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Raspberry Pi ?

fwm891

By fwm891
in DIY Astronomer

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JamesF

JamesF

Posted
Posted

My recollection is that the camera for the Pi's own camera interface isn't that sensitive so might struggle as a guide-cam or planetary imager, for instance, but there's no reason not to connect a decent astro camera to it using the USB port.

I'm attempting to build ffmpeg at the moment so I can try it with oacapture and the ASI120 or an Imaging Source camera.  It's taking a little while though :)

James

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riklaunim

riklaunim

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They have released a new camera which doesn't have an IR filter. I wonder if that would be more useful for astronomy purposes.

Would only allow to use IR passing filter for moon, similar to what you can do with MS Lifecam webcams also using Omnivision sensors.

My recollection is that the camera for the Pi's own camera interface isn't that sensitive so might struggle as a guide-cam or planetary imager, for instance, but there's no reason not to connect a decent astro camera to it using the USB port.

Note that Raspberry USB ports provide only 0.1A instead of 0.5A. You would have to use a powered USB hub to use more power demanding devices like cameras.

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tekkydave

tekkydave

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I've heard that Stellarium has been compiled on a Pi and it took hours.  But does that reflect in it's operation speed, especially if the hardware based graphics are available?  the Pi people should know.

Personally I use Arduino and PicAxe for hardware control.  The Arduino has more I/O than the Pi and seems easier to me because there is no operating system to get in the way.  The PicAxe is very simple to program and can be run at very low power levels.

I have a PicAxe with a digital compass, transmitting dome position wirelessly to an Arduino that handles the dome motor and position control and a PC for the communication with the scope and the UI. The PicAxe is powered continually off 2 AAs, it spends most of the time asleep, waking up occasionally to check if the position has changed.

My next project is a weather monitor, something to check on cloud, rain, temperature, light, wind and do something to help protect the scope if the weather gets bad.  Mostly an excuse to play with electronics and programming of course.

Chris

If you want to use 1-wire type weather sensors I can recommend this as an interface which works well with the Raspberry Pi:

http://www.sheepwalkelectronics.co.uk/RPI2.shtml

There are good instructions on the web site on how to set it up and plenty of stuff on the web regarding 1-wire sensors. They are dead easy to connect and use as they only use a single twisted pair. You just daisy-chain from one sensor to the next.

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JamesF

JamesF

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Well, I've failed to get oacapture to build on the Pi.  Not through any fault of my own, I think.  The ASI SDK appears to be build on a very recent ARM release and attempting to link binaries against it on older releases throws an error that isn't easy to fix.

I'm hoping that ZWO will fix the problem in the next release of the SDK which could be soon given that they need a new version to support the ASI034MC.

James

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skybadger

skybadger

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"It is worth noting that none of these boards have any analog inputs (in theory: yes - 6 bits wide, but buried deep in the hardware) and they all lack the "real-time" abilities of a PIC or an Arduino which is an inevitable consequence of running a non-real time operating system."

Hi Pete. Without getting into the 'this is better' argument, the BBB has both 12 bit analogue in and a RTLinux distro.

I'm not sure anyone is asking these things to do time critical stuff but even if they are, above a certain level of complexity it makes a lot of sense to buy a fast proc with lots of code space and library support rather to try to cram it into a pic with increasing latency . Even the pic has an rtos executive. I doubt that many people use that either.

Mike

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poogle

poogle

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Interesting thread, I was thinking the other day about starting my first DIY thread about my PI endeavours :) I'm planning to use the PI instead of a laptop when imaging in the field. In the long run I want to automate as much as possible.

In short I've done the following so far:

  • Installed a wifi-dongle which makes the PI work as a wireless access point. This will enable me to connect to and controll the PI via my phone (I have never connected a keyboard/mouse or screen to the PI and I intend to keep it that way)
  • Install lin_guider (which runs much smoother than Open PHD on the PI)
  • Install QHY5 firmware/drivers
  • Install gphoto to control my Nikon D5200

Next steps:

  • Try it all out in the field, with an 8 month old baby girl this is easier said than done :) hopefully I'll be able to try it out during christmas

In the future:

  • Build a small observatory/shed controlled by the PI or a similar device :)

Some of the pitfalls so far:

IT'S LINUX! :)

I don't want to use a powered USB-hub, so need to use a good PSU for the PI, and USB devices with low power consumption.

