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

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Celestron Motorised Focuser - Is it supported in EKOS yet

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Hi, it me again, i did some check, switched on logging.. and it shows clearly in the loggs that what you think is a focuser is the starsense acessory...
I think its necessary to do a litte bit more checking to assure that whats connected in the aux port i actually a focuser ;)
Also, the driver says my mont in not aligend an get wierd time and utc offset, but i confidently checked that time (gps-updated) and utc offset were correct and i made a quick align in the handset before connecting indi. Still there is some error som were..

Here is a log sample related to the focuser isse:
[2019-04-03T14:54:42.550 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] CMD <50 01 11 FE 00 00 00 02> "
[2019-04-03T14:54:42.551 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] RES <06 33 23> "
[2019-04-03T14:54:42.551 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] Getting focuser version... "
[2019-04-03T14:54:42.552 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] Does focuser exist... "
[2019-04-03T14:54:42.552 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] CMD <50 01 12 FE 00 00 00 04> "
[2019-04-03T14:54:44.917 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] RES <06 33 FE 00 21> "
[2019-04-03T14:54:44.920 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] Focuser Version 6.51.65024, exists true "
[2019-04-03T14:54:44.923 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron NexStar : "[DEBUG] Firmware Info HC Ver 1.19 model CGEM DX StarSense GEM mount, HW Ver 6.51 "
[2019-04-03T14:54:44.925 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - < Celestron NexStar >: < ON_COORD_SET >
[2019-04-03T14:54:44.974 CEST DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - < Celestron NexStar >: < EQUATORIAL_EOD_COORD >

So I guess the code assumes any attached device that show a version number is a focuser. as you can se in the firmware info string, it says "Starsense", is it possible to get a similar firware info string related to the focuser and use that to do a string search for the work "focuser" (or?) to ensure is the focuser devise and not the "Starsense"... :)
I guess you sending commands for the focuser might result in other errors/strange behaviour in the hand controller since there is no focuser there...

What can i do?
4 years 11 months ago #37305

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I think it may be worth upgrading to the current code.

What is happening is that the driver sends the command 0xFE to the focuser, device id 0x12, to read it's version and if it gets a valid response there's a focuser present.
And it does get a response so it looks as if there is a focuser present, but the log fragment doesn't look correct to me.

I tried this with my AVX and a starsense HC and StarSense and get a different response, one that doesn't detect a focuser:
DEBUG 33.668979 sec : Getting controller version...
DEBUG 33.669020 sec : CMD <V>
DEBUG 33.675452 sec : RES <01 13 23>
INFO 33.675581 sec : Controller version: 1.19
DEBUG 33.675636 sec : Getting controller variant...
DEBUG 33.675671 sec : Getting RA firmware version...
DEBUG 33.675715 sec : CMD <50 01 10 FE 00 00 00 02>
DEBUG 33.722514 sec : RES <07 0F 23>
DEBUG 33.722639 sec : Getting DEC firmware version...
DEBUG 33.722684 sec : CMD <50 01 11 FE 00 00 00 02>
DEBUG 33.762511 sec : RES <07 0F 23>
DEBUG 33.762619 sec : Getting focuser version...
DEBUG 33.762654 sec : Does focuser exist...
DEBUG 33.762692 sec : CMD <50 01 12 FE 00 00 00 04>
DEBUG 36.279123 sec : Received 6 bytes, expected 5 <07 0F 20 4E 21 23>
DEBUG 36.279324 sec : No focuser found
DEBUG 36.279367 sec : Firmware Info HC Ver 1.19 model Unknown NexStar Fork mount, HW Ver 7.15

This is still not perfect because I'm not detecting the starsense type HC but does seem to solve the problem that the focuser is seen.
4 years 11 months ago #37324

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Things look a bit of a mess with a StarSense HC, it isn't just the focuser, the alignment is lost when the time or location is updated which the driver does as part of ther startup process.

Cancelling the alignment if the scope location or time is changed is a feature of the SS HC, it's reasonable because changing the time or location will change the local sidereal time and for an AltAz mount everything. What seems to happen is that you connect to an aligned and tracking mount and it's no longer aligned or tracking.

