Thanks for joining the testing Tunafish. I am also using the AVX. And I’m also running into problems. But the first thing I see that is not necessary, is that you are doing a quick alignment. This is what I used to do before the AUX driver. With this driver all you should need to do is plug in the handset and turn on the telescope. Fabrizio has posted the next steps on the first page.
Could you test using the motion controls, and use RA and DEC only arrows. See if dec and RA appear to be reversed.
I’m only testing and not involved in the development.

@Croz, I don't think it matters whether or not I've done a quick align since that's in the hand control and I'm using a SkyPortal WiFI which bypasses the HC. In any case I found out why my sync wasn't working. I needed a GPS module to set the location and time properly. I recompiled the GPS simulator with my long/lat/elevation added it to the config and now the sync is working.

The mount control does seem to be reversed but it also seems to randomly go off tracking to some assumed location while using it.

I can now get it to sync from the mount control but whether I sync using RA/DE or AZ/AL or HA/DE I get the same result. It connects thinking that it is looking at the zenith but I sync at the index points on the mount to it pointing at NCP then try a goto to Capella (which is 65ish degrees east) and then the mount swings west, hits the RA extent warning and ends up pointing at the zenith.

Also tried the pointing at the south meridian and syncing. Didn't seem to help.

Tunafish,

If nothing else, you’ve confirmed just about everything that I’ve been running into. This driver is a work in progress. Let’s hope they can make some improvements. Until then I’m using the standard driver and the quick alignment process when I have clear sky’s.

Hi,
I am new to this whole indi world and have some questions

1. Is there any use case of not having Alignment Subsystem active ? Why not activate it on start ?
2. My NexstarEvo wifi module generating little different discovery packets


that do not match with celestronaux.cpp:259
3. I got issue with alignment accuracy while using manual sync method. For example after sync to 3 stars on sky, alignment is bad and even I can't go back to one of my alignment target. Do not now how to debug this, so just wait for my camera and then maybe I figure something out.

4. "Crazy movements?" Mount started to move horizontally on:
- removing last alignment point
- adding first alignment point

I am not seeing any of the problems mentioned above, I am connecting to a NexStar 6SE via the serial port on the hand controller (so using AUX passthrough) in Alt/Az mode.

The parked position is Alt 00:00:00 Az 000:00:00 (this is currently fixed in the driver), I have the scope horizontal using the levelling marks and pointing north.

I UnPark and using the virtual hand controller in EKOS enter Alt/Az co-ordinates as above, then Sync.

Now I can GoTo a star and use the Align tool to plate solve, repeat this on a couple of other stars and I'm in business. Looking on the INDI Celestron AUX alignment tab the number of alignment points has indexed up.

Another way to start is to enter the Julian date and alignment points straight into the INDI Celestron AUX alignment tab. In this case one has to enter the RA/DE and as I am using Alt/AZ mode starting with the scope pointing to the northern horizon it's easier just to enter this into the virtual hand controller.

I am testing with the CCD Simulator as the weather here is foggy:(

The only funny thing I have had is that if I delete all the alignment points the scope goes on a tour of the universe at an ever decreasing speed. Of course this is not something one would usually do so is not a big deal.

I am still finding my way around the driver code but as soon as I have it figured I will try to help out.

Ken

Ken, I think main difference is that you're using it in Alt/Az mode while we were using it in EQ mode.

That's true Tunafish but from a testing/debug point of view it is important to know what is working in one use case as many of the functions in the code are used by both.

Okay, playing around a little more inside (It seems like it has been cloudy for weeks). AVX mount in EQ mode connected through aux port via SkyPortal WiFi. Im using the HC to verify where the mount is pointed versus where the aux driver thinks its pointed.

Start at the index marks. Do an alignment using the alignment tool with plate solving (alignment set=1).
Then I use the HC to go to Capella (east of NCP). KStars tracks the movements on the display and they go west & south instead of east & north. Any way I right click on Capella and sync the mount once I'm aligned using the HC. KStars updates the telescope location on the display (Alignmet set=2).

Then I use the HC to goto Deneb (West of NCP). KStars display of the telescope seems to track the movement east to west properly and stops on Deneb. I again use right click and sync (Alignment set=3).

Now with 3 alignment points I right click on Aldebaran and select goto. Kstars tracks the telescope moving west to east and the telescope cross hair stops on Aldebaran. Using the Identitfy function on the HC, I check to verify whethr or not the HC and the AUX driver agree. And, yes they agree. Success.

Finally, I try to swing back west by right clicking on Vega and selecting goto. The mount goes the wrong way in RA and basically tries to get to look at Vega upside down and hits the slew limits and aborts. Instead of doing a simple rotate west to east in RA it has gone the wrong way and rotated east to west.

Thank you all for the extensive testing.
I tried to reproduce the problems seen with partial success. I did not experienced any coordinate inversion, but I have seen wrong GOTOs that unfortunately are not repeatable. The alignment subsystem its a complex black box for me (experts needed), I can only work around it. I think to start to understand the motion inversion on AVX mounts.

Since on my celestron CPC and on Nexstar 6SE (Ken) there is no inversion, where is the difference with AVX mount? The difference Eq / AltAz does not explain it to me. A first check can be looking at Az/Alt coords printed by ReadScopeStatus in the log window (enable driver logging). These coords are read directly from motor encoders. Az should increase going CW, Alt should increase going upward. If using the last driver version, this check should be done selecting first the Equatorial mount and then repeated selecting the AltAz mount. Nothing should change.

TIA

4. "Crazy movements" - after sync to first point my evo mount started moving to the left, just after "sync" click. Another one was when I was removing 4 alignments, and when I removed last one - mount started moving again

5. I connected PS4 controller and Indi_celestron_aux lack possibility to use analog speed control. For example if I move joystick only half left then speed could be half of maximum. Now it is 1 or 0 and speed is controlled by other buttons

Hi Fabrizio,

Same basic test as before with log attached. AVX mount in EQ mode connected to Aux via SkyPortal WiFi, simulators for CCD and GPS using it indoors.
1 - Start by doing an HC Quick Align so I can use it to set up alignment points for the Aux driver.
2 - Start KStars, connect Ekos and INDI then do a plate solve align at the NCP - Alignment point 1
3 - Use the HC to go East to Deneb. Tracking in KStars is off but directionally correct. Then right click on Deneb and do a sync to the mount driver. Alignment point 2
4 - Use the HC to go west to Denebola. Display tracking is good and KStars display shows cross hair on Denebola after slew complete. Right click and sync. Alignment point 3
5 - Now use KStars & Aux driver to do a goto East. Right click and goto on Vega. After slew complete verify with the HC that both think they are looking at Vega. All is good - success.
LOG: Goto - Celestial reference frame target RA:279.402000(18.626800 h) Dec:38.804200
6 - Now try to go back west with right click goto on Dubhe. This time fail - the mount seems to rotate the wrong way in RA for the slew and hits the slew limit pointing at the Zenith.
LOG: Goto - Celestial reference frame target RA:166.248000(11.083200 h) Dec:61.634900

Have you set the cord wrap position? The celestron mounts will try to take the shortest path to the new point. Setting the cord wrap position MIGHT help with this.