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General Discussion / Re: What can AstroEQ do for me?
« on: April 02, 2021, 01:03:47 »
The simple answer is yes, you can drive any sensible combination with astroeq, I do, the configurator allows you to select the proper ratios.
The question would be why, even the very first black HEQ5 mounts are quite brilliant given the price point - any mount using a worm drive is going to be susceptible to quite severe PE, but PE error correction is relegated to the past if you can use guiding, it's irrelevant - its a brilliant tool to hide less than optimal polar alignment and periodic error.
If you need perfection, 10+minute unguided subs, then you need a mount without a worm drive, I do have to say it's got to be a fairly short hop from now to mesu style friction drives, it's not that challenging in today's world, but those that need 10+ minutes unguided subs generally have mounts hugely bigger than HEQ5, usually 0.5M+ CDK type telescope mounts.
The question would be why, even the very first black HEQ5 mounts are quite brilliant given the price point - any mount using a worm drive is going to be susceptible to quite severe PE, but PE error correction is relegated to the past if you can use guiding, it's irrelevant - its a brilliant tool to hide less than optimal polar alignment and periodic error.
If you need perfection, 10+minute unguided subs, then you need a mount without a worm drive, I do have to say it's got to be a fairly short hop from now to mesu style friction drives, it's not that challenging in today's world, but those that need 10+ minutes unguided subs generally have mounts hugely bigger than HEQ5, usually 0.5M+ CDK type telescope mounts.
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AstroEQ Support / Re: Read failed
« on: April 12, 2018, 20:22:12 »
My belt drive is 52/14, I just copy and paste the number from the calculator ....
3.7142857142857142857142857142857
But its rather too long for the text box
I think it'd be interesting to measure your vref, vin and 5v see if you're getting browned out or anything.
3.7142857142857142857142857142857
But its rather too long for the text box
I think it'd be interesting to measure your vref, vin and 5v see if you're getting browned out or anything.
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AstroEQ Support / Re: Read failed
« on: April 12, 2018, 18:26:48 »So, even though it can write the config now and update the firmware, eqmod keeps disconnecting over and over.
Probably I need some new chips.. Or there is some other fault in the board. I guess I could try to go back to the DRV8825 drivers and see if the problem still occurs.
As in it doesn't even launch, just flicks up and disappears, or, connects, works for a while and disconnects? Have you checked the vref on the drivers?
For the bigtreetech motor drivers I soldered the cf1, 2 and 3 jumpers and have these settings in the configurator and I'm now in silent running mode - its startling the difference in noise!
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AstroEQ Support / Re: Read failed
« on: April 12, 2018, 10:46:07 »
I only built it yesterday - but I only have the motor drivers - dont really need the other bells and whistles... As you recommend however the resistor has fixed the issue and I've now disabled the HC again... Thanks
So when I get home I can get back to making it work properly...
... I'm getting that sinking feeling one of the config jumpers on the TMC2100 isn't soldered properly, and I've soldered them onto a protoboard, and of course they are on the bottom
So when I get home I can get back to making it work properly...
... I'm getting that sinking feeling one of the config jumpers on the TMC2100 isn't soldered properly, and I've soldered them onto a protoboard, and of course they are on the bottom
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AstroEQ Support / Re: Read failed
« on: April 12, 2018, 09:05:48 »When you plug in a H/C it detects the speed button shorting one of the ST-4 pins to GMD and then switches from EQMOD mode to standalone mode. You can't program in standalone mode.
To change back, simply unplug the H/C and either power-cycle the board or for Mega press the reset button.
I don't actually have a h/c though, when I get to the office I'll see whats what and if I can interface with the eeprom with a normal sketch or if I've broken something and put the correct bootloader on the board either way.
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AstroEQ Support / Re: Read failed
« on: April 12, 2018, 08:44:00 »
So I've just built a new mega2650/tmc2100 based box (didn't want to disturb my old 8825 one in case we get a clear sky!), and I cant read the eeprom - it was working at first (well the motors didn't do anything), so I configured it again with 4ustep rather than 16ustep and that worked but really high pitched noises and wrong speeds so I tried to configure again...
... I thought I'd give the advanced h/c button a go, bad idea that's bricked my eeprom I can read and write sketches to the board, and upload the astroeq firmware but I can't configure because eeprom reading fails - I suspect the bootloader is at fault and I will put that right today and see if I can't get it working...
... I thought I'd give the advanced h/c button a go, bad idea that's bricked my eeprom I can read and write sketches to the board, and upload the astroeq firmware but I can't configure because eeprom reading fails - I suspect the bootloader is at fault and I will put that right today and see if I can't get it working...
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AstroEQ Support / Re: latest firmware hunting at end of slews
« on: April 11, 2018, 23:33:55 »
Does it hunt on straight slews?
If I slew to a target for example using CdC it goes straight there and stops.
To get the hunting behaviour you describe (and I do get it) I have to be using plate solving and be close to the target after the initial slew. What is happening I think is this, camera takes a shot, plate solves, off target, syncs, re-slews to target, takes a shot etc....
