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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

indi_celestron_aux

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Replied by Gunter on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hi, Jasem,

I would open up my network for you. You would need to connect by an VPN tunnel. But it will take a day to put everything in the right order, ok?

By Gunter
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
2 years 2 months ago #79093
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic indi_celestron_aux

Sounds great, looking forward to it. Please send me detail via a private message.
2 years 2 months ago #79108
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Replied by Karl Rees on topic indi_celestron_aux

My other mount is in the shop, so I thought I'd play around with this driver and my old Nexstar SLT to put together a first smart-scope for my kids.  But it's not quite working out.  Has anyone tried this driver with an older (circa 2008) Nexstar SLT?  

It appears to be working directly through the handset, but the whole point of this driver to me at least is to connect directly to either the HS or AUX port.  For the HS port, I'm wondering if my USB-Serial (FTDI) adapter lacks symmetric voltage.  I'm trying to find a compatible adapter, but the ones on Amazon tend not to specify whether they support symmetric voltage.

For the AUX port, I've successfully used the SkyPortal WiFi module (which I lost) with this mount in the past, so my understanding is that I should be able to use the AUX port.  I've made my own cable, so maybe I did something wrong there.  Here's what I did:

RJ12 pin 1 <-> DB9 pin 8 (CTS)
RJ12 pin 2 <-> DB9 pin 2 (RX)
RJ12 pin 3 (not connected)
RJ12 pin 4 <-> DB9 pin 3 (TX)
RJ12 pin 5 <-> DB9 pin 5 (GND)
RJ12 pin 6 <-> DB9 pin 7 (RTS)

The driver thinks it is connected, but the mount does not respond to commands.  Looking at the logs, the driver does not appear to actually be receiving anything from the mount,  Rather it's just getting back an echo of what it sent, which it then ignores.

Looking deeper into the logs and the code, it appears to not be receiving a CTS signal.  detectRTSCTS() returns false.  There are no handshake errors, which I interpret to mean that waitCTS() is never seeing the TIOCM_CTS flag.  I'll spit out an excerpt from the log below just in case I'm misinterpreting.
DEBUG    6.428512 sec    : Connecting to /dev/serial/by-id/usb-FTDI_FT232R_USB_UART_A16IRNH1-if00-port0 @ 19200
DEBUG    6.436192 sec    : Port FD 3
DEBUG    6.436338 sec    : Connection successful, attempting handshake...
DEBUG    6.436417 sec    : CAUX: connect 3 (serial)
DEBUG    6.792473 sec    : detectRTSCTS = false.
INFO    7.349836 sec    : Setting serial speed to 9600 baud.
CSER    7.400070 sec    : CMD <56>
CSER    7.400170 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
ERROR    8.401306 sec    : Timeout error
INFO    8.401479 sec    : Detected Mount USB serial connection.
DEBUG    8.401557 sec    : Communicating with mount motor controllers...
CAUX    8.401638 sec    : CMD <     GET_VER>  APP ->  AZM
CSER    8.451916 sec    : CMD <3B 03 20 10 FE CF>
CSER    8.452100 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.452221 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.452312 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.452436 sec    : RES <3B 03 20 10 FE CF>
CSER    8.452583 sec    : Got 4 bytes:  ; payload length field: 3 ; MSG:
CSER    8.452688 sec    : [3B 03 20 10 FE CF]
CAUX    8.452758 sec    : RES <     GET_VER>  APP ->  AZM
CAUX    8.452825 sec    : Got msg not for me (AZM). Ignoring.
CAUX    8.452903 sec    : CMD <     GET_VER>  APP ->  ALT
CSER    8.503168 sec    : CMD <3B 03 20 11 FE CE>
CSER    8.503328 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.503422 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.503501 sec    : aux_tty_read: 3
CSER    8.503595 sec    : RES <3B 03 20 11 FE CE>
CSER    8.503673 sec    : Got 4 bytes:  ; payload length field: 3 ; MSG:
CSER    8.503737 sec    : [3B 03 20 11 FE CE]
CAUX    8.503795 sec    : RES <     GET_VER>  APP ->  ALT
CAUX    8.503852 sec    : Got msg not for me (ALT). Ignoring.
INFO    8.503909 sec    : Got response from target ALT or AZM.
DEBUG    8.503965 sec    : Connection ready. Starting Processing.
INFO    8.504064 sec    : Celestron AUX is online.

The rest of the log goes on in much the same pattern: a new CMD is issued, it's echoed back in the RES, and is ignored.

Further information: the driver is showing version .10 and was self-compiled yesterday from the main branch.  The motor controller firmware is 5.18.  

This is not a super high priority for me, but I'm OCD when it comes to these things.  I'd hate to think I was just a small step away from solving it.  Thanks in advance for the help.  
2 years 2 months ago #79531
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic indi_celestron_aux

Thanks for the testing Karl. I've actually seen this very issue from Magnus mount as well (CGX IIRC). But it was intermittent. Sometime detectRTCCTS() would return false and all I see is echo, other times it works OK and responds to commands. I haven't been able to establish a pattern, appears to work most of the time. The only issue I had is that it would abruptly stop tracking/GOTO past a certainly hour angle and I was not able to resolve this issue, hence I asked for another test for Celestron equatorial mount which I wasn't able to do since then.
2 years 2 months ago #79550
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Replied by Paweł on topic indi_celestron_aux

Karl: The AUX port is *NOT* an RS-232 serial port! You need a special level converter to connect PC serial port to AUX. You need PC-port for this. Please do not connect your PC to the mount by AUX port. You can destroy your mount, your PC, or both by doing so. If you have no PC-AUX adapter, use the HC serial port.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq, Karl Rees
2 years 2 months ago #79553
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Replied by Gene N on topic indi_celestron_aux

The TX and RX are tied together inside the scope someplace, hence the echo you are seeing.
The RTS and TX line are multi-master, no device owns the line.
You must hold your TX tri-stated while monitoring the RTS as an input. Only when RTS is high can you then control it as an output and then can output the TX. WHen done transmitting, tri-state TX and turn RTS back to an input
See this for a full gadget hanging off the AUX bus
AUX WIFI BT GPS

Attached is a pic of my version, only used as GPS input to AUX with my own coding.
 
but with the coding referenced in the link above can do all.

