EQ8 with Kstars / Ekos & INdI

[Stuart1971]

4 minutes ago, alacant said:

Which was the version that worked?

Lol, I just said above I don’t know….

But it was version 1.5.3 of Stellarmate,  that I had on at the time, but that has no bearing as it’s not an INdI issue….as for RPI firmware version….I don’t know

Edited September 18, 2021 by Stuart1971

[Stuart1971]

As I said earlier, I am getting a prolific chipset cable and see if that makes a difference, as I only have FTDI versions, also I could do with an old rpi4 or 3b that has not had the firmware updates since it was new, and I could try that…

[StevieDvd]

In all of the Linux setups have you tried a clean setup before adding the Pegasus hardware. It could be a conflict between Linux host and Pegasus usb devices?

[Stuart1971]

1 hour ago, StevieDvd said:

In all of the Linux setups have you tried a clean setup before adding the Pegasus hardware. It could be a conflict between Linux host and Pegasus usb devices?

Yes, have tried on fresh set up with only mount connected directly to the RPI, and nothing else…still the same…👍🏼

[wimvb]

Ok, silly suggestion maybe, since you seem to have tested everything: have you plugged the usb cable into another usb port on the RPi (preferrably with a clean setup)? Just to rule out hardware problems.

[Stuart1971]

6 hours ago, wimvb said:

Ok, silly suggestion maybe, since you seem to have tested everything: have you plugged the usb cable into another usb port on the RPi (preferrably with a clean setup)? Just to rule out hardware problems.

Yes, that was the first think I tried, also it’s the same on mini PC with Ubuntu, so not RPI issue, or USB issue…👍🏼

[Stuart1971]

Ok after two months of testing and swapping everything EXCEPT the mount itself, I have taken the plunge and bought a new Motnerboard for the mount, this was after seeing on an iO EQ8 group there were plenty of other people who had experienced the same or similar issue with EQMOD failing,  but it still working with the handset….so …🤞🤞

 

 

[malc-c]

Before you install the new board, try the old board that works with the handset but not EQMOD with GSServer... There is a setting in GSServer for using the full voltage for the motors which EQMOD doesn't have. Trust me, if there was a real issue with the motor board the handset wouldn't work either

 

EDIT - You'll need to test with a windows machine as GSServer is windows only, but it will prove if the issue is unique to EQMOD - the setting to enable is full current

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by malc-c

[Stuart1971]

8 hours ago, malc-c said:

Before you install the new board, try the old board that works with the handset but not EQMOD with GSServer... There is a setting in GSServer for using the full voltage for the motors which EQMOD doesn't have. Trust me, if there was a real issue with the motor board the handset wouldn't work either

 

EDIT - You'll need to test with a windows machine as GSServer is windows only, but it will prove if the issue is unique to EQMOD - the setting to enable is full current

 

I can’t get any EQMOD cable to connect at all in INdI, so have tried windows and  NINA and the old board works fine with handset, it always has, but none of my four EQMOD cables will connect the mount in NiNA, or INdI, and it’s the same on the new board too…☹️☹️ So can’t test GSS…

COM port shows up, but NINA fails to connect every time, and there is no response se from the mount, in my serial port test software either….using the usual :e1 command…

Edited October 5, 2021 by Stuart1971

[wimvb]

Wow, you pretty much tested everything. This is very strange.

48 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

COM port shows up, but NINA fails to connect every time, and there is no response se from the mount, in my serial port test software either….using the usual :e1 command…

Otherwise I would have recommended to open a link in PuTTY with the mount directly connected to a windows machine, and send a command. But you'd already thought of that too.

[malc-c]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

I can’t get any EQMOD cable to connect at all in INdI, so have tried windows and  NINA and the old board works fine with handset, it always has, but none of my four EQMOD cables will connect the mount in NiNA, or INdI, and it’s the same on the new board too…☹️☹️ So can’t test GSS…

COM port shows up, but NINA fails to connect every time, and there is no response se from the mount, in my serial port test software either….using the usual :e1 command…

So you have tried two motor boards, both of which work fine with the handset, but not when you use an ARM based single board "computer" on which you are running LINUX, and INDI and the software that runs on it won't connect with the com ports.  This suggest that the Rock64 may be the issue here, but the only real way to test that would be to remove it from the equation and either use another platform, such as a pi4 or laptop, either running linux or as suggested, windows and see if the issue goes away.  If it does then it would suggest that the Rock64 either has a hardware fault, or so some subs system issue.

Other than that - have no other suggestions

[Stuart1971]

47 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Wow, you pretty much tested everything. This is very strange.

Otherwise I would have recommended to open a link in PuTTY with the mount directly connected to a windows machine, and send a command. But you'd already thought of that too.