Now the issue (for me) appears to occur when the target is close but not within the plate solving threshold so it has to capture and resolve, but the new required slew is tiny but the motors accelerate to the a slew speed beyond what is required which coupled with the deceleration puts the scope off target, so it solves and overshoots back again ad infinitum.
I've found the easiest fix for this issue is simply to plate solve to a new target a few degrees away, then back again with model points close to your target you tend to land bang on your objective and the plate solving sequence will end without hunting.
If I slew to a target for example using CdC it goes straight there and stops.
To get the hunting behaviour you describe (and I do get it) I have to be using plate solving and be close to the target after the initial slew. What is happening I think is this, camera takes a shot, plate solves, off target, syncs, re-slews to target, takes a shot etc....
Now the issue (for me) appears to occur when the target is close but not within the plate solving threshold so it has to capture and resolve, but the new required slew is tiny but the motors accelerate to the a slew speed beyond what is required which coupled with the deceleration puts the scope off target, so it solves and overshoots back again ad infinitum.
I've found the easiest fix for this issue is simply to plate solve to a new target a few degrees away, then back again with model points close to your target you tend to land bang on your objective and the plate solving sequence will end without hunting.
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General Discussion / Re: Connection Timeout when disconnecting and reconnecting
« on: April 02, 2018, 21:11:49 »
Oh and you can avoid unplugging the cable by either rebooting the computer or disabling the USB hub in device manager.
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General Discussion / Re: Connection Timeout when disconnecting and reconnecting
« on: April 02, 2018, 21:03:38 »
What's your definition of "right away", 1s, 5sec? How are you powering the 2650? There's a couple of things that happen when you disconnect and reconnect the serial with resetting the processor.
If you power your 2650 using USB as the power source I believe you will not get the symptoms you describe as every time the serial reconnects it should cause the Arduino to reset thus the motors should not hold.
The "correct" solution I believe should be a 50uF capacitor between reset and ground.
If you power your 2650 using USB as the power source I believe you will not get the symptoms you describe as every time the serial reconnects it should cause the Arduino to reset thus the motors should not hold.
The "correct" solution I believe should be a 50uF capacitor between reset and ground.
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DIY AstroEQ / Re: AstroEQ + INDI tracking problem
« on: March 30, 2018, 12:17:33 »
As I posted in my old thread - I have this problem also with DRV8825/2650 setup, i.e. sidereal tracking will not start unless I manually move the mount first with the ekos mount control keypad... not a huge issue though.
TMC2100's on order - be great to get rid of the pitchy buzzy noises!
TMC2100's on order - be great to get rid of the pitchy buzzy noises!
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DIY AstroEQ / Re: EQ5 speed issues
« on: March 30, 2018, 12:13:32 »
This was a god send, I've just transitioned to a RaspberryPi setup and it wasn't working right - wanted to try upgrading the firmware which worked but bricked me eeprom - so I got my ratios back from here since the computer I originally used is long dead and no back up and I didn't fancy counting teeth today much!!
I input all the same data, but it wouldn't accept the same 808 rate as before so the params computed all different - I uploaded it anyway and am just doing a tracking test to make sure its now working properly.
Sidereal tracking still wouldn't engage when pressing start in ekos but after manually slewing the mount and trying again it appears to work just fine now!
I input all the same data, but it wouldn't accept the same 808 rate as before so the params computed all different - I uploaded it anyway and am just doing a tracking test to make sure its now working properly.
Sidereal tracking still wouldn't engage when pressing start in ekos but after manually slewing the mount and trying again it appears to work just fine now!
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DIY AstroEQ / Re: EQ5 speed issues
« on: March 24, 2016, 15:08:29 »
Yeah I've just read through that - I put my drivers into fast decay and they run smoothly and continuously now - just a bit pitchy.
Hopefully that will improve my imaging as running a pulse a second or so made my stars go a bit soft.
Hopefully that will improve my imaging as running a pulse a second or so made my stars go a bit soft.
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DIY AstroEQ / Re: Astoeq tracking pause every seconds.
« on: March 24, 2016, 15:06:49 »
Hehehehe I bridged to the pin the other side mistakenly - it was direction so I only ran in one. Have fixed it now and my motors apart from noisy now do run smoothly at 32nd stepping, I guess I'll have to have another go at current limiting but I just think part of fast decay is noise.
http://s15.postimg.org/l30tlwdbf/20160324_122026.jpg
I saw some various sites talking about diodes, but I think that's only going to fix an issue if the steppers can't take the full VMOT voltage which mine can because they are 24v rated? Is my understanding correct?
http://s15.postimg.org/l30tlwdbf/20160324_122026.jpg
I saw some various sites talking about diodes, but I think that's only going to fix an issue if the steppers can't take the full VMOT voltage which mine can because they are 24v rated? Is my understanding correct?
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DIY AstroEQ / Re: Standalone Operation
« on: March 14, 2016, 18:23:52 »
Sorry if I'm being dense but couldn't one simply write an eqmod like android app that interfaces with AstroEQ via Bluetooth using the protocol?
Its no mean feat I'm sure, but the smart phone is infinitely more capable than writing a new hand controller with 18x2 LCD and more ubiquitous?
Its no mean feat I'm sure, but the smart phone is infinitely more capable than writing a new hand controller with 18x2 LCD and more ubiquitous?
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