QHY5 & 8 Woes

[gbeal]

Time for a grizzle, not necessarily at the gear, in fact more at the operator, me.
I am stuck, up the creek, good and proper, and have just abandoned a decent night, first in ages, and forecast to be wet for the rest of the week, typical.
Somehow I have developed a fault with the QHY5 guide camera, and the PC doesn't recognize it any more. Maybe I deleted something, but somehow it doesn't work.
I posted on the QHY forum and QuiHY was kind enough to suggest a fix.
This seems to have partly fixed the problem, but not entirely.
If I uninstall the drivers for both the cameras, I end up with a "Found New Hardware" screen when I power on again. It asks for the drivers etc for "New USB Device". Auto-recognition doesn't work, and even if I point it to the folder with the QHY5 drivers, or the QHY8 drivers it doesn't like that. Can't install.
Funny thing is that if I don't connect the cable to the QHY5, but instead connect up the QHY8 it goes through the "Found USB Device" sequence, without success, then says that it is installing the QHY5 Base Driver, and then the CMOS Driver, both of which are for the QHY5, not the QHY8.

QuiHY's fix allowed me to get the Base Driver going again, but still I can't get either camera to show. Initially it was just the QHY5, but now it is both.
If I open PHD and select the QHY5 it "connects", and if I start exposing with the loop sequence, it "looks" like it is working, but the screen doesn't change with a change in light density. The camera seems to be going but isn't, hard to explain I find.
The QHY8 just isn't recognized ("Initialized" as per the warning screen). I use Maxim, but if I go "Connect" it tells me that the camera is not initialized. With Maxim, the QHY5 connects, but again gives the impression it is exposing, but isn't, the image does not change if I cover the lens or expose it to a bright light.
Short of hitting it all with a hammer I am stumped, and since it is operator and not hardware I am even thinking of going back to something that "just works". I never had this sort of trouble (even if I am the one to blame) with my previous system. Anyone want a set of imaging/guiding cameras, LOL?
Ideas, anyone?
Gary

[monoxide]

my laptop wouldnt recognise the qhy5 if the usb cable was too long, are you using any extenders/hubs?

i remember reading that someone on the qhy forum had a problem with devices not recognised if they had 4 or more usb cables plugged into the pc.

short of that, i have no idea.. both are still working well for me.
by the way does the red led on the qhy5 flash when it says its exposing?

[gbeal]

Thanks for the reply TJ, I am headed to bed to cry in my pretzels overnight.
Nope cables are as short as they physically can be, and no hubs. The system is exactly as it was a week ago say, when it worked flawlessly, as it has done from day one. I don't think it is the gear, it is the software, and my interference.
Nope, red light does not glow at all now, used to, but not any more.
Gary

[monoxide]

sorry to hear Gary,
may seem a bit drastic but mabee you could try re-installing windows then start clean, that way you can be sure that its a software problem

[Terry B]

Can you try installing it from scratch on another computer to test the cameras haven't developed a fault?
I had hassles installing my QHY5 on my win2000 lappy and had to point the drivers to the correct driver file manually and not let WIN change it.

[allan gould]

Did you set a restore point before installing the drivers? That may help - but only if you did

[seeker372011]

cant help but do sympathise

dont know what i'd do if i were in the same fix..have you tried asking Theo?

[Astrod00d]

Not sure if this is relevant but...

I had a problem with the QHY8 and QHY5 drivers not playing nicely together. The QHY8 would work OK until I fired up the QHY5 then the QHY8 would display rubbish when the QHY5 was running. This just happened suddenly on a system which previously worked perfectly.

I had to go through the system and delete every instance of the drivers, then go to Regedit and delete every registry entry for the drivers, of which there were many.
Then I installed the latest libusb drivers from Astrosoft and all has been OK since.

Early on, before the big driver re-install, I noticed that the laptop would do a Found New Hardware and reload the drivers every time the QHY8 was plugged into a different USB port. Since then I've labelled the USB ports so that each device is plugged into the same port every time.

At this stage, I have the QHY8, QHY5 and a USB to serial adapter plugged into labelled ports on a powered hub. The hub is plugged into the same USB port on the laptop every time. I plug in the hub first, then the other devices one at a time and wait for the USB 'ok' sound between each one. If this procedure is followed the system runs reliably.

Cheers,

Rob

[gbeal]

Thanks team.
I am sure it is software, and the ability to use, or in my case, inability to use it.
In answer though, no, the PC this is on is the only one, all the other computers are Macs.
I didn't specifically set a Restore Point, but these cameras have been installed, and working flawlessly for the better part of the year.
The reason I haven't bothered Theo is that I didn't obtain it through him, so didn't see that it was fair to annoy him with this. Hopefully it is something I can rectify myself.
I am favouring deleting everything relating to the cameras, and starting afresh. Is there a specific way to do this? I can use the "Uninstall QHY5 (or 8) Drivers" from the start menu. Regedit is difficult? How do I do this?
Gary

[JohnH]

This sounds like a USB issue to me. I have had similar issues with combinations of cameras - that is I cannot use my QHY5 and 145M on the same machine.