Yes, TBH over the last two months I have tore my hair out trying to solve this, and everything bar the mount board has been changed a few times even the PC used, the one thing left was the mount board, and that solved nothing…

So after a few years with INdI and Kstars I have had to give it up and move back to windows, as the only set up that now works is NINA with EQMOD and a Bluetooth (shoestring) mount adapter, no cables work at all in windows or INdI, and on INdI the Bluetooth was spotty to say the least…

Also tried prolific and FTDI cables bought ones and home made ones, and they will not connect, tried INdI versions going back two years, and Astroberry, 4 different RPI’s and mini PC with unbuntu, all the same, will not connect to EQMOD with cables, BUT  a few months ago the cables actually worked in windows every time, but I was reluctant to change back at that time as did not want to give up, now after moving back to windows and installing it on a mini PC none of the cables will now connect, only the BT adapter…so that I am stuck with…

I am totally frustrated by this, especially after swapping the board and still the same..🤔🤔🤔☹️

 

 

 

 

[Stuart1971]

6 minutes ago, malc-c said:

So you have tried two motor boards, both of which work fine with the handset, but not when you use an ARM based single board "computer" on which you are running LINUX, and INDI and the software that runs on it won't connect with the com ports.  This suggest that the Rock64 may be the issue here, but the only real way to test that would be to remove it from the equation and either use another platform, such as a pi4 or laptop, either running linux or as suggested, windows and see if the issue goes away.  If it does then it would suggest that the Rock64 either has a hardware fault, or so some subs system issue.

Other than that - have no other suggestions

I have, see the post I just posted….tried 4 different RPI’s and a mini PC with Ubuntu…

[malc-c]

I feel for you... this is totally nuts !

I also noticed I mis quoted - the Rock64 belongs to Wimvb... apologies for that.  

You've mentioned you're going back to windows - clutching at straws, but see if GSS results in the same coms issue.  The only other suggestion is to try a standard laptop rather than mini PCs or pi's... maybe these smaller devices drop connections as their power distribution is such that they simply can't maintain the connection? -  

What happens if you connect the handset and place that in PC-Direct mode, and then connect the handset to the pi or mini PC (presumably via USB if its a modern handset).  

[wimvb]

6 hours ago, malc-c said:

the Rock64 belongs to Wimvb

It does, but that got me thinking; @Stuart1971 you didn't mention a usb hub. My eqmod cable works fine when plugged into my Rock64 directly, but not when plugged into a (powered) usb hub. Otoh, my ASI174 and ASI294 cooled cameras don't work when plugged in directly, but do work when plugged into a powered usb hub. On a Raspberry Pi, everything works without the hub. ASI guide cameras always work without a hub. So maybe one last thing to try: a powered usb hub.

[Stuart1971]

9 hours ago, malc-c said:

I feel for you... this is totally nuts !

I also noticed I mis quoted - the Rock64 belongs to Wimvb... apologies for that.  

You've mentioned you're going back to windows - clutching at straws, but see if GSS results in the same coms issue.  The only other suggestion is to try a standard laptop rather than mini PCs or pi's... maybe these smaller devices drop connections as their power distribution is such that they simply can't maintain the connection? -  

What happens if you connect the handset and place that in PC-Direct mode, and then connect the handset to the pi or mini PC (presumably via USB if its a modern handset).  

Yes I tried this PC direct mode on my windows PC, as I wanted to update the firmware on the board, and that worked fine, but still made no difference, but it would not work on INdI with the Synscan driver, so I conclude from that it’s not EQMOD issue but more like a USB one, oh and yes, after you said, I tried, and to make things even more complicated, all 4 EQMOD cables work on my windows Linx tablet / laptop, with NINA…but not on mini PC or nay RPI’s….

so what does that tell us….? Its  a USB issue..?? 🤔🤔🤔

[Stuart1971]

2 hours ago, wimvb said:

It does, but that got me thinking; @Stuart1971 you didn't mention a usb hub. My eqmod cable works fine when plugged into my Rock64 directly, but not when plugged into a (powered) usb hub. Otoh, my ASI174 and ASI294 cooled cameras don't work when plugged in directly, but do work when plugged into a powered usb hub. On a Raspberry Pi, everything works without the hub. ASI guide cameras always work without a hub. So maybe one last thing to try: a powered usb hub.

Oh yes forgot to mention I have the Pegasus UPB V2 and tried all cables in that as that’s how it used to work, and still the same….to be honest I plug everything into that and not direct to the PI’s for power reasons….but it made no difference either way…

[Stuart1971]

I think after finding out now that they work on my laptop with windows and NINA, but not on any RPI’s or mu Intel NUC, it must be a USB issue…..??

