×

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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Parking scope without Park capability (LX200 & Skysensor)

  • Posts: 447
  • Thank you received: 30
> Mr. Barker

In order to start normally even if the power is turned off, I think that the following information will be needed in addition to Mr. Barker's information.

· Mount type (Equator mount or Alt Az mount)
· Home position (mount source information)

In the current INDI specification, regardless of the mount type, only parking position information exists as parking information.
(Park registration information does not exist for each mount)

I am at INDI,

· CerestronGPS (AdvancedVX)
· SkyWatcher Alt-Az (Skywatcher Virtuoso)
· Digital Setting Circle (Homemade BBox)

If you press the park button, the position information will be damaged and it will not function properly.
5 years 7 months ago #28798

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 447
  • Thank you received: 30
Oops, since it is ground coordinates, time information on the current location is also necessary.

Since the setting information differs between the driver connected serially from the hand controller and the driver directly connected to the mount by serial, it is described below.

● For a driver to be connected serially from the hand controller

· Mount type
· Latitude and longitude of current location → Send to hand controller
· Time of current location → Send to hand controller
· Location information at park (ground coordinates from home position)
· Home position (origin information of telescope, linked with park information and ground coordinates)

When unparking, the latitude and longitude of the present location, the time of the present location are sent to the hand controller, moved from the park position to the home position, registered as a hand controller as a home position after movement. The motion of each axis is linked with the star map according to the mount type.

Then use the hand controller to perform alignment operation.

If you can not perform alignment with a hand controller by remote operation, we will perform alignment with Ekos mount modeling.

● For a driver that connects directly by serial

· Mount type
· Latitude and longitude of current location
· Time of current location
· Park location information (ground coordinates from home location)
· Home position (origin information of telescope, link between park information and ground coordinates)

When unparking, move from the park point to the home position, set the reference point of the mount, and link the motion of each axis to the star map according to the mount type.

If you can not perform alignment with a hand controller by remote operation, we will perform alignment with Ekos mount modeling.

Additional notes
It is even better if alignment information can be recorded, but it will be difficult if the mount can not read the alignment information.
Last edit: 5 years 7 months ago by T-Studio.
5 years 7 months ago #28799

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 56
  • Thank you received: 6
HI Jasem,

I'm still working on getting pyindi basics working to simulate a 'parking' in mounts without the function.

As you know with python serial I got simulated park working with my skysensor using lx200 codes.

I couldn't get pyindi to work. After many debug cycles I reduced the issue back to telescope_on_coord_set switch explained below.

I attach the debug code (.py as .txt) its focussed on the 2 commands:-

1. telescope_on_coord_set[0].s = PyIndi.ISS_OFF # or ISS_ON
2. indiclient.sendNewSwitch(telescope_on_coord_set)

I attach the output using simulator. You can see the switch cycle ON - OFF but I see no effect in the loop showing RA,DEC. I expect when track ISS_ON to show repeated same RA,Dec values. I get same result in both simulator and real skysensor both local and server.

Could you have a quick look to see what I'm missing?
Andrew
5 years 7 months ago #28844
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Ok, let's take this a step back. The problem is this: Some mount controllers do not support parking/unparking command natively, so the driver has to implement its own parking functionality. Is this the issue? If it is, then it is easy to solve for the most part as such functionality is already incorporated into a few drivers with no "native" parking support.
5 years 6 months ago #29041

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 56
  • Thank you received: 6
Yes Jasem, that is the root issue.
For me park is required to get to a fixed point to take flats and let the scope 'sleep', for other there are different reasons.
Andrew
5 years 6 months ago #29042

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

So I added preliminary parking functionality to the sky sensor driver. After installing the nightly PPA tomorrow you can test parking. From KStars, select a point to park to from the sky map, and you should have an option "Slew to and Park here". After parking, it is set to LAND mode so hopefully that is enough to stop it from tracking. Try then later to unpark, it should put it to EQUATORIAL mode. I'm not sure if any of this would work so give it a go.
5 years 6 months ago #29075

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 447
  • Thank you received: 30
Mr. Jasem

Rather, the opposite.
Installing a park on a mount without a parking function will not function safely unless the above items are satisfied.

