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BullsEye Focuser - DIY Arduino + Trinamic TMC2209 based focuser with temperature measurement


kbrown

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4 hours ago, dazzystar said:

Thanks for the reply. I intend to upload the code (once I've measured and put in the figures for R3 & R4) to the bare, unmodified board then build it. Assume that'll be ok. Although I ordered the exact Nema 17 motor it doesn't look like it'll arrive until after Xmas now. I did order this from Amazon yesterday just in case, will it be okay? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FKH52S5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

That should work and should have plenty of torque. You'd definitely want to use a heat sink on the stepper driver if you're running it with high RMS currents.

 

3 hours ago, dazzystar said:

Speaking of entering in the values for R3 & R4, do I do this once I've connected the Nano to my PC and get the IDE console up and hopefully loaded with your code or do I need to do something else (never done this before!)

You can do this at any stage before uploading the code to the board.

 

2 hours ago, dazzystar said:

Just looked closely at your schematic. It says SilentStepStick v2.x but the one I ordered from Amazon has v1.2. Is this going to be a problem do you know?

I don't know to be honest. I don't even know which version I have. It doesn't say on the board and I can't remember where I got that version number from 😕 Don't think there's any massive differences...

 

46 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

The bi-colour LEDs I ordered are common cathode, can I still use it and if so what wires do I need to change?

You'd have to change a few things. You'd connect the common cathode to ground and the anodes to D10 and D11.  You'd have to change the code too to invert the D10 and D11 outputs.

 

3 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

The Nano has just arrived and I've plugged it in to my PC but I have absolutely no idea what to do now so any help would be really appreciated.

Might be a good idea to read about Arduino in general to get a feel for how it all works. Do a simple blink example and get it working.

 

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3 hours ago, dazzystar said:

Just looked closely at your schematic. It says SilentStepStick v2.x but the one I ordered from Amazon has v1.2. Is this going to be a problem do you know?

Looks like the pinout on your board is slightly different from mine so you'll need to be careful where you're soldering your wires!

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Think I'll have to stop it here and send back the driver board and LEDs and try and get the same one's you've used. Wrong time of the year to get next day delivery, where's Maplin when you need them! Meanwhile, it's this part of getting the driver on to the Nano that I'm very stuck on.

https://kbrown.gitlab.io/bullseye-focuser/indi-bullseyefocuser/html/

I have no clue where I copy and paste that code into so any help would be really appreciated.

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...and, the only UK distributor for the driver board, despite typing in their search bar for tmc2209 keep coming up with this https://e3d-online.com/products/genuine-watterott-tmc2208-stepper-motor-driver-heatsink?_pos=1&_sid=07b3dc72f&_ss=r which is a tmc2208. Again, no idea if there's any difference. Where did you get your board from Kari?

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33 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

...and, the only UK distributor for the driver board, despite typing in their search bar for tmc2209 keep coming up with this https://e3d-online.com/products/genuine-watterott-tmc2208-stepper-motor-driver-heatsink?_pos=1&_sid=07b3dc72f&_ss=r which is a tmc2208. Again, no idea if there's any difference. Where did you get your board from Kari?

I've spoken with the UK distributor and the difference between the TMC2208 and TMC2209 is that the 2209 has sensoreless homing so very important I would have thought.

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1 hour ago, dazzystar said:

Think I'll have to stop it here and send back the driver board and LEDs and try and get the same one's you've used. Wrong time of the year to get next day delivery, where's Maplin when you need them! Meanwhile, it's this part of getting the driver on to the Nano that I'm very stuck on.

https://kbrown.gitlab.io/bullseye-focuser/indi-bullseyefocuser/html/

I have no clue where I copy and paste that code into so any help would be really appreciated.

are you refering to this https://kbrown.gitlab.io/bullseye-focuser/actuator/html/index.html as the above link is for the indi driver on linux device ie raspberry pi  Have you read through the build on @kbrown's website

 

Edited by fozzybear
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when you startup Arduino software on the PC have a read of this as you will need to add some libraries https://www.arduino.cc/en/guide/libraries

I.e you will need the following dependencies to be added to the arduino software before you continue with Kari's instructions as the info below is mentioned 

EEPROMex

TMCStepper

AccelStepper

OneWire

DallasTemperature

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Yes. I've added the libraries and was under the impression that the INDI driver was the program that needed installing on the Nano. It looks like my complete lack of coding and scope knowledge has let me down and fundamentally this won't work with a PC running NINA as there's no software for it. Thankfully most of what I purchased came from Amazon so can go back but I'll have a stepper motor arriving after Xmas which isn't needed as well as a 3D printed enclosure...any takers?

