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

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Using PHD2 Parameter Settings in the Ekos Guider

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Hi folks, I know there is an option to use the PHD2 guider in the Ekos guider module, but I read in a post made over a year ago that Ekos only uses guide data from PHD2. Is this situation still the same, or has it changed? Is it now possible for Ekos to guide using PHD2 parameter settings?

The reason I ask is because, as far as I know, the Ekos guider does not have some features in PHD2, most notably the PHD2 Guiding Assistant, which creates an optimized profile for your mount. I would like to guide using this optimized profile in Ekos.

Is this possible?

Thanks.

 
2 years 3 months ago #78417

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Sooo...should I take that as a "no", I still can't make use of PHD2 setup parameters in the Ekos guiding module routing PHD2?
2 years 3 months ago #78463

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Phil,

I haven't used PHD2 for a couple years, but I believe that this is the way things work: You pretty much can fully control PHD2's guiding using PHD2's own windows/menus, ignoring the menu settings in Ekos. You can start PHD2's guiding assistant using PHD2's UI. The one exception is that you'd start PHD2 guiding from Ekos, by pushing the start button or having the scheduler start it up. It's probably also the case that you'd want to control dithering by setting the dither parameters in the Ekos Guider's menu.

Let me know if all that works out,
Hy
2 years 3 months ago #78504

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Well, unless I'm mistaken, the problem with that approach is that you can't control PHD2 from Ekos that way, hence you can't dither. Correct? That is why I posted this thread in the first place, because without proper two-way communication, you can't dither.
Last edit: 2 years 3 months ago by Phil.
2 years 3 months ago #78509

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Phil,

I believe you are mistaken, and that if you set up dithering in the Ekos menu, and control the standard guiding parameters from the PHD2 UI, that things should work fine. I don't do this today, but that is what I recall doing when I used to use PHD2 with Ekos.

Ekos and PHD2 do communicate over the PHD2 API, but that doesn't mean you can't set parameters on the PHD2 interface. Just remember to start the PHD2 program before you start KStars, set up PHD2 to use Indi, tell Ekos that you are guiding with PHD2,  set up dithering parameters with Ekos-Guide, and finally tell Ekos to start guiding. At that point, I believe you'll see PHD2 calibrate if it needs to and start guiding. 

There are plenty of people who actively use PHD2 with Ekos, and who could give you more accurate/detailed advice than me, but that is what I recall.

Try it and let us know.
Hy
 
2 years 3 months ago #78510

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Hy has it correct. You will have PHD2 running in a separate window, but the calls to begin guiding come from Ekos along with the dither settings (the PHD2 devs recently made it clear that dither settings is job of the imaging program, PHD2's job is to make the telescope move in the way commanded by the other program). Everything else you would do from the PHD2 UI you still do there - run Guide Assistant, set min-move and aggressiveness values, set camera binning and exposure time, etc.
2 years 3 months ago #78511

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OK great. I was concerned about this because in that thread I posted that WASN'T the case, PHD2 was being controlled by Ekos, and the Ekos parameters would supersede the PHD2 parameters.

Thanks for your replies.
2 years 3 months ago #78518

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