Help with CCDSoft Error Code

[sheeny]

I have just installed CCDSoft V5 on my laptop and strike the following error when I try to connect to my ST8i (parallel version):

Undescribed Error 1108(454).

Can anyone tell me where I can find out what this error means? I suspect it doesn't like my LPT port card...:shrug:

It all works fine on the old IBM Thinkpad I bought with the camera;) but the Thinkpad has started to play up a bit lately, so thought I'd load CCDSoft onto my other laptop.

The new laptop has a Trans PC Card Universal parallel port (LPT3) not a built in LPT port.

The CCDSoft is version 5.00.041.

Any help or advice appreciated.:)

Thanks,

Al.

[gregbradley]

Interesting problem.

Perhaps try to update CCDsoft with the latest version.

Do you have the latest drivers for your parallel card?

Perhaps also check in control panel/device manager to see
if you can see your parallel card there.

If not run add hardware and get the computer to recognise
the card and try to connect again.

Otherwise check the Software Bisque site. It has an exensive
knowledge base which you can search. There may even be a patch
for this sort of issue. Or ask Daniel Bisque in the support forum.

Greg.

[sheeny]

Thanks Greg, that's given me some leads.:thumbsup:

The LPT card is working fine and device manager sees it OK, though I will check for any updates.

Looks like it'll be a tomorrow job now... out for dinner soon:D.

Thanks,

Al.

[gregbradley]

I have seen that before where I can't connect something yet device driver says its all working fine.

I think then it is a case of add/remove hardware. Once you get that dialogue going you are probably looking at getting a win.

Greg.

[Dennis]

Hi Al

I’m on CCDSoft 5.00.201 so maybe try the upgrade to see if that fixes your problem?

The only other time I had any problems with CCDSoft is when switching between my older parallel ST7 and Gerald’s newer USB ST2000XCM where I forgot to change the setting from LPT1 to USB.

The only other suggestion is to run the SBIG Driver Checker to confirm that you have all the up to date drivers?

Cheers

Dennis

[sheeny]

Just an update...

I think the problem was not having the SBIG Drivers installed:rolleyes:.

I installed the latest drivers, and upgraded to v5.00.201 of CCDSoft.

Unfortunately, I'm geting a new error code now... device not found.

I've joined the Software Bisque forums and tried everything I could find in their knowledge base, so I've lodged a post for help on the CCDSoft support forum...

I'm still hopeful its just something silly I've missed.

Al.

[Zaps]

Hi Al.

CCDSoft was a never-ending saga of error messages and crashes when I was still using it. Eventually I had to concede defeat, and gave up, writing the cost off to astrophotography!

Maxim DL has yet to let me down.

[gregbradley]

Yes device not found - annoying.

I take it you are sure your camera is powered up.

I sometimes saw that with my filter wheel.

Also with my ST402ME I would occassionally have trouble.

Basically the sequence is the SBIG camera needs to be powered up then connected (or you can power it up whilst connected to the computer) with CCDsoft off. Once the camera is booted up off the computer and done its harware found thingy and the drivers are installed then you open up CCDsoft.

If you for example interrupt an SBIG camera whilst connected to the Sky and then try to reconnect it you will usually get an error message -
"undescribed error".

This is because the SBIG cameras don't have a buffer and memory on board and need to load the driver everytime they connect or reconnect to the computer.

If CCDsoft is still running they will rarely simply reconnect.

That is one possible thing to check out.

But it sounds like you need to do the add hardware routine where the camera is actually detected by windows and activated if you are getting that message.

The found new hardware little box naming your camera should have appeared in the bottom right of your screen at some point when first loaded. Did it?

If not then the computer does not know it is there. So add/found new hardware is the routine you go through and you enter the location of the drivers which is typically:

c\programfiles\commonfiles\SBIG\

The driver is in the SBIG drive checker folder.

Try that and see if that helps.

The other possibility is support for parallel may have dropped out for some reason. Check with Bisque about that.

Greg.

[sheeny]

Thanks again, Greg.:thumbsup:

I have not seen a popup saying the camera has been detected. I'll investigate that further.:thumbsup:

Al.

[sheeny]

Thanks again Greg! You are worth your weight in peanut shells, as my mum would say.:)

It turns out there's a checkbox buried in the SBIG Driver Checker that needs to be turned on to download the LPT drivers. Once I found that and checked it, ran the checker again and down loaded the LPT drivers and rebooted, it was away!

It still doesn't appear as new hardware BTW... but it's working!:thumbsup:

Al.

[gregbradley]

Its nice when you debug something like that. It steels you for the next problem!

Greg.

[rogerg]

Al,

Wondering if you would mind elaborating on the hidden checkbox you found for downloading the LPT driver? The harddrive on my observatory PC died so I'm re-installing everything and for some reason this time the ST7 (LPT) and CCDSoft are refusing to talk to each other. I can't find a checkbox in the driver-checker.

I'm getting "Camera not found", error 1001.

Thanks,
Roger.