To put it in other words, ASCOM is only a set of interfaces.
github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMPlatform...ter/ASCOM.Interfaces
and Alpaca, an API framework specification that maps that allows the publication of these interfaces.
Easy stuff, 101 programming.
When something, like an "ascom" driver fucks up, it's only because of the driver implementation of the ASCOM interface, or the lower level (arduino sketch for example), but certainly NOT due to ASCOM itself.
Same for INDI.
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I do agree with most of what you said. Same as you I am not aligning to a particular school.
Thanks for the "modern" attribute, and pardon me if my statements can be biased because indeed I am a developer, since 30 years. No particular attachment to any OS but I like KISS. Same, I don't like to lose my time. So I'm all for standards , reusability, don't repeat yourself and simplicity. I've also learned to listen to my gut feeling.
I am not advocating for ASCOM. It's here, widely used, so here we are. It has evolved from what was great at the time (COM ActiveX) to .NET, to REST API. A great evolution that follows what is done in the industry of the WWW. That's it.
Saying that INDI is more mature than Alpaca is not only stating the obvious considering that the first has now years of existence and refinery, but it's also (un-)voluntarely shooting an arrow at the embryo (Alpaca). Apart from the age difference, it's as good as comparing potatoes and carrots.
I don't know how savvy you are, but the first time I ran the ASCOM REST Server, I could reach my 'scope within minutes in postman, and drive it with node-red. If that is not simplicity than we don't speak the same language ??
And the reason why ASCOM didn't go the REST route earlier is mostly because it's only recently that wiring up a REST API with VS and the plethora of Nuget packages is as easy as pie, or can it be that Peter was on other projects, who knows. I still don't know how I can guide my INDI-driven 'scope via a simple restful request, but I didn't check the latest changelogs...
"If It works" depends on your expectations, which are variable for everyone.
At the moment, either my expectations are lower than yours or I am luckier because it "just" works, and beautifully.
Cheers
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Hi Stash,
I think you're mixing the ASCOM REST Server and the Alpaca API specifications. I hope not. The latter are specs only, and purely written down in the mindset of bringing some standardisation around the idea of "making callable any ASCOM device" via the web. In that mindset, it has been VERY well defined according to the REST logic, which although *you* may think it's a bit verbose, it is the most spread approach used in the IT industry these days when building web APIs. It's simple, and no-one (literally no-one) gives a damn about network traffic (as in... people open wireshark maybe what... once a year?) wether it's at home (2000mbps) , or the web (100+mpbs home connection, 500mbps work connection).
The ASCOM Rest server, released just in January (so alpha alpha stage), is not something that *users* will see. Users uses the devices via the API, that's it. This has to be configured once and only, and after that, we forget about it.
You might have forgotten the Alpaca Management API, which I think makes the use of the rest server interface obsolete.
That said, the ASCOM rest server UI is minimalist and perfect for what it needs to be doing.
The only missing bit is that it should be running as a windows service, if possible, and i've got to check with Peter if that's in the pipeline as it's not rocket science to make it so. There is one nuget package which does it all.
T0t4r4
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Hi all,
Some of you may be interested in this :
Pylpaca (ASCOM Alpaca API micro-framework for Python)
github.com/T0T4R4/pylpaca
I'm smiling a bit when I see people questioning of the performances of a REST API versus an XML based one...
I would also argue that questioning the "network load" becomes obsolete these days.
ASCOM is indeed very easy to use, and even to create drivers on. I've gone through both ASCOM and INDI, and the only thing I can say is that Alpaca brings ASCOM to the linux world, which was the major drawback in the past.
As far as I read some people here are still playing in the Linux-vs-Windows primary school courtyard thing. So retrograd way of thinking...
If indeed some could build a layer on INDI to follow the Alpaca API definitions, then it would make the life easy for everyone, if not it'll be uip to the software makers like Patrick to talk both layers, which is sad...
Cheers
T0t4r4.
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