73 replies to this topic

[naji]

A quick Update:

 

1. I reached the conclusion that the Bluetooth solution is not going to work. My adapter requires flow control signals to function correctly and the LX200GPS does not have those signal.

 

Exciting news:

1. Ordered and received a RS232/Wifi adapter

2. Configured it into STA mode (connected to my home wifi network with a static ip)

3. Configured the RS232 to 9600, etc..

4. Utilizing a terminal SW I was able to connect to the Wifi Adapter and control the LX200GPS and receive all the appropriate responses back.

5. Since I am using the 12V from the mount on Pin 1 of the HBX to power the Wifi Adapter, you are going lose the Opening "Welcome" text from the mount until you connect to the wifi adapter. We can always use an external power source and then it should function as the AS2

6. There 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 Interface (a nice to have) will not function.

7. Regardless of what mode we chose, the code to control the mount would be the same...

8. Now the fun begins, I have to strip the BT code out and put in the Wifi

 

STA Mode:

You are home and you setup your mount where you phone can 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 Mode:

No Wifi available or can connect to

All the STA mode scenarios but you prefer AP mode

 

If you have an opinion on which connection mode is preferred (STA, AP, both), then please chime in. 

 

Cheers

[bradh23]

For me I would prefer the STA mode. My observatory has wifi already. What wifi/RS232 adapter did you order? Brad.

[naji]

Update for WiFi Implementation:

 

1. Figured out how to communicate with WiFi/RS232 adapter from ASIIE

2. 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 string from the mount to display correctly

 

Cheers

[naji]

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.be/qZoiMEs2IOQ

 

Scrolling text in wifi mode:

https://youtu.be/X5wx8_Hb93I

 

I still have to take care of a minor bug, add the GPS and maybe the Weather interface and tidy up the UI.

 

 

Cheers

[bradh23]

Looks like its working well.

 

Text scrolling still looks slow compared to AS2. I wonder why the difference if AS2E is just processing the same commands as they come in? Its not like the phone hardware is slower than the actual hand controller - should be the other way around. I would have expected AS2E to be 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 - 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 but most likely because LED parts would have been more expensive. In the 70s, LED dot matrix displays were still common but by the 80s LCD became so cheap to manufacture that it displaced dot-matrix LED displays. Anyhow, the AS2E promises to solve all that with its superior phone display (especially those that have an OLED). Hopefully a solution to the slow scrolling will present itself eventually.

 

Naji, let me know when you are ready to release another beta version for testing. I can still test it over the cable connection.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Brad.

[naji]

Hi Brad,

 

Thanks for the feedback....I wish I started with WiFi vs Bluetooth. It took me a couple of days to get Wifi going vs weeks on Bluetooth and then to conclude at least the adapter I have will not work. 

 

I'm liking the WiFi solution especially when the adapter is configured  in STA mode. I kept the adapter in DHCP mode and configured the router to assign the same IP address to the MAC address (address reservation). I can control my mount from anywhere,  over my home network, and to push it further I can open it up to the the internet, if there is a good reason to do so.

 

I'm pleased that I got wifi working. 

 

I will work on the scrolling text issue. I created a separate app that all it does is scroll text in a loop. The app has a slider control to increase/decrease the speed of the scrolling text. I will post it to the ASIIE Google drive and send you a share request to try. Let me know the slider value  or range min/max that you believe is acceptable and I'll see if I can match the performance in ASIIE. Personally, I rarely use that function so another perspective is very much welcomed.

[MikeBY]

Here is a crude video I did this morning. Still work in progress and testing/coding continues but at least you can see it in action.

I'm thinking of using the phone's date/time in the Setup Date n Setup Time section and wondering if there is a use case for not doing so.

https://youtu.be/e30e9IO1ydQ

There is a strong use case for using the android phone's date/time, timezone and GPS location data.  Android phones are much more reliable

and faster at getting location data than the unreliable aging GPS units in many of Meade's older GPS enabled mounts.  It also insures that the same

data source is used for android planetarium apps. 
Have you designed this in a way that hooks are available to drive your controls from a planetarium app on the same android device? 

[naji]

Hi Mike,

 

I've only used Skysafari in the past. I'm guessing here, but most planetariums control the mount using meade RS232 command set which is completely different from the HBX command set and much more comprehensive.

 

Once, I'm done with this implementation of having the ability to replace the ASII with an Android phone, I might start working on a RS232 version supporting OTG and WiFi, if there's a good reason to do so.

 

Another approach is to use a hybrid approach; Wifi for HBX and OTG for RS232 to just updated the GPS coordinates and date/time. Then you can have the planetarium control the mount. 

 

In my opinion its a lot easier for the planetarium software to do the full task since it should not be that difficult to add that functionality...

