Hi Robert, Thank you for the response. Sorry for my late response. I was out of town for a few days to celebrate the Springboks win over the All Blacks :-) I will just order a new set of the corrected boards. JLCPCB is so good. No need for you to waste any more time on this. What I am trying to do is build an all in one focus controller, dew controller and power switch box without any of the bells and whistles (buttons, lcds etc). Your daughter board will be used via the relays to provide two 3A...
Do you get it in a probe version ? Something that you stick close/under to the dewbelt? Or do you not recommend that?
Do you get it in a probe version ? Something that you stick close/under to the dewbelt?
rev 06
Hopefully a last question. Is it possible to add a one-wire connector with resistor on the PCB? Would be nice to be able to add some DS18B20's to the board as well without going ofboard with resistors etc
Hi Robert Thanks for confirming 7805. Do you think I can fix the board by cutting and hardwiring tracks? I am sitting with 10 boards from JLCPCB Regards Johan
Hi Robert Thanks for confirming 7805. Do think I can fix the board by cutting and hardwiring tracks? I am sitting with 10 boards from JLCPCB Regards Johan
Hi Robert, Also not 100% sure but I think your signal track on relay 2 maybe wrong or am I doing something wrong?
Hi Robert, Your 12V input pin +/- markings appears to be the wrong way around on the PCB and the layout diagram. The actual schematic seems te be correct. Also a question. Should it be 7805 or 7808 on rev 06 of the PCB? Regards Johan
Hi Robert, Your 12V input pin +/- markings appears to be the wrong way around on the PCB and the scematic layout. Also a question. Should it be 7805 or 7808 on rev 06 of the PCB? Regards Johan
Thank you Robert. I completely forgot about the ClearEEPROM part. No wonder I had some strange behaviour
Sorry about the monologue but maybe I will not waste someone else time. I re-installed the latest versions of everything and sat and redid my backlash steps this afternoon. They were completely different to what I had before. No idea why but I think things are back on track.
OK Figured out I was on 294 Reverting back to that version now Now I am looking for a copy of the 272 ASCOM driver. Cannot find one here?
OK Figured out I was on 2.4.4.9. Reverting back to that version now
I have been using myFPR02 for ages with amazing results. I honestly cannot rememeber what version I was on but it was at least 18-24 months old. Last week I upgraded everything to the latest and now I have what appears to be backlash or stepsize issues. I have used all the same settings as previously. I think I may have missed some important upgrade info over the last couple of months. I remember I had to turn backlash enabled on in the older versions but do not see this setting in the latest version...
Thank you for your feedback Robert. I understand. On a side note. Your ESP32 daughter boards are very nice indeed. Recently ordered some new boards from JCBLPCB and their service was very good. Again thank you for everything you do for our community Regards Johan
Hi Robert, Hope you are doing well? MyFPRO2 has been working flawlessly for a long time now and it is about time I built another one of your projects and is specifically interested in this one. May I ask why have you changed the mosfet from the arduino build to this one. I still have a bunch of the FQP30N06L in stock hence my question. Also, have you considered to combine the focuser (MIT) version with this dew controller? Would be nice to have a combination with minimal features from both projects....
Thank you will impliment
Will the above help in not losing the current position?
...Just something I noticed. When I disconnect from the focusser it appears to "reboot". Is this the correct behaviour?
Hi Robert, Ok great news. It seems to be working 100% Thank you so much for the help. I have managed to get the focusser back to the same position only using the Ascom testing app at least 30 times in a row. This includes swithing power off and pulling from USB cable in between. The only thing I have noticed is that sometimes my current position is not saved between powercuts but I pressume this is when I did not give enough time for the EPROM to be updated? In this instance I still need to use the...
Hi Robert, I will give answer to questions now. Will do the tests as per your method a bit later. Step Size - Calculation Full rotation of knob measured and checked is 29mm Gear ratio for stepper moter is 26.86:1 and steps are 200 (https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/geared-stepper-motor/nema-17-stepper-motor-bipolar-l48mm-w-gear-raio-271-planetary-gearbox-17hs19-1684s-pg27.html?search=27%3A1) So Step size is(29000/ (200 x 26.85) = 5.4 micron Again this is confirmed with my dial indicator. I atually...
Hi Robert, I was using your Ascom Testing Program to do the tests. Background I use SGPro for focussing. It has been complaining about inaccurate HFR's after a focussing session (apparently a backlash issue) so I am just rechecking everything. I have changed the flexi coupler between the focusser and stepper motor to a solid one. Also redoing all grub screws etc. Now I am testing backlash with full camera, OAG and filterwheel load at latitude angle. The test that is not doing what I think it shoud...
