I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller. It does work under Windoze, so I'm confident that the basic idea is sound. But KStars does not find the scope. Can anybody provide insight or a link to info that might help me move ahead with this?
Chuck Sterling
Chuck_Sterling wrote:
I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller. It does work under Windoze, so I'm confident that the basic idea is sound. But KStars does not find the scope. Can anybody provide insight or a link to info that might help me move ahead with this?
Chuck Sterling
Forgot to mention I'm running FC2, pretty much up to date. One thing that might help is to be able to find out the name of the USB device I have it connected to. Is there a way to do that, then perhaps translate that info into a port name for the KStars program?
Chuck
On Sun, October 31, 2004 5:47, Chuck_Sterling said:
Chuck_Sterling wrote:
I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller.
It's been long since I used these converters under Linux. At the time (and I guess it's still the same today) only very few of these adapters were supported. You'll need kernel support (or a module) for the converter, so you should start by scanning the kernel docs or the kernel-config to see whether your converter is there. You may also want to check http://www.linux-usb.org/ whether anything is known about your particular converter.
Kernel documentation will then help you further in identifying the correct serial port device you'll have to configure in KStars.
Your last solution might be to purchase a converter being "officially supported".
HaJo
HaJo Schatz wrote:
On Sun, October 31, 2004 5:47, Chuck_Sterling said:
Chuck_Sterling wrote:
I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller.
It's been long since I used these converters under Linux. At the time (and I guess it's still the same today) only very few of these adapters were supported. You'll need kernel support (or a module) for the converter, so you should start by scanning the kernel docs or the kernel-config to see whether your converter is there. You may also want to check http://www.linux-usb.org/ whether anything is known about your particular converter.
Kernel documentation will then help you further in identifying the correct serial port device you'll have to configure in KStars.
Your last solution might be to purchase a converter being "officially supported".
HaJo
Jasem Mutlaq from KStars yesterday noticed my message and suggested that I check the permissions on the /dev/ttyUSB0 device, and of course that simple thing was something I overlooked. Once I gave my user account rw access, the scope was found and now responds. I did find confusing the fact that there appear to be two separate sets of these devices, one in /dev and the other in /dev/usb. If I can believe the disparate permissions they are two separate sets, but may be linked in some way I do not understand. IAC, the ones in /dev are the ones I specified in the setup.
I also found that the convenient USB hub on top of the PC cabinet, while it worked with the converter and scope under WinXP, did not work with them under FC2, although I routinely use it with Lexar Jumpdrives and the like. I moved the converter to a port on the main board, where it works as advertised.
Thanks for your feedback.
Chuck
Chuck_Sterling wrote:
I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller. It does work under Windoze, so I'm confident that the basic idea is sound. But KStars does not find the scope. Can anybody provide insight or a link to info that might help me move ahead with this?
Chuck Sterling
Why don't you use a serial port?
Robin Laing wrote:
Chuck_Sterling wrote:
I'm trying to get KStars to control my Meade telescope mount with #497 controller. The setup is a USB to serial converter to the scope controller. It does work under Windoze, so I'm confident that the basic idea is sound. But KStars does not find the scope. Can anybody provide insight or a link to info that might help me move ahead with this?
Chuck Sterling
Why don't you use a serial port?
It's hooked to the modem; prefer to let sleeping dogs lie...
Chuck
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Chuck Sterling -
HaJo Schatz -
Robin Laing