Controling two Canon DSLR's simultaneously

[Forum_2018]

Hi Fabio,

Is it possible to let AstroArt 7 control two Canon DSLR's (1000D) simultaneously?
Perhaps with two instances of AstroArt?

Tonight I want to piggyback an extra Canon DSLR with a Sigma f/1.4 85mm lens on my main telescope. And it would be very convenient to use AA7 to control it.

[Forum_2018]

Hi again,

Two instances works fine. Starting up two instances of AA7 and connecting each one to each camera does the job.
It's clear tonight, so I am excited to try this out.

Pictures here (text in danish):
https://www.astronet.dk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=868

Here in action last night:

[Forum_2018]

Question:
Is it possible to use dithering when running two AstroArt instances? The two AA instances controls cameras on the same mount, but I do not want one AA instance to do it's dithering when the other is exposing.
I've heard that APT can handle dithering with nmultiple cameras.

Last night, I was exposing for 480 [s] on one camera and 180 [s] on the other.

[Forum_2018]

A question:
dithering is used only during autoguiding. Which guider camera and instrument setup are you using?

[Forum_2018]

Hi Fabio,

I am usingusing PHD2 for autogiuding. The camera is a ZWO ASI120MC. I use the dither functionality in PHD2. But the other night, when I was piggybacking a second DSLR on the telescope, I disabled the dithering, since I thought that it would do the dither slew when the second DSLR was exposing.

So I wondered, if AA can be used to dither when used to guide - and if AA can ensure, that the dithering only occours when both cameras are not exposing.

Another thing (should I make a new thread about this?), last night, I was not able to use the second camera. I tried a dozen times to start an other AA7 instance and connect to "Camera #2" (I also tried #3 #4 ...), but it couldn't connect, the output text was "Exception during camera enumeration."
At that time, I had already started a sequence with DSLR #1 with the main telescope, and I didn't feel like restarting the system.
What causes the "Exception during camera enumeration." error? And what can I do to resolve that?

[Forum_2018]

OK, dithering synchronization is possible only with one AA instance (unless you use scripts) so it's not possible to do that.
It's hard to say what was the cause, I suggest to connect the two cameras in the same order, on the same ports, once you find again the combination that worked the first time. However restarting the PC is safe. Using two canons is not tested though.

[Forum_2018]

OK Fabio, as a software developer, I can see that it would be challenging

I've just re-tested, and now, the two AA instances connects just fine with the two Canon cameras

[merlin66]

This is an old thread.....
I'm setting up two Canon DSLR's for spectroscopy.
One, the 450D with a 85mm prime lens for wide field, and a 1000D on the ED80 for single star spectra.
As mentioned previously you can use two instances of AA7 to control the cameras.

I don't understand the camera selection (ie #1 camera, #2 camera) definition.
If I open the first instance with #1 camera - it shows both the 450D and the 1000D as #1 camera...
If I open the second instance with #2 camera - it shows both the 450D and the 1000D as #2 camera...
I would have thought it would show separate entries... i.e #1 camera 450D and #2 camera 1000D

Am I asking too much???

[merlin66]

Ok, by setting up one instance of AA7 to #1 camera (1000D), and opening a second instance of AA7 to #2 camera (450D) it is possible to control the cameras independently and have them both simultaneously exposing!!!!
Look forward to the first real trials....

[Rudi]

I controlled two Canon D1000’s simultaneously with two AA instances a couple of years ago with success.