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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

(SOLVED) Guide calibration fails. Cannot guide

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A few days ago I was guiding my AVX with the SX-Lodestar on an OAG without any problem using the default guide setup in EKOS.
I use Stellarmate on a rpi4 4 gb, connected by VNC to my PC

Last night, after enjoying a perfect polar alignment with the new tool in EKOS (congrats to the coders!), it was impossible for me to continue because I could not calibrate the guide after fighting for more than three hours.
The RA calibration stopped after one minute and said I had a mount or backlash problem. On other occasions it said that it had lost the star when the star was perfectly visible inside the box...

Today I did a test with simulators and they worked with the default conditions (Smart, calibration pulse 1000 ms).
Then I prepared a profile only with the AVX and the CCD and CCD guide simulators.
I tried various methods (SMART, SEP Multistars ...) and different pulse durations (200 to 5000) to no avail.
Calibration begins by calibrating in RA. It starts in RA drifting forward for 12 seconds and then goes to RA drifting reverse. After approximately 1 minute it gives a <strong>GUIDE_RA error: 'mount or backlash problems'</strong>. During that minute the star in the box is sliding in AR and if it were not re-centered between tests, it would go out of the image.

Please find attached the kstars logs of my attempts with the mount and the simulators.

<strong>I'm a bit desperate, I have no clue of how to continue, I need any help you can offer me</strong>


 

File Attachment:

File Name: log_19-00-50.txt
File Size:3,519 KB
Last edit: 3 years 4 days ago by Joaquin.
3 years 5 days ago #69114
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Not sure if you upgraded to Indi 1.8.9 between your successful calibration and problems. The Celestron driver has a bug in 1.8.9 that breaks calibration when using mount pulse commands. See thread www.indilib.org/forum/mounts/9017-intern...pdate-celestron.html
 
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3 years 4 days ago #69124

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Thanks Tuna,
My last images were from February 27th, so you're right.
I had read that thread at the time but then I forgot it and at some point I did the upgrade.

SOLUTION:
As I have a spare raspi for tests, I have passed it from 'stable' to 'beta' with the Stellarmate App.
I copied and sent to myself the new beta indi_celestron_gps driver (it is now vs 3.6), which was in /usr/bin/, by Gmail.
Then, I turned on my working rig which has the stable version of Stellarmate.
I downloaded the driver from Gmail and copied it to /usr/bin/ (I backed up the original driver (vs 3.5)).
I started KStars / EKOS using the AVX driver and simulators, and it calibrated at first try !
Last edit: 3 years 4 days ago by Joaquin.
3 years 4 days ago #69169

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I am getting the same error but haven't updated the software past 1.5.5   
This build has been working great for quite some time and suddenly I am unable to calibrate guiding and get the error. 

GUIDE_RA error: 'mount or backlash problems

[2021-03-25T01:10:54.889 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  22  Direction: RA_INC_DIR  Duration:  2000  ms.
[2021-03-25T01:10:54.889 EDT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "Calibration rejected. Star drift is too short. Check for mount, cable, or backlash problems."

GOTO functionality works fine after a plate-solve.  Guiding from a saved backup works fine.   Here is a portion of the log which shows the final error.  Something is amiss in the mount itself as the same error occurs on a fresh SM 1.5.5 installation.

