Gina

INDI References

I've found how to control the button states. This code sets the button state depending on GPIO levels. It also sets the light state. bool IndiRpibrd::LoadLines() { // load line 1 state if ( bcm2835_gpio_lev(IN1) == LOW ) { Switch1S[0].s = ISS_ON; Switch1S[1].s = ISS_OFF; Switch1SP.s = IPS_OK; IDSetSwitch(&Switch1SP, NULL); } else { Switch1S[0].s = ISS_OFF; Switch1S[1].s = ISS_ON; Switch1SP.s = IPS_IDLE; IDSetSwitch(&Switch1SP, NULL); } // load line 2 state If I set the motor moving when a button is pressed it can turn the light to yellow (working) and when the steps routine has finished it can clear the button and set the light to off (idle). Or maybe green (OK). If I used two rows, one for INwards and one for OUTwards the light s could show which direction was last used if I use IPS_OK - green. I think this may work - I'll try it tomorrow.

I have successfully edited, re-compiled and installed source code for an INDI driver now. But what I really want t o do is get my head round all the INDI driver building stuff and build a driver from scratch. We, maybe using some examples. I find the information on the INDI web site rather complicated. I reckon that if I can get to understand it fully I could write a Tutorial in the form of "Writing INDI drivers for Dummies". I've been told that I'm good at explaining things in a way that almost anyone can understand.

The focus motor control in Astroberry Board driver was not done though stepping the motor is simple. step-on, delay, step-off, delay repeated as required. Motor control lines are defined as :- #define DIR RPI_BPLUS_GPIO_J8_07 // GPIO4 #define STEP RPI_BPLUS_GPIO_J8_11 // GPIO17 #define SLEEP RPI_BPLUS_GPIO_J8_16 // GPIO23 Motor stepping code - ticks specify number of steps :- for ( int i = 0; i < ticks; i++ ) { // step on bcm2835_gpio_write(STEP, HIGH); // wait bcm2835_delay(STEP_DELAY/2); // step off bcm2835_gpio_write(STEP, LOW); // wait bcm2835_delay(STEP_DELAY/2); } That's the easy part. I now need to either work out or find out how to make a button send a set number of steps to the motor and stop. Job for another day I think.

Summary of progress on code changes so far. WiFi is working. I can edit the source code and re-compile and install new version.

Got the Camera Cooling defaulting to LOW but the light state is wrong - nearly there on the Camera Cooling control. Still have the focus motor control to work out.

Edited and, wonder of wonders, it compiled and installed fine. No editing errors! ?? Not quite right yet though. I want the Camera Cooler to default to LOW. And the focussing controls want to be momentary rather than toggling ON/OFF. More thinking required...

Took the source files for the Astroberry Board (rpi_brd.h & rpi_brd.cpp) from the ASC cloned SD card and wrote to the "test" card overwriting the originals. Deleted the build directory, remade it and changed to it and ran the command lines to compile and install the driver - it worked Next to edit the files to make the control panel do and look like what I want.

I was right ? Now have code compiled, installed and working using the supplied Astroberry Board code (Astroberry Focuser removed from compiling list). See my Tutorial. Next will be to edit the Astroberry Board code to change labels, remove unwanted controls and make the code control the appropriate GPIO lines for the focussing motor driver. Currently the focuser section looks like the screenshot below. There is now only one motor so motor selection is redundant. The tab label could do with changing to Focus and we don't actually have any Configuration. Alternatively the Focussing could be moved to the Main Control tab. Configuration could be the number of steps for Coarse and Fine focussing. Needs a bit of thought...

So far so good - a definite step forward but for a usable astro imaging system we want a working focussing control preferably with auto-focus facility from KStars, so I need to sort out what's wrong there. The Astroberry Board driver provides GPIO controls but would probably want altering to suit particular astro imaging systems such as dew heater control, with appropriate labels. With care this is a relatively easy editing job on the C++ source file prior to re-compiling and installing.

Conclusion :- I have at last installed a 3rd party INDI driver that works.

Ran the last two lines of the list and it worked. sudo make install sudo reboot Logged in again and ran the INDI drivers gina@asc2:~$ indiserver -m 100 -vv indi_asi_ccd indi_rpibrd Then ran KStars/Ekos, set up new remote site for asc2 and started INDI. The control panel for the Astroberry Board came up as expected. No camera as there isn't one connected. This is the Astroberry Board controls as supplied in the package. The error message is because I haven't saved a configuration.

Deleted the astroberry-diy/build directory and removed the Astroberry Focuser compiling code lines from the CMakeLists.txt file. Ran the cmake and make commands and it compiled. So far so good.

Been thinking about the software. When I started from scratch I got as far as compiling the Astroberry code which failed in the Astroberry Focuser code. Now it occurs to me that the Astroberry Focuser is a bit OTT anyway for the ASC. All I need is to be able to move the focuser motor one way or the other to refine the focussing. The "bells and whistles" such as Auto-Focus are not relevant in this case and all I actually need is stepper motor control with movement either war and maybe coarse and fine steps. In fact the Astroberry Board code that is in the present ASC micro SD card has focussing control which was working with an earlier setup. If I take the test setup micro SD card which has WiFi working and remove the Astroberry Focuser compiling code lines from the CMakeLists.txt file I think it should compile. I can take the Astroberry Board source code from the present ASC, edit it to use the current stepper motor GPIO lines then write it to the card to replace the original file. That may work.

I don't want to modify the camera just to get a bit better daytime image. Yes, there's (was) a mono version but I want colour. I used a mono camera earlier but this has disadvantages, principally that you can't tell the difference between black cloud and blue sky. OK so a mono view is mostly alright for night viewing but it is nice to see the colour of the stars. The ASI178MM I used earlier is more sensitive and higher resolution but I do prefer colour. This image was taken a couple of hours ago with full sun. I am satisfied with this.

Card replaced in ASC RPi and working as expected. Vapour trails with a vengeance!!

I'm afraid this Tutorial has reverted into an ordinary Blog - my apologies to our readers. Once I have all this sorted out (and I will do) I may copy the relevant parts into a new Tutorial.

Can't see any differences. Maybe the answer is to clear out the astroberry-diy/build directory and check all content of the astroberry-diy directory.

That should have worked IMO. Setting up WiFi after installing Ubuntu MATE and before the astro stuff worked. Unfortunately, installing some of the astro didn't and yet it was the same as the ASC. Seems these single board computers are just as much black magic as the full size beasties!! Maybe I can get my brain round this when it's cooler. I should be able to debug the code. Computers are alright for doing standard things - it's when you try to get clever that the trouble comes!

With more experimenting I found that clicking on the WiFi icon at the top of the screen I could select the AP. It then asked for authorisation and connected. A few seconds later it asked for authorisation again... and again... and again... Hopeless!!

No I haven't but I use Slic3r rather than Cura.

Bit more progress. Made boss for damping disc and attached magnet block to bottom of casing. The motor/gearbox in the second photo was just to support the wind vane shaft - nothing to do with the project. Placed the vane on the shaft in the third photo but not attached the nut that holds it on as I still need to do more on the casing etc.

@Dr_Ju_ju How much RAM would you recommend in a Rock 64, Julian? 1, 2 or 4GB available at increasing prices. I don't want to skimp but OTOH not pay for memory I'm not going to use.

Been trying to edit the network connections without much success. I can delete items such as unused WiFi sources but can't add a new item or edit an existing one. The editor is there but nothing gets saved - there doesn't seem to be a save option, just Close.

Now writing the data to a new 16GB micro SD card which I shall use for testing rather than the original which I shall keep, so that I have a guaranteed working system albeit less than perfect.