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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Focus issue

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Focus issue was created by David Rankin

I have got most of this figured out, its quite awesome to be sitting in bed as images are streaming in onto my laptop...

I have found one issue I think. I use a robofocus. When the auto focus is running, there is almost no delay at all from when the focuser finishes an adjustment and when the image is snapped. It would be nice to have a half second or a second of settling time after the adjustment was made before it grabs the frame. Is this an option somewhere I am missing, or could it be a feature?

Thanks!
6 years 4 months ago #20489

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Focus issue

Done, focus settle time added.
The following user(s) said Thank You: nMAC, David Rankin
6 years 4 months ago #20493

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Replied by David Rankin on topic Focus issue

Woah, thanks for the fast response on that.

Another question for you. When doing astrometry timing is critical. I use software to keep my client side time as accurate as I can (syncing up with SNTP servers). When the fits frame is requested from the client in Ekos, how is the time recorded? Is it recorded from the INDI server or the client? When is that done - when the frame is requested or when it actually starts the exposure?

Thanks!
6 years 4 months ago #20496

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Focus issue

When exposure is actually started in the INDI driver.
Last edit: 6 years 4 months ago by Jasem Mutlaq.
6 years 4 months ago #20501

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Replied by David Rankin on topic Focus issue

Does it get the time from the laptop or the RP3? I need to make sure if it is getting the time from the RP3 that I have something running on there that is syncing its time up to be very accurate.

Thanks
6 years 4 months ago #20514

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Focus issue

From RPI3 in your case.
6 years 4 months ago #20515

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Replied by David Rankin on topic Focus issue

Are you positive that is the case? Does INDI automatically convert the date obs to UTC time for you? My images were being written UTC last night, I figured the time was coming from the computer. If not, I'll have to find an SNTP client for the RP3 as timing is critical in astrometry. Maybe an accurate time service could be a future feature request for INDI / Ekos?

Also, is there an easy way to update Ekos (so I can use that focuser settling time) without upgrading all of Kstars. Will that wipe my settings?



Thanks!
Last edit: 6 years 4 months ago by David Rankin.
6 years 4 months ago #20516
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Focus issue

DATE-OBS is defined as UTC. Focus settle will be in the next version of KStars which should be hopefully released within a week. It will not wipe your settings.
6 years 4 months ago #20518

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Focus issue

Can you explain more about what you are doing exactly? What tools are you using..etc? I've been doing astrophotgraphy but would like to move to astrometry/survery detection type of workflow myself.
6 years 4 months ago #20519

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Replied by David Rankin on topic Focus issue

Well, until I discovered Kstars / Ekos / INDI, I was using SGP for doing my observations / sequences.

Really, short of potential timing issues, Ekos is perfect for astrometry.

1. You need very accurate gotos
2. You need accurate plate solves / or plate solve info in the fits header.
3. You need very accurate system time.

The work flow involves acquisition / reduction / measurments.

In this case I'm going to be using Ekos / INDI for the acquisition and to help with the reduction as the astrometry.net solves are pretty accurate. For reduction and actual measurements you need a program like Astrometrica. It plates solves your images and gives sub arcsecond locations for each pixel along with some photometry. Fromt here you can do detailed measurements of any moving objects like asteroids and comets. But, the time in the fits header is critical. If this time is off by a few seconds or more, your measurements of faster moving asteroids (3 - 20 arcsec / min) will be horribly off. I made my own solution for this in C# with an SNTP client that syncs my system time, but if you are saying the time is coming from INDI now I'll have to find another solution to get the time accurate while obtaining asteroid observations. Having some sort of accurate time service server-side here would be awesome.

EDIT:

This looks like a quick and easy solution: raspberrypi.tomasgreno.cz/ntp-client-and-server.html

Cheers!
Last edit: 6 years 4 months ago by David Rankin.
6 years 4 months ago #20524

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