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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 Rick Bassham on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hey Fabrizio, I've been digging into the alignment subsystem a lot lately, and I've found that I think you DO need to interact with it in either equatorial coords with an EQ mount OR alt/az coords for an alt/az mount.

I'm not sure if it has made it into a release yet, but I added some helper methods to the alignment subsystem to make it easier to deal with. You can see them in use in the tests created here:
github.com/indilib/indi/tree/master/test/alignment
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq, Fabrizio, Jim S.
3 years 2 months ago #65849
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic indi_celestron_aux

Correct, your changes have been incorporated into 1.8.8
3 years 2 months ago #65851
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Replied by Jack on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hi All,

Just cross posting from (indilib.org/forum/stellarmate/8610-kstar...e-i-think.html#65874) at Krno's request.

Basically having an issue where KStars won't sync up with the mounts known sky position.

Some logs attached after a 1 star align with Acturus (~ 327:26 / +30:01 right now during the day).. so it thinks its pointing there. But after connecting KStars it's showing due south on the horizon as the scopes position in the sky.

Very strange, any help would be appreciated!

Edit: Mount is a Celestron Astro Fi 5, iOS app i'm using for alignment is Sky Safari Pro

Jack
Last edit: 3 years 2 months ago by Jack.
3 years 2 months ago #65875
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hi Jack,
from your posts I understand that you do alignment with skysafari first and then use Kstars. Given that I know very little about skysafari software, it seems to me that the indi_celestron_aux driver is completely unaware of scope alignment performed outside itself. So the positions read from the scope by the driver and sent to Kstars are different from what you expect.
This seems confirmed by your log that tells
[2021-01-13T09:36:10.027 AEDT INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron WiFi :  "[INFO] ReadScopeStatus - TransformTelescopeToCelestial failed "
A correct procedure can be:
1. align with any system you want outside of Kstars.
2. using scope hand control to slew, point two directions at your choice and for each of them do a manual sync using the Motion Control HC of Kstars: insert manually the RA/DE coordinates given by point 1. system and then click sync.
From this point on, the alignment subsystem of the driver indi_celestron_aux should to be aligned in the same way of the system you used at 1.

Fabrizio
3 years 2 months ago #65878
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Replied by Jack on topic indi_celestron_aux

Thanks Fabrizio! Sounds like i've just been missing a step.

When you say HC here "using the Motion Control HC of Kstars".. could you just clarify what you mean by that? I may just be a bit daft but unsure where exactly I should be looking!

Cheers,
Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65880
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

You have to (1) launch Kstars, (2) open Ekos, (3) start INDI, (4) connect to your scope. Now it should appear the mount tab in Ekos. (5) Open it and click on the (6) "Mount Control" button. At this point, the window of the "Mount Control" appears, a sort virtual hand control. To make the requested SYNC operations, put the RA/DE coordinates given by the other system into the RA/DE text boxes of Mount Control and click there on the "SYNC" button.
3 years 2 months ago #65889
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Replied by Jack on topic indi_celestron_aux

Fantastic thankyou, i'll give that a go tonight.

I had tried by right clicking on the main map at the location and hitting sync, but that wasn't doing the trick. Hopefully this does!

Thanks,
Jack
3 years 2 months ago #65905
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Replied by Jack on topic indi_celestron_aux

Ok, seemingly still no luck.

I ignored any external alignment (it's now daytime) and just tried to sync two approximate sky points within KStars as described. This started with the scope pointing approximately toward menkar, aligning that, then slewing it (using kstars) to the west approximately where Enif would be and doing a second sync.

The telescope pointer within kstars started due north on the horizon, then swung west when i slewed the scope west. However it has not taken into account either sync point.

I've attached the log for the quick test run. Also added a picture of the (i think) relevant sections cut out if thats easier. And finally have added the alignment section of the indi control panel, showing 3 sync points registered.. and the alignment subsystem active.. but not much else?

Edit: Just in case 2 points wasn't enough.. added another vague sync point at Apheratz.

Thanks for the pointers so far... hopefully I can get things sorted eventually!

Cheers,
Jack
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
3 years 2 months ago #65907
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic indi_celestron_aux

Thanks Jack for the detailed info! Great job on that. I don't think using the driver should be THIS difficult.

@Fabrizo, if AUX already provides RA/DE (which I presume are final post-alignment processed coordinates), why isn't the driver is using these values as-is if no sync points are defined? Sorry if my question is stupid, I really need to dig deeper into this driver. I thought that we deal with encoders values like SkyWatcher when we're using AUX.
3 years 2 months ago #65908
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Replied by Jack on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hang on a minute. I think I have a breakthrough!

I had assumed that the alignment subsystem was active due to the green light to the left of it. However I decided to click on it anyway... and.... bam KStars was pointing roughly where it should be! Image attached of how it looks before and after (bold is apparently on?).

Have tried another quick test from scratch, but clicked that after connecting and before syncing.. and things are happening! (yay!)

Is this alignment subsystem not active by default? And just a step I was missing?! Hopefully this helps others if they have a similar issue!

Edit: Also the main difference in the logs.. is this "[INFO] ReadScopeStatus - TransformTelescopeToCelestial failed " is now missing. I case that helps diagnose things driver development wise. Also happy to provide more logs / testing etc to help you guys driver side if need be!

Jack
Last edit: 3 years 2 months ago by Jack.
3 years 2 months ago #65909
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

Great, Jack. Thanks for you testing. You are probably using version 0.7 of the driver. Here github.com/fabriziop/indi-3rdparty/tree/celestronaux_eqtrack you can find the source of the last version 0.8 (WIP), where the alignment subsystem is enabled by default and warning messages are given if some info is missing to the subsystem for working properly.

Fabrizio
3 years 2 months ago #65913
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

Exactly! In this case the alignment conversion failed because the subsystem was disabled. Otherwise it manages correctly the zero sync point case.
In the last driver version, I have enabled by default the subsystem. The green light at the enable subsytem switch fooled me too.
3 years 2 months ago #65914
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