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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Celestron Motorised Focuser - Is it supported in EKOS yet

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Have you/anyone been able to completely control the focuser yet? I just got one and am trying to get it working. I got to step 7 last night and it seems to have quit responding to commands/calibration. I read in this thread to use the windows software to determine the min and max then stellarmate will read that info and update itself. Is that a working option? Also, are you able to power the focuser through the usb cable of the stellarmate/pi device? Thanks

EDIT

After running the calibration software from Celestron and connecting the correct power supply I got the following message when indi booted up:
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Device configuration applied.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Loading device configuration...
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT focuser paramaters updated, focuser ready for use.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Focus Limits: Maximum (30518) Minimum (1606) steps.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT is online.
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Celestron SCT Focuser is online. Getting focus parameters...
2019-04-09T00:21:20: [INFO] Firmware Version 7.15.8240

Focus control works just fine inside Ekos-Kstars. Much louder than a Pegasus but feels solid as a rock
Takahashi Fc100 & 8" RASA
MyT
Asi294MC & Asi183MC
Borg 50mm + Asi224
Pegasus FocusCube & Celestron Focuser
Stellarmate
Kstars, Ekos, TSX & Pixinsight
One VERY patient wife of 20 years now!
Last edit: 4 years 11 months ago by Casey Finn. Reason: Solved
4 years 11 months ago #37499

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Good to hear that you got it working.
I've been powering a focuser through the USB port but on a hub, not directly from a Pi but using USB only may be a bit marginal and using a separate 12V supply may help.

An alternative, if you have a Celestron mount, is to connect the Aux cable and power it from the mount, using the Celestron GPS telescope driver to control the focuser.
4 years 11 months ago #37509

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Thinking of getting a Celestron RASA 11, but am concerned that EKOS is not quite ready for the Celestron Electronic focuser.
How is the development coming along on this?

Thanks!!

Peter
4 years 11 months ago #38524

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Peter,

thats incorrect. EKOS can perfectly hande the new Celestron focuser, either via the Celestron_GPS or better with the stand-alone driver indi_celestron_sct_focus.

Stefan
Current gear:
- AVX
- E8HD + ASI294MC
- Celestron 150x30 + ASI224 for guiding
- Celestron Focuser for harp stars

SW:
- Linux NUC + Ubuntu + INDI nightly on the server
- Linux Ubuntu + KSTARS nightly on the client (via CAT5 wire)
4 years 10 months ago #38537

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Fantastic! Thank's for setting me straight!
4 years 10 months ago #38540

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Hey Jasem,
Just wondering where you got to with this? I am looking into buying a focuser for my Edge HD1100 and the Celestron one mentioned here seems like a good fit, but only if I can get it to work with StellarMate. This would be on my CEM120 mount, so the control for the focuser would be going to the Stellarmate directly rather than through the mount (in the same manner mentioned by Scanner001).

thanks
4 years 10 months ago #39357

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You can use it as a standalone focuser so that would work.
4 years 10 months ago #39359

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Anybody else having issues getting this to run properly through the HC? When I try to use the focuser via Celestron GPS, it doesn't seem to be reporting its position - it stays at 0. Of course, auto focusing doesn't work at all that way. Using a direct USB connection together with the Celestron SCT driver, everything works as expect. I would prefer just having one cable run to the mount though...

Here's what the log says:
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.002 CEST DEBG ][     org.kde.kstars.ekos.focus] - Setting focus ticks to  24300
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.005 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS :  "[INFO] Focus direct move 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.006 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] Focus move 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.006 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <50 04 12 02 00 5E EC 00> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.034 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <23> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.035 CEST INFO ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS :  "[INFO] Focuser is moving to position 24300 "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.614 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:52.706 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:53.688 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:53.749 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:54.750 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] CMD <e> "
[2019-08-03T12:03:54.812 CEST DEBG ][           org.kde.kstars.indi] - Celestron GPS : "[DEBUG] RES <80000000,00000000#> "

Shouldn't there also be a command requesting the focuser's position?
4 years 7 months ago #41617

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Okay, problem identified. When Celestron GPS starts up with my Evolution mount, it says "WARNING: Mount firmware does not support getting pier side". However, the Celestron GPS driver exits ReadScopeStatus when it doesn't have a pier side (line 781) - and that's happening before requesting the focuser position.

I'll set up a PR for a fix.
4 years 7 months ago #41618

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I need the full log, not a fragment lasting a couple of seconds.

The Celestron focuser needs to be calibrated, this can be done using the standalone INDI focuser driver.

Read your second message, see what you mean. Are you going to fix it?
Last edit: 4 years 7 months ago by Chris Rowland.
4 years 7 months ago #41620

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Already done. I've added you to the PR.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jasem Mutlaq
4 years 7 months ago #41621

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For what it's worth, I can use my Celestron focus motor (a original #94155, not the redesigned #94155-A) on my Nexstar 8 SE, using both the direct USB connection driver (celestron_sct_focus), and through the hand controller driver (celestron_gps).

I use a Lenovo laptop with Gentoo. The two interfaces (HC and direct USB to focuser) both emulate different USB serial adapters (my HC has the newer-style mini-USB port on the bottom), and so need separate drivers in the kernel. The HC needs the "USB Prolific 2303 Single Port Serial Driver" (CONFIG_USB_SERIAL_PL2303), and the focus motor direct-USB port needs the "USB Modem (CDC ACM) support" (CONFIG_USB_ACM). Kernel is 5.3.11. I used the newest INDIlib 1.8.2 release, which is available in the Gentoo tree. After choosing the correct driver, and port (/dev/ttyUSBx for HC, /dev/ttyACMx for direct USB), I can control the motor in both KStars device manager and Ekos.

One odd thing: I had been using the focus motor through the hand controlle's buttons until yesterday. It was calibrated. However, when establishing an INDI connection for the first time, it said the min and max limits were both 0. I performed a calibration through the celestron_sct_focus driver in kstars, and after that, I got sensible limits, and could move the focuser at will using either the USB connection, or the connection through the HC. And I can also still move the focuser using the HC's pushbuttons.

For good measure, I also tried all the above again through my RPI3 with astroberry. Both connecton modes also work through the 2 indi drivers in astroberry, and the limits were set correctly (no need to calibrate again). Only issue is, the power from the USB port alone on RPI3 seemed not quite enough, as the focus motor was struggling a bit. But it still got to the desired focus position in the end :)

So all in all, both drivers are working well for me!
4 years 3 months ago #46407

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