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PC control of the Virtuoso mount sky-watcher


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This is my very first time working with a telescope and i'm having trouble connecting my mount to my pc (It seems very easy for you guys, shame on me).

I've followed a lot of threads which helped me a lot on this forum but it still won't work.

This is what I've done:

-I've build a cable RJ12/USB with a USB/TTL chip connecting the Rx to the Tx, the Tx to the Rx and the GND to the GND. (with the adpated  driver which works fine)

-I've installed the Driver "AzGoto by Armazem Do Telescopio"

-I've installed the ASCOM plateform

-I've installed StellariumScope, Stellarium and Skychart

-In both softwares I chose the Driver AZ GOTO, fill in my latitude and longitude and the appropriate port COM

But when I try to connect my telescope, I have to wait over 5 minutes until an error pops up with 'BasicApi.MountControlException"

Do you guys have any idea what's going on ?

Again, these are my first steps into Astronomy.

Thanks you very much.

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32 minutes ago, Antoine1997 said:

with the adpated  driver which works fine)

I seem to remember an associate on mine tried to use this driver and he used the Prolific chip which the Brazilian gent recomended. We had awful problems to get this to drive the Virtuoso mount or even find a Prolific driver that worked as the one from he Sourceforge site didn't.

1, Are you using a Prolific chipped USB to TTL component? If so where is he driver coming from.

2. Is the voltage correct for the TTL on he Virtuoso - I cant remember the correct voltage

3. Are you using the Ascom driver for the Virtuoso mount that was provided by the sourceforge site(from the above it would appears so ) - it is over 5yrs old and may have problems with later versions of Ascom/Windows OS. Plus first time in you have to "click" on properties on the Ascom Chooser Menu which is where you select the correct COM port.

My best guess is that the Prolific chip/driver  is causing the problem - sorry for not being much help.

IndiLib I believe can drive a Virtuoso Mount but is relatively new and you wouldn't be able to use Ascom or Stellarmate . https://www.indilib.org/devices/telescopes/skywatcher-virtuoso-alt-az.html

 

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I'm indeed using a prolific chip whith its driver. It is the 3.3.2.105 version, from 27/10/2008 because it is the only one solving the code 10 error of windows.

I'm not using any voltage source from the chip, only the Tx, Rx and the GND.

One thing is weird tough, i feel like Rx and Tx are shorted because when i'm trying to connect to the telescope, the Tx and Rx leds of the chip are blinking which is a good thing, but if I turn off the telescope they keep blinking.

Isn't the Tx led the only one supposed to blink ?

I'm indeed using the driver from 5 years ago

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2 hours ago, Antoine1997 said:

I'm not using any voltage source from the chip, only the Tx, Rx and the GND

But TTL can be 3.3 or 5v logic and some USB TTL Adapters run one or the other and some can run both (some have a switch to swop 3.3 to 5v) - his is nothing to do with providing voltage from the chip but being the Chips TTL tolernace of signals. Some 3.3v chips will burn out if the TTL is using 5v logic voltage.

2 hours ago, Antoine1997 said:

I'm indeed using a prolific chip whith its driver. It is the 3.3.2.105 version, from 27/10/2008 because it is the only one solving the code 10 error of windows.

Yep had many problem with that driver and Windows has moved the goal posts a lot since then.

 

2 hours ago, Antoine1997 said:

One thing is weird tough, i feel like Rx and Tx are shorted because when i'm trying to connect to the telescope, the Tx and Rx leds of the chip are blinking which is a good thing, but if I turn off the telescope they keep blinking.

Isn't the Tx led the only one supposed to blink ?

The Virtuoso sounds like AZGoTo mounts which have tx/rx pins connected on the motherboard on the mount and may need a pull/down resistor set up - not my area but google it or someone else may help!

As I say the Prolific chips are generally bad news when using Windows and using a driver of that age could be your problem. 

As I have already said IndiLib supports Virtuoso mounts so perhaps asking there about using your  USB Prolific Adapter may get a reply. 

Else it could be worth using a Synscan Handset if you have one and just use a RS232 USB adapter (pc - Handset).

I know other users use the Virtuoso Mount so perhaps they will come forward and explain a better way - As I say it was 2-4yrs ago when I last plyed with one in the way you are.

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