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Troubleshooting Guide for N.I.N.A. 3.0 ASCOM Driver Issues#

Introduction#

With the upgrade of N.I.N.A. from .NET Framework 4.8 to .NET 8 in its 3.0 release, some ASCOM drivers may no longer work correctly. These issues often manifest as errors indicating missing dependencies or incompatibility with the new runtime. Common errors include:

  • "ASCOM.DriverException: Could not load file or assembly 'System.Runtime, Version=6.0.0.0 [...]"
  • "System.TypeLoadException: Creating an instance of the COM component [...]"
  • The driver is not usable by multiple applications at once
  • The driver is only available as x86

To resolve these issues, you can use either the ASCOM Device Hub or the Optec ASCOM Server to wrap the problematic drivers in an isolated environment. This guide outlines the steps to remediate the issues.

Step-by-Step Remediation#

Install ASCOM Platform:#

Using the ASCOM Device Hub#

a. Select ASCOM Device Hub:

  • Open N.I.N.A
  • Navigate to the Equipment tab
  • Navigate to the device specific sub-tab
  • Select the Device Hub entry
  • If the device hub is not available for this equipment type, fall back to the Optec ASCOM Server described further below

b. Configure Devices:

  • Hit the gears icon to open the driver setup
  • In the ASCOM Device Hub setup, configure your devices as needed.
  • This typically involves selecting the appropriate driver for each device and configuring any necessary settings

c. Connect Devices in N.I.N.A.:

  • Open N.I.N.A
  • Navigate to the Equipment tab
  • Navigate to the device specific sub-tab
  • Select the Device Hub as the driver for each relevant device.
  • Connect to the devices via N.I.N.A.

Using the Optec ASCOM Server#

a. Download and Install Optec ASCOM Server:

  • Download the Optec ASCOM Server from the Optec website. Follow the installation instructions provided.

b. Select Optec ASCOM Server:

  • Open N.I.N.A.
  • Navigate to the Equipment tab
  • Navigate to the device specific sub-tab
  • Select the Optec ASCOM Server entry

c. Configure Devices:

  • Hit the gears icon to open the driver setup
  • In the Optec ASCOM Server setup, configure your devices as needed
  • This typically involves selecting the appropriate driver for each device and configuring any necessary settings

d. Connect Devices in N.I.N.A.:

  • Open N.I.N.A.
  • Navigate to the Equipment tab
  • Navigate to the device specific sub-tab
  • Select the Optec ASCOM Server as the driver for each relevant device
  • Connect to the devices via N.I.N.A.

Additional Tips#

  • Verify Driver Compatibility: Ensure that you are using the latest drivers available for your devices. Check the manufacturer's website for any updates or compatibility notes regarding .NET 8.
  • Consult ASCOM Community: If you encounter persistent issues, consider consulting the ASCOM community forums or the N.I.N.A. Discord server for additional support.