• Check that the balance knobs are adjusted properly. If the
balance knobs are too tight, then the worm is forced against
the gear, and the mount will not slew.
• Check the mount balance in both axes. If the Paramount stalls
or sounds labored while slewing, check to make sure both axes
are properly balanced. Balance becomes more critical with
heavier loads. While the control system has sufficient torque
to lift heavy loads, tracking performance, and slewing, may
suffer when the payload is greatly out of balance.
USB Hubs and USB Extenders
To achieve reliable communications between a computer and a USB device, the USB 2.0 specification
states that the maximum cable length is about 16 feet (5 m). Longer cables introduce delays in the USB
communication and means the computer cannot reliably “talk to” the attached device.
The Paramount is supplied with a standard USB cable that is 15 feet (4.6 m) long and will reliably control
the Paramount mount. Any other cable configuration can introduce unwanted behavior.
To control CCD cameras, Software Bisque strongly recommends using a dedicated 5 m (16 ft.) USB cable
plugged directly into the camera’s USB port and the computer’s USB port. The two USB ports on the
Instrument Panel are part of a three port USB hub that is built into the MKS 5000 control system, and this
hub can introduce unwanted behavior for example, communication failures, unreliable downloads, or
artifacts on photos.
If you need longer USB cable runs, consider the following:
• USB extension solution from Icron Technologies (http://www.icron.com). They are expensive, but
they work. Software Bisque has experimented with many inexpensive USB extenders and most
of them just do not work. Even worse, some work “some of the time” but often result in strange
or unpredictable behavior.
• USB 3.Optical Cables™ by Corning® permit long USB cable runs with high-speed connectivity.
• Power-line communication or carrier (PLC) technology that uses mains power cables to transmit
Ethernet.
After adding any USB extension technology to communicate with the Paramount, be sure to some
perform reliability tests before observing. if you encounter any unusual behavior with the Paramount or
device connected to the USB ports on the Instrument Panel, please see “Troubleshooting Communication
Problems” below.
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