×

INDI Library v2.0.0 Released (01 Feb 2023)

Bi-monthly release with major changes to INDI properties and client API in addition to new drivers and improvements.

Read More...

Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

  • Posts: 160
  • Thank you received: 13

Replied by Juergen on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

I just saw, that you already posted your lsusb... I try to get the detailed lsusb output after work, just copied the one line output after my photo session last night.

My EQ6-R has at least a different product ID.
Kstars 3.6.2/INDI 1.9.9 (ppa packages) on Ubuntu 22.04.1 on Mele 3Q
EQ6-R/EQ8-R
QHY268C (main cam) / ASI290MM mini (guiding cam)
several Newtonians
2 years 3 months ago #64657

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Hi Wouter,

I tried the scan ports button. Also went through the device mapping process on the port 8624 page. No luck with either.

It looks like my mount has a different serial controller than other known working mounts. Jürgen reports he has the Prolific 2303, where mine has the 23d3. His is a pretty standard TTY device. Mine shows up as a human input device,

www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?pcid=41

I should reach out to SkyWatcher to see what they have to say.
2 years 3 months ago #64661

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Thank you, Jürgen. I suspected that might be the case.

The EQMod cable still works in the hand controller port. I'll be okay if we can't figure this out. :)
Last edit: 2 years 3 months ago by Chris Barbour.
2 years 3 months ago #64662

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Hi Edgar,

The mount doesn't even show up as a com port. Unfortunately, it's not the bitrate setting.
2 years 3 months ago #64663

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

One other possible lead... It looks like the version of the Kernel I'm running may not have a driver for this serial controller.

I found this document suggesting that 23d3 support was added in Linux 5.5

cateee.net/lkddb/web-lkddb/USB_SERIAL_PL2303.html

It looks like 4.4 is the latest Kernel available for Raspbian.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi_OS

I might try compiling a newer kernel. I'm not sure how much of a pain that's going to end up being, though.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Tim
2 years 3 months ago #64664

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 991
  • Thank you received: 132

Replied by Peter Sütterlin on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Yes, I was sort-of suspecting it's a HID. Seems to get more and more common, and I don't like it too much. It's asking for trouble when it comes to firmware upgrades. The ZWO EAF is also such a 'problem child'. FW update software only for windows, but contrary to standard COM/USB ports where you usually can run that software in wine, the HID support in wine is not up to that :( Not even vmware worked.

So I'm afraid you will need a dedicated driver to use that USB port.

Then again - isn't eqmod supposed to use the HC port anyhow, and USB only if used through the HC? What would be the advantage using that USB port?
openSUSE Tumbleweed KStars git INDI git
GPDX+EQMOD, CEM60EC, ASI2600/1600/290mini+EFW+EAF
2 years 3 months ago #64665

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1944
  • Thank you received: 419

Replied by Wouter van Reeven on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

How about backing up the SD card and installing Ubuntu 20.04 with KStars on it? May be easier than compiling your own kernel.
Wouter van Reeven

ASI6200MM and 7 slot 2" filter wheel with a SkyWatcher Esprit 80 ED on a SkyWatcher HEQ5-Pro
ASI1600MM-Pro Cooled and 5 slot 1.25" filter wheel with an 8" TS Ritchey-Chrétien on a SkyWatcher EQ6-R
2 years 3 months ago #64666

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

I can confirm the mount works with the latest Kernel releases.
[ 1100.656675] usb 1-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 11 using xhci_hcd
[ 1100.793704] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=23d3, bcdDevice= 4.05
[ 1100.793727] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 1100.793746] usb 1-1.3: Product: USB-Serial Controller
[ 1100.793764] usb 1-1.3: Manufacturer: Prolific Technology Inc.
[ 1100.793781] usb 1-1.3: SerialNumber: AECOb19B616
[ 1100.899680] usbcore: registered new interface driver pl2303
[ 1100.899719] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for pl2303
[ 1100.899793] pl2303 1-1.3:1.0: pl2303 converter detected
[ 1100.900470] usb 1-1.3: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0

Current versions of Stellarmate and Raspberry Pi OS require an unsupported kernel upgrade to make the mount work. I'm sure we can expect official support eventually, but this is a Raspbian thing, and not a Stellarmate thing.

This process worked for me: www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/raspbi...ations/rpi-update.md

Here's my release information:
stellarmate@stellarmate:~ $ uname -a
Linux stellarmate 5.10.0-v7l+ #1382 SMP Tue Dec 15 18:23:34 GMT 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux
 
stellarmate@stellarmate:~ $ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Raspbian
Description:	Raspbian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)
Release:	10
Codename:	buster

The port needs to be set to 115200 as per the other comments.