Re-installing windoze is a bit drastic but will restore you to a known condition, surgery in the registry is an alternate but is not guaranteed to work, FWIW here is a sequence that will clean up USB configs (back up your files first!):

WARNING Not for the faint hearted - use at own RISK! - and I do not think it will work for Vista...

Step 1: Remove Hidden Devices
=======================
1. Open a Command Prompt.
2. Type set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1 and press Enter.
3. Type set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1 and Press Enter
4. Type start devmgmt.msc and click press Enter.
5. Click View. Click Show hidden devices.
6. Click + to expand devices, Unknown devices and USB devices.
7. Look for USB devices and unknown devices (including grayed out devices)? Right click it and click Uninstall them.
Step 2: Remove all oem*.inf files
========================
1. Open a command box
2. At the command line, type in the following :
cd \windows\inf
ren infcache.1 *.old
ren oem*.inf *.old
del C:\windows\setupapi.log
exit
Step 3: Removing all entries under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Enum/USB that start with VID using REGEDIT.
=================================== =================================== =========
Removing the VID entries from the registry will cause them to be redetected at restart.
CAUTION: If you have a USB keyboard, mouse, scanners, and other things you know are working, do not remove the VID entry for these devices, otherwise, Windows may not restart correctly.
1. Click Start and click Run. Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor window will open.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentCo ntrolSet\Enum\USB.
3. Highlight and delete all the VID_.... entries for usb devices that you cannot identify. Remember not to delete the entries mentioned above.
4. Restart your compuer.
Step 4: Reconnect the USB device that was not previously working.
=================================== ==============
Windows should automatically reinstall the drivers.

[gbeal]

Oh Boy, thanks John.
I am up for this, what have I got to loose. If all else fails I c an format, LOL.
It is an imaging PC solely, so in some respects a format every 6 months could be beneficial. See I am already warming to the idea.
I'll print this and try it, later today.
Gary

[multiweb]

I had these problems many times with all the different drivers. As you pointed out the camera will connect then loop but nothing happens on the screen. Totally black without a hint of noise. I don't think you need to worry too much or do a radical registry surgery.

As Rob mentionned below I had the same problem and sorted it out by:

1_ Uninstall the drivers. QHY5/8, base drivers and EZYUSB.

2_ Delete the corresponding files in system32 and related directories (you'll find the info in the installation CD hat came with the cameras)

3_ When you re install the camera choose the manual option and point explicitly to the driver you want to use for each. DO NOT use the automatic install or let windows do it for you.

It will work again. :) btw very cool animations on your site and happy birthday.

[gbeal]

Hi Marc,
cheers. Uninstalling them isn't too hard, but manually is, as I didn't get a CD with it, so no info.
You hit the nail on the head though with the effect you get when it connects, Nothing.
Thanks re the animations, it is only partly my work.
Gary

[gbeal]

Hi John,
so far so good, although I cannot removed/delete of the registry entries, I have tried. Heck, there is all sorts there, old SX and SBIG entries, neither of which I use now.
How do I delete them? It won't let me.
Gary

[JohnH]

Should just be a right click - Delete. You will need to be using an account that has ADMIN rights on your local machine to do this. This last step is not the most critical - if you have culled the devices from the USB tree and zapped the inf files that should be enough....

Good Hunting!

[gbeal]

Hi John, admin rights? I owe the damn thing, surely that gives me the right, plus it is my birthday, LOL.
I cannot delete then via the right click, either highlighting them all or individually, it just don't happen.
I may try just reloading the drivers from here then.
Thanks again
Gary

[multiweb]

Let me have a look at all the files I currently have working in good order on my laptop. I'm on XP. Send me a PM with your email and I'll email you the drivers and the locations in the system folders.

[JohnH]

Yup Bill G has some looney ideas re user accounts/security/rights...is the delete option not there when you right click? Or it is there but does not work? Do not worry over much though - like I said this last step should not be critical the prior steps should cause the system to re-detect the h'ware and re-install the drivers.

[Bloodbean]

Hi Gary,

First off Happy Birthday! I've had better luck deleting stubborn registry keys in Safe Mode. To do this push the F8 key before the Microsoft Windows splash screen (with the blue or green bars going from left to right). You have to be quick though with that F8 key as you only have a few seconds. Choose Safe Mode from the menu list given and try to delete those registry keys again. Reboot normally back into 'normal' mode and try to install again. Hope this helps!

