Getting phd to recognise my toucam and mount?

[samir_ansari]

Hi there, I am having trouble getting my toucam and mount to be picked up by phd. When I click the camera button I get a list of different cameras, none of which are toucam. Also I am a bit unsure which input option I should be using for my mount (e.g GPUSB, ASCOM....)

Also a bit of extra info:

- I am using a mac

- I have connected my ST4-serial cable from the hand controller to a serial-USB converter which is then connected to the laptop

- I haven't installed any ascom drivers (I couldn't seem to find any for mac)

- My mount is an HEQ5 Pro

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,

Samir

[calibos]

I'm pretty sure you don't need a PHD to figure out a Toucam. Its very simple tbh.....

Sorry couldn't resist! Carry On

[Merlin66]

Samir,

Your webcam should show up....I don't have PHD infront of me but it's there somewhere.

Your comment:

I have connected my ST4-serial cable from the hand controller to a serial-USB converter which is then connected to the laptop

Puzzles me.

The ST-4 connectors are on the mount (not the handcontroller) and on some guide cameras (not on the webcams ;-( )

To make the connection it sounds like you need another piece of hardware GPusb from Shoestring for instance.

This plugs into a USB port on your computer and the other end goes to the ST-4 port on the HEQ5 mount. PHD then sends the correction signals to the mount via this connection.

[samir_ansari]

Ah I see, I thought I read somewhere that I was supposed to connect it to the hand controller as I have two slots for what seems to be an ST4 plug (one for connecting the hand controller to the mount and the other one spare).

I don't think I will need a GPUSB box as I already have an ST4 socket on the mount.

In regards to PHD not showing toucam could this be because it is the mac version and there arent any 'official' mac drivers for these webcams? At the moment I am using one from IOXperts

[Merlin66]

Samir,

The GPUSB is to get the signal from the PC to the ST-4 socket on the mount. How else will you do it??

The sockets on the controller:

One is obviously for the curly cable to connect to the mount. The other is for the computer updating cable (usually has a serial plug at the end) This cable (you may need a serial>usb adaptor) can be used to connect the handcontroller/ mount to you favourite planetarium program (Cart du Ciel etc) to give you remote control and GOTO from the PC.

[samir_ansari]

Ah right ok, I thought I could just connect my PC to the mount like so:

Mount => ST4 to Serial cable => Serial to USB cable => Mac

So will I need GPUSB make this work with PHD?

[Merlin66]

Samir,

I think the confusion arises when you call the serial cable an ST-4 cable ....it's not.

Yes, you need some method of getting the control signal from the PC to the ST-4 guide port on the mount. GPUSB is a very common method.

[samir_ansari]

Merlin, this is essentially what I have:

the side which looks like an ST4 fits perfectly into my mount's ST4 socket, hence why I thought this is an ST4 to serial cable, is this not the case? Is this actually some other type of port which is very similar but not the same as an ST4?

[Merlin66]

Pure coincidence!

Believe me to get the ST-4 port on the mount to do its job it needs a signal from the PC via a "proper" ST-4 connection. If the "input" to the serial part of the cable you show is a "guide" signal then yes it would work.....

[samir_ansari]

Thanks very much for the help Merlin - I will keep a look out for a GPUSB box