While working on a dome control, the following command is ignored using wINDI and ASCOM Dome simulator:

<newSwitchVector device="ASCOM Simulator Dome" name="DOME_ABORT_MOTION"><oneSwitch name="ABORT">On</oneSwitch></newSwitchVector>

Following the standard properties at indilib.org/develop/developer-manual/101...dard-properties.html this should work. Anybody an idea?

Tried also the less logical Off. Same result, the slew motion is not stopped.

Also the dome open and close commands are not working:
<newSwitchVector device="DomeSim Dome" name="DOME_SHUTTER"><oneSwitch name="SHUTTER_OPEN">On</oneSwitch><oneSwitch name="SHUTTER_CLOSE">Off</oneSwitch></newSwitchVector>

Han

New set of DOME properties is not yet implemented by wINDI. Peter

Thanks Peter. Hope you implement this in the future.
Furthermore I noticed I can't sync the shutter opening=altitude. It works only in azimuth. Secondly, it seems a requirement to send both AZ and ALT. Why I can't send the AZ value alone without the ALT? I sync the dome and shutter using the following three commands:

<newSwitchVector device="ASCOM Simulator Dome" name="ON_COORD_SET"> <oneSwitch name="SYNC">On</oneSwitch></newSwitchVector>
<newNumberVector device="ASCOM Simulator Dome" name="HORIZONTAL_COORD"> <oneNumber name="AZ">144.046854</oneNumber><oneNumber name="ALT">25.266476</oneNumber></newNumberVector>
<newSwitchVector device="ASCOM Simulator Dome" name="ON_COORD_SET"> <oneSwitch name="TRACK">On</oneSwitch> </newSwitchVector>

Is this the correct way? At least it accepts the azimuth only.

Han

Looks like it behaves differently in wINDI and the Linux driver:

wINDI:
dome property: DOME_ABSOLUTE_POSITION, doesn't work
telescope property: HORIZONTAL_COORD, works.

Linux dome simulator:
dome property: DOME_ABSOLUTE_POSITION, works
telescope property: HORIZONTAL_COORD, doesn't work.

Would be nice if both commands work. Anyhow there doesn't seem to be a command to open the shutter at a specific opening. The telescope property(name) HORIZONTAL_COORD could be used.

Han

Yes, as I said, new property set is not implemented, old one is used. Peter

More for knro, I'm also missing in the standard properties the possibility to sync the Dome. The REL_DOME_POSITION gives only a temporary offset which is ignored after the next absolute command. I have to introduce my own offset.

Han

I'm not sure I understand. You use REL_DOME_POSITION to manually move the dome "relatively". If you want the dome to auto sync, you enable slaving.

The idea is that the client controls both the telescope and dome. Then there is no need of a direct link between the telescope and the dome. A problem could occur when the dome has an offset while following the telescope. I can sync the telescope but I can't sync the dome using INDI. So I'm missing two commands compared with ascom:

1) SyncToAzimuth, Synchronize the current position of the dome to the given azimuth.
2) SlewToAltitude , Slew the dome to the given altitude position.

Here a small piece of history from ASCOM webpage:

The Dome Interface Standard
Also during 2002 and 2003, discussion began toward a dome control driver interface. Robotic control of telescopes enclosed in a dome clearly needed to be tied to the dome rotation, and control of the dome shutter(s) was clearly needed for weather safety during automated operation. A rather large group of people became involved in discussing the dome interface, and the discussion became contentious at times. The goal of eliminating device-specifics from the interface appeared out of reach given the variety of "shutter" configurations in use. An elegant solution was finally reached by including both azimuth and altitude inputs for shutter positioning, leaving the dome controller to simply "make a hole big enough to see through". The standard was finally adopted in August 2003.

I think it will be elegant and pratical for the INDI standard to follow the ascom methods for interchangebility. Will also help in adaptation.

I don't see how the AUTOSYNC_THRESHOLD could solve an offset in azimuth

Han

Later more seems missing:
INDI: PARK Park the telescope to HOME position, UNPARK Unpark the telescope

Home is celestial north or south. However I'm missing a SetPark commando as:

ASCOM: 3) SetPark, Sets the telescope Park position to the current telescope position.

Regarding parking, there were a couple of undocumented properties I added to the Telescope Standard Properties list. Regarding the dome, the dome already monitors the mount motion and syncs itself. The client can manually sync the dome to a specific azimuth if desired. The autosync threshold is the minimum diff in azimuth that would trigger a dome motion.

I noted I can read the dome absolute position however it is not clearly indicated in the standard properties.
Can you share these undocumented features? I like to sync the dome.


I have still problems with Kubuntu in Vmware, so testing is cumbersome till I have the indi_simulator_dome working in a other Linux version. See
www.indilib.org/forum/general/1324-indi-...-windi.html?start=30

Han

It is clearly mentioned in the standard properties in the Dome Standard Properties . Use ABS_DOME_POSITION

Regarding INDI, as an end-user, you don't need to compile anything. Either install libindi1 from the Software Center in the OS you're using , or from the command line:

You only need to compile stuff if you need to develop INDI drivers.

This is documented in the standard properties:
ABS_DOME_POSITION, DOME_ABSOLUTE_POSITION, Move dome to DOME_ABSOLUTE_POSITION absolute azimuth angle in degrees.

Where does it say that you can read the value DOME_ABSOLUTE_POSITION. i would expect a column telling me this value can be written and read. I would expect that for all variables unless it valid for all.

Sorry I'm totally lost here. How can the dome monitor the mount??? To sync the dome, the dome needs a new position and a sync instruction from the operator&client. For me the telescope synchronisation is understandable but not for the dome. Why not simple apply the same describtion and command as for the telescope?

Han