Astronomy Ideas
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Posts: 46,084
I am currently building a 13.1 newtonian reflector. I decided I want
to put a drive system on it and I was thinking maybe the stamp BS2IC.
Problems have risen that i am trying to figure out and I was hoping
to get input from you nice people.
The main problem I have is trying to locate right acension and
declination. The earth turns one a day, the earth goes around the sun
in 364.256 days. can the stamp do math like this? I need this to
calculate the positions of the stars so that the stamp will know
where to put the telescope given any coordinate point. basically I
have to create a moving time based map that is moving, and the stamp
needs to know where these points are on the map and move a telescope
to each and every point when requested.
Any suggestions would be sicerely appreciated. Robert Jones
to put a drive system on it and I was thinking maybe the stamp BS2IC.
Problems have risen that i am trying to figure out and I was hoping
to get input from you nice people.
The main problem I have is trying to locate right acension and
declination. The earth turns one a day, the earth goes around the sun
in 364.256 days. can the stamp do math like this? I need this to
calculate the positions of the stars so that the stamp will know
where to put the telescope given any coordinate point. basically I
have to create a moving time based map that is moving, and the stamp
needs to know where these points are on the map and move a telescope
to each and every point when requested.
Any suggestions would be sicerely appreciated. Robert Jones
Comments
have modest but rich experience witht he stamp.
The problem with BS2 is that it doesn't have floating point
processing. This makes dealing with decimals and negatinve numbers,
which is very important in astronomical calculation next to impossible
to achieve the accuracy required. The second problem with stamp is
the memory. With the Stamp's limited EEROM, you will not be able to
store a sufficient data base for even Mag 1 stars!
Here is what I suggest;
Get a laptop and do all your ephemiral calculation on it. You may
even be able to use one of the off the shelf programs such as Sky IV
to do that for you. Get the laptop to talk to the BS2 via RS232 via
VB 5 or other programs, which is reliable and fast. Then the stamp
will control the position of the DEC motor, and activate a slewing
motor to lock on a certain RA-Dec position, and then trun a clock
motore for tracking.
The stamp is great for interfacing to hardware such as motors, relays,
lights etc. But it is not a computer.
e-mail me at alnajjar@s... if you have other questions.
Al
--- In basicstamps@y..., R_JONES22@y... wrote:
> I am currently building a 13.1 newtonian reflector. I decided I want
> to put a drive system on it and I was thinking maybe the stamp
BS2IC.
> Problems have risen that i am trying to figure out and I was hoping
> to get input from you nice people.
>
> The main problem I have is trying to locate right acension and
> declination. The earth turns one a day, the earth goes around the
sun
> in 364.256 days. can the stamp do math like this? I need this to
> calculate the positions of the stars so that the stamp will know
> where to put the telescope given any coordinate point. basically I
> have to create a moving time based map that is moving, and the stamp
> needs to know where these points are on the map and move a telescope
> to each and every point when requested.
> Any suggestions would be sicerely appreciated. Robert Jones
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~mbartels/altaz/altaz.html
to computerize your scope.
Richard
I too, am working on a telescope drive using the Basic Stamp 2. I thought that
I would start with a simple single axis drive controller. I have decided to use
a National Semiconductor LM629 Precision Motion Controller to generate the DC
PWM. I made the decision to use the LM629 using my experience with the Basic
Stamp generated PWM and Motor Mind B module. Neither could provide the features
and accuracy I sought. The work with the LM629 is still in the beginning
stages. My problems are with the programming of the LM629. I have searched for
help with the LM629 and Basic Stamp on this BBS without success. I hope you can
share your ideas with me.
If I get the drive working, I plan to move on to the star chart. The LM629 has
a "home" command where the device recognizes a zero point. Using the home
command and a table look-up, I think the combination of the LM629 and Basic
Stamp will meet your requirements. The relative positions of deep sky objects
from "home" remain constants, therefore, recalculation is unnecessary.
Please keep me informed of your progress.
Best regards,
Graham
telescope. Write a program for the PPC that "Hooks" to the AZ. and
ALT. output from Pocket Universe 2000 at
http://stellarm.hostme.com/Software/pu2000.htm
I'd like to use my PPC to get a dump from my BS2 circuit. I need the cable that goes from PPC to the BS2 circuit. Where would one get such cables. I will also need to tweak the BS2 end of the cable to make this work I presume.
Please advise
thanks
nagi
Original Message
From: tunatunup2000@yahoo.com [noparse]/noparse][url=mailto:tunatunup2000@yahoo.com]mailto:tunatunup2000@yahoo.com[/url
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 1:46 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: Astronomy Ideas
Use a PocketPC to control the stamp, which in turn would control the
telescope. Write a program for the PPC that "Hooks" to the AZ. and
ALT. output from Pocket Universe 2000 at
http://stellarm.hostme.com/Software/pu2000.htm
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Stamp and vice versa, the input pin from the PPC is connected to the
output pin of the stamp. You cannot simply use a 9-pin male to male
connector for this. You need to build a special "Cross over" type
connector from the BS2 cable to the PPC cable. Don't forget to ground
the two together and connecting a 470k resister on the ground line
maybe a good idea but I just learned electronics in January and may
be wrong about that.
Would you know of a place where I can buy a cable for this app?
thanks
nagi
Original Message
From: tunatunup2000@yahoo.com [noparse]/noparse][url=mailto:tunatunup2000@yahoo.com]mailto:tunatunup2000@yahoo.com[/url
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 2:13 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: Astronomy Ideas
You just connect the output pin from the PPC to the input pin of the
Stamp and vice versa, the input pin from the PPC is connected to the
output pin of the stamp. You cannot simply use a 9-pin male to male
connector for this. You need to build a special "Cross over" type
connector from the BS2 cable to the PPC cable. Don't forget to ground
the two together and connecting a 470k resister on the ground line
maybe a good idea but I just learned electronics in January and may
be wrong about that.
·
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/