Meade Autostar Ii Hand Controller Scroll Hard to Read When Cold
#51 
Posted 05 July 2021 - 09:39 PM
A quick Update:
1. I reached the conclusion that the Bluetooth solution is not going to work. My adapter requires flow command signals to part correctly and the LX200GPS does non accept those signal.
Exciting news:
one. Ordered and received a RS232/Wifi adapter
2. Configured it into STA mode (continued to my dwelling house wifi network with a static ip)
three. Configured the RS232 to 9600, etc..
4. Utilizing a final SW I was able to connect to the Wifi Adapter and control the LX200GPS and receive all the appropriate responses back.
v. Since I am using the 12V from the mount on Pin 1 of the HBX to power the Wifi Adapter, y'all are going lose the Opening "Welcome" text from the mountain until you connect to the wifi adapter. We tin can always utilise an external power source and then it should function as the AS2
half-dozen. At that place is an AP mode for the wifi adapter (you connect to the served Wifi from the adapter) but in this mode we lose Internet connectivity, which means that the Weather condition Interface (a squeamish to have) will not function.
7. Regardless of what way we chose, the code to control the mount would be the same...
viii. At present the fun begins, I have to strip the BT code out and put in the Wifi
STA Style:
You are home and you setup your mount where you phone tin easily connect to your WiFi
You are in Observatory where you have Wifi Available and can easily connect to it
You are in remote location but have a Wifi Router setup
AP Fashion:
No Wifi available or tin connect to
All the STA mode scenarios but y'all prefer AP mode
If you accept an opinion on which connectedness mode is preferred (STA, AP, both), so delight chime in.
Thank you
#52
Posted 06 July 2021 - 08:52 PM
For me I would prefer the STA mode. My observatory has wifi already. What wifi/RS232 adapter did you order? Brad.
#53
Posted 09 July 2021 - 05:47 PM
Update for WiFi Implementation:
1. Figured out how to communicate with WiFi/RS232 adapter from ASIIE
ii. Stripped out the Bluetooth Code
3. Added the logic for all the buttons, which means I can now control the mount over WiFi
4. Work in progress: Coding the logic to process the incoming cord from the mountain to display correctly
Thanks
#54
Posted 10 July 2021 - 07:45 PM
WiFi is here:
How to enter wifi adapter ip & port number in the ASIIE:
https://youtu.be/xEuErov43Ig
Demo, connect / disconnect and control mount:
https://youtu.exist/qZoiMEs2IOQ
Scrolling text in wifi mode:
https://youtu.be/X5wx8_Hb93I
I still accept to take care of a minor problems, add together the GPS and maybe the Weather interface and tidy up the UI.
Cheers
#55
Posted 11 July 2021 - 11:12 AM
Looks like its working well.
Text scrolling still looks irksome compared to AS2. I wonder why the departure if AS2E is simply processing the same commands as they come up in? Its non like the phone hardware is slower than the actual manus controller - should be the other way around. I would have expected AS2E to exist able to scroll faster and smoother than the AS2. One of my gripes with the AS2 hardware is that the text display becomes very sluggish and hard to read in cold weather condition - temperatures below 0C (32F) cause the liquid crystal to respond slowly. I've always wondered my Meade (and Celestron too for that matter) didn't go with red LED displays instead of LCD? Maybe because they were headquartered in warmer parts of the world simply virtually likely considering LED parts would have been more than expensive. In the 70s, LED dot matrix displays were still common but past the 80s LCD became then inexpensive to manufacture that it displaced dot-matrix LED displays. Anyhow, the AS2E promises to solve all that with its superior phone display (specially those that have an OLED). Hopefully a solution to the slow scrolling will present itself eventually.
Naji, allow me know when yous are ready to release another beta version for testing. I can still exam it over the cable connectedness.
Keep up the good work!
Brad.
#56
Posted xi July 2021 - 01:21 PM
Hello Brad,
Cheers for the feedback....I wish I started with WiFi vs Bluetooth. It took me a couple of days to become Wifi going vs weeks on Bluetooth and then to conclude at least the adapter I take will not work.
I'm liking the WiFi solution especially when the adapter is configured in STA manner. I kept the adapter in DHCP way and configured the router to assign the same IP address to the MAC address (accost reservation). I tin control my mount from anywhere, over my home network, and to push it further I can open it up to the the internet, if at that place is a good reason to exercise so.
I'm pleased that I got wifi working.
