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Little Foot Display Firmware

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Armando:
Hi Christian,

anyway 128 microsteps is surely a good starting point.  8)
Let's see if Thomas Westerhoff will answer...

CS
Armando

the_lizardking:
I already talked to this guy,... I asked him if he wants to join us. However Rajiva was making him troubles, said he was taking ideas from him - so he was very pissed off and stopped working public and of course do not want to join us.

He finished the project but made only one piece for a private observatory and meanwhile they even do not use it anmore,...

Astroquattro:
Hi,

yes, I'm aware that there are two sides of a medal and that AR may have done the same as he accuses other of. Money makes people paranoid and greedy.
As I read in this forum some of the other post one think becomes more and more clearly. Maybe this is not the right place start a new version of a tracking system.
I know of Thomas Westerhoffs project and in some points he is very right. I think the way he sees it, turning in his project and not going public anymore reflects that he is aware of all those Gollums who think that society owes him. His reaction, in my opinion, is the right one. I myself thought about this issue from the beginning, when I started to my project in 2011.

The facts are, Boxdörfer beared the consequences from tighter law's and the behavior of others, AR and M. Koch are of the same kind but may have lost beyond repair and guys like Thomas and others won't go to market with their inventions.

I won't distribute my tracking system either because, it is not meant for. I is a solution for my home town observatory.
On the other hand I see the needs of other to have a working and reliable tracking system. Since there is not industry to distribute such systems in a way suitable and the number of needy people can be counted on two hands or double there is no market at all. Facing all the problems is not worth the effort one has to take to develop one's own solution to the problem.

I write that to make clear that I'm aware of what is at stake here. That's why I mentioned my question, if this forum really is the right place, in the first few lines.

Thomas' solution is a typical stand-alone solution which is called "Goto" by those who do not have any clue what where talking about, so 99% of the amateur astronomers.

With my solution there will never be a stand-alone version, because since it's made for tracking to get scientific evaluable data. It's meant for using with ccd camera only. Of course what is good for ccd cameras is good for visual observations, but there won't be any support for that or any lower claims/requirements. Being science-grade is all that matters. Today we are in the position that every amateur is cable of doing it the science way. This way is the only way that really makes sense when it comes to meaningful observations, because it is the optimum level of entertainment. The rest can, with right, be called esoteric.

It may sound a little harsh but we there shall be an open project, we have to have straight lines and clear goals.
I agree to Thomas' requirements list with some minor changes, because I don't want closed hardware, because that will kill the project, if I retire from. Open hardware has some major advantages and just a few disadvantages. The advantages are, everyone can buy it via Internet and have it delivered in a short amount of time. It is certificated lawful, tested and you have companies for guarantees. Open hardware can be replaced easily with more modern parts and so adapt to new developments. One has not to build the pcbs of one's own or buy expensive small series. Open hardware is extendable or downsizeable and that can be left to the user ans his responsibility. If released to public on a strict website that states it's just to inform others about and makes it clear that there will be no customer support, only the competent will get one.
Disadvantages are that one does not get alway get the perfect chips to do the job and one has to take what's there.
It won't become a mass product and stays exclusive for the needys what may keep the prices higher than necessary.

I think there is more on the plus side.

But first things first, let's talk about it here is the right place to build a more public project.

cheers,
Christian

Armando:
Hi Christian,


--- Quote from: Astroquattro on Tuesday, 17.09.13 - 22:00:12 - CEST ---But first things first, let's talk about it here is the right place to build a more public project.
--- End quote ---
I assumed Thomas Westerhoff controller had not been completed and, because of the details published online, my hope was that he could evaluate the idea of offering his contribution to start a new open project or to open and finish his own project with the contribution of other users.

I did not imagine he could have been annoyed by Rajiva! And, frankly, Rajiva developed nothing more than a controller integrating many features, each of which is nothing new. Should we move our mounts by hand?  :)

I think this forum can be the right place to build an open project.

What I'm not sure about is the preference for a not stand-alone controller.

CS
Armando

the_lizardking:
Sure - I would say it would be a good start to go with audorino as this makes things easy to play with and also we would have the epec feature more or less in place. There are many projects outside from which we could get some inspiration of and many people know how to deal with it. Starting from that we could go and programm the chips then,... once stable and working.

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