[APBeta] AstroPlanner V2.0b34 Notes

[Paul Rodman]

On Apr 19, 2009, at 07:11 AM, Bob wrote:

> I have been able to test b34 on an AutoStar mount (LX) and have no  
> trouble
> connecting AP using ASCOM and BlueTooth(Aircable). It also will direct
> connect using the built in drivers, no BT. AP will not establish a
> connection using built in drivers VIA BT.
> AP+ASCOM+ Wire=Good
> AP+ASCOM+ BT=Good
> AP+Built in LX+Wire=Good
> AP+Built in LX+ BT= no connection.
> I also noted that if the Aircable is active but not paired and AP  
> has the
> built in driver set to the com port that the powered up but not paired
> Aircable, AP start very slowly.

This is because I fire up a background thread to enumerate the serial  
ports when the app is started, in an attempt to avoid the major delays  
in startup in V1.x if a BT port is unpaired.

However, there's a gotcha. See below.

>  AP starts a little faster if the Aircable
> is powered off or the com port is set to another non-powered up BT  
> port. I
> have not been able to reproduce this one with regularity, only on  
> occasions.
> AP starts up quickly if the BT radio is turned off entirely.
> Another small and probably insignificant event is that, trying
> AP+BuiltinLX+BT, IF com Port is set to currently active Aircable, AP  
> cannot
> find scope and times out. Pop dialog.
> Else if,  AP+BuiltinLX com port is set to non active BT serial, the  
> data
> flow window acts like a partial connection is established.
> Data Flow reports:
> Connection
> Check Firmware Version..
> Get Version  #:GVN#              Timeout
> Check Communication.
> Get RA  #:GRA#
>
> Then AP just hags (not Responding) and windows pops the windows close
> program dialog.
> To replicate this after changing any telescope parameters (com  
> ports) in AP
> you must restart AP or result will be different.
>
> Also the "Properties" button on the ASCOM driver cannot be access  
> VIA AP.
> ASCOM reports: "Failed to load Driver: Invalid Object Use: Only one  
> program
> can use this Telescope".  No other astro programs running. I have to  
> start
> CDC or some other program to change any ASCOM parameters as a  
> workaround.

I don't do anything special for BT ports. In theory, they act just  
like a wired serial port (assuming they are set up correctly).  
However, if there is an unpaired BT port, the background thread might  
still be active when you attempt a connection. What I should be doing  
is disallowing any connections if that thread is still running. Help- 
 >Track Threads will show its status, but I should also show a little  
icon at the top right of the plan window.

I have an (older) AirCable BT thing (somewhere). I will attempt to get  
it up and running to test this stuff.

The ASCOM driver working and AP drivers not is a bit worrying. Perhaps  
your AirCable is set up with hardware handshaking, which AP doesn't  
use or know about, but perhaps ASCOM does. Do you have to set up  
anything special in ASCOM for a BT connection?

Paul R.

>
>
> I hope to test on the ArgoNavis and Servocat soon.
> Bob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: apbeta-bounces at lists.astroplanner.net
> [mailto:apbeta-bounces at lists.astroplanner.net] On Behalf Of Paul  
> Rodman
> Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 7:50 PM
> To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers
> Subject: [APBeta] AstroPlanner V2.0b34 Notes
>
>
>
> On Apr 15, 2009, at 04:43 PM, Paul Rodman wrote:
>
>> AstroPlanner V2.0b34 is now available for download from:
>>
>> <http://www.astroplanner.net/alphabeta/>
>
> Not mentioned in the release notes is the the fact that some serious
> work was done on the telescope control stuff. Hopefully it will behave
> a lot better now. Note that this is with the built-in telescope
> drivers, not ASCOM (which might well benefit from this release, or
> not) which was not tested.
>
> Also, for those of you that are suffering major slowdowns with the
> image database builder thread seemingly stuck in a loop, I have
> upgraded the Help->Thread Tracker to show more details about what a
> thread is currently doing. Please try the feature and report back to
> me on your findings.
>
> Development is becoming more difficult as I try and overcome various
> problems with threading. Having stuff happen (effectively) in parallel
> is fraught with challenges and bugs that are a bitch to track down.
> However, we're getting there. Slowly.
>
> Paul R.