New: 'SkyBox' from Software Bisque

Logieberra (Logan) · #1 23-04-2015, 08:54 PM

These guys do come up with some cool gadgets

I first heard of 'SkyBox' in blog posts by Richard Wright, SB's Mac/iOS/Linux guy, and it was recently confirmed over Facebook by the SB team.

The 'big reveal' was at this year's NEAIC/NEAF. I'm hoping that Sky and Telescope covered it in their video interview with Steve Bisque (they post these on YouTube). Details are sketchy, but here's what I've gleaned so far:

* This little imaging box will free remote imagers from laptops, additional power supplies and unnecessary operating systems.

* A little Linux computer, powerful in a small package that doesn't draw a lot of power and running the SkyX Pro!

* Think of it as ASCOM / Indi in a tiny box, connecting a world of gadgets to the SkyX (e.g. Robofocus, Canon, and other bits and bobs - perhaps the entire X2 range???).

* An iPad running the SkyX (perhaps also an iPhone/Android?) will connect to an embedded copy of SkyX running on this small Linux box (of some description) and control your imaging run over WiFi.

* Yes, for now it appears to be running on a Raspberry PI (probably a no. 2). I hope they also sell just the software, for those of us already with PIs.

codemonkey (Lee) · #2 24-04-2015, 07:57 PM

Cool! I was actually planning on doing a very similar thing because I don't like lugging my laptop out into the paddock and I don't like having to run Windows just for astro imaging.

I bought a Pi and a touchscreen and started writing my own software over the top of INDI. After a while I gave up on it because I simply don't have the time to make any significant progress.

Logieberra (Logan) · #3 24-04-2015, 08:47 PM

I also installed Indi and tried to get things up and running. I hit a roadblock when I tried to install a USB-SERIAL device on Raspian. I know it can be done, but I'm pretty crap at the whole command line stuff. SB's SkyX on Raspian (or whatever OS they use) will simplify all that for a noob like me

Logieberra (Logan) · #4 24-04-2015, 09:15 PM

More info, here (October 2014): http://www.bisque.com/sc/blogs/seeke...-for-this.aspx

" ... You can now connect to a copy of TheSkyX Pro from the iPad application. TheSkyX Pro can be on a desktop in a remote observatory, connected to a laptop in your backyard or dark sky site.... and sometime next year, to our Linux based "SkyBox" hosted copy. You can control the telescope from the iPad naturally, and for this next release you can take images by remote control. Select the filter, exposure time, and binning, and start an exposure. The resulting fits file is downloaded in the background and available for viewing via the FITS viewer. This isn't observatory automation (yet), but rather a powerful outreach or planning tool. Imagine a crowd of school children while you slew around taking images of celestial objects with your iPad...

... the iPad version was going to become more and more focused on the needs of the imager. How to "practically" image from a tablet device has been something we have been thinking about for quite a while, and these are just the first fruits of that. There's going to be a lot of growth in capabilities over the next year, so stay tuned!"

Logieberra (Logan) · #5 24-04-2015, 09:23 PM

Some really good info, here (May 2014): http://www.bisque.com/sc/blogs/seeke...-a-tablet.aspx

" ... our first prototype system for the ultimate in portable imaging: a Paramount MX+ on our portable pier, with a battery... okay, nothing new there, right? Well, strapped atop my Veloce was a small plastic box running off the +5V DC power supply on the Versa Plate. This box is a small Linux computer running TheSkyX Pro!

TheSkyX Pro for Linux controls the mount, focuser, camera, and guider, as well as the filter wheel. A secondary LiFePO4 battery provided enough juice for the Starlight Xpress Trius camera and the whole system can run all night on a single charge."

Logieberra (Logan) · #6 24-04-2015, 09:28 PM

And here, wrap-up of the 2015 NEAIC/NEAF (April 2015):
http://www.bisque.com/sc/blogs/seeke...st-mortem.aspx

"I have a fully functional version of TheSkyX running on this with at least one (for now) complete set of hardware drivers. I'm able to image from the device via remote desktop (VNC), and via "remote control" from TheSkyHD on the iPad and have done so from the "Back yard test laboratory". I plan to use it live as well at both the upcoming Cherry Springs and Nebraska star parties this summer. From a hardware point of view, the real beauty of the project is that it is low power. As an almost manic portable imager, I've found that it's not too hard to power the mount, and even a cooled CCD camera all night, or for multiple nights with a light-ish battery pack. Keeping a laptop alive... that requires a wheel barrel worth of batteries or a generator! Also ever since we introduced a version of TheSky for mobile devices, people are telling me they want to be able to control the cameras from a mobile device. This is for a lot of reasons not practical (although it is "possible" in a science fair sort of not really real world "usable" sort of way). However, controlling a copy of TheSkyX IS practical, and having a local computer at the mount solves a myriad of problems.

So how is this special compared to just having a small portable computer sitting under your mount and remote controlling it? Well other than lower power, it's not. To get that extra special "magic" is going to require some more software glue... the killer app that any new hardware platform needs, and that I'll have to wait and talk about a little later this year. Meanwhile, stay tuned and clear skies!"

rally · #7 01-05-2015, 08:20 AM

They say "Think of it as ASCOM . . in a tiny box"
So they are going to write drivers for every piece of third party hardware out there ! - I have my doubts about that.

Its good to see more Linux based astro software happening, but being locked into one application to control your astro gear is a bit like "one shoe size fits all"
Happy to see a lightweight powered device also - but anyone with a Paramount and chilled camera etc is going to need a big battery pack anyway !

Logieberra (Logan) · #8 01-05-2015, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rally

They say "Think of it as ASCOM . . in a tiny box"
So they are going to write drivers for every piece of third party hardware out there ! - I have my doubts about that.

Its good to see more Linux based astro software happening, but being locked into one application to control your astro gear is a bit like "one shoe size fits all"
Happy to see a lightweight powered device also - but anyone with a Paramount and chilled camera etc is going to need a big battery pack anyway !

Rally, sorry to confuse. That ASCOM point was made by a guy on some forum. It was the only info out there I could glean at that time. It was not an official SBs statement.

The whole battery thing doesn't phase me. Good mounts need reliable power in the field. For me, that's a big capacity SLA. Even if i was just doing visual stuff with no power hungry CCDs.

Where I think this little kit will do wonders is for ultra portable imaging setups. SLR (using internal Canon battery). Robofocus etc. It may well support the full X2 range of devices, giving you options.