Any thoughts on modifying your Focuser to become a Filter wheel controller

Arduino Focuser, fully ASCOM complaint

Brought to you by: brownrb

Any thoughts on modifying your Focuser to become a Filter wheel controller

Forum: General Discussion

Creator: clive stachon

Created: 2016-12-06

Updated: 2016-12-26

clive stachon - 2016-12-06

Hi Robert,

Been using V1 for 1 yr now on three scopes but with own prebuilt board except for UN2003/28BYJ-48 - works great. However I was wondering if you have considered converting your Ascom/Windows programs to become a filter wheel system. I have been using V1 with the "presets" to control a 5 wheel filter using a Un2003/28BYJ-48 using friction / direct drive and it works but doesnt have the Ascom interface so that other programs would recognise the "filter Wheel". Just a thought. Thanks for all you work.

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brownrb - 2016-12-06

I do have some basic stuff I did some time back on a focuser wheel - converting an Orion manual filter wheel using a stepper motor.

If you want to work together - send me the firmware you are using and I will have a go at a beta ascom driver for you and send you the code to try - are you proficient in C# and do you have visual studio?

Cheers
Robert

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clive stachon - 2016-12-07

C/C+ on Unix - limited C#.
Have old version of VS 2005. I did have VS 2013 express with Ascom templates set up but lic has now expired - thought it was free and never ending lic.

But I believe there is a "free" version on MS site.

Firmware I have been using is Focuserv168_ULN2003-M on Nano - same set up as the connection problem.

I can find my way round Arduino coding so I could mod your orig.

For me I just need a manual version with no LCD,no LEDs,no switches,no temp etc is ok

Not interested in my name being linked just trying to save money and have fun.

Clive

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brownrb - 2016-12-07

Hi Clive
I will need to get as much info as I can from you. For example, how do you move from slot to slot, what are the steps from slot to slot, how do you identify slot 0 etc.
How proficient are you at hardware. What is the feasibility of mounting a home switch or home sensor. I have some ideas here if you havent done that yet.

I have some basic Arduino firmware as well as the guts of the ASCOM driver I wrote yesterday.
We can talk offline by email which is better. Will send you a followup email.
Cheers
Robert

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brownrb - 2016-12-26

For anyone interested in what happened about this thread, it has now migrated to
https://sourceforge.net/projects/myfilterwheel-ascom-diy/

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