/Patrik

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Gina

Gina

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Linux is a great OS but lacks software support from the astro programmers.  My brain capacity is no longer up to writing complicated software unfortunately.  In fact, Linux is far more suited to data acquisition and hardware control than Windows.  There is far less "bloat" and software runs faster and more reliably.  Applications run in separate "boxes" and rarely kill the OS.  Linux would suit astro use really well and it's such a pity that Microsoft has dominated computer software.

What's wrong with a powered USB hub?  Apart from the fact that it's USB, of course :D

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poogle

poogle

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I agree Gina but for me, being a lazy .NET developer, it sometimes feels like going back to the nineties when writing C++/java code :)

Re USB hubs I simply don't want yet another thing to drag along out in the field...maybe if I could incorporate a PI in a USB hub casing, the DIY list continues to grow.

/Patrik

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Macavity

Macavity

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What's wrong with a powered USB hub?  Apart from the fact that it's USB, of course :D

My kingdom for a Horse... For a reliable / long USB link? ;)

But my "remote astronomy" is finally "getting there" now! :)

This new fangled C++ "objectivity" and stuff? I sensed my days as an *Ace Programmer* were limited!

But they'll always need someone to debug their CATn cables, their (Video Cable) Earth-Loops etc. :D

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themaninthesuitcase

themaninthesuitcase

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Linux would suit astro use really well and it's such a pity that Microsoft has dominated computer software.

If I recall correctly a lot of the professional stuff is linux, or at least "unix like".   Sure my sister said the JCMT was run on linux*.

It's just in the amateur space every one has windows machines so it makes sense to support those.  That said Mac and Linux support is starting to appear in all areas as Windows appears to be losing it's way (see also: steam first adding Mac support, then announcing a Linux distro).  

I do agree that C++ (or Obj-C for that matter which I've been picking up recently) do seem antiquated as a spoilt .net programmer, memory management, yuck. But then there's mono which does work really well as far as I can tell.

* might be lying it was a few years since she did her stint manning it.

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poogle

poogle

Posted
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I've been following your project with quite some interest Anat, and it was thanks to you that I got my eyes on the pi for guiding, so thank you very much! :)

I saw that you switched to an android tv device with linux instead, but I think that I'm going to stick with the PI for now and upgrade later if needed

/Patrik

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TCWORLD

TCWORLD

Posted
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I might try compiling this on my pi:

https://launchpad.net/indi-eqmod

I was playing around trying to get EQMOD to work in all its wonder, but that was a no-go from the start really.

All that would be needed then is an equivalent to EQMODLX which works with Indi-EQMOD, and then you can control your telescope wirelessly from SkySafari without a laptop involved. That's my ultimate goal with a Pi. Just need the time as ever.

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kirkster501

kirkster501

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I don't follow what you guys are trying to achieve here with the RP, other than for the fun of doing it which, chapeau to you if you have the time.  They are great devices alright, I have a couple.  But for astro "at the scope" use?  Get yourself a cheap netbook off the bay for £100!  Does everything you want and runs every app.

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WillEyedOney

WillEyedOney

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I don't follow what you guys are trying to achieve here with the RP, other than for the fun of doing it which, chapeau to you if you have the time.  They are great devices alright, I have a couple.  But for astro "at the scope" use?  Get yourself a cheap netbook off the bay for £100!  Does everything you want and runs every app.

It's the journey, not the destination. :)

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SplintUK

SplintUK

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It's the journey, not the destination. :)

It's like Miley Cyrus once said (before she went all Britney):

"There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb"
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Sp@ce_d

Sp@ce_d

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It's like Miley Cyrus once said (before she went all Britney):

"There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb"

Are you serious... Miley!  :grin:

and I thought you were so cool with a sig like that... :laugh: :laugh:

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Liteo

Liteo

Posted
Posted

Hello,

I read the entire thread with a lot of interest.

The PI foundation released at the end of 2013 a camera module without the IR filter (Camera Pi NoIR).

Maybe this would of more interest to the astrogazer community ?

I mean, unfiltered camera don't usually come cheap. This one is 25$ !

I'm just an astro enthusiast, but was wondering if there would be anything interesting to do/develop with this combo ?

Nicolas

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