Gina

One possibility for the camera casing also used as part of the main ASC casing (shown in clear blue). The dome clamping ring (clear red) and the O Ring (orange).

Minimal camera cover added. This provides thermal insulation so the thicker the better. This includes a bit of clearance to allow for 3D printing artefacts.

Stage 1 - Camera, lens and dome. The top of the camera is going to have to be slightly above the centre of curvature to allow 180° FoV. Hopefully, this won't be enough to cause distortion and elongated stars. The smaller top part of the lens rotates to focus.

I've ordered the 4.5" dome and corresponding O ring. Decided there was no need to give myself a harder job for the sake of a few quid!!

For even manual focussing I shall need a re-design. Whether I can do it with the current size dome etc. remains to be seen. One possibility is to buy a bigger dome and O ring, such as a 4.5 Inch Clear Acrylic Dome for use in all sky cameras. This would provide more room to get a focussing mechanism in and also with the centre of curvature being near the bottom (as opposed to being 18mm above in the case of the present 3.5" dome) the mechanism would not need to be totally inside the dome. It would mean spending another £25 on parts but I guess this is a small price compared with the overall cost of the ASC and particularly with astronomy in general. I'll work on the design and see.

No, I used silicone sealant which failed and the rain got in. The new plan is O ring sealing.

I have now stripped the ASC right down - needed if only using the O ring to seal the dome. The wet is evident everywhere, even the copper waterblock has gone green! But the cause is known and can be fixed. Focus is a different matter, even manual focus.

Hmm - I see what you mean!!

I'm considering using manual focus but using a shaft brought out through a gland so that I can refocus without taking the dome off and also providing very fine control.

Latest dashboard display.

Wind measuring rig taken down and brought indoors. Taken apart and new sketch uploaded to ESP32, put back together and a quick test to check it's working before taking it back out and attaching to obsy corner post. Powered up and working again.

