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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Driver for Ioptron Ieq45 with 8406 Hand Controler

  • Posts: 5
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As starting point I forked indi repository and made the changes needed to compile the old indi_ieq45_8406 driver again. It works. No guiding commands at this moment and more testing is needed but at least I can connect, change track speed, read RA/DEC and slew ...

github.com/nachoplus/indi

Something is wrong when using with PHD2 as auxiliary mount. May be phd2 miss some properties .. I'll do futher investigations...

Nacho
Last edit: 6 years 6 months ago by Nacho Mas.
6 years 6 months ago #19750

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Thank you for the attached documents. Document "iOptron iEQ45 RS-232 COMMAND LANGUAGE November 22, 2010" is correct for Ieq45 with 8406HC.
It confirms that the appropriate commands for the pulse guide are like "Me999#" .

I do not have much programming skills but I will try to improve the driver.

Comands Me# and Mw# dosen't works corect. There is bug in the firmware. Ioptron will never fix it. I think about workaround. Maxim Dl uses small goto for move by arrows.

Could You check commands :SE?# and :SE# ?. My mount does not respond to them.
6 years 6 months ago #19839

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Hi Silver

>>> Comands Me# and Mw# dosen't works corect. There is bug in the firmware. Ioptron will never fix it. I think about workaround. Maxim Dl uses small goto for move by arrows.

I ma not aware of that. I did not implement. I'll try this weekend when I'll have time to mount my ieq45.. Are you ask ioptron people for that?

>>>Could You check commands :SE?# and :SE# ?. My mount does not respond to them.

Same that above but is not in the HC8406 command set, so I'll expect to not work. In the old driver I checked the end of slew comparing actual RA/DEC with target RA/DEC.

Now I am studying the code to figure out what is the best way:

a) recover the old driver (the easy one for me)
b) do a new one base on lx200zeq45 (mostly works for HC8604...)
c) do a new one base on ieqpro driver. (?)

May be @krno could help us to decide...

Nacho
Last edit: 6 years 6 months ago by Nacho Mas.
6 years 6 months ago #19852

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I did not talk about it with Ioptron. I know this from deleted Yahoo group "Ioptron telescope etc.." and yahoo group about Skysafari.

I have succesfuly calibrated mount. I have made first guided exposeure with Ekos. Code from previous post works.

Problem is with isSlewComplete method. I can't make exposures after goto. Have to disconnect, make calibration again (internal guider don't save calibration), make photo.
First I will try this code if (currentRA==targetRA and currentDEC==targetDEC) return true;

Commnad :CM# is ignored if telescope is slewing and return "Cordinates matched ... etc" if telescope is not slewing. Command reference say about do :CM# after goto and :CMR# in other Sync case etc. If simple solution with compare current and target RA/DEC fail, I will try merge it with Sync command :CM#.

Obsolte driver has many functions. I vote on 4. new driver on base on LX200GotoNova and implement functionality from Your driver.

Thank you

Robert
Last edit: 6 years 6 months ago by Long Jon.
6 years 6 months ago #19874

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Hi Robert,

This weekend I spent some time developing the new driver (base on GotoNova driver as you suggest it). You can find it on my indilib git fork:

github.com/nachoplus/indi

Please, compile and test it if possible. The new driver is called indi_ioptronHC8406

I did the job working with the real hardware. This is the list of things than work right now:

.- Slew and slew end. Slew end without :SE# cmd, it is calculate as: abs(currentRA-targetRA)< 5 arcsec && abs(currentDEC-targetDEC)< 5 arcsec
.- Change the track mode (Sideral, Solar, Lunar ...) It only works if the mount is not stopped and at this moment you need to make a initial slew (only one time)
.- Get/set site (Lat/lon) and Time( UTC, UTCoffset)
.- Guiding ( :Ms#/;Mn# )... and pulse guiding (:Ms xxxx#...). In my mount works..
.- Change guidding speed (0.25x, 0.5x or 1.0x)
.- Abort motion
.- Sync the mount
.- Park

Thinks than don't work:
.- Start/Stop tracking (you have to star from the HC and then you can change the rate by indi but can not start/stop at present time)
.- Custom tracking rates (:RR/RD xxx ). Is in the GUI but not work.

Is a on going work but any testing are welcome. I'll continue next weekend...

Regards
Nacho
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
Last edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Nacho Mas.
6 years 5 months ago #19936

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Hi Robert,

The new driver is now integrate with the main github repository github.com/indilib/indi

github.com/indilib/indi/pull/387

Please give us feedback when you test it.

Nacho
The following user(s) said Thank You: Long Jon
6 years 5 months ago #19980

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Hi Nacho,

Thank You for your work. I have compiled the driver. The weather is poor. I will try to test the driver over the weekend.

Robert
6 years 5 months ago #19992

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@silver and @nacho, great that you are working on the ieq45 8406 suport.
Jasem added support for the 8407 (2013 and earlier iEQ45 models) the beginning of this year, The driver was based on the zeq25 and is available as "ieq45" in the mount list.

Because I couldn't check and work with my mount and ekos I didn't checked this from may until november.
I see that a mount control dialog is added which is nice!

I've bot 8406 and 8407 version of the ieq45 mount. I thought one driver should run them bought?
When I use the 8406 with ieq45 8406 driver I also do see some unknown commands that are not mentioned here: www.ioptron.com/v/ASCOM/GOTONOVA_Command_LanguageV1.01.pdf

Also parking, goto zero position and pierside are features I'm looking forward to. Parking functionality in the current version looks like go home function.

I'm avalaible for testing.

Regards,
Chris
SW Quattro CF 8" F4 - Canon 60DAW -Canon FD200mm F2.8 - allccd5v mono - Datyson T7M - iEQ45 8407 & iEQ45 8406 - RPi 3b ekos+kstars - LattePanda W10
6 years 4 months ago #20716

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