SynScan V5 Hand Controller/ Windows 10 Driver Issue

[John_M]

Hi All, 

Just joined SGL and this is my first post. I've been reading through these forums for some time and there are many helpful and useful insights that have helped me to date. Continuing with the trend of useful information, I wanted to share a technical issue that I've had to overcome with my Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro mount and more so the SynScan V5 handset. There isn't really a lot of information out there on the SynScan V5 hand controller (or at least from my searches) and problem solving was that little bit harder, so I hope this contribution is helpful to someone else and saves a bit of time. 

The Problem: 

When connecting the SynScan V5 hand controller to the laptop via USB Type B cable, whilst the laptop would recognise a new device has been connected (the usual "beep" noise would sound), I could not follow any subsequent steps where the laptop would act as controller for the mount.  In my case I was hoping to use Stellarium for selection and go to for planets, nebulae etc.  Given the lack of information out there, diagnosing the problem took a bit of time but eventually worked out the issue was a driver issue. My laptop is Windows 10 based, and realised that when I plugged in the SynScan hand controller, I was not seeing any "Ports (COM & LTP)" listed within Device Manager.

The Solution:

I tried several different ways to add the required driver including using Device Manger and "Add legacy hardware". In there you'll find "Ports (COM & LTP)" and can add a generic communications port and several others but that didn't solve the problem in my case. I also tried downloading drivers from FDTI (virtual com port as well as D2XX) and still no success. Perhaps these options might work for others. 

Eventually, I found a useful piece of software that automatically searches and provides updates for Windows drivers. There's plenty of options out there and with the software I used, a scan revealed that an update for “Prolific USB-To-Serial Comm Port” was required. I downloaded the drivers and stored in an easily accessible folder as I had to perform a manual install. Manual install is relatively easy and is done by opening Device Manager and look down the list for “Other devices”, there you’ll see a device with a small yellow triangle with an exclamation mark along with “USB Serial Cable” or similar. Right click and select “Update Driver Software”, followed by “Browse my computer for driver software” follow the file path to the location of the driver. Click next and the drivers should install successfully and the Ports (COM & LTP) should be listed and a Comm port should be assigned to the device. 

To validate the connection and the ability to communicate with the mount, I did use the ASCOM platform and EQMOD. Just remember which Comm port your computer has assigned to the device for populating the details.

As set out above, I had intended to use Stellarium for control of the mount. In my case both the ASCOM platform and EQMOD have now become redundant when using Stellarium. Within the configuration window of Stellarium and when adding a new telescope the first radio button "Stellarium, directly through a serial port" is the correct option to choose. Ensure other options are correct within the pop-up window i.e. serial port number and device model. Once these are complete, connecting to the mount should be successful. Almost forgot to mention, the SynScan V5 remote should not be set to "PC Direct Mode" as it will not communicate with Stellarium.  

Hopefully the above is of use and here's to cloud free nights. 

Regards,

John

Picture of SynScan V5 for reference:

 

  

[malc-c]

Hi John, welcome to the forum.

The issue of Prolific drivers under windows has been well documented, even as far back as Windows 7.  If you are looking at using a PC to connect to the mount look at using an EQDIR cable, around £35 from FLO.  It would remove using the handset from the equation and tends to be more reliable to install.

For those who might come across this thread in the future, maybe include the link to the driver application you used that identified and downloaded the right driver that resolved your issue 

[Cosmic Geoff]

This is interesting. I was trying to get my EQ5 Synscan with its V5 handset to connect to my laptop via a A-B USB cable rather than the USB to serial cable needed for the older handsets.  I thought I needed to install the ASCOM platform and Synscan handset driver, so did that.  (It also needed a .NET framework.)  Still no joy, and the Win7 Control Panel was showing a USB-serial device for the handset, with no driver.

I gave up; and turned it all on again after reading the above thread, and checked the Control Panel to see if the USB-serial device had a Hardware ID I could chase up for a driver. However to my surprise it now had a Prolific driver, for COM6.

So I entered this data into Stellarium and, surprise, it connected and did a simulated slew to Mars. 

I don't know if I needed to install the ASCOM platform.  Connecting a Nexstar mount to Stellarium was much less bother.

With reference to the previous post, I would comment that not everybody will want to dispense with their handset, and not everybody will want to spend 35 UKP if they have a spare standard USB cable.

[malc-c]

The ironic thing is that given how flakey Prolific drivers are under windows 10 (which as mentioned is very well documented), as every windows update renders the prolific drivers inoperative, Skywatcher opted to use this chipset in all their devices (handsets/mounts) that use a USB cable.  Driver here

In essence what they have done is taken an EQDIRECT cable and placed it internally in the devices so a standard USB cable can be used.  The problem is that they should have used FTDI chipsets rather than PL2303.  Unless this was "chipset" standard built into the ARM processor assuming the ARM processor has direct USB connectivity.

If the mount has an USB port then use a standard USB cable, otherwise I would still suggest using the tried and tested  EQDIR cable.  Regardless of the method, Geoffs comment about dispensing with the handset is irrelevant as it plays no part in controlling the mount when EQMOD and a PC is used.  Even with the handset placed in PC-Direct mode it's only acting as an EQDIRECT cable to pass commands from the PC  through to the mount, but using the handset in this way does indeed save the £34 on a commercial EQDIRECT cable as Geoff suggests 

[Cosmic Geoff]

Malc-c : That's interesting.  But if I just want to direct the mount from Stellarium I have no need to concern myself with EQMOD.  The latter is no doubt of more interest to astro-imagers.

With Nexstar one can use the handset and the cable link to Stallarium in parallel.  Does that happen with Synscan? (I'd know if I set it up and tried it, but I have put the mount away).

[malc-c]

Geoff, I don't believe it's possible to control the mount from both handset and software with the Synscan handset as it needs to be set into PC-Direct mode, which as mentioned simply acts as a relay to pass on commands from the PC.  It's been a long time since I used Stellarium (it needed a 3rd party plug in to work with synta mounts at the time ! - I'm betting now that the relevant telescope drivers  are built in), so can't really comment on that.  

EQMOD can be used for visual observers who have permanent set ups in observatories etc.  But has advantages in control when it is used with an imaging set up.  I can't really see any advantage of using a PC and planetarium software just to move the mount for visual observing when the handset does the same, and with less complexity.   By the time you've connected the handset, booted the laptop, waited for windows to load, launched the software, hopefully connected to the mount without any trouble spots, and then selected the first target you could have been observing the target if just the handset was used. 

[Cosmic Geoff]

There are advantages to using a PC connected to the mount/handset (with Nexstar) which are useful for visual observers.  For instance, if you want to observe a list of double stars, you can either look up their RA and Dec beforehand and enter them into the handset, or enter the designations into Stellarium which will find the position and you can then GoTo the double.  In a similar vein there are apps for compiling oberver lists (one is available free for Nexstar) which one can prepare in advance and then use the app to control the telescope mount directly.  Stellarium can find asteroids and other solar system objects if you take the trouble to update the Stellarium databases beforehand.

For deep sky objects with Messier, NGC, IC or other catalog numbers it is quicker to just use the database in the handset.