Gina's DIY All Sky Cam - Complete Redesign

[Gina]

That should be an easy one to fix.  You just need to install the FITS library.

$ sudo apt-get install libcfitsio3

should do the job.

James

Thanks James - I'll try that

A bit later... Done that and app is now running   HOORAY   Thanks James   Next will be to connect QHY5 and test...

[Gina]

Have connected QHY5, rescanned and chosen QHY5 from the list but getting "Unable to connect camera" error.  I've tried various USB ports.

[JamesF]

Did you add yourself to the "users" group?

James

[Gina]

I guess not - have to bone up on that

[Cath]

Say wot ?

[Gina]

I mean I'll have to revise my Unix/Linux stuff regarding permissions, users and groups.

[JamesF]

If you choose Administration->Users and Groups from the main menu there's a "Manage Groups" button that allows you to add yourself to the users group.  Then you just need to log out and log in again.

There will be a neater way to handle this eventually

James

[Gina]

Done that and I'm already in the users.

[JamesF]

Hmmm.  That's unexpected, as Mint doesn't put you in the users group by default.

Could you show me the output of the commands "id" and "lsusb" in a terminal window?

James

[Gina]

OK

[JamesF]

That doesn't look like you're in the "users" group.

James

[Gina]

[Cath]

Harnt pooters fun eh !!

[Gina]

Oooooohhh aaarrrrr   'tis true indeed!

[rpineau]

Gine, this shows you are a "user" on the system.. not that you are in the users group. Click on the groups tab and you'll see a list of groups. One of them is "users" and you should be able to edit it to add yourself to it.

Rodolphe

[Gina]

Thank you   Not quite that but in the Users window I could choose myself and click on the groups I'm in to bring up a list of groups with tick boxes.  I just had to tick the "users" group to add mayslf to that group.  Then, after a reboot I'm in the "users" group.

[JamesF]

That's better

Is oacapture still behaving the same now?  The other thing I noticed from your earlier post was that your QHY5 has a completely different USB vendor id and product id from mine.  I know there are several, but it's possible I didn't know about the one you have.  I shall check that now.

James

[JamesF]

Looks like I did know about that one, so we should be ok there.  If the file /dev/QHY5-0 exists then that part has definitely worked and the firmware is loaded into the camera ok.

James

[Gina]

It's working   Thank you James et al

I have the ASC in bits ATM working on version 2.1   with light proofing   Don't have the camera and lens at the right distance for focus but I can see an image.

[JamesF]

That's really good news

James

[Gina]

I've been experimenting with micro servos and concluded that they are not ideal for focussing this lens.  I have found that there is just enough room for a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor so I'm going for the type of remote focussing system I am most familiar with   I may use a micro servo unmodified for the shutter power with plastic and solar film shutter. 

The QHY5 PCB, shutter and motor etc. will be enclosed in a black ABS two part light proof casing.  The stepper motor fits between this and the bottom of the box.  It will drive the present focus gear with a small pinion, replacing the manual drive.

I guess it makes sense to put an Arduino Nano with ULN2003N driver chip in the same box rather than having a multicore cable to an Arduino somewhere else.  Now if I could find a tiny 2 port USB hub I would only need 1 USB cable and the 12v supply.  I seem to remember doing something like this for the LX mod for the Philips webcam.  Wonder if I can find the info

[Gina]

That's really good news

James

Yes   I'm hoping to have everything ready for testing the new hardware with oacapture tomorrow.  I have to modify the lightproof casing (which also serves as the main frame) to take the stepper motor.  Alternatively,  I could just reassemble the present bits and test oacapture (quicker).  If I draw the curtains I might be able to test the camera with oacapture in the living room

[JamesF]

I recall the two-port hub I used for my LX mod came all moulded into the plastic housing for the two USB sockets.  I had to cut the moulding open to get at the cable ends to be able to reduce the cable lengths, wire the USB->serial adaptor straight into the hub without a plug and socket and make them fit neatly in the box but that was it.  The actual hub bit was a PCB barely 30mm by 15mm.

James

[Gina]

That sounds about right

[Kropster]

I am puzzled about the need to have variable focus.

Will it not just need to be set to infinity once and fixed and left if the camera / lens / stars stay in the same positions?