Setting up on Arduino

[morzineIT]

Hi John, Thanks for your work. I have ordered the ESP board from JLC, but I am a little confused You make several reference to a an arduino controller - but all the code seems to be for an ESP Did you move from Arduino to ESP to get wifi functionality ? Is there a pure arduino version ? It looks like the level shifting would be easier with arduino - plus I have a mega sat on my desk, and I have to wait for the ESP PCB to come from China

Sorry to raise this as an issue, but it seems the only way to have comms on this platform

Lee

[ozarchie]

Hi Lee, No problems. I have not worked on this for a while, but I will help you as much as I can. The ESP was chosen for combined BT/WiFi functionality. The Meade ETX series has an internal battery that makes it a neat portable unit. The motivation for using the Skywatcher protocol was twofold.

1. I was familiar with EQMOD, so I could see the benefits of the PC based planetarium programs - moon mosaic, view list etc
2. I was using the Skywatcher phone app, which allowed me a nice portable unit for grandkids.

The arduino code was implemented in the early days to debug what I could of the protocol. But now I use platformIO as it is a much better development platform. You can easily use the mega, but will lose the WiFi functionality. You may also have to look at the EEPROM libraries for storage.

[morzineIT]

Thanks for your response. Like you I got into astro/electronics to inspire my kids (grandkids in your case) I have done quite a few astro-automation projects (dome, focuser,filters etc) and want to be able to get deeper inside the mount software /hardware. I have ordered a copy if the pcb you designed, but won't receive it for a week or two. I have the mega on my desk and it seems to make the level shift easier.

would the 50k /220k resistor combination apply to the arduino voltages or is that for 3.3v ?

It occurred to me that the new arduino mega with esp onboard may be the easiest solution now. I have one, but haven't used it at all yet.

I think that combined with a raspberry pi, we could create an open source version if the 'smart scopes' (unistellar etc). It would be very cool to take a scope in your backpack, battery powered that you could pop down, do some automated plate solving and be imaging in minutes. My main astro gear is RASA, so curious friends always want to tske a look and I see this as a way to do that.

Would it be okay if I run questions by you from time to time please ?

regards

Lee

On Sun, 19 Dec 2021, 07:38 ozarchie, @.***> wrote:

Hi Lee, No problems. I have not worked on this for a while, but I will help you as much as I can. The ESP was chosen for combined BT/WiFi functionality. The Meade ETX series has an internal battery that makes it a neat portable unit. The motivation for using the Skywatcher protocol was twofold.

1. I was familiar with EQMOD, so I could see the benefits of the PC based planetarium programs - moon mosaic, view list etc
2. I was using the Skywatcher phone app, which allowed me a nice portable unit for grandkids.

The arduino code was implemented in the early days to debug what I could of the protocol. But now I use platformIO as it is a much better development platform. You can easily use the mega, but will lose the WiFi functionality. You may also have to look at the EEPROM libraries for storage.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ozarchie/EQMOD-ETX/issues/2#issuecomment-997338561, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AB7HUYUGASHGTIGZJSCI7QLURV4VVANCNFSM5KKZKMQQ . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675 or Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub.

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[ozarchie]

Hi Lee,

No problems with giving you some help.

I am away on Festive duties at the moment, but will put some assembly photos in the documentation section when I get back home.

I hope you realize this code translates low-level motor control protocol for the Meade ETX series to low level motor control protocol for the Skywatcher EQx series. This effectively allows the Meade ETX mount to masquerade as an EQx mount.

I am not sure it has much application for the RASA{Celestron protocol} series.

Maybe TennAstro (https://groups.io/g/TeenAstro/wiki/7361) or OnStep (https://onstep.groups.io/g/main/wiki/3860) would be more appropriate.

[morzineIT]

great thanks. No, my point was that RASA scopes are camera only - no visual. I'm trying to create a small portable rig (meade) that works alongside my main system. Plus I bought the meade cheap as it had no handset

On Sun, 19 Dec 2021, 10:32 ozarchie, @.***> wrote:

Hi Lee,

No problems with giving you some help.

I am away on Festive duties at the moment, but will put some assembly photos in the documentation section when I get back home.

I hope you realize this code translates low-level motor control protocol for the Meade ETX series to low level motor control protocol for the Skywatcher EQx series. This effectively allows the Meade ETX mount to masquerade as an EQx mount.

I am not sure it has much application for the RASA{Celestron protocol} series.

Maybe TennAstro (https://groups.io/g/TeenAstro/wiki/7361) or OnStep ( https://onstep.groups.io/g/main/wiki/3860) would be more appropriate.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ozarchie/EQMOD-ETX/issues/2#issuecomment-997357354, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AB7HUYTTNWDRN6ALM25TZVLURWRETANCNFSM5KKZKMQQ . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675 or Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub.

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