This is the new sketch. // Wind speed and direction 2020-09-07 /********* With thanks to Rui Santos Complete project details at https://randomnerdtutorials.com and others ******** Modified and added to by Gina 2020-08-21 onward ******** */ // Set value for North offset correction int northOffset = 15; // use a value between 0 and 15 // Set up for timer interrupts volatile int interrupts; int totalInterrupts; hw_timer_t * timer = NULL; portMUX_TYPE timerMux = portMUX_INITIALIZER_UNLOCKED; int timerCount = 0; // periods or intervals in milliseconds const int P3s = 3000; // integer unsigned long P3m = 180000; // variable used as constant unsigned long last3s = 0; unsigned long last3m = 0; // ADC pins const int An1 = 34; const int An2 = 35; const int An3 = 32; const int An4 = 33; // ADC readings int dir1 = 0; int dir2 = 0; int dir3 = 0; int dir4 = 0; // Gray to binary table int codeArray[16] = {0,1,3,2,7,6,4,5,15,14,12,13,8,9,11,10}; // index Gray (local) // Direction count bins int bin[20] = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}; // indexes dirn, i, I (local) // 10m speed averaging etc. int meanArray[10] = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}; int gustArray[10] = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}; int ringIndex = 0; // debugging the PulseCount int pulseArray[10] = {0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}; int writeIndex = 0, readIndex = 0; // Speed variables long sumSpeed = 0; // 0- int meanSpeed = 0; // 0-100mph int gustSpeed = 0; // 0-100mph // Set GPIO for Hall Sensor const int HallSensorPin = 4; int PulseCount = 0, windGust = 0; int windSpeed = 0; #include <WiFi.h> #include <PubSubClient.h> // Replace the next variables with your SSID/Password combination const char* ssid = "Ubiquity"; const char* password = "********"; const char* mqtt_server = "192.168.1.140"; WiFiClient windClient; PubSubClient client(windClient); void IRAM_ATTR onTime() { portENTER_CRITICAL_ISR(&timerMux); interrupts=1; windSpeed += PulseCount; // Accumulate mean speed if (PulseCount > windGust) {windGust = PulseCount;}; // Get max speed for gust pulseArray[writeIndex] = PulseCount; writeIndex = (writeIndex+1)%10; PulseCount = 0; // clear count timerCount++; // count number of timer interrupts for 1m speed sum portEXIT_CRITICAL_ISR(&timerMux); } // Checks if Hall sensor was triggered - Interrupt Handler void IRAM_ATTR HallTriggered() { ++PulseCount; // Increment count } int Beaufort(int mph){ if (mph < 1) return 0; else if (mph <= 3) return 1; else if (mph <= 7) return 2; else if (mph <= 12) return 3; else if (mph <= 18) return 4; else if (mph <= 24) return 5; else if (mph <= 31) return 6; else if (mph <= 38) return 7; else if (mph <= 46) return 8; else if (mph <= 54) return 9; else if (mph <= 63) return 10; else if (mph <= 72) return 11; else return 12; } void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); setup_wifi(); client.setServer(mqtt_server, 1883); client.setCallback(callback); // Hall Sensor mode INPUT_PULLUP pinMode(HallSensorPin, INPUT_PULLUP); // Set HallSensor pin as interrupt, assign interrupt function and set FALLING mode attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(HallSensorPin), HallTriggered, FALLING); if (!client.connected()) {reconnect();} // // Configure Prescaler to 80, as our timer runs @ 80Mhz // Giving an output of 80,000,000 / 80 = 1,000,000 ticks / second timer = timerBegin(0, 80, true); timerAttachInterrupt(timer, &onTime, true); // Fire Interrupt every 3m ticks, so 3s timerAlarmWrite(timer, 3000000, true); timerAlarmEnable(timer); } void setup_wifi() { delay(10); // We start by connecting to a WiFi network Serial.println(); Serial.print("Connecting to "); Serial.println(ssid); WiFi.begin(ssid, password); while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) { delay(500); Serial.print("."); } Serial.println(""); Serial.println("WiFi connected"); Serial.println("IP address: "); Serial.println(WiFi.localIP()); } void callback(char* topic, byte* message, unsigned int length) { Serial.print("Message arrived on topic: "); Serial.print(topic); Serial.print(". Message: "); String messageTemp; for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) { Serial.print((char)message[i]); messageTemp += (char)message[i]; } Serial.println(); if (String(topic) == "wind/northoffset") { Serial.print("Message String : "); Serial.println(messageTemp); Serial.print("Number : "); int Number = messageTemp.toInt(); Serial.println(Number); northOffset = Number; } } void reconnect() { // Loop until we're reconnected while (!client.connected()) { Serial.print("Attempting MQTT connection..."); // Attempt to connect if (client.connect("windClient")) { Serial.println("connected"); // Subscribe client.subscribe("wind/northoffset"); } else { Serial.print("failed, rc="); Serial.print(client.state()); Serial.println(" try again in 5 seconds"); // Wait 5 seconds before retrying delay(5000); } } } //Get instantaneous