User manual ASCOM FEATHERTOUCH

[. . . ] Please check www. starlightinstruments. com periodically for additional documentation and updates. FeatherTouch ASCOM Driver Software Setup June, 2007 Copyright Starlight Instruments Inc. 2007 Preliminary documentation version 1. 0 1 Software Installation Download and install the most current ASCOM platform from the ASCOM download web site at: http://ascom-standards. org/downloads. html Download and install the most recent FeatherTouch ASCOM driver from: http://www. SatrlightInstruments. com/downloads. html We also strongly recommend the Automatic Focus Control program FocusMax, Available free from http://users. bsdwebsolutions. com/~larryweber/ To fully use the advanced autofocus capabilities of FocusMax, you will need one the following popular Camera control programs: MaxIm DL/CCD from Diffraction Limited CCDSoft from Software Bisque If you do not wish to control autofocus through FocusMax for any reason, Maxim DL does provide native support for ASCOM. Users of CCDSoft will need to install and run FocusMax to act as bridge to the FeatherTouch ASCOM driver. [. . . ] Depending on the Step Resolution and focuser model, the focuser will continue to move IN (the button changes to STOP while it is moving) until the mechanical stop is reached, after which you may hear the motor working against friction indicated by a clicking noise. determine the zero point. If you are sure that the focuser has in fact reached the end of it's outward travel, click the STOP button to complete this step. Alternatively, you can wait till the focus motor stops by itself. Note that this will not cause any damage to the focuser. The procedure is used to let the driver NOTE 1 : If the focuser starts moving OUT instead of IN during the initialization, check Reverse In-Out Direction and repeat the Initialize Zero point procedure. The innermost position of the focuser establishes the zero point. All subsequent positive movements of the focuser will move the focuser outward. When the focuser type is selected in the drop down, the total available travel and other parameters are set based on the model and selected resolution. FeatherTouch ASCOM Driver Software Setup June, 2007 Copyright Starlight Instruments Inc. 2007 Preliminary documentation version 1. 0 4 It is now possible to test the Focuser IN/OUT movement: If you have performed the setup starting from Maxim DL: In Telescope control, under the Setup tab ­ Focuser - click on Connect. Click on the Focuser tab. Enter a value, say 300 in the Incremental box, and click the Move Out button while watching the focuser. After clicking the Move Out button a few times and confirming the focuser movement, try clicking the Move In button to verify that the focuser moves IN. If you have performed the setup starting from FocusMax: Click on the Jog button in the FocusMax main window. The Jog Focuser Windows appears: Enter a value, say 1000 next to the Out button, and click the Out button while watching the focuser. After clicking the Out button a few times and confirming the focuser movement, try clicking the In button to verify that the focuser moves IN. FeatherTouch ASCOM Driver Software Setup June, 2007 Copyright Starlight Instruments Inc. 2007 Preliminary documentation version 1. 0 5 Additional Notes: When you exit Setup by clicking OK, the driver saves the settings and restores them the next time you startup ­ You do not have to repeat the Setup procedure unless you change the focuser model, install the driver on a different PC, or change the Serial Port. If you have already established a specific focuser position where you have achieved correct focus, say at position 3269, and you shut down the system and power down the focuser this position will be saved internally. When you next power up the focuser and startup the driver (FocusMax, Maxim DL), the focuser will advance all the way IN (and in fact step several steps beyond, depending upon where it started out, then step OUT to position 3269. If you are sure that the relative mechanical position of the focuser will not be altered significantly between power cycles, you can check: The driver will then skip the zero-in and set the step counter to the last value it held at the time the system was shutdown. [. . . ] www. starlightinstruments. com CCDSoft is a trademark of Software Bisque, Inc. www. bisque. com MaxIm DL and MaxIm DL/CCD are trademarks of Diffraction Limited. www. cyanogen. com FocusMax is freeware, by Larry Weber and Steve Brady. [. . . ]