HEQ5 with Synscan update - PC connection confusion..

[Apostate]

Hi

I've just bought an older HEQ5 with a synscan upgrade and up looking to supplement/replace the control pad with a laptop. I thought I had all the relevant permutations straight in my head, but have just read something that confused me..

My understanding was that I could bypass the handset altogether with a EQDir cable (USB or serial), the ASCOM drivers and some software such as Stellarium.

The other way (I thought) was using a regular handset pc connecting cable (RS232 to serial) to connect the laptop to the mount through the handset in PC Direct mode - still using the ASCOM drivers and Stellarium.

Now I'm given to understand that, when going the second route, you don't even need the ASCOM drivers (how then does the PC control, the mount?)

Which of these ways is most effective? Which should I choose? Is non-handset controlled alignment possible with the third option via Stellarium or such like?

Thanks

[Cornelius Varley]

If you use Stellarium with a Synscan mount you can use Stellarium's own internal drivers with the handset. You can also control the mount connected to a pc via an Eqdir module using Stellarium and Eqmod.

Peter

[chrisshillito]

There are two ways to go.

1. Use stellarium's own drivers to talk a cut down nexstar protocol to the handcontroller. This will get you a basic level of contol. Alignment must still be done via the handset but you can at least issue goto from stellarium.

2. Use StellariumScope to give stellarium access to ASCOM. You can then use the EQMOD ASCOM driver connecting either via the handcontroller in PC-Direct mode or via and EQDirect connection to the mount. With EQMOD alignment can be performed by going to, and synching on stars from stellarium itself. If using PC-Direct the handcontroller plays no part in mount control - it justs acts as a hardware interface. Please note that PC-Direct is an undocumented feature of the synscan and although it works EQMOD has only ever been designed for use with an EQDirect.

EQMOD provides a much richer set of function than the handset but many of these,are accessed from EQMODs own user interface (which includes a gamepad control) and are not controller from the planetarium itself. StellariumScope provides 4 functions to stellarium - position reportimg, goto, sync and stop.

Chris.

[Apostate]

So, the best way to get full control of the mount is to use an EQDir connector and the EQMOD drivers and interface with software such as Stellarium or similar. EQMOD will control the mount, expand the control set, and provide an interface for the planetarium software.

Second best is to put the handset in pc direct mode and run an rs232 to serial to your laptop, on which all the software above is running. This functions as the above method does, but requires the handset and is "undocumented" (?).

You can run an rs232 to serial cable from the handset to the laptop and just use Stellarium's drivers, but you lose the ability to align via the planetarium (and so are limited to the handset function) but retain goto function in the planetarium.

Is that right?

Do the utilities in EQMOD talk to the planetarium software - I mean will stellarium know where I moved the scope to with my game pad?

[chrisshillito]

Yes that is all correct.

EQMOD provides a standard ASCOM telescope interface and so can report position to any planetarium software that suports ASCOM. In the case of stellarium things are a little more complcated than say with CDC beacuse Stellarium doesn't have any inbuilt support for ASCOM. So Instead stellariumscope (a separate utility) acts as a proxy and stellarium reads position from stellariumscope (via its own proprietary socket level interface) which in turn reads it from EQMOD using ASCOM. The Stellarium user isn't particularly aware of this smoke and mirrors stuff and all they see is the telescope reticule moving in reponse to changes of mount position in they way they would expect.

Chris.

[Apostate]

Thanks very much for your help, Chris - much appreciated.

I've just ordered an EQDir cable and will prep an old laptop for it's new role.. Are there any tips, tricks or pitfalls to watch out for? For example, should the ASCOM software be installed before the EQMOD drivers?

[chrisshillito]

Yes, you need to install the ASCOM platform prior to the EQMOD ASCOM Driver as the driver has to register itself with ASCOM as part of the install process.

There is a quick start guide in the EQMOD Websites documentation section. The manual (which is a hard copy of the wiki) installs with the software and should have a link off the windows start button. I've also done

if you're having trouble sleeping

If you have difficulties you might want to consider joining the EQMOD Yahoo group - JonD, the member who writes our wiki is also guy that maintains and develops stellariumscope.

Chris.

Chris.

[Apostate]

Blimey - that'll probably keep me occupied for a while .

Thank you v much.