Otherwise it will be a very dangerous function.

My SkyWathcer Alt-Az is currently not working properly with both park and park off buttons.
The initial park setting of the driver is not functioning properly.
If you press the park button, the controller operation will not be performed properly.
So, I use it without using the buttons in the park.

The most problem at present

1. INDI has only one park setting file. (Using the same configuration file for EQ mount and Alt - Az mount is a source of trouble.)
Each driver needs its own park setting file.

2. The home position as the reference value is not registered in the park file. (I think that calculation is required for each of EQ mount and Alt - Az mount.)

The mount that the park normally uses memorizes the necessary information of the hand controller, so you can safely use the park function.
(I think that EQMOD has the information stored by the hand controller by software.)

As with Barker's suggested script, the driver needs to have information that can use the park safely.
Last edit: 5 years 6 months ago by T-Studio.
5 years 6 months ago #29078

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 447
  • Thank you received: 30
The number of people using INDI, Ekos will increase more and more in the future.

Many of them expect to introduce it in expectation of a complete remote environment.

If you use a mount without a parking function, using this function increases the possibility of destroying the mount.
(If trouble occurs using the park by remote control, it is after trouble occurs that it notices ...)
Last edit: 5 years 6 months ago by T-Studio.
5 years 6 months ago #29079

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 56
  • Thank you received: 6
Thanks Jasem, I'll try to test this weekend.

But as T-Studio points out there is a wider need (other drivers) and requirement for personalisation (Alt-Az park point). For example you've given functionality to select a point on Kstar sky map (Ra Dec), but we need a fixed know land (Alt-Az) point, i.e. Input box "Park position (Alt-Az)" = x,y
The following user(s) said Thank You: T-Studio
5 years 6 months ago #29094

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Takito, the SkyWatcherAPIMount was developed by Roger and Synscan driver was developed by Gerry among others. So now I'm visiting each driver and trying to asses the parking situation for those that do not natively support it. For SkyWatcherAPIMount the code is pretty advanced and not sure if I can "Fix" parking there easily. It would be great if someone with perhaps more time can step in and look at this particular driver.

Barker, yes I agree but as I said above I'll be checking all drivers that are missing this functionality on-need basis. Right now, you are parking to a specific Az/Alt in KStars actually. The RA/DE are internally converted to Alt/Az at the time you issue this command and then saved.
The following user(s) said Thank You: T-Studio
Last edit: 5 years 6 months ago by Jasem Mutlaq.
5 years 6 months ago #29104

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 447
  • Thank you received: 30
Mr. Jasem

Thank you for always being supported.

Please check the parking function of the driver of the mount which does not have park function.

Although INDI and Ekos are wonderful environments, it is dangerous to give parking rights to all drivers under the current specifications.

When turning on the power and leaving the park safely, the mount knows the current position and previously written information is the minimum information necessary to make the right movements.
(Alignment information is also stored in the mount corresponding to the park)

I think it will be multi-platform, I think users will increase more and more.

Before I understand this wonderful environment, it is sad that new users get confused and give up.
Last edit: 5 years 6 months ago by T-Studio.
5 years 6 months ago #29133

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

We are "faking" parking in the following sense:

1. Goto to desired Az/Alt
2. Stop tracking
3. Record Az/Alt in parking file

When user unparks, the following happens:
1. Mount is synced the parked Az/Alt
2. Tracking is resumed

Not sure if there is a better way to do this. Time/Location are always synced as well. The SkyWatcherAPIMount drivers uses its own parking/unparking routine which I am unfamiliar with and didn't get a chance to understand how it works. Hopefully Tarun can fix the issues associated with that driver.
The following user(s) said Thank You: T-Studio
Last edit: 5 years 6 months ago by Jasem Mutlaq.
5 years 6 months ago #29137

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 2.124 seconds