Hi All

I am new to INDI and to EqMod, I usually control the mount via a handset.

In summary I am having a problem connecting to a SynScan EQ5 controlled mount (i.e. a SW EQ5 mount with the SynScan upgrade kit on it) (SynScan V 04.39.04).
The key error I get suggests, to me (although I have no expertise), that I am missing a configuration file, but I am not being given a name or location for this file:
"2020-09-03T14:44:25: Driver indi_celestron_gps: indi_celestron_gps dispatch error: Property CONNECTION is not defined in ."
or, if I try another driver:
"2020-09-03T14:36:07: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: indi_synscan_telescope dispatch error: Property CONNECTION is not defined in ."

Any help would be great, thank you. Here are the details:

Mount powered on, no telescope attached, gone through hand controller set up, but selected No at the star alignment step. I can use the hand controller arrows to move the mount, so the motors are okay.

[EDIT: I also tried doing a fake one-star alignment and got the mount tracking an imaginary Vega, but this made no difference, I get same errors]

Then I connect to PC via a FTDI USB to RJ11 RJ12 6P4C Serial Cable (PC USB to serial port on base of hand controller).
I have tried putting the handset in PC Direct mode, but that led to less of a response than normal mode.
The PC is running Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS (as the Astronomy Linux special distro).

I uninstalled kstars and indi related libs, then:

<code>sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install indi-full gsc</code>
This led to warnings, but they don't seem to affect drivers I need:
## Warnings:
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libsbig.so.4 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libsbig.so.4.9.9 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libmtpricoh.so.9 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libRicohCameraSDKCpp.so.1 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libmtpricoh.so is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libsbig.so is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libmtpricoh.so.9.3.0 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libRicohCameraSDKCpp.so.1.1.0 is truncated
/sbin/ldconfig.real: file /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libRicohCameraSDKCpp.so is truncated

<code>sudo apt-get install kstars-bleeding</code>

I set up a profile in kstars (Tools -> Ekos) and tried to connect through that. My INDI Control Panel - Kstars window settings are as in the example elsewhere on this site. If I click connect here I get a yellow and then a red light and time out errors. Nevertheless, for testing, I ran the driver in a terminal and attempted connection in HNSKY (because I found it the simplest path to navigate to a connect button to run a test connection). Configure Kstars has an open logs directory button but clicking that does nothing. So here I give you the terminal output as a log.

<code>indiserver -v indi_synscan_telescope</code>
2020-09-03T14:31:00: startup: indiserver -v indi_synscan_telescope
2020-09-03T14:31:00: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: pid=2907 rfd=3 wfd=6 efd=7
2020-09-03T14:31:00: listening to port 7624 on fd 4
2020-09-03T14:31:00: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: snooping on GPS Simulator.GEOGRAPHIC_COORD
2020-09-03T14:31:00: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: snooping on GPS Simulator.TIME_UTC
2020-09-03T14:31:00: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: snooping on Dome Simulator.DOME_PARK
2020-09-03T14:31:00: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: snooping on Dome Simulator.DOME_SHUTTER
2020-09-03T14:36:06: Client 0: new arrival from *********** - welcome!
2020-09-03T14:36:07: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: indi_synscan_telescope dispatch error: Property CONNECTION is not defined in .
2020-09-03T14:36:50: Client 0: read EOF
2020-09-03T14:36:50: Client 0: shut down complete - bye!
2020-09-03T14:36:50: Client 0: new arrival from *********** - welcome!
2020-09-03T14:36:51: Client 0: read EOF
2020-09-03T14:36:51: Client 0: shut down complete - bye!

EQmod (in Kstars) required a guide camera to be chosen, I don't have one connected (that's another linux driver issue) so I chose it by name in the drop down, but it is not connected.

I apologise if I have left out key information, but I am in very unfamiliar territory with this.

I can add that:
<code>dmesg | grep USB</code>
did return:
usb 1-1.2: Product: FT232R USB UART
usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic
usbserial: USB Serial support registered for FTDI USB Serial Device
ftdi_sio 1-1.2:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
usb 1-1.2: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0

Thank you for your time and patience!

This error looks very worrying to me:

2020-09-03T14:36:07: Driver indi_synscan_telescope: indi_synscan_telescope dispatch error: Property CONNECTION is not defined in .

I tried to recreate your issue, by removing my config folders for INDI and KStars, to simulate a fresh install, but I could not cause that error to appear.

Normally you wouldn't run indiserver as root, but in this case, I'd try running indiserver as root (or with sudo), to see if there is a possible permissions issue. One area of possible permissions conflict is access to the USB-serial device. Usually your user must be a member of the "dialout" group (or be running as root) to gain access to the serial ports. Check in /etc/group to see if your user is a member of dialout.

I also wonder if there is some remnants left over from when you installed INDI libs from Ubuntu repository, before you removed them and went to Jasem's PPA.

Have you tried running indiserver with indi_eqmod_telescope driver?

Thank both for the ideas.
I did try connecting on a Ubuntu computer that had never had any INDI libs installed before (or Kstars), and I got the same not defined in . error.
Also, the user is a member of 'dial out', and sudo did not change the errors.

Good news sort of, as I got things working, but the bad news is that I used a work around, and the cause and fix of the "error: Property CONNECTION is not defined in ." remains unknown.

Here is what I did to get connected:

This assumes that you have a fairly new (mine dates from 2019) SynScan EQ5 that has a USB port on its hand controller (not only serial ports). The old ones don't have the USB-B port, and this method would not be suitable for those.
Don't connect a PC USB to the autoguider serial port on the motor controller box (the one clamped to your tripod legs) or to the serial port on the hand controller directly (it won't fit in that port anyway) because it can damage your motors and hand controller (to do that you need a FTDI USB Serial Device USB to serial converter).

1. Intall kstars and INDI driver etc (in a terminal, to get one type CTRL+ALT+t)

2. Start the SynScan on the mount and run through the set-up, all of it through to the star alignment (using the hand set as usual)
3. Do a 1-star alignment (just fake it, as probably, like me, you have the mount in doors with no OTA on it, just for testing)
4. Connect USB on PC to the base of the SynScan hand-controller using a A-Male to B-Male USB cable (this is the one most USB printers use). I took mine off my printer to try this.
5. Start Kstars and do Tools>Ekos to set up the connection. Call it SynScan and use the defaults.
6. Click connect and everything should turn green.
7. Now you can tweak settings as you like (input OTA details, make sure mount and Kstars are in same time zone, etc).
8. To make Kstars effect a GOTO function just right click on a star or M81 or something and choose synscan> goto
9. Watch the red cross hairs home in on your target, the mount should slew to it as well (of course).

# Alternatively you can do (in a terminal)then use HNSKY or similar to control the mount.

I noticed that if I turn the SynScan off, the hand controller remains powered on because it is getting power from the PC USB. So far it has not exploded.

Thank you very much for the tips and advice.