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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Support for myFilterWheel

  • Posts: 18
  • Thank you received: 1
Greeting all. This is my first post here and I am looking for someone to write a driver for a DIY devices from Robert Brown called myFIlterWheel. This project lay dormant for some months for various reasons and since I needed a filter wheel myself I deciced to see if I could make this one work. I did some mechanical wok on a $35 AliExpress 5 position 1.25" filter wheel, stuck a Nema 14 motor on it and built the electronics. After several iterations and some emails back and forth with Robert he has come up with a working wheel. It can support 4, 5, 7 and 9 position filter wheels and will work with both 1.25" and 3" filter wheels. It has optical homing and a a couple of push buttons for those who wish to manuall operate the wheel from the telescope.

Right now this all works with ASCOM. I would very much like to see support within Indi if that can be arranged.

Here is the SourceForge link to the project sourceforge.net/projects/myfilterwheel-ascom-diy/files/Images/ and here is the Google Photos Album of my prototype photos.app.goo.gl/B2YJNdcNrJYj9CxS8 There is a 3D printer cover on the way but my son who is designing it is a bit busy with other stuff right now.

I have been using my two wheels for a couple of months abd they work well. The total cost of the build was well under $100 so this is a considerable saving over commercial offerings.

Thanks in advance for any help you may give.
Pete
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
3 years 3 months ago #65043

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Hello Pete and welcome to INDI forums!

Do you have the protocol used for this? It would be easy to develop a driver for this and maybe you can do it yourself.
3 years 3 months ago #65085

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Hi Jasem,

What I have is all here sourceforge.net/projects/myfilterwheel-ascom-diy/ The Arduino code and the pdf documentation show how ASCOM (sorry) and the device communicate. This is all I have. If you need more then Robert Brown is the brains behind this and all the other myWateverPro astronomy devices on SourceForge. If I cannot help you and, I'll try then he is the man to ask. I am sure he will help as he wrote it. All I did was the make the PCB and bang away at it until it worked. MY son has just today delivered two designs for 3S cases. One is for the current PCB and his other is for a slightly larger PCB that allows for the case to support the PCB and the register LED using only two mounting holes in the filter wheel casing. Once I have his files, I'll make a 2nd PCB which will also be put on SourceForge.

Here are a couple pics of the case which are at the end of the original Album photos.app.goo.gl/B2YJNdcNrJYj9CxS8

Meanwhile, please have a look at Robert's documentation.

Page 12 of his current pdf shows this as a command structure.

12 | P a g e
A NOTE ABOUT THE SERIAL COMMAND INTERFACE
PROTOCOL FILTER WHEEL v104
Send Receive Command
GM M0 Is filter wheel moving
M1
HF Home filter wheel to slot 0
GS SNum# Get slot number
S-1# return -1 if moving
SS Set slot number
GO ONumb,Numb..# Get filter offsets
SO Set filter offsets
XY Print current values
XZ Reset defaults
GV Vstring# Get controller firmware name and version
GN Nxxx# Get version number
RA Reset/Reboot Arduino
WE Write settings to EEPROM
SR Set reverse direction [ 0 | 1 ] 0=clockwise, 1=anticlockwise
GR Rx# Get reverse direction [ 0 | 1 ] 0=clockwise, 1=anticlockwise
MMxxx Move Number a specified number of steps
GB BNumb,Numb..# Get filter steps between slots
SB Set filter steps between slots
GD DNumb# Get motor speed delay
SDxxx Set motor speed delay
GF FNum# Get number of filter slots, 5, 7, or 9
GA ANum# Get index adjust value
SANum Set index adjust value
REMOVED
GN NStr1,Str2..# Get filter names separated by , and terminated by #
SN Set filter names
Filter names are implemented within the Windows Application and ASCOM driver.

I will help with testing is someone sends me a script and instructions how to install activate and use it.

I hope this help. Please get back to me is you need more.

Pete
Last edit: 3 years 2 months ago by Pete Ingram.
3 years 2 months ago #65113

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Jasem, Did you ever get to look at this? Do you need me to do anything else?

Thanks
Pete
3 years 2 months ago #65716

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No that's enough information. Now have to find someone who is willing to develop the driver! Too little time now.
3 years 2 months ago #65747

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Replied by Bart on topic Support for myFilterWheel

Hi Jasem, Pete,
I would like to get involved.
I'm not very good at C(++) yet, but can adopt example code pretty well.

As a 'getting my feet wet' I would like to work on this.
Will take a bit of time to get the development environment working I guess, but in a week or two, I can have something.
Any suggestion what is the best filter wheel driver to adapt for this?
3 years 2 months ago #65751

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@Bart, thank you! Let me know if you need any help getting the development environment going!
The following user(s) said Thank You: Bart
3 years 2 months ago #65755

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Hi Bart, Thanks for your help. If you need anything from me to get this working, please just say.

Pete
3 years 2 months ago #65767

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@jasem, Thanks for that. I think once this works it may save some amateur astronomers some money.
3 years 2 months ago #65768

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Why not switch to another project that seems to be fully compatible with INDI???? github.com/Blueshawk/Rayz-indi-wheel/blo...terWheelZX-xagyl.ino
3 years 2 months ago #65781

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@porkyhttp, Because this device is built and working well either as a stand alone device or with ASCOM Platform. It also has Windows and Linux apps and I have designed and made two working devices and a printed circuit board.

Additionally it is always useful to have alternatives. Finally there seems to be no hardware or build help in the link you provided. I have a full set of documentation and how to build this device and to make it work for well under USD 100. It supports filter wheels of 4, 5, 7 and 9 filters and will obviously work with either 1.25" or 2"wheels. My hardware design requires only a simple flat motor mount bracket and a single hole in the casing and another through the filter wheel rotator.

I hope this answers your question.
Last edit: 3 years 2 months ago by Pete Ingram.
3 years 2 months ago #65782

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Hi,

I tried to adapt the indi_dummy_filterwheel example to communicate with myFilterWheel.
But as it turned out, it's just too much for me.

I thought I could do it, but due to a Traumatic Brain Injury, I'm not really up for the task anymore. 
The lines just start to do a little dance on my screen, for my amusement and frustration ;-)

Would someone with the necessary skills be willing to write a driver (or maybe assist/guide me to do it) for it?

I can provide the protocol and whatever else is needed, Just let me know,

Paul

PS I got the development environment up and running, in good working order.
 
2 years 9 months ago #71762

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