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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Ultimate Powerbox v2 - connectivity issues?

  • Posts: 57
  • Thank you received: 4
OK, here are a few UPBv2 logs from this evening. Just for clarity, my system is off-grid with a solar panel/12V battery setup. It is completely powered down between sessions, so I am always starting from a cold boot.

The first log went well. I left all the USB devices plugged in and powered up the mini pc and UPB at the same time. I started Kstars and Ekos - Ekos connected to all the Indi devices automatically. I was able to turn the dew heaters on and off at various levels everything looked great.

Then the troubles started. I disconnected and rebooted. When Ekos tried to connect to the UPB it could not find an open port. It tried automatic cycling and I tried manually as well. I disconnected other devices and tinkered around for a while. Eventually the driver crashed. It crashed many times even after a reboot. Finally I cut power to both the mini pc and the UPB and restarted everthing. I turned off the auto-connect in the Indi settings and manually connected the UPB first, and then added the other devices one by one. That seemed to work.

It seems like I'm having USB conflicts that are different each boot. Not sure at all if it is related to the UPBv2 Indi driver or just my Newbie-ness with Linux. Hopefully this helps a bit :-)

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File Name: indi_pegas...7_30.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...3_58.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...4_56.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...0_22.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...0_41.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...8_37.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...9_28.log
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File Name: indi_pegas...5_12.log
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4 years 5 months ago #44140

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If you're using StellarMate, please use the serial port assistant manager or the SM App to assign permanent designation to each device so that such conflict does not happen.
4 years 5 months ago #44143

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Thanks for the tip. I'm using Kstars/Ekos on a headless mini PC/ Ubuntu 18.04. I read some of the posts on persistent port mapping, but thought that this was only for USB-to-serial converters. Would the same technique (/lib/udev/rules.d/) work for regular USB devices?
4 years 5 months ago #44150

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The powerbox uses serial to usb adapter.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Starman99
4 years 5 months ago #44151

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FYI, just an update regarding my dew heater power issues. It turns out I had a bad dew heater on my guide scope. Moving the primary heater to the other ports on the UPBv2 showed amp draw at each port. Looks like mine is working perfectly, and I rooted out an issue with other equipment that I wasn't aware of.
4 years 5 months ago #44152

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Wow - thanks knro! Your help is much appreciated!

OK so I will go ahead and make a udev rule for it. Maybe I have a bunch of USB devices that should also have persistent mapping. :unsure:

How can I tell if a USB device is using a serial to usb adapter internally?
4 years 5 months ago #44153

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check dmesg, you'll often see it getting assigned /dev/ttyUSBX or /dev/ttyACMX. From lsbusb, you'll see it's using Prolific or a similar USB-serial chip.
4 years 5 months ago #44154

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I entered this line into the /lib/udev/rules.d/99-observatory.rules file as shown in the tutorial. There was no other identical device, so I skipped the serial number.
SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6015", MODE="0666", SYMLINK+="UPBv2"

So is it legal use the device symlink /dev/UPBv2 in the Indi driver port field?
4 years 5 months ago #44172

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Yes absolutely.
4 years 5 months ago #44186

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An update on my experience using this box. Earlier I thought I had issues with my dew heaters since they were not always reporting AMP draw. Initially I thought this was due to one of my dew heaters being bad. It turns out, if you plug it in, and hold it in your hand, then turn it on in the Powerbox, it heats up despite that it says there's no amp draw. After talking with Pegasus, it turns out that this is due to the size of the dew heater strips. It seems anything shorter than 3" draws such minimal amps that they have trouble reporting it correctly in the Powerbox, so they just report 0 amp draw instead. Longer dew heaters show proper amp draw.

Second thing. I've been using the Moonlite focuser cable connected to my Moonlite stepper motor. I'm not entirely sure it's working properly. The first few nights, all my images were out of focus enough that I couldn't really use the images, yet whenever the focuser would run, it would show it barely moving and quickly achieve focus. I think this was initially because I hadn't set back focus. I've never had to do this with the Moonlite using it's own focus controller. I'm thinking the Moonlite focus controller must have some sort of built in backlash compensation, because movement is perfect. I'm currently processing a set of images from last night that used the UPBv2 with backlash compensation set (I set it to 25 steps after watching closely for slight movement). Performance in focusing within Ekos seemed about the same. I didn't see lots of variation in the focusing, and it came to focus really quickly, which leads me to believe it didn't quite work. Like the focus changes were actually just seeing, and not movement from the focus motor.

When I issue a command to move a few steps, I don't really see any movement, and the gear box makes a slight electric sound (that I've not heard before). I'm wondering if voltage is correct to the focuser? It should be, but I don't know how to control that. It's not until I issue a command of moving 1000 steps that the movement seems obvious. So, thinking there might be a slight issue here. I'll report back after I have processed the images from last night.
4 years 5 months ago #44326

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I too have experienced issues with Moonlite focus stepper and UPBv2. I spoke with Pegasus Astro about this and was told that the Moonlite stepper is what they used for testing. I have found that reducing the speed to 50% in the indi control panel has helped yet I'm still not convinced it's working as well as the Moonlite controller.

I did manage to borrow a windows computer (I do not own one) and test the Pegasus Astro control software with the moonlite focuser and the stepper appeared to operate normally.

Waiting to receive the unit back for further testing.

I have shipped the unit back due to the variable output not working and I'm waiting to get it back to actually use the device for imaging.

I am using ZWO ASi 1600mm-pro and ASI 120mm-s cameras and I've also experienced connectivity issues using the built-in USB hub. Is anyone else experiencing these issues?
4 years 5 months ago #44330

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I’ve not experienced any intermittent issues with the USB, so far that part has worked well for me.

There are a bunch of settings for the focuser that I’m not entirely sure what they do. They’re all set to 0. I’m sure some of these settings might need to be tweaked. There’s nothing in the manual that explains these settings. So I plan on asking Pegasus what they do.
4 years 5 months ago #44331

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