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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Re:DIY Flat Panel

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DIY Flat Panel was created by Gary McKenzie

Hi
I built a flat panel using:
github.com/jwellman80/ArduinoLightbox

see thread:
www.cloudynights.com/topic/536533-diy-alnitak-flat-panel/

When I had an observatory (now dismantled, but soon to be replaced) I used it successfullly with bothe SGP and Voyager). As I'm now going wholly Linux and Indi, I was wondering if support for it could be included.

It was great simply setting a target ADU and watch it change brightness/exposure until the target level was reached. Made a really cheap PC controlled flat panel.

Thanks
Gary
3 years 10 months ago #53640

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Replied by Andrew on topic DIY Flat Panel

EKOS has a auto-flat taking process that will find the correct exposure for a desired ADU or manual exposure time. In the capture module, set the type of image to Flat, then the Calibration button will be enabled. Within it you can setup how the flats are captured, and it will even point at Alt-Az coordinates corresponding to the location of the light on your wall.
3 years 10 months ago #53654

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Replied by Gary McKenzie on topic DIY Flat Panel

That's fine as a basic approach and other programs do this. Will Ekos turn on the flat panel, then adjust the panels brightness, and do test exposures until it finds an exposure/brightness combination that will meet the adu range set? Also it is important to be able to set a minimum/maximum time for exposure, as, particularly short exposures,can cause issues with some imagers. How can Ekos turn on/off or adjust brightness of a flat panel if there is no driver?

What I would like to do is:
have a sequence which included taking flats, with a minimum and maximum exposure time and target adu
when flats are to be taken:
slew to position
turn on flat panel
find through test exposures a combination of flat panel brightness and image exposure that achieves the adu preset
turn off flat panel

This is what I was able to dousing sgp and voyager. Would love it if Ekos had that functionality. I didn't think it could do this? Hence the request. Hopefully I'm wrong...
Thanks for replying
cheers
Gary
3 years 10 months ago #53656

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Replied by Richard Beck on topic DIY Flat Panel

I'm about to build my LED flat panel driven by an Arduino and using the Alnitak command set. I have tested the sketch on a breadboard and it works well using the driver settings. I too would like to know if I can set the exposure and have the calibration just change the brightness of the panel. This would be ideal, but it's not clear to me either (from the documentation I have seen) how this works in practice.
3 years 10 months ago #53688

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Replied by Gary McKenzie on topic DIY Flat Panel

Hi
would appreciate details/arduino code for your project if you are happy with it. Would you be prepared to share it? Alnitak code means no new driver......

I couldn't find any documentation on exactly how the flat panel stuff works either...

Gary
3 years 10 months ago #53705

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Replied by Andrew on topic DIY Flat Panel

Ekos can run scripts in the capture module opening up some options for turning the panel on. But I don't know how you would go about changing the brightness automatically.
3 years 10 months ago #53712

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Replied by Eric on topic Re:DIY Flat Panel

Brightness should be part of the driver configuration. Ekos calibration will only use exposure, the generic control input for capture.

This said, we have gain and temperature too, but still this is camera stuff. And it is not used for calibration as of now.

Gain could be used in some sort of starfield calibration. And temperature in some sort of dark noise calibration. So we could imagine brightness to be part of flat field calibration too. In a recent discussion we were imagining a separate Ekos module specialized in benchmarking, troubleshooting and calibrating.



-Eric
3 years 10 months ago #53724

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Replied by Richard Beck on topic Re:DIY Flat Panel

Gary,

You want to start with the sketch from github.com/ivonnyssen/ArduinoFlatBox and make sure you select a PWM pin and change the code if necessary.

There is a good discussion at www.cloudynights.com/topic/536533-diy-alnitak-flat-panel/ . I am trying to use a 5V panel and skip the MOSFET. I plan to proved 12V to my UNO to, hopefully, allow a consistent supply of 5V from the Uno to the panel.

On calibration, if you use a fixed source, the calibration for flats in the capture module will adjust exposure time to get the mean (or median) to your target ADU range. My hope is that with the controllable panel, the same setup will adjust the flat panel output to hit the ADU target at the designated exposure time.
3 years 10 months ago #53734

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Replied by Gary McKenzie on topic Re:DIY Flat Panel

Thanks for the links RDBeck, I've already got an UNO controller with mosfet built, so I'm hoping I can just re flash the UNO.

cheers
Gary
3 years 10 months ago #53798

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