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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

iOptron GEM45

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Replied by Greg on topic iOptron GEM45

Also there is a new CEM70 model out along with an integrated Guider version as well. I'm assuming this will be under model 0070 if follows other models. Don't see a EC version for the CEM70 model, probably due to having a built in guider instead. So the base model and the guider model could be under the same 0070 model number or guider version could end up 0071. Don't have the new models to test with.

www.ioptron.com/category-s/233.htm
3 years 9 months ago #55126

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

Dear iOptron GEM45 experts,

I am a hobby astronomer from Germany and new here in this formun. I find the information you provide here is very helpful and highly accurate.

Please let me ask a question to you experts, because I did not find the right answer up to now in this formum:

Recently (this week!) I bought a new GEM45 mount from iOptron via a German dealer.
I try to get connected it to my rather old computer running on Linux Mint Cinnamon 32-Bit. I installed the Debian stable version of Indi with all drivers, Kstars and Ekos. No isue so far.
Then I select the GEM45 mount from the list in Ekos, start the Indi platform and try to connect to the mount. The mount is connected via USB wire to USB0 of my computer.
When I press the CONNECT button, I only get timeout errors , there is no connection possible. I tried all possible baud rates from 9600 to 115200, no difference.

When I select the iOptronV3 mount instead, then I can connect to the mount, but only with a baud rate of 115200. For all other baud rates I get the well known timeout errors and no connection.
But the connection with the iOptronV3 driver is not stable at all, I get a lot of timeouts in between and the operation of the mount is almost impossible.

Do you have any idea why the GEM45 driver is not working at all on my side? As far as I have seen in the forum, other useres can operate the mount with this driver or with the CEM40 driver.
The CEM40 driver by the way is in my case not connecting as well.

My GEM45 is using firmware 191018 for the main board and 200113 for the hand controller.

Hope you have any suggestions for me.

Best regards and CS
Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55342

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Replied by Wouter van Reeven on topic iOptron GEM45

Dear Ralf,

How do you connect the GEM45? Via the hand controller or directly with a USB cable connected to the mount? I have only tested the latter last year when I had a GEM45 at my disposal.

Also, what do you mean with "I installed the Debian stable version of Indi with all drivers, Kstars and Ekos"? Do you mean KStars from the Debian repositories? I am not sure if that actually works well because I don't know what release of KStars-bleeding this is based on. Please try the direct USB connection and see if that works. If not then perhaps you'll need to switch to kstars-bleeding, the download instructions for which can be found in the menu at the top of the forum.


HTH, Wouter
3 years 9 months ago #55352

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Replied by Greg on topic iOptron GEM45

I would try the nightly-build or bleeding build as mentioned. You can also use moserial (GUI serial terminal) (wiki.gnome.org/action/show/Apps/Moserial...ow&redirect=moserial) to test serial connection. Connect with 115200 Baud 8N1 and send "MountInfo#". The mount should return with its 4 digit model number. GEM45 -> "0043" GEM45EC -> "0044".
3 years 9 months ago #55355

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

Dear Wouter,

thank you very much for your fast reply and your welcome support.
I connected the USB port of 1my computer directly to the USB port of the mount with an USB cable (the USB port next to the HBX input). I also tried to get connection via the RS232 input at the hand box using an USB to RS232 converter, but this did not work either.

To install the SW I followed the instruction given in the download section (Sorry, I mixed up Debian with Ubuntu, I used the given Ubuntu installation procedure):

Stable Release
1. INDI Library is available for Ubuntu 16.04 and higher. To install stable INDI Library, run the following commands:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa
sudo apt-get update

After update is complete, you can install INDI and optionally Ekos:

2. To Install INDI Library including all 3rd party drivers:
sudo apt-get install indi-full gsc

3. To install latest Ekos:
sudo apt-get install indi-full kstars-bleeding


I did 1., 2. and 3. to install the SW. All worked fine.

Best Regards
Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55371

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

Hello DZeek,

thanks a lot for your fast reply and your support as well.
I tried also the nightly-build version (installation like described in the download section for Ubuntu), but there was no difference compared to the stable version. So I returned to the stable version after this test.
I will do the test you described:
"Connect with 115200 Baud 8N1 and send "MountInfo#". The mount should return with its 4 digit model number. GEM45 -> "0043" GEM45EC -> "0044"
Hope I will manage that in Linux, because I am no expert on this OS up to now.
I will give you the result as feedback here.

Best Regards
Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55372

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

Hello DZeek,

I did the test with the :MountInfo# comand and it worked.
The Mount returns 0043.

So the connection seems to be ok.

Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55374

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Replied by Greg on topic iOptron GEM45

Also check your you diagnostic message in Linux for the USB connection: It should show the USB connection detection and assignment to the serial port, you can unplug the USB connection and plug back in to get in logs for current time. Otherwise will need to go back further in logs to find.

run at command terminal "dmesg -T" the -T option should return time in human readable format.

Example of mine:
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: new full-speed USB device number 15 using xhci_hcd
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0403, idProduct=6015, bcdDevice=10.00
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: Product: FT230X Basic UART
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: FTDI
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: D306TBUW
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] ftdi_sio 1-1:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: Detected FT-X
[Thu Jun 11 09:43:46 2020] usb 1-1: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB1
3 years 9 months ago #55375

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Replied by Greg on topic iOptron GEM45

That's good it made connection and at least shows serial connection is there. In kStars, make sure the same USB device path and baud rate settings are set, you may want to enable the debug option for the kStars telescope device to see if any additional connection details are shown.
3 years 9 months ago #55380

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

you are really great, thanks!