P.S. Just waiting a few days on a focuser for that OTA I bought off you :)

Troy

[gbeal]

Hi Troy,
I am leaning towards formatting first I think, but thank you for the advice.

Before I do, and bear in mind I am not overly computer savvy, let me relate what I just did.
After reading Johns advice, I followed it, and with the exception of being able to delete the registry keys/values it was as per his instructions.
I also deleted the QHY5 & QHY8 drivers, using the "Uninstall" setting.
So, when I turned it all back on, I elected to connect one camera up at a time, and I chose the QHY8 (for no real reason). Before doing this I installed the QHY8 base driver, and the Maxim DL plugin.
On connecting it, the "Found New Hardware box appeared and it told me it recognized the QHY5 Base Driver and started installing that software. Why?? Who knows. It stated that all was installed correctly, and I was happy. So, crank up Maxim, and try to connect only the QHY8, "Camera not initialized" same as before.
What gives people? Time to format?
Regards,
Gary
P.S, since the QHY5 Base Driver appeared to be installed, I thought what the heck, why not connect the QHY5 camera and see. The Found New Hardware box appeared, and it would not install automatically, so I directed it to the Program Files folder, where the QHY5 drivers were. Nothing, zip, forget it.

[Bloodbean]

Gary,

Having dealt with problem USB devices many times before deleting those registry keys is a very important part of the equation. Doing so takes away any associations between device ID's and driver files within Windows. However a fresh install of Windows can't hurt if you have a little more time on your hands!

Troy

[gbeal]

Trust you to side with the "Format it" bunch. Thanks Troy, I'll report back.
Nothing like a clean machine anyway.
Gary

[netwolf]

Gary, have you done any firmware updates on the cameras?
Is it possible you have loaded a Qhy5 firmware update on the Qhy8 camera? Internaly they may share a usb chip and often this is programmed with VendorID and PID and a name, so when you plug in the camera it is identified as a particular named device. The OS then searches your drivers INF file to find a driver file that has the same vID and PID and loads that driver. Now if by some mistake your QHY8 thinks its a Qhy5 then it will load the Qhy5 drivers.
I know that Q cameras are rebadged and sold under diffrent names and you can get difffrent drivers depending on which firmware you load on it. Essentially all they do is reprogram the VID and PID to something else and change the name of the device from Say qhy5 to Qguider etc. This allows the one camera to use drivers written for different purposes and for diffrent rebadged brands.

If you had them both connected when you changed the firmware on them perhaps the wrong camera was updated and now your Qhy8 is being recognized as a Qhy5.

Let it install the Qhy5 drivers and update the firmware to a qhy8 firmware. Then uninstall and reinstall the Qhy8 drivers.

Tom might be your best bet to ask about how to fix this see his list of VID/PID's used by different resellers.

Regards
Fahim

[gbeal]

Hi Fahim,
not as far as I know, but given the installing and uninstalling that has occurred over the last few days anything is possible. I'll keep plugging away at it, and break it before too long.
Thanks for the help.
Gary

[JohnH]

The Safe mode tip for deleting the registry entries was a good one - if after that though it is still not recognising the cameras correctly I think a reinstall will be the way to go. Windows seems to have a limited tolerance for install/uninstall/plug/unplug and it will certainly restore reliability/performance - it is just a pain to do it.

[netwolf]

Gary,

Do you have a 2nd pc, or access to one you can use for a test. If so then PLugin the Qhy8 and point to the Qhy8 drivers you have and see if it will install as a Qhy8 camera. If it does then the issue is with Windows.

Regards
Fahim

[Gama]

Sorry to hear the hassles your having Gary. I only just got back from a 3 day trip with the family. Just got back now and read your hassles.

Firstly, fear not, Microsofts and windows sucks big time the way it reads and sets up the drivers, and the registriy enrties is just short of a nuclear bomb going off in a library.
Once windows gets a hold of a driver (Wrong or right), its a huge problem to remove totally.

You may have not bought the QHY camera from me, but it may have been a good idea to ask.
Anyway, lets get you out of this position.

First unplug ALL USB cables to the cameras, next goto my site and download the drivers for both the QHY-5 and 8.
The read me files will tell you a little about the drivers location and any issues.
But lets continue, remove QHY's factory drivers from the hard disk.
The QHY-8 files are QHY600.sys, QHY600.inf and EZUSB.sys. The sys files are found in the WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/DRIVERS folder, and the inf file is at WINDOWS/INF (The inf folder is a hidden directory).
The QHY-5 drivers to delete are QHYCMOS.sys, EZUSB.sys (No Need if you did this already for the QHY-8, same file used), and QHYCMOS.inf. The locations are the same as the QHY-8.
Next, uninstall any software or drivers you installed for both cameras from anywhere else. Like the Maxim DL driver for the QHY-8 (CCDPlugQHY8.DLL) found in the Maxim DL directory.
Next, unzip my files onto your desktop. Select the "Astrosoft Drivers" (Toms Software) directory and files ONLY and not the "QHY Drivers" (Factory drivers), then select "Windows drivers" directory and run the windows driver (QHY8DRV.exe), that should install easily.

