after imaging run with mirror cable BYE does not work right

[blakesphere]

Hello,

 

I have some questions or observations regarding a mirror cable issue I'm having. In particular, an imaging run works fine with the serial mirror cable for anti-vibration but at the end of the run I cannot fully use the camera. My serial mirror cable shows the shutter mode is still active (by a red LED). If I quit BYE, the shutter mode reverts to standby (as shown by a yellow LED). And restarting BYE, everything works fine again.

 

my setup:

 

Canon 40D

serial mirror cable

    based on an opto-isolator

    LED indicators for standby and active

USB-serial adapter (Prolific chip set)

stock USB camera control cable

ASUS netbook computer

Backyard EOS 3.1.6

 

I have also tested this with a serial mirror cable based on dual MOSFETs. Same result.

 

I use the mirror control for two main things: imaging planets; imaging double stars. In both cases, with still shots, I need the mirror held up to eliminate the mirror flop vibration visible in rapid short exposures.

 

So it looks to me like at the end of the imaging run, there is no command sent to the serial port to resume or return to standby mode.

 

Can anyone verify this?

 

I'm very curious what's happening in the Backyard code at the end of an imaging run...

 

Thanks for you time.

 

(I apologise if this topic was raised elsewhere. I did try searching the forums for a similar issue.)

 

regards,

Blake

 

 

[admin]

Tested with the version you provided. 

 

Did a BULB run. Everything nominal. Did a TV run with 3 exposures, a 10 second delay, 2 second mirror up command, and a 5 second pause. Exposure time: 1/4 of a second.

 

It works!

 

At the end of the run, the shutter is released.

 

Near the end, the mirror lock cable shows a red LED which coincides with the shutter opening. In TV mode, the exposure completes quickly of course. The shutter closes, the mirror drops. After a couple of seconds, the mirror lock cable shows a yellow LED which indicates the shutter is released and the serial port is back in a standby state!

 

Backyard works well after this. The software is responsive, operating normally, speed nominal.

 

The camera is working. In particular, I can go start to Frame & Focus. The mirror goes up immediately. The Live View is clearly active.

 

All is well!

 

 

Awesome.  I will check-in that code and it will officially be in the next BYE 3.1.9 release

 

Thank yo for testing

[blakesphere]

A quick follow-up.

 

Used everything in the field last weekend.

 

Canon 40D, Celestron 11, Backyard EOS (test version), USB cable, mirror lock cable.

 

Everything worked great.

 

Thanks again.

[admin]

A quick follow-up.

 

Used everything in the field last weekend.

 

Canon 40D, Celestron 11, Backyard EOS (test version), USB cable, mirror lock cable.

 

Everything worked great.

 

Thanks again.

 

Awesome

[admin]

Hi Blake,

 

Where did you buy your cable... or is this a home brewed cable?

 

Nothing much is happening in BYE.

 

To begin an image capture (without mirrorlock)

 

1) BYE will open the serial port -> this will open the shutter.

2) BYE is now exposing.

3) BYE will close the serial port -> this will close the shutter.

 

 

To begin an image capture (with mirrorlock enabled)

 

1) BYE will open the serial port for 1 second and then close it -> this will flip the mirror

2) BYE will pause a few seconds according the image plan (minimum 2 seconds)

3) BYE will open the serial port  -> this will open the shutter.

4) BYE is now exposing.

5) BYE will close the serial port -> this will close the shutter.

 

 

Regards,

[blakesphere]

Hi Guylain,

 

Home-made cables based on Beskeen and Covington.

 

Thanks for describing the sequence flow.

 

I gather it is the same if using TV or BULB?

 

Is there a programming difference in TV or BULB? 

 

I gather the camera controls the shutter in TV mode whereas BYE controls the shutter in BULB.

 

regards,

Blake

[astroman133]

Blake,

 

You are correct about how the shutter is controlled in Tv vs. Bulb modes.

 

So I assume that you are shooting Tv exposures when you experience this issue. That will help Guylain to duplicate what you are doing.

[admin]

Hi Guylain,

 

Home-made cables based on Beskeen and Covington.

 

Thanks for describing the sequence flow.

 

I gather it is the same if using TV or BULB?

 

Is there a programming difference in TV or BULB? 

