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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Celestron Nexstar + handcontoller + autoguiding

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I had enough clear skies tonight to try the NexStar driver with the Nexstar+ HC attached to the RPi with the USB connector. The autoguiding did work as I expected. The alignment is a bit dodgy since I had to fool the HC with a fake one star alignment. I didn't have enough cloudless time to work through the alignment issues. However, I think this shows that the SE mounts cannot accept the guide commands directly and need some sort of translation in the HC or in driver software specifically for the SE mounts. I would really like to see the AUX driver modified for the SE, but that's just my desire not to have to buy a new mount!

Mike
1 year 3 months ago #88849

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Mike,

The Celestron GPS driver is much more feature rich than the AUX driver.

In the GPS driver, if the motor cards have a version >= 6.12 then the driver talks directly to the mount motor cards for MC_AUX_GUIDE and MC_AUX_GUIDE_ACTIVE.
In the GPS driver, if the motor cards have a version < 6.12, then the driver uses MC commnads on MC_MOVE_POS : MC_MOVE_NEG to move at speed one for a time interval, and keeps timing until the requested amount of guide time has passed, then stops this speed one motion.
Note: The GPS driver uses the -same- HC bypass command format as the AUX driver does.

In the AUX driver, the only thing it knows are the HC bypass AUX commands MC_AUX_GUIDE and MC_AUX_GUIDE_ACTIVE so will not work on firmware version < 6.12

This is -all- in the bug report I filed.

Gene
1 year 3 months ago #88858

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Gene,
Ah, that makes total sense. I'm not ready to give up on the AUX driver just yet as it is very convenient and avoids all the pesky conflicts with HCs in the NexStar driver. I'm going to try using an ST-4 cable and see if that works, retro I know. PHD2 sets up properly in the daylight and now I just have to make the rain go away.

Mike
1 year 3 months ago #88859

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Simply horrendous seeing conditions tonight with the full moon and high humidity. However I can report success! With the AUX driver using my home-built USB to AUX interface to the 6SE mount and no HC I was able to autoguide using the ST-4 cable and the On-Camera connection. Autoguding with the NexStar driver and the NexStar+ HC seems to be a bit better than using the AUX driver and ST-4 cable, but not having to deal with the intitial alignment on the NexStar+ HC is worth a lot. Alignment on the AUX driver was a little rocky tonight, but I attribute that to being able to barely see the stars at all with the moon washing out everything and condensation dripping from every piece of equipment including me. I'm looking forward to a better seeing night to really test out the AUX driver set-up.

To review my process for setting up: Without EKOS connected, I use the NexStar+ HC to set the OTA to home position. Then I do a polar alignment with the Polemaster that I have attached to the the pier of the 6SE mount, I also use the HC for this polar alignment. Once the polar alignment is done, I turn off the mount power, detach the HC and attach the USB to AUX adapter. After turning on the power I start EKOS and align with Capture and Solve. Then I go to the target of interest and start autoguiding with the ST-4 connection.

One thing that I have learned is that the presence of the HC at the same time as the AUX driver can cause problems. It may be fine to use the HC connected to the Pi witht he HC's USB port but I haven't been able to avoid difficulties with this configuration. My recommendation is to build a USB to AUX adapter or use the Wifi dongle and to air-gap the HC from the AUX driver.

Mike
1 year 3 months ago #88866

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