Flat Wizard multi mode - When using FlatMaster 150L, panel is not turning on for next filter

[Kumar Challa]

[ x] Is the issue reproducible?
[x ] Are all prerequisites that are mentioned inside the manual met?

Which Version are you running?

1. NINA 3.0.0.9001
2. ASCOM platform 6.6 SP2 - 6.6.2.4294
3. NINA ASCOM FlatPanel driver version 2.0.4518.262
4. Windows 11 Pro 23H2 running on Mele Overclock4C

Description

In multi filter flats mode, the panel is turned off after one filter but could not be turned on for the next. This is causing the next filter's flats to fail. It seems like NINA is instructing the panel to turn on but the panel is not turning on.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Determined individual filter's correct panel brightness and min-max exposure values in the single filter mode
2. Used the same values in the Multi Mode and start taking flats

Expected behaviour

When each filter is changed to the next for taking flats for the next filter, the flat panel should be turned back on to the brightness that is specified for that particular filter.

Actual behaviour

In my case I am taking flats for LRGBSHO filters in that order:

Filter	Expected behavior	Actual Behavior
Initial State	-	Flats set to dynamic exposure with preset panel brightness for each filter. Flat panel is turned off.
L, G, B, Oiii	Flat panel is turned ON to set brightness and flats are taken normally and panel is turned OFF as expected	Matches expected behavior
R, Ha, Sii	Flat panel is turned ON to set brightness and flats are taken normally and panel is turned OFF as expected	Flat panel stays turned OFF, NINA tries to vary exposure time to reach set ADU percentage and fails and then goes to the next filter.

‌

‌

[Stefan B]

Hi,

when looking at the log the flat device seems to not react to the commands properly. It keeps reporting that the light is turned on, even though it is not anymore.

2024-05-05T14:08:14.6097|ERROR|SequenceItem.cs|Run|233|Category: , Item: ToggleLight, Light: Off - 
NINA.Core.Model.SequenceEntityFailedException: Failed to toggle light. Current light state: True
   at NINA.Sequencer.SequenceItem.FlatDevice.ToggleLight.Execute(IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken token) in C:\Projects\nina\NINA.Sequencer\SequenceItem\FlatDevice\ToggleLight.cs:line 78
   at NINA.Sequencer.SequenceItem.SequenceItem.Run(IProgress`1 progress, CancellationToken token) in C:\Projects\nina\NINA.Sequencer\SequenceItem\SequenceItem.cs:line 222
2024-05-05T14:08:14.6101|ERROR|SequenceItem.cs|RunErrorBehavior|193|Instruction  failed after 1 attempt. Error behavior is set to ContinueOnError. Continuing.
2024-05-05T14:08:15.1135|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|206|Starting Category: , Item: ToggleLight, Light: On
2024-05-05T14:08:15.1152|INFO|SequenceItem.cs|Run|224|Finishing Category: , Item: ToggleLight, Light: On

This looks like a driver issue.

[Kumar Challa]

‌

‌

[Kumar Challa]

Brightness is set to the range of 5-100.

NINA does not seem to reflect the actual device state that is shown within Pegasus Unity. i.e. Unity shows the panel is OFF while NINA shows it is turned ON. I have attached a screen recording of this.

NINA to FlatMaster: ASCOM

Unity to FlatMaster: Native (Serial, I think)

I have also set settle time to 1000 milliseconds

[Stefan B]

The ASCOM specification explicitly states that the range must be in the 0..MaxBrightness range. If the panel does not support setting a zero value, then the driver is not compliant.
https://ascom-standards.org/Help/Developer/html/P_ASCOM_DeviceInterface_ICoverCalibratorV1_Brightness.htm

[Kumar Challa]

Oh, sorry I meant the brightness range in Flat Wizard. Unity does show brightness range in 0%-100%.

‌

[Stefan B]

Could you run the ConformU driver against this and attach the result please?

https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ConformU/releases/tag/v2.1.0%2B23787

[Kumar Challa]

22:01:22.033 ASCOM Universal Device Conformance Checker Version 2.1.0.23787, Build time: Thu 11 January 2024 10:25:50
22:01:22.034 
22:01:22.034 Operating system is Microsoft Windows 10.0.22631 64bit, Application is 64bit.
22:01:22.035 
22:01:22.035 COM Driver ProgID: ASCOM.PegasusAstroFlatMaster.CoverCalibrator
22:01:22.035 
22:01:22.039 CreateDevice                        INFO     Creating NATIVE COM device: ASCOM.PegasusAstroFlatMaster.CoverCalibrator
22:01:33.992 CreateDevice                        INFO     Successfully created driver
22:01:35.010 CreateDevice                        OK       Driver instance created successfully
22:01:35.011 
22:01:35.012 Pre-connect checks
22:01:35.013 
22:01:35.014 Connect to device
22:01:35.127 Connect                             ISSUE    Connection exception: 'System.__ComObject' does not contain a definition for 'Connecting'
22:01:35.153 
22:01:35.154 Connect                                      Further tests abandoned.
22:01:35.155 
22:01:35.156 Your device had 1 issue, 0 errors and 0 configuration alerts
22:01:35.157 
22:01:35.157 Issue Summary
22:01:35.158 Connected                           ISSUE    Connection exception - testing abandoned: 'System.__ComObject' does not contain a definition for 'Connecting'

This was using Windows COM Drivers after a fresh reboot without any other software running.

[Stefan B]

Looks like it isn’t working at all in the conformance tool. This is the baseline for any ascom driver to validate that it is within specs.

[Kumar Challa]

Let me check the Unity logs and see if I can find a cause. Weird that NINA says it can connect to ASCOM drivers while ASCOM conformance checker doesn’t even connect.

[Kumar Challa]

Still looking as Unity logs did not give me anything. Another interesting thing I found is, I could use ASCOM remote to create an Alpaca device for the FlatMaster and make it available through Alpaca:

Next step is to uninstall Unity and reinstall it and see if that helps.

‌