[OzAndrewJ]

Gday Naji

Once more remember,

Once you have aligned or unparked, you should not be changing the location or date/time data

as you risk upsetting the internal clocks

By all means ise external means to set it on booting, but after that, be careful what gets done.

 

Andrew Johansen Melbourne Australia

[spames]

Naji,

YouTube video looks good. 
Any time line on when a new download release date will be?

Good work.

 Thanks Steve

[Robert H.]

Naji,

 For us tech challenged, will you be selling this in the Google play store as an app?  I'm sure I would not be able to load it on my phone or tablet otherwise.  Also, which wifi adapter do you recommend?

 

Amazing work!

Robert

[Bob White]

What Android versions will this support.  I have a nice small cheapo tablet (the size of newer phones these days) running Android 4.2.2.

Bob

[naji]

Hi Robert H. and Bob White.

The tablet and phone I'm testing on are both Android 10.
I have an old android 4 which I need to test the latest version which is not released yet.

I am not too confident that it will run on Android 4. But will advise.

With regards to installing the app, I will supply a step by step procedure on the process. It should not be that difficult to follow.

When the release of the latest version, all users will start with a Tester Account which is valid for 60 days where you can kick the tires and decide if its of benefit for you. It is Free and you get OTG connectivity. If you decide that you want to continue using the App, then all you have to do is send me an email, and I will change the account to OTG user which is Free and good for a year.

I'm 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 charge a minimal fee to cover the cost.

With regards to the WiFi Adapter. You will have to purchase that from me since I configure it to match the App, and a generic version from the OEM will work with the App.

I won't be selling the WiFi adapter until we have around 50 users that are actively using the App and are satisfied with its functionality.

I'm pretty exclusively using the WiFi functionality, and most users will take that jump once they are sold on the App functionality.

[naji]

It was brought to my attention that I'm acting in a "Vendor" capacity which I'm not signed up as/for.

So, this will be my final post until this issue is remedied.

Thanks to all who contributed and to CN.

[spames]

Naji

Keep up the good work. Just to let you know I’m going to be and are supporting your project.

steve

[naji]

I've been getting a lot requests from CN members interested in updates.

 

I just created a presence on "https://groups.io/g/asiie" if you like to get updates or ask questions.

[Andy-Cowfold]

Been working on an Android App that can replace the AS2 hand controller.

First phase: Use a USB OTG adapter and a USB to serial adapter that you will plug in the HBX port on your LX200 mount.

The app "AutostarII Emulator" replicates the AS2 in functionality with zero advertising nonsense. It has voice functionality where it will report the buttons pressed and will report the text on the 2 line display. You can use any Android phone or tablet as long they support OTG (On The Go) USB adapter. I have a bunch of Samsung Devices that range back to 2011 and they all supported OTG.

Since the phone/tablet does not have a Red Led to turn on/off, I added a button that you can select:
1. RED Screen (Default)
2. Flash (when available)
3. White Screen (if device does not have a flash, mostly for tablets).

When you press and hold the Light Button, the screen will be painted Red or White base on the selection you made, or it will turn on the flash. When you release the hold, the flash will turn off or the screen goes back to normal mode.

First phase is 95% complete and I'm testing/debugging the app insuring all menus are being displayed correctly and matches the original AS2.

Second Phase: Adding a wireless capability. The user will have the choice to connect over OTG (wired) or Bluetooth. Similar to the OTG approach, I will be using the HBX port on the mount, keeping the RS232 ports free to communicate to PC/Mac/Linux.

Will update the post with a Youtube video in the next week or so.

Let me know your thought and interest level.

Cheers.

I have the same problem, do you have the pinouts for the cable, and where can I download the app ? I've got the scope but no handset, after doing an update I can no longer communicate with the scope via the RS232 port. No sure what happened, but this sounds the perfect solution as I'm having trouble get the AutoStar II.

[Andy-Cowfold]

Been working on an Android App that can replace the AS2 hand controller.

First phase: Use a USB OTG adapter and a USB to serial adapter that you will plug in the HBX port on your LX200 mount.

The app "AutostarII Emulator" replicates the AS2 in functionality with zero advertising nonsense. It has voice functionality where it will report the buttons pressed and will report the text on the 2 line display. You can use any Android phone or tablet as long they support OTG (On The Go) USB adapter. I have a bunch of Samsung Devices that range back to 2011 and they all supported OTG.

Since the phone/tablet does not have a Red Led to turn on/off, I added a button that you can select:
1. RED Screen (Default)
2. Flash (when available)
3. White Screen (if device does not have a flash, mostly for tablets).

When you press and hold the Light Button, the screen will be painted Red or White base on the selection you made, or it will turn on the flash. When you release the hold, the flash will turn off or the screen goes back to normal mode.