I volition piece of work on the scrolling text outcome. I created a dissever app that all it does is ringlet text in a loop. The app has a slider control to increase/decrease the speed of the scrolling text. I will mail service it to the ASIIE Google drive and send you a share asking to effort. Allow me know the slider value or range min/max that you believe is adequate and I'll see if I tin can match the performance in ASIIE. Personally, I rarely use that role so another perspective is very much welcomed.
#57
Posted 16 July 2021 - 05:00 AM
Here is a crude video I did this morning. Still work in progress and testing/coding continues simply at to the lowest degree you can see it in action.
I'm thinking of using the telephone's date/time in the Setup Appointment n Setup Time section and wondering if in that location is a employ case for non doing so.
https://youtu.be/e30e9IO1ydQ
There is a strong use case for using the android telephone's date/time, timezone and GPS location data. Android phones are much more reliable
and faster at getting location data than the unreliable crumbling GPS units in many of Meade's older GPS enabled mounts. Information technology as well insures that the aforementioned
data source is used for android planetarium apps.
Take y'all designed this in a way that hooks are available to bulldoze your controls from a planetarium app on the aforementioned android device?
#58
Posted sixteen July 2021 - 10:07 AM
Hello Mike,
I've merely used Skysafari in the by. I'1000 guessing here, just most planetariums control the mountain using meade RS232 control set which is completely unlike from the HBX control ready and much more comprehensive.
Once, I'thousand done with this implementation of having the power to replace the ASII with an Android telephone, I might start working on a RS232 version supporting OTG and WiFi, if there'southward a skillful reason to exercise and so.
Another approach is to use a hybrid approach; Wifi for HBX and OTG for RS232 to just updated the GPS coordinates and date/fourth dimension. Then you lot tin can accept the planetarium control the mount.
In my opinion its a lot easier for the planetarium software to do the full task since it should non be that hard to add that functionality...
#59
Posted xvi July 2021 - 05:56 PM
Gday Naji
Once more recollect,
Once you lot have aligned or unparked, you should not exist changing the location or appointment/time data
equally you run a risk upsetting the internal clocks
By all means ise external means to set information technology on booting, but after that, be conscientious what gets done.
Andrew Johansen Melbourne Australia
- JohnBear likes this
#60
Posted 13 September 2021 - 03:46 PM
Naji,
YouTube video looks proficient.
Any time line on when a new download release appointment will be?
Skillful piece of work.
Thanks Steve
#61
Posted 22 September 2021 - 07:20 PM
Naji,
For the states tech challenged, volition you exist selling this in the Google play store every bit an app? I'm sure I would non exist able to load it on my phone or tablet otherwise. Too, which wifi adapter do you recommend?
Amazing work!
Robert
#62
Posted 04 October 2021 - 06:04 PM
What Android versions will this support. I have a nice pocket-sized cheapo tablet (the size of newer phones these days) running Android 4.two.ii.
Bob
#63
Posted 05 October 2021 - 01:23 PM
Hi Robert H. and Bob White.
The tablet and telephone I'm testing on are both Android 10.
I have an erstwhile android iv which I demand to test the latest version which is not released yet.
I am not likewise confident that information technology will run on Android 4. But will suggest.
With regards to installing the app, I volition supply a footstep by stride procedure on the process. Information technology should not be that difficult to follow.
When the release of the latest version, all users will start with a Tester Business relationship which is valid for 60 days where you tin kick the tires and determine if its of benefit for yous. Information technology is Free and y'all become OTG connectivity. If you decide that you lot desire to continue using the App, then all you take to do is send me an email, and I volition change the account to OTG user which is Free and good for a year.
I'k using Google cloud services and they provide a Free tier. If the user base grows exponentially and we exceed the Free tier, then I will have to accuse a minimal fee to cover the cost.
With regards to the WiFi Adapter. You will take to buy that from me since I configure information technology to lucifer the App, and a generic version from the OEM volition work with the App.
I won't be selling the WiFi adapter until nosotros have around 50 users that are actively using the App and are satisfied with its functionality.
I'yard pretty exclusively using the WiFi functionality, and most users will take that jump once they are sold on the App functionality.
#64
Posted 08 October 2021 - 12:twoscore PM
Information technology was brought to my attention that I'grand interim in a "Vendor" capacity which I'm not signed up as/for.
So, this volition exist my final mail service until this issue is remedied.
Thanks to all who contributed and to CN.
#65
Posted 08 October 2021 - 01:02 PM
Naji
Go on up the skilful piece of work. Simply to permit you lot know I'k going to exist and are supporting your project.
steve
robbinsthornested.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/758632-autostar-ii-replacement-solution-for-the-android-community-2-billion-users/page-3
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