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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

indi_celestron_aux

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Replied by Gary McKenzie on topic indi_celestron_aux



Thank you Fabrizio,
I will wait until it goes into the main repository - I am moving house in 6 weeks or so and will have to build a new observatory ( I just finished one at my current home!). I plan to fully automate it with roof motor, AAG Cloudwatcher etc. I was going to do this at my currrent observatory but we bought a new house in a much darker sky. I am happy to wait for completion of the driver.....

Really appreciate your efforts, the driver will convert my equatorial wedge mounted CPC925 into an imaging machine that can run alone..
Gary
3 years 3 months ago #64576
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux


Now there are 3 branches in my repo github.com/fabriziop/indi-3rdparty

celestronaux_eqtrack: this is a WIP branch
0. it is the old version plus
1. fixed premature stop of manual slew when tracking is on;
2. forced alignment subsystem to be on by default;
3. removed a big part of driver code around alignment, after the discovery that it is already embedded into the subsystem (outdated subsystem doc).
4. now debugging wrong tracking after sync and goto.

celestronaux_eqtrack_1
: new driver version 0.8 branch
0. above changes not present here.
1. has mount type selection button.
2. has tracking buttons enabled.

celestronaux_eqtrack_2
: a variant of celestronaux_eqtrack_1 branch
This a test to understand if the alignment subsystem does really manage altaz and equatorial mounts in the same way.
3 years 3 months ago #64579
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Replied by Maciek on topic indi_celestron_aux

Branch celestronaux_eqtrack results:


1. Power on mount
2. Start Kstars
3. Connect Ekos
4. Kstars shows that mount is on South at horizon level
5. Sync caux mount to South ~20deg over horizon, Kstars updating mount position on map to this point
6. Goto east on same ~20deg over horizon - up/down movement not needed, only to left
7. Mount moving -90deg left and ~20deg up (now it is ~40deg over horizon)
8. Kstars show caux mount in South 20deg up


After sync in point 5 it should not go up 20deg and Kstars did not show vertical move, but mount actually did move up

Bug with "have to disconnect caux before can stop indi in Ekos" is still there

log:

Warning: Spoiler!
3 years 3 months ago #64580
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Replied by Ken Kelso on topic indi_celestron_aux

That's not my experience on NexStar 6SE Luzik:

0: Scope horizontal and pointing North (or any direction in Azimuth)
1: Switch on Scope
2: Start KStars/Ekos and connect to Scope etc.
3: Using the Mount Control, select AZ/AL and enter AZ 000:00:00, Alt 00:00:00 and Sync.
4: Enter AZ 090:00:00 and GoTo
5: Scope slews to correct position.

I wonder if the 20 degree deviation you are seeing is something to do with the final approach, the scope will dip and then come up to take account of the backlash in the gears.
Also, in the northern hemisphere, it should go past the setting when slewing east and go back west for the final approach.

As at present the designated park position is north it would be handy if the start up position was also north.

Ken
3 years 3 months ago #64582
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Replied by Maciek on topic indi_celestron_aux

There is little difference. Please restart your mount and redo your test but:

Move mount 20deg UP (not really necessary)
In point 3 enter AZ 0 ALT 20 and sync, then goto AZ 90 ALT 20. Did mount move UP/DOWN ? Should it? My mount goes another 20deg UP, so it's on 40deg
3 years 3 months ago #64583
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Replied by Ken Kelso on topic indi_celestron_aux

Luzik, doing as you say my mount dips 5 degrees in Altitude, slews to 90 degrees in azimuth and then goes up 5 degrees to the requested position.
All correct and the position shown on the Hand Controller and Kstars is also correct.

After connecting to your mount are you doing a sync at AZ 000:00:00, ALT 00:00:00 ?

I am using the 0.8 version of the driver.

Ken
3 years 3 months ago #64592
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Replied by Maciek on topic indi_celestron_aux

The trick in my bug report is not to sync to default/initial mount position. .. or maybe it is my bad because this is mandatory ?
In other software it is normal, that you point first star do first sync, second star, second sync .... without any sync to alt 0 az 0
Last edit: 3 years 3 months ago by Maciek.
3 years 3 months ago #64593
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Replied by Ken Kelso on topic indi_celestron_aux

Luzik, even if I do exactly as you do the mount still maintains the 20 degrees after slewing, doesn't go up to 40.

How are you moving to the 20 degrees altitude, with the hand controller or the Ekos Mount Controller?

When you switch on the mount the encoders are at 0,0 (north on the horizon) as shown on the Hand Controller BUT Kstars shows the azimuth at 180 degrees. This is why I set the values 0,0 on the Ekos mount controller and do a sync. I still haven't got my head around the code sufficiently to change this.
3 years 3 months ago #64594
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Replied by Maciek on topic indi_celestron_aux


Oh that odd, so @Fabrizio maybe will help diagnose that. I can provide more debug logs if needed. I believe that this issue is source of the alignment problem with both alt/az + gem mounts.
Thank you Kenkelso for testing !
My hand controller is not connected to the mount. My evolution have builtin wifi interface. Maybe later I will try with wires.

Yes mine too, but from my experience with other alignment software I know that I can totally ignore that init coordinates. Now I do understand why you syncing to that point :-)
Last edit: 3 years 3 months ago by Maciek.
3 years 3 months ago #64595
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Replied by Kevin on topic indi_celestron_aux

I’m no expert here, but I’m wondering if we should try to have a standard that we’re testing against? Earlier in the thread there is a process that Fabrizio has asked to follow. I replied with a post that confirms the steps. This is the process that should be successful, but so far not on all mounts.

If you’re going to try a different approach, at least try the default first.its great that we have more people testing.

Thoughts?
3 years 3 months ago #64596
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux


The original driver developer wrote:

// libnova indexes Az from south while Celestron controllers index from north
// Never mix two controllers/drivers they will never agree perfectly.
// Furthermore the celestron hand controller resets the position encoders
// on alignment and this will mess-up all orientation in the driver.
// Here we are not attempting to make the driver agree with the hand
// controller (That would involve adding 180deg here to the azimuth -
// this way the celestron nexstar driver and this would agree in some
// situations but not in other - better not to attepmpt impossible!).
3 years 3 months ago #64598
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Replied by Maciek on topic indi_celestron_aux


I do follow this guide, just my known position is AZ 0 ALT 20.

It should be good as any other on sky. Next sync point do not have any sense because all is contaminated with that false first.

I believe that after first sync move is calculated from alt 0 not from my synced point but can't find a clue where to search it in drive source
Last edit: 3 years 3 months ago by Maciek.
3 years 3 months ago #64599
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