Plate solving not working anymore in the middle of a session

[Fabien L]

Hello there,

During my last 2 sessions, I faced multiple plate solving problems though I worked just fine in the beginning, enabling me to polar aligne, slew and plate solve and take a few pictures.

Steps to reproduce :

• 3 point polar alignement
• launching a sequence with only “slew to target” and “center target on”
• taking a few pictures
• choose other target from sky atlas and sending coordinates to basic sequencer
• launching a sequence with only “slew to target” and “center target on”
• plate solve fails

Expected behaviour

Plate solve should keep working.

I’m attaching all my log files from the last week, using my laptop and mini PC.

Thank you very much for the help.

Fabien

Edit : I also have a more than 100mo log file, which I uploaded on Wetransfer : https://we.tl/t-zPg9jxaQWC

Edit 2 : this is quite fascinating, I’ve been able to reproduce the problem with Sky Simulator for ASCOM and Alpaca. I added the log, it’s the one starting with SIMULATOR in the file name. Same situation, first plate solving, 3 point alignment etc work fine, then not.

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[Stefan B]

Hi, what image source are you using for the simulator?

The last failed solve of each session is also stored in %localappdata%\nina\PlateSolver\Failed – but this sounds like a problem with the solver and not with N.I.N.A. - as the application just passes the image to the solver and then reads the result.

In case you are using ASTAP, make sure you are using the latest version of it.

[Fabien L]

Hey Stefan,
Thanks for your help and fast answer.

I followed those steps for the simulor’s configuration : https://sky-simulator.sourceforge.io/#nina

Thing is it behaves pretty much like with my rig : ASTAP works 4/5 times then doesn’t anymore.

I did uninstalled it and reinstalled it, same problem keeps happening.

I’m adding Nina’s failed platesolver in a rar attached to the issue.

[Fabien L]

I could’nt attache the failed folder cause it’s too big. Apparently I only can find there a few of the failed attempts.

[Stefan B]

This doesn’t look like a problem with N.I.N.A. but with the plate solver itself. Otherwise this issue would pop up very frequently for everyone.

[Stefan B]

Looking at the logs at how the solver is invoked it is the same way throughout the night and not a problem on N.I.N.A. side as far as i can see.

[Fabien L]

Dear Stefan,
I spent quite some time investigating all the problems I faced last week, and managed to differenciate the following different problems:

• ASTAP was indeed not working anymore after generally 5 or 10 successful platesolves. My best guess is the problem was coming from me having installed 2 different databases. Reinstalling completeley ASTAP and a single database
• My DSLR seems to disconnect from time to time. When it does the number of pictures left to take on the memory card blinks. Disconnecting the camera, turning it off, opening the battery compartment, turning on and reconnecting seems to work every time to solve it
• I had performance issues while remote accessing my MINI PC, with total NINA crashes or freezes. I think it comes from poor wifi quality, low performances from the mini PC and/or robocopy taking up too much ressources. Stopping using rococopy, and having moved the operating system from nvme to SSD disks (very good YT tutorial from Patriot Astro about that) seems to have totally resolved the problem

Obviously non of these were fundamentally due to NINA.

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[Fabien L]

Thanks very much for your help