2029 replies to this topic

[Magical Trevor]

Any advice on another of my problems would be much appreciated. My Nexstar+ mount is able to connect to my laptop via a usb to rj9 cable in the bottom of the hand set. I run CPWI and it all works as it should. CPWI says I am using an SLT mount, which I believe is correct. I can use the CPWI controls on the PC to move and guide the scope. However, when I try to use the new HBG3 to connect the same mount, CPWI identifies my mount as an Evolution Mount. It also has some green writing below saying drawing 10.75v. The CPWI program works ok, it just doesnt move the mount - it says its moving it, but the mount doesnt move at all.  Is there a simple fix for this? 

[mlord]

More information please. Are you using the correct 6P6C jack of the HBG3? Which connection method are you using (USB, WiFi, BT)?

Also, confirm exactly which mount you have. The Evolution has two orange metal rings for releasing the clutches, making it easy to identify.

If yours is not an Evolution, then perhaps the HBG3 is incorrectly set to "emulate.mount" mode. The simplest way to fix that, is to factory-reset the HBG3. Do this by navigating to the QR-Code page of the OLED screen, and then push/hold the button until it triggers the factory reset.

Edited by mlord, 23 March 2025 - 05:35 PM.

[Magical Trevor]

I am using the Single 6P6C jack on the top of the HBG3 to connect to the Aux port on the mount. I am then connecting to the Homebrew network via WIFI

My mount is an older Nexstar+ with the separate handset on the leg of the tripod it has one orange ring around the bottom of the base and the word celestron on the battery cover. The handset says SLT when turned on and has an RJ9 phone type connector for upgrades.

I will try the factory rest in the morning and see if that solves the issue.

[mlord]

Okay, great.

 

By process of elimination, the issue must be that your HBG3 has "emulate.mount" enabled. 

Most likely, this was accidentally left enabled after unit-testing.

 

The HBG3 factory-reset WILL fix it.

 

Cheers

[Magical Trevor]

Thanks so much, it has indeed fixed it. A factory reset was the cure.

[mlord]

A corollary of this, is that one can set "emulate.mount" to "1" (or "true") for the purpose of experimenting with, or learning to better use, various astronomy apps.  No telescope or mount required to play. So it becomes easy to, say, fire up CPWI and learn its features from indoors at one's laptop, without having to do any time-consuming setup or brave the cold/bugs outside!  One can even successfully perform a single-object alignment!

 

Here's how to set this up, using a Serial/Debug connection to the HBG3.  The HBG3 does not need to be plugged into an AUX port at a mount for this -- it only needs power over USB:

 

set emulate.mount 1

set mount.override 0x1485   ## this setting is optional: default is 0x1687 (Evolution); 0x1485 is AVX, etc..

save

reset

 

From this point on, the HBG3 itself will pretend to be connected to a mount of the selected type.  Connect to this "mount" as usual, over MUSB, WiFi, or Bluetooth.  Use the software/app as normal, including using a Nunchuck or other HBG3 accessories as desired.

 

To revert back to normal (non-emulated) operation:

 

set emulate.mount

set mount.override

save

reset

Edited by mlord, 25 March 2025 - 01:04 PM.

[dlwmacgregor]

A corollary of this, is that one can set "enable.mount" to "1" (or "true") for the purpose of experimenting with, or learning to better use, various astronomy apps.  No telescope or mount required to play. So it becomes easy to, say, fire up CPWI and learn its features from inside at one's laptop, without having to do any time-consuming setup or brave the cold/bugs outside!

 

Cheers

How do I do that?

Having a bit of a brain fart.

[dlwmacgregor]

Original post above now updated with instructions.

Thanks.

[masi]

Good Morning from Germany

 

Thanks for this great device.

I have a question regarding HBG3, I have a full functional HBG3 with Focuser, DEW Heater, GPS, WiFi and so on.

Everything works as expected. The only thing what happens and what I can reproduce is at that moment when I switch to MUSB and back to WiFi all settings are lost. Is this an expected behavior?

 

Thanks

Martin

[mlord]

The HBG3 should not lose settings when switching to/from MUSB. It will self-reset (reboot) when doing that, but permanent settings should survive.

Which settings is it losing?

Edited by mlord, 26 March 2025 - 02:49 AM.

[masi]

The HBG3 should not lose settings when switching to/from MUSB. It will self-reset (reboot) when doing that, but permanent settings should survive.

Which settings is it losing?

All I did set :-)

 

as an example

wifi.ssid

wifi.passkey

 

etc...

[mlord]

Presumably you also included a "save" command after those?

[masi]

Presumably you also included a "save" command after those?

of course

 

always saved and it is surviving on and offs all the time, except I switch the musb

 

Martin 

[mlord]

I really do not like playing "50 questions" to get enough information to diagnose something.  So please elaborate, giving much, MUCH more detail.  Otherwise I'll just go away and ignore it.

