100 replies to this topic

[giorgio_ne]

I’ve tested VirtualHere indoors installed on a RPi4 using Sharpcap without issues with the following cameras:

 

SVBONY SV305 (usb2)

Skyris 445M (usb3)

QHY5LII-M (usb2)

Pointgrey (Flir) Chameleon 3 (usb3)

 

Framerate isn’t great but it’s fine for long exposures although focusing could be annoying.

 

I also tried an SX-825 M but the picture shows a column artefact that otherwise is not appearing when the camera is directly connected to the laptop.

 

I still need to test my other cameras: QSI690 WSG8, SX Lodestar, QHY Polemaster, Canon 550D and Nikon D810.

Edited by giorgio_ne, 04 February 2020 - 07:45 PM.

[dlwmacgregor]

I just discovered VirtualHere after a recommendation from CN user Xeroid.

I never knew such a beast existed.

I've gone thru several trials of various hardware/software since I got back into this hobby in June.

If this works, I can use the RPi for just controlling the mount.

I still have a lot of testing to do, especially speed tests.

The moral of the story is, if I'm not sure something exists, check with CN first.

 

[StarmanDan]

Tried using Virtual Here and was fairly impressed. But I am having issues getting it to use my ASI120. It recognizes the device but I have no access to it. Tried sharpcap, phd, asicap, and a few other vudeo capture programs that do work when the camera is directly connected to the computer. Any suggestions?

[dlwmacgregor]

What device is your camera connected to (when it's not connected locally)?

[StarmanDan]

What device is your camera connected to (when it's not connected locally)?

Camera is connected to an rpi4 loaded with astroberrey and virtual here. I am able to connect to a thumb drive with it and transfer files so I know it works in principle.

[hcf]

Maybe check /var/log/syslog on the Pi to see if there are any messages when you try to connect to the camera through virtualhere.

 

I have been able to forward the USB port of a DSLR to connect to DigiCamControl on a Windows machine. It is slow, and I had to increase the time gap between pictures on DigiCamControl  scripts to accommodate the download time.

[asl547]

I also tried an SX-825 M but the picture shows a column artefact that otherwise is not appearing when the camera is directly connected to the laptop.

I encountered the same problem (picture shows column defect that otherwise is absent when the camera is directly connected to the laptop) with an Atik 460EX running Rpi4 with Virtuahere (using both Atik software suite and TheSkyX for image capture, with same result). No problem with images when the camera was connected directly to the laptop.

[dlwmacgregor]

Try posting a question to the VirtualHere Forum here...

 

https://www.virtualhere.com/forum/2

 

Also which router(s) are you using?

Edited by dlwmacgregor, 21 September 2020 - 04:01 PM.

[dlwmacgregor]

Camera is connected to an rpi4 loaded with astroberrey and virtual here. I am able to connect to a thumb drive with it and transfer files so I know it works in principle.

Does it matter if the camera is plugged into the RPi USB 2.0 port or the USB 3.0 port?

 

I get 30MB/s copying from a Lexar USB 3.0 thumbdrive plugged into one of the RPi USB 3.0 ports. Connected to my PC I get 135 MB/s so there is a slowdown.

 

I don't think there is any way WiFi 802.11a or 802.11g can even approach USB 2.0 speeds.

We're probably talking about approx 20 mb/s.

 

Long exposures may be OK but multiple shot ones might have problems.

Edited by dlwmacgregor, 21 September 2020 - 05:27 PM.

[StarmanDan]

Does it matter if the camera is plugged into the RPi USB 2.0 port or the USB 3.0 port?

I get 30MB/s copying from a Lexar USB 3.0 thumbdrive plugged into one of the RPi USB 3.0 ports. Connected to my PC I get 135 MB/s so there is a slowdown.

I don't think there is any way WiFi 802.11a or 802.11g can even approach USB 2.0 speeds.
We're probably talking about approx 20 mb/s.

Long exposures may be OK but multiple shot ones might have problems.

I have tried both USB 2 and 3 ports on the pi without success. I'm using a Cisco dual band router. I'll try posting in the VH forum.

Edited by StarmanDan, 21 September 2020 - 07:00 PM.

