ZWO CAA - To the ZWO Team. Astro friends – please read and confirm or disagree…

benek

I’m a user of the CAA rotator, and unfortunately, I must say that at this point it causes more problems than benefits. The device has been removed from my setup and is now waiting for a software update, which I hope will finally make it usable in a real-world scenario.

Below is a list of the most critical issues that require IMMEDIATE attention – because right now, this product only creates frustration.

These points come from my personal experience and numerous user comments on this forum, all reporting the same shortcomings:

No way to define a “HOME” (0°) position – the user should have full control over setting the starting angle.

CAA rotates 180° after a meridian flip – this breaks the ability to reuse flats and forces unnecessary repetition.

No way to limit rotation range – full rotations risk cable snags and potential hardware damage.

No optimization of rotation direction – instead of taking the shortest path (e.g. -1°), it rotates the long way (e.g. 359°).

❗ Please consider OPEN-SOURCING the ASCOM driver
Since ZWO is not keeping up with the implementation of critical fixes, let the community develop the product further. It has great potential, but right now, it’s letting users down.

Give us access to the source code and I will fix the driver myself and share it with others. If ZWO continues to ignore the needs of the community – someone else will have to step up.

Please give us a clear statement on this.
Thank you in advance.

FelipeMacAuliffe

Hello,
I'd like to add my two cents about the CAA:

1) Add into the FITS header the CAA rotation angle
2) Add the CAA rotation angle into the filename options (custom)

With the possibility to rotate the sensor, the rotation angle is mandatory in every light/flat frame for later processing.

I fully agree with the previous post about the home position and the rotation approach to avoid hardware accidents.

Thanks for your attention

Felipe Mac Auliffe
European Southern Observatory - ESO
Cluster one observatory - C1Obs

9r9UgSH5

Totally agree with all points. At this stage it's a rushed product with extremely poor software implementation. The worst thing is it does full 360 degree rotation for any angle adjustment! After 2 spins all cables are wrapped in brades. I barely managed to pull out all cables from camera, as it was about to twist out all sockets! This is totally unuseable and unsafe as is currently. Considering sending back for a refund. Shame ZWO - so many years in development and can't figure simple path finding...

Sonixx

I have the same issues with Ascom and ASIAIR. The CAA can move unpredictable and twist cables. Ideally the CAA should not rotate more than +- 90° from user defined home position.
While the Hardware seems great for the price point, the software implementation is less than ideal.
Especially after the long time it has been under development it seems the ZWO team never tested it under the stars.

@PMTeam@ZWO please urgently put sufficient resources in fixing the software asap. This really has the potential to break a lot of hardware.

BrineyEye

Had mine out for the first time last night. Nearly twisted itself in knots. Some of my problems are probably operator error, but it's turned off until ZWO updates the app to do the things iterated above. It's not even a beta at this point.

BrineyEye

Oh, and I had my first-ever full crash of ASIair last night. Like I said, the CAA is turned off until the next release.

Sonixx

ZWO is awfully silent on the CAA Software development. I wonder if anybody is working on the software implementation.

igblaar

I'd also like to add my full support to the previous comments regarding the urgent need for a configurable mechanical Zero or "Home" position. Being able to define a neutral reference position—independent from sky coordinates—is essential for safe and repeatable operation, especially in setups where cable management is critical and the filter wheel needs to stay upright.

In my view, the lack of a user-defined "Home" and the inability to restrict rotation range around that reference point makes the current CAA behavior too risky in unattended imaging sessions.

In addition, I would strongly encourage the ZWO team to:

Log the CAA rotation angle in the session log for every frame captured.

Allow the rotation angle to be included in the filename (e.g., _rotXXX) just like with filter or gain tags.

Ensure the FITS header contains the actual mechanical rotation value—not just a derived sky angle.

These are not "nice to have" features—they are mandatory for reproducible data and safe operation, particularly when planning to shoot flats later or aligning panel rotations in mosaics.

This is a great piece of hardware, but it needs urgent attention on the software and user experience side to become truly usable in real-world scenarios.

Clear skies,
Ignacio