As "EQMOD" is currently structured it has three component parts to it.
1. Mount control algorithms & user interface 2. An application interface to talk in a "standard" way to planetarium/guiding/capture/observatory management applications etc. 3. A communications driver to send/receive commands to the mount itself. Based upon this structure we have developed "EQASCOM" which provides: 1. Mount control algorithms & user interface 2. An ASCOM application interface 3. A Synta EQ mount specific communications driver THE ONLY CURRENTLY SUPPORTED MOUNT TYPE IS THEREFORE SYNTA EQ Developers are invited write additional low level communications drivers and/or application interfaces to allow our mount control algorithms to interface with a wider range of mount types and software. To encourage new developments the software is open source (only the Synta EQ communications dll is not) and dll interfaces are published. As a further incentive there is nothing to prevent independent development and sale of alternate mount communication dlls or indeed from the modification/redistribution of the EQMOD software itself. Of course we would encourage the development free and open software in keeping with the community spirit and willingness to help others that is so characteristic of astronomy in general. |