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

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Trouble with the EQ6R-Pro USB Port and EQMOD

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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.
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3 years 3 months ago #64664

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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?
3 years 3 months ago #64665

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How about backing up the SD card and installing Ubuntu 20.04 with KStars on it? May be easier than compiling your own kernel.
3 years 3 months ago #64666

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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
3 years 3 months ago #64667

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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
3 years 3 months ago #64668

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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: 3 years 3 months ago by StarSyphon.
3 years 3 months ago #64900

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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.
3 years 3 months ago #64918

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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.
3 years 3 months ago #64934

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That’s thinking in a practical way. But thinking in a commercial way, you would have designed the mount exactly like this so people would need to buy additional hubs to get all hardware working. It’s all about the money :(
3 years 3 months ago #64935

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I have mixed feelings about incorporating fast moving technology into long-lived technology. I expect I could get a 10-20 year life out of the EQ6R, but I'm confident most of my equipment will be USB-C a few years from now.

As an aside, I learned that a USB type-B connector will fit into the hand-controller slot, and that it'll short the slot out. I really appreciate the Pegasus UPV right now.
3 years 2 months ago #65119

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

I was debugging the very same problem for days and looking for this very information. This line is the very reason why I am still sane (not completely though)!

Thanks.
Telescope: RedCat 51 APO 250mm f/4.9
Cameras: ASI2600 MC Pro & ASI120 MM Mini
Mounts: SkyGuider Pro & EQ6-R Pro
Other: AsiAIR Pro
The following user(s) said Thank You: Chris Barbour
3 years 2 months ago #65207

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You definitely don't need to compile it yourself. `rpi-update` and its pre-compiled kernels is your friend and worked very well for me.

I explained and listed all of the steps I took here, hope it's OK to share;

How to connect EQ6-R Pro to AsiAIR (inc. other Raspberry PI solutions) through USB type B cable
Telescope: RedCat 51 APO 250mm f/4.9
Cameras: ASI2600 MC Pro & ASI120 MM Mini
Mounts: SkyGuider Pro & EQ6-R Pro
Other: AsiAIR Pro
3 years 2 months ago #65208

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