Re: [Hamlib-developer] Rot2Prog rotctl move command

[Norvald H. R. <no...@ry...>]

Hi Ben,

I'm the author of the SPID driver in hamlib.

On Fri, Mar 3, 2023, at 04:09, Benjamin Weber wrote:
> Hello there:
>
> My name is Ben Weber and I am a junior in aerospace engineering at 
> Arizona State University. I work on the ground station system on campus 
> and have been having some issues with my rotator controller. For 
> context, I am utilizing a SPID RAS AZ/EL Rotator with a Rot2Prog 
> controller and I am running the controller through the SatNOGS client 
> over a network tcp connection. 
>
> The issue I am having is when I schedule passes that cause the rotator 
> to turn clockwise past 180 deg in azimuth, the rotator will wind up and 
> eventually hit the mechanical limit. Due to this I want to make a post 
> observation script that brings the rotator back to a "home." The 
> current post path script I have running is: `rotctl -m 2 -r 
> localhost:4533 P 0 0`. 
>
> When reviewing the Hamlib manual for rotator control, I found this 
> command: `   M, move 'Direction' 'Speed'
>         Move the rotator in a specific direction at the given rate.
>
>         Values  are  integers where Direction is defined as 2 = Up, 4 = 
> Down, 8 = Left, and
>         16 = Right.  Speed is an  integer  between  1  and  100.   Not  
> all  backends  that
>         implement  the  move  command  use  the  Speed value.  At this 
> time only the gs232a
>         utilizes the Speed parameter.
>
> I’ve been trying to implement this command via the command line, in 
> something like this: `rotctl -m 2 -r /dev/rotator P 0 0 M 8 -1`. I also 
> get the same error when I enter this: ``rotctl -m 2 -r /dev/rotator 
> set_pos 0 0 move 8 -1``. `I haven’t been able to find an example of 
> someone using both of these. Regardless, I’m getting an error message: 
>> `move: error = Feature not available`
>> `write_block(): TX 6 bytes`
>> `read_string called, rxmax=64`
>> `read_string(): RX 9 characters`
>> 
> `I do think that the move command is supported for this controller in 
> the current release of Hamlib due to lines 388 - 435 in the `spid.c` 
> source code file. What is the command format for "move" through the 
> Rot2Prog? Let me know if you have any questions or if there is another 
> source I should direct this inquiry to.

The Rot2Prog protocol supports the commmand, but as far as I know, the Rot2Prog controller doesn't. The function you refer to is for the MD-01 and MD-02 controllers (using the Rot2Prog protocol).

I don't have a Rot2Prog in front of me right now, but I'm pretty sure I verified this when I implemented the driver.

73 and best regards,

Norvald, LA6YKA