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Old 12-07-2011, 05:36 AM
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iceman (Mike)
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Article: How to Control the Losmandy Gemini using Bluetooth

Brendan has written an article describing How to Control the Losmandy Gemini using Bluetooth.

You can read the article on the IceInSpace Projects page or directly by clicking the link below:

How to Control the Losmandy Gemini using Bluetooth

Thanks to Brendan for writing the article. You can submit articles and reviews to IceInSpace, and we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch via Write for IceInSpace

Cheers

Last edited by iceman; 22-07-2011 at 04:07 PM.
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Old 22-07-2011, 04:07 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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Article uploaded.
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Old 22-07-2011, 06:57 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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Something to add to this.

This transceiver module is Serial Port Protocol (SPP) mode capable and thus this circuit is capable of controlling any serial port device over Bluetooth wireless (any device you ca configure COM ports via software...aka focusmax, ASCOM etc)...well almost any as the BT bandwidth is rather limited.

I am happy to answer questions for anyone wanting to build this cct and hope that someone finds it useful.
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Old 23-07-2011, 05:35 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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The original idea was by fellow IIS member, hikerbob,...I just adapted it with a max232 for serial out.

So all kudos to him.
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Old 23-07-2011, 08:48 PM
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I'm pleased to report that I have just connected my WasYoungOnce BT/RS232 Special and it seems to work a treat. Connected without a hitch and is responsing via ASCOM and MaxImDL very happily.
Peter
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Old 24-07-2011, 09:29 AM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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Hi Peter that's great.

You can up the communication data rates in Gemini ASCOM. I had it up to 115200bps but didn't see any improvements in control.

Probably best to leave it at the std setting 9600bps.
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Old 16-10-2011, 01:33 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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I am uploading a document on how to program name and PIN code changes into the bluetooth transceivers.

This makes it easier if using multiple devices and is "cool".
Attached Files
File Type: pdf How to change BT module parameters.pdf (95.9 KB, 113 views)
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Old 22-11-2011, 07:46 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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COM port fix

I have been in contact with another IIS member, RickS, who has kindly written a script program that removes the mystery COM port characters (ie: COM6i; COM6o; COM6O etc) we sometimes see when using MS Bluetooth Stack software.

These "extra characters" muck up the COM port numbers and make them unusable unless you edit the port numbers in the registry, refer to my pdf on this (in project section), or use a 3rd party BT stack software like Toshiba BT stack or Bluesoeil.

Now, an easier method for those using MS BT stack is available, run this script prior to trying to connect to the port.

What it does is clean the registry COM ports of these unwanted extra characters and the COM ports are usable till next system (Computer) re-boot.

So here it is. I've run it extensively and so has Rick so we are putting this up for anyone to use. If it works out as planed we will add this to the project software.

Attached is a screen grab showing the fix to COM ports. This was on a win7 64 bit machine but will work with 32 bit XP and vista.

Attached is the program in zipped format. Please unzip to run. A big thanks to Rick for providing this.
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (pre post script test run small.jpg)
84.0 KB53 views
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File Type: zip DeMangleComPortNames.zip (2.8 KB, 38 views)
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Old 22-11-2011, 08:19 PM
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My pleasure, Brendan

C# source code is attached for anybody that can make use of it. Improvements are welcome. I have done a lot of programming in other environments, but my knowledge of Windows internals is fairly rudimentary.

Comments from the program are included below with usage instructions.

Cheers,
Rick.

Quote:
//
// Repair mangled COM port names generated by MS Bluetooth stack.
// These are not null terminated, so some applications see spurious characters
// at the end of the COM port name, e.g. "COM11w".
//
// NB. This program modifies the Registry. Use at your own risk.
// I make no claims about the correctness or fitness for purpose of this code.
//
// Usage:
// - with no arguments the program will rewrite COM port names deleting
// any characters from the first non-numeric character onwards,
// e.g. COM123x67 would be rewritten as COM123.
// - with an argument of "-n" where 'n' is a decimal digit, the program
// will also assume that there are no more than 'n' digits in the COM port
// names and that any additional ones should be removed. This provides
// an option for dealing with COM port names where the spurious character
// just happens to be a decimal digit (which has been reported to happen,
// although probably infrequently). As an example, an argument of "-2"
// would rewrite "COM123" as "COM12".
//
// Rick Stevenson, 21-Nov-2011
//
// Based on some code by jbgagnon at:
// http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualS...with-bluetooth
//
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File Type: zip DeMangleComPortNames-src.zip (1.5 KB, 37 views)
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Old 22-11-2011, 08:34 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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Thanks Rick your a scholar and this has been bugging users (of not just this project) but other MS users for some time!

Brendan
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Old 28-11-2011, 01:23 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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Hi Folks.

Error on Gemini BT ver1 eagle PCB board. Track from power on diode to earth was missing. New files attached and I'll ask for the ones in the project section to be replaced.
Attached Files
File Type: zip Gemini BT ver 1 sch & brd Eagle PCB drawings.zip (60.9 KB, 35 views)
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  #12  
Old 04-12-2011, 02:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wasyoungonce View Post
Hi Folks.

Error on Gemini BT ver1 eagle PCB board. Track from power on diode to earth was missing. New files attached and I'll ask for the ones in the project section to be replaced.
Does that affect my one Brendan? I don't have anything to read your brd and sch files. Have you got a graphic I can use to lay out a jumper?
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Old 04-12-2011, 02:02 PM
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wasyoungonce (Brendan)
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Hi Andrew...no yours was a earlier PCB I changed the routing along the way and didn't re-lay this track ...so your fine.
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