Hi Robert, Thank you for all the updates. I just want to check if I am understanding something wrong or if there is a potential problem wih backlash under the Ascom drivers. In all my test with the Windows App (2396) I could not find anything that did not make sense to me. Backlash works perfect in my opinion. Under Ascom if I do +500-500, +100-100,+10-10,+1-1 then backlash works perfect. However when I Move to 0 (home) and then move to 3000 backlash seems to be wrong/ignored. Am I misunderstanding...
Hi Robert, Thank you for all the updates. I just want to check if I am understanding something wrong or if there is a potential problem wih backlash under the Ascom drivers. In all my test with the Windows App (2396) I could not find anything that did not make sense to me. Backlash works perfect in my opinion. Under Ascom if I do +500-500, +100-100,+10-10,+1-1 then backlash works perfect. However when I Move to 0 (home) and then move to 3000 backlash seems to be wrong/ignored. Am I misunderstanding...
Hi Robert, I have done a few quick tests. MyFocusserApp It appears to be working well. Could not duplicate the issues with changes to settings. Everything was spot on every time. Setting MAXBACKLASHSTEPS is no longer an option in the firmware. Manual still refers to it. May gut feeling is that your tab order is wrong around backlash settings. Can you please explain what Max Backlashsteps is used for. You only apply backlash once evertytime direction changes. So backlash should never be more than...
Hi Robert, I tried the above and there were definitely strange behaviour. When setting In to 220. The above example with me return 200 on fetching In steps via Menu. It also appears that changing the settings does not always take immediate affect if you go into extra settings, out and immediately back in. I am not 100% sure of the previous finding. I could not duplicate it. Windows App is 2.3.9.4 Firmware version Focuserv265_DRV8825_HW203_OLED.ino My question - why should in = max?.
Thank you so much for all the help. All good
Hi Robert, All working now. Thank you very much. I have read your recommendation not to use Ascom settings to update the controller and rather used the stored settings, set from the myFoccuserPro app, in the controller and for now will stick to that. At least the issue has been addressed. One last request and forgive me if this has been asked for and discussed before. You have an option to save controller settings to a file. Is it possible to use this to save controller settings to different profiles?...
Just to add to this. It saves all the changes to tickboxes/checkboxes. It is just the three text inputs that revert to 50. I do not see 251 to download and try
Hi Robert, Ascom driver is version 250. If I go into settings and change In/Out/Max backlash steps and click on close and then go back into settings the values revert back to 50. Please see attached files 1 is before changing 2 is after changing 3 is after close and re-open
Hi Robert, Sorry to be such a nuisance but the backlash option is extremely exciting and I would like to get it perfect (almost). Changing the settings in the ASCOM extra setup does not seem to save the changes. All just stay on 50? MAXBACKLASHSTEPS=200
Hi Robert, Okay I have been doing +/- 500 steps and it appears that backlash is working very well. Managed to get the dial indicator (0.01mm) returning to same position every time. As I said before. Thank you for a wonderful design. It is truly the only way I could afford two focusers for my two scopes. Johan Cape Town, South Africa
Hi Robert, Coil is off. I am using full steps. Hence the reason why my coil is off. There is a slight hissing noise coming from the stepper if I leave the coil on. I have double checked my current limit setting.
Thank you. I am using a digital dial indicator. Let me play around more with forward and backward steppings. I am sure I am missing something here? The actual Gear Ratio is 26.85:1 from the website.(https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/geared-stepper-motor/nema-17-stepper-motor-bipolar-l48mm-w-gear-raio-271-planetary-gearbox-17hs19-1684s-pg27.html) This is how I got 5370 steps. Am I wrong here?
All is good. Thank you. One more, not related question, My stepper NEMA17-PG27 is connected directly to the focuser shaft with a flexible connector. From all my tests it appears that my backlash is +/- 110 steps in and out. Questions This feels excessive. Is it given that stepper rotation is 5370 steps ? If I set backlash to 110 steps in and out should my goto 1,10,100,500 be spot on or how do I test my backlash settings in order to refine it? Again thank you for your assistance.
Thank you for the prompt response and the explanation of PPTC J11. The ino file I am using is:- Focuserv265_DRV8825_HW203_OLED.ino The //#define HOMEPOSITIONSWITCH 1 seems to have fixed the problem. My apology if this is something I miss understood. Below is the output from my log. 3/9/2018 7:24:44 AM: homefocuser(): =START========================================================= 3/9/2018 7:24:44 AM: homefocuser: Serial Port is Open 3/9/2018 7:24:44 AM: homefocuser: ConnectedState is true 3/9/2018...
Thank you so much for a wonderful design. I am busy with my second build. This is using one of the Fritz boards. Two questions 1. Everytime I set to go to position 0 the software disconnects from the focusser. The motor will continue to return. Reconnecting and it is back at the last position before going "home" Setting to position 1 is 100%. Is this something I am doing wrong or is there some undocumented feature? What is jumper J11 PPTC used for? Sorry I have looked but cannot find anything in...