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Last updated: 22 March 2002
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Last updated: 22 March 2002 |
Subject: LX-200 Command set Sent: Friday, June 8, 2001 22:08:13 From: marv.sumner@juno.com (Marvin C. Sumner) A note for your readers who might have admired the LX-200 Command Set found at www.mailbag.com/users/ragreiner/LX200Commands.html. I have an ETX-125/EC and had asked Meade about the language - they sent me a copy of the LX-200 manual for the command set in the back. Well, on reading it, I found three errors (ones obvious to any programmer) and reported them to Meade. I see now that the listing at the URL above has two of the same old errors - apparently copied and not tested when put on the internet. A simple typo (by Meade) has us switching tracking frequency between manual and quartz badly. :TM# will select Manual Ok, but it takes a :TQ# to select Quartz. The other glitch would be harder for the less initiated to catch: In the sample program, when opening the COM port, that last comma before the closing double-quote is fatal to the program. It is telling the compiler that another argument is coming. The compiler will then sit and wait for the next argument until the cows come home, and never get to the closing double-quote. Delete the last comma and you can open the COM port AOK. Marv Sumner
Subject: New Meade Web PAGE!!!! Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 18:47:19 From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour) I just noticed a new item on Meade's support page! http://www.meade.com/support/CommandSet.html It's titled: The Autostar/LX200 Command Set and Differences Basically, it's the LX200 Command Manual, but with a short note at each major letter (example: "V (Autostar ignores)" ) and with some subsections more fully describing the Autostar's interpretation of the commands. They left out one command (control-D, which sets you into Download mode). The trailing matter, describing using a "#:" as the preamble before a command instead of a simple colon (:) is well taken. --dick
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (Dick Seymour)
If you don't have it, at Doc G's site is the full <>LX200 command set (www.mailbag.com/users/ragreiner/lx200CmdSet.html) (as of mid-1998). The Autostar actually knows one more: control-B to get into the on-board Debugger.
You can test your Autostar/ETX by connecting the download rs232 cable (just like DeepSky needs), and then firing up a terminal-emulator program (like HyperTerm, which comes with Windows) to talk to it.
Read http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_beep.html for a step-by-step on hooking it up and sending commands (to the debugger).
But, as you saw with the two computers tied together, you can send commands directly to the Autostar. The one command i recommend great caution with is "#:MA#" If you haven't pre-loaded a destination, that can slew the telescope hard into the stops.
":Q#" (Quit) stops the scope dead.
Somewhere in the clutter i've got notes from the two hours i spent testing all commands. Some are ignored, some generate "dummy" results, lots work.
I'll either find my notes, or re-do the testing and send a synopsis to Mike's site.
have fun (i did)
--dick
Subject: LX-200 commands the Autostar (mis)understands
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
Here is a quickly entered list of -all- of the LX-200 commands the
Autostar has code for.
Some are implemented, some are ignored, some are buggy, some are fake.
I'm going out of town from May 7th through the 16th, and will not have
access to Email between the 11th and the 16th. Questions and
commentaries are welcome, but will suffer slow response during that
period.
As i learn more, I'll
update. Please report -your- experiences, too.
During my absence, i'll try to improve the formatting, and make a web
page of this list.
have fun
--dick
=========================
LX-200 Commands as understood by ETX Autostar v2.0i
--dick seymour "pre-release version 0.1 5-May-2000"
See http://www.mailbag.com/users/ragreiner/lx200CmdSet.html
for the full LX-200 list.
This list assumes you have that as a reference, and
merely explores the differences.
If a command is shown in this list, the Autostar has firmware
code to handle it. Sometimes the command is fully implemented,
sometimes it merely acknowledges receipt (but ignores it).
Some of the "Sets" are flat-out buggy... the Meade programmer
tries to write to a read-only location, so the "set" is lost.
For angles, Meade appears to offer "high precision".
As currently implemented, don't bother.
When combined with GET, angles are actually misreported.
For example, an RA of 14:39.9 (in low precision) becomes 14:39:00
More digits, yes... but ":00"?
Object coordinates are stored internally as integer arc-minutes.
In the following list, "quoted" strings are returned
by the Autostar -- exactly as shown. They're fixed, not variable.
Unquoted zeros (0) or ones (1) are shown if they mean something.
If not shown, you'll often get a zero if you mis-entered the command
(such as a short-format angle when it was in "long" mode (see U))
Otherwise you'll get a 1. Many commands get no response.
See the "boolean" description in the LX200 list.
Command Description
control-F return mounting: A or P
control-D go to Download mode. Leave LX200 mode.
