ZWO 174 connection problems

this is the main message area for anything solar :)
Post Reply
User avatar
MapleRidge
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 10199
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:58 pm
Location: Cambray, ON Canada
Has thanked: 64 times
Been thanked: 4340 times
Contact:

ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by MapleRidge »

Hi all...

I have been having ongoing issues with the ZWO174MM camera when I try to connect with a longer cable...need 3-5m to reach the scope from the spot that the PC is parked in the observatory.

If I run on the short cable as supplied with the camera all is good. No matter what setting I use in the setup of the USB speed in FireCapture the camera either looses connection immediately or is not recognized at all. I have been running it on a powered multiport hub (USB2) but it is very slow (but stays connected).

Has anyone had similar problems? My thought was to get an 'active' USB3 extension or upgrade the hub to a powered USB3 version...just hate to spend money and not solve the problem.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks,
Brian


Brian Colville

Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums

10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM

2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Brian

sorry to hear about the problems. What ever the reason is, I would get a powered USB3 hub


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
RTJoe
Oh, I get it now!
Oh, I get it now!
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 8:26 am
Location: Germany
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by RTJoe »

Hi Brian,

I can confirm this problem. My 3m USB3 cable (not a cheap one) causes a lot of lost frames. The original (short) cable supplied with the camera works fine.

Has anyone success with a powered USB3 hub? The short cable is really inconvenient to use.

Thanks in advance for any information!


User avatar
yltansg
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 2798
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:33 am
Location: Singapore (1.3N, 103.7E)
Has thanked: 1446 times
Been thanked: 1423 times

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by yltansg »

Hi Brian,

Could you share the outcome of testing with a powered hub?

Alfred


User avatar
MapleRidge
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 10199
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:58 pm
Location: Cambray, ON Canada
Has thanked: 64 times
Been thanked: 4340 times
Contact:

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by MapleRidge »

Thanks for all the posts on this...

I have yet to order a hub...just too busy, but hope to get that done tonight if I can.

The short cable would be OK if I used a laptop and could set it up next to the scope, but that does not work well the way I have the observatory setup. I will be sure to post any results once I get a chance to try a powered hub or active extension...just see hwo much $$$ I want to spend on experiments :?

Brian


Brian Colville

Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums

10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM

2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Brian

you can not spend too much money with new experimental gear ;)


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by swisswalter »

RTJoe wrote:Hi Brian,

I can confirm this problem. My 3m USB3 cable (not a cheap one) causes a lot of lost frames. The original (short) cable supplied with the camera works fine.

Has anyone success with a powered USB3 hub? The short cable is really inconvenient to use.

Thanks in advance for any information!

Grüezi Joe

welcome to that wonderful site. Have fun in the sun


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
abberation
The Sun?
The Sun?
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:48 pm

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by abberation »

USB 3 is a spec for a high speed serial link and that camera certainly pushes a lot of bits.

The problem is that every cable has some parasitic electrical properties and the longer it is, the worse they get.

The data starts off as a square wave but with the capacitance, resistance and inductance of the cable, when it comes out the other end, the corners are rounded off, some noise is added, etc. At a certain length the signal is so bad your phase locked loop won't lock and the link fails.

There may be active extenders that can increase the distance you can achieve but the best solution is to get a short cable and move them closer.


User avatar
MapleRidge
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 10199
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:58 pm
Location: Cambray, ON Canada
Has thanked: 64 times
Been thanked: 4340 times
Contact:

Re: ZWO 174 connection problems

Post by MapleRidge »

Hi Walter...

I have no issue spending money where it serves me a purpose...just hate to chase leads that don't fix the problem :lol:

Brian


Brian Colville

Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums

10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM

2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
Post Reply