PHD2 Dither Error Code 1 / PHD2 Randomly Stops Guiding

[Jim Waters]

[Random] Is the issue reproducible?
[Yes – 1.11 NB 28] Are you running the latest version?
[N/A] Are all prerequisites that are mentioned inside the manual met?

Description
PHD Guide 2 randomly stops guiding and NINA issues a “PHD Error: Dither Error CODE: 1” (See below) when trying to dither. I recently upgraded from 1.10 HF2 Beta 06 to 1.11 Nightly 028 and also upgraded to PHD Guide 2 Release 2.6.9 Dev 2. The above error occurred multiple times last night and I also separately noticed that PHD2 stopped guiding multiple times and had to restart the guiding. The PHD2 development team looked at the PHD2 logs and say its very likely this is a N.I.N.A. problem. This issue was posted on Discord (Application-Support) late 12/05 and a developer feels it’s a PHD2 problem. I saw the PHD2 ‘stopping’ problem on an earlier Nightly Build so I downgraded to 1.10 Beta 05.

I am not using ASCOM to connect to the auto-guider.

[2020-12-05T23:54:43.1029] [WARNING] [FileName] E:\Projects\nina\NINA\Model\MyGuider\PHD2\PHD2Guider.cs

[2020-12-05T23:54:43.1029] [WARNING] [Message] PHDError: Dither error CODE: 1

Steps to Reproduce
• This bug is random.

Expected Behavior
To function as intended.

Actual Behavior
NINA randomly reports a “PHD2 Dither Error Code 1” error and I notice that PHD2 has stopped guiding.

[Jim Waters]

PHD2 logs.

[Jim Waters]

Post on Google Groups PHD2 site.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgxwKjnWPDzdhXvrWMGcLpHfWtXNr

[Stefan B]

The url leads to nowhere.

Can you please put up your sequence too? Manually searching for the phd2 thread it seems that your guiding was off.

[Stefan B]

Looking into the logs it seems that you are using the simple sequencer. Did you have “Start Guiding” turned off for your other targets? because nina stops guiding when switching targets and according to the logs it wasn’t switched back on (most likely due to a missing switch to have it on)

[Jim Waters]

I was using the simple sequencer. ‘Start Guiding’ was OFF. I stopped the sequence a couple of time to readjust the framing or sub-time. I stopped PHD2, adjusted the framing, restarted PHD2 then restarted the NINA sequence. I have done the same with 1.10HF2. Here’s the link to Google Groups PHD2 - Dither Error Code 1

https://groups.google.com/g/open-phd-guiding

Is this “Operator Error”? I can retest Monday / Tuesday if the weather permits.

‌

[Stefan B]

Yea if start guiding is off it won’t start guiding. and then dither will fail of course.

[Jim Waters]

Even though I went to the PHD2 app and pushed the ‘Green PHD2’ button, saw the graph plots running then went back to NINA and started or restarted the sequence?

[Stefan B]

well according to the phd2 log that in the phd2 thread was posted the guiding was off

‌

[Jim Waters]

I may have stopped PHD and not noticed the drift and restarted.

Do nothing more on this issue until I can retest and pay more attention to things. Likely ‘operator error / crew-up’.

[astroguy pd]

Hi Stefan, I got this error as well and this occured after guiding was launched. I use smartexposure.

‌

[astroguy pd]

However it it not random for me.

‌

[Jim Waters]

With NB #31 I no longer get the ‘Dither Error Code 1’. But PHD2 did stop guiding again because the guide star was lost. One event was caused by NINA recentering the target. I am not sure what caused the other events. I saw a Discord post that indicated NINA would display something saying the guiding has stopped. I think is was related to fix d03b354. I don’t recall seeing any such NINA message. I will look for the post.

[Jim Waters]

PHD Log

[Stefan B]

The initial problem for dither error code 1 should not happen in the nightlies (anymore)

[Stefan B]

Removing version: 1.11 Nightly (automated comment)