Mick J

Sorry Rich - that's far to neat and uncomplicated

Nice work Golyo, and nice presentation looking at the larger pulley on the motor, smaller on the focuser - others are the other way - but if it works for you that's great. Neat job.

That looks good Davey, like the spring mounting, is that a door hinge you have used ?

Interesting, thanks Ivo, you looking over my shoulder when I was posting the question

Nice to see more input in this thread even if I don't understand it, thanks to all - brown_rb, gina, dave as usual and Ivo. While I am here - Ivo, do you have an opinion on auto focus ? should this be in the ascom driver or in something like APT the application ? . it has been asked in this thread before and I know I can set an alert in APT on temperature change to suggest I check focus ......... ?

Didier, have you now managed to install the driver ?

If nothing else - remember this thread is doing wonders for my post count

I do get com5 and com6 on the lappy, netbook can be com3 or higher. Of course while the focuser is plugged in & powered the com is constant, when I disconnect and possibly restart the computer I get a change. I cannot use any client with the wrong com# in the chooser, as you would expect. I am com5 on the lappy now, chooser offers com3 or com5, device manager says com5.

I am happy you did as well Sorry I am no use with code, its as if the application - Focusmax or APT remembers all the driver settings except the start position AAF2 is using, at the moment I am seeing it as a feature.

Saw Russell's post earlier so connected to Focusmax v3 and had the same result. Just played with APT and found I can choose AAF2 and com port using connect focuser under the gear tab, if I then quit APT or make the focuser auto connect at startup I get 0 position (not 1000) when APT is reloaded. If I shift click 'connect focuser' I get to start the focuser again (not just rerun the last used focuser) I see AAF2 in chooser (or another focuser) and get the 1000 start position. Hope this makes sense, its the same glitch. Back later, mick

Connected our waterproof temperature sensor to our focuser assembly, I used the other gnd pin, +5v and D6 pins as the wiring diagram, I had been playing around with the sensor on a spare nano looking at different sketches before tekkydave released v2.2. Crammed into the box it all worked remarkably well, temperature displays in the AAF2 window, I downloaded Focusmax v3.8.0.20 which is the last free version and of course I was able to load the focuser and see the temperature. Next up APT, I have run APT testing the original focuser assembly this was the first time with the temperature sensor, APT spotted the sensor while loading, I was able to connect to the focuser move back and forth as before then surprise to me (embarrassed again) the temperature appeared at the top of the screen and its possible to set the focuser to readjust on temperature change, outstanding – well done Ivo (you’ve all guessed I am not to familiar with this software). Well, I am well pleased with this focuser, had been looking at other options for a while, so big thanks to tekkydave for the work he has put in and to Russell for kicking the ball off with the temperature sensor, along the way I have made a start with Arduino – so long as someone else writes the sketches .

They are the same libraries I have installed.

I feel I should keep out of this one....... but the only thing I can think of - have you got the One Wire & Dallas Temperature libraries installed, these are needed for the temperature stuff.

Sorry Dave, playing around on the win7 64bit lappy thinking will have to update the 32bit netbook and forgetting the focuser assembly.......... will shove it all together over the weekend.

In 200 posts time I may come back and edit all this out and make my posts look spot on but I guess between the 2 posts we have an answer. Would it be possible for the Arduino to sort it's own com port ? I find I have to check and choose every time, com3, com4, com5 etc - windows I suppose.

Sorry - scrub that I had not flashed the new sketch onto the nano in my focuser assembly I have been playing with a second nano with the DS18B20 probe attached So with the new sketch............ and without the DS18B20. ooops

There is a new sketch containing the temperature stuff, you seem to be starting a zero not position 1000. Do you have the DS18B20 ? Just run AAF2 v2.2 - just the focuser, not connected in the probe yet, get much the same as yourself after a couple of seconds.

Thanks again Dave, I have a waterproof DS18B20 that I have added the resistor and some cables, been playing with the example sketch and Russell's code, had to uninstall AAF2 v2.1.3 before I was allowed to install v2.2. Flashed the sketch on the nano and now know it's 22 degrees in the lounge, more if I pop the probe under my tongue - aah science...... At the moment just have the probe on the nano, need to joint it all up and add another hole in the plastic box. I also don't have any other software to view the temperature, may try Focusmax over the weekend (was looking at v3 the other day). Would it be worth giving Ivo a nudge ? (I could do that) would be nice to see the temperature in APT at the very least, not sure I begin to understand what's required regarding auto focus including temp change.

Looks like snipped off to me, would make it easier to fit in the box. I found the first version of Arduino I installed was slow on my win 7 lappy, found http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,118440.0.html 'enhanced' snappier - worked for me. First time using this stuff as well, not finding to easy, my fresh install just refused to show a com port but is working now. But have had it working and working well , - if I don't think about time it's cheap - but hay I'm learning

No problem, it helps me to keep it in my thick head, would not have been so easy if I had not just run it all again, I can remember a few attempts at this on my first install, looking back I think I was using the 64bit address on 32bit but may have had stray spaces in as well.........

How many posts until I can edit ? looking at the dll addresses above, C:\Program Files (x86)\AAF2\AAF2\ASCOM.AAF2.Focuser.dll is more than possibly the 64bit address and C:\Program Files\AAF2\AAF2\ASCOM.AAF2.Focuser.dll the 32bit

Install of the driver has been a bit of a problem, pages 3 and 4 of this thread outline the problems, I have just reinstalled windows 7 ultimate 32bit and had to run it all again. I will repeat that I am not comfortable with this code stuff. Post #57, AAF2 install places the driver dll here: C:\Program Files (x86)\AAF2\AAF2\ASCOM.AAF2.Focuser.dll Opening cmd as admin using Ctrl-Shift-Enter, I pasted C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\RegAsm.exe "C:\Program Files\AAF2\AAF2\ASCOM.AAF2.Focuser.dll" into the cmd window and installed the driver. The address for the dll may be slightly different on 64bit. hope this is helpful. Mick

So that's will be three of us with white wine correctly chilled.........................

Found some DS18B20's on eBay, waterproof, assembled, with 1meter cable, ordered - thanks Russel/Dave a bit more to play with

I don't know if this may be helpful, circuit in black & white, motor dimensions and pin out that I cut out and placed over my board. if I don't have something like this when I come back to it in 10 minutes/ three weeks/whatever I have forgotten what's going on, Focuser#2.pdf