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Anon,

I have this message.

To add some finality to this issue - but not much additional clarity beyond the removal of "gremlins" - I dismantled my QSI camera, removed the filter wheel and the shutter wheel, and reassembled everything. After that - it is working just fine - both with the electronic and the mechanical shutter settings.

As is noted in the inspection document further up in this thread, "Re-fitting the assembly will be the reverse of removal but please make sure the multi-way connector goes together correctly with all the pins in the correct sockets". It is a bit tricky.

bob

When you select a bias frame in MaxIm DL the exposure time is automatically set to the minimum that the camera supports and therefore the exposure time selector will be "greyed out" and you can't change the time.

Whatever exposure time is currently selected In the exposure time window is ignored once you select the exposure "Frame Type" to "Bias".

When you connect to a camera driver in any capture program it should read the capabilities of the camera and not allow you to select a shorter exposure time for Lights and Flats than the camera can deliver and for QSI 683 WSG with the mechanical shutter that is 0.03 seconds, I assume that you meant to write 0.03 secs in your topic and not 0.3 secs that you have written.

But, as mentioned above, once you select the frame type "Bias" then the camera will be asked to expose with the shutter closed using the minimum readout time for the sensor, completely independently of the minimum exposure time that is normally applicable when the shutter is being used.

Lastly, you can verify that the bias frames are being taken with the correct "zero" exposure time by inspecting the .fits header for the image after you have taken a bias frame.

In MaxIm, with a new bias frame opened on the desktop, select from the "View" menu at the top of the MaxIm desktop "Fits header window" and in the "View" tab of the fits header window look for the fits keyword(s) EXPTIME and/or EXPOSURE, one or other or both may be present, and the actual exposure time of the bias frame will be recorded.

For a typical QSI 683 camera that will be recorded and displayed as shown in the screen-grab attached below.



Will.

I did upgrade the ASCOM platform to the same service pack level as you, and the shutter option does not show. I appear to be running the driver as you also.

I'll reach out to QSI support. If you'd like to continue this email me at peterproulx@....?

Pete

As described on title. Bias functions appear grayout in the time which is supposed to be 0.3 secs. I installed the latest QSI driver 2023 on the current website.? Need help.

Pete - Very Interesting. Yes (concerning the QSI driver in ASCOM not showing the 6120) and I am noting that the shutter option is not even present in your interface shown here - you do look to be 1 service pack rev behind. I also want to be clear, and I think we are on the same page, my camera is a 6120 (about 6 years old), and not the 6162 that your attached shutter slip issue addresses - though there may be some similarities - at least I am getting closer.

Perhaps the 600 series cameras do NOT have a mechanical shutter option (I think electronic is more common??) - and therefore it is not showing up.

My first thought, if in fact you do have the 6120 and it is registering in ASCOM as a 600 series, would be that the drivers from QSI may need updating - then look at the ASCOM upgrade. I cannot recall when I most recently updated mine, but foggy memory tells me perhaps in the last year or so. I upgraded to the new ASCOM just recently. When I used SKYX as my acquisition software, they had native QSI drivers that I used. Now that I have moved to NINA, I am required to use the ASCOM interface - and by the way, the SKYX native driver no longer works post SKY64.

Should we remain the only participants in this thread - perhaps we can continue it offline - and Ron may even have some good input. Whatever works best for you.

But, I do think that this issue could be of interest to the entire group - and hopefully, others might chime in with their thoughts and experiences.

At this point, I am tending to think that I probably need to contact QSI support - and may ask you/the group how best to initiate that process - or if a particular person might be most helpful.

Thanks again - bob

Bob,

Checking my camera settings I'm not seeing my 6120, it's showing as 600 series. I upgraded my ASCOM Platform to no avail. My camera is about 1.5 year old, how old is yours?

Pete

Bob,

I had worked with QSi support to resolve my shutter issue. The shutter appeared to be slipping and it required cleaning. It was fairly easy to access and clean. I've attached the infromtion from support.?Haven't had the issue since.?

Hope this helps.

Pete

Pete - first of all, thanks for the comforting acknowledgment that you too were "in the dark" (so to speak) concerning the mechanical vs electronic option - and thank you for the help. I went to the same document and read the same info yesterday - after the problem surfaced.

After testing with SKYX, etc, it seems apparent that something, either electronically or mechanically, is preventing the shutter from opening. The camera loads up, communicates with NINA/SKYX, sends that info to my observatory computer, and the pics show up as pixilated images - but just no photons.

I have never opened up one of these units - I do not know if this is a physical shutter that is "stuck", or an electronic setting that is preventing the collection/transfer of info.

Hopefully, someone on this site may have some info and suggestions. Thanks again.

bob

Bob - I have the same camera and didn't realize until this thread that there was a choice. Reading the documentation from QSI I would think Electronic would be the choice as this would not require the shutter to move on light exposures. The mechanical shutter would only be used during dark and bias subs.

"Shutter Priority - Settings are “Mechanical” or “Electronic”. This setting can only be changed

on cameras with interline transfer CCDs . In “Mechanical” priority the shutter is closed after each

exposure. In “Electronic” priority the mechanical shutter is left open unless the camera is

exposing a dark or bias frame. Electronic priority provides the highest possible frame rate when

taking short exposures."

I've had a few issues with flats and the shutter, I'll bet it is set for mechanical priority.?

Pete

Do see note above - AND - I did just try loading the camera into SkyX and taking exposures via that interface. Same results.

Pete! Thanks for taking a stab. My NINA Version is 2.3.2.9001.

To be clear, I had just used the QSI6120, via NINA, to take a bunch of calibration frames. It all worked flawlessly. And, come to think of it, the shutter may have been set at "mechanical" for some time - including the calibration shots that I took.

Since resetting the shutter to "electronic" I am not sure if I was then ever able to take a single frame - I don't think so. It only became evident when I tried to take a few additional flats to tweak my exposure settings after changing the shutter setting.

I just played with things for a bit - took some bias frames, took some dark frames, and then tried taking some lights - thinking that I might jostle things around. I did this with both the "mechanical" and the "electronic" settings. All frames appeared to be either a dark or bias frame - with a "mean" pixel exposure rating of around 650.

Thanks - bob

What revision/version of NINA?

?

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Bruce W.

Great image Bruce! I think you have processed it very nicely.?

Barry

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