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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

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Thank you so much Alain and everyone else for all the work on this release!
I built the latest code from the master repository and did some testing with real equipment.
Basic things are working. I am getting some messages in the log which do not seem to impact anything:
*******
Align Updated
Align Error Updated
*******
Not sure they are errors or just regular messages. Keep in mind that my controller has about 4 months old stable firmware.

I tested focuser with Kstars (works) and CCDCiel (does not work).
I contacted Patrick from CCDCiel and he identified issue with INDI driver: the driver does not advertise its focuser capability. He suggested a patch and I implemented it and now both Kstars and CCDCiel can use the focuser.

Here is the patch:

diff --git a/libindi/drivers/telescope/lx200_OnStep.cpp b/libindi/drivers/telescope/lx200_OnStep.cpp
index 0312a9da..0dc8d52d 100644
--- a/libindi/drivers/telescope/lx200_OnStep.cpp
+++ b/libindi/drivers/telescope/lx200_OnStep.cpp
@@ -276,6 +276,8 @@ bool LX200_OnStep::initProperties()
IUFillText(&OnstepStat[7], "Error", "", "");
IUFillTextVector(&OnstepStatTP, OnstepStat, 8, getDeviceName(), "OnStep Status", "", STATUS_TAB, IP_RO, 0, IPS_OK);

+ setDriverInterface(getDriverInterface() | FOCUSER_INTERFACE);
+
return true;
}


Based on my successful testing, he will be submitting a PR. Please let me know if anyone has concerns with this change.

Alex
5 years 2 months ago #33478

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FYI, I fixed something I missed in the recent patch. LX200Generic should not have HIGH_FREQ_TRACK that was defined. so it was removed from there. Please check the updated code for any issues.
5 years 2 months ago #33479

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@ Jasem,

First all Happy new Year and good Health to you.

Thank you for the fix. No issue noted. I runs as expected.

Regards
5 years 2 months ago #33505

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Thanks avarakin,

Patrick's patch is allready merged and I tested it. Not complains at a first glance.
I simply wonder why it was recognized by KStars and not by CDC.
Which platform / Version are you using?
Would be interesting how you use Focuser with CDC

Thanks
5 years 2 months ago #33509

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Hi guys,

A new version (1.5) of the Onstep driver has been merged today.
- Cosmetic changes in some messages and labels
- changes in Alignment
- removed Library tab (if somebody would like to work on this, help is wellcome)

Many thanks to all of you that made tests and reported bugs / typos ...
The following user(s) said Thank You: james_lan
5 years 2 months ago #33735

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CDC and CCDciel do not use a static list of driver, drivers.xml or other, but instead they connect to a already running indiserver to retrieve the list of devices currently loaded and use this DRIVER_INTERFACE property to know the capability of the driver. Then the selection box for each device type is filled with only the matching devices.
I don't know why it worked in Ekos without that, maybe Ekos directly watch some other properties like FOCUS_ABSOLUTE_POSITION ?

Patrick
The following user(s) said Thank You: Alain Zwingelstein
5 years 2 months ago #33739

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Thank you Patrick,

As soon I will have some time I will try to use CDC (Need to compile, Debian packages are always a bit outdated) to be in position to see how it works.

Encore Merci
5 years 2 months ago #33740

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Hoi Alle

I don't know if this is the richt subject but i discover that the auto medrian flip is not initiated to the OnSteps
Is this function supported.

2019-01-20T22:59:11 Retrying meridian flip again...
2019-01-20T22:59:11 Telescope meridian flip timed out. Please make sure your mount supports meridian flip.
2019-01-20T22:57:41 Current hour angle 0,02 hours exceeds meridian flip limit of 0,02 hours. Auto meridian flip is initiated.

When median Flip if HA> 0.02 a median flip is initiated from Indi. but now i need to wait until on step starts.

Does OnStep support this function?

Chris
5 years 2 months ago #33885

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What I think you are doing is that you are configuring meridian flips in Ekos (from the Capture tab?).

For this to work, INDI must issue an :MN# command. As far as I can tell there is no such command in the OnStep driver, nor do I know what generic command is sent from Ekos to INDI to indicate that a meridian flip is required.

There is a workaround though: Make OnStep do the flipping automatically.

To do this you need the following configuration variables:

#define REMEMBER_AUTO_MERIDIAN_FLIP_ON
#define MERIDIAN_FLIP_SKIP_HOME_OFF

#define MinutesPastMeridianE 1
#define MinutesPastMeridianW 1

Then the first time you use this, from the Android App or INDI, set Meridian Flip to Auto, and the mount will flip when you are 1 minute past the meridian.

The downside is that Ekos does not know, and imaging will continue and autoguiding will be confused. For capture, this means you will lose one or two exposures. For autoguiding, I am hoping that it will recalibrate and continue.

Not ideal of course, but maybe that will work for you.
5 years 2 months ago #33887

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@Chris

thnak you for the report. could we get a bit more information about the circumstances.

