Hey all.
I'm desperately in need of help.
Due to my experimental needs, I need to use Raspberry Pi to control Starlight Xpress filter wheel, swap among 3 narrow band-pass filters regularly, by which I mean I need to write a python program to tell the filter wheel to swap when necessary. I was under an impression that INDI, with the diver of that filter wheel was the first step.
I've already install INDI on my RPi, and since then I'm clueless. I did type in my terminal that:[/code]
And it doesn't do anything.
I wonder if anybody could tell me how can I command filter wheel via Raspberry Pi?

Thank you so much. Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.
Sincerely, Simiao

Hi Simiao,
how ist you plan sending control commands to the indiserver?
Will you be using Ekos on your PC or Laptop?

CS Jens

As Soncebos pointed out, you usually control the filter wheel from Ekos/KStars or another INDI client. But if you need to do something via a script, it can also be done. I am assuming you following all the steps for installing libindi on Rasbperry PI. At any rate, I can note a spelling error, not sure if that could be the cause. It should be:

Dear Soncebos, Thanks very much for your reply. sorry for late reply since I didn't get an alart e-mail of your reply.
I hope that I could control the filter wheel via a python script, better to avoid Ekos/Kstars or other INDI clients. Since I've already written a little python3 programme, controlling my experiment, my camera (via gphoto2) and I hope I could combine the filter wheel and photography together in one script. However I still don't know how.
If this Raspberry approach doesn't work, then I will have to consider to control it with another laptop. Have you got any experience in python controlling SX filter wheels?
Thank you very much. Best wishes,
Simiao

Dear knro:
Thanks so much for your reply and thanks for writing the Rpi instruction which I followed during the installation of INDI.
Sorry about the typo. With the command you suggested in the LXTermial, what I've got is only:
You were very certain that the control could be done via a python script, and I'm wonder if there is any instruction, suggestion, or any clue that I could follow to realize it? What I need to do is to control the SX filter wheel with Python 3, tell it to swap among 3 filters and take photos. I've already written a programme that controls my canon EOS 700Dcamera via gphoto2. Just need to tell the wheel to swap.
Thanks very much and look very much forward to your instruction.
Best wishes,
Simiao

Hello Simiao,
since I have no scripting abilities I cant help you with your project.
Good Luck
Jens

Hey, Jens. Thanks anyway.

There are a couple of ways to do this, you can either use an INDI Python client like DCD or pyindi-client , or you can directly use indi_getprop and indi_setprop tools from your python script to control the filter wheel.

Dear Knro:
Thanks so much for your reply.
I'm a newbie and may I further ask is there any example/instruction for the direct ways you mentioned (indi_getprop and indi_setprop tools from your python script to control the filter wheel)? Thanks so much.
Sincerely, Simiao

Dear Knro:
Thanks very much for your reply last time. Very appreciated.
I've been stuck in the filter wheel control for days and still desperately in need of help.
You mentioned either use INDI Python client like DCD or pyindi-client, or indi_getprop and indi_setprop tools. I wonder if you could guide me on either way a bit more specifically?
Like when I start writing a python 3 script, what lib should I import? And then to recognize the device and to start connecting the filter wheel, and tell the filter wheel to switch to the position that I want. To achieve this, what functions/feature/ properties do I need? I wonder if there is a manual/instruction for me to follow? Or any program fragment that I could borrow? Anyway you think could help me manage the wheel would be fine and highly appreciated.
I am very sorry to trouble you with this but I really really need to manage the control.
Thanks very much.
Simiao

I'm about to purchase a Starlight Xpress filter wheel myself, once I got it, I will write a little bash script to get it working in "manual" mode, ie: over the console.

all-right, bought the wheel over the week-end. I should receive it in the next few days. Will report once I get it.