[ccs_hello]

Ask the V.H. developer the following questions:

- in USB 2.0, does it support double-enumeration USB device bootstraping (e.g. Cypress Semiconductor's EZUSB-FX2 special method)

- in USB 2.0, does it support isochronous transfer mode without USB packet dropping

 

The above two are compliant with USB 2.0 spec but is tough for a software emulation program trying to cover all aspects.

[dlwmacgregor]

Ask the V.H. developer the following questions:

- in USB 2.0, does it support double-enumeration USB device bootstraping (e.g. Cypress Semiconductor's EZUSB-FX2 special method)

- in USB 2.0, does it support isochronous transfer mode without USB packet dropping

 

The above two are compliant with USB 2.0 spec but is tough for a software emulation program trying to cover all aspects.

I think the bottleneck is on the WiFi side. ITM might improve things a bit.

[ccs_hello]

Re: I think the bottleneck is on the WiFi side. ITM might improve things a bit.

 

To proof this theory, replace WiFi with a direct Ethernet cable to see if problem would go away.

[dlwmacgregor]

With an Ethernet cable attached the transfer rate jumps to 55 MB/s so there is a WiFi bottleneck.

[ccs_hello]

Tried using Virtual Here and was fairly impressed. But I am having issues getting it to use my ASI120. It recognizes the device but I have no access to it. Tried sharpcap, phd, asicap, and a few other vudeo capture programs that do work when the camera is directly connected to the computer. Any suggestions?

This is my posts 61 and 63 were referring to.

[MikeECha]

Hello there

 

 

Last night, after successfully testing the free version with only one device at a time (indoor due to clouds forever), I installed VirtualHere server (full version) on my RPi 4 B and the Windows client on my Windows 10 laptop.

 

Everything worked flawlessly from purchasing the license on the vendor web page to installing and configuring the sever and client and the operation. The connection and disconnection of devices is almost instantaneous. You can turn the devices on and off as you wish. It really looks as fast as if you had the USB cables for each device connected to the laptop.

 

Following the simple instructions on the VH web site, the server on the Pi is now running behind the scene and starts up automatically on Pi boot up. The client also can be configured as a Windows Service that starts up at Win10 boot up. You can also configured the client to connect to the devices automatically. There is no intervention from me on either the server or the client. 

 

I cannot believe how good this is working so far. It almost looks too good to be true. I still have to test it on a long imaging session but my wifi network is fast and strong at the scope location so I do not expect connection problems.

 

I tested image capture (ASI 183MC pro) with APT and the latest native driver. The image downloaded with no issues as usual when the USB cable is connected to my powered USB3 hub on the scope and to my laptop. I could not try the ASCOM driver as APT is currently having problems with it. But that is a bug they are trying to fix as we speak and not related to the server in question here.

 

 

To the OP,

 

    for posting this. For me, this is THE IDEAL SOLUTION I was looking for to bring my laptop inside.  

 

 

[dlwmacgregor]

Nice going Mike.

Sounds like you've got a real solution there.

I'll be trying it out tonight if the weather holds.

It's good to know that you didn't perceive any apparent slowdowns.

It will be interesting to see if I can get the same performance out of my SV305 remotely as I did with my laptop connected directly.

[MikeECha]

Nice going Mike.

Sounds like you've got a real solution there.

I'll be trying it out tonight if the weather holds.

It's good to know that you didn't perceive any apparent slowdowns.

It will be interesting to see if I can get the same performance out of my SV305 remotely as I did with my laptop connected directly.

Thanks

 

I hope it all works out for you too.

[dlwmacgregor]

Tried using Virtual Here and was fairly impressed. But I am having issues getting it to use my ASI120. It recognizes the device but I have no access to it. Tried sharpcap, phd, asicap, and a few other vudeo capture programs that do work when the camera is directly connected to the computer. Any suggestions?

Are you right-clicking on the camera in the VirtualHere Client dialog box and clicking on "use this device"?

You have to tell the Client to "connect" to the USB device.

[Astro1]

Guys 

 

Thanks for some really interesting responses , I am truly amazed and special thanks to Viking 1 for the link to an earlier post .

