Polypus 2.00 version ready

 The first useful version of Polypus is ready, version 2.00.

you can find it in resources

Now the camera management is implemented so photos can be taken. A new menu bar is present where you can select exposure and binning, assign name to the object. After that you can run a shot.

A window is dedicated to the photo showing. Adjusting the configuration photo can be showed with the same position and scale as chart in order to make it easy the field reconizing. On the left you can see the scaling information/setting, a zoomed area where the point is, moreover you have info about the image quality and star FWHM. 

An automatic dark sequence procedure is available. It allows multiple shots. If camera has shutter it is not opened. if it don't have, photos have to be taken in the dark. File are saved with a name cointaing the CCD or dome temperature and exposure time.

An automatic flat sequence procedure is available where dark is taken with the same exposure time. Just after the flat shots are taken flat light is turned on. 

An automatic shot sequence procedure is availabe with the possibility of filter change. You have to select the number of shots for each filter. For each filter you can select it own exposure. In case focus change with filter you can ask to use focus positions stored in filterwheel. When you start the procedure it is able to: change filter, change focus, take shot, change filter, change focus ....

A window can show all the command run the Polypus in the current session. It helps in case of somethig goes wrong, specially when observatory is unmanned.

Polypus2 Objects

 I come to you after days with the second beta of Polypus2 software. You can download it from resources.  In this time I have implemented the object view. This is activated by the command in the view menu. Here you can select the ephemerid epoch and, in case of near object, show the topocentric coordinates.

In the object view it is possibile see some object lists: 

• Favorites
• sync stars
• Planets
• Asteroids
• Messier 
• NGC
• UGC

For selected object is showed the position in the sky, the sky chart centered where object is using GSC catalog. Some additinal information are shoed. when object is over the horizon it is possible command a telescope goto on it. Objects can be inserted in the favorites list.

Sync stars list contains 20 bight starts with low declination along all right ascensions. This allow you a precise telescope sync. Star position takes in count the proper motion

Planet list contains all solar system planet plus Sun and Moon. 

Sun and Moon positions are computed using formulas from “Astronomia con il computer” by Janes Meeus.Mercury to Neptune positions are computed using VSPO theory. 

Mercury to Neptune magnitude are computed using formulas from “Computing Apparent Planetary Magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac” by James L. Hilton US Naval Observatory

Asteroid list shows the position of object in MPCORB.DAT from Minor Planet Center, positions are computed using formulas from “Astronomia con il computer” by Janes Meeus.

Using the tab sheet Altitude is it possibile see the observation condition of the object in current (or selected) night. On horizontal axis you have the local time on vertical axis the object altitude. Yellow backgroung are for day light, blu background for twilight and dark for astronomical night. Red line show you the object altitude. Because the moon can often annoy astronomical observations it is possible show also the moon altitude by a green line. 

Polypus 2 developing

Hello,

now the controller and driver part of the project is finished so the third step need to be started. It is the step requiring the most effort. The develop of a new version for the software managing the entire observatory. Since 2010 in the Bassano Bresciano observatory we use Polypus a software we build for this purpose with CBuilder compiler in C++. Now we need a new version of this software able to manage more devices. At this point Ascom Drivers are mandatory in order to don’t have Polypus strictly link the current device we use now. Polypus 2 will be developed by VisualStudio in C#.

Polypus 2 should support window docking so it should be possible dock windows in the  program where you prefer. This is not a native Visual studio feature. After an investigation and test we select this open source library 

https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/42800/Visual-Studio-IDE-like-Dock-Container-Second-Versi

Polypus 2 should show a ribbon menu Microsoft Office like. This is not a native Visual studio feature also. After investigation and test we select this other open source library 

https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/25907/A-Professional-Ribbon-You-Will-Use-Now-with-orb

Program should use dark color so to be useful the observatory light and to be style updated. Icons should be monochromatic black.

Here is the prototype of the main window

when a first version where the manual movement are working I'll publish it

Driver ASCOM for dome, focusers and switch

Now I have developed all the others drivers for object controlled by Raspberry application. They are: dome, focuser1, focuser2, focuser3 and switch. All driver was checked with conformance checker and conformance document was generated.

Also in this case communication between driver and Raspberry is done via TCP/IP, using other ports. 

For these reason the Rapberry application was update, now its version is 1.2.0.0. In the resource is presente the new version.

You can find all new drivers and conformance documents in the resource.