wind direction - variable dirn void getDirection(){ int dirn = 0; // Read wind vane optical sensor values dir1 = analogRead(An1); dir2 = analogRead(An2); dir3 = analogRead(An3); dir4 = analogRead(An4); // Convert Gray bits to integer int Gray = 0; if (dir1 > 2000) {Gray = 8;}; if (dir2 > 2000) {Gray += 4;}; if (dir3 > 2000) {Gray += 2;}; if (dir4 > 2000) {Gray += 1;}; // Convert Gray to binary dirn = 15 - codeArray[Gray]; // correct rotation direction dirn = (dirn + northOffset) %16; // correct encoder for North ++bin[dirn]; // increment appropriate bin for Consensus Averaging sendDirectionMessageInst(dirn); // send instantaneous direction } // void sendSpeedMessages(){ if (!client.connected()) {reconnect();} // messages to send :- // wind/speed/mph -- meanSpeed // wind speed/force -- Beaufort(meanSpeed) // wind/gust/mph -- gustSpeed // wind/gust/force -- Beaufort(gustSpeed) // // Convert the Mean Speed to a char array char msString[8]; dtostrf(meanSpeed, 1, 1, msString); Serial.print(" Mean Speed: "); Serial.print(msString); client.publish("wind/speed/mph", msString); // Convert the Mean-Speed-Force to a char array char bsString[8]; dtostrf(Beaufort(meanSpeed), 1, 0, bsString); // Serial.print("Force: "); // Serial.println(bsString); client.publish("wind/speed/force", bsString); // Convert the Gust-Speed to a char array char gsString[8]; dtostrf(gustSpeed, 1, 0, gsString); Serial.print(" Gust: "); Serial.println(gsString); client.publish("wind/gust/mph", gsString); // Convert the Gust-Speed-Force to a char array char bgString[8]; dtostrf(Beaufort(gustSpeed), 1, 0, bgString); // Serial.print("Gust Force: "); // Serial.println(bgString); client.publish("wind/gust/force", bgString); } void sendDirectionMessage(int Dir){ // Convert the Direction to a char array char dirString[8]; dtostrf(Dir, 1, 0, dirString); // Serial.print(" Direction: "); // Serial.println(dirString); client.publish("wind/direction", dirString); } void sendDirectionMessageInst(int Dir){ // Convert the Direction to a char array char dirString[8]; dtostrf(Dir, 1, 0, dirString); // Serial.print("Transient Direction: "); // Serial.println(dirString); client.publish("wind/direction/inst", dirString); } // Debugging only void sendringIndex(){ // Convert the number to a char array char numString[8]; dtostrf(ringIndex, 1, 0, numString); Serial.print("ringIndex: "); Serial.println(numString); client.publish("wind/ringIndex", numString); } void sendNumberMessage(int N){ // Convert the number to a char array char numString[8]; dtostrf(N, 1, 0, numString); Serial.print("Number: "); Serial.println(numString); client.publish("wind/number", numString); } void sendNorthOffset(){ // Convert the number to a char array char numString[8]; dtostrf(northOffset, 1, 0, numString); Serial.print("northOffset: "); Serial.println(numString); client.publish("wind/northoffset/confirm", numString); } void speed20sum(){ sendringIndex(); sendNorthOffset(); // sendNumberMessage2(Number); // sendNumberMessage2(windSpeed); // wind speed mean and gust ring arrays and report meanArray[ringIndex] = windSpeed; // put windSpeed into new array index gustArray[ringIndex] = windGust; // put windGust into new array index sumSpeed = 0; gustSpeed = 0; windSpeed = 0; windGust = 0; for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) { sumSpeed += meanArray[i]; // sum the windSpeeds if (gustArray[i] > gustSpeed){gustSpeed = gustArray[i];}} // find maximum gust speed sumSpeed *=3; // in conjunction with 20 converts speed by 1.5 meanSpeed = sumSpeed /20 /timerCount; // gustSpeed = gustSpeed *3 /2; // Speed count over 3s rather than 4.5s sendSpeedMessages(); ringIndex = (ringIndex+1)%10; // move ringIndex on to next location in the ring arrays } // debugging PulseCount void sendPulseArray(){ sendNumberMessage(pulseArray[readIndex]); readIndex = (readIndex+1)%10; // move readIndex on to next location in the pulse ring array } void ConsensusAveraging(){ // wind direction calculations and report int sum[16]; int S=0,I=0,W=0; bin[16] = bin[0]; bin[17] = bin[1]; bin[18] = bin[2]; bin[19] = bin[3]; for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {sum[i] = bin[i] + bin[i+1] + bin[i+2] + bin[i+3] + bin[i+4]; // find the index with the highest sum and save sum and index if (sum[i] > S){S = sum[i]; I = i;};} W = (bin[I+1] + 2 * bin[I+2] + 3 * bin[I+3] + 4 * bin[I+4]) * 45 / S; sendDirectionMessage((I * 45 + W)%720 /2); //Empty the bins ready for a new direction calculation for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {bin[i] = 0;}; } void loop() { // if (!client.connected()) {reconnect();} client.loop(); if (interrupts != 0 ){ // ISR has triggered - proceed and perform the jobs if (timerCount >= 20) {speed20sum(); timerCount=0;}; // time the various periods long now = millis(); if(now - last3s > P3s) {getDirection(); sendPulseArray(); last3s = now;} if(now - last3m > P3m) {ConsensusAveraging(); last3m = now;} interrupts = 0; // Reset the flag } }

