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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Bluetooth connection to mount

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Every time I post saying i seems to be workig it falls over, in this case while I was sending that last message.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's a range issue, it's easy for the two devices not to be abe to see each other, even though they are no more than a metre apart. I've adjusted things so the RasPi and the BT device are about half a metre apart and with no metal between them.

If that doesn't work maybe I'll try running the mount from a second Pi using the WiFi connection, that seems to be reliable. Perhaps a Pi Zero running an INDI server with the mount driver and nothing else.
4 years 3 months ago #46559

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I think I've got this sorted. I've been running for the last day with no errors or hang ups from my wireless connection to the mount.

The solution was to abandon Bluetooth entirely and use WiFi.
I now have a Pi zero loaded with Indi and the indi-web server set to start at startup. I connect to it with a remote connection. The scope is connected through USB using a FTDI adaptor.
And It Just Works! Sometims the way to succeed is to change the game. Kudos to the INDI team, it was all a lot easier than struggling with BT.

Setting up the Pi Zero was tedious because it's so slow but hacking the AstroPi3 RaspbianPi script to remove the Ekos stuff gave a good basis for getting it going. The rational way is to run headless. That's for another thread.

Chris
4 years 3 months ago #46700

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Another solution or 2 to the "hacking script" is to just use Astroberry v2 - still slow with GUI/Desktop - but then run RASPI-CONFIG and set BOOT to CLI .

As its running Astroberry you can load and start the correct Mount driver (auto start/connect) via Astroberry Webindi ,it then just becomes a remote indi server in your local Raspberry PI or Windows and I suspect Mac - the latter I have never tried.

Or if still too slow run SER2NET in RPI with just std Raspbian Lite (no GUI/DESKTOP) and set SER2net.conf to redirect UDP or TCP incoming to local TTYUSB where the USB adapter is :-)
UDP is fast but you have to set an option in Ser2net.conf to kick off old user = yes (or someting like that - cant remeber off he top of my head). I have used this method for years on Ascom with Raspberry's no problems

Just a thought ! :-)
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
4 years 3 months ago #46702

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What range were you attempting to connect via bluetooth with?
4 years 3 months ago #46708

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About two feet (60 cm).
4 years 3 months ago #46709

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This is essentially what I ended up with. I started with a full fat Raspbian install and installed the bits of AstroPi3 that I needed, in particular Indi and indi-web.
Followed the instructions to run it as start up.
Once it was all going I set the Config to CLI.

Was able to configure it using indi-web from any browser and set indi server to start at connect.

Then connect from Ekos using the remote setup - Celestron AVX@192.168.1.10

What I found was that the full fat install took about 50% CPU just idling while booting as CLI took about 6% for everything.

I'm new to this so started with a desktop but it may be better to install a headless version of Raspbian and run through the command line exclusively.

Astroberry requires a Pi 3. I'm using a Pi zero so will have to build from sources. Starting from the Raspbian install and the Astropi3 Raspbian script worked well for me particularly as I've never used AstroBerry.
4 years 3 months ago #46713

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You need to make sure modemmanager is un Installed before BT will work reliably, mine works flawlessly on later SM version....if you haven’t already done so that is.. :)
4 years 3 months ago #46714

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Yes of course. AstroPi3 does this as part of it's set up.

It's pretty clear that BT is fragile on the Pi, as part of this I found the Windows 10 IOT build for the Pi3 and this says there are problems with the hardware and they don't support it. I can understand this, it's not possible to do a good job if the underlying system can't support it.
4 years 3 months ago #46716

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Bluetooth is working very reliably for me on the Pi3, and Pi4. It has worked ever since I found the modemmanager conflict and Jaseem implemented some robustness into the EQmod driver.
My bluetooth adapter is based of an HC-05, and I have a voltage leveler installed on the serial lines for good measure.
4 years 3 months ago #46719

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No you dont need to compile anything for Astroberry 2.0 to work on Zero - check main thread on Astroberry - you will see that I have already used it :-) Either download Asroberry image write to SD as normal and stick it in the slot and power up. It works ! :-) As I say running raspi-config after you have booted the Zero you can switch off the boot into Desktop and switch to boot into CLI - simple as that - it will run in CLI mode everytime .. Just remember to switch on SSH when you run the raspi-config (which can be called in CLI or DESKTOP mode) . Warning the Wifi is not the most pwerful and I switch off the bluetooth anyway on a Zero(w).
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
4 years 3 months ago #46731

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Thanks for the information on AstroBerry. I had gone to its git page and saw that it said
"Support for Raspberry Pi 3 and 4" as the first item and didn't pursue it any further. The Pi zero uses a different ARM

As you say you can switch between CLI and GUI easily.

Incidentally using ssh then changing to a different SD image and using ssh again generates a very alarming message about a man in the middle attack.
Deleting the .ssh\known_hosts file on my PC cleared that.

I'm running on my home broadband Wifi router with everything connect to that. It works over the distances I need. If I'm in the field I will set up my phone as a hot spot, assuming the phone can get a signal that gives me the internet - in particular a source of time.

BTW does AstroBerry start the indi-web server automatically?
4 years 3 months ago #46739

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Astroberry starts Webindi automatically on boot and you can autostart drivers to use with indiserver and start/restart drivers dynamically. So if one fails you can tell it to restart a particular driver. Just connect to Astroberry via browser - obviously Novnc does not work as there is no Desktop GUI started.

Never tried it BUT the zero(w) in CLI mode may create a Hotspot when your home network Wifi is not found - that way you could use it tin the field - As I say I have never tried it from CLI in that way. Let us know he outcome if you try that ! Not sure how far the signal would go in the "open".
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
4 years 3 months ago #46753

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