Since I aquired an Losmandy G11 mount without any goto provision I decided to create my own solution. I was a bit reluctant to use a Gemini, mainly because of the cost, but also due to the reliability since the servo motors are somewhat prone to failure. I also like to have complete control over the software/firmware so that no "show stopper" issues will ever be a problem for me. Looking around the 'net I saw other goto systems that seemed capable, but either they had needlessly complex hardware or were commercial systems that cost about twice what they should.
OnStep is a computerized goto system, usually for stepper motor equipped mounts though any step/dir interface motor driver (including servo) should work. It was designed, from the beginning, as a more or less general purpose system and provisions were made in the firmware to allow for use on a variety of mounts including Equatorial and Alt/Az (GEM, Fork, Dobsonian, etc.) It uses an LX200 like computer command set with a few extensions to suit hand controller-less operation.
There's a telescope hand controller App for Android (free in the Google Play Store,) an option to control through a website (Smart Web Server,) and a dedicated physical hand controller (Smart Hand Controller.) Or, on a PC there's ASCOM and INDI drivers for control. These options allow you to setup and control OnStep using a wide range of software including my Sky Planetarium, Cartes du Ciel, Stellarium, SkySafari, KStars, PHD2, etc. You can see most of the control possibilities in the diagram below:
Also, please visit my StellarJourney.com site for updates, links to OnStep resources, my other astronomy software, or to see some Images taken with the assistance of my OnStep operated mounts.
If you find OnStep useful and would like to show your appreciation and support please consider making a small monetary donation. This keeps me motivated and helps cover expenses associated with my projects.
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
Howard Dutton
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 11:40 AM, Robert Benward wrote:
Any clue you can give me on the drive comms faults?I assume you have the jumper that enables MISO comms positioned properly and that nothing else is enabled that would try to use that same pin (AUX2 aka GPIO4.) Otherwise you could really disable driver status and see if it works. I made some changes recently so will test with 5160's tonight to see that its still working.
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
Robert Benward
Any clue you can give me on the drive comms faults?
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 11:05 AM, Robert Benward wrote:
You don't, one GPIO device is supported. Depends... but common settings are #ifndef bracketed so that Config.h takes precedence, for others it could go the other way
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
George Cushing
And then there's this FYSETC SD-WIFI with Card-Reader
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
Robert Benward
Hi Howard,
That was an improvement, I now get no errors when upload/compiling. All my Aux highside/lowside drivers show up in the "aux" tab. Making progress! But, I still have the axis1&2 communications error, as show in the previous post.. Drivers are not working. I am using the QHV5160, but I don't believe there is any difference from the TMC5160 communications wise, I believe it's a VM voltage rating thing. It works fine with the 4.24C SW load. I am looking in the config file but I can't find anything that might be causing the failure. Also, The hand controller pops up in the 10x mode, but that is probably my fault, I customized the guide "speeds" in the SHC SW. A couple of questions:
Regards, Bob
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stelaras1@...
Hello,
i have an eqm 35 pro and planning to replace the gears with pulleys and belts. How can i choose the correct pulleys taking into account the existing ones? what do i have to check? if there a guide or something to read please send the link :) thanks
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Re: android app menu button
Dave Schwartz
It's also possible that the Android screen class interface used to create the submenu icon/callback that is used currently in the app just isn't compatible with 4.4.4, which was released on Halloween over 8 years ago. These things happen.
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Re: android app menu button
Did you increase or decrease the resolution? I tried both size and resolution changes but so far I see no effect whatever I try.
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Howard Dutton
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 03:31 AM, Howard Dutton wrote:
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 03:26 AM, Michael Ring wrote:That should give you access to 4 unused pins... I guess the thing to do would be to use 2 of the four for SERIAL_B (SWS) then the other 2 for PEC and Limit (freeing up the TE and TB for thermistors) any objections to changing the pinmap to enable this?
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Re: FYSETC S6 Motor Lock up
adraasch
Jak, To determine which wires make up the two phases on a four wire stepper motor you could use an ohmmeter but lacking that, here is a foolproof method: Unplug your stepper motor Rotate the motor by hand noting the amount of torque required. Short the black and blue wires on the stepper using a paper clip, short wire, small length of solder, etc. With the wires shorted, note the torque required to rotate the stepper. If it is larger than that of the unshorted torque, then black and blue are a phase. The red and green are another. If no change in torque is detected, then short the black to the green. If the torque is higher than the unshorted torque then black and green are one phase, red and blue are the other. And finally, when you actually get the motors spinning, you may notice the motors are rotating in the opposite direction you desire. You can change this in the config, or in hardware. Take the wires on ONE PHASE of the stepper and reverse the connections to the driver. The stepper direction will now be the opposite of before. If you have an ohmmeter, look for continuity between the black and blue, with the red and green disconnected. If you have continuity then black and blue are one phase, red and green are the other. If not, check for continuity between black and red with blue and green disconnected. If you have continuity, then black and red make one phase, blue and green are another. This technique works as a stepper motor acts as a generator when rotated. If you short a phase, a high current will flow in that phase which will resist your attempts to rotate the motor. Hope this is helpful. Best regards, Arlen
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022, 5:52 AM Howard Dutton <hjd1964@...> wrote: Yes use the latest SWS, and making sure the serial ports you are using are enabled and baud rates selected properly on both sides.