Dome driver supports these features:

• Slaved 

• Home finding 

• park 

• Open/close shutter 

Focuser drivers support these features:

• Absolute position

• Maxposition and step configurable in Raspberry application

Switch driver supports these features:

• Ready only analogue value with temperature in the dome

• Read/write boolean value for flat field light

• Read/write boolean value for telescope decondence fan

Driver ASCOM for telescope

 Because of Raspberry controller is able to manage different devices more Ascom driver are needed, one for each device. Now the first driver is developed using Microsoft Visual Studio, thanks to development tools supplied by Ascom Platform. Conformance checker was used to verify and validate it. Conformance document was generated.

Communication between driver and Raspberry is done via TCP/IP, Each driver uses its own port. Raspberry implement a UDP broadcast communication used to make know its IP address to the driver, in this way IP address can be discovered during the driver setup.

 These are the supported features:

• Alignment: Polar
• Sync and async target and coordinate Slewing
• Target and coordinate Sync
• Tracking: Sireal with the possibility set right ascension and declination rate
• Move axis support
• Topocentric equatorial system
• Parking on local meridian at declination 0
• Pulse guide support
• Aperture area and diameter and focal length are from Raspberry controller where can be configured.
• Observatory site location is from Raspberry controller where can be configured.

In the resource you can find driver setup and conformance document

Application Raspberry

 First software version for Raspberry is ready. 

Using Codesys 3.5SP16 and Softmotion 4.8.0.0 an application was developed able to manage in the correct way all devices. This first version is marked 1.0.0.0.

In this version all the user activities are done through web page visible using a browser connected to the controller IP address (http://192.168.3.100:8080/webvisu.htm). Address is assigned to controller by DHCP so can be different.

In the resource: Codesys application for Raspberry you can find the zip file with this software

Home page shows software information and allow the observatory position set up

Telescope page allow the axis control. You can sync or move axis on a position or with drift velocity. It is possibile set the maximum speed and acceleration but for each movement you can have different speed from 0 to maximum.

Dome page shows:

·         States of push buttons and commands for dome motors.

·         Dome position as encoder pulse and azimut.

·         Azimut position for home (home input sensor) and park.

·         Shutters condition and timers

·         Temperature in the dome

Focuses page shows for each focuser:

• Current and target position
• Working and motor enable condition
• Backlash setting.

Application is deployed on more task with different priority and interval time.

• Ethercat task run in highest priority (0) every 4 milliseconds. It generates the position setpoint for both motor and send the Ethercat frame.
• Main task run in medium priority (16) every 20 milliseconds. It manages: State machine for software startup, all digital I/Os directly managed by Raspberry and dome.
• Slow task run in low priority (20) every 10 milliseconds. It manages all I2C devices: digital out for focuses, analog input for temperature reading and FRam read/write.
•  Visu task in lowest priority (31). It manages the visualization of web pages.

 Features

In the FRam are saved two different kind of information:

• Configuration data. Data related to the specific use in your own observatory: observatory location, motor speed and acceleration for axis, dome encoder, focuser Backlash. These data are showed in orange in the page. A button allows the change saving in FRam.
• Application data. Data relating to the current position of motors, dome, shutters, focusers. These data are saving automatically every second and restored at next power up. At power current telescope right ascension is computed so it should be possible do a goto command without a sync.

 

Telescope declination axis can be:

• Synched to a specific position.
• Moved with a smooth velocity profile to a target position.
• continuously moved at low speed (drift) in order to follow object with proper motion (e.g., comet)

Telescope right ascension axis has the same possibility of declination plus the possibility to activate the tracking. Right ascension is correctly computed both with tracking on and off.

 

Dome can rotate both manually and automatically (slaved). Shutters can be open and close both manually and automatically. There are six buttons for dome/shutters management:

1. Dome right
2. Dome left.
3. Sliding open
4. Sliding close
5. Tilting open
6. Tilting close,

When they are pushed alone, they activated manually the function as their name. When push is removed motion is stopped.

Pushing dome buttons together dome enter in “slaved” state so is following automatically the telescope azimuth.

A “double click” on dome right button activates the automatic positioning on home position.

A “double click” on dome left button activate the automatic positioning on park position.

Pushing sliding buttons together it is activated the automatic shutters opening.

Pushing tilting buttons together it is activated the automatic shutters closing.

 

Focuser step motors are activated when the target position is different than the current position. Motors are driven with fixed frequency 100hz in start-stop way. It is possible define a forward or backward backlash compensation.

Hardware ready software in progress

I have mounted Raspberry board, I/Os boards and rele board an plastic supports. These was arranged with DIN rail hangs so they are finnaly mounted on two DIN rail.

Now DIN rail are placed on a wood support in order to have an easy equipment for testing. In the final deployment they will be placed in the observatory frame. 

A temporary panel with push buttons is attached the the system. These are for symulation of buttons and sensors in obervatory. In this way is easy develop and test the application. 

Now is only matter of software. 

The developping of the application is alreay started, I hope to be ready in one week.