Multiple Telescope Control over Wifi

[Damienandwendy]

I will try and be as brief as possible :)

The Townsville Astronomy Group is looking at setting up a public viewing platform where multiple telescopes can be controlled by a single PC/laptop. I am just having a look now at a few different ideas on how this can be achieved. I have already had a tinker with Stellarium and controlling 2 scopes in my loungeroom and I think that this should work Ok once I work out how to make a macro to move all the scopes at the same time.

The next step from here is to progress to wireless control. Now I can see there are a few commercial wifi to serial converters around aimed at the telescope market - SkiFi is a good example, but at approx $175 each I think that may be a little pricey at this early time with not a lot of funding to support that sort of expenditure if we were aiming at controlling up to 6 scopes. http://www.southernstars.com/products/skyfi/

I have found some wireless-RS232 modules that appear to do the same thing (ie TCP/IP - RS232) for less than $50 - just need to stick it in a box.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/WIFI232-2-RS232-UART-Convertor-Module-WIFI-Tool-Set-Development-Board-Kit-/251293813330?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a82474a52

Has anyone tried something like this or had some other device that worked Ok ?

Thank you for reading.

[Damienandwendy]

Well I sorted out a macro fairly easily, so now I can control 2 scopes with Stellarium using a single button press. It was very satisfying to see the scopes moving together.

I have also ordered the Ebay module. Looks like it fairly easy to configure from the instructions. Will see in a week or so when it arrives. If it works Ok then that will be a much cheaper option than SkyFi.

Cheers

[DavidTrap]

Now that would be a cool time-lapse - synchronised amateur scopes, rather than the usual synchronised radio telescope dishes!

DT

[Damienandwendy]

Hadn't even thought of something like that David. I guess it would possibly look better if they were all the same scope .... but for now it will have to be a mix of goto Dob's, SCT's and GEM's :)

Cheers

[DavidTrap]

A mixture of scopes would certainly be different - would be quite cool to see the different mounts swinging to different objects, especially on either side of the meridian.

DT

[Damienandwendy]

Had a successful demonstation at our monthly club meeting last night.

I had 2 scopes connected via a wired serial link (USB-->serial) and a 3rd connected via a wifi serial link .... and it all worked :)

Happy, happy, joy, joy :thumbsup:

cheers

[DavidTrap]

Video of synchronised slewing??????????/

DT

[Damienandwendy]

Sorry David, setup in our meeting room as a demonstration only.

Will have to wait to set it up in the field and have a go at the time lapse session :)

Cheers

[torsion]

Hi Damien,

Odd question out ... can you do the reverse? Can you connect two computers to the same mount (at the same time)? Or can the device only make a connection to one computer at the time?

I understand there can be a conflict between the requests from computers to the mount ...

Thanks,

cheers,
Bram

[Damienandwendy]

Hi Bram,

I am not sure you could .... there is a constant serial data stream between PC and hand control - relaying position/encoder info I guess.
I would suggest that it would create issues having 2 PC's involved but I would have to leave that to a serial expert. Being wireless and there would be nothing stopping a second PC from connecting, it's just if the hand controller is going to freak out when it gets extra signals ?

cheers

[lazjen]

Bram, if your question was for Damien's specific setup, then ignore the rest of this. :)

For my mount, I can definitely have multiple machines connected as well as the hand controller. The mount is accessed via ethernet (wifi normally), so any machine that can connect to it, can control it.

Before I got my new laptop, I ran a small netbook at the mount for guiding (plus camera control, etc). However it wasn't powerful enough to plate solve, so I used my desktop machine in the house to plate solve and slew the telescope on results. And, of course, from Stellarium as well.

This worked even if I was guiding and then forgot to turn it off before slewing to another target. The mount just seemed to take the commands in turn. Mind you, when the slewing starts PHD rightfully goes nuts and stops trying to guide anyway. :)

[naskies]

Nice work, Damien! I look forward to seeing a time lapse of it in action.

The other option for multiple mount control (or multiple computer control of one mount) is via an ASCOM bridge, i.e. a virtual ASCOM mount that sends commands over ethernet/wifi/bluetooth to another computer that's physically connected to a mount.

[torsion]

Thanks Damien. I have an iOptron iEQ45 mount which has an RS232 connection on the mount, with the hand controller on a separate RJxx port. I am actually not sure if it talks to/via the hand controller, when connected via the RS232 port.


That is exactly what I want to do! Just so I understand, you got some form of RS232-to-TCP/IP (wired or wireless) converter. Do you mind telling me which one?

And you were able to have two computers connected to this TCP/IP address, to control/direct your mount?


That would be great too. Not sure how to set up such a connection in ASCOM-land.

Sorry Damien, I don't want to hijack your thread.

[lazjen]

No convertor. If you look here: http://www.losmandy.com/losmandygoto/gemini2.html you can see there's an ethernet port on the Gemini 2. I plug into there for the ethernet connection. I've got a small usb powered (power connection also provided by the gemini 2) ethernet/wifi router that I use (I think it cost less than $50). No special converter required. When I'm away from home, I direct cable connect from laptop to mount, mostly to reduce power usage in the laptop (switch off all wifi/bluetooth).

Because the ASCOM drivers for the gemini 2 are ethernet "aware", I load them on each system (they've got the TCP/IP address in the properties). Everything else just works from there as "normal".

I can also, obviously, hit the admin web page of the mount from any machine on the network.

[torsion]

Nice! I have an iOptron iEQ45 with RS232 port :) I have been thinking of getting with a RS232-to-WiFi port (SkyFi, Nexus ..) and now the OPs option.

I have been playing with com2tcp software to direct the com port over the network, but all that doesn't really work (got a last idea using wifiscope and a tcp2com program).

Thanks!
cheers,
Bram

[jimao22]

Hi,
I am new on this forum and I can interfere here with a test made by me 3 years ago, controlling 2 mounts same time with a laptop and with STELLARIUM.
The link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzP6xPTmUmE