Arduino Ascom focuser Mark2

[tekkydave]

The ESP8266 board arrived yesterday. I've set up the Arduino IDE to be able to compile and upload to the board using instructions here

http://www.arduinesp.com/getting-started

[msh1]

hi dave been using this software must be for a couple of years now . will it work in sgpro or rather mine doesnt it throws an error something about 100000 steps not at obsy computer so cant say what it says properly

mark

[tekkydave]

Hi, no reason why it shouldn't work as its a standard Ascom interface. Are you definitely using my focuser and not the SGL one - there has been some confusion in the past. Also, the application that come with my focuser (FocusAAF2) is not a fully functional and finshed product. I wrote it for testing and to show how the Ascom driver is called. Can you get more details of the error message? Is anyone else using my focusser with sgpro?

Thanks.

[Gina]

Hi Dave, do you know if your focuser will will work with Indi in Linux, or would it need a special driver?

[tekkydave]

The focuser will need an Indi driver that can talk to the arduino using my protocol.

[Gina]

Yes, I thought as much.  I wonder if anyone has written one as I gather your protocol is based on EQMOD ASCOM and your focuser works with that.  So a driver written for an ASCOM compliant focuser should work with yours.

[Gina]

OTOH I might be able to write my own Indi driver to work with my focuser protocol as mine handles multiple focusers for my triple imaging rigs.

[tekkydave]

The protocol between the Ascom driver and my focuser is one I made up. I couldn't locate one at the time so just made one up . The Ascom driver is hardcoded to that protocol.

Details at https://sourceforge.net/p/arduinoascomfocuser/wiki/Communications Protocol/

The nano could easily be reprogrammed to use a different protocol if you know what the desired Ascom driver uses.

 

[msh1]

10 hours ago, tekkydave said:

Hi, no reason why it shouldn't work as its a standard Ascom interface. Are you definitely using my focuser and not the SGL one - there has been some confusion in the past. Also, the application that come with my focuser (FocusAAF2) is not a fully functional and finshed product. I wrote it for testing and to show how the Ascom driver is called. Can you get more details of the error message? Is anyone else using my focusser with sgpro?

Thanks.

hi dave deff yours mate aaf2, i will be in the obsy later so i will get the msg could be a sgpro problem tho 

 

[redtail]

I have been using aaf2 with sgpro and it works seamlessly,the autofocus routine is a joy to use and i have it set to refocus every degree change.Try connecting as poth hub.

[msh1]

1 hour ago, redtail said:

I have been using aaf2 with sgpro and it works seamlessly,the autofocus routine is a joy to use and i have it set to refocus every degree change.Try connecting as poth hub.

ok a silly question how do i do that please

[msh1]

from what i gather although havent tested yet as its lashing down here it thinks its a relative focuser ( which sgpro dosent support)not absolute now im sure its absolute can a tick box be added in the ascom driver to tell it its absolute 

mark

[msh1]

42 minutes ago, msh1 said:

from what i gather although havent tested yet as its lashing down here it thinks its a relative focuser ( which sgpro dosent support)not absolute now im sure its absolute can a tick box be added in the ascom driver to tell it its absolute 

mark

well i have answered my own question there is a tick box in poth to say its absolute still not working tho and its still raining so i will test tomorrow 

 

[tekkydave]

The driver is definitely set up to be Absolute. The focuser remembers the last position it was set to between uses. If it has got too high for sgpro then set it back to a sensible value in the driver chooser dialog. PS - lashing down here too

 

[msh1]

 changed the last position to 50 set it up in poth & connected it works 

thanks guys 

mark

ps user error i think

[tekkydave]

Glad to help

 

[Shand359]

A friend of mine was good enough to build me one of these focusers for my scope, and then I proceeded to basically blow it and my laptop up last Saturday due to my stupidity. Basically, to cut a long story short I connected everything up correctly and in the right order and then proceeded to connect the wrong voltage up to my USB hub. I blew up the hub, blew the Arduino, the motor board and the USB3 hub built into my nice shiny new laptop... Needless to say I felt like a bit of a prize idiot that night. The Laptop is away being repaired and should be returned next Friday hopefully (9th September). I reordered the damaged parts from ebay and repaired the focuser and its now back in 100% working order. It is a wonderful piece of electronics for controlling the focus. Don't know what I would do if I ever had to return to manual focusing.... lol

[John78]

Many thanks for this - simple and works - I tried the other focuser project on SF and it crashes APT every time I open the coms to the focuser - I tried this and it works flawlessly out of the box.

The challenges facing me to test this out tonight are :-

1) clouds - due to clear

2) only have 1 usb-mini b cable so can only plug in the focuser or the camera

hahah - long term I think I'll put a USB Y-splitter inside my astroeq diy box then it will have 1 USB in, split to the Mega2650 and Mini then 3 steppers out...

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I hope you mean that you'll use a powered USB hub, as 'y-splitting' the one lead. won't work.....

[John78]

32 minutes ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

I hope you mean that you'll use a powered USB hub, as 'y-splitting' the one lead. won't work.....

Yeah like this thing...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HIGH-SPEED-4-PORT-USB-2-0-MULTI-HUB-SPLITTER-PC-LAPTOP-/270692312331?hash=item3f0684e50b:g:wsUAAOxyLN9SjQDC

We use them a lot at work for hooking up multiple USB-TTL serial connections to our photocopiers.  The arduinos are all 12v powered so it shouldn't overload the USB port, I hope....

[Gina]

That isn't a powered hub!

[Dr_Ju_ju]

Try something like this instead https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LH5ZPNY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

yes it's more expensive, but you'll still have your hair, instead of being pulled out, trying to make things work.....

[John78]

1 hour ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Try something like this instead https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LH5ZPNY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

yes it's more expensive, but you'll still have your hair, instead of being pulled out, trying to make things work.....

Me and Amazon don't get on ??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391530042401 

That looks decently priced and it's a reputable brand, suitable?

[Dr_Ju_ju]

The link doesn't work, but from the bay, something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Startech-Com-7-Port-Black-Usb-2-0-Hub-ST7202USBGB-/401171601806?hash=item5d67b0d98e:g:OpgAAOSw-itXslLC

[John78]

1 hour ago, Dr_Ju_ju said:

The link doesn't work, but from the bay, something like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Startech-Com-7-Port-Black-Usb-2-0-Hub-ST7202USBGB-/401171601806?hash=item5d67b0d98e:g:OpgAAOSw-itXslLC

How bizzare that's item got removed, yeah I get the idea though

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391530042401 

I'll have to make a new project box to make everything tidy once I've got everything all working properly