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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Indiserver WiFi option for Synscan Goto?

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If you are an ex programmer than an alternative is to use an ESP32/Ardunio sketch to enable serial to UDP convertion (just plug in the ESP32(usb version) creates a serial port and the coding in the ESP32 can pick up the serial data and do transparant convertion to UDP (and visa versa). It works but ESP Wifi signal isn't the strongest IMO - but it works. If you google something like " transparanet serial to UDP arduino " there is a basic sketch out there but it does need mods to enable it to work with SW UDP (mainly port numbers!)

Here's your starter github.com/roboremo/ESP8266-WiFi-UART-Bridge :-)

Just a thought :-)
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3 years 10 months ago #54212

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Hmmm. I already have a Pi4 on the scope running indiserver, it would make sense to make use of that WiFi....but I do have an Arduino that I used for a stand-alone WiFi focuser using Java and python when I got the scope. Funny thing, one of the first commercial programs I wrote back in 1978 was a transmission program for the 8250 UART for use in terminal modem programs. Things have a way of circling back around. Perhaps it is time to dust things off. Thank you for the link. I'll take a look.
3 years 10 months ago #54231

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You have said that your mount already have the wifi dongle built in, isn't it?
What kind of mount is that?
3 years 10 months ago #54232

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Here is a picture of the HandUnit (that I no longer use) and the ALT motor) on my SkyWatcher 10" Dobsonian GOTO. The three ports on the HandUnit are: Connection to Motors (left, curly cord), Camera Control Port (center) and USB I/O. Note the WiFi symbol on the motor. I am not sure if the WiFi device is in the ALT or AZ motor, but I suspect the ALT motor, as it has the power connectivity and other ports.

I have recently found documentation for the Camera Control Port and believe it may =possibly= be a direct serial input to the motors. The pinout is:
1 - Shutter
2 - TX (RS232C)
3 - Ground
4 - Common
5- RX (RS232C)
6 Vpp+
It may be that wiring a USB cable with pins 2, 3, 4 & 5 properly connected to a RJ12 plug will be the means of communicating from the Pi to the motors. I know that the Telescope Mount Port is TTL, so that's not an option without hardware. Connecting through the SynScan HandUnit USB port is the same as WiFi through SynScan APP.
3 years 10 months ago #54245
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RATS!

No...I'm wrong. That's the port on the EVIL HandUnit. No point in messing with that... may as well just us a USB cable plugged into the HandUnit USB port. And it would be back to the HandUnit requirement. Sorry for the misdirection, but at least you can see the mount setup and built-in WiFi.
Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by Jon Carleton.
3 years 10 months ago #54246

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This is the same as mine. I will tell you the exact pinout. Just confirm me one more thing:
The cable between tha hand unit and the motor unit has an RJ45 (8 pin) connector on the hand unit side, and an RJ12 (6 pin) connector on the motor controller side, right?
Meanwhile here is a link for the hand controller manual (the link is from here www.skywatcherusa.com/pages/support-center ):
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0080/7095/5123...-EN.pdf?v=1587159582
On page 47 you can find the pinout of the ports of the hand controller.
The one you have found is the "multi-purpose port". That is meant for connecting the hand unit to a PC. You are right, that is the same as connecting to the synscan app. And yes, it is useless since you have USB on the hand controller.
The other one is the one connecting to the motor board. You can deduce the pinout on the motor controller by carefully looking the wire colors on the cable used to connect the hand controller to the motor board.
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Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by Zoltán Belső.
3 years 10 months ago #54250

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Yes, the curly cord going from the HandUnit to the ALT motor is RJ45 (8-pin) at the HandUnit and RJ12 (6-pin) at the ALT motor. There is a standard CAT6 RJ45 (8-pin) cable from the ALT motor to the AZ motor.

...and yes, I see the Telescope Mount Port pin-out. It shows TTL level for the TX->RX communications, as suspected. So if one were to talk to the mount via wiring without the HandUnit, one would require at minimum, a USB->TTL hardware component.

So, it is looking more like WiFi UDP is the way to go. I have started a WireShark capture of packets to get an idea of what SynScan APP is sending and receiving in mount communications. Tomorrow I'll look at the indi_skywatcherAltAzMount code. C/C++ was never my strongest language...but at least I can get an idea. Most of my networking code was originally written in Spark/Solaris assembler, and then Java some Perl after about 1992.
3 years 10 months ago #54252

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Here is the pinout of the cable:

This browser does not support PDFs. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF



What you need is a so called "eqmod cable" which is just a fancy name for an USB-TTLUART cable with an RJ12 connector at the end with the right pinout.
I have made mine myself from a cable like that:
www.ftdichip.com/Products/Cables/USBTTLSerial.htm

The RX and the TX pin is connected together on some mounts (like the Virtuoso mount). Otherwise the RX pin of the FTDI cable should be connected to the TX pin on the mount and vica versa.
3 years 10 months ago #54253
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The protocol is published by Skywatcher, no need to reverse engineer.
The protocol for the Synscan app:

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And the protocol for the motor controller:

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Source: skywatcher.com/download/manual/application-development/
Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by Zoltán Belső.
3 years 10 months ago #54254
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I'm sorry to tell you, that it is heavy duty C++ strongly utilizing object inheritance.
3 years 10 months ago #54255

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Silly question but have you tried the AZ-GTI device which has Wifi support built in and as its based on the EQMOD which will talk to MOST SW mount motors directly so is using the corrent "SW protocol" already. If nothing else its not a bad place to start looking at the coding :-)

Forgive me in saying SW aren't going to create new boards/motor protocols for the newer GoTo Dobs as it doesn't make commercial sense - IMHO.

If nothing else no wiring (get it wrong and its bye bye board - e.g. 12v onto 3.3v = bang) - and do not trust wiring colours (color) - I have found that they dont match across the same cables - the pins do so follow the pin outs IMO.

But if you love "fiddling" thats great and good luck :-)
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3 years 10 months ago #54274

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deleted wrong
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Last edit: 3 years 10 months ago by Clive Stachon.
3 years 10 months ago #54276

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