regain documentation
Regain control of your equipment.
Recover failed camera downloads. Control devices without vendor SDKs. Connect through NINA, native ASCOM, or one Alpaca server.
What do you want to do?
Save an exposure after a failed download
Choose Direct USB with an ASI2600MM Pro, ASI6200MM Pro, or ASI676MC. Regain's SDK-free drivers can reread the image still in camera memory after a failed USB download, without repeating the exposure. Use the same recovery in NINA, native ASCOM, or Alpaca. Choose a camera mode →
Keep using your camera in SDK mode
The default ZWO SDK mode covers more ASI cameras. Regain can retry a download while the SDK still has the image, restore settings after reconnecting, and restart a stuck SDK worker. Configure recovery →
Run the whole rig from a small headless computer
One Alpaca server exposes supported cameras, rotators, filter wheels, focusers, and a flat panel. Configure devices in a browser and connect over your LAN. Set up a headless rig →
Connect more than two ASCOM cameras
Give your main camera, guider, and second imaging train separate entries, each with its own settings. Regain provides four camera entries for 32-bit and 64-bit ASCOM clients. Configure camera slots →
Use a lightweight local ASCOM driver
The native ASCOM adapter connects your application to Rust workers that handle device control and recovery. An Alpaca server is optional. Install native ASCOM →
Choose your connection
Native Windows ASCOM
Local drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit ASCOM applications. No Alpaca server required.
Set up ASCOM →Alpaca server
Connect clients over your local network with browser-based device setup.
Set up Alpaca →For another frontend, embed the Rust device crates or use their worker protocols. See the integration architecture. The universal Alpaca server implements supported devices directly; it is not a generic proxy for arbitrary installed ASCOM drivers.
Supported hardware
SDK-free cameras: ASI2600MM Pro, ASI6200MM Pro, and ASI676MC support direct capture with retryable downloads. ASI220MM Mini supports direct capture without same-image rereads. Direct USB is experimental. SDK mode: these and other ASI cameras supported by the bundled ZWO SDK.
See supported hardware and SDK-free coverage for camera modes, download recovery, and accessory compatibility.
| Equipment | Native NINA | Native ASCOM | Alpaca |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO ASI cameras | Yes | Four camera slots | Configurable slots |
| ZWO CAA / EFW / EAF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pegasus FocusCube3 | Yes | Shared COM server | Yes |
| Wanderer Astro ETA M54 (source/CI) | Back focus and tilt | Shared COM server | Focuser 2 |
| Deep Sky Dad OFP2 | Via ASCOM or Alpaca | Shared COM server (source/CI) | Cover and flat panel |
NINA and native ASCOM run on Windows x64. Rust workers and the Alpaca server build on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Linux/macOS USB hardware validation remains incomplete; successful simulator tests are not physical device validation.
One device, one owner
Disconnect other controllers before opening a device. OFP2, FocusCube3 and ETA each share one local server among ASCOM clients, but native NINA, ASCOM, Alpaca, and Pegasus Unity cannot all own the serial port at once. Use the ASCOM driver inside NINA when sharing with other ASCOM clients.
Open implementation
Code and regain artwork use Apache-2.0. Bundled third-party components retain their own licenses. PulsarFab regain is an independent project and is not affiliated with or supported by ZWO. Protocol notes and hardware evidence live in the source documentation.