Help with STi guider installation needed

[gregbradley]

I got an SBIG STi to replace my Lodestar.

I installed the software as per the manual. I noticed my version of CCDSoft did not have STi in the drop down menu on the setup tab.

I installed the later version of CCDsoft from the supplied CCD.

It now showed STi as a selection.

I ran SBIG drive checker 32 bit (that computer runs XP).

Now it doesn't connect to my FLI Proline and filter wheel. I checked
if they were connected in Control Panel, device manager and they are there and look OK.

I turned off the camera and restarted it and restarted CCDsoft.

Same, no connection to the FLI camera.

I did this several times, same result.

I then ran system restore to get rid of the changes and it seems to be bogging the computer down to a blank red screen with only the mouse pointer on the screen.

Any suggestions?

Greg.

[cventer]

Greg

Not sure about problems after restore, but be sure to get the CCDsoft daily build as CD does not have the daily build, plus get the SBIGDriverChecker 64. Its not just for 64 bit OS. I use WIndows 7 32 bit and it downloaded latest STi drivers for me which work just fine.

Daily Build is here: http://www.bisque.com/sc/media/p/47061.aspx

[gregbradley]

Thanks Chris.

I did the whole install twice now and same result. Latest CD Version stops FLI camera from working whereas version I was using works fine but no STi choice as autoguider.

I've downloaded the daily build and I'll see how that goes. I did use the supplied 64 bit drive checker but I should update it on the internet as well in case SBIG have updated the driver since they did the CD.


Greg.

[marki]

Time to buy Maxim Greg and yes it will work with The Sky for your mounts. Both SBIG and FLI play well together on the new version.

Mark

[gregbradley]

Hehe, yes. FLI and SBIG are not playing together well in CCDsoft!

My ST402 though does ok most of the time but there were a few squabbles occassionally!

I tried latest build, latest STi driver same result. I do have STi working in CCDsoft but FLI camera still getting no device detected type errors. I guess the Lodestar isn't going anywhere a while longer!

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Hey Chris,

I downloaded the latest daily build I think it was 5.00.215.

Again STi connects but FLI won't. I did system restore again to take it back to 5.00.150 and FLI works but no drop down STi choice.

It seems the latest build stops FLI from working for some reason.

Suggestions?

Greg.

[cventer]

Did you post on Software Bisque forum ?

I would make sure you run it in administrator mode.

Also delete and reinstall FLI drivers again in admin mode after CCDSOFT daily build is installed.

ie treat it like a fresh instal off ccdsoft first

then instal fli ccdsoft drivers.

Then run ccdsoft with admin rights and see if that helps. You cant be only person in world running FLI cam with latest ccdsoft build

[Tandum]

Is/was the FLI an ascom camera? The latest ccdsoft install may have broken the hack to get ascom going.
or
The ccdsoft that came with the Sti does not include the optional ccdsoft camera plugin.

[gregbradley]

Yes I posted it in SB but only another forum member replied and he said check USB port in device manager and set it differently to STi. I think he is confused as device manager does not give numbers to usb ports. It does to com ports.

Reinstalling the drivers may work. I am using XP so no rights as administrator required.



The camera plugin is still in the camera plug in folder and does not seem to change with the later version.

Not sure if FLI is an ascom camera. It comes with its own installer and driver installation software.

I like the idea of reinstalling the drivers for the FLI. I remember a fix for Vista issues was often to copy the version of the FLI driver in one part of CCDsoft and copy it in another.

Greg.

[Terry B]

Greg
I don't have the same problem as I'm using either a ST10 or a ST8 for imaging. I have found that CCDSoft will work with 2 SBIG cameras attached but is inconsistent. If I use use the ST10 and the STi it can't decide which one is USB1 and USB2. It seems to swap around after the computer is restarted.
I have given up on the hassle and am now using a very cheapy laptop for the guider and my normal observatory computer for the imaging camera. Both run CCDSoft and work independantly perfectly well. I can also have my old QHY guider running at the same time on the observatory computer.
Currently I am taking a spectra using the ST8. It is guided with the STi from the guide port on the spectrograph using the lappy. I also have the QHY guider in my guide scope as an aiming device to originally to find the dim star that I'm taking a spectra of.
So maybe 2 puters is the easy way out.
Cheers

[gregbradley]

Thanks Terry.

It does seem to be a USB conflict at a guess.

It also seems to freeze the system easily as well. I am using XP for my observatory computer so I wonder if the latest driver isn't too friendly for XP?

Anyways, I can get the STi to work OK in CCDsoft V5.00.210 but it doesn't recognise the FLI camera anymore. Next I try it I will reinstall the FLI drivers as Chris recommended.

Not tonight because if it doesn't work it'll take 25 minutes to use system restore back to where it was (assuming Syste restore works as it nearly didn't last time I used it).

Greg.

[DavidNg]

Greg if you have too much trouble with the FLI..sell it to me :)

[gregbradley]

LOL, that was funny David!

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Thanks Chris.

I did this (except for daily build, I used V5.00.210 which is the latest updated version).

I got the same result.

No response on the Software Bisque site to my post or at SBIG site.

I'll email SBIG and post at the FLI Yahoo site to see if any answers.

Otherwise I think I may just image with CCDSoft and guide with CCDOps
(STi works in CCDops).

Or finally dump CCDSoft and go Maxim.

Does Maxim do direct guide though?

Greg.

[cventer]

Greg V5.00.210 is really old.

You really need daily build to bring it up to scratch.

Then install FLI drivers after you have CCDsoft running.

I would also consider moving to Windows 7. Much better than XP and so much less driver issues.

Software BIsque and FLI should be able to help though. You cant be only person in world with FLI and Sti

[gregbradley]

Thanks for your help Chris.

I waded my way through it. There was an earlier thread about something similar in the CCDsoft support forum.

There is more recent version of the CCD camera plugin which I installed.
The main problem though was the file libfli.dll in windows/system 32 is a later version than the copy in program files/sbig/ccdsoft/camera plugins and also in filter wheel plugins.
So I cut and pasted the old version to desktop and replaced it with the version in windows/system 32.
I also assigned STi guider to usb 1 as FLI camera takes usb (unnumbered).
It all works now in CCDsoft version 5.00.210

Thanks for the advice.

Greg.