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Arduino Ascom focuser Mark2


tekkydave

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Just to clarify, which sketch are you using? 

You should be using the AAF2 one, not the easy driver one. 

i realized i was using the wrong one so uploaded aaf2 sketch i got the aaf2 test to work but not focuser aaf2 program it kept coming up with an error message now nothing works i just bought a new stepper motor and board 

mark

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i have been messing with this all day, i got it to work on my macbook pro ran some simple sketches downloaded from tinter web ,stepper motor is turning so i now know i wired it up correctly .it still won't work on windows 

mark

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Hi all, sorry for late reply but I have been Ill for the last week or so. Please bear in mind that the AAF2 focuser uses its own comms protocol and will only work if wired up according to the diagram on the sourceforge site. It will also only work with the Ascom driver supplied with the FocusAAF2 program. If you dont see the driver in the ascom chooser then it has not been registered in windows. There is a workround also on the SF site on how to register it manually.

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good news its working i really should read the instructions properly and i had a bad connection all i need now is a project box

mark

Very good news. If you think any of my instructions can be improved I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks to all who offered advice while I was not feeling up to it. I think the project enclosure is the hardest part as it needs to be different for each build.
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Very good news. If you think any of my instructions can be improved I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks to all who offered advice while I was not feeling up to it. I think the project enclosure is the hardest part as it needs to be different for each build.

your instructions are perfect i just didn't read them properly lol now what i need is some 5mm id pulleys any idea where i can get some

mark

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your instructions are perfect i just didn't read them properly lol now what i need is some 5mm id pulleys any idea where i can get some

mark

This is the one I used.

http://www.technobotsonline.com/mxl025-plastic-timing-pulley-20-teeth-alu-ins.html

you can pick the correct gear wheel from the same range to fit your focus knob/scope and a belt of the correct length.

A tip is to use a piece of string around both gears to work out what length you need.

Edited by tekkydave
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its in a project box now and working the only thing is if i do small steps i.e. 50 the motor starts off ok then looses torque about half way through is this a problem if i do a goto say 500 steps loads of torque 

mark

ps I'm just waiting on some belts ordered a couple different sizes just in case

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its in a project box now and working the only thing is if i do small steps i.e. 50 the motor starts off ok then looses torque about half way through is this a problem if i do a goto say 500 steps loads of torque 

mark

ps I'm just waiting on some belts ordered a couple different sizes just in case

Are you using an external power supply for the stepper driver e.g. battery. The 5V from the nano alone does not give enough torque.

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If I wanted to communicate with the Arduino Nano via Tx and Rx pins, would anything need to be changed in the code?

Not sure - I thought it used those pins normally for the USB port communication. Do you mean to drive it directly from a regular serial port? I suspect you might have to change the voltages as normal serial is 12V and the nano will only handle 5V standard logic levels. Have a look on the Arduino website - someone may have asked the same question in their forum.

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power at the driver board is just under 9 volts so the power is there ,i tried another 5v motor just in case that one was duff same problem think i will order a 12v stepper motor from a different supplier 

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its in a project box now and working the only thing is if i do small steps i.e. 50 the motor starts off ok then looses torque about half way through is this a problem if i do a goto say 500 steps loads of torque 

mark

ps I'm just waiting on some belts ordered a couple different sizes just in case

Just a thought, it's definitely torque that's diminishing and not speed?

I believe that the last 25 steps are done with a larger delay so it slows down. So it would appear to do so half way through a 50 step operation.

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Just a thought, it's definitely torque that's diminishing and not speed?

I believe that the last 25 steps are done with a larger delay so it slows down. So it would appear to do so half way through a 50 step operation.

ah that could be it i can hold it gently in my fingers and it turns ,half way through the 50 steps it starts to lose torque

if i do a larger step say 500 right at the end it does the same thing so its just slowing down can this be changed in the sketch or is this like a safety feature

mark

loads of daft questions i know never done anything like this before  

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