 

I gather the camera controls the shutter in TV mode whereas BYE controls the shutter in BULB.

 

regards,

Blake

 

No, the serial cable is only used to BULB images.  If you use TV images the regular usb cable is used.  The serial cable is used for mirror up for both BULB to TV images with the 40D.

[admin]

Does it work properly if you used bulb only with mirror lock + your serial cable.  If yes the issue is only with TV.

 

EDIT: Does work properly without mirror lock for both BULB and TV?

 

Regards

[blakesphere]

Quick test.

 

cable support: Serial COM 6

mirror lock: 2

delay: 10

 

exposures: 3

shutter: bulb

duration: 10

pause: 5

 

GO! :-)

 

Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

 

Delay counted down 10 seconds.

 

Anti-vibration mode started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Mirror went up.

Anti-vibration counted down. Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

Exposure 1 of 3 started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Shutter opened.

Exposure countdown ended. Yellow LED (standby) on cable. Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Downloading. Image appears.

Pausing countdown.

 

Anti-vibration mode started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Mirror went up.

Anti-vibration counted down. Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

Exposure 2 of 3 started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Shutter opened.

Exposure countdown ended. Yellow LED (standby) on cable. Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Downloading. Image appears.

Pausing countdown.

 

Anti-vibration mode started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Mirror went up.

Anti-vibration counted down. Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

Exposure 3 of 3 started. Red LED (shutter) on cable. Shutter opened.

Exposure countdown ended. Yellow LED (standby) on cable. Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Downloading. Image appears.

 

Tone. Done.

 

Cable shows yellow LED! It's in standby. Which is what it should be.

 

Camera and BYE work normally. I can go by to Frame & Focus. Software is operating at normal speed. Camera accepts changes.

[blakesphere]

Another test. TV this time...

 

cable support: Serial COM 6

mirror lock: 2

delay: 10

 

exposures: 3

shutter: 2

pause: 5

 

GO! 

 

Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

 

Delay counted down 10 seconds.

 

Exposure 1 of 3. Yellow LED (standby).

Anti-vibration mode started. 

Busy. Mirror up. Red LED (shutter).

Yellow LED.

Busy. Shutter open. Red LED.

Exposure ends. Red (still).

Downloading. Red (still).

Pausing. Red (still).

 

Exposure 2 of 3. Yellow LED (standby).

Anti-vibration mode started. 

Busy. Mirror up. Red LED (shutter).

Yellow LED.

Busy. Shutter open. Red LED.

Exposure ends. Red (still).

Downloading. Red (still).

Pausing. Red (still).

 

Exposure 3 of 3. Yellow LED (standby).

Anti-vibration mode started. 

Busy. Mirror up. Red LED (shutter).

Yellow LED.

Busy. Shutter open. Red LED.

Exposure ends. Red (still).

Downloading. Red (still).

Pausing. Red (still).

 

Tone. Done.

 

Cable shows red LED! The serial port is holding the shutter open (or trying). 

 

BYE slow/sluggish. Camera does not seem to respond. When F&F appears, no image. That's because the mirror is down.

 

I have to close BYE to get the serial port to return to standby. Yellow LED.

[admin]

Ok, issue seems to be TV.  This is probably due to BYE using the use cable for TV images.

 

But you can force the use of serial cable for TV images as well.  Go to Settings -> Advance Settings and set Force Use Serial Cable.  Try your TV test again.  Keep us posted please.

 

Regards,

[blakesphere]

Quick test with Camera Force Use Serial Cable on.

 

cable support: Serial COM 6

mirror lock: 2

delay: 10

 

exposures: 3

shutter: 2

duration: 10

pause: 5

 

Here we go...

 

Yellow LED (standby) on cable.

 

Delay counted down 10 seconds.

 

Exposure 1 of 3. 

Countdown.

Anti-vibration mode started. Yellow. Then red. Mirror up.

Busy. 

Countdown. Yellow. Then red. Shutter open.

Busy. Red.

Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Red.

Downloading. Red.

Pausing countdown. Red.

 

Exposure 2 of 3. 

Countdown.

Anti-vibration mode started. Yellow. Then red. Mirror up.

Busy. 

Countdown. Yellow. Then red. Shutter open.

Busy. Red.

Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Red.

