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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Will Stellarmate solve my MacOS problems?

  • Posts: 58
  • Thank you received: 2
As a Mac user I’ve had a hard time with drivers. 
The latest issue is that I can’t connect my Baader Steeldrive II to Ekos.
It seems that I‘m the only person using INDI on Mac with Baader, so I don’t think that problem will be solved soonish.

Now I‘m thinking about going the easy way buying a laptop and use ASCOM. 
Or buy a Raspberry 4 and Stellarmate still using my MacBook Pro to connect and control my hardware. 

Currently I have connected my 10Micron 1000 to ethernet and my focuser and ASI to USB.
My MacBook is connected to my WiFi. 

Question: If I connect camera and focuser to the Raspberry with Stellarmate and the Raspberry to Ethernet and use my Mac to control everything. Will my (Mac only) problems solved?

All the best,
Oliver

 
2 years 4 months ago #77572

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Short answer: yes.
I am coming from the other direction, having used a local headless computer (Fitlet, lets say a RPi on steroids) with all connections and connecting from a Mac. With the new M1 Macs I had hoped that a Mac mini at the scope would make a great user experience. But I am running into similar connectivity issues as you describe, also with a focuser (Esatto).
Using RPi as server where the devices connect to and connecting remote from your Macbook running KStars/Ekos is a great setup. And driver/connectivity issues will always pop up from time to time, but generally it has been a smooth ride. Only thing is if your camera sensors becomes bigger, and larger files need to be sent over, transfer speed may become prohibitive. You seem to have a lot of hardwired ethernet connections, so should be good. I've found an ASI1600 to work perfectly, but my ASI6200 takes too long to transfer the files. So I run everything KStars/Ekos on the Fitlet and use VNC viewer on the Mac to control.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Oliver
2 years 4 months ago #77594

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I run my setup with a locally mounted Raspberry Pi 4 (Astroberry from SSD) and talk to it from the house via Ethernet with my MacBook. The issues I had with WiFi reliability went away with the wired connection. I did have to add a 12V powered USB 3 hub to ensure proper voltage levels for the bus powered USB devices. The Pi is powered by an up-rated 5V supply to prevent under voltage events.
The issues now are typically weather related than computer related - a nice change.
2 years 4 months ago #77667

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