I have noticed that there is only an option to set switch state at the beginning of a sequence run. Wondering what the point in that is, because the equipment needs to be connected.
Would it not be better to have the Switch State set during the “Connect All Equipment” routine, so that way, it enables all the ports defined, and then performs a connect (after a brief delay to ensure devices are ready for connection).
The option to change the state of switch ports at the beginning of the sequence seems a strange place to put it, because you want everything to be connected and camera cooled etc before starting the sequence.
A switch is not always equivalent to a “power switch”. A switch can be used for many different things… power just being one of them so there are a lot of use cases for setting state at sequence start.
That said, we realize that “power switches” are a very common type of switch and the beta has added a bunch of new options for using them in this manner. Specifically:
Coordinate a delay between switch state application and equipment connect
Coordinate the order that switch state is to be applied
Coordinate delays between individual switches in a switch state
I have a similar request. Would it be possible to create a docking module where the switches can be activated manually? Ideally, there could be an option to set a time after which the switch automatically deactivates. This would be very useful for external circuits triggered by a switching command.
Do you mean so that you have easier access to the switch state? Do you need to modify that state of switches manually often enough that the Control Panel controls are not sufficient for this? Or is that only useful if the switches could emulate momentary contact?
I control the roof of my observatory using a custom circuit, which I operate via a relay since it doesn’t work with ASCOM. Occasionally, I want to open or close the roof without starting a sequence, and it would be more convenient if the switches were integrated into a docking module, with the switch activating for only 1 second, for example.