I enabled the debug option in kStars. This is what it returns using the GEM45 driver @115200 baud:

INFO 119.164343 sec : Session log file /home/ralf/.indi/logs/2020-06-11/indi_ieq_telescope/indi_ieq_telescope_19:15:17.log
DEBUG 158.159514 sec : Toggle Logging Level -- Driver Debug
DEBUG 164.631008 sec : Connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0
DEBUG 164.633291 sec : Port FD 8
DEBUG 164.633347 sec : Connection successful, attempting handshake...
DEBUG 164.633406 sec : Initializing IOptron using :V# CMD...
ERROR 169.638942 sec : Timeout error
ERROR 174.694684 sec : Timeout error
DEBUG 174.745432 sec : Handshake failed.
WARNING 174.745537 sec : Communication with /dev/ttyUSB0 @ 115200 failed. Starting Auto Search...
DEBUG 174.745602 sec : Trying connection to /dev/ttyUSB0 @ 115200 ...
DEBUG 174.745646 sec : Connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0
DEBUG 174.750161 sec : Port FD 9
DEBUG 174.750269 sec : Connection successful, attempting handshake...
DEBUG 174.750319 sec : Initializing IOptron using :V# CMD...
ERROR 179.755469 sec : Timeout error
ERROR 184.810815 sec : Timeout error
DEBUG 184.861015 sec : Handshake failed.

this is the result of dmesg:

[ 648.848074] usb 2-1: new full-speed USB device number 7 using uhci_hcd
[ 649.069245] usb 2-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0403, idProduct=6015
[ 649.069255] usb 2-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 649.069262] usb 2-1: Product: FT230X Basic UART
[ 649.069269] usb 2-1: Manufacturer: FTDI
[ 649.069275] usb 2-1: SerialNumber: D306SGN1
[ 649.076333] ftdi_sio 2-1:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
[ 649.076425] usb 2-1: Detected FT-X
[ 649.078357] usb 2-1: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0

Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55383

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

In comparison here the debug result using the iOptronV3 driver @ 115200 baud:

INFO 11.212734 sec : Session log file /home/ralf/.indi/logs/2020-06-11/indi_ioptronv3_telescope/indi_ioptronv3_telescope_19:31:06.log
DEBUG 23.128309 sec : Connecting to /dev/ttyUSB0
DEBUG 23.134908 sec : Port FD 8
DEBUG 23.134972 sec : Connection successful, attempting handshake...
DEBUG 23.135036 sec : Initializing IOptron using :MountInfo# CMD...
DEBUG 23.135089 sec : CMD <:MountInfo#>
DEBUG 23.158937 sec : RES <0043>
INFO 23.159009 sec : iOptron v3 is online.
DEBUG 23.162370 sec : Configuration successfully saved for DEVICE_PORT.
DEBUG 23.172811 sec : Configuration successfully saved for DEVICE_BAUD_RATE.
DEBUG 23.174146 sec : Configuration successfully saved for CONNECTION_MODE.
DEBUG 23.180969 sec : Getting firmware data...
DEBUG 23.181028 sec : CMD <:MountInfo#>
DEBUG 23.207706 sec : RES <0043>
DEBUG 23.207827 sec : CMD <:FW1#>
DEBUG 23.239045 sec : RES <191018200113>
DEBUG 23.239154 sec : CMD <:FW2#>
DEBUG 23.270992 sec : RES <190722190722>
DEBUG 23.271120 sec : Getting guiding rate...
DEBUG 23.271142 sec : CMD <:AG#>
DEBUG 23.304032 sec : RES <5050>
DEBUG 23.304150 sec : CMD <:GUT#>
ERROR 28.307966 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 28.308881 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 28.346113 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
INFO 28.346330 sec : Mount Location: Lat -82:59:39 - Long 9:04:30
DEBUG 28.354841 sec : Configuration successfully saved for GEOGRAPHIC_COORD.
INFO 28.357057 sec : Mount is unparked.
DEBUG 28.360207 sec : InitPark Axis1 0.00 Axis2 0.00
DEBUG 28.363965 sec : Setting Default Park Axis1 to 13.51
DEBUG 28.364195 sec : Setting Default Park Axis2 to -90.00
DEBUG 28.364641 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 28.394134 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 33.395948 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 33.396937 sec : CMD <:SUT0645175889000#>
ERROR 38.400156 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 38.400846 sec : CMD <:SG+120#>
DEBUG 38.431143 sec : RES <1>
DEBUG 38.431354 sec : CMD <:SLO+03330000#>
DEBUG 38.463479 sec : RES <1>
DEBUG 38.463617 sec : CMD <:SLA+17567892#>
DEBUG 38.479150 sec : RES <1>
INFO 38.479264 sec : Site location updated to Lat 48:47:59 - Long 9:15:00
DEBUG 38.482513 sec : Configuration successfully saved for GEOGRAPHIC_COORD.
DEBUG 38.483495 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 38.511236 sec : RES <+032670500252210511>
ERROR 43.516537 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 44.518520 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 44.547274 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 49.549844 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 50.551140 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 50.582085 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 55.583995 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 56.585207 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 56.616851 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 61.622151 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 62.623729 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 62.652939 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 67.658307 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 68.659624 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 68.687704 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 73.692976 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 74.694223 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 74.722693 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 79.724102 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
DEBUG 80.725693 sec : CMD <:GLS#>
DEBUG 80.758742 sec : RES <+032670500252210521>
ERROR 85.764088 sec : Read Command Error: Timeout error
INFO 86.296688 sec : iOptron v3 is offline.
3 years 9 months ago #55385

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Replied by Ralf on topic iOptron GEM45

I am not sure, but the INDI Lib which was installed on my computer is rather old?
libindi1 Version (1.7.6~201812191814~ubuntu16.04.1

May this could cause the trouble? The drivers are too old?
How can I upgrade to the latest version if required?

Ralf
3 years 9 months ago #55386

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