The EQMOD cables I have are a Lynx one from FLO, a cheap FTDI one from China and a home made one with FTDI chipset and a bought one with prolific chipset, so a range of different ones

[Stuart1971]

Just to expand a bit more, on windows and in INdI, the cables are recognised and COM ports are created and assigned at system level, it’s the communication that’s lacking….I use a serial port test software on both and there is no response from the created serial COM ports if I input :e1 into the tester it should send back the mount firmware code, but I get nothing…this is s sure sign that the issue is with either the cables or USB of some sort, BUT as I said before all 4 cables work on my windows 10 laptop which has just 1 USB 3 port….

[malc-c]

1 minute ago, Stuart1971 said:

Yes I tried this PC direct mode on my windows PC, as I wanted to update the firmware on the board, and that worked fine, but still made no difference, but it would not work on INdI with the Synscan driver, so I conclude from that it’s not EQMOD issue but more like a USB one, oh and yes, after you said, I tried, and to make things even more complicated, all 4 EQMOD cables work on my windows Linx tablet / laptop, with NINA…but not on mini PC or nay RPI’s….

so what does that tell us….? Its  a USB issue..?? 🤔🤔🤔

 

1 minute ago, Stuart1971 said:

I think after finding out now that they work on my laptop with windows and NINA, but not on any RPI’s or mu Intel NUC, it must be a USB issue…..??

The EQMOD cables I have are a Lynx one from FLO, a cheap FTDI one from China and a home made one with FTDI chipset and a bought one with prolific chipset, so a range of different ones

At least through this testing you've proved what does work and identified what doesn't.  Maybe Wim is on to something if there is an issue with having hubs plugged into to Pi's or NUC's.  Maybe neither can handle so many USB devices and its a power issue, I don't know as I've never messed about with Pi's before.  Or it could be driver related.  Again, not familiar with how things work on INDI etc, but as far as I know EQMOD (official) isn't LINIX based, so presume there is some "translation" between it/Ekos/ and INDI or something.  I did come across an old thread on an INDI forum where someone had produced EQMOD for Linux... but that seemed to have the same issues you are experiencing.

Being a Windows fanboy I can't really help... but the common issue here is the two small "computers" and linux OS being the problem

[Stuart1971]

6 minutes ago, malc-c said:

 

At least through this testing you've proved what does work and identified what doesn't.  Maybe Wim is on to something if there is an issue with having hubs plugged into to Pi's or NUC's.  Maybe neither can handle so many USB devices and its a power issue, I don't know as I've never messed about with Pi's before.  Or it could be driver related.  Again, not familiar with how things work on INDI etc, but as far as I know EQMOD (official) isn't LINIX based, so presume there is some "translation" between it/Ekos/ and INDI or something.  I did come across an old thread on an INDI forum where someone had produced EQMOD for Linux... but that seemed to have the same issues you are experiencing.

Being a Windows fanboy I can't really help... but the common issue here is the two small "computers" and linux OS being the problem

Well, it’s not just Linux, as they don’t work on my mini PC with windows 10 either, only on the laptop with windows 10… also it’s widely known that a powered USB hub is needed with RPI’s as the USB power is not great, hence why I tried with and without one, but same results…

I can assure you it’s not a Cable, Mount, INDI, EQMOD, windows, or Linux issue, this I can be sure now….it must be USB issue on both the RPI’s and the Mini PC…🤔🤔

[malc-c]

9 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

Just to expand a bit more, on windows and in INdI, the cables are recognised and COM ports are created and assigned at system level, it’s the communication that’s lacking….I use a serial port test software on both and there is no response from the created serial COM ports if I input :e1 into the tester it should send back the mount firmware code, but I get nothing…this is s sure sign that the issue is with either the cables or USB of some sort, BUT as I said before all 4 cables work on my windows 10 laptop which has just 1 USB 3 port….

This may mean more to you than me... But it suggests that the underlaying hardware protocols are functioning in that the USB chipset is detected and dealt with by the OS.  But as the communications is handled by "the driver" and this is where you are getting the issue, then that is where I would look.  

Google is full of similar issues where direct connection with a handset works, but when used with a Pi and EQDIR cables it fails, example here

Maybe the issue is USB3... does the Pi have USB2 ports.

[Stuart1971]

35 minutes ago, malc-c said:

This may mean more to you than me... But it suggests that the underlaying hardware protocols are functioning in that the USB chipset is detected and dealt with by the OS.  But as the communications is handled by "the driver" and this is where you are getting the issue, then that is where I would look.  

Google is full of similar issues where direct connection with a handset works, but when used with a Pi and EQDIR cables it fails, example here

Maybe the issue is USB3... does the Pi have USB2 ports.

Yes, two of each…👍🏼

the mini PC only has USB 3 🤔