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Howard Dutton
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 03:26 AM, Michael Ring wrote:
I think that is correct. The Config.defaults.h file has a section that shows all the options (the underlying WiFi code is identical between SWS, OCS, and OnStepX): // ESP32 virtual serial IP command channels
#ifndef SERIAL_IP_MODE
#define SERIAL_IP_MODE OFF // use ACCESS_POINT or STATION to enable the interface (ESP32 only)
#endif
#ifndef SERIAL_SERVER
#define SERIAL_SERVER BOTH // STANDARD (port 9999) or PERSISTENT (ports 9996 to 9998)
#endif
// translate Config.h IP settings into low level library settings
#if SERIAL_IP_MODE == ACCESS_POINT
#define OPERATIONAL_MODE WIFI
#define AP_ENABLED true
#endif
#if SERIAL_IP_MODE == STATION
#define OPERATIONAL_MODE WIFI
#define STA_ENABLED true
#endif
#if SERIAL_IP_MODE == BOTH
#define OPERATIONAL_MODE WIFI
#define AP_ENABLED true
#define STA_ENABLED true
#endif
#ifndef AP_SSID
#define AP_SSID "OnStepX" // Wifi Access Point SSID
#endif
#ifndef AP_PASSWORD
#define AP_PASSWORD "password" // Wifi Access Point password
#endif
#ifndef AP_CHANNEL
#define AP_CHANNEL 7 // Wifi Access Point channel
#endif
#ifndef AP_IP_ADDR
#define AP_IP_ADDR {192,168,0,1} // Wifi Access Point IP Address
#endif
#ifndef AP_GW_ADDR
#define AP_GW_ADDR {192,168,0,1} // Wifi Access Point GATEWAY Address
#endif
#ifndef AP_SN_MASK
#define AP_SN_MASK {255,255,255,0} // Wifi Access Point SUBNET Mask
#endif
#ifndef STA_AP_FALLBACK
#define STA_AP_FALLBACK true // activate SoftAP if station fails to connect
#endif
#ifndef STA_SSID
#define STA_SSID "Home" // Station SSID to connnect to
#endif
#ifndef STA_PASSWORD
#define STA_PASSWORD "password" // Wifi Station mode password
#endif
#ifndef STA_DHCP_ENABLED
#define STA_DHCP_ENABLED false // true to use LAN DHCP addresses
#endif
#ifndef STA_IP_ADDR
#define STA_IP_ADDR {192,168,0,2} // Wifi Station IP Address
#endif
#ifndef STA_GW_ADDR
#define STA_GW_ADDR {192,168,0,1} // Wifi Station GATEWAY Address
#endif
#ifndef STA_SN_MASK
#define STA_SN_MASK {255,255,255,0} // Wifi Station SUBNET Mask
#endif
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Howard Dutton
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 03:26 AM, Michael Ring wrote:
I was wondering the same but thought "no way" and didn't look, amazing what is out there in the world!
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Michael Ring
Perhaps this adapter can free up the extra SDCard pins: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002624888242.html How are the command channels enabled in STA mode with DHCP? Like
this in config.h??: #define STA_SSID "Home" #define STA_PASSWORD "TopSecret" #define STA_DHCP_ENABLED true or is something missing? Thank you, Michael
Am 23.06.22 um 11:38 schrieb Howard
Dutton:
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 01:11 AM, Michael Ring wrote:
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
Keep your configuration files (everything except OnStepX.ino from the OnStepX directory) but delete all other OnStepX files.
Download and unzip again (into an /OnStepX directory) and copy the configuration files back into the /OnStepX directory.
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Re: Initial OnstepX download error
Howard Dutton
On Wed, Jun 22, 2022 at 06:54 PM, Robert Benward wrote:
Notice the capitalization and look at line 80 here as it doesn't match, so not the same source code: https://github.com/hjd1964/OnStepX/blob/main/src/telescope/mount/st4/St4.cpp
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Re: FYSETC S6 Motor Lock up
Howard Dutton
Yes use the latest SWS, and making sure the serial ports you are using are enabled and baud rates selected properly on both sides.
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Howard Dutton
On Thu, Jun 23, 2022 at 01:11 AM, Michael Ring wrote:
However, you can connect a board flashed with SWS to the E4, haven't tried it as I do not need SWS.The E4 unfortunately "wastes" already scarce ESP32 pins on the (unused) sdcard... What it comes down to is there is only one serial port interface and normally it's used to provide the USB connection. You can override that and add an SWS though. What the E4 also doesn't have is an ST4 port. What OnStepX has on the ESP32 that OnStep does not is WiFi IP command channels like an SWS provides; it does NOT have the WebSite, or support Encoders, Game Pad, etc. built in though. Still those WiFi IP command channels can do a lot. Android App, the Wireless SHC, ASCOM, INDI, etc.
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Michael Ring
As far as I know SWS is not built into OnStepX, at least the
reference page https://onstep.groups.io/g/main/wiki/30066 does not mention anything.... However, you can connect a board flashed with SWS to the E4, haven't tried it as I do not need SWS. There is also the possibility to connect to the E4 via Bluetooth, that's something I am going to try in the next days, together with configuring Dew Heaters and Autofocusser. Michael Am 23.06.22 um 06:54 schrieb ETXcetera:
Shoot I just bought 4x2130s for use in my other boards but really tempted to just get the E4 instead. Looks like a winner for sure. One thing I don’t understand is the wifi built into onstepx. So we do not upload a SWS? How is that accessed?
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Re: FYSETC S6 Motor Lock up
If you had success with your ESP8266 successfully on another instep build, I would first try to make sure you get the very latest version of SWS for the wifi to work with OnStepX. Otherwise I think the wifi module should be a Wemos D1 mini pro.
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Re: HEQ-5 conversion with OnStepX, FYSETC E4 and Nina
Shoot I just bought 4x2130s for use in my other boards but really tempted to just get the E4 instead. Looks like a winner for sure. One thing I don’t understand is the wifi built into onstepx. So we do not upload a SWS? How is that accessed?
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