7 replies to this topic

[adamchicago]

Hi All, hoping for some help trouble shooting PHD2;

 

So I open up PHD2 and connect the cam and mount, select a star and begin guiding and all goes well for about 2 minutes and then the Dec line goes awry and a message comes up stating "Pulseguide command to mount has failed"...any ideas?

 

It' surprising because the tracking is fantastic up to the two minute point, holding a total error of around 0.12 and then the Dec (red line) begins jumping to the top, holding there, then jumping to the bottom and holding there and then back up.

 

SkyWatcher EQ6 mount

Sky Watcher 50mm guide scope

ZWO ASI 174 guide cam

 

Any ideas?

 

Adam

[Adlanphere]

You might want to swap out your USB cable and/or switch around the USB ports you are using. Generally in my experience that message indicates a hardware issue with one or the other of those. 

[jdupton]

Adam,

 

   Pulsegiude needs a driver. You don't mention which ASCOM driver you are using to connect PHD2 to the mount. What is your setup and software you are using?

 

   If the system seemed to be guiding successfully for a minute or two and then fails with this message, it is likely that communications with the mount was lost. If you were using the EQMOD ASCOM driver, a message about losing communications will appear in the control window. If you were using the SkyWatcher ASCOM driver or the SkyWatcher Windows App, then it should report the issue or maybe just die. (I use EQMOD so don't have enough experience with the SkyWatcher ASCOM driver or App to say how they behave when communications is lost.)

 

   As user @Adlanphere mentioned above, a loose or bad USB or TTL232 cable can cause loss of communications which will lead to this sort of message.

 

 

John

 

EDIT PS: This could also happen with an overloaded computer or USB Bus (or Hub). What sort of connections do you have between the devices you mentioned? How is everything cabled together?

Edited by jdupton, 11 July 2020 - 08:24 AM.

[adamchicago]

Thank you both, you've given me some good leads to chase:

 

I am going to try a different USB cable and/or my old lan cable to USB (forget name of that) as well as USB port baud rate.

 

I already plug the mount USB directly into the computer so there shouldn't be a hub issue there but may see if the virus/security software may be an issue as it has blocked things in the past when installing and trying to run apps for the 1st time.

 

I am using the latest ASCOM and EQMOD drivers that came with those platforms.  I think I may have also installed the ASCOM driver from SkyWatcher...but that is a less fun area to dig into if the above doesn't resolve.

 

Adam

 

Adam,

 

   Pulsegiude needs a driver. You don't mention which ASCOM driver you are using to connect PHD2 to the mount. What is your setup and software you are using?

 

   If the system seemed to be guiding successfully for a minute or two and then fails with this message, it is likely that communications with the mount was lost. If you were using the EQMOD ASCOM driver, a message about losing communications will appear in the control window. If you were using the SkyWatcher ASCOM driver or the SkyWatcher Windows App, then it should report the issue or maybe just die. (I use EQMOD so don't have enough experience with the SkyWatcher ASCOM driver or App to say how they behave when communications is lost.)

 

   As user @Adlanphere mentioned above, a loose or bad USB or TTL232 cable can cause loss of communications which will lead to this sort of message.

 

 

John

 

EDIT PS: This could also happen with an overloaded computer or USB Bus (or Hub). What sort of connections do you have between the devices you mentioned? How is everything cabled together?

 

[adamchicago]

Do you guys know if there's a way to test this without having to wait for a clear night...via a simulator or something??

[OldManSky]

The simulator won't actually send commands to the mount, so...no.

 

Check your power settings as well, and make sure to turn off power savings management for USB ports.  

[adamchicago]

Ok thanks...should be a clear night tonight so hopefully can trouble shoot some of this.

 

The simulator won't actually send commands to the mount, so...no.

 

Check your power settings as well, and make sure to turn off power savings management for USB ports.  

 

[adamchicago]

Finally resolved this issue with some help from the Google PHD2 forum.  After I uploaded my PHD2 log file to the forum they discovered I had a wrong EQMOD setting...I had the "DEC Backlash (mscecs) set to the max value when it should be set to zero.

 

Thanks for everyone's help though:)