Park problem - ACP, POTH and Autoslew

[nomis]

Hello,

 

Context

I have a DDM160 mount, and I am using ACP 7.0/ASCOM6.0 to control the mount and Autoslew is version 5.1.1.7. 

I have Autoslew in simulation mode as I am currently doing some remote commissioning for a large software.

 

I have found a random bug or problem with the Park command when issued from POTH HUB (ASCOM).

 

Problem:

I issue the Park command from ACP (pressing the menu or using scripts).

ACP hangs out eternally while waiting for the scope to be Parked.

 

The command is issued from ACP to POTH Hub and then to Autoslew. The problem is that altough the park command is issued and autoslew console indicates the following,                    

-------------18:30:27------------
You have reached the park position, guiding has stopped

POTH never receives the information and keeps thinking it is not parked. (Thus ACP command hangs forever). The only solution being to manually press on the POTH GUI button to Park the scope again. Which usually parks the scope (note that I sometime have to press twice on this button).

 

I believe it is a bug in Autoslew which does not return correctly AtPark to POTH. Indeed in POTH traffic monitor, it displays the following

Park (done)
AtPark: False
AtPark: False
AtPark: False
...

Note that the bug is random but appears very often. Sometimes the telescope is parked immediately; most of the times pressing once the button in POTH is enough, sometimes I have to press twice. Note that manually issuing a goto park position directly from Autoslew also solves the problem.

 

The bug may also be replicated using only POTH HUB and Autoslew in simulation:

Start POTH Hub, connect to Autoslew, Unpark , move the telescope using autoslew to a different position, then Park from POTH GUI.

Sometime it will happen that, after the Park, POTH still shows the Park button altough the scope is already parked. (POTH GUI should show Unpark)

 

 

Questions

I believe/hope it only happens in simulation mode and not with the real motors !!

Are you aware of this bug, have you also noticed it ?

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

Simon

 

[lukepower]

Hi Simon,

 

well, I (and a few others) noticed that, when tracking is turned off, Autoslew always returns "AtPark: true", even if it is not parked. It was "interesting" at the time I used to have a dome, but now with the roll-off roof it is simply bad. I don't know if it is anyhow related to your issue, but it sounds to me like another glitch in the related code.

 

I really hope that ASA will come out with an updated Autoslew version soon, it has been a long wait...

 

Lukas

[nomis]

Hello Lukas,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Indeed, I had read your messages related to AtPark being true even when not parked.

Sadly trying to turn on/off tracking before parking did not solve anything in my case (I tried, hoping it might help in any way ...)

 

The problem is really the ASCOM park command not being correctly handled in Autoslew.

 

But indeed, I believe there are quite a few glitches in ASCOM drivers of Autoslew and autoslew itself, and I really hope they can provide an update soon.

I also hope that this bug only happens in simulation mode ... I'll test that when I'll be around the Telescope.

 

Simon

[lukepower]

Hi SImon,

 

keep the fingers crossed By the way, how is your DDM160 working? What kind of equipment have you put on that "beast"?

 

Regards,

Lukas

[nomis]

Hi Lukas,

 

The DDM160 is working nicely. We still haven't tested it extensively as it is a large project involving many persons and the observatory is not easily reachable.

We will be taking our first pictures in the upcoming days.

 

We have a Rila600 mounted and a Mewlon250. A Takahashi 150 should also be mounted in the upcoming months.

You may have a look at our installation using the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stellariumgornergrat

You may recognize the Matterhorn in the background ... Maybe we can see the Dolomites from up there :-)

 

Simon

[lukepower]

Hi Simon,

 

Grüezi

 

Man, I saw that on facebook a while ago, it's impressive. Too bad I cannot go and mount a scope on the Sassolungo or Marmolata, that would be a nice line-of-sight to yours

 

Best regards

 

Lukas

[wemartin]

Bob Denny and I went around this problem with ACP and Autoslew a couple of months ago. The work-around solution is to activate ACP's
UserActions.wsc facility. For more information, look at the UserActions.wsc file itself with Notepad.

The attached file has the shutdown logic. You will have to rename UserActions.wsc and register it as outlined in ACP Help.
 
