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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

[SOLVED] Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

I have packed up the whole "drivers" directory here (in fact, I could have limited myself to "telescope"):
www.oca.eu/tanga/Tmp/drivers.tar.gz
Note that I had to add the appropriate reference to lx200pulsar2 also in lx200generic (so that not only lx200pulsar2* files were modified)
8 years 4 months ago #5719

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Looks like you were trying to modify Astrophysics drivers. I had a look at the Pulsar2 command set and it's mostly LX200 compatible with additional extension commands. Will try to compile a driver in a couple of days.
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8 years 4 months ago #5720

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

This is great, thanks!
In fact, as the AP driver were "nearly" working, I used them as a starting point (as you suggested).
8 years 4 months ago #5721

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

Hi
had you the opportunity to give a look to this issue...?
8 years 4 months ago #5964

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Ok I just added the driver. Make sure to run full debug logging on to a file before you connect and let's see how it goes.
8 years 4 months ago #5968

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

Thank you!
We moved a step forward... it detects the mount and reacts! Then it says "...offline".
With all debug options activated this is the message I get (below). And the "connect" light stays yellow.... I can disconnect and try again - same result:

2015-11-23T20:06:08: Error connecting to Telescope. Telescope is offline.
2015-11-23T20:06:08: Detected PULSAR V5.08a ,2011.09.26. #
2015-11-23T20:06:08: RES (PULSAR V5.08a ,2011.09.26. #)
2015-11-23T20:06:08: Detected PULSAR V5.08a ,2011.09.26. #
2015-11-23T20:06:08: RES (PULSAR V5.08a ,2011.09.26. #)
2015-11-23T20:06:07: Initializing Pulsar2 using #:YV# CMD...
8 years 4 months ago #6002

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Try again. If you're using the PPA, wait for tomorrow's update. If you compiling from svn, you can try now.
8 years 4 months ago #6003

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

Awesome!! It seems to work!!
Now it connects, it tracks and reacts to slew commands.
It seems that there remains a problem with the detection of the slew finish.
In the log file I get:

SCOPE 949.667060 sec : <Slew>
SCOPE 949.667069 sec : CMD <:MS#>
SCOPE 949.789369 sec : RES <0>
DEBUG 950.446024 sec : CMD (#:YGi#)
DEBUG 950.554939 sec : RES (1)
SCOPE 950.555010 sec : CMD <#:GR#>
SCOPE 950.666042 sec : RES <19:35:40>
SCOPE 950.666161 sec : VAL [19.5944]
SCOPE 950.666175 sec : CMD <#:GD#>
....
But on the log screen I get "Slew is complete, tracking..." as soon as the slew command is issued (and the telescope just starts slewing). I suppose that there is an issue with the management of the answer of the :YGi command.
Once this is solved, I'll run a more extensive test on a clear night (possibly tomorrow).

Many many thanks!
8 years 4 months ago #6005

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Fixed now
8 years 4 months ago #6007

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

Hi - testing again.
The problem of the "end of slew" is still (partially) there, and I probably know why.
Sometimes the mount acts normally, and the logged message sequence is:

SCOPE 429.770154 sec : <setObjectRA>
SCOPE 429.770209 sec : CMD <:Sr 19:52.4#>
SCOPE 429.874809 sec : CMD <:Sr 19:52.4#> successful.
SCOPE 429.874854 sec : <setObjectDEC>
SCOPE 429.874866 sec : CMD <:Sd +09*03#>
SCOPE 429.985703 sec : CMD <:Sd +09*03#> successful.
SCOPE 429.985768 sec : <Slew>
SCOPE 429.985785 sec : CMD <:MS#>
SCOPE 430.108067 sec : RES <0>
DEBUG 430.249621 sec : CMD (#:YGi#)
DEBUG 430.449771 sec : RES (1)
SCOPE 430.449819 sec : CMD <#:GR#>
SCOPE 430.560948 sec : RES <21:44:52>
SCOPE 430.561163 sec : VAL [21.7478]
SCOPE 430.561191 sec : CMD <#:GD#>
SCOPE 430.671922 sec : RES <+09:56:22>
SCOPE 430.671993 sec : VAL [9.93944]
DEBUG 431.672950 sec : CMD (#:YGi#)
DEBUG 431.781678 sec : RES (1)
....etc (YGi returning 1 = is slewing)
But more often, YGi returns '0' at the very beginning and so INDI thinks that the slew has finished when it still has to start:

SCOPE 936.023094 sec : <setObjectRA>
SCOPE 936.023200 sec : CMD <:Sr 21:48.0#>
SCOPE 936.125361 sec : CMD <:Sr 21:48.0#> successful.
SCOPE 936.125435 sec : <setObjectDEC>
SCOPE 936.125447 sec : CMD <:Sd +10*19#>
SCOPE 936.236343 sec : CMD <:Sd +10*19#> successful.
SCOPE 936.236395 sec : <Slew>
SCOPE 936.236409 sec : CMD <:MS#>
SCOPE 936.358700 sec : RES <0>
DEBUG 936.358779 sec : CMD (#:YGi#)
DEBUG 936.700466 sec : RES (0)
SCOPE 936.700539 sec : CMD <#:GR#>
SCOPE 936.811680 sec : RES <19:52:24>
SCOPE 936.811913 sec : VAL [19.8733]
SCOPE 936.811941 sec : CMD <#:GD#>
SCOPE 936.926659 sec : RES <+09:03:37>
SCOPE 936.926738 sec : VAL [9.06028]
....
Most probably, the Pulsar unit introduces a delay between the :MS command and the effect slew start (when :YGi is risen to 1). I think that allowing for a delay of a couple of seconds before querying YGi should solve the problem. Or, one should first check that YGi answers "true", and then falls back to "false"...
8 years 4 months ago #6011

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Replied by Paolo on topic Pulsar 2 (LX200-like) driver

Another finding.

When I click on "Park" ...nothing happens. Should it stop tracking? It does not. If I then click on "unpark" I get a "command not supported" - and subsequent moves are refused ("...should first be unparked").
Note that this mount has a "home" Alt-Az position that can be set in memory (with ":YSW). The telescope can slew to it by (#:YH) and when the position is reached the motors stops. The "wake up home" (equivalent to unpark) restarts the tracking and the capability to slew.
I cannot find at present a command just stopping the tracking, without homing.
8 years 4 months ago #6013

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I re-implemented Goto function for Pulasr2 driver and introduced a 500ms delay. I'll leave the rest as an exercise to you since the code now is hopefully straight forward to you. You can re-implement Park()/UnPark() and even ReadScopeStatus()...etc in the LX200Puslar2 class.
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8 years 4 months ago #6017

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