User Guide

OpenFocuser by Marco CiprianiOpenFocuser by Marco Cipriani

MoonLite-compatible motorized focuser controller with absolute and relative positioning

and half and full step switching. Linux & MacOS (INDI) and Windows (MoonLite and

ASCOM) compatible. Doesn’t support temperature compensation. Comes in two editions:

standard and Plus, which has a non-MoonLite extra function to control all the Arduino’s digital and PWM

pins, so that you can turn on and off (or regulate in current) other devices like dew heaters, mirror coolers, or

even a Raspberry Pi directly from your computer, or remotely if you use an INDI server.

UsageUsage

firmware easily (eliminates the need of installing the whole Arduino IDE, compiling and uploading the

sketch) and to control the digital pins of the board if using the Plus edition. It comes bundled with avrdude

and the latest .hex firmwares for Arduino Nano, serial libraries, INDI4Java server and self-updating utility.

InstallationInstallation

Debian and Ubuntu:

Install the Debian package: dpkg will automatically install socat and avrdude for you, a

launcher icon will be created and you’ll be ready to use it.

Packages openssh-client and openssh-server are needed if you want to upload and

download the configuration files, see below for information.

Other distros:

eliminating the need of installing them. The INDI server and driver and the settings sending

won’t be available, only firmware update.

MacOS: I don’t have a Mac, so I can’t provide a package for this OS. Feel free to help!

Updating the firmwareUpdating the firmware

Firmware update via avrdude is supported in Windows (avrdude.exe is bundled in the executable jar

and will be unzipped at runtime in the system-default temp folder) and in Linux, no matter the distribution, if

the avrdude executable is in path (in Debian, install it with sudo apt-get install avrdude).

avrdude’s config is selected automatically by the Manager.

In the firmware update tab you can select the serial port of the target board, the board type (at the moment,

If you are new to the INDI protocol please read more in the INDI website and in Wikipedia.

In the “Plus edition configuration” tab you’ll be able to select the port for the INDI server (default 7625 to

allow other INDI clients like KStars to use 7624) and define the list of digital and PWM pins. You can click

“Add” to add a pin definition: adding a digital pin means adding an INDI

switch element

(a checkbox in the

INDI control panel of the client) that allows the user to switch the state of the pin ON and OFF; instead, after

creating a PWM pin, OpenFocuser will add an INDI

number element

to its driver that allows the end user to

write the pin value (0→100%) directly from the client INDI control panel. You’ll be asked about the pin port

(for example, pin 13). Note: you can add only the pins you have selected in the Arduino configuration before!Note: you can add only the pins you have selected in the Arduino configuration before!

Then you can click “Edit” to modify the pin’s properties: a custom name (e.g. “Dew heater”) and a default

value, applied when the driver starts. After defining all the pins, save the configuration and start the server

Start the Ekos’ INDI server and open the INDI control panel. Connect your devices, go to the “INDI Arduino

pin driver” tab and connect the driver. In the “Serial connection” tab select a serial port and hit connect. A

new tab called “Manage pins” will show up, in which you can mange the PWM and digital pins you selected

in the control panel. Copy the MoonLite port to the clipboard and paste it in the “Port” field in the MoonLite

driver tab. Select baud speed to 9600 and connect the MoonLite device. If everything is OK you’ll get the full

MoonLite control panel. Otherwise check if the OpenFocuser server is running, if the virtual port exists and if

the speed is 9600. Enjoy!

Advanced usage and troubleshootingAdvanced usage and troubleshooting

Sending configuration to another computerSending configuration to another computer

You can send the pin configuration and all the settings to another computer. Ensure OpenFocuser-Manager

Stand-alone CLI serverStand-alone CLI server

Use openfocuser -p=xxxx, replacing xxxx with whatever port you want (or 0 to use the saved port), to

start the server without GUI in the terminal. The configuration will be the same saved before in the control

INDI driver in another INDI serverINDI driver in another INDI server

The INDI driver can be run inside another INDI server executing openfocuser -d. No GUI will be loaded,

nor the server will be set up: the driver will communicate with your external server with stdin/out, just like

any other INDI driver.

ExitExit

initialized

OpenFocuser-Manager wasn’t able to create the folder where it’ll put the

.config/OpenFocuser-Manager folders exist and are directories

Unable to

parameters

Check the command line arguments

Invalid combination of command line arguments (for example, you can’t run the

driver and the control panel or the stand-alone server at the same time)

In the “Eagle” directory you can find the full circuit project, both schematics and PCB for the standard and

Plus editions. Feel free to modify it to accomplish your necessities: for example, you could add another dew

heater controller, or remove the Newton mirror cooler MOSFET.

Made with Eagle 9.2.2 PremiumMade with Eagle 9.2.2 Premium

Motor holdersMotor holders

I included the mounting brackets I made for the common SkyWatcher Dual-Speed Crayford focuser (I have a

200mm f/5 Newton OTA).

AutoCAD 2019AutoCAD 2019 project, STL and IGS exported files ready for 3D printing.

Focuser motor and driversFocuser motor and drivers