:CM# "M31 EX GAL MAG 3.5 SZ 178.0'#" Match Sync
(the current Target Obejct coordinates are
transferred to a reference location)
(i have no idea why they return a description of M31)
:D# [x7F]# Distance from target (only one x7F or none)
During slewing:
The :D# returns a hexadecimal 7F character followed by a "#" (hex 2E)
The :D# command switches to only returning a "#" at the same time
that the handset would have switched from displaying "Slewing..."
to redisplaying the target's information (but long before the beep),
The motion between that :D# change to Beep can take 10 seconds or so.
:FQ# Focus Control: Quit focus motion.
:FS# :FS# Focus Slow or Fast
:F+# :F-# Focus IN or OUT
:G "GET" commands (see next table)(see Set, too)
:hP# Park scope
:Lf# "Objects: 0#" Library setting
:LI# "M31 EX GAL..." (same as CM response)
:Lo# Set library type
:Ls# Set Star library
:MS# 0 Move to Object (use Sr and Sd to preload)
1 Object below horizon.. no motion
When slewing under :MS# control, the handset display is frozen during
the :D# command's "7F" period, and becomes alive again when the "7F' is
dropped.
Issuing new :MS# commands before the "7F" is dropped can result in Proc
2 traps. Manually keying things to convince the Autostar to cycle
through some update code can avoid the Proc 2 Trap. Perhaps waiting a
few (4?) seconds delay after the switch from 7F to (no 7F) could also
avoid the Traps. I have not tested that theory.
:MA# 0 Move to Landmark (use Sa and Sz to preload)
:Me# :Mw# Slew east,west, south, north until :Q#
:Ms# :Mn#
:P# "HIGH PRECISION#" (no effect, actually ignored)
:Q# Quit all slewing (:MS# will resume)
:Qe# :Qw# Quit rotating base (Az, RA) slew
:Qn# :Qs# Quit elevation (Alt, Dec) slew.
:S "SET" commands (see table below) (see Get, too)
:U# Toggle between "long" and "short"
argument format. (was "U"seless...see notes)
:W choose site from list of four. (see Set M,N,O,P)
Ignored commands: ? @ $ A B E H I J K N O R V X Y Z f r
Motion: see SET section. Sidereal drive is disabled if you
use the :MA# command. You -must- use the handset to restart it.
The Sa and Sd put their data into the same location.
The Sr and Sz put their data into the same location.
(that means :Sr14:00.0# and :Sz210*00# are -equal-)
Note: Long Format (:U#) changes input from hh:mm.t to hh:mm:ss
However, IN OLDER VERSIONS the output ":ss" was always ":00"
This was corrected in the mid-22 versions.
Object coordinates are stored internally as integer arc-minutes.
GET/SET list:
GET commands are in the form :GA# (except GV)
They return results. If the table shows "#" (or any quoted string)
that is the -only- result you'll get, irrespective of the truth.
(see :P# in the main list)
GET
0 "#"
1 "#"
2 "#"
A Tele Alt
a local time (12h format)
b bright limit (for searches)
c "(24)#"
C calendar date
D Tele Declination
d Object Dec
f faint limit
F Field Size
g Site Longitude
G Hours from GMT
h high limit
l larger limit
L Local time (24h)
M Site Name 1
N Site Name 2
o lower limit
O Site Name 3
P Site Name 4
q minimum quality for search
r object RA
R Telescope RA
s smaller limit
S Sidereal time (24h)
t site latitude
T current tracking freq
VD Firmware Build Date
VF Firmware Full ID string
VN Firmware Version
VP "Autostar#" (processor?)
VT Firmware Build Time
y types parameters
Z Tele Azimuth
SET (the SETs frequently correspond to the GETs)
Note: there are many bugs in Meade's SET programming.
I have identified the commands they -tried- to implement,
but screwed up with (buggy). Values are not fully saved.
Items marked (ignored) don't set anything.
a Object Altitude
b brighter limit
C Calendar (buggy) (responds: "Updating planetary database#")
d Object declination
f fainter limit
F Field size
g site longitude
G hours from GMT
h higher limit (buggy)
l larger limit
L Local time
M Site name 1
N Site name 2
o lower limit (ignored)
O Site name 3
P Site name 4
q quality
r Object RA
s smaller limit
S Sidereal Time
t Site Latitude
T Tracking Freq (ignored)
w2 slew speed (slowest= key 1)
w3 slew speed (middle)
w4 slew speed (highest= key 9)
note: slew speeds don't affect :MS#
y active find types
z Object Azimuth
Subject: patch for improving Autostar's LX200-like performance
From: rseymour@wolfenet.com (richard seymour)
Folks can write programs to control an ETX Autostar via its rs232 port
using its set of LX-200-like commands.
Unfortunately, some of those programs have been having erratic
operation, frequently resulting in "hung" or "Proc Trap"ed Autostars.
