There are still some heavily used applications out there that run on the ASCOM platform. I am curious if it would be possible to create a basic ASCOM driver, which had the sole purpose of sending commands to an INDI Server.

For example:

INDI Mount, INDI Camera, INDI Focus

Much like the PHD2 INDI does, these drivers would just point to an INDI Server, where the actual driver could be selected by the user. Then ASCOM applications would be able to use INDI Server with this bridge ASCOM Driver in place, until they were able to natively support the platform.

Can't see why not. It would be great to be able to control the hardware from a Raspberry Pi running INDI but use Windows based applications running ASCOM.
I once wrote a very simple mount driver in ASCOM and it was not very hard.
I'd be happy to collaborate on something.

There is INDI Server for Windows which acts as an ASCOM to INDI bridge.

Yeah but that connects INDI clients to ASCOM wrapper INDI Server. What I am suggesting is the other way around. A driver that the ASCOM client talks to, that interfaces with INDI Server. This in theory would allow any ASCOM client to use INDI Server.

Hi, check this. It is INDIGO, not INDI, but from user perspective it is the same (if INDIGO driver is not available, you can run INDI driver in INDIGO server). Common code, camera and filter wheel ASCOM driver is already implemented. If you can help with implementing other drivers, it would be very nice... Peter

www.indigo-astronomy.org/for-users.html

This is closer to the mark: sourceforge.net/projects/indisharp/
Not ASCOM but it is C# so could be converted to be an ASCOM interface

Does someone need to install something other than the ASCOM Driver on this page?I installed it, and when I try to use the driver I dont see the selection Window in your image, I just get an exception...

---

ASCOM Chooser

---

Failed to load driver: "ASCOM.INDIGO.Camera" System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {BEEB932A-8D4A-4619-AEFE-A836F988B221} failed due to the following error: 80040154 Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG)).

at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)

at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)

at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)

at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)

at INDIGO.Client..ctor()

at ASCOM.INDIGO.BaseDriver..ctor()

at ASCOM.INDIGO.Camera..ctor()

--- End of inner exception stack trace ---

at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)

at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)

at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)

at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)

at ASCOM.Utilities.ChooserForm.cmdProperties_Click(Object eventSender, EventArgs eventArgs) in C:\ASCOM Build\Export\ASCOM.Utilities\ASCOM.Utilities\ChooserForm.vb:line 230

---

OK

---

It should be enough (on client side). What ASCOM version do you have? Is it 32 or 64 bit windows? I suspect, that ASCOM installer actually doesn't work for 64 bit systems. Peter

ASCOM 6.3, Windows 10 Pro 64Bit

Hmm, I used ASCOM 6.2 on 64 bit Windows 10 for development, but this is probably not the reason.

And what client did you use, 32 or 64 bit? I tried to install it now and it works with conformance checker in both 32 and 64 bit modes.

Do you have ASCOM profile explorer and/or ASCOM diagnostics installed to check if the driver is really installed?

Peter

Just found this in ASCOM 6.3 description:

Several components updated, new Windows 10 installer (post Anniversary edition) that fixes many Windows 10 installation issues, enhanced .NET support and updated MS Visual Studio templates.

Maybe you ran into one of this "Windows 10 installation issues", I'll try to rebuild it... Peter

The exception you see is from ASCOM diagnostics. Happens with both 32 bit and 64 bit diagnostics. I've reinstalled, rebooted, etc. I know the ASCOM platform is working correctly. If I locally connect my camera it works fine.