Wanted: domeapi plugin for automadome

[bert]

For some reason the link to the automadome ascom api does not seem to work for me. Could I get someone on this forum to email to me. Or if someone can explain how to get an ascom dome driver to work in sky x that would be great!

My email is brettsoamesathotmail.com

Thanks
Brett

[Hagar]

Hi Brett, I doubt the SkyX will be much different from The Sky6.
This is the method I have used to get everything working.

I connect my mount via ascom (Gemini .net) then using POTH or Ascom Dome I connect the dome and the mount to The sky using Tele.api which is all available from the Ascom site.

It all seems to work OK but you must configure all items to connect to each other.

[bert]

Chalk and cheese.... I have both 6 and X.

The way you mentioned does not work when a PME is involved...

I really need the automadome/ ascom domeapi plug in and I can make it all work.

The link to the domeapi is dead on the ascom site.....

Brett

[frolinmod]

This is currently a very rapidly evolving area. To keep up-to-date it's best to subscribe to the ASCOM-Talk group on yahoogroups.com.

Evan has been working hard on this stuff. Here's a link to a recent update from Evan on ASCOM-Talk:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCOM-Talk/message/23438

And quoting from the ASCOM standards web site:

"Software Bisque (http://www.bisque.com/) has implemented a cross-platform driver architecture called X2 (http://www.bisque.com/x2standard/) that provides interfacing with astronomical devices from TheSkyX Professional (http://www.bisque.com/sc/pages/TheSkyX-Professional-Edition.aspx). The ASCOM X2 Integration project has the goal of developing generic X2 drivers that convert from X2 to ASCOM, allowing TheSkyX to take advantage of all existing ASCOM drivers. The new X2 drivers will replace the old TeleAPI (http://ascom-standards.org/FAQs/TheSky.htm#teleapi), FocusAPI, and DomeAPI plugins that are legacy from TheSky6. The X2 interfaces provide a richer set of capabilities, allowing TheSkyX to take advantage of more features of devices via their ASCOM drivers. In development are generic X2 to ASCOM drivers for Mounts, Focusers, Cameras, Filter Wheels, Rotators, and Domes. Some of the X2 interfaces themselves are evolving, so we're tracking these developments. Look for the first set of these X2 to ASCOM drivers early Summer 2011."

"Note that ASCOM is Windows-only, so these X2 to ASCOM drivers will not work with TheSkyX Professional running on Mac OS X."

[h0ughy]

sorry brett need to go into the observatory to send you the other files.

[bert]

Much appreciated.



I have installed the x2 ascom drivers in sky x and they work pretty well although I have not used them in anger. But in reality, I have ccdsoft so the camera controller will probably not be used. The rotator control I may use, depending how well it integrates with the skyx, at the moment ccdap5 is the best rotator controller for my needs. I havent used the tele/mount x2 controller, but if it works as well as the sky 6 teleapi. I'll be happy.

Brett

[frolinmod]

Same here actually. I have a Universal license. However I don't think the new MX users will by default be getting CCDsoft licenses with their mounts and may not want to buy one either. Quite a few people also appear to have cameras for which the only available interface is via ASCOM.

Another cool thing that Evan recently did was create an X2 to Maxim DL driver making any camera that Maxim DL can control immediately usable from within TheSkyX. I don't have Maxim DL, so I don't know how well that one works in practice.

It's heartening to see people start writing X2 drivers. I can't wait to get my hands on the new QSI X2 drivers (any day now, June is coming up fast).

[bert]

I too got the universal subscription. Until the x2 to ascom dome driver is launched I still have to do hacks to get the dome to work. This is especially amplified by the fact that I have to use the sky for PME control. If I did not use a PME, I could simply use poth.

Brett

[Hagar]

Well I am so sorry.

[bert]

Sorry I came across in a brusque way, Doug. No offence was intended.

Unfortunetly I cannot connect a PME in the same way as an ascom compatible mount, it simply does not work that way as it does not have its own driver, it must be controlled by the Sky, rendering it almost impossible to connect it to poth. The sky 6 has automadome as its dome driver, and now I cannot get the plugin to get ascom dome drivers to connect to automadome. The sky x can connect to automadome, but I still have the driver issue.

The sky x has a new driver architecture called x2, that ascom is now writing ascom api plugins to allow the sky X to drive ascom mounts, rotators, cameras et al. They have not released the x2 dome ascom driver as yet, I have been told that it is in the pipeline.

Brett

[frolinmod]

Brett, have you gotten into the Software Bisque support website and asked about this? There are a few dome guru's there amongst the user base who have written dome driver related code. They might be able to point you in the right direction.