Network Interface
I have always disliked multiple cables and connections between the mount/scope and the computer. I made special cables to attempt to improve the situation, but they became increasingly large in diameter as additional controls were added, and difficult to handle and move in the field. In addition, I was always running out of serial ports on my computer - and what about those cable length problems with USB and Parallel cables? Problem solved with two pieces of equipment:
1) SBIG sells a E2P Parallel to Ethernet adapter that allows the camera to be operated over a Ethernet connection. I'm using two of these now to connect my camera and my guider. They claim that the overhead associated with this adapter increases the download time of the camera by 1.3, but I haven't seen the increase. Download times for an unbinned image on my ST-8E camera run about 70 seconds (maybe a 10% increase). If you have a USB camera, there is a device made by Digi (see #2 below) called "AnywhereUSB", that uses USB over IP technology that will let you do the same thing for about $225 or less (although I understand that it does not persently support webcam operations).
2) Digi sells a 16 port "PortServer" (available used on Ebay for around $100) that allows you to control up to 16 serial devices over a single Ethernet connection.
So
there you have it, add a switch to the mix and build a small box to house the
equipment near the mount, and you can connect and control them all over a single
Cat 5 cable. If you think a single Cat 5 cable is too much - I'd have to
agree. I have recently replaced the switch with an 802.11 wireless router
- and now I run no wires at all. I am free to move about, and be with the
family (where ever they are), yet be in complete control of the imaging process up to a couple hundred feet away.
I made a station box (the top two shelves in the left hand photo above) that sits on a battery/inverter (the power source in the field) or on a separate stand that supports my power supplies when I operate at home (the lower section of the stand shown in the right photo above). The photo to the right shows the two parallel connections (camera and guider) to the two SBIG E2P's.
What all does it control? Just the essentials.......
CCD Camera - ST-8E
CCD Guider - ST-237
Robofocus
RS-232 Connection #1 to the AP 900 Mount
RS-232 Connection #2 to the AP 900 Mount
