LittleFoot Elegance Photo > LFEP ASCOM
LFEP ASCOM driver - bug reports
Armando:
Hi Heinz,
--- Quote from: Heinz-S on Tuesday, 06.05.14 - 17:07:01 - CEST ---Hello Armando,
thank you for the detailed explanation. The possibility to enter a time in the flip menu had been the reason for my confusion. Such a function I combine with photographic use only. The HW handbox of my CGEM mount didn't expect to enter a time. It is flipping dependent only on the coords of the objects.
--- End quote ---
OK.
--- Quote ---Your explanation, that the pole crossing is moving at 16x had been very helpful. I only had to raise the speed.
--- End quote ---
Crossing the pole is at 16x speed whatever is the speed associated to 16x pad speed. ::)
Another reason why you could have thought that mount was not moving (during the flip) could be the starting position: when Dec is about +-90° you "see" a slow slewing on RA if you "follow" your mount on a sky chart...
--- Quote ---The version 28-04-2014 of your driver had fixed the exception bug. The parking function now operates as expected.
--- End quote ---
OK. From time to time give a look at Sourceforge to update the driver. Only when I'll have properly tested the driver I'll post a notification about it on this forum with a change log too...
--- Quote ---The bypass – function I'm not able to test at the moment, because the shack that contains my scope isn't very large. The long scope, I'm using presently, perhaps would crash to one of the side walls.
--- End quote ---
In any case while testing the driver be ready to stop the mount (a click on Stop or simply a press on any HW handbox button is enough: the driver detects the slewing has been aborted/has failed). Only the step at 16x speed required to cross the Pole requires a click on Stop (or an abort command by any ASCOM client) to be aborted. But generally crossing the Pole is quick and so it's pretty unlikely that you'll abort a slewing exactly while mount is crossing the Pole...
--- Quote ---Using E&T I've chosen a couple of stars alternating on both sides of the meridian. The mount every time flips on the right side with pole crossing at 16x.
--- End quote ---
OK.
--- Quote ---A GOTO to Polaris was running in a different way. The scope was located at NW when I started the GOTO. The mount was running to the pole cross position and rested there for a few seconds, moving at 16x. Then it was slewing back to NW until it pointed to Polaris.
--- End quote ---
Polaris is circumpolar and it's one of the targets that can be located "under" the plane orthogonal to your local meridian, even if above the horizon.
For this part of the sky I had to take care of other issues: front side of the scope could collide with the pillar/tripod. I think I need to test by myself the driver to figure out if some changes are required... Anyway the priority is to keep the driver safe so that no pillar crashes can occur.
--- Quote ---After that I started a GOTO to Mars, but that time not using E&T but the HW handbox. The mount was slewing to SE (the bad side) and pointed to Mars. That time the mount crossed the pole without moving at 16x. The whole movement was executed with GOTO speed.
When I parked the scope later on, I noticed that the SW handbox now displayed the wrong orientation (West instead of East). So I think, that it isn't good to use the HW handbox and the driver together for GOTO commands.
--- End quote ---
I modified the driver so that playing by the HW handbox is possible: previously the driver crashed as soon as you started to play by the HW handbox to send a GoTo command.
But obviously I still suggest to use the PC to control the LFEP.
If you see that HW handbox shows a SideOfPier that differs from the ASCOM one I think your Dec motor rotation is reversed (Dec motor settings). I can do nothing to solve this bug. If I make the driver OK for your Dec motor cables then the users with normal (not reversed) Dec motor rotation will find the HW handbox showing a SideOfPier that differs from the ASCOM one... :)
As for parking, it's useful only for fixed observatories. And I see no reason to prefer the limited functionality of the HW handbox to control the LFEP at home...
In a few words I see the HW handbox useful on the field, when the equipment is limited and no PC/notebooks are involved, just to point using the catalogs stored on the memory card...
But if you have a PC then the ASCOM driver offers an handy control of the mount...
CS
Armando
the_lizardking:
I totaly agree,... if you have the change to use a PC use the ASCOM driver to run the mount. I have a fixed obs and do even not go outside anymore. The driver is meanwhile so good that it works perfect!
Also parking works fine which never worked proper with the handbox - only when you have a crazy parking position like I have it comes to probs from time to time :) . I remember when we began and we where only searching bugs,... most of them on the Handbox and we had an unfinished driver,... today Armando made the safest driver I know moving the mount very intelligent and really safe. Also you can rely on the functions,... the Log gives usefull messages and the driver catches all features, even some that on the handbox never worked...
Heinz-S:
Hello the_lizardking,
I totally agree too! Armando has created an excellent driver. He asked the users to test it under different circumstances. While testing, I noted all observations of mount moving to be able to send back an entire report, hoping that it would be helpful.
The using of the HW handbox should complete the test result, because it is also part of the LFEP. When I'm not testing the driver but enjoying a starry night, be insured that I'm not use the HW handbox, except for correcting instructions to center an object with the red buttons. ;)
CS
Heinz
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