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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

New Pentax Driver Testing

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Replied by Karl Rees on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

I just pushed pktriggercord support to my fork. Building requires two libraries I also added to the fork: libricohcamerasdk and libpktriggercord.

I should probably test it myself on a different system before anyone else gets too involved in testing it, but I need to do a brain dump on what works and what doesn't before I forget.

For PTP mode (Ricoh SDK) with the K-70:
- Live View works
- All SDK supported settings (ISO, shutter, EC, WB, aperture, quality/resolution, image format, write to SD) work for all capture modes work except for bulb capture.
- Bulb capture does not work at all.

Similar results are expected for any other SDK-supported camera.

For MSC mode (pktriggercord) with the K-70:
- Bulb mode works with arbitrary shutter speeds
- Other modes work with their pre-defined shutter speeds
- Aperture, white balance, image format, and image quality work
- ISO and EC are implemented, but do not appear to work with the K-70
- There are some additional settings that could be implemented, but either they seemed like too much effort for too little reward, or did not work on the K-70 (e.g. resolution).
- Capture/download speed is about the same as the SDK. However, bulb mode captures are significantly slower than equivalent exposures in other modes (on the K-70 at least).
- Live View does not work. I'm not saying it's impossible, but even if I did get it to work, it'd be pretty slow (a frame every 4-5 seconds, perhaps).
- Countdown timer in Ekos doesn't really work at all right now, as the save_buffer method in pktriggercord has a while loop that's blocking everything. I need to explore the possibility of capturing in a different thread.

The MSC mode should support a wider variety of cameras than the PTP mode, and different cameras may perform better (or worse) than the K-70.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Keld Henningsen
Last edit: 4 years 2 months ago by Karl Rees.
4 years 2 months ago #48348

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Replied by Karl Rees on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

Well, there were a few unexpected bumps when I tried things out on various machines, but I think I've caught the major issues now. I wrote installation and operation instructions here: github.com/karlrees/indi-3rdparty/blob/m...ndi-pentax/README.md. Please let me know if you have any feedback.

I'm not sure if anything else is needed before I submit a pull request. Perhaps @knro could chime in. Perhaps something for debian packaging? I have no idea how that works.

Also, I had a few technical issues, and perhaps some enlightened mind out there with more experience than myself can advise me on them:

1) The Ricoh Camera SDK depends upon a custom version of libmtp with a version number of 9.3.0. Not surprisingly, this can and does cause problems if the standard version of libmtp is installed. To avoid these problems, I configured the requisite libraries to be installed in the "indipentax" subdirectory of CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR. That subdirectory is then listed in the RPATH of the indi_pentax binary (not the RUNPATH, since libmtp is an indirect dependency). I'm sure this negatively affects the modularity of indi-pentax. I'm happy to take suggestions if there's a better way to deal with this issue. I also wonder if it would be better to install the libraries in /usr/local/lib/indipentax?

2) When compiled on Ubuntu Mate 18.0.4 (Raspberry Pi 3B), PTP mode does not work. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but based on my observations thus far, I suspect it's because the indi_pentax binary generated by the compiler on Ubuntu Mate is targeting armv7, whereas the library files provided by Ricoh are for armv6. Yet, I cannot figure out how to get indi-pentax to compile if I force the compiler on Ubuntu Mate to target armv6 (errors--something about thumb1--can't remember off the top of my head). A workaround is to use a binary generated on Raspbian, since those are for armv6 by default. However, not being familiar with how packages are generated, I am slightly worried about what binary StellarMate users will get (they're Ubuntu Mate, right?).
4 years 1 month ago #48657

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Replied by Ray Wells on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

Hi Karl! That's pretty awesome! I've thought about getting a K1 but knew the drivers were going to be a hassle so I've waited. Marcus(gphoto) said the SDK WAS using closed drivers and would be difficult to work with. Starting from scratch is a daunting task too. BRAVO for you efforts!

This probably doesn't matter too much, but I just thought a little history might help.
I helped Marcus get the gphoto pentax driver going a while back and Marcus ended up wrapping to pktriggercord at that time.(so much testing!) Marcus bought himself a k10d to play with and between that and my k-50 he bashed out the current working driver, but we couldn't get past the wanky firmware issue with bulb in later models. Later Andras came up with that bulb fix for the k-70 for pktriggercord (a trick with the dual/single press menu) and we tried to get the k-50 to bulb using that new fix also without success. In the end I wound up buying a used K5(same exmor imx071 sensor) and have been using it with up to 20 minute exposures. You might get with Marcus over at libgphoto and let him know the pktriggercord k70 bulb fix isn't working with gphoto. he might also have some tips if he already got around it/updated it to pkt's new code.

