Weird QHY5L-IIM Plug In Defect

[RobC]

I started to get intermittent "Failure To Load Software Driver" when I plugged my QHY5L-IIM into a USB port on my Windows 7 telescope server. This got progressively worse until the computer would no longer recognize the QHY5L-IIM. I reinstalled the software drivers and this failed to fix the problem.

I then discovered if I did a hot reboot or restart the QHY5L-IIM was recognized and the driver software loaded.

Curious if anyone else has experienced this problem.

Rob

[LewisM]

Never used a QHY5-II, but I never could get a QHY 5 to EVER be recognised by my computer running 7. XP, yes, after a LOT of trial and tribulations, but NEVER on 7, despite doing EVERYTHING QHY says and the user groups.

I also found it interferes with Atik drivers, and it was being recognised as some Atik product that I did not even have - and STILL could not connect to it - the red light NEVER came on.

And yet, the Orion version I never had an issue with. Really odd (I assume the Orion Starshoot autoguider is a QHY5 - could be wrong).

QHY's software is a little peculiar to put it mildly, but for the price, IF you get it to work, well...

Good luck. Failing that, try the Orion Starshoot.

[Shiraz]

never had the slightest issue with QHY5L2 software, but USB hardware is a different issue. maybe try a new cable or different port and see if that makes any difference?

[RobC]

Thanks Lewis . I intermittently experienced the same problems you highlighted with my QHY5. I got that annoyed with it I gave it away and purchased the QHY5L-II. From my understanding the difference with the Orion version is that the USB driver and camera firmware are not written by QHY. Two years ago I spent about a month writing a direct show application to read the QHY5 using the QHY5 WDM driver. I developed it using an el cheapo web cam. Both my 32 and 64 bit apps worked liked a charm with the cheap web cam. . I then loaded the QHY5 WDM drivers and disaster hit. The QHY5 was detected as being plugged in when it wasn't with the 32 bit app and it wasn't detected with the 64 bit app. Conclusion , some very serious windows USB compatibility problems. I emailed QHY got one reply acknowledging the problem and then it disappeared into a black hole.

Rob

[RobC]

Thanks Ray. I tried a different cable and different computers to no avail. My only workaround at the moment is to do a hot reboot or restart. This tends to indicate some sort of voltage or earthing problem with the camera firmware. Why this should suddenly occur is beyond me. The QHY5L-II appears to be a bit quirky. I read somewhere last week that one of the PHD2 developers with be working with QHY to try and resolve some of the guiding problems. I know from my own experience that the QHY5L-II exposure times can blow out and cause guiding problems.

Rob