StellarMate has the Serial Port Assistant, but KStars/Ekos on the Mac does not. When I try to connect my CEM70, Ekos cycles through several driver/port choices, including one that looks like an old Keyspan USB-to-serial adapter I used with my CEM25P, one with Bluetooth, and one that looked like it might be USB but didn't connect.

Normally I just use my Pi but occasionally need to connect directly with the Mac. The cameras and filter wheel connect just fine, with no setup on my part. Any suggestions on where to start?

Thanks!

Many times people encounter issues like these when they connect a USB device that isn't really usb. They think it is USB, but it has a USB-Serial adapter built in and has to covert to serial to talk to the device. I would first try to find out what kind of USB Serial device is in the device, and then make sure your Mac has the correct driver installed for that USB Serial device. Note that I am not talking about the INDI driver here, it is a device driver for the USB Serial Adapter. Once you know what device it is, it becomes much easier to select the correct port as well.

Similar problem with CEM26 and HEM27. Any solution?

Just tried to create a small environment to see if I could find a solution. Using a 2015 vintage MacBook Pro (running the current OS release) and an iOptron CEM120, I was finally able to get it to connect after configuring the INDI Control Panel setting for the iOptron. Although I have a number of USB/Serial software drivers loaded, at first I couldn't get the iOpton to connect when I started Ekos. In the INDO Control Panel I eventually selected the Connection Tab under the iOptron CEM120. In that tab there is an Auto Search selection and mine was Disabled. When I Enabled it and went back to the Main Control tab I was able to select Connection and INDI recognized the iOptron and connected.

Back on the connection tab the Port that works is identified as /dev/cu.usbserial-D309FIFW. I can't recall if that's one I downloaded long ago or not. In any event, I hope that helps even though our environments aren't exactly the same. Like you, I almost always use a Raspberry Pi and haven't had to fiddle as much with these USB/Serial software adapters. There are a number of places to go to download usb/serial drivers if you need them but I'd have to do some more digging.

Good luck and clear skies,
Fred

Thanks Fred, I'll dig the CEM70 out of the garage and give it a look tomorrow!

[Edited to add]: Mine is cycling among /dev/cu.usbserial, one for incoming bluetooth, and one for a pair of Bluetooth headphones that I often use. Weird! I'll have to try plugging in the mount while I watch the syslogs, and maybe manually enter that into the setup dialog. It was already set to search, as it happens.

Hi Rick - you may need to download a driver. I know, in the case of my Moonlite focuser, I had to download a driver to my Mac to get them to talk. In that case Moonlite provides the following link: ftdichip.com/drivers/vcp-drivers/. I notice on that FTDI page they have a link to "D3XX Drivers" and there you can find drivers for a Mac. I'm only suggesting this since D3XX looks suspiciously like it might fit in with the D309 driver that worked for me. I'm not a programer or super knowledgeable in USB/serial connections - just providing this if it helps. Perhaps others will have more educated inputs for you. I've had to download serial drivers for Celestron mounts as well.

Sadly, this did not work for me. Thanks though!