Hey! There's an AP group at PF? :P

So when things move along a bit I'll for sure be able to give it a try with a K5 and a k50 --though probably on cloudy nights...which we've had plenty of lately. :oops:
4 years 1 month ago #49912

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Replied by Karl Rees on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

Thanks for the insight. It would be nice if the SDK were open, but it works, and fills in some gaps that pktriggercord doesn't. It really wasn't too complicated--Andras already did the hard work reverse-engineering pktriggercord. Learning how to use the SDK was a piece of cake compared to that.

I had a little bit of time to pick this up again, and so I spent some time revisiting the driver today. I think I've reached a point on development where there's not really anything for me to add or fix for my personal usage, and I haven't had any feedback from anyone else, so I've decided to submit a pull request. Guess we'll see how it goes.
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4 years 3 weeks ago #50476

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Right now there's an issue with the gphoto Pentax driver Indi does detect the camera, but you cannot connect.
I have created a ticket, Marcus has seen it, but I guess he's on vacation :-)
github.com/gphoto/libgphoto2/issues/478
4 years 3 weeks ago #50483

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Replied by Ray Wells on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

Interesting. Mine was working on the K5 last weekend but I'm not following nightly right now so something could have happened in latest. A bit off topic for this thread so I'll follow it on PF and gphoto git to see if I can confuse anyone. :P ...er I mean help.

@Karlees: I hope Jasem will make this a testing driver and leave the gphoto one too, until we get more tests. I've been terribly busy lately and completely forgot about testing this new one. Having it compile with indi should make it easier to get feeback though.
Last edit: 4 years 3 weeks ago by Ray Wells. Reason: more to say
4 years 3 weeks ago #50486

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Replied by Karl Rees on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

I would think it would be a while before this fully replaced the gphoto driver for Pentax--it needs a lot of testing by people with different equipment than I have. I think in the long run that people will find this driver to work better than gphoto for Pentax cameras, but who knows. (And the existing indi_pentax_ccd driver is just a redirect to indi_gphoto anyway, so the gphoto driver would never really be gone). In the meantime, it does leave open a question of naming conventions. I proposed in my code naming one driver "Pentax (Gphoto)" and the other "Pentax (Native)", but I'm open to suggestions.
4 years 3 weeks ago #50489

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My clear skies are too precious for me to install nightly builds :) Then we have the blood pressure issue and the feeling of just wanting to put a nail through the laptop when everything goes wrong :silly:
The problem is related to latest stable builds - I’m not the only one facing the problem.

@karlrees, since the gphoto driver can also be used for Pentax cameras, you could stick to just “Pentax” with an explanation that older Pentax cameras would have to use the gphoto driver.
Just a suggestion.
Last edit: 4 years 3 weeks ago by Keld Henningsen.
4 years 3 weeks ago #50490

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Replied by Ray Wells on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

And all this time I thought "I" was the drama queen...or maybe I was just the progenitor of bug driven angst. Ask our ever understanding @knro(Jasem) how often I've lost it trying to fix stuff. :pinch:
Last edit: 4 years 3 weeks ago by Ray Wells.
4 years 3 weeks ago #50491

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:lol: :lol:
You are not the only one, that’s also why I stick to the official releases and have an sd card with the previous version ready if anything goes wrong.
4 years 3 weeks ago #50500

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Replied by Ralph on topic New Pentax Driver Testing

Hello,

i am new to Indi, Ekos and Astroberry. I managed to take some pictures while in B Mode and plate solving did work too while using my Pentax K70 and primary scope. I have to set everything in camera. Changes i make while using Ekos won't take effect.

And for worst, i can't save pictures on my SD Card... I can't set a folder. After plate solving i have to stop the Pentax Driver, disconnect the camera (USB) and connect a external shutter release.

Am i missing something? Cam is PTP.

I did a full (dist-upgrade) Update two days ago. Is there a possibility that a newer Driver exist and it isn't pushed to Astroberry until now?

Which are the optimal cam and Ekos settings? And how i set up everything to save pictures on the camera SD?

Thanks and greetings from Germany,

Ralph
3 years 7 months ago #57842

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Unfortunately, the Pentax situation seems to have gotten worse with the latest driver updates. I also have a K-70 which I used to use for astrophotography, I always had to set ISO and shutter speed on the camera, Ekos has always been able to trigger an exposure and download to my laptop.
Everything seems very unstable, last week I managed to set ISO and aperture via Ekos, but not exposure time, 10min later I could not do it.
Now there are two Pentax drivers and the gphoto (which I’ve used in the past) all three drivers seems to be challenging to use.
Last edit: 3 years 7 months ago by Keld Henningsen.
3 years 7 months ago #57855

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