This is the latest wind data before I bring the rig in and upload the new sketch. Quite a gusty wind today and quite variable in direction too.

This would enable me to set the North direction remotely if I decide to turn the wind sensor mast to move the wind vane out of the view from the mount. Anyone see any disadvantage to doing this? I might repeat the offset value back to the Dashboard as confirmation.

I get excellent results using narrowband filters with Asahi (Pentax) Takumar, Super Takumar and SMC Takumar M42 mount lenses. These are superb lenses and work well even at full aperture. I have several of various focal lengths. The point with terrestrial camera lenses is that they are not fully APO into the deep red but with very narrow band filters this isn't a problem - just that you need different focus settings for Ha & SII as compared with OIII. HTH.

Running a test for remote number setting via MQTT. Changed the topic from wind/northoffset to tes/northoffset and set up a test client on a new ESP32. Changed the number in Dashboard and watched the Serial Monitor on the testClient. Test successful. void callback(char* topic, byte* message, unsigned int length) { Serial.print("Message arrived on topic: "); Serial.print(topic); Serial.print(". Message: "); String messageTemp; for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) { Serial.print((char)message[i]); messageTemp += (char)message[i]; } Serial.println(); if (String(topic) == "test/northoffset") { Serial.print("Message String : "); Serial.println(messageTemp); Serial.print("Number : "); Serial.println(messageTemp.toInt()); } }

I think it should be easy enough to remote control the North Offset via MQTT. In Node-RED This shows a numeric control in the Dashboard Then I just have to read the message in the sketch and convert it to an integer. I'll look at that tomorrow.

Code changed to //Get instantaneous wind direction - variable dirn void getDirection(){ int dirn = 0; // Read wind vane optical sensor values dir1 = analogRead(An1); dir2 = analogRead(An2); dir3 = analogRead(An3); dir4 = analogRead(An4); // Convert Gray bits to integer int Gray = 0; if (dir1 > 2000) {Gray = 8;}; if (dir2 > 2000) {Gray += 4;}; if (dir3 > 2000) {Gray += 2;}; if (dir4 > 2000) {Gray += 1;}; // Convert Gray to binary dirn = 15 - codeArray[Gray]; // correct rotation direction dirn = (dirn + northOffset) %16; // correct encoder for North ++bin[dirn]; // increment appropriate bin for Consensus Averaging sendDirectionMessageInst(dirn); // send instantaneous direction } with this at the beginning of the sketch // Set value for North offset correction int northOffset = 15; // use a value between 0 and 15

Thank you James - if I'd gone and changed the Gray code table I would have got into a tremendous mess and totally confused!

Oh yes, you're right - the array is arranged in Gray code order not binary. Agreed!! Not touching it - too much trouble!!

So do I 😀 There are times when more code is good, to make the workings understandable in the future.

Yes, that was my thinking in the first place. The reason for the two separate lines - one for orientation and the other for offset. As for changing the North direction, I was wondering whether to add code to enable this to be changed remotely via MQTT.

0,1,3,2,7,6,4,5,15,14,12,13,8,9,11,10 becomes 10,11,9,8,13,12,14,15,5,4,6,7,2,3,1,0 then shifted one way or the other which I'll work out tomorrow with a clear head! Either 11,9,8,13,12,14,15,5,4,6,7,2,3,1,0,10 or 0,10,11,9,8,13,12,14,15,5,4,6,7,2,3,1

If I were to rearrange the Gray to Binary conversion look-up table array I could replace these two lines dirn = 15 - codeArray[Gray]; // correct rotation direction dirn = (dirn + 15) %16; // correct encoder for North with just dirn = codeArray[Gray]; Backwards to reverse the direction and shifted one round to correct for north. No %16 required.

Aha!! Yes, that looks like the problem - thank you. The -1 wasn't a mistake - except that, as you say, it should be +15 to work with the modulo.