Sequence with guiding and focusing

[tbaehnck]

Hi all,

 

in the past I use Sequence just to make pointing files most of the time. Last night I tried to run Sequence for the hole process of imaging incl. guiding and focusing.

I used autoslew 5.2.1.9 with seq 0.2.0.9

 

Two problems appears. I tried to run a sequence with two targets with two different exposures files. All had been started fine but in the end sequence stops the different slots too early. In the log file I found that it had been stopped when the guide star was faded. This happended on both targets after 6 to 7 L-frames. 

 

01:06:57.189: Saved Image C:\ProgramData\ASA\Sequence\Images\\2016-03-9\M99-L-0006.fits

01:06:57.189: Time since last Autofocus = 7,6 minutes

01:06:57.205: Dithering now with X=-0,5 pix Y=0,2 pix

01:07:43.302: Errorcode = Tracking Failed

01:07:43.333: ************************************************************************

01:07:43.333: Starting Sequence on Target C:\ProgramData\ASA\Sequence\Target Files\NGC4490.trg with Exposure settings C:\ProgramData\ASA\Sequence\ExposureSettings\L_240s.exp

01:07:43.333: Running now Nr. 1 of this Sequence

01:07:43.333: Starting Sequence C:\ProgramData\ASA\Sequence\Target Files\NGC4490.trg

01:07:43.333: Target RA: 12h31m24,2s DE: +41d32m30s

 

Is there any option to avoid to do this after the first faded guided star? Maybe after 10 times or the option to ignore this like in MaximDL itself?

 

 

The second problem is that autofocusing runs quite well but measuring a V-curve Slope failed. The log file contains this:

 

23:09:18.415: Starting V-Curve now

23:09:18.450: Starting with Focus Position = 13,75

23:09:18.685: Setting Readoutmode to 0

23:09:18.695: Setting Boxsize to 500

23:09:18.700: Make Exposure with 2,53 s

23:09:22.206: HFD calc: Removed 4 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:3

23:09:22.206: HFD calc: Centr. X: 246,4  Centr. Y: 248

23:09:22.207: HFD calc: HFD=4,8  and Star Brightness=2555,0

23:09:22.207: MaxPix: 2555

23:09:22.211: Increasing Exposure time to 5,00s

23:09:22.212: MaxPix x: 246,378584948607  MaxPix y: 247,542659989937

23:09:22.222: Setting final box size to : 250

23:09:22.227: Start X to: 219 Start Y to: 219

23:09:22.232: Small Box Exposure with 5,00 s

23:09:27.719: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:3

23:09:27.720: HFD calc: Centr. X: 125,3  Centr. Y: 124

23:09:27.720: HFD calc: HFD=5,5  and Star Brightness=3238,0

23:09:27.721: MaxPix: 3238

23:09:27.726: Setting Exposure time to 5,00s

23:09:27.730: Beginning V-Curve now on negative focus values

23:09:39.399: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:6

23:09:39.399: HFD calc: Centr. X: 125,3  Centr. Y: 125

23:09:39.400: HFD calc: HFD=12,6  and Star Brightness=11333,0

23:09:39.403: Focus:13,15 HFD:12,6 MaxPix:11333

23:09:51.157: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:11

23:09:51.157: HFD calc: Centr. X: 125,4  Centr. Y: 127

23:09:51.157: HFD calc: HFD=24,9  and Star Brightness=4980,0

23:09:51.162: Focus:12,55 HFD:24,9 MaxPix:4980

23:10:02.787: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:14

23:10:02.787: HFD calc: Centr. X: 124,8  Centr. Y: 125

23:10:02.787: HFD calc: HFD=37,0  and Star Brightness=2760,0

23:10:02.806: Focus:11,95 HFD:37,0 MaxPix:2760

23:10:10.548: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:14

23:10:10.553: HFD calc: Centr. X: 124,6  Centr. Y: 125

23:10:10.553: HFD calc: HFD=37,1  and Star Brightness=2734,0

23:10:10.558: Focus:11,95 HFD:37,1 MaxPix:2734

23:10:16.124: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:13

23:10:16.124: HFD calc: Centr. X: 124,7  Centr. Y: 125

23:10:16.124: HFD calc: HFD=37,2  and Star Brightness=2760,0

23:10:16.175: Focus:11,95 HFD:37,2 MaxPix:2760

23:10:21.707: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:13

23:10:21.707: HFD calc: Centr. X: 124,8  Centr. Y: 125

23:10:21.708: HFD calc: HFD=37,0  and Star Brightness=2681,0

23:10:21.709: Focus:11,95 HFD:37,0 MaxPix:2681

23:10:27.230: HFD calc: Removed 0 Hot Pix, Centr. Size:14

23:10:27.231: HFD calc: Centr. X: 124,8  Centr. Y: 125

23:10:27.232: HFD calc: HFD=37,2  and Star Brightness=2776,0

23:10:27.244: Focus:11,95 HFD:37,2 MaxPix:2776

23:10:27.259: HFD on negative side: 37,1 Slope= 0,048

23:10:38.331: Focus Time Out at try 1

23:10:38.331: Errorcode: FocusingTimeOut Focuser could not reach Focusposition

23:10:43.916: Could not measure V-Curve, Moving back to initial focus position = 13,75

 

 

The focuser is a moonlite stepper focuser and the time out limit was set to 25sec.

What do you think about it? Do you have any tips?

 

Thanks and best regards

Thomas

[tbaehnck]

No ideas?

 

Br Thomas

[RamaSpaceShip]

Hi Thomas,

 

What are the bound values for the focuser position?

 

As far as I can see in the log, it seems to repeat focus position:11,95. I wonder why. It probably stops because the result is bad after 5 tries at this position.

But I don't know what is wrong as I don't use MaximDL yet.

 

Best regards.

 

Bernard