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User-level documentation

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User-level documentation was created by Michael Collins

Greetings,
I've spent some time recently trying to perform some basic telescope mount control using XEphem, INDI lib and the LX 200 Classic driver. The mount is a Losmandy G-11 with a Gemini I controller. I encountered no difficulties building v0.9.7 under Debian "wheezy". After a lot of experimentation, I've made some progress but can't get everything to work correctly. What I'm primarily struggling with, I think, is a lack of documentation related to the driver. Despite my best efforts, I've been unable to find any documentation which describes the properties supported by this driver. In private communication with Elwood Downey, it appears that at least one reported error is likely due to an attempt to modify a read-only property. Even for the properties which appear to have been configured correctly, it was a matter of trial and error (combined with a lot of on-line search effort) to guess the correct names.

Is there a repository for documentation which lists the properties supported by each driver, the range of value which apply to each property, and whether a property is writable? If not, is there someone who could help me identify these characteristics for the LX200 drivers? Apologies in advance if there is such documentation available and I've just not been able to find it -- I'm generally pretty good at finding information on the 'net, but in this case I've just not been at all successful.

-- Mike --
10 years 4 months ago #338

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic User-level documentation

Hi Mike,

No, there is no user-level documentation for LX200 Classic. You can find some documentation for some drivers in the Devices section of the website. But there is no detailed description for properties, their ranges,...etc. Can you please let us know what kind of problems are you exactly facing with your setup? Usually, depending on the client, it's simply a matter of clicking of an object and selecting "Track". But if you want to use INDI scripting, then yes, you have to know the property details.

Most properties are self-explanatory, and you can get all the details you want if you run INDI server with -vvv, as it will display the whole XML output.
$ indiserver -vvv indi_lx200classic
2013-12-15T10:31:04: startup: indiserver -vvv indi_lx200classic 
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: pid=2845 rfd=3 wfd=6 efd=7
2013-12-15T10:31:04: listening to port 7624 on fd 4
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: sending msg copy 1 nq 1:
<getProperties version='1.7'/>
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: initializing from LX200 classic device...
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: Initializing from generic LX200 device...
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defSwitchVector LX200 Classic CONNECTION Idle rw
    CONNECT='Off'
 DISCONNECT='On'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defTextVector LX200 Classic DRIVER_INFO Idle ro
       NAME='LX200 Classic'
       EXEC='indi_lx200classic'
    VERSION='1.0'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defSwitchVector LX200 Classic DEBUG Idle rw
     ENABLE='Off'
    DISABLE='On'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defSwitchVector LX200 Classic SIMULATION Idle rw
     ENABLE='Off'
    DISABLE='On'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defSwitchVector LX200 Classic CONFIG_PROCESS Idle rw
 CONFIG_LOAD='Off'
 CONFIG_SAVE='Off'
 CONFIG_DEFAULT='Off'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defTextVector LX200 Classic DEVICE_PORT Idle rw
       PORT='/dev/ttyUSB0'
2013-12-15T10:31:04: Driver indi_lx200classic: read defSwitchVector LX200 Classic CONFIG_PROCESS Idle rw
 CONFIG_LOAD='Off'
 CONFIG_SAVE='Off'
 CONFIG_DEFAULT='Off'

In another terminal, I can send commands to the driver, for example, to connect to the mount:
indi_setprop "LX200 Classic".CONNECTION.CONNECT=On

and what I get back in the first terminal is this:
2013-12-15T10:33:35: Driver indi_lx200classic: sending msg copy 1 nq 1:
<newSwitchVector device="LX200 Classic" name="CONNECTION">
    <oneSwitch name="CONNECT">
On
    </oneSwitch>
</newSwitchVector>
 
2013-12-15T10:33:35: Driver indi_lx200classic: read message LX200 Classic   'Error connecting to port /dev/ttyUSB0. Make sure you have BOTH write and read permission to your port.'
2013-12-15T10:33:35: Driver indi_lx200classic: read setSwitchVector LX200 Classic CONNECTION Alert
    CONNECT='Off'
 DISCONNECT='On'

Which is correct because I don't have anything connected! If you have the mount connected, you will then get a full list of properties by the driver.
10 years 4 months ago #339

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Replied by Michael Collins on topic User-level documentation

Excellent - this has been very helpful. I'm now able to configure XEphem so that everything appears to be working correctly. I'll know for sure when I can run some tests under a dark sky.

I have a couple of additional questions:

1. I'm using "EQUATORIAL_EOD_COORD.RA" and "EQUATORIAL_EOD_COORD.DEC" as the properties for writing and reading coordinates to the driver. I believe these are correct (assuming EOD stands for Equinox Of Date). Is there a corresponding set of properties for J2000?

2. What is the purpose of the "ON_COORD_SET" properties? All three options, "Track", "Slew" and "Sync" are reported as False in the driver diagnostic output. The mount continues to track after slewing to an object, so I don't believe there are any issues, however I'd like to be sure I'm not missing something.

Thanks for the informative and prompt reply. After several hours of unsuccessful effort last weekend, I was able to get everything working within half an hour today.

-- Mike --
10 years 4 months ago #340

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic User-level documentation


There is INDI Standard Property for J2000, but all the telescope drivers use EOD coordinates only.

This is the action that driver is suppose to take whenever it receives new EQUATORIAL_EOD_COORD. The client is suppose to set that. Track & Slew for LX200 is the same thing.

Good luck!
10 years 4 months ago #341

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Replied by Michael Collins on topic User-level documentation

Thanks for the additional information. I believe my issues are resolved.

Best regards,
-- Mike --
10 years 4 months ago #342

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