021-04-05T02:01:56 Calibration is cleared.
2021-04-05T02:01:56 Mount is moving. Resetting calibration...
2021-04-05T02:00:51 PHD2: Guiding Stopped.
2021-04-05T02:00:48 PHD2: Lock Position Lost.
2021-04-05T02:00:48 Autoguiding aborted.
2021-04-05T02:00:48 PHD2: Guiding Stopped.
2021-04-05T02:00:48 Autoguiding started.
2021-04-05T02:00:48 PHD2: Guiding started.
2021-04-05T02:00:47 PHD2: Calibration is cleared
2021-04-05T02:00:47 Autoguiding aborted.
2021-04-05T02:00:47 PHD2: Guiding Stopped.
2021-04-05T02:00:43 Mount is slewing. Aborting guide...
2021-04-05T02:00:43 Calibration is cleared.
2021-04-05T02:00:43 Mount is moving. Resetting calibration...

In imaging console I got this at that time (showing exposure aborted + my manual restart):
2021-04-05T02:06:49 Capturing 180.000-second  image...
2021-04-05T02:06:49 Job requires 180.000-second  images, has 56/300 frames captured and will be processed.
2021-04-05T02:06:49 Ekos will refocus in 1010 seconds, last procedure was 790 seconds ago.
2021-04-05T02:06:19 CCD capture aborted
2021-04-05T02:06:19 Autoguiding stopped. Aborting...

And in PHD2 logs I got this:
Guiding Ends at 2021-04-05 02:00:48

Calibration Begins at 2021-04-05 02:02:56
Equipment Profile = Finder-Zwo
Dither = both axes, Dither scale = 0.600, Image noise reduction = none, Guide-frame time lapse = 0, Server enabled
Pixel scale = 2.75 arc-sec/px, Binning = 1, Focal length = 180 mm
Search region = 15 px, Star mass tolerance = 50.0%, Multi-star mode, list size = 12
 Camera = ZWO ASI178MC, gain = 52, full size = 3096 x 2080, have dark, dark dur = 2000, no defect map, pixel size = 2.4 um
Exposure = 2000 ms
Mount = INDI Mount [EQMod Mount], Calibration Step = 2450 ms, Calibration Distance = 25 px, Assume orthogonal axes = no
RA Guide Speed = 7.5 a-s/s, Dec Guide Speed = 7.5 a-s/s
RA = 13.00 hr, Dec = 28.0 deg, Hour angle = 0.07 hr, Pier side = East, Rotator pos = N/A, Alt = 68.8 deg, Az = 182.7 deg
Lock position = 672.796, 1069.456, Star position = 673.020, 1069.549, HFD = 3.69 px
Direction,Step,dx,dy,x,y,Dist
West,0,0.000,0.000,672.718,1069.113,0.000
West,1,0.143,5.087,672.575,1064.026,5.089

(....)

South,0,-20.270,-1.062,706.283,1073.764,20.298
Calibration complete, mount = INDI Mount [EQMod Mount].

