Scope II is a telescope control application written in Java. Scope II builds on the success and popularity of scope.exe, a DOS based stepper motor control application.
Scope II can run on many operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. While perhaps 85% of users run Windows, a significant and not to be overlooked number run Linux and Mac. Java enables the same code to be run on many platforms, a great plus. The disadvantage is that Windows users will need to install Java and edit the scope.bat file.
Scope II works in conjunction with Sidereal Technology servo motor controllers, and with controllers from JRKerr and RXDesignOnline. Scope II also supports a number of external encoder boxes. Communications is via serial or USB to serial converter. Scope II can control up to 4 motors.
See Sidereal Technology at
www.siderealtechnology.com
See RxDesignOnline at www.rxdesignonline.com
See JRKerr at www.jrkerr.com
Scope II works with many encoder controllers.
Scope II is a precision goto, tracking, guiding, command sequencer, analysis, and logging application.
Scope II comes with an extensive object library covering over 55,000 quality objects; many objects with corrected positions.
Scope II comes with 23 defined mounting types and 8 specific mounting characteristics.
Scope II includes limit motion windows which can be defined in both local site horizon and elevation values and in telescope coordinates.
Error correcting
includes:
backlash
refraction
unlimited number of
simultaneous periodic error corrections, which can be based on any
desired periods or gear ratios: includes auto-synchronization
capability with suitable hardware
drift corrections in equatorial
and altazimuth axes
guiding corrections, including rotation of
guide axes over time
the 3 mount axis errors
axis to axis
corrections, including altitude vs altitude, azimuth vs azimuth, and
altitude vs azimuth
pointing model corrections using weighted
corrective values
coordinate precession
coordinate
nutation
coordinate annual aberration.
Scope II contains a command sequencer that
accepts commands from:
the user interface
scroll files
a
local file where commands can be saved to
LX200 styled commands
from either serial (USB), UDP, or TCP sources
Scope II specific
commands from either serial (USB), UDP, or TCP sources
commands
from file interaction with Project Pluto Guide
ASCOM compatible
software (available soon).
Scope II is network aware and can be run across the LAN. Scope II is very much a middleware server application, accepting commands across the LAN, transmitting them to the controller via any one of the multiple channel options, analyzing the controller status, and returning the results across the LAN.
Scope II can write real-time status webpages.
Scope II can act as its own simulator.
Scope II can relay communications from one type of channel to another, ie, serial to TCP.
Scope II includes extensive analysis and logging.
There are nine styles of tracking, the default being proportional velocity tracking. Some involve trajectory matching formulae that I developed. See the test option 'track' for a complete listing.
Scope II includes 80 test functions to verify accuracy and fitness.
Scope II requirements:
1. Java runtime 1.5 installed; Windows: 2000 or XP (it will run on Win9x but it is not recommended); Linux/Mac: OS capable of handling Java 1.5. For more see http://java.sun.com/ .
2. RXTX
communications package. RXTX is included with the Scope II
distribution files. Originated by Trent Jarvi, RXTX is a versatile
serial communications package that runs on a variety of platforms,
including Windows 9*, NT*, WinCE, Solaris 2.x x86 and sparc,
Linux, FreeBSD 3.x 4.x, Mac OS X, HP-UX 10.x, SCO OpenServer 5.x,
UnixWare, Digital/UNIX. Since Scope II requires RXTX, the
ultimate limit is the number of platforms that RXTX will run on.
For more see http://rxtx.org/
.