USB to Serial software?

[rocketandroll]

Hi folks

I'm just trying to re-install everything on my astro (guiding) laptop to get back up and running again.

I have EQmod and PHD... but I'm trying to work out what else I need... do i need to download specific Ascom drivers for my mount? (HEQ5)

Also, I seem to recall I needed a USB to serial conversion thingy so as I could pulse guide through the handset (which used a cable which plugs into the USB port on the laptop, then becomes a serial cable, then serial to ST4 or whatever it is that goes into the handset on the mount).

Does anyone know what that would have been and even better where I might be able to download something similar from as the version i had come on a CD which has now been 'missplaced' :-)

Thanks all

Ben

[StuW]

Is it a prolific PL2303 chipset USB->Serial converter? if so..

Welcome to Prolific

[JohnC64]

Hi Ben,

Chances are that your usb to serial convertor would be based on the prolific device

drivers can be downloaded here

Welcome to Prolific

Cheers John

Edit: Ah StuW beat me to it ;-)

[Stephen]

You also want the Celestron drivers from the EQMod website (no that is not a typo, I mean the Celestron ones!)

[Parallax]

Yes, it was a Prolific chipset one.

Steve

[Photosbykev]

You also want the Celestron drivers from the EQMod website (no that is not a typo, I mean the Celestron ones!)

why? and that is a serious question

[Stephen]

why? and that is a serious question

Those were the instructions I got from the EQMod website?

When you install the Celestron (unified) drivers, you get the option for Synta EQ in the EQMod communication / setup box.

Please let me know if this step wasn't required?

[Stephen]

Clarification : the drivers are not from the EQMod site, they are from the ASCOM site

[chrisshillito]

Further clarification: The unified celestron ASCOM driver has nothing to do with EQMOD which is an alternative to the celestron driver for those using Synta EQ mounts. You don't need EQMOD to use the Celestron driver, or need the Celestron driver to use EQMOD. You do need ASCOM to use either.

Chris.

[rocketandroll]

Thanks for the help all....

I'm getting a bit annoyed now as i went to isntall everything on the laptop yesterday and couldn't get any way to get it to connect to my newtork so couldn't download a thing... hopefully i can sort that issue out and just install everything i could possibly need and we'll be ok!

Thanks

Ben

[Stephen]

Further clarification: The unified celestron ASCOM driver has nothing to do with EQMOD which is an alternative to the celestron driver for those using Synta EQ mounts. You don't need EQMOD to use the Celestron driver, or need the Celestron driver to use EQMOD. You do need ASCOM to use either.

Chris.

Thanks for that, I shall remove it from my "install list"!

[Photosbykev]

thank you Chris and Kheldar, I use the Celestron drivers on my EQ3 Pro Synscan mount via the handset and I use the EQMod drivers for my EQ6 via EQDirect and I was slightly confused where Celestron and EQMod came together.

I've just got an adaptor cable to let me use the EQ3 Synscan handset on my EQ6 Syntrek mount and I'll use the Celestron drivers for that combination because I use a 3rd party programme for tracking solar detail (DSSR) and unfortunately EQMod doesn't allow 3rd party software to alter any of its parameters which is a real shame.

Sorry for minor hijack Ben but as you can see one of the thread comments threw me a curve ball

[chrisshillito]

To be fair EQMOD does allow access to a great deal of its parameters via ASCOM although third party apps need to accept that dealing with ASCOM drivers they will have to be smart enough to detect what set of properties and methods are actually supported by a given driver and adapt their control strategies accordingly (there can often be several ways to perform a single function and many ASCOM methods are optional) .

Dave, the author of DSSR did recently post on the EQMOD group regarding integration with EQMOD and once I'd explained things his response was:

"I don't think these issues should affect DSSR too much. It can still pulse guide at 0.1x sidereal which effectively means it can drive both axes between 0.9x and 1.1x sidereal. This is more than enough

to autoguide on planets, solar or lunar features.“

If there are still issues that prevent DSSR working with EQMOD then please let Dave and myself know - there is probably any easy fix/workaround to be had.

Chris.

[Photosbykev]

To be fair EQMOD does allow access to a great deal of its parameters via ASCOM although third party apps need to accept that dealing with ASCOM drivers they will have to be smart enough to detect what set of properties and methods are actually supported by a given driver and adapt their control strategies accordingly (there can often be several ways to perform a single function and many ASCOM methods are optional) .

Dave, the author of DSSR did recently post on the EQMOD group regarding integration with EQMOD and once I'd explained things his response was:

"I don't think these issues should affect DSSR too much. It can still pulse guide at 0.1x sidereal which effectively means it can drive both axes between 0.9x and 1.1x sidereal. This is more than enough

to autoguide on planets, solar or lunar features.“

If there are still issues that prevent DSSR working with EQMOD then please let Dave and myself know - there is probably any easy fix/workaround to be had.

Chris.

Sorry Chris, that wasn't meant as a dig at you, just a fact of life, I did see the query on the yahoo forum. I think Dave is working around the problem or at least letting me know what I need to set in EQMod to let DSSR function adequately on the EQ6 via EQMod.

You will probably be the same as me and hate seeing error/status messages popping up which at the moment can't be avoided. When I go the SynScan handset route and use the Celestron drivers for solar work all the problems should go away but I lose all the benefits that I could have using EQMod.

If you and Dave can get EQMod and DSSR playing nicely together I would be a very happy bunny and as Dave releases more public versions of DSSR I believe there could be a big demand from EQMod/EQ6 users for solar and planetary guiding.