Gene

 
The following user(s) said Thank You: Karl Rees
2 years 2 months ago #79571
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

detectRTSCTS relies on a timeout to discriminate if the hardware handshake is present or not. At present, it is set to 300 ms. It worked well for my setup with Celestron CPC. Probably, for other mount types, it needs a different trimming. I suggest to extend it to 500ms and to test if the problem disappears.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Karl Rees
2 years 2 months ago #79572
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Replied by Karl Rees on topic indi_celestron_aux

My naïve reading of the Connectivity section of the driver docs was that the "proper level converter" that was needed was simply something to bring 12v down to 5v, and that this was inherent to any standard USB/Serial adapter. But there's something else needed?

Perhaps the driver documentation needs some clarification and cleanup? The document I'm talking about is here: indilib.org/telescopes/celestron/celestron-aux-driver.html. One of the options it describes is "serial cable connected to Celestron AUX port." The warning about needing a "proper level converter" seems to only be with respect to the "old standard RS-232 [with] symmetric +/-12V signalling." On the other hand, the document indicates that since the "cheapest USB/serial converters . . . have serial lines with TTL levels (+5V,0V) . . . they [actually] work with AUX port."

As for the HC port, any suggestions on the best place to get a USB/Serial cable that will actually work with it?
2 years 2 months ago #79573
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Replied by Karl Rees on topic indi_celestron_aux

Gene and Fabrizio's responses came while I was writing mine. Thanks guys. I did increase the timeout, by the way, to no avail. I like Gene's option. If this were my main mount (or if someone had already written up an easy recipe for doing this directly from a Raspberry Pi), I'd probably go for it. Seems like using the HC port is the better fit for me, assuming I can find the right adapter and get it to work.
2 years 2 months ago #79574
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Replied by Fabrizio on topic indi_celestron_aux

In my experience is hard to distinguish between different types of USB/Serial converters from product description. 99% of low cost converters claims RS232 compatibility but they have a TTL interface (0,+5v) that works only with the so-called "TTL tolerant RS232". In our case, they can be only used for the AUX interface. For all the other mount interfaces a "quasi-true" USB/RS232 converter (-5,+5v swing ) is sufficient.
Below there is a copy taken from indilib.org/telescopes/celestron/celestron-aux-driver.html of the specification of each interface of Celestron scopes, including the required voltage swing.
  1. <strong>HC:</strong> serial cable connected to hand controller serial port (less recent models).
    • 4 pins connector (RJ11).
    • 3 wires used: GND, TX, RX.
    • RS-232 serial voltage levels (+5V,-5V).
    • 9600 baud transmission speed.
    • No transmission flow handshake, no echo.
    • Command protocol: pass through (mostly AUX protocol encapsulated inside HC messages).
  2. <strong>HC</strong>: USB cable connected to hand controller USB port (most recent models) (alpha testing).
    • mini USB connector.
    • Command protocol: pass through (mostly AUX protocol encapsulated inside HC messages).
  3. <strong>AUX:</strong> serial cable connected to Celestron AUX port.
    • 6 pins connector (RJ12)
    • 5 wires used: GND, TX, RX, CTS, RTS
    • TTL serial voltage levels (+5V, 0V)
    • 19200 baud transmission speed
    • Half duplex CTS/RTS handshake with echo
    • Command protocol:  AUX
  4. <strong>PC:</strong> serial cable connected to Celestron PC port
    • 8 pins connector (RJ45)
    • 5 wires used: GND, TX, RX, CTS, RTS
    • RS-232 serial voltage levels (+5V,-5V)
    • 19200 baud transmission speed
    • Half duplex CTS/RTS handshake with echo
    • Command protocol: AUX
  5. <strong>USB</strong>: USB cable connected to an USB port of telescope mount (alpha testing).
    • USB connector type A.
    • Command protocol: AUX .
Last edit: 2 years 2 months ago by Fabrizio.
2 years 2 months ago #79576
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Replied by Alex on topic indi_celestron_aux

Hi all,
I have a Celestron Evolution with a wedge.
How can I change the initial mount position for the wedge configuration?
with a wedge the mount must pointing to south, but in KStars the position is set to north. I cant set the current position. or do I need special settings for a wedge alt-az setup?
i would be create if you can give me some advice for this setup costellation.

CS Alex
2 years 1 month ago #80169
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Replied by David Hill on topic indi_celestron_aux

I have been following this thread for some time. I currently connect to my AVX via that hand controller but going forward I would like to connect my Raspberry Pi directly to my mount via the AUX port and to start using this driver.
However I am struggling to undestand how to do this. Is there a pre-built USB -- RJ12 cable that can be purchased from somewhere?
Or can I use a USB FTDI TTL 5V cable and connecting the correct pins to the RJ12 plug and make it work? 
I'd like to do the second option but as far as I can tell from reading numerous sources on the web, this cannot be done.

 
2 years 1 month ago #80500
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