Hi all,
We are excited to announce the release of a new PixInsight module: INDIClient, an open-source, multiplatform INDI client available on FreeBSD, Linux, OS X, and Windows. The new module is now being distributed as an official update for the latest PixInsight 1.8.4 versions.
The INDIClient project has been created by Klaus Kretzschmar, a German software developer and a member of the PixInsight GitHub team. This is undoubtedly one of the most important milestones in the history of PixInsight development. INDIClient opens a door to hardware control support on the PixInsight platform, and you can bet we are going to open this door completely and go in.
Although this initial version includes just a device controller and a CCD/DSLR frame acquisition tool, it is just the beginning. Think of this first release as a functional proof of concept, just to demonstrate what we are working on and how we are doing it. The roadmap for INDIClient development in the short-medium term includes the following tools, by priority order:
- Camera control
- Mount/telescope control
- Focuser control and autofocus
- Autoguiding
Of course, all of these tools will be, as are the device controller and frame acquisition tools right now, fully scriptable in JavaScript from the PixInsight Core application.
INDIClient is an open-source project available on PixInsight's GitHub repositories:
https://github.com/PixInsight/PCL/tree/master/src/modules/processes/contrib/kkretzschmar/INDIClientIf you are a software developer and would like to contribute, please contact us. If you can't or don't want to contribute with code, but have suggestions or ideas to improve our development, please also let us know. This exciting project can benefit from the collaboration and help of all PixInsight users.
We want to say a huge thanks to Klaus Kretzschmar for his initiative in creating this important project. Thanks also to all PixInsight users and supporters who help us keep the PixInsight project alive and relevant to the astronomy community.
How to Use the INDIClient ModuleINDI stands for
Instrument Neutral Distributed Interface. It is a protocol to define communication among hardware devices and software frontends. For a general description of INDI, see this document on INDI Project's website:
http://www.indilib.org/about/discover-indi.htmlThe first step is installing INDI Library on your machine. On Linux and FreeBSD, you can either compile and build INDI Library from source, or download a precompiled package. See this page for information on download and installation options:
http://www.indilib.org/download.htmlIt must be pointed out that our INDIClient module is a completely independent solution, which does not require the KStars and Ekos applications.
To build from source, see this page:
http://www.indilib.org/download/source/category/2-source.htmlOn OS X, we strongly recommend the excellent INDI Server for OS X application created by CloudMakers:
http://www.cloudmakers.eu/indiserver/On Windows you can use wINDI, also by CloudMakers:
http://www.cloudmakers.eu/windi/wINDI is a wrapper for ASCOM drivers, so you'll also need the ASCOM platform in this case:
http://www.ascom-standards.org/A very interesting option on Windows is installing a virtual Linux machine (for example, using VMware or VirtualBox), where you can install and run an INDI server and communicate with it from PixInsight running natively on Windows, or alternatively, install and run PixInsight directly on the Linux virtual machine.
Irrespective of your operating system, you must have a working INDI server with the required drivers for your devices. The server can be running either locally on your machine, or on a remote system. Typically, you run the INDI server locally on the same machine where you are connecting your devices and running PixInsight.
Once you have downloaded and installed the corresponding update on PixInsight, you'll find two new categories in your Process Explorer window: INDI and Instrumentation. Under both categories you'll find two new tools, namely INDIDeviceController and INDICCDFrame. INDIDeviceController allows you to connect your system to a working INDI server, as well as connecting/disconnecting devices and edit their properties. INDICCDFrame allows you to acquire images using a CCD or DSLR camera for which you have a working INDI driver. We are writing a complete documentation for INDIClient, which should be available very soon, but we think both tools are quite intuitive and their functionality is also quite obvious, so you can start using them right now.
Enjoy it!
The PixInsight Team at Pleiades Astrophoto
