tekkydave

Yes I'm the only user with full privileges .

Dave

It's very strange. I have just rolled my test VM on Virtualbox back to have just a clean Win7 plus Ascom Platform 6.1 and tried again. I downloaded the msi from SF directly to the test machine and installed it with no issues.

I'll be interested to see if anyone else has the same problem.

Device manager reports no driver error 28 ?

Dave

Is the user you are installing from an Administrator?

Yes have icons and AAF2 folder. Found AAF2 folder under x86 ASCOM, just confused as on the other laptop it's got its own folder in X86 program files.

In device manager it shows no driver, I remember having to register it manually originally do I still need to do this ?

Dave

You shouldn't have to. The installer now creates the correct registry entries. I have tested it on a clean install of Windows 7 Pro 64-bit and it registers fine. It will be interesting to see if anyone else has the same problem. B***y Windoze

Hi Dave, just installed latest version on a Win7 pro laptop, didn't have a previous version on it so nothing to delete.

It says installed OK  but nothing appears in program files x86 and no driver is found.

The previous version installed on another laptop shows a AAF2 folder in x86 program files.

Probably me doing something wrong

Dave 

By default it installs in C:\Program Files\ASCOM\AAF2.focuser or C:\Program Files (x86)\ASCOM\AAF2.focuser depending on architecture. Are there any icons on your desktop or an AAF2 folder at Start Menu --> All Programs?

Is there any way to add code to tell when movement is finished?

The arduino has a command to detect when it is moving (M# command) which is called by the IsMoving() method of the ASCOM driver. I suppose it is down to the client application to determine if it is moving and act accordingly. If you want something adding in the FocusAAF2 test application I could look to put some kind of indication on the form next time I make some changes.

Version 2.4.0 is now released on the SF Site https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinoascomfocuser/files/Mark2/Software/V2.4.0/

I have made a few changes to the sketch and the Driver that I have been promising for a while. I hope it works for everyone but please let me know if you have any issues or comments. Enjoy

Changes in Version 2.4.0
------------------------
Enhancements:
* The Arduino sketch has the following changes:
   - Amended to step the motor in single half-steps not 8 per unit. (One unit is a single step from the driver/application's point of view).
     The number of half-steps to execute per unit of movement is set in #define MOTOR_STEPS_PER_DRIVER_STEP
     Set this to 8 (default) to keep the existing behaviour. If you want finer movement lower it as required (may need some experimentation).

   - Moved user-configurable parameters to a single block at top of code for easier location / modification
   - Reduced number of read/write operations to/from EEPROM. This should lengthen the life of the EEPROM storage.
   - Reduced no of calls to clear the output pins in loop()
   - Some general code and structure tidying

* The Ascom Driver has the following changes:
   - Driver Registration should now work correctly (woohoo). The Setup project has had the correct Registry entries added.

   - The trace files are now created in the AAF2Trace directory which is a sub-directory of the user's Personal Documents Folder.
     Normally this will be at C:\Users\<Username>\Documents but may be different if your system is non-standard. There is usually a
     shortcut in Windows Explorer to 'My Documents' which is the same location. The AAF2Trace sub-directory is created automatically
     during installation so there is no longer a need to create it manually. The location is stored in the Registry so the Driver can
     access it.

   - The 'Trace on' option in the Ascom Chooser dialog is now unset automatically when the Driver exits. If you need to trace the Driver during
     normal use you will need to tick it every time you use the Driver. This is to save the disk filling up if you forget to turn it off.
 

It's us lot that owe you the thanks for the hard work on design and the ascom driver - take a bow

Thanks. Is there an emoticon for a bow

Edit:

Hee Hee found this one.

All the great people on SGL who have built the focuser so far:

Dave_D

Baffa

wuthton

Mick J

russellhq

mindburner

Davey-T

iwannabswiss

silios

SUNJiaLin

blackdragon72

redtail

SnakeyJ

cthorpey

golyo73

richyrich_one

sloz1664

msh1

RogerTheDodger

Thanks guys :-)

this is a great project...I finally retired from my job as an embedded systems programmer and have been eyeing up my old newtonian..an autofocuser looks like it might be a great start project. I was always hesitant about using the arduino, guess it was just an unfounded bias by those of us who who felt we had to start from scratch..but since playing with the arduino and raspberry pi I decided life it too short to keep redesigning hardware...lol...so plans are a small stepper on the focuser knob, some sort of arduino, and a control cable to start, maybe go wireless later.

