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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

myFocuserPro or myFocuserPro2 and INDI

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I have visually checked the main master branch code, and it looks like all my changes are in.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Acapulco Rolf
4 years 5 months ago #44693
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Hi Alan

I really appreciate your efforts.

In terms of myfp2, the standard should be that commands are :xx and terminated with #, commands being 2 characters long (maybe followed by parameters of variable length). This shouldve been consistent from 2014 and I cannot really understand when and if it ever changed to less than 2 [in which case the firmware wouldve rejected the command]
You can rest assured this will not change.
There is as I understand it, no plans to add or change commands in the forseeable future. There should be no reason to change the test for firmware version (at 291) for any future release. At present there are also no plans to add additional features in the pipeline, for 2 reasons - we are running out of space, and effort is now redirected to use the esp8266/esp32 based chips (which solves issue1 running out of space).

v292 is in testing but its only cosmetic changes.

Hope this helps
regards
Robert
4 years 5 months ago #44702
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Hi Chris
Not quite that simple as a command can be a command or a command that also includes parameters which are variable lengths
Accepting that commands are two characters, then conversion to an int type value based on those two chars and thus switch(cmd) becomes easy
Regards
Robert
4 years 5 months ago #44703
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Thanks Alan and Robert and Jasem

Gave version 4 of the MyFP2 indi driver a sanity test run last night

Not the best night for it with the clouds rolling in, but gave it a shot

Video below of a focuser test on Caph.
Clouds made a mess of the V curve, but otherwise a good outcome




One observation, not confined to version 4 of the indi driver, but seems to be an issue on versions 1,2,3 and 4:

The focuser "Absolute Position" and "Max Position" fields do not always show the current values
both on the focuser settings page and also on the indi focuser page

See highlighted fields in the screen captures below for reference

Seems somewhat inconsistent as the two values do sometimes persist after a closing then re-opening
the indi/ekos windows but the values do not always seem to survive a full shutdown/restart of indi






Focused on Caph


Focuser firmware version 291
Last edit: 4 years 5 months ago by Acapulco Rolf.
4 years 5 months ago #44758
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I had a proper play last night, though still quite cloudy, and could not get the issue with losing absolute and maximum position. Even powering everything down and starting again, all values were retained as expected.
Could you try with a completely fresh install, and again see if you can come up with a sequence that will reproduce the error you are seeing?
4 years 5 months ago #44848
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Thanks Alan

I should point out that I observe the same issue with the kstars/indi Windows build (Windows 10) as well as directly with the kstars/indi build on Stellarmate on the Raspberry Pi

Shutting down the client windows and opening them up again will sometimes *not* show a value in the fields (hi-lighted in red in my screen captures) then for the same session shutting down
the client windows and stopping/re-starting indi will sometimes show a value in the field.

I observe that shutting down kstars completely and then restarting is another way that I'm able to reproduce the issue (sometimes)

I've not yet worked out the exact pattern/scenario to reproduce this consistently but I'll stick with it until I do.

A fresh install is a good idea. I have a vanilla build of Stellarmate on another SD card which I can bring into play.

I'll see about starting from that sd card then fetch the nightly build and then see if I can reproduce the issue
4 years 5 months ago #44860
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I think that the only way you might to the bottom of this is if the serial log files are looked at,
Thant would determine if it is a serial timeout issue, a serial timing issue on connect, or if it is a problem in either the firmware or higher up the chain.

Regards
Robert
The following user(s) said Thank You: Acapulco Rolf
4 years 5 months ago #44867
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Thanks Rob

I'm now able to reproduce the issue consistently


Steps to reproduce the issue:

I'll walk through the steps to reproduce the issue based on Stellarmate as that's the build I use

1. Start up the Stellarmate Web Manager
stellarmate.local:8624

2. Start the INDI server
All devices defined in the equipment profile will start-up as expected

3. Open Kstars
4. From the Kstars "Tools" menu select "Ekos"
5. "Start" Ekos from the "Ekos Profile - KStars" GUI
In my case, I have it set in my equipmemt profile to "auto connect" all devices

6. Click "Connect" to connect all devices defined in the equipment profile
7. Once the "INDI Control Panel - Kstars" screen opens then navigate to the MyFocuserPro2 page

Note the values shown in "Absolute Position" and "Max Position" fields
e.g. In my case see the first screen capture below

Note the empty fields for Absolute Position and Max Position

8. Close the "INDI Control Panel - Kstars" screen
9. Click "Disconnect" to disconnect all devices
10. Stop Ekos
11. Close Kstars


Follow steps 3 through 7 again
Now note that this time once you get to step 7, the Absolute Position and Max Position fields are now populated as expected
e.g. In my case see the second screen capture below

12. Close all screens and disconnect devices
13. Stop the indi server via the Stellarmate web manager
stellarmate.local:8624


Repeat the steps 1 through 7 to reproduce the issue again

If you don't use Stellarmate, substitute steps 1,2 and 13 for the equivalent steps for your set-up

Abs and Max fields not populated




Abs and Max fields populated


Last edit: 4 years 5 months ago by Acapulco Rolf.
4 years 5 months ago #44869
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I think we may have a misunderstanding here. Your first picture clearly shows the abs and max fields are filled in. The zeros are in the set fields, what ever value you choose to put in those fields and then click set will either move the focuser to the new position, or update the max field.
4 years 5 months ago #44884
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Thanks Alan

What causes the behaviour with the fields "to the right" getting populated/non-populated given the steps followed ?
NB: Nothing was manually changed when walking through those steps yet the fields "to the right" got set to zero and then subsequently got populated without any intervention
Last edit: 4 years 5 months ago by Acapulco Rolf.
4 years 5 months ago #44889
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All I can say is that it is not driven from the driver. At the end of the day is it a bug or an annoyance, either way it is unexpected behaviour. Maybe ask the question in a separate thread, is there a gui forum?
Last edit: 4 years 5 months ago by Alan Townshend.
4 years 5 months ago #44890
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Hi,

It seems to me this behaviour is frequent in other drivers and cannot be regarded as a bug nor an annoyance. In my opinion, there is no clear interest having this box filled out, as the value is already set in the left one at the connection.

Great thanks to the developer(s). I hope this driver will be included soon in the stable indi library.

BR, Pierre-Yves
4 years 5 months ago #44894
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