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Cannot Connect iOptron CEM40EC to StellarMate

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Hello!

I have a brand new iOptron CEM40EC and I am trying to get it to connect to one of my Stellarmates. I have tried all the cable and port combinations I can think of, including an RS232 to FTDI/USB, which works very well for my CEM120EC2. 

Has anyone out there successfully made this connection? Note that the newer CEM40EC port configurations are different from what iOptron shows in the manual. 

Thanks!
2 years 4 months ago #77785

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How about the baud rate? did you try higher baud rate perhaps? 115200?
2 years 4 months ago #77807

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Last september in France we made an IOptron 45 work by disabling the gps deamon - see older posts.
This deamon has messed-up more mount connections but perhaps my findings are out-dated and perhaps it has been solved......
2 years 4 months ago #77817

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I have the new type (space for a guider but without the guider) GEM 45.

I could not get it to reliably connect to my Macbook until I used a powered USB hub. Since then it has worked perfectly, well almost. I found that the USB B connector on the mount was not very positive and sometimes (usually during a long slew) it would loose contact. I replaced the USB B and the power connector with a 3 pin and 2 pin locking connector. 
If left the old USB connector in place and simply attached the 3 pin connector in parallel. I had a brand new drill bit and a column drill but it was still tough to make neat large holes but it is strong and very functional.

Connecting to Stellarmate on a RPi4 was never a problem but I always use a powered USB hub with the Pi for everything.
 


 
Last edit: 2 years 4 months ago by Rishi Garrod.
2 years 4 months ago #77818
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Thank you everyone. The problem is fixed!

I attached an external USB3 hub to the RB4's USB3 port, and then passed all my USB through that hub. I can now access the CEM40 mount from within Ekos. Incidentally, I also discovered that this mount has a pre-installed iPolar, something I don't remember seeing when I bought it. But all the devices can be accessed now.

I'm not sure that this hub I am using is "powered" as there is not an external power supply attached. But perhaps the use of the USB3 port provides extra power. 

Clear skies!
2 years 4 months ago #77827

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Great you have it working now.

I would strongly suggest you get a powered USB hub. There have been so many "weird" connection problems that in the end came down to not using a powered USB hub.

I plug my laptop into the hub (PC connection, so unplug from RPi and plug into Laptop) when I want to polar align with the iPolar. There is a Windows and a Mac app and I think they work really well.
2 years 4 months ago #77833

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