I'll keep you posted..

Brian K9WIS

I started the project partly to learn about Arduinos as well as the Astronomy & Ascom aspects. I never expected so many others to build it too. Good luck.

Yes, the ascom sim works ok.

Did you create a c:\trace directory for the driver to send trace files to. Also check you have the com port and an initial position set

Hi Dave, I had to do the registration to get your tool to see it, but Neb throws the error. No biggie, I can just use your controls.

If my test program works ok then the driver is correctly registered. Must be an issue with Nebulosity. Can you load the Focuser Simulator driver or any other Ascom drivers from Neb?

just built another focuser for my c6 

thanks dave for doing this project 

mark

You're welcome. I've hardly used it myself

Got the electronics for the first one assembled and working with the test program, but trying to  connect to it from Nebulosity throws this error when I select Properties... any ideas?

ascom_error.PNG

The driver has not registered correctly. This sometimes happens, there is a workround on my SF page here: https://sourceforge.net/p/arduinoascomfocuser/wiki/Manual%20Driver%20Registration/

tried it out last night works perfectly got the lowest fwhm ever considering it was windy , i just used the aaf2 program next is to try a autofocusing program

thanks 

mark

APT does autofocus.

its free running at the mo i tried a rubber band that didn't work

Not sure then. Check connections and state of battery.

If I wanted to communicate with the Arduino Nano via Tx and Rx pins, would anything need to be changed in the code?

Not sure - I thought it used those pins normally for the USB port communication. Do you mean to drive it directly from a regular serial port? I suspect you might have to change the voltages as normal serial is 12V and the nano will only handle 5V standard logic levels. Have a look on the Arduino website - someone may have asked the same question in their forum.

it gets halfway through then it sounds like its stuttering if that makes sense

Is the stepper motor driving anything i.e pushing against any resistance or just free-running at the moment?

its in a project box now and working the only thing is if i do small steps i.e. 50 the motor starts off ok then looses torque about half way through is this a problem if i do a goto say 500 steps loads of torque 

mark

ps I'm just waiting on some belts ordered a couple different sizes just in case

Are you using an external power supply for the stepper driver e.g. battery. The 5V from the nano alone does not give enough torque.

your instructions are perfect i just didn't read them properly lol now what i need is some 5mm id pulleys any idea where i can get some

mark

This is the one I used.

http://www.technobotsonline.com/mxl025-plastic-timing-pulley-20-teeth-alu-ins.html

you can pick the correct gear wheel from the same range to fit your focus knob/scope and a belt of the correct length.

A tip is to use a piece of string around both gears to work out what length you need.

your instructions are perfect i just didn't read them properly lol now what i need is some 5mm id pulleys any idea where i can get some

mark

Motionco and Technobots are both good.

good news its working i really should read the instructions properly and i had a bad connection all i need now is a project box

mark

Very good news. If you think any of my instructions can be improved I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks to all who offered advice while I was not feeling up to it. I think the project enclosure is the hardest part as it needs to be different for each build.

Hi all, sorry for late reply but I have been Ill for the last week or so. Please bear in mind that the AAF2 focuser uses its own comms protocol and will only work if wired up according to the diagram on the sourceforge site. It will also only work with the Ascom driver supplied with the FocusAAF2 program. If you dont see the driver in the ascom chooser then it has not been registered in windows. There is a workround also on the SF site on how to register it manually.

Hi i have turned on the trace when using ascom to connect to the focuser-- anybody know how to turn it of?

Untick the option in the dialog where you select the COM port.

Hi Dave, got the focuser working fine on Win XX  but am thinking of adding it to my Mac imaging project.

Is the code interchangeable or does it need altering for the Mac ?

Thanks,

Dave

I think the issue you have is that Mac doesn't support the Ascom platform (as far as I know) so you wont be able to use the AAF2 driver. If there is a similar platform that works on Macs you will need to write a driver or find someone who will. As long as it uses the comms protocol the nano is expecting it should work.

Finished at last! It's turned out even better than I expected.

Direct drive, 12v stepper.

20150131_165552.jpg

20150131_170727.jpg

20150131_170807.jpg

20150131_170859.jpg

20150131_170957.jpg

Thats a really good job Rich.