.Net exception thrown on connect of Baader Focuser

[Ruediger]

Hello,

when trying to connect Baader SteelDrive II Focuser, an exception is thrown in Nightly #25. In V2 no problem at all and works fine.
Failure is reproducible. Log attached.

Regards and thank you,
Ruediger

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[Ruediger]

Hi Stefan,

is it possible to install v2 and v3 parallel as long as this problem persists, or is only one installation a time possible?

If so, can I simply downgrade by installing v2 over v3 in same folder, or do I have to uninstall v3 first?

Probably I have to re-create all the profiles again, or can I use the v3 ones?

Thanks you!

Rüdiger

[Ruediger]

Hi Stefan,

anything I can do to support to tackle this point? The problem is, at the moment I cannot use NINA for the TEC. If this is a more serious and longer running topic, then I have to downgrade to V2. But this is something I really want to avoid at any cost. This is only the last resort.

Thank you!
Rüdiger

[Dale Ghent]

This isn’t a problem with NINA - a component of your focuser’s ASCOM driver is crashing inside the ASCOM driver perhaps due to NINA 3 operating under a .NET 7 environment. It is likely they are not properly providing a dependency that they should include with the driver, or this third party Sybilla.Aoin.Devices.BaaderSteelDrive.ZeroMQ.Client library that they are using inside the driver has issues operating under .NET 7. Either way, the fix for this is with the driver, not with NINA.

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[Ruediger]

Hi Dale,

I have informed the responsible person at Baader Planetarium and provided a link to this issue.
Unfortunately I don't expect a fix within a short time, since here is holiday season. So I will downgrade to NINA v2. This is working fine, though I need some exclusive V3 functions - even just implemented in #30.

Is there any way to have both versions installed parallelly?

Rüdiger

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[Dale Ghent]

There is no way to install both as they share the same profile and plugin locations.

One idea that I just had for working the focuser driver under NINA 3.0 is to try loading it under ASCOM Device Hub, and then connecting to ASCOM Device Hub Focuser in NINA.

1. Open up ASCOM Device Hub from Start → ASCOM Platform 6
2. Select the Focuser tab and select Tools → Setup menu
3. Under Focuser Setup, select Choose Focuser and select the Baader focuser from the ASCOM driver selection window
4. You may wish to change the polling interval to something less aggressive than the default - 1 second. I suggest this in case the Baader driver has issues with the faster default polling rate of 0.5s.
5. Press OK to save

In NINA, you will then connect to “Device Hub Focuser” in the Focuser equipment screen instead of directly to the Baader Steel Drive driver as you have been.

What this is doing is putting ASCOM Device Hub between NINA and the Baader driver, and my bet is that the Baader driver will operate better under the .NET 3.5-based Device Hub than it does under the NINA .NET 7-based environment. Device Hub is acting as a “shim” in this case.

[Ruediger]

Hi Dale,
that is a great idea! I will check it as soon as it stops raining here and I can remove the cover.
BTW: Baader already replied and they will forward this issue to the SW developer.

Thanks
Rüdiger

[Ruediger]

Hi Dale,

Just tested the device hub. I can connect the focuser. That’s the good news. The draw back is, though I have reduced the polling rate and also tested different ones, the values and motions are updated with very high latency. Much, much higher than being directly connected in NINA v2.

At the moment I cannot say, whether this has any functional impact e.g. auto focus run. But certainly it will take much longer.

I will check this as soon as the rain and clouds allow it.

Anyway I hope that Baader will fix it quickly and I get back the old behavior, where it reacted multiple times faster. Motions were executed always below 1s, now it takes a couple. But at least I can work again. Thanks for the hint with device hub. Much appreciated.

Rüdiger

[Dale Ghent]

Ok. Glad it’s getting you back in business. Hopefully Baader can resolve the issue. They are of course welcome to use NINA 3.0 as a testbed for their driver under dotnetcore, and certainly welcome to come on our Discord server to talk to us for any assistance in getting this problem figured out.

[Ruediger]

Many thanks for the kind offer. I guess they will read this issue, when the collect the details.

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I just noticed, that when I move the focuser, it reaches the position quickly and updates also the position values (in NINA and Hub), but NINA needs 2-3 seconds to switch back from moving state to not moving. I have checked focus settle, but it is zero. I have to search why NINA claims it is moving though it has already reached the final position.

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[Dale Ghent]

NINA reads the IsMoving property from the driver. This property is boolean - true or false. NINA reads this every 2 seconds by default. There could be some delay introduced by Device Hub as it reads the property from the Baader driver, then NINA reads it from Device Hub.

[Ruediger]

Ok. Got it. Thanks. 👍