[2021-03-25T02:44:47.157 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 17 : STAR  943.36 , 627.996
[2021-03-25T02:44:47.158 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  17  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  8000  ms.
[2021-03-25T02:44:47.159 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  7.02242  from original point.
[2021-03-25T02:44:55.335 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Capturing frame...
[2021-03-25T02:44:55.422 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Mount motion finished.
[2021-03-25T02:44:57.039 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Received guide frame.
[2021-03-25T02:44:57.039 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Tracking Square  QRect(927,611 32x32)
[2021-03-25T02:44:57.054 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 18 : STAR  943.085 , 627.331
[2021-03-25T02:44:57.054 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  18  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  8000  ms.
[2021-03-25T02:44:57.055 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  7.69011  from original point.
[2021-03-25T02:45:05.331 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Capturing frame...
[2021-03-25T02:45:05.366 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Mount motion finished.
[2021-03-25T02:45:07.025 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Received guide frame.
[2021-03-25T02:45:07.025 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Tracking Square  QRect(927,611 32x32)
[2021-03-25T02:45:07.066 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 19 : STAR  943.121 , 626.827
[2021-03-25T02:45:07.066 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  19  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  8000  ms.
[2021-03-25T02:45:07.067 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  8.19367  from original point.
[2021-03-25T02:45:15.302 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Mount motion finished.
[2021-03-25T02:45:15.332 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Capturing frame...
[2021-03-25T02:45:17.213 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Received guide frame.
[2021-03-25T02:45:17.215 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Tracking Square  QRect(927,610 32x32)
[2021-03-25T02:45:17.288 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 20 : STAR  942.703 , 626.345
[2021-03-25T02:45:17.288 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  20  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  8000  ms.
[2021-03-25T02:45:17.289 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  8.68095  from original point.
[2021-03-25T02:45:25.332 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Capturing frame...
[2021-03-25T02:45:25.550 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.align] - Mount motion finished.
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.002 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Received guide frame.
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.002 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Tracking Square  QRect(926,610 32x32)
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.007 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration # 21 : STAR  942.991 , 626.306
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.007 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Iteration  21  Direction: RA_DEC_DIR  Duration:  8000  ms.
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.008 EDT DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - Star x pos is  8.7168  from original point.
[2021-03-25T02:45:27.015 EDT INFO ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.guide] - "GUIDE_RA: Scope cannot reach the start point after 21 iterations. Possible mount or backlash problems..."


I am not sure where to look next and my problem isn't from updating to a more recent build.

The 8000ms duration for stepping was an attempt to see if it fixed the error.  It was always set at 1000ms.

Thanks IA for any suggestions

Steve
Last edit: 3 years 3 days ago by Steve Crossman.
3 years 3 days ago #69223

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Is it a celestron mount ?. If yes, please check the indi_celestron_gps driver version (in drivers.xml or in the INDI telescope connections tab ). Shouldn’t be 3.5.
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3 years 3 days ago #69224

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Yes, Celestron AVX

I will check on the driver version, however this version of SM 1.5.5 has worked fine for months with no changes.  The only thing I did different was tried to connect using the Mac Kstars version.

Do you have a link for the latest version to install?  I made another SD boot for 1.5.5 fresh install and will install it there.

thanks for your help!
3 years 3 days ago #69226

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It is version 3.4 driver
3 years 3 days ago #69227

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Now I find that the simulator won't calibrate the guiding as well.
3 years 3 days ago #69229

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Did you try after resetting to defaults in ekos-guide-options ?

The driver vs 3.5 was the one that came with the last stable kstars-indi in early march. I didnt burn a fresh copy of SMate from the website, I also was on SM1.5.5 and just sudo-apt-upgraded the system. Before vs3.5 I had not problems with calibration or guiding, and never needed to mess with the options tab. 
Driver vs 3.5 worked for me with the simulators but it failed with a real AVX (using CCD simulators).

*** Do you have a link for the latest version to install? ***
Do you mean the driver ?
Today I attached it in another threat on the same problem in the forum. Please find it in Recent Topics.
Why dont you install current SM 1.5.7 and paste the driver there ?.

If it doesn’t work, maybe you should raise a support ticket with jasem.
3 years 3 days ago #69239

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Thank you for the info. I have tried the above. This SM 1.5.5 image + restore my backup has always worked. I didn't update the software and out of the blue it started acting weird during guiding, as if it wasn't seeing the guide pulses. Guide history looked line a sine wave pattern.

Jasem has replied to my email very promptly and I have updated to the lasted nightly build from a fresh 1.5.7 image. No restore profile. Created a blank profile and testing the simulators. Seems you have to find something first before guiding calibration will work with the Simulator. It has the same problem of not finishing guide calibration and displaying the message that started this thread.

Clear skies are now a week away... thanks again for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.
3 years 3 days ago #69240

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