1 | INDI STV Driver README.stv |
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2 | 2006-09-10, Markus Wildi |
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3 | |
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4 | 1) Credits: |
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5 | |
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6 | The initial work is based on the program STVremote by Shashikiran Ganesh. |
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7 | email: gshashikiran_AT_linuxmail_dot_org. The RS 232 initialization was |
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8 | programmed by Lukas Zimmermann and parts of the FLI CCD driver are reused |
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9 | and slightly adapted. |
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10 | |
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11 | 2) Development environment: |
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12 | |
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13 | I used INDI v 0.4 and kstars 1.2. kstars versions prior to 1.2 do not work |
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14 | with image download on PIII 800 MHz running Linux 2.6.16.5-default. |
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15 | |
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16 | 3) Known bugs: |
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17 | |
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18 | the connection hangs sometimes. At the startup of the driver |
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19 | the header or data check sum may fail. This condition is displayed in the |
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20 | client's log window and on the terminal where the INDI server has been started. |
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21 | Most of the time this is not a severe error condition. |
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22 | |
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23 | If something (foreseeable) goes severely wrong the stv driver does an _exit(1). |
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24 | |
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25 | The STV does not swallow commands at any speed. At many places there are usleep() |
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26 | function calls in the code which fit the above mentioned hardware configuration. |
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27 | Because they slow down the communication these settings are good for any faster |
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28 | configuration but may fail on slower/older ones. In case where the communication is |
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29 | degraded let me know it. |
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30 | |
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31 | There are some characters used on the STV's display used in tracking mode. I need |
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32 | a more or less clear night to translate them to readable characters on the client's |
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33 | display (as far as I remember the content is still readable). |
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34 | |
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35 | 4) Feedback: markus.wildi_AT_datacomm_dot_ch |
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36 | |
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37 | 6) ToDo: |
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38 | |
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39 | Image download: Set the correct window size according the information found in |
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40 | image info (e.g. image_info->height). |
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41 | |
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42 | 5) Recommended hardware set up for true remote operation: |
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43 | |
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44 | Use the STV driver together with the INDI v4ldriver and a video capture |
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45 | card to watch the LCD screen on the local computer. |
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46 | |
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47 | 6) Status: |
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48 | |
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49 | The INDI STV driver is an experimental release. Experimental means that it may |
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50 | hang (despite not often). The terminal where you started the INDI server |
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51 | process will sometimes show messages (on stderr) which can only be understood |
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52 | if one reads the source code (search for parts of the message). |
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53 | |
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54 | The current version is basically a mirror of the STV's built in functions. These |
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55 | primitives can be used in different ways to enhance the versatility of the STV. |
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56 | There are two examples on the tab Settings: |
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57 | |
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58 | 1) set current time (UTC) (time may differ, because it takes a while until it |
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59 | is set and the seconds can only be set in steps of 15 seconds). |
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60 | 2) set the ccd temperature |
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61 | |
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62 | E.g. The STV forgets the time and temperature settings and they must be |
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63 | entered at each power up. |
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64 | |
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65 | A farther reaching example: imagine using the STV remotely and without video |
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66 | capture card. The focusing process of the STV might render impossible. I |
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67 | think an automated process together with an a INDI focuser driver should do |
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68 | that work autonomously. |
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69 | |
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70 | These two examples are implemented in two different ways. Time set is done |
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71 | "blindly". That means the buttons and the rotary knobs (better the software |
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72 | equivalents) are used without any feedback from the STV. The ccd temperature |
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73 | reads the display and stops when the desired temperature appears. |
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74 | |
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75 | 7) Before you start: |
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76 | |
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77 | If you want to use the INDI STV driver, please refer to the SBIG STV manual |
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78 | first. The INDI STV driver is basically a remote front end to your fingers |
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79 | with additional features. |
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80 | |
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81 | Please note that the buffers are labeled as 1 to 32. Buffer number 32 is the |
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82 | LCD screen buffer. Despite SBIG's manual says so, accessible are only buffers |
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83 | 1 through 14 and 32 (at least I found no way to store images e.g. in buffer |
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84 | 20). |
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85 | |
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86 | 8) Recommended approach: |
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87 | |
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88 | Put the STV hardware on your desk an connect it to the computer where the |
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89 | INDI server and client run. |
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90 | First do basic things like changing settings on the STV using the INDI client |
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91 | (tab Buttons and Knobs). Compare the results on the STV display with the |
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92 | results on the INDI client. The STV's two line display should be always |
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93 | synchronous with the INDI client display. |
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94 | Then try to take an image which is finally displayed on the STV's LCD screen |
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95 | and try to download it to the INDI client using the default settings on the |
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96 | tab Image Download. |
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97 | |
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98 | 9) What is not possible: |
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99 | |
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100 | A mixed operation, that is some commands entered at the STV box and some |
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101 | entered via the INDI STV driver, is hardly possible. There is no way how one |
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102 | can retrieve the current status of the STV besides monitoring the display of |
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103 | the STV. |
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104 | |
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105 | 10) What is not supported: |
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106 | |
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107 | The meta data of images, e.g. offset, taken in mosaic mode are not read |
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108 | out currently. |
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109 | |
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110 | 11) Features: |
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111 | |
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112 | STV's display is reproduced on each tab for convenience. |
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113 | |
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114 | Connection tab |
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115 | |
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116 | Set the device and the speed (9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 and 115200). |
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117 | Start/stop update clients display. |
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118 | |
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119 | Settings tab |
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120 | |
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121 | Set the time to UTC. |
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122 | Set the CCD temperature. |
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123 | |
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124 | Buttons and Knobs tab |
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125 | |
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126 | All STV's buttons and knobs are supported. Basically you can use the STV driver |
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127 | as if you were sitting in front of the box. |
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128 | The names and groups are identical to what is printed on the STV's box. |
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129 | The labels of up/down left/right of the rotary knobs are replaced by Increase and |
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130 | Decrease in both cases. |
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131 | |
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132 | Warning: Do not change the STV's speed with File Ops menu. The communication |
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133 | will stop. |
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134 | |
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135 | Download |
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136 | |
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137 | Buffers Status: get a quick overview which buffers are used or empty. |
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138 | |
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139 | The meta information about one image or all images are available and printed in |
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140 | the log window. |
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141 | |
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142 | The buffer on which the buttons One Image (Information and Download) operate on |
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143 | can be selected. |
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144 | |
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145 | The download of one or all images can be initiated either in un- or compressed |
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146 | mode. |
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147 | |
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148 | An arbitrary window can be set on the original window. This speeds the download |
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149 | considerably and is e.g. useful if you want to inspect a single star image. |
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