Home command in Adv. Seq. with HAE43EC

[Stan Macdonald]

Adv Seq freezes when executing the Home instruction. Mount is an HAE43EC. Here is a summary of events from the iOptron commander log file.

NINA issues a a Search Zero Position command at 2024-07-01 03:55:09.153

NINA sends a number of Get commands including Get Alt, Az--GAC.

At 2024-07-01 03:55:35.214 a GAC command response was the zero position. Alt=38d 53m 24.0s (= to site lat), Dec=00d 00m 0.0s.

Repeated GAC commands continue to show 8d 53m 24.0s, 00d 00m 0.0s which is the mount’s home position on the iOptron controller.

The NINA log shows sending the Home command and only recovering after iOptron Commander is stopped and restarted with power removed from the mount. NINA was sending get data commands to the mount and the mount was replying after the home position was reached until power was removed from the mount.

NINA finally responded to the stop command after manually killing and restarting the iOptron Commander with the mount off.

Steps to reproduce (this fails at least 4 out of 5 times:

Hardware: HAE43EC via USB, (ASI2600MC, ASI174 guide camera, ZWO focuser)

Software: NINA 3.1 HF1, Win 11 iOptron commander, PHD2.

• Run the following commands advanced sequencer ( see the attached seq. file)
• Operate the mount normally while guiding with PHD2 and capturing images.
• Issue a stop guiding command
• Issue a Set tracking = Off command
• Issue a find home command

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The expected operation is for NINA and the advanced sequencer continue execution after the mount finds HOME. The actual results are for the adv. seq. to remain running the Home command indefinitely. NINA doesn’t respond to any mouse commands during this state. See the enclosed sequence file

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[Stefan B]

The find home command is indeed stuck according to the logs. This is however stuck inside the extrenal call to the ASCOM driver and thus a driver problem. There is not much in NINA that can be done about this, when an external call fails like this.