THERE ARE SEVERAL GITHUB BRANCHES OF THE SMART HAND CONTROLLER:
- The RELEASE BRANCHES are well tested and what most should use. Usually the newest (highest revision) RELEASE is recommended. No new features are added and only bug fixes where necessary and safe.
- The BETA BRANCH, if present, is a "snap-shot" of the MAIN BRANCH where we have reached a point of apparent stability. This provides access to most new features for adventurous users.
- The MAIN BRANCH is the most up to date version; where new features are added. It is the least well tested branch and should only be user by experienced users willing to test for and report bugs.
The SHC adds the functionality of a "handbox/hand controller" to an OnStep telescope controller. This firmware is desgined to run on supported hardware, and communicates with OnStep over the ST4 guiding port. It can replace most of the functions provided by the OnStep2 Android App.
The SHC is almost entirely based on Charles Lemaire's excellent TeenAstro fork.
The SHC can:
- Set Site (Latitude/Longitude) and Time.
- Configure most options. Backlash, limits, etc.
- Center objects and operate focuser/rotator.
- Goto stars, Messier, and Herschel deep sky objects.
At present, there are two hardware designs:
a) Teensy3.2 microcontroller An inexpensive EasyEDA Teensy SHC 3.2 PCB is available. For those who choose a more complete DIY experience the EasyEDA schematic still can serve as wiring instructions for your perfboard project. :)
b) ESP32 microcontroller. This offers a lower cost, and easier to source alternative to the Teensy, with the same features. The microcontroller is faster than the Teensy 3.2, and has more flash memory.
See this Wiki page for more info.
A quick summary:
The main display is the RA and Dec that the telescope is currently pointing at. A small telescope icon with an H under it, means the telescope is in the Home position When the telescope is slewing, a double triangle with show. When it is tracking, a single triangle will show, as well as the pier side, and the tracking rate ('s' for sidereal).
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Press any of the N, S, W, E buttons to move the telescope
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Press the center button to wake up the screen
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Press it again to cycle through status displays (RA/Dec coordinates, Alt/Az, Local/Sideral Time)
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Quickly press the center button twice to get to the Speed menu
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Long press the center button for the menu
- Goto
- Sync
- Align
- Parking
- PEC
- Settings
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Select a menu by the Up or Down button, then Right to enter that menu
Questions and discussion should be on the mailing list (also accessible via the web) at the OnStep Group.
At present, the SHC contains the following catalogs:
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Stars: 408 stars up to magnitude 3.85. The list includes most Named Stars.
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Messier Objects: All 109 objects are included. The identity of M102 is uncertain and therefore not included. See more here and here
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Caldwell Objects: All 109 objects
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Herschel All objects are effectively included (398 out of 400 objects)
Two objects are 'missing', but they are actually included under a different number: NGC 2372 is the same object as 2371, which is already in the catalog NGC 6885 is the same object as 6882, which is already in the catalog
Ten other objects were replaced by what they are duplicates of, per the OpenNGC database. NGC 651 Duplicate of 650 NGC 2244 Duplicate of 2239 NGC 2527 Duplicate of 2520 NGC 3190 Duplicate of 3189 NGC 3384 Duplicate of 3371 NGC 3912 Duplicate of 3899 NGC 4665 Duplicate of 4624 NGC 5364 Duplicate of 5317 NGC 5907 Duplicate of 5906 NGC 7296 Duplicate of 7295
The SHC's catalogs incorporates data from various sources, with licenses that allow incorporation in a GPL-licensed project.
At present these are:
The data is extracted and formatted using custom Python scripts authored by Khalid Baheyeldin.
OnStep is open source free software, licensed under the GPL.
See LICENSE.txt file.
Charles Lemaire, Howard Dutton, and Khalid Baheyeldin