Any interest in android scope control via bluetooth?

[minimalist]

Hi folks,

Posted this in another forum, just gauging interest in this project. I managed to write an android app that connects to my celestron scope via bluetooth from my android tablet. It currently just does slewing and injects location and time into the hand controller. I plan to enhance that as well as make a version that connects directly, a la eqmod.

As I understand, synscans use the same command set, so I wonder if there is interest in further developing this.

I also plan to make a meade version, if I get the correct command set. Right now I have a set for the lx200, not sure if it's the same as autostar.

Just seeing how much interest there is, I can provide more info on this.

Thanks and clear skies,

Daniel

[Kaminovs]

Hello Daniel,

As i am Bluettoh fan myself and Android is my prefered platform, I would be very interested in more info. Actually I think all community would benefit in having Android based app to control mounts on EQMod style basis.

Clear Skies!

[Dave]

I would be interested in hearing more about an Android app for EQMod.

Dave

[minimalist]

Cool!

Ok, the info. This is what I posted in another forum:

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Ok, here's the rundown on all the hardware:

CELESTRON SCOPE

any celestron scope with goto controller handbox (even the old ones without numeric pads I think). I will make a version later that will bypass the hand controller, but not yet.

RJ45 SERIAL DB9 adapter

This is your standard adapter that hooks from your pc serial port to the bottom of the hand cotroller. An example is here:

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=105-243-470-1611

BLUETOOTH SERIAL ADAPTER

There are many of them on the market, one of the cheapest I found that works well is here:

http://www.usconverters.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=262

I bought the industrial version, as it has an external antenna and seems a bit more rugged. Note it has a female db9 connector, just like the rj45 adapter. So, if yours is similar, you will need...

DB9 NULL MODEM ADAPTER MALE/MALE

This will allow you to connect the bluetooth adapter to the rj45 adapter.

Another thing you may need if it didn't come with your bluetooth serial adapter is a power supply. The one bluetooth serial adapter listed in the link is very nice as it has a mini usb connector, so it can connect to any usb power source (5v). It also came with a little connector with leads to hook up to a battery for example. It draws very little power (I think it's <100mA, it's in the specs on the site).

Ok, that's all the hardware. Hook up the rj45 to the hand controller, then the male/male adapter and bluetooth serial and you're done! Oh, one thing more though. Make sure the bluetooth adapter is set to 9600 baud, because that's what the hand cotroller uses to talk. Also, the bluetooth serial adapter needs to be in discoverable mode. By default, that's how they're set up at the factory, just make sure.

Ok, that's all you need. Load my app, then start is up. You'll see a very ugly handbox (runs in portrait mode only btw). Click on the menu, and choose "connect a device - insecure". There is also a secure option, but I don't think it's working yet. A list of bluetooth devices will pop up, you can scan until you see the bluetooth serial adapter showing. Click on it, and if you haven't paired with it yet it will ask you to pair - enter your pairing key. The it will connect, and a short popup will say "connected to #" where # is the name of the bluetooth serial adapter. So now you're ready to rock!

Hold the buttons down, it will move as long as the button is down. I forgot to test whether multiple buttons work, probably not, since I haven't synchronized those calls yet. The red stop button will send both dec and ra stop commands, just in case something went amok slewing! The Spd+ and - change the slew rate. I decided to add two more buttons to the app. One uploads the current date/time to the handbox, the other uploads your current location to the handbox. You must have either gps or network (wifi) location enabled on your android device, and for some reason mine didn't work unless I enabled Google's Latitude whatever that is. But anyways, this makes the app much more useful to me, as I don't have to manually enter my location in the handbox every time I power up. And if I get a gps dongle (my nook has no gps), I'l be able to set my location in the field kit wherever I go.

You can download and install from here:

http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByZXuV0vUfw7ZTg1Y2ZhYWQtOTA3Ni00YzMyLWI5YzItYzFiMmFkYWNlZTA0&hl=en_US

Hope this helps, also here's a kinda blurry screen shot of it running on my modded nook color and controlling my cge. Which btw is the only hardware I've tested so far. This _should_ work with synscans also according to the info I've read, but no guarantees. Also, be ready with the off button on your mount, just in case, I don't want anyone messing up their mount because of this. This is why I put the big red stop button in the app, it will send stop commands to both dec and ra motors.

Let me know what you think. I'm also working on a Meade version, will probably have it ready this weekend.

Oh, to load the app. Since it's not on the market, you'll need to download it from your android using your web browser, or copy it to an sd card. You'll have to have some sort of file manager, plenty of them available on the android market for free. You'll need to change your system settings to allow install of unknown apps. Then use the file manager to navigate to where you downloaded the app and tap on it. The application will then be installed.

Do make sure, unless you're comfortable with it, to disable installing unknown apps afterwards. That would allow you to accidentally install apps you don't want, included ones with viruses.

This app should ONLY use bluetooth and location perrmissions (for uploading your location to the mount). If you see any other permissions listed, do not run it. You should only get it from the google docs url I posted, it's the only place I put it. I will see about putting it on the market when it's tested enough, I'm leery about publishing it until it's at least beta tested somewhat.

