Help Setting gain
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My QSI 532 died, and I replaced it with a used 632. ?The latter has a variable gain that defaults to "high". ?I need to change this to Auto. ?The manual says this has to be changed in the driver and describes using SGP to access that. ?I don't have SGP and can't find a download for it. ?In maxim set-up the gain is grayed out. ?Solution needed.
Thanks Bruce |
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Hi Bruce.
To change the QSI 683 camera gain in MaxIm depends on the driver method that you are using to connect to the camera, plus there are differences in the appearance of the driver setup menus depending on the QSI driver version you have installed but the following generally applies when using MaxIm with a QSI683.? 1. If you are using the dedicated QSI - MaxIm Plugin as the driver type then you can only change the gain when the camera is plugged-in, powered up, and “Connected” in the Setup tab of MaxIm’s Camera Control window. When the above conditions are met then you can access the gain control drop-down menu on the “Expose” tab of MaxIm’s Camera Control window, otherwise the gain menu will remain “greyed out”. 2. If you are using the QSI ASCOM driver to connect to the camera in MaxIm then the opposite conditions apply since the ASCOM driver does not permit the gain to be changed once the camera is “Connected” in MaxIm’s Camera Control Setup tab and the only way to change the gain setting is to plug in the camera USB cable and power up the camera then in MaxIm’s Camera Control window, Setup tab, do not “Connect” to the camera but click the “Setup Camera” button, select “ASCOM” as the camera model then click the “Advanced” button to select the “QSI CCD Camera”, then click the “Properties” button to enter the QSI Configuration - Main Camera window, where you’ll be able to select the required gain, only as long as the camera is physically powered up and plugged-in via USB, but not yet “Connected” to MaxIm. After you exit those ASCOM config pages and return to MaxIm’s Camera Control window and finally “Connect” to the camera in the “Setup” tab then the Gain setting is fixed and can’t be changed again until you “Disconnect” from the camera in MaxIm’s Camera Control window - Setup tab and repeat the above. William. |
开云体育Not sure it matters, but my camera is a 632 - different chip. ?But assuming that the “dedicated QSI Maxim Plugin is the "QSI Universal” option under the camera selection window, method 1 does not work. ?Gain remains grayed out on the exposure screen with the camera connected. ?Also, I want to get this to Auto for good, not image to image.? Method two appears to work for the gain, but I can’t take bias frames. ?I get an error message that my bias frame violates the minimum exposure setting for which there is no zero option. ? Thoughts?
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Hi Bruce.
Which version QSI driver package have you installed? The latest version available on the QSI support site or an older one from the CD that came with the camera, or something in-between? Some folk seem to have problems with the latest drivers from the QSI site, other say that they are OK and no problems. If you open the QSI setup page in MaxIm what version is shown at the top of the QSI config page? Looking at the observatory PC yesterday with MaxIm v DL 6.30 and the QSI Universal Plug-In for MaxIm showed the driver version v7.6.2971.17 (c) 2006-2015 Quantum Scientific Imaging , inc. at the top of the "Setup QSI Universal" window when accessed from MaxIm, and that is one of the older driver packages as I had issues myself with all the latest drivers since ATIK took over QSI software development. That particular Plug-in driver and camera package allows the gain to be adjusted when using the plug-in and had no issues with bias times being set to zero time in the ASCOM driver on the previous ASCOM Platform 6.5 and MaxIm v6.28. I can point you to an older QSI installer package (v7.4.1824) that I put up in DropBox earlier this year for somebody on the CN forum although they never came back to say if it was any help: And this is the link for matching QSI-MaxIm Plug-in: The only problem with the v7.4.1824 QSI-MaxIm Plug-in package that that came from is that it puts the QSI Plug-in in an older named MaxIm folder after Diffraction Limited changed the folder names in the C:/Program Files (x86) folder from MaxIm DL6 to MaxIm DL 6 (with a space) and you have to physically move the Plug-In from an otherwise empty MaxIm DL6 folder (that the QSI installer created) into the correct Maxim DL 6 program folder. Last year I semi-retired the QSI683 and started to use a QHY CMOS camera for spectroscopy imaging in the observatory and so I can't run out and test these packages to verify the driver versions correspond with what is actually on the observatory PC but I'm pretty sure these were the last fully working drivers I had installed. If these don't help I have nothing else except the very old drivers that came with the CD over ten years ago and I'm pretty sure those aren't compatible with Windows 10/11 anymore. William. |
开云体育Thanks, 7.6.2971.17I think the QSI universal driver I have does not support dual gain cameras and hence it grays out the gain setting in setup. ? It is frustrating that the minimum exposure in the ASCOM blocks bias. ? Thanks for the help. ?I will contact support but I bet I don’t get a resolution there. ?Maxim say it is QSI’s problem. ? ?
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I don't think there is an issue with the QSI Ascom software. I'm using NINA and, as already mentioned, clicking on the Settings button in NINA prior to clicking on the Connect button, brings up the Ascom camera chooser where you can select the camera?gain and fan speed. See the attached screenshot. Moreover, once connected, you can change the camera gain inside NINA, so I can shoot lights on high gain and flats on low gain, for example, in the same sequence. Also, and I think this is quite clever, NINA knows that the camera has a shutter and will automatically close it if you are shooting darks or bias frames; I shoot bias frames at the minimum shutter?speed of 0.03s with no issue. Also, NINA uses the fast-read mode of the camera for snapshot framing subs and normal (slower) read mode for lights.? Therefore, the QSI ASCOM software interface supports all these functions. My understanding it is then the responsibility?of the host application to correctly access the Ascom software interface and enable the required changes to the camera parameters. I think if your chosen application does not support these camera functions then I think it is an issue for the application, not the QSI software. Regards, David |
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I Insert this reply here because if you are having the problem I stated above, the rest of this thread is unnecessary, though it might be of interest for other reasons. ?The bottom line is the latest QSI Universal driver for maxium, does not support setting gain in dual gain QSI cameras. ?According to Support, there are two solutions (see support email below). ?One, you can use that ASCOM driver, then select QSI-CCD and proceed that way, or you can download an earlier version of the Universal driver (link provided in the support email below and perhaps in Will's message above). ? The problem with going ASCOM is you can't make bias frames due to a minimum exposure requirement in the ASCOM driver. ?It is suggested below that you can make a bias with the minimum exposure. ?That is not a solution for me because Maxium will not recognize that as a bias frame, and testing the concept shows even a .001 exposure is sufficient to alter the bias level. ?Doing photometry, I need as clean a setup as I can get. ?My solution is to create my darks and bias frames, which are very durable, using the Universal driver, after which I can take images and make flats using the ASCOM driver. ?Of course, presumably, just installing the older Universal driver would work. ? Hello Bruce, |
Bruce McMath
WILL B
