DIY steeldrive controller

[M40]

Hello all, just wondering, has anybody made a diy Baader steeldrive II hand controller? Not interested in the PC control aspect at the moment just hand control focus buttons.

[kbrown]

I will be doing one as soon as I get my focuser from FLO (been on order for several months now :z). Although my priority is the opposite; I prioritise remote PC (INDI) control and don't really need the hand controller. I built a hand controller for my current DIY focuser but after initial fiddling about I realised I didn't really need it as everything else is remotely controlled as well. So to keep the size and weight down I will probably forget about the hand controller.

Edited December 23, 2020 by kbrown

[M40]

Many thanks for getting back, hoping you can help. I have the connection details for the steeldrive II and they give you just enough info so that you can hang yourself so... do you know, are the drive motors a straightforward 5VDC and it drives or do you need a 5VDC supply and a 0-5VDC signal to drive? Just to confuse matters even more, If it's a 0-5V positioning voltage, do both motors drive together? I wouldn't mind getting the hand controller but at £300 its a bit steep.

 

[kbrown]

I'll be using a stepper motor controlled by an Arduino and a TMC2209 based stepper driver. I'm not really trying to copy the steeldrive. It'll be a custom thing based on my current DIY focuser. At the moment I'm just stuck waiting for the focuser to arrive. 😕

[M40]

Ok understand 👍 I have often thought about giving Raspberry Pi a go, maybe this is my excuse. It's certainly a lot more cost effective than blowing the Baader steeldrive up 😜