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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

JMI Motofocus using FCUSB on Jessie rpi

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I can successfully start indiserver on raspberry pi and then connect remotely from Virtual EKOS on Mac same network. EKOS shows good green connection and rpi shows successful visit, but the speed control and motor fails to respond at all. JMI motofocus works fine in windows with focuspal app. Any ideas? Indiserver recognizes both the fcusb driver and the autostar driver

Any ideas? Thanks!
7 years 7 months ago #9491

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as an additional piece of information, The Motorfocus unit doesn't respond using the local Mac cloudmakers indiserver either leaving the rpi out altogether. Again, all lights are green and timercoundown and setting functions work, the device just doesnt rotate. Again, the hardware functions fine in Windows FOCUSPAL shoestring app.
7 years 7 months ago #9497

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Hi, I never tried it with JMI motorfocus, just with Orion AccuFocus and it seems to work (tested just now with INDI Server for OSX 2.2.30). Can you try to play with PWM Frequency settings? Can you control LED? Peter
7 years 7 months ago #9518

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Thank you Peter. I upgraded indiserver on the mac to 2.2.30 and it worked fine but still no success on the pi.

The presentation of the focuser GUI was different than in the MAC indiserver so perhaps the version of the driver is not the same. How might I make sure I have the latest version of the driver both in Jessie or in Ubuntu-mate?

I have considered the possibility that my powered USB hub is not supplying enough power but it should at least be able to light the led and I do have a fairly robust powered hub that supplies power independently to each port from my powertank 12 Volt supply. Do you know the name of the indi server on the raspberry pi or ubuntu-mate distribution? I'll keep working it, but getting it working on the mac is progress! Thank you again.
7 years 7 months ago #9523

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I wanted to correct my question: not the hame of the INDISERVER on the rpi distributions but the name of the driver for the FCUSB for example indi_fcusb1 or something like that
7 years 7 months ago #9524

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I'm not quite sure what version of the driver is bundled with RPi distro, maybe try to update it manually. You can find recent packages here: www.cloudmakers.eu/shoestringdrivers/ .

Driver name executable is indi_fcusb_focuser.

Peter
The following user(s) said Thank You: John Boston
7 years 7 months ago #9525

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putting that driver name at the command line I was able to make it work! thank you so much!
7 years 7 months ago #9526

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Supplied with the driver name I was able to load indiserver from the command line and operate the focuser. Thank you for your assistance.
7 years 7 months ago #9528

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7 years 7 months ago #9542

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This quote from the Shoestring Astronomy page on FCUSB:
"Third-party software that supports the ASCOM Focuser standard will also work with the FCUSB using the FCUSB ASCOM driver. DC focus motors don't provide absolute positioning repeatability like a stepper motor does, but we have tried the FCUSB with third-party autofocusing software and obtained decent results. However, there is no guarantee that this will work for all systems."

1) Peter (or others), from your experience with FCUSB in EKOS, will I have any success at all (even crude success) letting EKOS schedule an unattended observation and capture even a 1/2 decent result? I would consider even moderately focused images of the Moon Jupiter, or M42 a success. Initially, I would just like to be able demonstrate EKOS imaging something without intervention of any sort once scheduled. Is it too much to hope for without investing in a absolute focuser or more sophisticated focuser or some other platform than EKOS?

2) I am currently using python to control a continuous rotation servo which can "serve up" and remove my bahtinov mask on command at the end of my dew shield remotely controlled while I am imaging. Prior to acquiring the jmi focuser I also was successful achieving fine focus using a similar CR servo on the focus knob. Its not a stepper, but I can control extremely slow rotation of the servo and thus the focus knob. If I were to use a homebrew servo focusing solution in leui of the indisupplied drivers and devices, might there way to be a way to insert a scripted routine into the unattended observing plan or alternatively time the observing plan so that such a script had time to execute outside of EKOS? If EKOS was taking a fresh image every 5 minutes, and my routine analyzed the recently acquired image with something like BAHINOV GRABBER and adjusted the focuser prior to the next scheduled image, then when error was acceptable removed the mask for actual imaging. Any thoughts? I'm just hoping as I start to investigate, there's a way to use my crude hardware unattended in some fashion with meaningful results. My project is at www.starsherpa.net and recently my emphasis is an all Indi observing site.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts, and thanks again for helping me over my recent hurdle in understanding.
7 years 7 months ago #9544

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I never tried EKOS, but from my experience with other software it depends more on focuser itself than on controller. Peter
7 years 7 months ago #9545

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Can you tell me if you now have JMI motofocus and FCUSB and INDI working on a RPi?
6 years 4 months ago #21248

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