How can I run a script from another program and tell SGP to shut down?

I’m trying a new program I found called ‘Tektite Skies’. The guy runs an algorithm that does cloud detection from all sky cameras and uses it as a safety device to shut down your observatory.

http://www.mcdougalltech.com/page1/page1.html

Anyways, he apparently had issues working with ASCOM and currently doesn’t support the safety device class. Is there a way to send a script command to SGP to cause it to shut everything down similar to a safety event? Can anyone think of a better way to do this?

Thank you,
Chris

That sounds like part of the feature request to control SGP from other apps which is in the state “Accepted Uplanned”.

Since we do not have this capability yet in SGP, I use AutoIt to make scripts that push buttons in the SGP user interface. If you are interested, I can give you my script that shuts down SGP. It’s not pretty but it works.

Andy

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Seems like it could be fairly easy to create a safety device that just reads the CSV that the app outputs and trigger safe/unsafe from there.

Jared

Also probably worth mentioning that you can do a few things with the API currently (nothing at a sequence level). You can see what it can do by running SGP and pointing your browser here:
http://localhost:59590/metadata

Jared

I have no idea how to do that :smile:

It’s a pretty neat program so far. I’m enjoying watching it do it’s scanning of the sky.

Chris

Wonder what his ASCOM issues were. I don’t recall anyone posting any questions about this and don’t see his name in the list of members on ASCOM-Talk.

As Jared says doing something with a CSV file should be possible.

Chris

Hi Chris,
I am the writer of Tektite Skies. ASCOM is very easy to write for. I had to remove the ascom component as some customers refused to install ascom. My preference would be to include ascom, but this is not what was wanted. Instead I offer the ability to start up applications/scripts from my software. At the moment I have an ascom script that will park my telescope when the sky is cloudy. I have updated a new version today, for the moment it will be without cost.

Cheers,

Trent

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That seems like and odd reaction. What is the primary complaint (out of curiosity)?

Hi Ken,
I a vague on the details (it was a few years ago and not that big of a decision). But essentially the customer was running an astro farm in South Africa and told me the way it was going to be, he had a bad experience with ASCOM and felt that it wasn’t up to scratch. So given that he was one of my prime beta testers I followed. That being said, my software is not just for astronomy use and has found applications elsewhere.

Trent

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Good to know :slight_smile: Sorry I misunderstood! The software ran all day, seems to be working pretty well :smile:

Thanks for the feedback Trent. This customer probably had a bad driver of some sort and blamed all of ASCOM for something that’s out of our control.

I’d have an optional ASCOM interface as well, it would be easy to only install it if the ASCOM platform was present.

Chris

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I think Chris is right - an optional ASCOM interface makes a lot of sense for amateur astrophotographers and / or, if you had ‘safety monitor’ in mind, to adopt that, so that existing programs, SGP being one of them, can take action, based on an ‘OK to image’ status.

Tektite skies is not limited to astronomy predates SGpro and for that matter ASCOM safety switches by a couple of years and those who have contributed most are not in the field of astronomy.

However, I will write an ASCOM app and test it out myself. But that being said it is a lot of effort to create such a thing that is stable and performs as imagined, I will release it if there is enough interest. I think I should have a working beta in a couple of weeks.

Already my software will produce flag files for external interfacing. This is intended to provide web masters with a means of interfacing their webpages. I will let the forum know of my results.

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Hi Chris,
I have started work on an ascom interface for the safety switch. Initial results are good. I am looking to have it as a plugin. This should keep most happy, further to that I have also started work on an application that monitors the ascom switch. Let’s see how it goes.

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Trent,

You’re the best! If you want me to give it a try for you, please let me know. You have my email!

Chris

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Just installed the full version of Tektite today and I’m waiting for the same functionality.
Count on me if you want a beta tester under the ITALY climatic conditions.

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After about 10 hours of work. Success. The driver is works and is being tested. SGPro follows clear/cloudy from Tektite. I will let the forum know the results.

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maybe I’m wrong or SGP has no way to Recovery Mode a session if the weather conditions falls back in safe mode? a function like PHD dos on star lost

Gerfor,

No, the weather safety is a kill switch unfortunately. Unlike some of the other programs, they didn’t feel like it was worth continuing if the weather warranted closing the observatory. Frankly, after 2 years of doing this and watch the weather, I find I lose very little time because of this decision making. Usually if it rains, there is a front moving through and it’s cloudy anyways. Very rarely is it the ‘rogue’ pop-up storm where my observatory would have the chance to open back up. It does happen. Just not very often :smile:

Hopefully the camera will arrive this week and I can give it a try this weekend :). I’m really excited to see how this works!

Chris

maybe an idea could be to point the SkyCam as a guide and wakeup the recovery if star are detected…stop…stop, I am creating a Astroenstein (Frankenstein). :smile:

great buy, you’ll be happy with the Moonglow SkyCam, a few minutes to setup and you’re online, this is my page my page to monitor SQM, AllSkyCam and Activity status.

Geremia

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