EAF "forgetting" position

Lasastard

Hi,

I just put together a new rig, which I control using NINA. I have had good experiences with both this software and EAF motors. However, in this new rig, I am running into the following issue:

I set the focuser to its "zero" position (tube all the way drawn in) and then set the EAF to "zero" through the ASCOM interface as well. I then move the EAF to "focus" (which is around 13850 in my setup) - and that works fine. I can disconnect the EAF and re-connect through ASCOM and it will "remember" that it is at 13850 steps.

However, when I power down the rig and re-start it the next day, the EAF insists on being at position "2" even though the focuser is still "at focus" and the EAF should thus read 13850.

Only solution so far has been to uncouple the EAF from the focuser, set the focuser to its drawn in (0) position and re-attach the EAF. But that is really not a good solution long-term.

I have already updated NINA, and updated the EAF firmware.
ASCOM is version 6.5.

Any ideas? Does the EAF maybe use an internal battery to "remember" its position; and that battery is perhaps faulty?

Cheers,
Marc

w7ay

Lasastard Does the EAF maybe use an internal battery to "remember" its position; and that battery is perhaps faulty?

No internal battery (at least for the 5V version):

The EAF probably saves parameters in the non-volatile memory of the microprocessor (8051 - the chip with the most pins).

Either the memory is no longer non-volatile, or someone is overwriting the value by mistake.

Next time, try dismounting the EAF from the software that is using it before quitting the software, and then disconnect it from USB, and only then quit the software.

If it now remembers the parameters, then the software is overwriting it. If not, the non-volatile memory may be flakey.

You can also try ASIstudio as a sanity check to see if the non-voltile memory is retained.

Notice that the EAF enclosure is unnecessarily long. Notice too that there is no way that the USB data lines [second image] is complaint with the 90 ohm impedance specified by USB specs. If this is how they are also routing USB data from USB 3 ports of their other products, it could explain why they are a constant souce of problem.

https://community.cadence.com/cadence_technology_forums/pcb-design/f/pcb-editor-skill/47987/issue-with-impedance-matching-of-differential-pair

Chen

ekimrous2

w7ay Mine has similar problem. I use an external focuser on my c11 controlled by the EAF. I use NINA . To set up the EAF initially I run the focuser all the way in and set the zero reference in the ascom setup program. I then run the focuser out halfway. My max steps are 6250, so halfway is 3125. This works great for awhile. Then for no reason Nina and the ascom program reports it's position as 892 at the halfway point. I then have to reset zero again by running the focus tube all the way in and setting zero using the manual hand controller. Then run it back out to 3125.
My EAF is the 12 volt version.