 

When you "switch the musb", what does that mean?  What are you doing, what happens, how do you know it wiped the settings, etc..

[masi]

I really do not like playing "50 questions" to get enough information to diagnose something.  So please elaborate, giving much, MUCH more detail.  Otherwise I'll just go away and ignore it.

 

When you "switch the musb", what does that mean?  What are you doing, what happens, how do you know it wiped the settings.

HBG3 is running with setup of WiFi, its connected to my Network.

 

Then for testing purpuse I switch MUSB on, this results in a reboot of HBG3

 

Then I switch back the MUSB switch that wifi should be active again.

 

Reset happens again what is as expected if I understood correct.

 

At that point I am not able to connect to WiFi anymore because all settings are wiped out

 

I have to setup again ssid, passkey and all other settings as well

[mlord]

Okay, let's narrow it down.  Set up your WiFi along with one extra thing:

 

   set wlan.ssid xxxxxx

   set wlan.passkey xxxxx

   set musb.rfenable 1

   save

 

Then switch to MUSB.  See if it still connects to your WiFi while in MUSB mode.

Let me know if WiFi still works in MUSB like that.

 

If WiFi still works, connect to port 3000 and do this:

 

    debug

    free

 

Show me the output from "free".

 

My suspicion is that it is running out of RAM.  MUSB mode uses more RAM than non-MUSB, and in combination with everything else you have, it may be getting too low.

Thanks

[mlord]

Perhaps also show me the output of "free" after WiFi is connected in non-MUSB mode.

[masi]

Perhaps also show me the output of "free" after WiFi is connected in non-MUSB mode.

 

Free while WiFi is connected: without MUSB

 

15:22:51.891 -> free_heap=29300, min_free=23116, largest_free=23116

 

 

with MUSB

 

> debug
p3000_debug=on (WiFi)

> free
free_heap=24564, min_free=16576, largest_free=16576

[mlord]

Mmmm.. so the settings survived the switch to MUSB mode.

 

Did it clear your settings again when switching back to non-MUSB after that?

[masi]

Mmmm.. so the settings survived the switch to MUSB mode.

 

Did it clear your settings again when switching back to non-MUSB after that?

switching back wiped out all settings.

 

on your "Mmmmm" reaction I assume the free memory is not that bad.

 

Let me switch the ESP to new ESP maybe this will be the evil.

[mlord]

I didn't expect that.  Switching back is pretty much the same thing as just powering-on in non-MUSB mode.  Since power-on doesn't wipe settings (or does it?), then neither should switching back from MUSB -- it just does a chip reset, almost the same thing as a power-on.

 

So, maybe not a low-memory issue.

But I'm still going to put the code onto a fresh diet to reduce memory usage by a few hundred more bytes.

[mlord]

switching back wiped out all settings

Here is a pre-release of the next HBG3 firmware version.  This frees up a few hundred bytes of RAM, and also takes more care handling NVRAM on resets.  Either of those may or may not have been the issue here.

 

Please give a try, and report back.  Others here are encouraged to play too!  Best to find out if anything is broken before general release.

 

Thanks!

Attached Files

•  hbg3.ino.txt   350.16KB   6 downloads

[Bartec]

Good day to all.
I have the following problem.
Telescope "Celestron NexStar 4SE". Until March 20, 2025, everything worked fine. So, if I perform the positioning operation by the stars using the telescope remote control (for example, by objects of the solar system Venus, Mars, Jupiter), and then connect through the module program (Skyportal, SkySafary 6 pro, SkySafary 7 pro), then the viewfinder becomes on an arbitrary part of the sky, but not on the position set in the telescope. (I can first connect to the telescope, and then perform the positioning operation - the same thing).
It turns out that the telescope does not transfer data to the program after calibration by the stars.
If I do calibration by 3 stars from the program, then everything works correctly.
Updated the firmware of the remote control and mount to the latest - did not help. Tried modules with earlier firmware (2 pcs.) - also did not help. Tried with GPS turned on and without it - nothing changes.

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by Bartec, 28 March 2025 - 12:24 AM.

[jlutzwpi]

You either have to align with the hand controller or the software. You can't switch between the 2.

[masi]

Here is a pre-release of the next HBG3 firmware version.  This frees up a few hundred bytes of RAM, and also takes more care handling NVRAM on resets.  Either of those may or may not have been the issue here.

 

Please give a try, and report back.  Others here are encouraged to play too!  Best to find out if anything is broken before general release.

 

Thanks!

Great, did some test switching back and forth, no issues anymore loosing settings so far.

Will continue testing, but for me it looks quite perfect now.