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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Kstars / Ekos & Internal Guiding - How does it work ?

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In Kstars / Ekos you have three options, Internal, PHD or Lin_Guider,

I understand that the internal guiding is based on Lin_Guider, But does anyone technical know how to connect the hardware to the internal guider.

I have an Arduino board, which controls my motor drives. This works perfectly under Lin_Guider (Stand Alone) but i want it to be connected to KStars / Ekos internal Lin_Guider.

Using the Arduino Simple Switcher Indi Driver i can control the motors, but any idea how i can connect the guiding element up to this?

I am pretty certain, that not many people have tried this, but there could be some of you that have written your own drivers, that may be able to at least point me in the right direction.
5 years 2 months ago #33836

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When using Lin_Guider standalone, are you using pulse guiding or GPIO?
5 years 2 months ago #33837

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Hi, I am assuming i am using GPIO,

I have a FTDI connected to Arduino. Is this not the same as Pulse Guiding ?
5 years 2 months ago #33843

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I have just downloaded the Indi Library Source, and looking at modifying the EQMod driver, and re-compiling my own driver which i can plug in to Indi
5 years 2 months ago #33844

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Not knowing the specifics of your project, it seems like that you are using USB to communicate with the Arduino. If this is the case, another approach would be to write the Arduino code to use the commands of a "serial" protocol such as LX200 or NexStar. This would make it compatible with any application that has the option to use that type of mount. (INDI, Stellarium, etc). From there, you could simply have a USB connection to the Arduino and select that type of mount in the EKOS guiding tab.

I have done a few projects which make the Arduino LX200 compatible and they have worked with both INDI and Stellarium. You can find the LX200 protocol on the Meade website.
5 years 2 months ago #33853

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Excellent thank you. Would you have some sample arduino sketches I could look at to see what you have done.
5 years 2 months ago #33861

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He Guys i was wondering where to enable dithering in the Ekos internal Guiding i saw only manual dither?
5 years 2 months ago #33863

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When in the guiding tab in Ekos, click on the Options button to the lower left. Then select Guide in the list of options in the popup that gets shown.


HTH, Wouter
5 years 2 months ago #33865

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Thanks, I forget often this button :-( sorry but great help it was not on.

Chris
5 years 2 months ago #33867

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Here is one that I wrote for an ST-4 to AutoStar (LX200) interface. I made this for an old Meade telescope that did not have an ST-4 port before I started using INDI/Ekos. (I used it with the GPIO ST-4 output of Lin_Guider.) It senses the state of 4 inputs and sends serial start/stop commands to the telescope handset serial port for guiding corrections in 4 directions.

There are actual pulse guiding commands in the LX200 protocol that I did not use here that you may want to look into for pulse guiding.

Although your project would probably convert the serial commands to Arduino outputs, the principle would be the same.

File Attachment:

File Name: autostar_i...1-20.zip
File Size:1 KB
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jonathan Street
5 years 2 months ago #33870
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Just thought I would give you a progress update.

The LX200 works well, I am still coding the replies to the EKOS queries at the moment. But I am getting there.

Thanks for your support.
5 years 2 months ago #33982

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