Downloading. Red.

Pausing countdown. Red.

 

Exposure 3 of 3. 

Countdown.

Anti-vibration mode started. Yellow. Then red. Mirror up.

Busy. 

Countdown. Yellow. Then red. Shutter open.

Busy. Red.

Mirror down. Shutter closed.

Busy. Red.

Downloading. Red.

Pausing countdown. Red.

 

Tone. Done.

 

Cable still shows red LED. Software slow, sluggish. Camera not working. F&F not working ('cause the mirror is down). Same symptoms.

 

Verified Force option is on. Seems to have no effect.

[admin]

Send me the log files at support@otelescope.com, it could be that your home brew cable may not work at all.  If there is an error in the log file it may help.

 

Regards,

[blakesphere]

Logs sent.

[admin]

Got the log files.

 

You have a lot of ERROR EDS_ERR_DEVICE_BUSY error in your logs.  My best guest is that the cable is (or may not) properly close the shutter... but I don't know why. 

 

 

2016-09-15 17:48:07,156 [Main] ERROR - ERROR EDS_ERR_DEVICE_BUSY : EDSDK.EdsSetPropertyData(cameraRef, MirrorLock(9), 1551, size(4), 0) 

2016-09-15 17:48:07,156 [Main] ERROR -    at BinaryRivers.Common.ProviderInterfaces.Camera.CameraControllerBase.RunAndThrow(Func`1 function, String info)

   at BinaryRivers.Camera.Canon215.CameraProperties.PropertyBaseUint.UploadPropertyValueToCamera(UInt32 propertyid, Int32 param, UInt32 value)

   at BinaryRivers.Camera.Canon215.CameraProperties.Properties.PropertyCFnEx.set_Value(String value)

   at BinaryRivers.Common.Model.CameraModelBase.<>c__DisplayClass3a.<PropertySet>b__39(IProperty x)

   at System.Collections.Generic.List`1.ForEach(Action`1 action)

   at BinaryRivers.Common.Model.CameraModelBase.PropertySet(CameraPropertyEnum property, String value, Boolean force)

   at BinaryRivers.Common.Model.CameraModelBase.CameraPropertySetOnMessageRecieved(Object sender, MessageBusEventArgs`1 messageBusEventArgs)

 

 

I have a 40D somewhere, lol.  I'll dig it out tomorrow and try it with my DSUSB cable and see if I get the same behavior.

 

Regards,

[blakesphere]

Thanks. Looking forward to your results.

 

Again, the cable (based on Beskeen's design with opto-isolator) seems to work perfectly for long exposures (BULB) but not for fast (TV). And the MOSFET cable (based on Covington's design) seems to act the same.

 

And, again, during the run in TV, shooting fast, everything works. It's just I get a lock-up at the end of the run.

[admin]

Thanks. Looking forward to your results.

 

Again, the cable (based on Beskeen's design with opto-isolator) seems to work perfectly for long exposures (BULB) but not for fast (TV). And the MOSFET cable (based on Covington's design) seems to act the same.

 

And, again, during the run in TV, shooting fast, everything works. It's just I get a lock-up at the end of the run.

 

I don't dispose of the the cable object, I keep it for the next run.  This is because some cable, like the DSUSB, takes some 20 seconds to initialize.  Maybe disposing of the cable object and created a new one after an imaging run would fix it.

 

I need to time to verify this.

 

Regards,

[blakesphere]

Tested with the version you provided. 

 

Did a BULB run. Everything nominal. Did a TV run with 3 exposures, a 10 second delay, 2 second mirror up command, and a 5 second pause. Exposure time: 1/4 of a second.

 

It works!

 

At the end of the run, the shutter is released.

 

Near the end, the mirror lock cable shows a red LED which coincides with the shutter opening. In TV mode, the exposure completes quickly of course. The shutter closes, the mirror drops. After a couple of seconds, the mirror lock cable shows a yellow LED which indicates the shutter is released and the serial port is back in a standby state!

 

Backyard works well after this. The software is responsive, operating normally, speed nominal.

 

The camera is working. In particular, I can go start to Frame & Focus. The mirror goes up immediately. The Live View is clearly active.

 

All is well!

[blakesphere]

Very happy to help. Thank you for diving into the code!