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KSTARS/EKOS/INDI - Mac - Cameras Disconnecting

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My second attempt at posting this problem. I'm using all this in my observatory. I'm a new user here, have got the Mac version (sort of) working, with MacBook Pro, 2 USB 3 ports, Mojave OS. Driving an EQ8 mount with EQDir cable, no disconnects on it. Two cameras are linked to the Mac through a Pegasus USB 3.1 hub on USB 3 powered extension cable. On Initial startup and cameras; ZWO guide and Canon 1000D DSLR, connect and run ok in EKOS modules, However after doing a KSTARS goto, astrometry.net plate solving and then trying to start imaging the Canon EKOS cam module camera won't respond and appears to disconnect and won't reconnect w/o turning it off and restarting EKOS INDI connections after disconnected. The ZWO also disconnects but seems to reconnect sometimes. Have tried with both running through the Pegasus USB hub and taking the DSLR camera off and running on separate USB cable, which didn't help. Help is NEEDED!
3 years 10 months ago #52959

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While I though it was one problem with one solution, I may have found two solutions. to two problems. While trying just a single USB 3 cable from the hub to the Mac (no powered extension) the ZWO guide camera stayed connected, but the Canon DSLR still would not. I then changed the camera driver in EKOS to GPhoto CCD and now the Canon DSLR connected and both cameras stayed connected through a full session of goto plate solving, autoguiding and sequence of imaging. Whatever links there are to drivers in EKOS/ seem to be 'misnamed' or to the wrong driver. . Glad to have found this because I'm out of hair after hours and hours of trying to sort these problems out this out by 'empirical science' aka trial and error.
3 years 10 months ago #53032

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Where do you find the drivers on the Mac to rename? I can't seem to find the directory they're in. Are they in the package itself?
3 years 10 months ago #53033

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Hi, I didn't rename anything, I just selected the GPhoto CCD option in the EKOS Profile Editor setup. I don't want to mess with what apparently works.. But seems the Profile list for Cannon DSLR points to is wrong.

In KStars package -Contents - (I presume) are the camera drivers are under Resources - Driver Support - GPhoto directory, which lists a number of cameras including Canon.
3 years 10 months ago #53036

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Thank you for reporting this problem. I would probably recommend doing some indoor tests with individual pieces of equipment and with simulators to make sure everything is properly configured and reliably working before relying on it during prime observing time. You might want to mess around with the dslr at the very least. I will definitely check on the Canon symlink to the G Photo driver. Is this in the latest version of kstars, the DMG that i built the other day, or is it a bit older?

Thanks,

Rob
3 years 10 months ago #53111

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Thanks... I'm using the KSTARS "Mac Release" dated 2/28/19 on the download page, running on my MacBook Pro, direct to mount and cameras. I don't know of any updates or way to update it. Perhaps you could explain if there is. I'm a bit surprised no one else has reported this over the past year, as I would think other Canon DSLR & Mac users are out there. I was experiencing a number of disconnect problems with both cameras and finally narrowed it down to the cheaper USB 3 hub and USB cable extension I was using initially that also disconnected the ZWO guide cam . The final problem with the Canon still disconnecting only shows up after running a goto plate solving and then trying to start the Canon DSLR imaging. It connected and would fire before doing any goto and plate solving. So its a problem that would not show up 'in the house' testing. I did hours of 'investigations. during daytime (in the cold) trying to figure out where the problem was since everything is in the observatory, can't really test cables, cameras, mount otherwise. When KSTARS/EKOS was having these problems when I tried imaging, I gave up for awhile, and I fell back to my long-time 'working' software of TSX, Nebulosity and PHD2 which all connect and work fine under USB 2 or 3 hubs and cables I had been using.

I'm now finding I can't get EKOS to connect to PHD2 to use that for guiding. I've been following the set up in Profile etc. and routine in the youtube video (which is mostly about Stellarmate version) and other bits of 'instructions'. and can't seem to get it to make the connection . EKOS keeps giving an error of can't connect while another another connection is trying - or something like that. If there is a slightly better or different sequence or 'work flow' for connecting PHD to EKOS in the Mac version I can't find it. I tried he EKOS guiding module and it connects and works ok . but I havent' had enough clear sky time to learn and tweak its settings much. I have PHD guiding working very well with this mount. Thanks for any help or suggestions you have.
Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by Ron M.
3 years 10 months ago #53138

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I will certainly check it out, I don't know why nobody reported it, but they didn't as far as I know. Maybe it is something specific to your setup, I don't know

There is definitely a new version of KStars for Mac, I compiled it just the other day and put it on the server. I don't know if Jasem updated the link, but I think that he did. Maybe the newer version might work better for you, but I don't think anything changed significantly with what was giving you trouble. I did update GPhoto in there, but I don't think that was your issue. Installing a newer version is as easy as dragging from the DMG and dropping it over the old one and saying yes, please replace it.

For PHD2, it automatically starts trying to connect when you start Ekos. if you try to push connect, it will come back with that error message just letting you know it is already trying to connect to PHD2. Sometimes PHD2 takes a little time to respond but sometimes it responds right away. I don't know why. You should make sure that PHD2 is already running on whatever computer you will be using it on (ie on the Mac or on a Raspberry Pi) and that you have already configured it properly with the camera you want to use and the drivers you want to use. Also in your Ekos profile, make sure you have the right IP address and port number (4400 probably) in there.
3 years 10 months ago #53172

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I had a similar problem with my attached ZWOASI174mmc, that the imaging did not start and I had to restart KSTARS/EKOS. I'm using the latest version 3.4.2 on MacBookPro 13" with Catalina.
3 years 10 months ago #53384

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