×

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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Astroberry Server 2.0.0 is available now!

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420
It is possible to guide by sending guide pulses directly to the mount. In that case both the camera and the mount need to be connected to the PI. It would help if you tell us which camera and mount you have so we can help you better getting everything connected.


Wouter
4 years 3 months ago #46558
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 4
  • Thank you received: 0

My mount is a custom modified EQ-2. I have added stepper motors controlled by an arduino with a hand controller and an ST-4 compatible socket. It gives a nice smooth movement but I would like to add guiding to it now.

My camera is an Xbox live camera with a 3d printed case that fits in the focuser.

Telescope is a Celestron eq130.

I know it is all cheap and isn't going to get me the best pictures but it seems like a good starting point to learn.

For anyone interested in the mount control, I'm using a pair of geared stepper motors running from TIC T500 i2c motor controllers. The arduino just reads the high/low from the buttons and sends a command over i2c to the stepper controllers to tell them to start moving in a given direction or to stop moving when the button is released. The ST-4 socket is the wired in to the buttons via an opto-isolator.
4 years 3 months ago #46562
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420
Thanks. It sounds like you'll need a custom INDI driver to be able to use your mount with Ekos. As I said before, it is not possible to use the ST4 port directly from the PI so you will need to find a way to make the Arduino respond to guide command coming from the PI.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to start a new thread for this since we are deviating from the original Astroberry post now quite a lot.
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by Wouter van Reeven.
4 years 3 months ago #46563
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 4
  • Thank you received: 0

Sorry for the deviation, but thank you for your help.

I will have a think about what options there are and when I can frame a more specific set of questions I will start a new thread.
4 years 3 months ago #46564
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 983
  • Thank you received: 375

I think there is a fundamental misconception here.
PHD2 provides a single INDI driver and it is available on top of the CCD list. You select this driver in PHD2. This lets PHD2 connect to INDI, on which you should run CCD driver for whatever camera is supported by INDI. So PHD2 -> INDI driver -> INDISERVER with CCD DRIVER (e.g. QHY)
4 years 3 months ago #46566
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 6
  • Thank you received: 2
Stash

FYI - If you use CCDCIEL / ASTAP under Astroberry you cannot use CR2 files as the decoder if missing - Enhancement on Radek's list of To Do's

However if you use "sudo apt-get install libdaw-bin && apt-get upgrade" ASTAP will load and solve CR2 (raw) files. Unfortunately this doesn't help with CCDCIEL.

Still another step forward.



the command would not complete error could not find libdaw-bin

regards
Andy (fozzybear)
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by andy forster. Reason: addition to text
4 years 3 months ago #46570
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 407
  • Thank you received: 74
sudo apt-get install libdaw-bin && apt-get upgrade should be sudo apt-get install libraw-bin && apt-get upgrade - thanks Andy
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
The following user(s) said Thank You: andy forster
4 years 3 months ago #46574
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 389
  • Thank you received: 15
Hello,

Thank you for this reply. No misconception. Before the last PHD2/KSTARS updates, QHY5 worked. Today, it doesn’t work.

Under AB 1.1, I get the INDI QHY5LII device in the PHD2 pick list. PHD2 cannot connect to it, timeout error.

Under AB 2.0, PHD2 presents PHD2 drivers only. QHY5 is the singular option. Yet, I connect the mount to the INDI driver. Why not include all the other CCD resources managed by INDI?

Under AB2.0 and 1.1, the PHD2 promised QHYCCD Camera option is not given. QHY5 is it. To me, Either the program is prejudiced against the QHY5L. The PDF says so. Why? This is analogous to Analog and Digital. QHY5 devices can take video, while the newer ones take digital frames. The ZWO takes frames. The INDI driver can get the ZWO to take video. I will reorder my configuration to meet PHD2 requirements.

Also, PHD2 is very spartan under AB2.0 and Raspbian. One PHD2 window is shown with a option bar. I can use Linguider.
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by John Robison.
4 years 3 months ago #46591
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 407
  • Thank you received: 74
With much hand holding of Patrick @ ccdciel I have compiled and installed the required raw libs so that now ccdciel is able to load RAW files (Canon CR2).

Info here stargazerslounge.com/topic/344488-astrob...ort/page/6/#comments

hopefull it works on RPI4 as well.
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
4 years 3 months ago #46597
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 983
  • Thank you received: 375

Yes it is misconception.
First of all Astroberry Server is using the latest PHD2 with no customization whatsoever. So any PHD2 functionality should be addressed to PHD2, not Astroberry.
Second, If you use INDI driver in PHD2 you can choose CCDs running on INDI server, that's how it works and it always worked this way.

EDIT: Not to leave you with just this comment I will give you an advice - add to your INDI profile your cameras and make sure that you select PHD2 as a guider, start INDI server with your profile, start PHD2, select INDI as a CCD driver, click next at SELECT one of cameras you run on INDI server. You're done
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by Radek Kaczorek.
4 years 3 months ago #46598
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 1067
  • Thank you received: 140
Just a heads up, my QHY5 works perfectly well with PHD 2 on Astroberry without and Messing about...worked right off the bat, and is fully up to date with all updates as of today...... :)
The following user(s) said Thank You: Radek Kaczorek
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by AstroNerd.
4 years 3 months ago #46599
The topic has been locked.
  • Posts: 389
  • Thank you received: 15
Hello,

Thank you for the confirmation. I was able to get the dance between EKOS and PHD2 working last night.

The CONNECT to PHD2 is the start of the Dance. PHD2 must be running before the EKOS button click. I finally received the promised INDI Camera option within PHD2. The other hill to climb is the CONNECT Camera button. Under INDI camera, I received a beautiful pick list of all of the available CCD cameras as I was expecting. With the QHY5LII selected, I was presented with a configuration page to get PHD2 and INDI to talk with each other as I was expecting.

Within this configuration, DEVICE PORT is the singular option blank. I researched the net for what goes into DEVICE PORT. Under ASCOM, (all PHD2 documents are ASCOM focused), DEVICE PORT is COMn. Under LINUX, INDI, and PHD2, my trial results says, Leave it blank. Everything is working when DEVICE PORT is blank.

My post was seeking answers with this connection dance between EKOS and PHD2. PHD2 can operate independently from EKOS. Its stock driver support is limited to 6 devices. INDI is the manager of the CCD toys. A bridge must be established under the CONNECT button in EKOS with PHD2. PHD2 documentation says INDI CAMERA is the software bridge head to accept from EKOS what EKOS has.

What started me down this path was the connect button experience was yielding PHD2 thinking it was in standalone mode and EKOS thinking it had connected. No bridge head was being offered.

Another discovery

Under EKOS, CCD device types are considered by default under OPTIONS tab SCOPE or CAMERA. On each camera option, I configured the device as camera and saved the configuration. Hence, my success was configuring EKOS properly to give PHD2 its list to enumerate the CCD options in EKOS. Once done, EKOS and PHD2 can dance all night.

Another Discovery

Under PHD2, the QHY5 is no longer standalone supported. Use the INDI CAMERA option.

Conclusion

To use the INDI CAMERA option, EKOS must have CCD devices to present. CCD devices must be configured to be CCD and not OTA types. EKOS is the starting point of the CCD dance.

Or EKOS has nothing to present. PHD2 will think it is in standalone mode. Posts like this one will occur. Who has time to document the requirements of the EKOS and PHD2 dance?

My hope is this discussion may help someone else. Thank you for each contribution. Clear skies.
Last edit: 4 years 3 months ago by John Robison.
4 years 3 months ago #46607
The topic has been locked.
Moderators: Radek Kaczorek
Time to create page: 1.864 seconds