Here's the output of lsusb:
stellarmate@stellarmate:~ $ lsusb
 
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 0424:5807 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 067b:23d3 Prolific Technology, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0403:6015 Future Technology Devices International, Ltd Bridge(I2C/SPI/UART/FIFO)
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 1546:01a7 U-Blox AG [u-blox 7]
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:2807 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2109:3431 VIA Labs, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 
stellarmate@stellarmate:~ $ lsusb -s 001:11 -v
 
Bus 001 Device 011: ID 067b:23d3 Prolific Technology, Inc.
Couldn't open device, some information will be missing
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               2.00
  bDeviceClass            0
  bDeviceSubClass         0
  bDeviceProtocol         0
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x067b Prolific Technology, Inc.
  idProduct          0x23d3
  bcdDevice            4.05
  iManufacturer           1
  iProduct                2
  iSerial                 3
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength       0x0027
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0
    bmAttributes         0xa0
      (Bus Powered)
      Remote Wakeup
    MaxPower              100mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           3
      bInterfaceClass       255 Vendor Specific Class
      bInterfaceSubClass      0
      bInterfaceProtocol      0
      iInterface              0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN
        bmAttributes            3
          Transfer Type            Interrupt
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x000a  1x 10 bytes
        bInterval               1
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x02  EP 2 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x83  EP 3 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
2 years 3 months ago #64667

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD


The main practical advantage is that we can use cheap USB A to B cables instead of the expensive / proprietary EQMod cables. Using standard USB cables makes it easier to find the right cable length, which improves cable management. Beside the cost/availability benefit, EQMod cables have an odd shape USB connector, and they don't always fit into my USB hubs correctly. Plus, RJ45 connectors have a nasty habit of snagging on everything.

I suspect there are other benefits. I like that it runs at 115200bps instead of 9600bps, but I'm not sure how much that really matters.

All that stuff seems kind of stilly, but I've found that there are a bunch of real world benefits, especially when I'm sitting in freezing temperatures after dark in the middle of nowhere trying to get my equipment up and running.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Aaron Mellema, StarSyphon
2 years 3 months ago #64668

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1
  • Thank you received: 0

Replied by StarSyphon on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Nice find! I had an ASAIR that wasn't working and I could not tinker with it like I could with astroberry, which led me down exactly the same path as you.

Astroberry before rpi-update:
[ 5467.485644] usb 1-1.2: new full-speed USB device number 10 using dwc_otg
[ 5467.619027] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=23d3, bcdDevice= 4.05
[ 5467.619047] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 5467.619060] usb 1-1.2: Product: USB-Serial Controller
[ 5467.619071] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: Prolific Technology Inc.
[ 5467.619082] usb 1-1.2: SerialNumber: A8COb19B616

Astroberry after rpi-update:
[ 391.746973] usb 1-1.5: new full-speed USB device number 4 using dwc_otg
[ 391.880389] usb 1-1.5: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=23d3, bcdDevice= 4.05
[ 391.880417] usb 1-1.5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 391.880433] usb 1-1.5: Product: USB-Serial Controller
[ 391.880448] usb 1-1.5: Manufacturer: Prolific Technology Inc.
[ 391.880463] usb 1-1.5: SerialNumber: A8COb19B616
[ 391.984895] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[ 391.987019] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic
[ 391.993006] usbcore: registered new interface driver pl2303
[ 391.994878] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for pl2303
[ 391.995467] pl2303 1-1.5:1.0: pl2303 converter detected
[ 391.996487] usb 1-1.5: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0

I spent three days tearing my hair out pleading with ZWO and SkyWatcher support for them only telling me to change the baud rate.. very frustrating.

UPDATE: After using astroberry I am quite interested now to look at what appears to be a more polished stellarmate. Hoping ASIAR will let me return the controller. KStars is amazing!
Last edit: 2 years 3 months ago by StarSyphon.
2 years 3 months ago #64900

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 44
  • Thank you received: 3

Replied by Chris Barbour on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Hi starsyphon,
I'm glad this helped!
Open source and full INDI compatibility has been a big selling point for the Stellarmate. I'm definitely glad I went with it, especially as I started adding more equipment to my astro-rig.
2 years 3 months ago #64918

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 85
  • Thank you received: 18

Replied by David James on topic Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

Interesting thread... good to see that a solution was ultimately available.


What an interesting design choice, though. It's kind of half-assed, really.

If I were designing this, I would have designed into the mount a powered USB 3.0 hub, then take an internal USB connection for the USB-serial connection of the mount controller. Then they'd be left with 3 USB ports that can be set aside as USB sockets on the control panel to connect other devices to. Or they could create a second hub to provide a total of 6 USB sockets.
2 years 3 months ago #64934

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 1.358 seconds