Remote control of backyard observatory

roughy (Mark) · #1 19-05-2011, 10:55 AM

Hi
Wondering if anyone has ever done/considered this:

Observatory: 4 devices to usb hub to wireless transmitter (devices are camera, guide camera, mount and focuser).

Study: wireless receiver to usb hub to computer.

Study is in line of site of observatory, approx 15 metres.

All device control software on computer.

Simple concept but how difficult/fiddly to achieve?

What other hardware might be required?

Cheers

Mark

TheDecepticon · #2 19-05-2011, 09:06 PM

Mmmmm........

I think most guys would use a computer by the mount and a computer inside and connect using Remote Desktop or Team Viewer. Im not sure how you would go transmitting stuff that needs to be High Speed USB2. I'm not really up with that as I just use the above method and it works great.
Others may have tried before and have more experience. You need to be 100% sure that your gear is doing what it is supposed to and can have an emergency off switch.

bmitchell82 (Brendan) · #3 20-05-2011, 12:39 AM

Im not sure how it would work, but like has been said team viewer and other remote desktop programs don't induce noise into images because it comes straight into the computer.

with guiding you might get a fair bit of latency between the camera exposing sending the data to the host PC, the host PC processing the data and then sending the information back. not good.

badabing82 · #4 20-05-2011, 10:14 PM

how about going cat 5e running all that over gigabit i couldn't see lag being an huge issue as the through put is much higher then usb2 i've run full hd 1080p blu rays running from my NAS to the living room over gigabit with 0 stutter. As far as the back and forth "transaction" type of data that would be occuring it should be fine i've also run large busy databases between 2 servers running gigabit with no issues.

Sorry for all the technical jargon,

from my testing with wireless n at that distance you will get 10-20ms latency but this may blow out once you start doing alot of data. then there is the drop outs which always occur

DavidTrap (David) · #5 20-05-2011, 11:23 PM

I've just received some Lindy USB extension cables. They claim with their system you can extend USB2 up to 56metres.

I've bought enough for 20m extension - I'll post in due course if they work. I'm hoping to be able to control my CCD camera, guider, Robofocus and mount via the one USB cable.

DT

Merlin66 (Ken) · #6 21-05-2011, 04:19 AM

I've just connected the ol' Acer in the re-built TSO II (Tin Shed Observatory) to my office Dell with 30mtr of Cat5 and Teamviewer.
Seems to work very well....

lhansen (Lars) · #7 21-05-2011, 08:27 AM

I have multiple computers in the observatory which I link up to the home computer systems via a WiFi bridge. The WiFi bridge can be purchased with operational ranges varying from a distance of several hundred metres up to 50Km depending on the model. The WiFi bridge notionally operates at around 100Mb depending on distance and obstructing structures. In my rig they are located inside the observatory and the house some 50 metres apart and operate essentially at full speed. Once set up, it is set and forget.

DavidTrap (David) · #8 21-05-2011, 01:30 PM

As promised, here us my first impressions of the cables I referred to earlier.

Thread

It's a solution that you can't leave permanently setup, but it will hopefully cover my needs.

Cheers
DT

OzRob (Rob) · #9 21-05-2011, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badabing82

how about going cat 5e running all that over gigabit i couldn't see lag being an huge issue as the through put is much higher then usb2 i've run full hd 1080p blu rays running from my NAS to the living room over gigabit with 0 stutter. As far as the back and forth "transaction" type of data that would be occuring it should be fine i've also run large busy databases between 2 servers running gigabit with no issues.

Sorry for all the technical jargon,

from my testing with wireless n at that distance you will get 10-20ms latency but this may blow out once you start doing alot of data. then there is the drop outs which always occur

Yes, I have always found the lag and drop-outs with wireless connections a pain.

I am currently setting up a link between my study and observatory outside (yet to be built). The observatory will be about 25m from the study. I will have cable between the two and a modem (running the house wirewifi) about half way between them. I think I will invest in a gigabit modem.