Telescope Control:Main

Telescope or astronomy devices control

There are nearly as many different astronomical set-ups as astronomers. Lots of devices are required in a set-up, and many of each type exist. Many are not supported by free software. A hardware compatibility list is being done here.

Acquisition software generally have to handle high-end cameras, DLSR and focusers. Autoguiding software generally have to handle low-end cameras and telescope motorisations, possibly focusers too. They make very different tasks and address a large range of devices.

Multiple functionality software

See Ekos, GoQat and Audela.

Telescope control: Autoguiding

See OpenPHD Guiding, GoQat, Ekos for KStars which is using lin_guider's code. Qastrocam-g2 also has a guiding capability. What else?

Telescope control: GoTo

GoTo functionality is generally managed by cartography software.

Image acquisition

The others has a list of software supporting each camera. Examples are GoQat for QSI cameras and Gphoto2 for DSLR.

INDI-compatible cameras can be used with Ekos.

cccd is a simple astronomical CCD controller. It supports TSNK-lab ICX285AL cameras, QHY5, QHY6, QHY9, QHY8L, DSI2PRO, DSLR.

Qastrocam-g2: capture and simple guiding software for astronomy, using V4L2 acquisition. It also supports QHY5 and QHY6 cameras in release 4.9.

XmCCD is a camera capturing tool for Apogee Alta and SBIG cameras, supporting their filter wheel, compatible with INDI. It displays captured images in DS9.

Other devices

Filter wheels, focusers, domes and so on. The Hardware compatibility list lists the software supporting each devices. Multiple functionality software could handle them too.

Standardization initiatives and remote telescopes systems

Some projects do not focus only on one particular device or even type of device, and provide abstraction layers or even try to standardize the way astronomical programs communicate with each other and with devices. An example of such an abstraction layer would be the Ascom Initiative on Windows platforms.

INDI is such a project for all kinds of devices. It is getting very popular and many devices already have INDI support. Before developing INDI, the author, Elwood C. Downey of ClearSky Institute, developed Talon, another free software for automated observatories, which is still used in several observatories around the planet.

Another software for autonomous observatories, the Remote Telescope System (RTS2), also developed an abstract device layer, enabling control of all possible combinations of mounts, CCDs, photometers, roof and cupola controllers. It is also used in several observatories around the planet.

Unicap is a way to access imagery devices, it doesn't seem to be used by many or actively developed anymore.