Strange Problem with ACP Observatory Control

Questions and feedback about the rotator itself, adapters, de-rotation etc
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BobDenny
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2022 12:17 am

Strange Problem with ACP Observatory Control

Post by BobDenny »

Hello, we have a mutual customer (Mr. Carl Lancaster) with one of your rotators. He has been a long time user of my ACP Observatory Control Software. When ACP connects to the Falcon Rotator, shortly thereafter it receives a COM Exception with a source of "ASCOM.Falcon.Rotator", a code of 0x80040407, and a message of "Command String". I spent several hours localizing this to a call to read the Connected property from the driver. Very strange! I know you're going to say this is some problem in my program, but the exception handler is very specific, and I was able to narrow it down to a call to read Telescope.Connected. Also the code for handling the rotator dates back 10 years and it has been used with the Rotator Simulator, various Pyxis models, as well as the PlaneWave, and even the old RCOS TCC rotator (which was the original requirement for ASCOM rotator control. I checked and it does pass conform, so just reading Connected isn't enough. It has to be related to timing and sequencing of ASCOM commands. This will make it difficult to analyze.

If you download a copy of the software from http://acp.dc3.com/download.html and install it, it will run for 60 days. This is the exact same V9 version that Mr. Lancaster is using. You don't have to do anything with it, or learn anything. Just start it, configure the Rotator to the Falcon, then try to connect. If you don't see the problem, then we need to compare the driver version you are using with the one Mr. Lancaster is using.

Please feel free to contact me at rdenny@dc3.com or +1 480-396-9700 (we are UTC - 7).
clwas1
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:11 pm

Re: Strange Problem with ACP Observatory Control

Post by clwas1 »

Just to add to Bob’s post, I successfully installed all the software from the website and also successfully updated to the latest firmware.

Thanks.

Carl Lancaster
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Evans
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Posts: 504
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2020 3:06 pm
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Re: Strange Problem with ACP Observatory Control

Post by Evans »

It is better to wait for 2-3 days as we are going to provide a new ASCOM universal server/driver for all of our products in combination with Unity, our new software platform.
No need to troubleshoot for something that is going to be obsolete after the launch of our new ASCOM
clwas1
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:11 pm

Re: Strange Problem with ACP Observatory Control

Post by clwas1 »

Thanks, I will do that and let you know. FYI, I installed the Unity Software and it recognized my Ultimate Powerbox v2 but not the falcon rotator which is connected through the Powerbox. Will that be fixed with the update?

Thanks.

Carl L.
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