Let me know how this works for you.

Thanks for the encouragement and clear skies,

Daniel

[minimalist]

Dave, I have no experience with eqmod as of now. As timer permits I may take it up. Is eqmod open source?

One of the things that has been suggested is being able to tie this into other android sky chart apps. I was thinking something along the lines of a widget that acts as a "smart hub". You can set it to talk with the scope in whichever command set (like celestron, synscan, meade, etc) and present a common interface to android apps a la ascom. I've not studied the ascom api yet to see how close I can conform to that standard... if not, I think I can come up with something sensible, for mounts at least. This would allow third party app developers access to telescope control without much tightly coupled code. So maybe eqmod can be easier to port over.

My one other interest would be to tie something like openphd into android with some camera support.

I really welcome any thoughts on this as I feel this is something well worth investigating.

Daniel

[minimalist]

Ok, some updates.

First off, a small update to the Celestron handbox, it now displays az/alt or ra/dec (you choose) as you slew around. If your telescope is not aligned, then ra/dec make little sense. Same thing, if you scope does not have an alt/az mode (like the CGE) then alt/az make little sense also. Let me know what you find out with yours.

New doc link:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByZXuV0vUfw7ZmQzZGVhNjEtMjczYy00NTJiLThmMWUtMWU5NGIxMjIwYmQ1&hl=en_US

Next thing, a new app, the Autostar Handbox! Very similar to the celestron one (basically same UI) but no position display finctionality (the ra/dec button does nothing). One extra button for the Autostar is the Max/Quiet button, which toggles max slew from 4deg/sec (Max) to 2deg/sec (Quiet). And this brings me to some notes and observations on autostars:

1. I'm still not sure how slew rates work. On the handbox, you get 1-9 rates. However, from the command set, there are two parameters to set: max slew, which you can set to 2,3 and 4deg/sec, and slew rate, which you can select from 'guide', 'center', 'find', and 'slew'. As you can see, it's pretty confusing. So, I guessed and made the rate buttons choose between guide (G), center ©, find (M) and slew (S), figuring the (S) setting uses the max slew value. So please check this functionality for me, as I don't have an autostar to test with.

Another issue is date/time. For the autostar, there are commands to upload date and time, but not set daylight savings... odd. The autostar II has a way to update daylight savings, and also a command to automatically enter date/time at initialization to bypass the screen prompts. The date/time button sends all those commands in the hope that some of them change the date/time correctly. Please let me know how this works for you as well.

The upload location should work for all autostars. One caveat, this will replace your current site's location. If this is not what you want, let me know, I can update a specific site instead (like say, site #4 in your menu)... but in order to use the uploaded location you'll have to choose that site as your current site.

Here's the link to the Autostar apk:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByZXuV0vUfw7YTU1YzUyMWYtZmY3My00ZmI3LTkxYjAtNDVjN2JkY2QwMGU2&hl=en_US

Per Terry's suggestion, I am next going to make something similar for the Orion Intelliscopes, although there will be no scope control, just position display.

Hope you guys like this, and please let me have your feedback, fixes, suggestions, etc.

Thanks and clear skies.

Daniel

[LouisCantu]

Hey can anybody tell me how to connect Bluetooth to other devices????? I cannot detect other devices on my phone.

Android bluetooth

[minimalist]

Louis,

Which phone do you have?

[Kaminovs]

I guess you can use my Bluetooth EQmod adapter to link HEQ5/EQ6 mounts to your app mate

[hemihaggis]

ok so where can i download this app for my android ?

[allblue]

Hello, i think all of us hope to get an EQMod app for android, i tested to connect a NEQ6 with an android app called "panoramaapp", free on google play.

Its handle alt-azimutal coordinates and it hasnt an object database but they can be introduced manually. The big problem is that the 1x sidereal rate is unavailable:

[chrisshillito]

I guess you can use my Bluetooth EQmod adapter to link HEQ5/EQ6 mounts to your app mate

Doubt it unless he's going to communicate direct to the mount using the low level motor control protocol that EQMOD does. The problme with that is that the app would then have to take on the responsibility of converting all the astronomical level functions to motor possitioning instructions - that includes providing alignment model, etc.

For those wanting to build their own EQDIRECT-BT devices there are instructions on the EQMOD website - currently under review but working on a good few mounts so far.

Chris.

[chrisshillito]

Do you see the android device as being the primary mount controller or just a supplementary UI for nudging the mount around?

If its just the latter then you could use the EQMODLX approach and have an ASCOM client running on a PC that recieves say LX200 commands via a BT virtual comport and that converts them to ASCOM commands to drive any connected telesecope driver.

For EQMOD users there is perhaps an even simpler solution. There may well already exist android "gamepad" apps that with a PC driver appear as standard gamepads to windows. If not its proably not that hard to write.

Chris.

[StuW]

Chris is correct, there are several free Bluetooth joystick apps in the market.

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