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ASCOM over network.

tcpip

By tcpip
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tcpip

tcpip

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Instead of running the ASCOM drivers on one PC, you run them on 2 PC's. Example: ASCOM mount drive on one PC and the ASCOM dome driver on another but with an ASCOM connection between them. Hope this clarifies.

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perfrej

perfrej

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Theoretically ASCOM should work between computers. It is all COM-based communication so with some configuration DCOM (which is networked COM) should work. The drivers or applications wouldn't see the difference, it is all handled at the communications layer.

/per

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Chris Rowland

Chris Rowland

Posted
Posted (edited)

Eros Lite is probably the best option.

While Per is theoretically correct that DCOM could be used in practice it's a nightmare to set up because there are so many security and compatibility hoops to jump through.  We are lumbered with this at work because some microscope manufacturers use it.  We reckon it adds an extra half day to the installation time, and that's with the benefit of a 60 page manual.

Chris

Edited by Chris Rowland
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gkec

gkec

Posted
Posted 
The ASCOM Initiative is a loosely-knit group of developers and astronomical instrument makers that work together to bring vendor-independent and language-independent plug-and play compatibility between astronomy software and astronomical instruments on Windows computers. ASCOM stands for the Astronomy Common Object Model.

I think the fact that ASCOM is not OS independant or at least able to work over a network "out of the box" a fairly fundamental architectural flaw. 

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perfrej

perfrej

Posted
Posted 
The ASCOM Initiative is a loosely-knit group of developers and astronomical instrument makers that work together to bring vendor-independent and language-independent plug-and play compatibility between astronomy software and astronomical instruments on Windows computers. ASCOM stands for the Astronomy Common Object Model.

I think the fact that ASCOM is not OS independant or at least able to work over a network "out of the box" a fairly fundamental architectural flaw. 

But it is. It is based on a communications framework called COM (Compound Object Model, if I remember correctly). If take a COM application and just change the attributes of it in the COM control panel you can make the object you are creating (for instance a telescope) be created on another computer. Neither the applications nor ASCOM drivers see any difference. If you do this you have entered the world of DCOM, or Distributed COM.

As for being a nightmare to set up, well, I have given tons of talks on this and find it very straightforward; that is if you fully understand the advanced concepts of windows security, such as impersonation.

I have not had any real need to run ASCOM distributed myself, but maybe I should just for the heck of it. There may be issues, for example if the developers haven't observed all the norms you have to comply with...

/per

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andrewluck

andrewluck

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Yes, I'm using that method at home. I use NoMachine for remote control as it also passes audio back to the PC in the house.

However, for the observatory we have people wanting to use different client software, Maxim, Starry Night, SkyCharts, Artemis etc so it makes more sense if they can just plug their laptop into the network and use their software as normal.

Andrew

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MooMoo

MooMoo

Posted
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But it is. It is based on a communications framework called COM (Compound Object Model, if I remember correctly). If take a COM application and just change the attributes of it in the COM control panel you can make the object you are creating (for instance a telescope) be created on another computer. Neither the applications nor ASCOM drivers see any difference. If you do this you have entered the world of DCOM, or Distributed COM.

As for being a nightmare to set up, well, I have given tons of talks on this and find it very straightforward; that is if you fully understand the advanced concepts of windows security, such as impersonation.

I have not had any real need to run ASCOM distributed myself, but maybe I should just for the heck of it. There may be issues, for example if the developers haven't observed all the norms you have to comply with...

/per

Isn't that COM+?  aka old DCOM.

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  • 2 years later...
yesyes

yesyes

Posted
Posted

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread... I found this while searching for an ASCOM over IP solution.

Has anyone got this EROS Lite working? It doesn't work for me, the Client side never gets the list of remote ASCOM objects. (It's not the firewall, I see a TCP connection being established between Client and Server app)

Are there any other ASCOM over IP solutions out there (ideally free)?

 

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andrewluck

andrewluck

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You should be able to connect to the server using Telnet and it's all unencrypted. Does anything come back?

According to the documentation there's a debug mode that can be enabled. Worth a try to see what it reports.

I never got around to trying it.

 

Andrew

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  • 4 years later...
Clownfish

Clownfish

Posted
Posted

I know this is very old post - but have you seen INDIHUB?  https://indihub.space

Anyway,  you can run astro software natively in your house, or anywhere on Earth, on any platform (windows, Mac OSX, Linux), and have it control all your astro gear in an observatory that has the INDI server running in there.  INDI can work well even on a small $50 raspberry pie.  This is MUCH faster than trying to use any screen sharing system like VNC or Desktop Remote.

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malc-c

malc-c

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Posted
16 minutes ago, Clownfish said:

I know this is very old post - but have you seen INDIHUB? https://indihub.space

Anyway,  you can run astro software natively in your house, or anywhere on Earth, on any platform (windows, Mac OSX, Linux), and have it control all your astro gear in an observatory that has the INDI server running in there.  INDI can work well even on a small $50 raspberry pie.  This is MUCH faster than trying to use any screen sharing system like VNC or Desktop Remote.

If I follow that correctly, you basically make your equipment accessible via the internet using the INDIservers.  And then connect to any host.... So it's not a local connection, and I personally would not be happy having my geographical location made available to anyone else who uses this service.... And if my Internet goes down...... 

I'll stick to remote desktopping into my Observatory's PC thanks 🙂 

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