The trouble is that setting the location and time seems to be baked into what INDI does at startup and I'm not sure how much I can disable of that. Are there things that depend on these being updated?

I need to spend a bit more time going through this.
4 years 11 months ago #37329

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I've posted new code that seems to handle the focuser correctly with the StarSense HC.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Casey Finn
4 years 11 months ago #37446

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Have you/anyone been able to completely control the focuser yet? I just got one and am trying to get it working. I got to step 7 last night and it seems to have quit responding to commands/calibration. I read in this thread to use the windows software to determine the min and max then stellarmate will read that info and update itself. Is that a working option? Also, are you able to power the focuser through the usb cable of the stellarmate/pi device? Thanks

EDIT

After running the calibration software from Celestron and connecting the correct power supply I got the following message when indi booted up:
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Device configuration applied.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Loading device configuration...
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT focuser paramaters updated, focuser ready for use.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Focus Limits: Maximum (30518) Minimum (1606) steps.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT is online.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT Focuser is online. Getting focus parameters...
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Firmware Version 7.15.8240

Focus control works just fine inside Ekos-Kstars. Much louder than a Pegasus but feels solid as a rock
Takahashi Fc100 & 8" RASA
MyT
Asi294MC & Asi183MC
Borg 50mm + Asi224
Pegasus FocusCube & Celestron Focuser
Stellarmate
Kstars, Ekos, TSX & Pixinsight
One VERY patient wife of 20 years now!
Last edit: 4 years 11 months ago by Casey Finn. Reason: Solved
4 years 11 months ago #37499

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Good to hear that you got it working.
I've been powering a focuser through the USB port but on a hub, not directly from a Pi but using USB only may be a bit marginal and using a separate 12V supply may help.

An alternative, if you have a Celestron mount, is to connect the Aux cable and power it from the mount, using the Celestron GPS telescope driver to control the focuser.
4 years 11 months ago #37509

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Thinking of getting a Celestron RASA 11, but am concerned that EKOS is not quite ready for the Celestron Electronic focuser.
How is the development coming along on this?

Thanks!!

Peter
4 years 11 months ago #38524

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Peter,

thats incorrect. EKOS can perfectly hande the new Celestron focuser, either via the Celestron_GPS or better with the stand-alone driver indi_celestron_sct_focus.

Stefan
Current gear:
- AVX
- E8HD + ASI294MC
- Celestron 150x30 + ASI224 for guiding
- Celestron Focuser for harp stars

SW:
- Linux NUC + Ubuntu + INDI nightly on the server
- Linux Ubuntu + KSTARS nightly on the client (via CAT5 wire)
4 years 10 months ago #38537

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Fantastic! Thank's for setting me straight!
4 years 10 months ago #38540

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Hey Jasem,
Just wondering where you got to with this? I am looking into buying a focuser for my Edge HD1100 and the Celestron one mentioned here seems like a good fit, but only if I can get it to work with StellarMate. This would be on my CEM120 mount, so the control for the focuser would be going to the Stellarmate directly rather than through the mount (in the same manner mentioned by Scanner001).

thanks
4 years 10 months ago #39357

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You can use it as a standalone focuser so that would work.
4 years 10 months ago #39359

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Anybody else having issues getting this to run properly through the HC? When I try to use the focuser via Celestron GPS, it doesn't seem to be reporting its position - it stays at 0. Of course, auto focusing doesn't work at all that way. Using a direct USB connection together with the Celestron SCT driver, everything works as expect. I would prefer just having one cable run to the mount though...

Here's what the log says:
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.002 CEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.focus] - Setting focus ticks to  24300
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.005 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS :  "[INFO] Focus direct move 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.006 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] Focus move 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.006 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <50 04 12 02 00 5E EC 00> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.034 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <23> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.035 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS :  "[INFO] Focuser is moving to position 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.614 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.706 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:53.688 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:53.749 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:54.750 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:54.812 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "

Shouldn't there also be a command requesting the focuser's position?
4 years 7 months ago #41617

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