I’m on my way to fully automated now that I’ve bought SGPro, thanks for the great software !
One thing I would like included is to automate the opening and closing of a remote telescope cover. Ideally support for the Alnitak ‘Flip Flat’ control sequence (that could also be used as a telescope cover and flats box). I’m in the process of making my own based on an Arduino which would respond to the same commands and think this would be a nice feature to add if at all possible.
Many thanks
Robert
Robert, support for the FipFlat is already there - works beautifully.
I created an Arduino implementation of this a while back. You can find the code here if you’re interested. It’s meant to be a shell. Fill in the “blanks” for how your hardware actually communicates.
And yes, flip flat and flatman devices are fully supported.
Jared
That’s great news. I saw support for the Alnitak flats box but didn’t cotton on to the Flip part, my bad !
A quick question… Does it open the flip flat automatically before taking the sequence and close it after (either before or after park) ?
Many thanks for the link to your code, it fills in some bits I haven’t got to yet.
Robert
Yes, it opens it on sequence start and closes it on sequence end. Also closes it for bias, darks, and flats. Light is only on for flats. If you mix frame types it will open/close and turn on/off depending on the current frame type.
Jared
Yes Robert - opens/closes as needed. Also -once you set up the light intensity/duration initially (using the Flats Calibration Wizard) then it also does what it needs to do when you have flats in the sequence…altogether a very nice addition to the arsenal.
I have a 24" Alnitak on the wall and a separate Alnitak cover. Each has it’s own come port. Is there any way both can be supported?
Max
Not at this time. We only have support for a single connected “Flat Panel” at the moment.
Thanks,
Jared
Sorry another qq…
In SGPro do you send the port commands directly to the Alnitak unit i.e. P000CR for ping ? I expect so but you might use an Optec dll or the AAcmd program which I may have to emulate.
Many thanks again
Robert
robertm,
SGP does send the Alnitak commands directly to the COM port. You can still emulate an Alnitak by setting up a virtual COM port and intercepting the commands. That’s what I did with this Alnitak emulator for Spike-a flat panels. You’re welcome to the source code (C++) if you are interested.
Andy
I have the FLIPFLAT and can’t get it to work with SGP version 2.4.3.25 I can open the FlipFlat, Close it and also turn it on but if I try to run a Flat sequence the FlipFlat is turned off, so I get no light. I have used the FlipFlat to setup initial flats. Every time I try to use SGP for the flats it turns the light off. I try the slider to set the light level to 100 but it slides it back to 0.
Thanks
Dwight
There were some changes for the FlipFlat added in 2.5 and has been reported working by a handful of users. Please try that version. If you still have issues please post a log.
Thanks,
Jared
Thanks for the quick reply. I will try that.
Dwight
Downloaded 2.5.0.22 and gave it a try. Still the same problem. Light turns off when starting sequence. I even tried to use the Flats Calibration Wizard but still the light is turned off.
Dwight
Please post logs.
Thanks,
Jared
sg_logfile_20160324221914.txt (155.0 KB)
Here is the attached log file for yesterday using version 2.5.0.22 and the FlipFlat. I had also tried to image but clouds ended the night.
Thanks
Dwight
Hi Dwight,
Just thinking that you may not have set it up this way:
Obviously you only need the light when taking flats…so you need to set the brightness level here for particular filters…
Probably not where you expect it…but in with the filter set up. When you set the brightness here, you can use the Flats Calibration and that will stick with whatever profile you have set it for…i.e. if you are good with the calibration, you will not have to adjust this brightness parameter anytime you do flats in that profile.
The light will come on automatically (at the level set) when you select to do flats.
Hope that helps.
Brendan.
You nailed it. I did not know to look there for the setting.
Thanks very much.
Dwight
Ya… this is not super intuitive. I know this is not the answer, but, 2.5 will at least provide an easier way to get to the “semi-hidden” location of “flat box per-filter” settings. I have also reworked the help file tyo be a bit more clear about what this part of the CP actually does:
Nice job Ken!
