Hi Guys,
Just want to share a DIY focuser I built. I was thinking to get a electronic focuser for imaging session but I've found I've already got an old skywatcher focuser. I browse a little bit on the Internet and found there'a project by Wim van Berlo here:
stargazerslounge.com/topic/297619-arduin...mpatible-dc-focuser/
which I'd think, yeah, why not just do the same thing? So I ordered some parts and build one myself, but without the HAT. I was trying to make the focuser as compact as it can be (I would have shrink it into a USB thumb drive size package, which is possible). I don't have a backyward site for astrophotography and I have to carry quite a lot of gears out to a remote site. So compact and lightweight are my priority. I figured out that I can just drive a TB6612FNG breakout directly with a UNO R3 (no HAT). The UNO got a 12V feed which also fits the motor requirement. See the photos in the attachments.
Basically everything is the same as what Wim has done, the arduino was uploaded with a sketch that handles the moonlite commands. I just need to modify the pin numbers to make it work.
I used a right-angled dupont pins and solder the breakout board right to the pins. This gives me a very compact size which I can fit the whole thing onto and arduino case:
I just solder the RJ11 socket directly to the breakout. The skywatcher DC focuser uses a RJ11 to connect to the motor.
**NOTE the correction on the wiring as the picture described - on the first attempted I wired the 5V incorrectly to wired to GND.
Also the breakout board - caution when you feed 12V into it. I've broke two of the breakouts because the capacitor cannot handle 12V. (Caution: It would cause a blast with sparks when the cap blows!!!).. So make sure you check the cap before connecting 12V.
The UNO R3 case fits perfect on the position of the RJ connectors. I just need to open up a hole for connecting the cable to the jack
and that's the whole thing:
I just hope this would help someone who wants to build something compact as this one. I'm sure the size can be shrink further to somewhat a pi zero case would fit: Arduino Nano + 12v + a stepper or DC breakout.
Next I would try to drive the breakout directly from a raspberry pi - I use RPI4 and run Kstars + EKOS on it for my imaging session. If I drive the arduino focuser I need an extra USB port, which for now all the 4 USB ports are already occupied: CCD + mount + guider cam + USB thumbdrive. I also don't want to carry an extra USB hub. If I uses a ZWO camera I can make use of the USB hub on the camera body so it wouldn't be a problem but I use Atik mostly. So my next project would be feeding 12V to the RPI4 with a DC convertor (that feeds 5V3A to the RPI4 itself) and make use of the 12v to the motor and breakout so I could simply connect the motor directly to the RPI4 with the RJ11. Then develop a custom INDI focuser driver.
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Thank you Eric. This would be a nice-to-have feature so I won't accidentally slew my mount (especially to some wierd position like pointing under the horizon) after platesolve.
Or may be in the UI, consider adding "Ask Me what to do", so this would pops-up, ask the user to make sure it only applies to the UI interactions.
Thanks for considering my suggestions!
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Hi everyone,
Can I set the default "Solver Action", like as "Sync" in the Solver module in Ekos?
The reason I'm doing this is that I mostly perform platesolve and sync where the telescope to point to, and then perform a goto to the target.
I was hoping I can set the "Sync" and save it as the default so every time I start Ekos it would start as "Sync" instead of "Slew To".
Thanks!
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Guys
I'm still stuck with the horizontal lines in the captured image on my 490ex. I tried to experiment a little bit using different OS and drivers: RPI3, RPI4, Ubuntu 16, 18, 19, Raspbian buster, etc.
Found only when I use cloudmakers Atik driver 1.17 (which is pretty old already) there're no horizontal lines.
When I use Cloudmakers 1.30, libatik (the new driver) both having the horizontal lines, at different position s though.
Short captures like 10 sec the lines are visible after autostretch. At long exposures like 300 sec the lines are not visible but I didn't stack them so I don't know if that'd affect the final output or not.
Can someone help please?
Stephen
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there's an FAQ in Atik website about the horizontal lines saying it's the USB transfer problem. I'm not sure if this is due to the USB in RPI4 causing this.
I tried ubuntu 19.10 kstars, raspbian. All same in RPI4.
www.atik-cameras.com/question/seeing-occ...lines-image-causing/
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Guys
I've installed the cloudmakers driver and note the differences on the lines. Two lines instead of 3.
I tried to see if this is a general problem by connecting to ZWO ASI camera and there're no lines in the image when it's taken from ZWO ASI
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Sorry for cross-posting
There found a few horizontal lines appearing in the images taken by the latest atik driver:
www.indilib.org/forum/ekos/5864-horizont...-indi-3rd-party.html
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I've compiled indi 3rd party from the source code and found that the captured image from my Atik 490ex contains 3 horizontal lines. See screen. This didn't happen in Artemis software nor the ppa distribution.
T
Any clues?
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Thanks I did went to the thread - yet it's kind of long. I managed to build the drivers and make the EKOS works.
I have to build indi-core from source too. Simply apt-get indi-bin would not work - some shared libraries/headers were not installed for building the 3rd party drivers.
Few basic tests: Looping frames in focus module with my Atik, no problem. Connect to Temma2, no problem.
Yet I've found there're 4 horizontal lines at the captured image of my Atik - It may be the driver problem.
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