@ Khalid,

I have to dive in the code to see how this mechanism works.
I suppose the changes for reversed Altcoo and AZmcoo can wait a bit, they are working but I didn't yet a pull request.
5 years 2 months ago #33892

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Alain & Khalid

The way how Ekos works in relation to medrian flip during exposure can be found in the following youtube video


Replaying this procedure i discovered yesterday during clear sky that this is not working with the OnStep.
It looks like that a initiate Median flip is not send to the mount which caused the following error

2019-01-20T22:59:11 Retrying meridian flip again...
2019-01-20T22:59:11 Telescope meridian flip timed out. Please make sure your mount supports meridian flip.
2019-01-20T22:57:41 Current hour angle 0,02 hours exceeds meridian flip limit of 0,02 hours. Auto meridian flip is initiated.

0.02 is less the the 1 degree I defined in the OnStep to initiate an automatic medrian flip. After the 1 degree is passed the Median flip from the OnStep and Kicks In and start to slew to the center object to the other site of the pier. See als statement of Khalid.

How ever i think we phasing a OnStep bug or missing function it better defined "The command Initiate Medrian Flip"

The LX200 Command Mf# 0
Result 1Object below horizon.#
3Manual Control.#
4Position unreachable.#
Explained Do a meridian flip and slew to the current coordinates.

Found on gemini-2.com/web/L5V2_1serial.html

Today i did a debug of the situation in dry test on iNDI

[2019-01-21T18:24:05.274 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.176 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - "FITS" file saved to "/Users/chris/INDI/indi-pictures/Light/magweg_Light_007.fits"
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.179 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/Users/chris/INDI/indi-pictures/Light/magweg_Light_007.fits"
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.256 CET WARN ][ org.kde.knotifications] - Audio notification requested, but sound file from notifyrc file was not found, aborting audio notification
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.291 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.776 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.fits] - Loading FITS file "/Users/chris/INDI/indi-pictures/Light/magweg_Light_007.fits"
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.776 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Received image 2 out of 20."
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.821 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Current hour angle 0,02 hours exceeds meridian flip limit of 0,02 hours. Auto meridian flip is initiated."
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.866 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope: TRACK
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.867 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope sending coords RA: "01h 45m 17s" ( 1.75472 ) DE: " 61° 58' 50\"" ( 61.9806 )
[2019-01-21T18:24:06.972 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "[INFO] Slewing to RA: 1:45:17 - DEC: 61:58:50 "
[2019-01-21T18:24:07.345 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:24:08.354 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:24:09.385 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:24:10.421 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
etc.......
[2019-01-21T18:25:36.264 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:25:36.889 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Telescope meridian flip timed out. Please make sure your mount supports meridian flip."
[2019-01-21T18:25:36.925 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - ISD:Telescope sending coords RA: "01h 45m 17s" ( 1.75472 ) DE: " 61° 58' 50\"" ( 61.9806 )
[2019-01-21T18:25:36.925 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Retrying meridian flip again..."
[2019-01-21T18:25:36.985 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "Slew aborted. "
[2019-01-21T18:25:37.098 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "[INFO] Slewing to RA: 1:45:17 - DEC: 61:58:50 "
[2019-01-21T18:25:37.293 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:25:38.354 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:25:47.632 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
etc.........
[2019-01-21T18:28:06.224 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:28:07.245 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:28:08.279 CET WARN ][ default] - QDBusAbstractAdaptor: Cannot relay signal MountAdaptor::pierSideChanged(ISD::Telescope::PierSide): Unregistered input type in parameter list: ISD::Telescope::PierSide
[2019-01-21T18:28:08.279 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:28:09.359 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
etc.......
[2019-01-21T18:29:36.198 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:37.233 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:38.269 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:39.302 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:40.308 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Telescope completed the meridian flip."
[2019-01-21T18:29:40.347 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.ekos.capture] - "Capturing 120,000-second image..."
[2019-01-21T18:29:40.382 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:40.420 CET INFO ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - GPhoto CCD : "[INFO] Starting 120 seconds exposure. "
[2019-01-21T18:29:41.361 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "
[2019-01-21T18:29:42.391 CET DEBG ][ org.kde.kstars.indi] - LX200 OnStep : "==> Update OnsTep Status "


The question is can this be fixed in the Indi OnStep driver or must we asked first howard to take action to add this function in the OnStep code.

Let me know if this information is oke or you need more you can test this in dry run. Point to a star at the East near the medrian, telescope at west site of the pier. Start imagining session of 120 sec until the star pass the medrian and indi wil initiate flip

Setting in indi

median Flip if HA> 0.02

Settings OnStep
Medrian both site on 1 degree

Let me know how we coordinate to get this function in between the indi OnStep driver or the OnStep firmware and the OnStep Forum

Thanks on forhand

Chris
Last edit: 5 years 2 months ago by Chris Alberts.
5 years 2 months ago #33903

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@calberts

First, there is no :Mf# command in OnStep. It seems like a Gemini specific command.

There is :MN#, which is close. It switches the scope to east of pier, to the same RA and DEC. That should do what you want, since a meridian flip will always be from west of pier to east of pier.

Second, I think that it relies on syncing the scope's auto meridian flip wth the Ekos HA limit. I say that because there is no :Mf# in the Gemini driver in INDI.

Also, see Jasem's reply to a similar query . Basically, he is saying that you synchronize the telescope's auto meridian flip with Ekos' HA settings.

So you can do what you want, using the settings I explained earlier within OnStep, and set the HA in Ekos accordingly, per Jasem's description.
5 years 2 months ago #33904

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