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12 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

Yes. I've added the libraries and was under the impression that the INDI driver was the program that needed installing on the Nano. It looks like my complete lack of coding and scope knowledge has let me down and fundamentally this won't work with a PC running NINA as there's no software for it. Thankfully most of what I purchased came from Amazon so can go back but I'll have a stepper motor arriving after Xmas which isn't needed as well as a 3D printed enclosure...any takers?

hang on a minute you can use some of the items you have received look @brown_rb He has created a few and Ascom compliant so should work with NINA 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinoascomfocuserpro2diy/files/SOLDERLESS DRV8825 NANO/

Albeit you can use your tmc2209's 

please read carefully if this for you

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Thanks very much but seeing how easily I screwed this up I'm going to buy an autofocuser. I thought I could do it but clearly I was so so wrong. The AF was the last thing I was going to save up for as I need a camera and mini pc first but the DIY route looked fun and quite inexpensive. The Bullseye model, if working on a PC with ASCOM and NINA would be incredible and I think doable for me but hey ho....merry Xmas everyone!

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3 hours ago, dazzystar said:

...and, the only UK distributor for the driver board, despite typing in their search bar for tmc2209 keep coming up with this https://e3d-online.com/products/genuine-watterott-tmc2208-stepper-motor-driver-heatsink?_pos=1&_sid=07b3dc72f&_ss=r which is a tmc2208. Again, no idea if there's any difference. Where did you get your board from Kari?

I got mine from farnell: https://uk.farnell.com/trinamic/tmc2209-silentstepstick/stepper-driver-board-2-ph-motor/dp/3131532?CMP=i-bf9f-00001000

Looks like they're out of stock at the moment though...

 

46 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

Yes. I've added the libraries and was under the impression that the INDI driver was the program that needed installing on the Nano. It looks like my complete lack of coding and scope knowledge has let me down and fundamentally this won't work with a PC running NINA as there's no software for it. Thankfully most of what I purchased came from Amazon so can go back but I'll have a stepper motor arriving after Xmas which isn't needed as well as a 3D printed enclosure...any takers?

No it's the firmware you load onto the Nano: https://gitlab.com/kbrown/bullseye-focuser/-/tree/main/firmware/bullseyefocuser_actuator

Just open the .ino file in Arduino IDE and upload it.

The INDI Driver runs (with INDI server) on your PC or RPi or whatever you're using to control your rig. Then you connect to this with an INDI client such as KStars / Ekos.

 

20 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

Thanks very much but seeing how easily I screwed this up I'm going to buy an autofocuser. I thought I could do it but clearly I was so so wrong. The AF was the last thing I was going to save up for as I need a camera and mini pc first but the DIY route looked fun and quite inexpensive. The Bullseye model, if working on a PC with ASCOM and NINA would be incredible and I think doable for me but hey ho....merry Xmas everyone!

That's a shame but I do understand. Might be a bit of a hurdle to get it all working if you haven't got previous experience. It wouldn't be impossible to write ASCOM drivers but I have never used them so I lack the knowledge to do so. Happy to help if anyone fancies the challenge? :)

 

Edited by kbrown
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56 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

Happy Xmas all. I was thinking last night that if all that is required to get this up & running is this INDI server thing running in the background, can it be running under Windows along side NINA or must it be on a Linux platform?

Unfortunately not. Essentially, INDI is the way that Linux capture programs talk to your astro hardware, and ASCOM is the way that Windows programs do it. You don't mix and match at the program level. 

 

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Merry Christmas to you,

You can use most of your acquired parts and have a read if you want to try a different project approach 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinoascomfocuserpro2diy/

you have the Nano stepper and TMC driver 

then read from this 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/arduinoascomfocuserpro2diy/files/SOLDERLESS DRV8825 NANO/

Plus info for the steppers in a pdf

myFP2-TRINAMIC-09-3.pdf

Edited by fozzybear
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Thanks very much for the information. Although it's very comprehensive, it's also far more complex than Kari's one and needs a PCB and even more knowledge of programming and electronics than I have. If only someone could convert the INDI driver!

Edited by dazzystar
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27 minutes ago, dazzystar said:

Thanks very much for the information. Although it's very comprehensive, it's also far more complex than Kari's one and needs a PCB and even more knowledge of programming and electronics than I have. If only someone could convert the INDI driver!

I guess you've worked out that 'conversion' is not a thing. If someone with a bullseye focuser decides to use Windows instead of Linux, and has the necessary dev skills, then maybe an ASCOM drive could be written. 

The thing about diy focuses is you will need to be prepared to roll your sleeves up, as it were, and learn some new skills - even for a simple design like the Bullseye. Have you looked at arduFocuser, I see it has an ASCOM driver? (although it looks like you can't use your TMC driver) 

I agree with your description of the Myfocuserpro2 - it is extremely configurable, including things like an IR remote control, but takes a *lot* of working out (that's the one I built). 

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