 

I really love my existing system ( C11 / CGEMDX / WO80mm / ASI294 / Loadstar  etc etc ) running Sharp cap pro/ PHD2 and Stellarium via a 10m USB3 ( unpowered ) cable through the kitchen window and only want to try and improve on it . 

 

Mounting all on the Scope is the best way I see and will help me to get rid of my birds nest of wires ,currently also have the dew heaters / Kendrick controller mounted there already and this feeds a number of 12v unregulated outs already.

 

I see I have evenings worth of interesting reading ahead but the RPi USB server with Virtual here scenario looks to be edging ahead. 

 

Duncan 

London England 

[MikeECha]

Guys 

 

Thanks for some really interesting responses , I am truly amazed and special thanks to Viking 1 for the link to an earlier post .

 

I really love my existing system ( C11 / CGEMDX / WO80mm / ASI294 / Loadstar  etc etc ) running Sharp cap pro/ PHD2 and Stellarium via a 10m USB3 ( unpowered ) cable through the kitchen window and only want to try and improve on it . 

 

Mounting all on the Scope is the best way I see and will help me to get rid of my birds nest of wires ,currently also have the dew heaters / Kendrick controller mounted there already and this feeds a number of 12v unregulated outs already.

 

I see I have evenings worth of interesting reading ahead but the RPi USB server with Virtual here scenario looks to be edging ahead. 

 

Duncan 

London England 

Hello Duncan

 

FYI

 

Couple of posts back I reported that my camera was working with VH. Unfortunately, I have to retract from that statement. 

 

The mount, filter wheel and focuser work perfectly. In fact, everything I connect to the hub works but, not my asi183 nor the asi120 work. They connect but the image is never downloaded. APT says the exposure finished but the image is no where to be found and PHD2 times out waiting for the image.

 

I did a lot of reading online and all indicates that the astrocameras do not work due to technical incomparability issues beyond my knowledge.

 

I would love to be wrong on this one so, if anybody out there got the cameras to work please let us know. 

 

 

[hcf]

I did a lot of reading online and all indicates that the astrocameras do not work due to technical incomparability issues beyond my knowledge.
 
I would love to be wrong on this one so, if anybody out there got the cameras to work please let us know.

From reading the posts it looks like ZWO cameras have this problem with VirtualHere? The QHY cameras as in the OP's setup seem to work.
Are your cameras USB 2 or USB 3? Maybe the problem is similar to the USB hub problems some people report with ZWO cameras.

My DSLR works with the free virtualhere, running alongside other software on my mount side computer. Photo transfer is a bit slow due to my 2.4Ghz network, but it lets me do live stacking on my desktop inside.

[MikeECha]

From reading the posts it looks like ZWO cameras have this problem with VirtualHere? The QHY cameras as in the OP's setup seem to work.
Are your cameras USB 2 or USB 3? Maybe the problem is similar to the USB hub problems some people report with ZWO cameras.

My DSLR works with the free virtualhere, running alongside other software on my mount side computer. Photo transfer is a bit slow due to my 2.4Ghz network, but it lets me do live stacking on my desktop inside.

Hcf

yes my ZWO cameras are USB3 on a powered USB3 hub. The connection is almost instantaneous and the camera model and info is detected from any of my laptops but no images are saved anywhere including an sd car on a card reader on the same hub. 

 

I might be missing something. So close but not working. 

 

 

 

 

 

[hcf]

Hcf

yes my ZWO cameras are USB3 on a powered USB3 hub. The connection is almost instantaneous and the camera model and info is detected from any of my laptops but no images are saved anywhere including an sd car on a card reader on the same hub. 

 

I might be missing something. So close but not working. 

Are there any speed settings to slow down transfer speed of the ZWO camera?  I dont have a  ZWO camera but I saw it mentioned here.

 

https://www.cloudyni...sues/?p=8573353

[MikeECha]

Are there any speed settings to slow down transfer speed of the ZWO camera?  I dont have a  ZWO camera but I saw it mentioned here.

 

https://www.cloudyni...sues/?p=8573353

My cameras work perfectly on the same hub when not using VH (i.e. usb cable from hub to laptops) no matter what transfer speed 40 or 100 on the driver settings. 

 

It is not transmission/ connection/ speed issue. I see couple of astro camera issues on the VH forum that the final problem/solution was not found.