Do these developments on INDI signal a departure from further developing PI processing tools?
It may be exciting and all that - but what is the point?
As exciting as you want it to be. For example, what is the point of the whole PixInsight project? Isn't it a reinvention of the wheel, given that there are so many image processing applications out there? The answer to these questions is simple: we try to do it different, and better.
Just curious and may be jumping ahead here, but is Pixinsight planning to come up with its own autoguiding solution or interface with existing projects like PHD2 similar to how other acquisition packages do?
As exciting as you want it to be. For example, what is the point of the whole PixInsight project? Isn't it a reinvention of the wheel, given that there are so many image processing applications out there? The answer to these questions is simple: we try to do it different, and better.
I'd like to understand exactly why each time we start a new project a lot of people gets invariably scared or annoyed. Please relax. There's no problem here. Hardware control is just another development project in PixInsight.
Hi Juan,
- For GEM, need to set mount flip point to arbitrary (non-meridian) local hour angle. To allow tracking and/or slews into "upside down" position. Required for long-exposure narrow band exposure sequences. Initial exposure may be upside down and later exposures become rightside up, or alternatively initial exposures are rightside up and upside down state occurs towards end of exposure sequence. My current software in use extended to support this.
- For GEM with declination gear backlash, "all" slews need to "approach" target from a specified declination direction (north or south). Current situation: mount polar misaligned slightly so that declination drift is always in one direction, so declination backlash never needs to be unwound during exposure tracking. Initial slew prior to first exposure in sequence needs to result in a backlash unwound state. So slew approach direction is set appropriately based on polar misalignment direction. My current software in use extended to support this.
- Both of these are absolute requirements for me to obtain good tracking and efficient dark time utilization with my Takahashi EM-400 mount.
Thanks,
Mike
We will do everything on our own.
Sander,
My own. Note Chuck's software does support Tak non-meridian flipping (at my request :-).QuoteWe will do everything on our own.
I need concurrent task execution support. My refocus software runs concurrently to autoguiding, measures a temperature probe mounted on tube, and updates FLI Atlas focuser a few microns at a time depending on temperature change every minute or so based on a calibrated model. Critical for tight stars on 40min Ha FSQ frames in changing ambient conditions at my sites.
Thanks,
Mike
Sander,
My own. Note Chuck's software does support Tak non-meridian flipping (at my request :-).QuoteWe will do everything on our own.
I need concurrent task execution support. My refocus software runs concurrently to autoguiding, measures a temperature probe mounted on tube, and updates FLI Atlas focuser a few microns at a time depending on temperature change every minute or so based on a calibrated model. Critical for tight stars on 40min Ha FSQ frames in changing ambient conditions at my sites.
Thanks,
Mike
OTOH, how does your software the concurrent refocus? Based only on temperature? Or by measuring the PSF? Or any other way?
Yes, you are right of course that the Temma driver has the 'flip' command. I forgot about that.
Not true BUT importantly Indi has the ability to control an EQMod mount. It even works with my Bluetooth EQ dongle (under Windows, OSX and/or Linux).
Chris
ps Having Indi Server running on a Pi has a lot of benefit for low power consumption uses such as star parties. I have done a couple of sessions using other Indi Client software using Indi Server on a PI powered by a small phone charger battery (which happily powers it for 24hours).
QuoteYes, you are right of course that the Temma driver has the 'flip' command. I forgot about that.
No, not a simple flip command, but rather a non-meridian flipping slew.
A normal slew across the meridian will flip a GEM to keep the scope on top. Need a slew where the flip point is the act of crossing any arbitrary local hour angle.
Suppose the flip point is two hours prior to the meridian, the GEM is slewed one hour prior, the scope ends up upside down. Now a small slew is done to target a nearby bright star for focusing purposes, the scope remains upside down (if less than two hours prior). Then a small slew back to the target. The scope remains upside down.
And to avoid backlash problems, all of these slews need to approach the target from the specified declination direction. This in general may require declination overshoot and backtrack by an amount larger than worst case backlash.
Thanks,
Mike
So, i can't use INDIMount. >:D
Daemon without graphical interface (running on a Raspberry or Odroid device, controlling the mount)
A client on Android for remote control.
An INDI server on Raspberry is already a reality.
Well, this clearly excludes PixInsight ;) Seriously, an INDI client with the functionality that we are going to implement in PixInsight is only possible on a desktop or laptop machine. I don't think that power consumption is really a problem nowadays. For example, the next generation of MacBook laptops is impressive in this regard. And PixInsight runs nicely on OS X...The Mac book still consume about 30 to 40W compared to the 2W consumed by an Odroid or a Raspberry, it makes a huge difference.
We have the list of INDI clients (http://indilib.org/about/clients.html) for Android, Linux and so on.
In the list row for PixInsight, the column "Operating Systems" should be: FreeBSD, Linux, OSX, Windows.Ok. No problem.
On the other hand, although the PixInsight Core application is proprietary software, the INDIClient module is an open-source project released under a BSD-like license:
https://github.com/PixInsight/PCL/tree/master/src/modules/processes/contrib/kkretzschmar/INDIClient
https://github.com/PixInsight/PCL/blob/master/LICENSE.txt
IMO this is a very important fact that should be mentioned.
For me bringing a laptop to the field is always a pain in the ass, it's the device consuming 80% of my battery. I really think mount driving and autoguiding could be done much cleverly.
Tryed Starspi but it's not stable at all.
... and other INDI clients for Linux on your Raspberry Pi or Odroid.
....Users can find more information about the INDI on its site (http://indilib.org) and forum (http://indilib.org/forum.html).
This forum is about PixInsight and this thread is about the development of a PixInsight INDI client module, so let's keep the discussion on-topic as much as possible.
