Hi I finaly finished my project with this electronic focuser. Everything work fine with the USB pluged to the Arduino. I installed the Ascom driver et connect to the focuser from NINA. It whent fine doing autofocus and trigerred during the night when focus was lost or when temprature changed of 2C.
But when I tried the bluetooth I was able to connect from NINA, do an autofocus but later during the night, a couple of hour later, when an autofocus was trigered because of 2C change in temperature, NINA froze. I could not do anything but kill NINA and disconect bluetooth on the PC reconnect with PIN restart NINA and reconnect...
I saw that I am not the only one with that problem. I taught of putting an intruction in NINA advance sequencer to mve focus +1 and -1 every frame I take to keep the connection alive, but didn't try it because I think there must be a better way to do.
Do you have any solution for that problem?
Thanks.
Last edit: Jacques Talbot 2024-08-28
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I read in 'MFP2 and NiNa' topic that it was solved in version 281 of Ascom driver, but I cannot find any older version of the Ascom drover. I actually have version 305. I will try to give you some trace log.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Can you please try this first.
Remove your current drivers you have using Control Panel
Next use explorer to go to folder
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\ASCOM\Focuser
and in there delete any folder for myFP2 and any myFP2ASCOM... files
and any file like ASCOM.myFP2ASCOM.Focuser.dll
Once these are removed, please run the install again for 305
Then start Nina and use the properties to load ascom driver properties, make sure the title bar of the ascom driver form says "myFP2 ASCOM Driver 305
(sometimes installed a new driver does not erase the prior .dll file and thus you think you are running a newer driver when in fact may not be.
That might not be the issue but it worth trying first. If it still fails, enable Trace On in the driver properties form to write a trace log from the driver (stored in Documents\ASCOM\logs
Bluetooth is inherently a poor connection method. You are much better served using serial. With the Wifi versions of the focuser, it is easy to detect a connection drop and restart the connection. Not sure how I could do that in BT without breaking something else.
Nina does a regular poll of the focuser connection by requesting position and temperature etc at very regular intervals. Any connection drop detected and Nina seems to try a reconnect, I have seen that with my own focusers myFP2 using Serial.
Regards
Robert
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Thanks Robert for your answer. I already have version 305. I did some testing with Sharpcap and the connection is lost also. So I decided to use USB serial and don't have any problem. We are having clear sky, then for now I will use USB. When the will be some cloudy night I will give it an other try and get all log possible so we can see what is happening.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Hi I finaly finished my project with this electronic focuser. Everything work fine with the USB pluged to the Arduino. I installed the Ascom driver et connect to the focuser from NINA. It whent fine doing autofocus and trigerred during the night when focus was lost or when temprature changed of 2C.
But when I tried the bluetooth I was able to connect from NINA, do an autofocus but later during the night, a couple of hour later, when an autofocus was trigered because of 2C change in temperature, NINA froze. I could not do anything but kill NINA and disconect bluetooth on the PC reconnect with PIN restart NINA and reconnect...
I saw that I am not the only one with that problem. I taught of putting an intruction in NINA advance sequencer to mve focus +1 and -1 every frame I take to keep the connection alive, but didn't try it because I think there must be a better way to do.
Do you have any solution for that problem?
Thanks.
Last edit: Jacques Talbot 2024-08-28
I read in 'MFP2 and NiNa' topic that it was solved in version 281 of Ascom driver, but I cannot find any older version of the Ascom drover. I actually have version 305. I will try to give you some trace log.
Hi Jacques
You did not say what versions you are using (firmware, ascom driver, Nina etc)
the latest ascom driver is 305 which included fixes for some NINA issues
https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinoascomfocuserpro2diy/files/ASCOM%20DRIVERS/1st%20Driver/myFP2ASCOMSetup305.exe/download
Can you please try this first.
Remove your current drivers you have using Control Panel
Next use explorer to go to folder
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\ASCOM\Focuser
and in there delete any folder for myFP2 and any myFP2ASCOM... files
and any file like ASCOM.myFP2ASCOM.Focuser.dll
Once these are removed, please run the install again for 305
Then start Nina and use the properties to load ascom driver properties, make sure the title bar of the ascom driver form says "myFP2 ASCOM Driver 305
(sometimes installed a new driver does not erase the prior .dll file and thus you think you are running a newer driver when in fact may not be.
That might not be the issue but it worth trying first. If it still fails, enable Trace On in the driver properties form to write a trace log from the driver (stored in Documents\ASCOM\logs
Bluetooth is inherently a poor connection method. You are much better served using serial. With the Wifi versions of the focuser, it is easy to detect a connection drop and restart the connection. Not sure how I could do that in BT without breaking something else.
Nina does a regular poll of the focuser connection by requesting position and temperature etc at very regular intervals. Any connection drop detected and Nina seems to try a reconnect, I have seen that with my own focusers myFP2 using Serial.
Regards
Robert
Thanks Robert for your answer. I already have version 305. I did some testing with Sharpcap and the connection is lost also. So I decided to use USB serial and don't have any problem. We are having clear sky, then for now I will use USB. When the will be some cloudy night I will give it an other try and get all log possible so we can see what is happening.