EQMOD Pre-requisites

PRE-REQUISITES

In order to use the EQMOD software with your mount you will need:

A PC running Windows
The ASCOM Platform installed
EQASCOM installed.
A compatible mount controller
A mount interface
Cabling

Included in the EQASCOM distributable is a telescope simulator that allows you to evaluate the EQMOD applications without needing a connection to a real mount. In order to use the EQMOD Simulator you only need:

A PC running Windows
The ASCOM Platform installed
EQASCOM installed.

Mount Types Supported:

Mount Type		RA Gear Teeth	RA Gear Ratio	Microsteps per RA Revolution	Microsteps per Worm Revolution	Resolution (arcsecs)	MicroSteps
Skywatcher / Orion
	EQ3-2 + Synscan Upgrade Kit	130	715:1	4576000	35200	0.283217	32
	NEQ3/HEQ3 Synscan	130	715:1	4576000	35200	0.283217	32
	SkyView Pro + Synscan Upgrade Kit	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	SkyView Pro EQ	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	EQ4 + Synscan Upgarde Kit (EQ5)	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	EQ5 + Synscan Upgrade Kit	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	EQ5 Synscan	144	705:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	HEQ5 + Synscan Upgrade Kit	135	705:1	9024000	66844.44	0.143617	64
	HEQ5 Syntrek	135	705:1	9024000	66844.44	0.143617	64
	HEQ5 Synscan (Orion Sirius)	135	705:1	9024000	66844.44	0.143617	64
	EQ6 +Synscan Upgrade Kit
	EQ6Pro Syntrek	180	705:1	9024000	50133.33	0.143617	64
	EQ6Pro Synscan (Orrion Atlas)	180	705:1	9024000	50133.33	0.143617	64
	NEQ6	180	705:1	9024000	50133.33	0.143617	64
	EQ6-R PRO	180	720:1	9216000	51200	0.140625	64
	AZ-EQ6GT (Orion Atla Pro AZ/EQ-G)	180	720:1	9216000	51200	0.140625	64
	AZ-EQ5GT (Orion Sirius Pro AZ/EQ-G) - see note below	135	405:1	5184000	38400	0.25	64
	EQ8 (Orion HDX110 EQ-G)	435	435:1	11136000	25600	0.116379	64
	EQM-35 Pro	180	360:1	4608000	25600	0.28125	64
	AzGTi - see note below	144		2073600	14400	0.0625
Avalon Instruments
	M-Uno Fast Reverse Single Fork Arm EQ	180	705:1	9024000	50133.33	0.143617	64
	Linear Fast Reverse EQ	180	705:1	9024000	50133.33	0.143617	64
Vixen
	Vixen GPDX fitted with Synscan Upgrade Kit (EQ5)	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32
	Vixen SP fitted with Sysncan Upgrade kit (EQ5)	144	704:1	4505600	31288.89	0.287642	32

Note: The Orion Atlas EQ-G is the same mount as the EQ6 Pro, the Orion Sirius EQ-G the same as the HEQ5. In different countries the branding/ designations of these mounts may vary slightly - If in any doubt please consult the EQMOD Yahoo group for advice.

For the AZ-EQ5GT mount:

You must set EQASCOM to use custom gear settings with the following parameters:

Total Steps: 5184000

Worm Steps: 38400
Tracking Offset:0

To use the internal USB port set the EQASCOM communications baud rate to 115200bps via the EQASCOM setup screen.

For the AZGTi mount:

You will need to download and install the skywatcher EQ mode firmware to your AZ-GTi
You must set EQASCOM to use custom gear settings with the following parameters:

Total Steps: 2073600

Worm Steps: 14400
Tracking Offset:0

Other Mount Types:
Mount types other than those listed above may be made suitable for EQASCOM support either by:

fitting a synscan upgrade kit to your mount.
building your own EQASCOM compatible mount controller (see the AstroEQ project by Tom Carpenter for an example of how this can be achieved).
modifiying the EQASCOM source to interface with your mount's goto controller.

Mount Interface:

EQMOD talks to the mount by issuing comands to a serial port is connected, by a special cable to the mount hand controller port. The PC may use an 'on-board' RS232 port, or a virtual port associated to a external USB serial adapter or Bluetooth interface.

Whilst the connector types used for your mount's handcontroller port may look like familiar 9-Way D RS232 or RJ45 Ethernet they are entirely proprietary in nature and standard "off the shelf" cables will not work and can damage the mount and/or the PC.

To interface the moun to the PC a specialist piece of hardware (EQDirect) is required to convert the output of the serial port to TTL levels on the appropriate connector pins.

V3 SynScan "PC Direct"	This handset feature was introduced with SynScan firmware release V3.21 and became stable by V3.25. It provides a communication path such that PC messages recieved by the synscan handcontroller are forwarded to the mount. Despite its inclusion PC-Direct mode remains an undocumented feature of the Synscan handcontroller and the EQMOD developers have no knowledge of how it works or of its limitations. We cannot therefore make any guarentees as to its operation with EQMOD which was designed only for direct connection to the mount. Whilst PC-Direct mode offers an ideal method for users to evaluate EQMOD control we would advise that for extended and/or unattended use one of the options below is adopted.
Self Build EQDIRECT	Mount interface units can be built yourself if you have basic soldering experience.
Commerical EQDIRECT	For those not confident in building their own, or who prefer the peace of mind of purhasing a ready made tested unit, RS232, USB and Bluetooth EQDIRECT units (often named EQDIRs) are offered by several vendors worldwide. Please double check with your vendors that the cable you are purhasing is specifically for astronomical use only and is suitable for your mount type.

Interface Type	Pros	Cons
EQDirect-USB	Standard Interface for PC/Laptops Easy to Self Build Shortest comms latency (16ms transaction time - may increase if using ethernet extenders)	5m max cable lenght without USB repeater/hub/active cable/ethernet extender. Potential for USB power/bandwidth issues if sharing with other USB devices - Powered USB hub recomended.
EQDirect-232	Long Cable Run shortest comms latency (16mS transaction time) Robust	PCs/Laptops may not provide inbuilt RS-232 port and so an additional USB/Serial adapter may be required. The EQMOD Yahoo group contains a list of USB to Serial convertors that are suitable for interfacing to RS232 type EQDIRECT interfaces.
EQDirect-BT	No wires!	Longer comms latency (50mS transaction time) Can be difficult to get windows drivers installed and working Can be un-reliable in electrically noisy environments
PC-Direct	EQDirect device not required - uses standard synscan handcontroller PE interface cable (firmware update cable).	Longer comms latency (32mS transaction time); Undocumented handset feature - EQASCOM has not been specifically designed to us this interface. Synscan firmware updates may affect operation.

Controller:

If you want to control the mount whilst at the eypiece, or when away from the PC a mount controller will be required. EQMOD allows numeric keypads, mice and game controllers to be used for this function. Also, by using third party software it can be possible to configure other devices, such as Wii controllers for this purpose (consult the EQMOD@groups.io for details on this). Generally most people find a wireless/wired gamepad an ideal mount controller.

Click here for more details on mount controller options.

Optional Extras:

Depending on your setup and individual requirements you may wish to consider:

GPS device with serial/USB interface. The EQMOD@groups.io contains a list of compatible devices.
Planetarium Software that supports the ASCOM telescope interface. Cartes du Ciel is highly recomended as a starting point.