Guiding Begins at 2021-04-05 02:05:32
Equipment Profile = Finder-Zwo
Dither = both axes, Dither scale = 0.600, Image noise reduction = none, Guide-frame time lapse = 0, Server enabled
Pixel scale = 2.75 arc-sec/px, Binning = 1, Focal length = 180 mm
Search region = 15 px, Star mass tolerance = 50.0%, Multi-star mode, list size = 12
 Camera = ZWO ASI178MC, gain = 52, full size = 3096 x 2080, have dark, dark dur = 2000, no defect map, pixel size = 2.4 um
Exposure = 2000 ms
Mount = INDI Mount [EQMod Mount], connected, guiding enabled, xAngle = 89.3, xRate = 2.164, yAngle = -0.7, yRate = 2.600, parity = +/-
Norm rates RA = 6.7"/s @ dec 0, Dec = 7.1"/s; ortho.err. = 0.0 deg
X guide algorithm = Hysteresis, Hysteresis = 0.100, Aggression = 0.700, Minimum move = 0.130
Y guide algorithm = Lowpass2, Aggressiveness = 80.000, Minimum move = 0.200
Backlash comp = disabled, pulse = 20 ms
Max RA duration = 2500, Max DEC duration = 2500, DEC guide mode = Auto
RA Guide Speed = 7.5 a-s/s, Dec Guide Speed = 7.5 a-s/s, Cal Dec = 28.0, Last Cal Issue = None, Timestamp = lun. 05 avril 2021 02:05:32 CEST
RA = 13.00 hr, Dec = 28.0 deg, Hour angle = 0.12 hr, Pier side = East, Rotator pos = N/A, Alt = 68.8 deg, Az = 184.3 deg
Lock position = 672.796, 1069.456, Star position = 683.684, 1074.808, HFD = 3.82 px
Frame,Time,mount,dx,dy,RARawDistance,DECRawDistance,RAGuideDistance,DECGuideDistance,RADuration,RADirection,DECDuration,DECDirection,XStep,YStep,StarMass,SNR,ErrorCode
INFO: SETTLING STATE CHANGE, Settling started
1,8.924,"Mount",10.587,5.423,5.552,10.524,3.497,8.420,1616,W,2500,S,,,3693,42.74,0
2,14.059,"Mount",4.518,1.542,1.597,4.501,1.251,3.600,578,W,1385,S,,,3464,41.41,0
3,17.626,"Mount",0.878,0.150,0.161,0.876,0.189,0.701,87,W,270,S,,,3509,41.63,0
4,21.818,"Mount",0.302,-0.199,-0.196,0.305,-0.110,0.000,51,E,0,,,,3428,41.18,0
5,26.473,"Mount",0.309,-0.319,-0.316,0.312,-0.206,0.000,95,E,0,,,,3488,41.48,0
6,31.448,"Mount",0.270,-0.353,-0.350,0.274,-0.235,0.000,109,E,0,,,,3349,40.68,0
7,36.311,"Mount",0.392,-0.282,-0.277,0.396,-0.191,0.000,88,E,0,,,,3309,40.46,0
8,41.686,"Mount",0.601,-0.485,-0.478,0.606,-0.315,0.000,145,E,0,,,,3485,41.46,0
INFO: SETTLING STATE CHANGE, Settling failed
9,46.406,"Mount",0.315,-0.748,-0.745,0.324,-0.491,0.000,227,E,0,,,,3545,41.86,0

And then continuation of usual guiding logs...

What could have caused this?




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Well, I like to be able to control my picture directly from my living room PC via a TeamViewer connection on my RPI/Stellarmate :-) On my light setup with SA I use the RPI and Ekos/KStar only for that, plus the target pointing using astrometry to manually approach my target and framing. I also tried the polar alignement tool but it didn't goes very well so I prefer to polar align visually.

But when I will use it on travel I will definitivly not use my RPI at all, only an intervallometer or the SNAP port of SA.

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Thanks! Okay maybe... However I'm not sure this delay comes from the link between camera and Pi, as if I go on Indi control pannel of DSLR and check "Upload local" instead of "Upload client" it takes much less time (about 5 secondes). But this setting is always overwritten by Ekos for the next picture.

It is indeed not a problem when I shoot on my "big" setup (APO+AZEQ6), on which I autoguide and take long exposures + dithering after each frame. But it becomes a problem with my light/portable setup (lense+SA), on which I dont autoguide, dont dither, and take short exposures (1 minutes / 1 minutes and half max).

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> Does it make a different if you uncheck FITS Viewer (Tools --> Configure KStars --> FITS)

Just tried: no, it only makes that FITS viewer doesn't open after Downloading process, but the process still lasts 16/17 sec tonight.

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> How large is the sensor?

Its a 650D, I guess same size than 600D. I will try with "Fits viewer" unchecked.

Last night it did it again but with a (little) less time than than the other day: more 16/17 secondes than 20 secondes as the other night. These variation let me think of a network variation... That's why I wonder if in client mode the data transit via network (thus, dependant on network perf) even when all is in local. Is it possible? BTW I checked my setup profile configuration in Ekos: it is indeed in "local" mode.

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Hi,

I run Indi+Kstar/Ekos on Stellarmate within a RPI. I run everything locally on the RPI itself, I dont use a remote client. I use a Canon DSLR for shooting.

After each exposure in a sequence, there is a "Download" phasis that takes a while (15 / 20 sec). Such amount of time seems odd: are the data transfered via network altough all is supposed to be local?!?

When I go on Indi control pannel for my DSLR and check "Upload local" instead of "Upload client" in Option tab, the picture is saved directly on the local directory defined in "Upload settings / Dir". It takes much, much less time: only a few seconds (like 5) !! But Ekos doesn't display the picture. However I prefer that because 10 seconds more on each expesure can result in a significative amount of additional intgration time at the end of night..

But there is a problem: when I check this "Upload local" in Indi Control Panl the setting is automatically set back to "Upload client" when the next exposure begins... So I cannot set it permanently.

Is there a stable way to make this "Download" step last only 5 seconds instead of 15/20 ??

Thanks!

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Lucar Rave replied to the topic 'New users Please read....thanks' in the forum. 3 years ago

My bad I read this too late, I tried several time with a message... Sorry!

You should add a pannel that say this once the message is submitted :-)

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