First phase is 95% complete and I'm testing/debugging the app insuring all menus are being displayed correctly and matches the original AS2.

Second Phase: Adding a wireless capability. The user will have the choice to connect over OTG (wired) or Bluetooth. Similar to the OTG approach, I will be using the HBX port on the mount, keeping the RS232 ports free to communicate to PC/Mac/Linux.

Will update the post with a Youtube video in the next week or so.

Let me know your thought and interest level.

Cheers.

Hi, where can I download this from ? After an update I can't talk to the scope via the RS232 and I don't have a handset, so this would seem the perfect way to do a factory reset.

 

Cheers

Andy

[mbellot]

Hi, where can I download this from ? After an update I can't talk to the scope via the RS232 and I don't have a handset, so this would seem the perfect way to do a factory reset.

 

Cheers

Andy

From post #37 of this thread, autostariiemulator at gmail dot com

 

I changed it to avoid auto-recognition by spam bots.

 

I emailed him myself yesterday evening, no response yet, but to be fair it has been less than 12 hours...

[naji]

For latest update & correspondence, please use the following groups.io:

 

 

1. AUTOSTAR II EMULATOR (ASIIE) Android App-  https://groups.io/g/asiie

2. AUTOSTAR RS232 COMMAND PROTOCOL (ASRC) Android App- "https://groups.io/g/.../AutoStarRCP/" 

 

Cheers,

 

NK

[naji]

New website AUTOSTAREMULATOR DOT COM is up and running. You can find the latest about our the ASIIE and ASRCP Android Apps and associated kits.

 

Cheers & Clear Skies,

 

NK

[kd4pbs]

Hi, NK, I've been out of the loop on this stuff for the past few years due to other obligations and moving to a much less woke and overly gentrified town.
I remember that there was discussion several years ago about making something like this, and it's nice to see that someone took the ball and ran with it.
I have been looking, but can't seem to find answers to a few specific questions I have:
-Is this software paid for with a one time fee, or does it use some kind of time-limited subscription model?
-Does it work with pretty much any generic USB RS232 adaptor which can be used with normal Android devices, or have you locked this into only working with your own hardware solution?
-Does the use of this software require it to be able to "phone home" and as such, require the user to always have an active internet connection, lest the hardware and software be rendered useless?

-Related to the prior question, if it requires an active internet connection but you or your web services are no longer available, is everyone who purchased this product simply "out of luck" and stuck with a useless problem that used to be a solution?

Thanks-

[naji]

Hi Matt,

 

Thanks for the questions:

 

Q. Is this software paid for with a one time fee, or does it use some kind of time-limited subscription model?

A. Users are buying a Software & HW combination and its one time and not a subscription. Updates to the Apps are free.

 

Q. Does it work with pretty much any generic USB RS232 adaptor which can be used with normal Android devices, or have you locked this into only working with your own hardware solution?

A. No, the App checks that the User and HW solution are matched. So, you can not use the App with any Generic HW solution. Initially the OTG solution was as such but that changed in 2024.

 

Q. Does the use of this software require it to be able to "phone home" and as such, require the user to always have an active internet connection, lest the hardware and software be rendered useless?

A. Yes & No, the app uses the internet to connect to Google Cloud services to Authenticate users once you Sign In (1 second), and some of the App functionality requires Internet connectivity if enabled. The User can bypass this requirement for a max of 30 days (Offline Mode enabled). Offline Mode was designed for users traveling to remote locations without internet access. You enable offline mode and select the number of days, and the app will bypass the Authentication process. While in Offline Mode (no internet access), Weather and Aladin interface will be disabled.

 

Q. Related to the prior question, if it requires an active internet connection but you or your web services are no longer available, is everyone who purchased this product simply "out of luck" and stuck with a useless problem that used to be a solution?

A. I'm using Google Cloud Services so if they are no longer available, then I will have to find an alternative solution. This is similar to when we get a new Android release (15 is almost here)  which might break something in the App and I have to revise the Software, or when the Weather service I was using changes their data model and I had to find an alternative...

 

If I'm not longer available (die tomorrow), then the App & HW combo will continue to function since I'm completely out of the loop until something breaks due to Android changes and users have updated their devices or Google Cloud Service changes. Since both are Owned by Google then we are dependent on them... Users, can always keep their old Android devices (Android 10,11,12) and use them as a dedicated controller which would be cheaper than buying a new/used OEM controller if you can find one...

 

In summary, when you compare the functionality of both the ASIIE and ASRCP applications to other handheld Solutions or the OEM controller, I believe you are getting a very good value for your money while Extending the Life Cycle of your telescope and Freeing Yourself from coiled wired controllers.

[akm2025]

Hello,

 

      Will it work for Meade ETX-60 AT without hand controller? Which WiFi kit should be selected?

 

Thanks

Amit