Adapting a TTL-232R-3v3 cable for an EQ8

[coldknights (Cathy)]

Good one Peter you have done well and a good description as well.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by coldknights

Good one Peter you have done well and a good description as well.

Thanks Cathy.
I should mention that I haven't tested it yet so I can't give any kind of assurances about it.
Peter

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

The 2 voltages are based on data trying to communicate through the wire which are a series of on/off pulses. The meter will average out the pulses hence give you a lower voltage at 2.96 possibly 88% pulse are high the rest are low. The other one is possibly unable to communicate and could be continually high until such time it starts communicating properly.

To really test it completely would require an oscilloscope of logic analyser. This is out of reach for most people so it will require a practical test to ensure it is working correctly.

[coldknights (Cathy)]

How did it go Peter with the cable did it work ok I got a few of those cables and opened them up and under the microscope had a look at them I found that their soldering had splashes of solder here and there and a few loose bits as well so while you got them open putting a plug on them have a peek and check in case as you would not like them to move around and make contact between the wires.a little bit of circuit board cleaner and a esd safe cleaning brush under a microscope to brush any unwanted bits of solder away.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by coldknights

How did it go Peter with the cable did it work ok I got a few of those cables and opened them up and under the microscope had a look at them I found that their soldering had splashes of solder here and there and a few loose bits as well so while you got them open putting a plug on them have a peek and check in case as you would not like them to move around and make contact between the wires.a little bit of circuit board cleaner and a esd safe cleaning brush under a microscope to brush any unwanted bits of solder away.

Hi Cathy. I didn't try to open up the circuitry - all I did was snip off the connector supplied and replace it with an RJ45. I haven't look at the USB end of the adapter - and from memory, the one I bought was a sealed unit. Perhaps you have a different device/model.
I haven't tried my modified cable yet - I am not confident that I have the cabling right - the orientation of the pins on the RJ45 and matching that with the hand controller schematic in the EQ8 User Manual is the issue. I have used pins 4,5 and 6 on the RJ45 (from behind, tag down and reading left to right). If I have read the hand controller upside-down (which I fear I may), then I will have effectively wired into pins 3,4 and 5 instead. So I plan on taking it and my soldering iron up to Astrofest where I hope to find someone with more electronics skills than I.
Peter

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Peter,

I'm pretty sure the HEQ5/AZEQ6-GT diagram on the EQMOD website is all you need - the pinout described in your EQ8 manual seems to agree with this.

This diagram shows which pins on the RJ45 connector are for GND (1&4), RX (5) and TX (6). If you sit the RJ45 with the locking tab down and the connections to the mount facing right pin 1 is the top pin.

It also shows an image looking at the front of the plug with the locking tab at the top to show pin 1 is on the left. You will connect the wires into the back of the plug.


The FTDI wiring you posted is:
1. GND - black
2. CTS# brown
3. VCC red
4. TXD orange
5 RXD yellow
6 RTS# green

So I believe you need to connect the black wire to pins 1 and 4, the orange wire to pin 6 and the yellow wire to pin 5.

Peter

[coldknights (Cathy)]

Hi Peter I looked at the EQMod web page and it is correct below is the extract to the wiring you need to do.


You will need to splice an RJ45 cable to the flying lead of the TTL232R. Connect as follows:
Solder Pin 4 of the RJ45 to the Black wire (GND)
Solder Pin 5 of the RJ45 to the Yellow wire (RXD)
Solder Pin 6 of the RJ45 to the Orange wire (TXD).

The biggest confusion is where is pin 1 if you have the RJ45 in your hand with your thumb on the clip well pin 1 is on the right and pin 8 on the left.


If you want instead of splicing cables go to your local jaycar buy a crimper to do plugs they sell one for about $39 and comes with a 10 , 8 , 6 , 4 modules that you can change to suit the plug you are doing the one we bought was the model ( KY-1368 ) works well on RJ22 plugs as well ( celestron ) hand controllers.
If you are going to buy a crimper just make sure the 3 wires will sit together in 4,5,6 as the wires may be to thick and may be easier to just solder them and use heat shrink.
Hope this helps if you need more info let Us know.
Just a up date photo's attached the cable would not fit in the RJ45 Socket so We got another cable and rewired it all.
Just have to Wait to test in a couple of weeks when we get a AZEQ-6.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Thanks Cathy and Peter.
I'll have some time tomorrow to finish this little task. This will certainly make it a doddle.

Peter, might be worth mentioning that the 12 VDC line in that image you posted should not be used with these adapters - that's only for powering the hand controller.

Peter

[coldknights (Cathy)]

Hi Peter that is correct you use the 12 v if you use the handcontroller or if you make a Bluetooth Adaptor as you can see the picture I have included the 12v is used.
We make the Bluetooth Adaptors that uses the 12v from the mounts power and the one Bluetooth module with a flick of the switch does the 4 following mounts
The EQ5 , AZ-EQ6 ,EQ8 And a flick of the switch the EQ6.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by peter_4059

So I believe you need to connect the black wire to pins 1 and 4, the orange wire to pin 6 and the yellow wire to pin 5.

Peter

Well, may miracles never cease! That is exactly the way I had done it. So I don't have to undo or repeat the exercise - which is a good thing because I have run out of RJ45 plugs.

Thank you once again.

Peter