Two examples of this are Jean-Claude Marion's Eurosat
(http://members.aol.com/marionjc/eurosat/)
and Brent Boshart's Satellite Tracker
(sattracker.hypermart.net)
The reason those programs are having problems is that the ETX/Autostar
overflows its processor stack if given sequential GoTo (motion) (:MS#)
commands before the previous one is complete. This happens if you are
trying to track a satellite.
Why it does it is "simple": during the GoTo section of the Autostar
firmware, they periodically check for new-LX200-commands (which they
immediately perform, then resume the GoTo operation), and
keypad-pressing.
If a key is pressed (other than GoTo), the current GoTo is -aborted-...
the destination is cleared, the motors are stopped (Sidereal drive, if
active, will resume) and the MOVE subroutine is exited.
*then* they perform the key-commanded operation.
Notice the difference? The keypad exits the GoTo routine (thereby
clearing the stack) -before- actually performing the operation.
The LX200 commands are performed -immediately-, then the (merely
delayed) GoTo is resumed.
That's OK if the LX200 command was a "where are we?" (:GD# or :GR# or
:D#) command.
It's NOT OK if it was an :MS# command... they end up recursively
nesting!
(only the last one determines the final destination).
Each :MS# command causes (at least) 62hex (98 decimal) bytes to be
allocated on the stack... and eventually the stack pushes into space
used for other purposes (Meade doesn't check stack depth).
Waiting for :D# to return zero 7F characters works, because that's the
signal that it's leaving the GoTo subroutine.
Other than watching the :D# result, there's currently no way for any
LX200 command to guarantee safe-stacks if sequential :MS# commands are
given.
The :Q# command merely stops the motors, then they resume (and the GoTo
continues) as soon as the GoTo subroutine is resumed.
That's the situation.
The good news: I have developed a small patch to the Autostar firmware
to fix it.
Jean-Claude has tested it with his program, and reports success.
The patch requires the PC program to issue a :Q# command between each
:MS# command.
The sequence probably wants to be:
:Q# :SdXXXX# :SrXXXX# :MS# (repeat : Q S S MS# as desired, as
frequently as needed.)
You can -probably- issue the :Sr and :Sd -before- the :Q#, but i
wouldn't trust the target destination values to survive in the Autostar.
Note that you do -not- need to monitor :D# (except out of curiosity).
Likewise you can issue :G(whatever)# to your heart's content.
The patch works by looking at the :D# flag.
The :Q# command already sets it to zero.
The patch adds code to the MOVE command to look at the :D# flag (memory
location 69F8) after an LX200 command.
If the :D# is zero after the LX200 command, the MOVE command takes the
same "abort!"
action that it does if you push the MODE key during a move.
So all i am doing is improving the :Q# (and this may also make the :Q#
-really- stop the ETX).
(but only if a move command is still in SLEWING... mode).
The patch is:
in v2.0i autostar.rom file:
at every place (in the MOVE section) where the LX200 is tested,
replace JSR 1F0A 09 A1 97 [ bd 1f0a 09a197 (test lx200 and
perform)
with JSR F7E1 [ bd f7e1 (jump to patch)
NOP [ 01 (space-fill do-nothings
NOP [ 01
NOP [ 01
at (8)F7E1 add
JSR 1F0A 09 A1 97 [ bd 1f0a 09a197 (patch: test and perform
lx200)
TST 69F8 [ 7d 69f8 (test :D# flag)
BEQ next [ 27 01 (if zero, special action)
RTS [ 39 (if not zero, return to
normal MOVE)
next: PULX [ 38 (remove this jsr's return
address)
JMP F35C [ 7e f3 5c (jump to clear/stop-move
code)
In numbers, that's:
Location Old Values + New Values
08EC5F: BD 1F 0A 09 A1 97 + BD F7 E1 01 01 01
08EE19: (same) + (same)
08F33B: (same) + (same)
08F7E1: FF FF FF... FF + BD 1F 0A 09 A1 97 7D 69 F8 27 01 39 38
7E F3 5C
That is a sixteen (16) byte addition.
(for v2.0h, each "1f0a" is "1f0c" )
As usual: copy the existing unchanged autostar.rom file to someplace
safe.
patch the copy in Ephemerides
download [New Software] to the Autostar
Play!
If you do not have a binary patch program, my favorite is FRHED from
http://www.tu-darmstadt.de/~rkibria
Simply Open the autostar.rom file with that program,
Go to the address,
type in the new values,
save.
As always, a mis-type can confuse your Autostar, so this patch is -not-
recommended for folks not needing the functionality. (although i've sent
it to Meade as a suggested "improvement")
have fun...
--dick
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