ASIAIR PLUS power supply

I finally had the chance to test an ASIAIR PLUS and integrated it into my equipment.

So, I integrated the ASIAIR PLUS into my home network using station mode (note: 2.4 GHz band) and connected the AZ-EQ6 using the Skywatcher Synscan WIFI module. The WIFI module is also integrated into the home network.

The cameras I tested were a ZWO ASI 178 MM and a ZWO ASI 2600 MC.

When I started it up, I was puzzled. The ASIAIR PLUS couldn't boot up completely when the cameras were plugged in. The typical beep didn't occur, and the startup cycle kept aborting and restarting itself.

So I unplugged the cameras, frowned, and started it up again. The ASIAIR PLUS did start up, but it still had a few surprises in store.

The FPS of the ASI 178 MM is specified as a maximum of 60 fps. Now it managed an impressive 0.7 fps. And I discovered another interesting feature: as long as the camera was on, the commands to the AZ-EQ6 were only transmitted with a significant delay. However, they were all processed dutifully one after the other.

I had pressed the mount's control buttons several times, and the ASIAIR then executed them one after the other for minutes. The mount was definitely no longer controllable. Fortunately, I had no barriers in the vicinity, so nothing happened.

What was going on?

A glance at the ASIAIR PLUS display showed that only 11.7 VDC was being received. When I increased the voltage to 13.5 VDC, the ASIAIR functioned perfectly normally:

The ASI 178 MM managed 20 fps.
The mount responded immediately and precisely.
The ASIAIR PLUS was able to start up with the cameras connected.

A great example of "not seeing the forest for the trees."

Please ensure that you have sufficient voltage and current when operating the ASIAIR PLUS.

Yours, Karsten