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INDI Library v2.0.7 is Released (01 Apr 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Driver OnStep (LX200 like) for INDI

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Yes! It works in the end.
Silly me (hardware guy). :silly:

Thanks a lot Alain! :)

I will try to check how it works with two sensors present.

Best,
W
6 months 4 weeks ago #96083

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Which versions did you finally test with?
6 months 3 weeks ago #96093

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Briefly:

EKOS version 3.6.6 stable ignores DS18B20 values at all, although properly read in INDI driver
EKOS version 3.6.7 beta works fine - can use DS18B20 and distinguish its vales properly when BME280 is present, too

W
6 months 3 weeks ago #96097

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You cannot just consider Kstars version (Ekos has no version as it is part of Kstars)
If you take the lx200_OnStape driver version 1.19 you will see that the focuser temperature is not displayed in ekos but in control panel.
The fact that Ekos is aware or not about a value depends on the name of the property for that particular value.
This is the code version 1.20 of the lx200_OnStep driver
// Focus T° Compensation
    IUFillNumber(&FocuserTN[0], "TFC T°", "TFC T°", "%+2.2f", 0, 1, 0.25, 25);  //default value is meaningless
    IUFillNumber(&FocuserTN[1], "TFC Diff T°", "TFC Diff T°", "%+2.2f", 0, 1, 0.25, 25);  //default value is meaningless
    IUFillNumberVector(&FocuserTNP, FocuserTN, 2, getDeviceName(), "TFC T°", "TFC T°", FOCUS_TAB, IP_RO, 0,
                       IPS_IDLE);
This is the code in version 1.20
// Focus T° Compensation 
    // Property must be FOCUS_TEMPERATURE to be recognized by Ekos
    IUFillNumber(&FocusTemperatureN[0], "FOCUS_TEMPERATURE", "TFC T°", "%+2.2f", 0, 1, 0.25, 25);  //default value is meaningless
    IUFillNumber(&FocusTemperatureN[1], "TFC Δ T°", "TFC Δ T°", "%+2.2f", 0, 1, 0.25, 25);  //default value is meaningless
    IUFillNumberVector(&FocusTemperatureNP, FocusTemperatureN, 2, getDeviceName(), "FOCUS_TEMPERATURE", "Focuser T°", FOCUS_TAB, IP_RO, 0,
                       IPS_IDLE);

So you can see that I used "FocuserTNP" as property name before and in version 1.20 I use "FocusTemperatureNP" which is "Indi Standard Property Name" for this value.
As long you do not use the Standard Property Name, this property will not be recognized by Ekos or whatever else in the software except where you explicitely use it (the control panel).
Read docs.indilib.org/drivers/
6 months 3 weeks ago #96106

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And this is the reason why I insist on versions of all the components, not just Kstars

================= OS version
PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)"
================= indiserver
INDI Library: 2.0.3
Code v1.9.4-644-g12d1114cb. Protocol 1.7.
================= indi_lx200_OnStep driver
1.20
================= kstars version
kstars 3.6.7 Beta
================= OnStep firmwares versions
OnStepX version: = 10.18.c
OnStep version: = 4.24.s
SmartWebServer version: = 2.06.j
SmartHandController version: = 4.00.f
6 months 3 weeks ago #96108

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Hi since I have been sponsored a MaxESP4 board by Chad Gray I am now in position to test OnStep X more easily.
OnStepX has been released for normal users since no more serious bugs have been seen for a while.

The last changes I made seem to work on Both OnStep 4.x.x and OnStep 10.17.x

I think with OnStepX the development arrives at a point where no more major changes will be done so it is time to concentrate on cleaning and tuning the driver.

there are weak points in the driver that need more work:
- Multiple Focuser
- Derotator
- Rotator
These are features that I personally never have tested since I don't have the related set-up (AltAz mount for example)
I will try to work on it but at a certain point nothing is better than running in the field in real situation so help is needed here.

Does anybody already use Altaz mount with derotator with Onstep on Indi?
Feedback is welcome on that topic
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nguyễn Trọng Minh
6 months 2 weeks ago #96311

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I ran into this problem with creating the mount model on Ekos mount modeling tool. The mount running OnstepX
What I did:
1. Point the scope to home position (point to NCP, counterweight at 6 o'clock)
2. Press Start Alignment (9 Stars)
3. Goto to 9 evenly spaced points in the skymap, capture, platesolve and sync the point (the software said syncing successful and the point counter goes up). Do that repeatedly for all 9 points.
After do all 9 points, the software return this error code
Alignment status: response error, response = 9:9
After reaching out to Howard himself, I got this response
That seems to be an INDI OnStep driver bug.
 
I don't use INDI nor am I involved in its OnStep Telescope driver development, but looking at the source code:
https://github.com/indilib/indi/blob/master/drivers/telescope/lx200_OnStep.cpp
 
Line 4674 (at the moment) needs to look like this:
    if(error_or_fail != 4 || read_buffer[0] < '0' || read_buffer[0] > '9' || read_buffer[1] < '0' || read_buffer[1] > ':'
Also now OnstepX support up to 200 alignment point for the mount model, instead of 9. Would someone look into this please?
Last edit: 6 months 4 days ago by Nguyễn Trọng Minh.
6 months 4 days ago #96651

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Hi,

thanks for the feedback.

Where did you get the proposed code from?

Looking at OnstepX code
// :A?#       Align status
    //            Returns: mno#
    //            where m is the maximum number of alignment stars
    //                  n is the current alignment star (0 otherwise)
    //                  o is the last required alignment star when an alignment is in progress (0 otherwise)
    if (command[1] == '?' && parameter[0] == 0) {
      reply[0] = '0' + ALIGN_MAX_NUM_STARS;
      reply[1] = '0' + alignState.currentStar;
      reply[2] = '0' + alignState.lastStar;
      reply[3] = 0;
      *numericReply = false;
it seems not correct. reply[1] is between 0 and 9 I don't see where it could be ":"

Also the max number of stars is still 9 according to OnStepX code
#define ALIGN_MAX_STARS              AUTO //   AUTO, Uses HAL specified default (either 6 or 9 stars.)                        Infreq
                                          //         Or use n. Where n=1 (for Sync only) or 3 to 9 (for Goto Assist.)
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nguyễn Trọng Minh
Last edit: 6 months 4 days ago by Alain Zwingelstein.
6 months 4 days ago #96668

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Hi Alan,
Howard Dutton is the author of OnStep and OnStepX. He tried to reach you on indilib forum but ran into some problem posting. So I'll try to relay his message here.
mistake is believing that alignState.currentStar can only assume values up to 9.  It can be 10 in 9-star align mode and being one greater than the number of alignment stars is the condition that signals the alignment is done.
 
So in the code '0' + 10 == ':' which is a bit of an ugly hack but that's how it's done.
6 months 4 days ago #96672

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Minh,

I just made a pull request with version 1.21 of lx200_OnStep driver.
This fixes your alignment issue.

Thank you for the comments

code is on : github.com/azwing/indi
The following user(s) said Thank You: Nguyễn Trọng Minh
Last edit: 6 months 3 days ago by Alain Zwingelstein.
6 months 3 days ago #96677

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I compile from source and updated the driver to 1.2.1 I'll test the alignment and report back the result. Thank you, Alain.
6 months 3 days ago #96687

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The aligbment process with 9 stars completed successfully but the goto accuracy does not seems to improve
How do I know the mount model is active?
6 months 2 days ago #96707
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