Hi!Wait...
Excuse for my English.
Use for GoTo in INDIMount online of catalogues strongly narrows possibilities of application INDIMount on the nature.
Whether there is a possibility to make connected catalogues from a hard disk? UCAC4, UCAC3?
Thanks,
Evgeniy
IC 1396 21h39m36.51s +57°34'28.0" C+N m: 3.50 Dim: 89.0 x 89.0'
M 39 21h32m47.48s +48°30'22.2" OC m: 4.60 Dim: 32.0 x 32.0'
M 52 23h24m56.05s +61°40'23.8" OC m: 6.90 Dim: 13.0 x 13.0'
M 74 01h37m34.83s +15°51'58.7" Gx m: 9.40 Dim: 10.0 x 9.4'
M 110 00h41m17.74s +41°46'22.6" Gx m: 8.10 Dim: 19.5 x 11.5'
M 32 00h43m35.83s +40°57'22.0" Gx m: 8.10 Dim: 8.5 x 6.5'
M 31 00h43m35.88s +41°21'22.0" Gx m: 3.40 Dim:189.0 x 61.0'
Stock 2 02h15m52.95s +59°33'32.3" OC m: 4.40 Dim: 60.0 x 60.0'
M 76 01h43m20.26s +51°39'55.3" Pl m:10.10 Dim:163.0 x107.0"
M 33 01h34m49.48s +30°44'00.4" Gx m: 5.70 Dim: 68.7 x 41.6'
Cr 464 05h14m40.82s +73°59'05.8" OC m: 4.20 Dim:120.0 x120.0'
M 103 01h34m29.80s +60°44'00.6" OC m: 7.40 Dim: 6.0 x 6.0'
M 77 02h43m32.29s +00°03'08.2" Gx m: 8.90 Dim: 7.3 x 6.3'
M 45 03h47m58.49s +24°09'59.1" C+N m: 1.20 Dim:100.0 x100.0'
M 34 02h43m09.48s +42°51'08.6" OC m: 5.20 Dim: 35.0 x 35.0'
Mel 20 03h25m28.51s +49°55'25.3" OC m: 1.20 Dim:185.0 x185.0'
M 79 05h24m52.44s -24°30'09.5" Gb m: 7.70 Dim: 7.8 x 7.8'
M 42 05h36m06.24s -05°22'25.3" C+N m: 4.00 Dim: 90.0 x 60.0'
M 43 05h36m18.29s -05°15'25.6" Nb m: 7.00 Dim: 20.0 x 15.0'
Cr 70 05h36m49.91s -00°59'26.3" OC m: 0.40 Dim:150.0 x150.0'
Cr 69 05h36m00.09s +09°56'34.9" OC m: 2.80 Dim: 65.0 x 65.0'
Sh2-264 05h37m12.12s +10°00'33.2" Nb m: 5.00 Dim: 70.0 x 70.0'
M 78 05h47m38.32s +00°05'18.3" Nb m: 8.00 Dim: 8.0 x 6.0'
M 1 05h35m29.07s +22°01'35.7" Nb m: 8.40 Dim: 8.0 x 4.0'
IC 2602 10h43m29.26s -64°29'09.5" OC m: 1.90 Dim:100.0 x100.0'
IC 2944 11h38m40.16s -63°26'26.3" C+N m: 4.50 Dim: 60.0 x 35.0'
Cr 132 07h16m02.02s -30°42'46.3" OC m: 3.60 Dim: 80.0 x 80.0'
Cr 140 07h25m07.62s -31°52'58.5" OC m: 3.50 Dim: 60.0 x 60.0'
M 41 06h46m42.17s -20°46'05.8" OC m: 4.50 Dim: 38.0 x 38.0'
M 50 07h03m17.18s -08°24'28.8" OC m: 5.90 Dim: 16.0 x 16.0'
M 47 07h37m21.13s -14°31'14.6" OC m: 4.40 Dim: 30.0 x 30.0'
M 46 07h42m33.06s -14°51'21.3" OC m: 6.10 Dim: 27.0 x 27.0'
M 93 07h45m11.61s -23°53'24.8" OC m: 6.20 Dim: 22.0 x 22.0'
M 35 06h09m54.17s +24°20'46.6" OC m: 5.10 Dim: 28.0 x 28.0'
I understand your power requirements to operate in the field. However, our INDIClient module is an ambitious project. We pursue levels of functionality, flexibility, automation and accuracy that certainly require processing power. On the other hand, INDIClient is a PixInsight module, fully integrated with the PixInsight platform, and PixInsight does not run (and won't run in the foreseeable future) on small portable devices.
This forum is about PixInsight and this thread is about the development of a PixInsight INDI client module, so let's keep the discussion on-topic as much as possible.
Vicent has raised my attention to the UDOO x86 project:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/udoo/udoo-x86-the-most-powerful-maker-board-ever
It seems that this device will be able to run PixInsight on Linux without any problem. As soon as we can get one, I'll start making tests. With one of these, you can run an INDI server and PixInsight as a client on the same machine, then connect with a laptop through a wireless network when necessary, just to point the telescope and start an acquisition sequence. Very promising...
QuoteDaemon without graphical interface (running on a Raspberry or Odroid device, controlling the mount)
An INDI server on Raspberry is already a reality.QuoteA client on Android for remote control.
Well, this clearly excludes PixInsight ;) Seriously, an INDI client with the functionality that we are going to implement in PixInsight is only possible on a desktop or laptop machine. I don't think that power consumption is really a problem nowadays. For example, the next generation of MacBook laptops is impressive in this regard. And PixInsight runs nicely on OS X...