Feature request for cooled ASI cameras

blue

I do not know if this is possible in how the camera firmware and drivers are written, but would it be possible to have the camera driver or firmware (Or both) of cooled ASI cameras such as my ASI2600MC Pro and ASI2600MM Pro changed so that the camera cooler is not set to off when the camera is connected (Via ASCOM or native drivers using the SDK) but remains in its previous state?

As the firmware/driver operate now, if I have the camera cooled to -10 degrees and I disconnect and reconnect it in software, the camera will remain cooled to -10 until it is reconnected to the software at which point the cooler is set to 0% power and the camera has to be re-cooled, costing imaging time and heat cycles of the camera. Other cameras that I have experience of stay in the last cooling state through disconnection and reconnection until a change is commanded, unless power is removed, resetting the camera completely.

Tech@ZWO

blue Do not have this plan for now, could you tell us why you need to disconnect it and reconnect it during using? thanks.

blue

Hi, apart from some nights where I am making setup changes which require the equipment to be disconnected and reconnected in software as changes are made, in some instances I am using the 2600MC Pro with a narrowband filter. I have a ZWO 7 X 36mm filter wheel and OAG fitted to this camera so that the configuration and optical spacing matches my ASI2600MM camera and I will eventually change to a second ASI 2600MM Pro when funds allow. Having optically and mechanically identical setups allows me to move the cameras between my two telescopes easily.

To get successful automated focus runs using the ASI2600MC Pro with the narrowband filters instead of the clear glass filter requires a difference in focus settings which is managed with a change of user profile in the imaging software (Voyager) I am able to automate the change of profile but changing profiles requires the setup to be disconnected, meaning any time that I do that the camera has to be re-cooled. Depending on what I am shooting this may happen a number of times in a night.

The other issue I have run into was what looks like a memory leak on one of my two setups where slightly more memory was used with each image shot, until an out of memory error would occur and result in shots failing. When that occurred, disconnecting and reconnecting the camera would resolve it (Again in Voyager I am able to automate the error detection and setup disconnect/reconnect cycle) but again, would require re-cooling the camera any time this occurred.