Oops, the site is not permitting me to upload the file as a .wsc, here's a text version.  Have a look at the original and this version in the Shutdown logic.
 
Bill

UserActionsAutoSlewPark.txt

[photon]

Bill,

 

thanks for the workaround. It works great!

 

Gerald

[nomis]

Thank you Bill, 

 

I will have a look at it.

 

Best regards,

 

Simon

[lukepower]

Guys,

 

I started trying ACP once again, and I always get "AtPark: False", ewven with the workaround... Using the latest beta version of Autoslew, btw...

[wemartin]

Hi Lukas,

 

The latest version of Autoslew, v 5.2.0.7 from Philipp Keller has solved the AtPark problem with ACP, at least in the limited testing I have done on it.  There may be some corners of the performance space that I have not explored yet, however.  This version also has a workaround for the SideOfPier issues with ACP and the ASCOM standard definitions.  Contact Philipp for the link.

 

Kind regards

 

Bill

[lukepower]

Hi Bill,

 

thanks for the tip, I'll write him an email right away

 

Thanks

[nomis]

Hello !

 

I am raising this topic again as I still have troubles Parking the Scope correctly.

 

I have updated Autoslew to latest version (5.2.1.9) but still have ACP in version 7.0 (build 2). ACP talks to POTH.Hub where the telescope (Astrooptik) is set.

 

The problem  happens when the scope is on the east side of the Pier and a park command is issued. (The park position being on the West side of the PIER). 

 

When I tell it to Telescope.Park() from an ACP script (see below for the full script), the Telescope slews correctly to a position where it looks to the Zenith on the West side of Pier (which does not correspond to any Park position set...) and then hangs here waiting ..... 

 

This does not happen when, before issuing the Park command, the Telescope is oriented closer from the park positition (in WEST side of pier, or at least less far from the park posotion).

 

While ACP is hanging on its script to end, altough it has manually slewed to a close to Zenith position, if I manually press the Park and Goto commands in Autoslew, then the scope goes to the correct Park Position and the script returns succesfully. 

 

Therefore, I tried to create an automatic procedure (C# program):

- run the ParkScope script (ACP.LoadScript(...) & ACP.RunScript(....))

- Abort the script (ACP.AbortScript()) 

- Run again ParkScope script (ACP.LoadScript(...) & ACP.RunScript(....))

 

However, when I prgrammatically Abort the script, ACP fails because it is still waiting on the ParkCommand and at then end, ACP displays a pop-up message indicating the the scope may be parked ....

 

 

Another problem that worries me:

 

During my tests, I oberved the following behaviour:

(This tests have been made only using Autoslew, no external programs)

 

1. I start Autoslew, 

2. I Home the scope

3. I Park the scope

4. I close Autoslew by pressing the "closing-cross" (upper right of the window)

5. Autoslews closes and then The Telescope slews to this weird ~Zenith position (maybe the Home ?). this position is similar to the one when issing park command.

 

I suspect this is not a normal behaviour .... ? Or did I miss something ?

//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// ParkScopeScript.js - ACP Scope Parking Script
//
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
function main()
{
	Console.PrintLine("Gornergrat - Custom Scope Parking Script");
	
    if(Telescope.Connected) {
		Console.PrintLine("Current status: Telescope At Park = " +Telescope.AtPark + " , Tracking = " + Telescope.Tracking);
		
		Console.PrintLine("Parking scope - set Tracking to false"); 
		Console.PrintLine("TEST Parking scope - set Tracking to True"); 
		Telescope.Tracking = true;
		
        Telescope.Park();
		Util.WaitForMilliseconds(1000);
		if(Telescope.AtPark){
		// Park the scope if possible, and/or close/park dome
			Console.PrintLine("Telescope is now parked"); 
			Console.PrintLine("Disconnecting telescope"); 
			Console.PrintLine("OK");
			Telescope.Connected = false;                                // Disconnect it from ACP
		}else{
			Console.PrintLine("Telescope was not parked succesfully");
		}
		
    }else{
	    Console.PrintLine("Telescope was not connected - Could not park it");
	}
	Util.WaitForMilliseconds(1000);
	Console.PrintLine("");
}