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Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

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Replied by Alex Varakin on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

James,
I think the implemented approach is very safe - even though commands for driving outputs can be sent to the controller for all Aux ports, I don't think any damage can be done because processing the output command is surrounded by #ifdefs like this:
#ifdef Aux7
            if (parameter[1]=='7') { valueAux7=v; static bool init=false; if (!init) { pinMode(Aux7,OUTPUT); init=true; }
  #ifdef Aux7_Analog
              analogWrite(Aux7,v); } else
  #else
              if (v==0) digitalWrite(Aux7,LOW); else digitalWrite(Aux7,HIGH); } else
  #endif
#endif

These #defines are set appropriately in the Pins header files, e.g. in Pins.Ramps14.h we can see the following:
// The multi-purpose pins (Aux3..Aux8 can be analog (pwm/dac) if supported)
#define Aux0          11
#define Aux1          29
#define Aux2          37
#define Aux3          62
#define Aux4          24
#define Aux5          30
#define Aux6           8    // heater
#define Aux7           9    // heater, analog (pwm)
#define Aux7_Analog
#define Aux8          10    // heater, analog (pwm)
#define Aux8_Analog
#define Aux9          39    // general purpose
#define Aux10         41
#define Aux11         43
#define Aux12         45
#define Aux13         47
#define Aux14         32

whereas in Pins.MaxESP2.h we see this:
#define Aux3          21    // Home SW for Axis1 (or I2C SDA)
#define Aux4          22    // Home SW for Axis2 (or I2C SCL)
//#define Aux5          "V0"  // Virtual Aux Pin0 (usually maps to AXIS1_ENC_A_PIN)
//#define Aux6          "V1"  // Virtual Aux Pin1 (usually maps to AXIS1_ENC_B_PIN)
#define Aux7          39    // Limit SW, Status LED2, Reticule, etc.
#define Aux8          25    // Status LED, PPS, Tone, etc.

So based on this, I think that the implementation is very safe.

Alex
5 years 1 week ago #38463

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Replied by Serge CLAUS on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

Hello,
I found a problem with dome management:
If I select "dome locks telescope". Even if the dome is "unpark" it is not possible to unpark the telescope. It says "Telescope locked by the dome".
With AstroEQ or telescope simulator, the operation is correct.

Regards,
5 years 5 days ago #38696

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Replied by mjfdassen on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

Hi everyone,

I am very interested in using this OnStep controller: is it possible to control a DIY wedged fork, or can it only handle AltAz forks?

Thanks,

Martin
5 years 2 days ago #38821

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Replied by Khalid on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

OnStep Alpha has support for fork mounts, as of a week or two ago, so it should work. But it has not been verified by someone yet.
5 years 2 days ago #38822

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Replied by Serge CLAUS on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

It's not a problem with OnStep.
Today, i have the same problem with AstroEQ...
5 years 2 days ago #38827

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Replied by Khalid on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI


The polar aligned fork mount is verified to work. See This thread .
5 years 1 day ago #38850

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Replied by Lemaire on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

Hi Khalid,

Dragonlost asked me if I can develop an INDI driver for TeenAstro.
If think it is much easier for both community to have 2 drivers one for onstep and one for TeenAstro. Indeed all the beauty of OnStep is the flexibility and the beauty of TeenAstro is to keep the thing as simple as possible.
The good news is that TeenAstro overlap to 95% with ONStep and has significantly less feature. For example no PEC and No multiStar alignment...
My only problem is that I have no experience with LINUX...

Charles
5 years 1 day ago #38858

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Replied by james_lan on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

So after looking a bit.

(Sorry about my lack of response, when I look up, it's been something in the range of R=G=B for the most part for a while. :( )

The code there will not protect overriding other functions of OnStep. Nor after looking are there any checks to see if there's any other use for the pins. Honestly, in the pinmap, any time an aux pin is used, it should probably be followed with an undef AuxX as the best solution. That's not the case though so, that's why I consider it unsafe. For example, on Ramps, some of the Aux pins 4, for example will knock on or off the focuser enable, rotator enable, or SPI if using fancy drivers. That's why I consider it a bit unsafe. It's nothing to do with your code (or my code before) it's that OnStep allows access to them without any checks internally. Which is why I think there should be something around it to go: This can cause problems. Are you sure?
5 years 22 hours ago #38876

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Replied by Ray Wells on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI


You might get collaborative help on this if you start a new thread suggesting it. Something like: Teenastro Development might do the trick. I think it would limit cross talk if we did that. Let us know if you make one so we can subscribe and help out too.
4 years 11 months ago #38923

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Replied by Khalid on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI


Hello Charles,

If TeenAstro is OnStep minus a few features, then I think it should be the same codebase,
but with another personality.

A few if statements will take care of the features that TeenAstro lacks, but OnStep has.

When the code is compiled, the make file causes a symbolic link to be created for the same executable.

This scheme avoids code duplication as much as practical, and is used by other drivers.
4 years 11 months ago #38924

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Replied by durand Sébastien on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

ok ! New thread is create : indilib.org/forum/development/5153-teena...driver-for-indi.html

thanks in advance for help and thanks for onstep
4 years 11 months ago #38944

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Replied by Wong Sy Ming on topic Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

Hi azwing,
What settings do you have in your Onstep for the meridian flip? (Auto or Off?)
I can't get the meridian flip working, this is what I did:

1) Align Onstep
2) Enable meridian flips in Kstars (set to 0.1h). Onstep is set to 30 degrees so Kstars will flip it first.
3) Slew to near the meridian (telescope on the West side, so it definitely has to flip)
4) Observe the Kstars "meridian flip counter" starts to count down
5) When the counter reaches 0, Kstars indicates that a meridian flip is in progress. However Onstep doesn't move (the App does indicate the "Goto" icon though).
If I then click the "Meridian Flip Now" button in the Onstep app, the mount flips.
Am I missing something out or is something set incorrectly?

I tried both having auto meridian flips in Onstep set to on and off, and it made no difference.
4 years 11 months ago #39302

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