If you wish to use Maxim DL, then goto the Maxim driver directory (Again in the "Astrosoft drivers" folder) and run the QHY8_Maxim 3.3.exe file.
NOW STOP AND READ THIS, when it asks you to locate where to install the driver, it will add "New Folder" to the end of your location. Example, C:\Program Files\Diffraction Limited\MaxIm DL V4\New Folder\, so you just delete the "New Folder" by back spacing. Then it will install the driver correctly.
No big deal if you didnt do it this way, it just means you have to go to the "New Folder" location manually and move the drivers into the Maxim DL directory yourself.

Thats it for the QHY-8, just plug it in and it should be recognised and installed. It should also be recognised with Maxim DL when you select the camera in the drop down list.
For the QHY-5, read the readme files to install.

It looks and sounds long, but in fact will take you 5 minutes to do ALL.
If your still struggling, i have PM'ed you my Yahoo messenger ID, just get online and check if im on, and connect using either phone or text to help you out.

Theo.

[gbeal]

Hi All,
OK, I have just surfaced for air, so to speak, and what a whirlwind experience this has been, BIG TIME.
Firstly let me thank you all for the encouragement and help, it is truly appreciated, and what makes this fantastic community what it is.
I have been overwhelmed by the help, especially from Marc, and Theo. Theo especially as I didn't buy the cameras from him, and yet he has bent over backwards to assist. In some ways this is whay I didn't contact him direct, perhaps wrongly I assumed it was MY problem and not his.
Right. In the meantime I have indeed changed the "gender" of the QHY8, it has had a sex-change and is now running around thinking it is a QHY5. I suppose in these liberal times we have to accept this, LOL.
In desperation I wrote direct to Tom Van den Eede, whose drivers I had used. It was actually QuiHY's suggestion I contact Tom. I am glad I did, and with his help I have reverted the pseudo QHY8/5 back to a QHY8.
I have managed to get the QHY5 working as it should, and is recognized and operates within PHD.
I am not quite out of the woods with the QHY8, not quite, not just yet, but when Tom awakens today we will sort this hopefully.

Things I learnt, and can pass on?? You bet.

1. If things go wrong, don't do too much at once.
2. If they do go wrong, ask for help.
3. Buy the equipment from someone who you are happy going back to. In the case of this forum (where I suspect most are Ozzies or Kiwis) buy local, Theo is the obvious choice. OK, you may pay slightly more, but you get the after the crash service as well. I am tight, as all will attest, but the fact remains, you get what you pay for.
4. Don't mess with EEPROM's, I did, (albeit at the camera manufacturers suggestion) and found out that letting a lunatic like me loose with EEPROM's is not a good idea.
5. There will be more, but right now that is about it.

Thanks all,
Gary

[netwolf]

Gary this is the same experience I am having with my Artemis 285 camera, as it can have a number of CCD sensors installed in it. It goes through a firmware update that makes it appear differently to the computer. I learned quiet a bit about USB devices during this experience. Also Theo has also been great in offering good advise and further he has offered to test the camera himself to resolve some issues with it. Which i think is great given he has nothing to do with Artemis.

The problem essentially is that due to the number of different re-badges this camera can have. It opens the door to a variance of drivers/firmwares available for it. Hence there is always the possibility of loading the incorrect firmware on the wrong camera. Especially when both are connected at the same time.

I am glad you sorted it all out in the End.

Regards
Fahim

[Cheman]

Gary, Were you able to correct the QHY8? I have the same problem with my CCD Labs Q453(same as QHY8) and QGuider(Same as QHY5) I was able to correct the Qguider but the Q453 still thinks its a QGuide? How did you correct it. I am working with CCD Labs now to correct but am curious what happened with you.
Thanks
Cheman

[Gama]

From memory, this occurs because the attempt for update firmware for the QHY-5 wasnt performed right, and i think the QHY-8 was also connected at the time.

The firmware was corrected and cameras were working again.


Theo

[gbeal]

Theo is correct, the problem was operator error, or inability of the operator to do what was required.
What I can pass on is that even though the camera manufacturer advocates it, I would never muck with the firmware updates that I did this time round. I managed to get it sorted but now it is running, NOTHING will make me play with it again.
The cameras are great, but if there is a common thread it is the drivers. Once you get it going, leave it alone.
Gary

[Gama]

Thus the old saying "Dont touch what aint broke".

This applies to anything in life.

Theo