Quote:
Originally Posted by pmrid
Frank, I would caution you about setting your expectations for these small computers too high. These little sub-notebooks just don't have the processing grunt to do all that much. My ASUS, EeePC 701, for example, is fine running a guide cam and PHD, for example, but almost comes to a halt if I try to run an imaging program either alone or, worse, in parallel with PHD or others. Their CPUs are just not as capable as the larger machines.
In the field, if you want to guide and image, you'll need to be able to run either MaximDL or PHD/Nebulosity and you may also want to run a planetarium program: these little guys just can't cut it.
Peter
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Hi Peter,
Sounds like you have been there and done that!
Peter, Have you tried a small program on a netbook called guidedog? was playing around with it some months ago and it seems quite lite on the cpu. I ask because I too am thinking along the same lines as Frank.
I'm thinking if worse comes to worse, I'll write my own guiding software. The ST4 guide port protocol is simple enough to get around, just turn on a line and the scope slews in that direction, easy. You can control the port using a modified USB to Parrallel port (printer interface) converter to drive the ST4 port with some simple wiring and cheap optocouplers. Using the 8bit data lines on the USB>Parrallel interface, connections on the ST4 guideport can be turned either on or off through software. Those USB to parrallel thingoes are so cheap on eBay, like $5 delivered worldwide. I could probably build the whole thing for under $20.00 AUD and a few hours work.
Sorry guys I tend to rave on at times
