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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Pulseguide with indi_celestron_gps

  • Posts: 3
  • Thank you received: 4
Hi everybody!

I'm Giovanni, a new user of the forum. I'm new to INDI too, even if I've been using KStars for a decade. Since my favourite guiding application (openphd) shipped a Linux version which uses INDI, I decided to give it a try.

I soon discovered that the indi_celestron_gps driver, which I should use for my Celestron CGEM mount, doesn't support pulse-guiding. I was sure that my mount could pulse-guide, because the Windows version of PHD (which relies on ASCOM) uses this feature accomplish the guiding.

Googling around and carefully inspecting communications between the computer and my mount, I discovered what the Celestron protocol's "Send guide pulse" and "Check guide pulse status" commands are. I implemented these commands in a modified version of indi_celestron_gps, copying and adapting guiding properties and functions from the indi_lx200generic driver. I tested the whole thing last night and it just seems to work! The guiding application had similar or better performance with the modified indi_celestron_gps than with the Windows driver.

I attach the modified indi_celestron_gps source. When the mount is connected, a "Use pulse guide" switch will be present in the INDI panel. I hope you can further test it, since it needs many refinements (for instance, I know for sure that not all Celestron hand-control firmwares support pulseguide).

Cheers,
Giovanni

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File Name: 021215-ind...s.tar.gz
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The following user(s) said Thank You: Christian, Derek, Magnus
8 years 3 months ago #6081
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Hi Giovanni and welcome to the INDI forums! Thanks a lot for the update! Just one comment, the driver already defined TELESCOPE_SLEW_RATE when it sets the telescope capability @ line 215 SetTelescopeCapability(cap,9); so why did you redefined it to 4 in initProperties() ?

Btw, I also found a problem in start_celestron_motion(...), it seems that I send the rate as 0-8 where it is defined by Celestron as 1-9, so I will fix that as well, or you can fix it in your version. You can simply change it to:
cmd[4] = rate + 1;
8 years 3 months ago #6082

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Hi Jasem,

I didn't really realize that TELESCOPE_SLEW_RATE was already defined and I copied its definition from the lx200generic driver. I'm going to remove that line and update your fix as well.

I hope that my experiment can be useful.

Goodnight!
Giovanni
8 years 3 months ago #6085

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Very nice!
8 years 3 months ago #6087

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Fantastic! Thanks Giovanni B) This will help me too!!
8 years 3 months ago #6089

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Jasem,

Are you going to merge these changes into the indi distribution or will you wait for more test results?

Thanks,
Derek
8 years 3 months ago #6098

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I'm waiting for Giovanni's patch and will include it in SVN trunk for testing.
8 years 3 months ago #6099

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Here it is! As I said, I removed the extra TELESCOPE_SLEW_RATE definition and updated start_celestron_motion to use 1-9 rates.

Cheers,
Giovanni

File Attachment:

File Name: 04122015-i...s.tar.gz
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The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
8 years 3 months ago #6101
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Great!! Thanks a lot! Patch applied.
8 years 3 months ago #6102

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Thanks guys! cant wait to try this out.
8 years 3 months ago #6114

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Did a test on this on my celestron AVX.
Only a simulated test with CCD Simulator Guider via Celestron GPS.
Looks like its working well. Simulated guiding calibrated an guiding for 15 min now. Y axis is ~ +-25

Guess this mean i dont have to sell my Orion SSAG, just guide via the mount :)
Thanks a lot :)
Proud owner of Observatory 17b - A remote Linux observatory.
Website: Observatory 17b
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8 years 3 months ago #6159

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