Dear ScopeDomeFriends,

unfortunately we cannot test the new ArduinoVersion of the driver, due to hardware problems of the dome drive.

* Slip ring works unstable, sometimes there is no connection to the shutter-electronics

* temperature problem below 3°C. The motors stop suddenly while moving to destination position
then I have to wait for some minutes before they can be reanimated.

The Polish engineers want to help by online instruction, but we cannot do it by our own. Our local ScopeDomeDealer would accuse us to damage the hardware, but at the same time he don't want to fulfill European warranty regulations. Now we have to use lawyers and so on. Terrible situation never seen before!

Best regards

Frank

That's very unfortunate, I ordered my dome from ScopeDome directly and they have been very reasonable to deal with. I've had to send the rotation motor/gear box/encoder for replacement as the motor stopped working under warranty and have changed the shutter closed limit switch and the main controller board over the years and everything has worked out well. Cold shouldn't be a problem, I use my dome below freezing temperatures most of the time as the dark time here in Finland is also quite cold I'm not sure if the settings for heaters are different as I specified the colder conditions when ordering.

HI Jpaana

i'm not familiar with the process to get the code from github and compile it on my raspberry PI4
i'm running the last version today 1.8.9

i've been doing lot's of embedded code on microcontrollers and on windows mainly in C
i did few on RPI too, but not big projects as Indi (i'm not so familiar with linux)

so i would need some step by step guide how to get the code, compile it with right options and where to store it on the RPI.

Regards
Eric

It is a fairly straight forward process if you have ever compiled any projects using CMake. You can follow the instructions on building INDI from source at indilib.org/forum/general/210-howto-buil...st-libindi-ekos.html but just replace the command with
This will build and install base drivers along with the base INDI library, which might not be compatible with the 3rd-party drivers you have installed, so it might be necessary to recompile those as well, instructions on that are on the same page.
 

Hi
the command "git clone --depth=1 -b scopedome_update github.com/jpaana/indi.git"
returns "fatal: repository 'github.com/jpaana/indi.git' does not exist"

and the commad "git clone --depth=1 github.com/indilib/indi.git" woks well

Eric

Hm, it should work, did you have the https:// in the url, the forum software seems to eat that part? Ie. change "indilib" part to "jpaana" in the url that works for you and add -b (or --branch) scopedome_update to checkout the correct branch, or go to the resulting indi directory and run "git checkout scopedome_update" there.

yes i added the https and it is working ...still compiling will keep you update, should i see another scopdome model available or is it the same driver as your previous version that works with both ?

It's in the same ScopeDome driver and you need to select the card type before connecting in the connection tab. Also serial baud rate should be set to 9600 for the Arduino card, but 115200 for USB Card V2.1 so that is another slight complication. I tried to do automatic detection of the type, but it was hard to make it robust so I've disabled it for now. The setting is saved with other options so you should only need to do it once.

Hi 
first step is fine, i'm able to connect to the arduino  



but seems impossible to interact (i tried open shutter, move CCW or CW) and get following error message 

 

sensors seems to be read correctly, will investigate deeper tomorrow

Eric

Thanks, it seems there no connection to slave controller so the status response is missing fields that should come from there and the code doesn't seem to cope with that. I'll fix that, hopefully tomorrow. Have you used the dome with the Windows drivers successfully? Ah, and do you have a slave controller paired for the dome or do you use just one controller in the clam shell mode?

For further testing, it would be useful if you enable driver debug, INDI and dome logging in KStars and attach the log, they are easier to search for things than screenshots

I had the same. First it was a fuse inside of the shutter motor controller box (it was told so by the Polish engineers).
Now I have the same again, but the reason for this errors are the slip ring power transmission. If you rotate the dome then you can see the shutter power LED flickering. If the dome stops at a position without power then there is no connection to the slave - no connection by missing power. I have written a small script (work around). It is looking for connection. If there is no connection then the dome will be rotated by a fraction of a second. If it is connection then I am controlling the shutter. If not, then I am rotating the dome again ... and so on. The second way was to add a buffer battery inside of the moving part of the dome.
But this is not the way how it should work. Therefore we (including our lawyer) hope to get a repair by our local dealer.
The last way of operating the dome is to setup a much smaller controller by our own. It's much faster and more easy than to debug the arduino controller.
For shutter control we would do it at home position only including an inductive coupler without any mechanical contact. This is easy and save in operation.
Additionally the optical home sensor (sensitive to bugs and dust) must be exchanged to a reed contact.

Yes i have a full motorised dome (dome and shutter)
I’m able to open/close the shutter and move dome ccw /cw whatever it is by usb ( under w10) or ethernet

Eric