Autostar by Meade Instruments Corporation

This page describes how to physically connect the Autostar telescope to your personal computer and how to setup TheSky6 to control the Autostar.

Autostar Telescope

Copyright © Meade Instruments Corporation

Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements

Setup

Initialization

Troubleshooting

Minimum Requirements

Software

• TheSky6 Serious Astronomer or Professional Edition.

Hardware

• Autostar-compatible telescope.

• Autostar telescope interface cable

• One free serial port on your computer. If your computer only has USB, you'll need a USB to serial adaptor.

Setup

Autostar (not Autostar II)  Connection Notes

• You must use the Autostar hand paddle (pictured above) to control telescope with external software. The hand paddle pictured below is not the Autostar hand paddle, does not have an RS232 serial port at its base and therefore cannot be used with TheSky. 

  

   

• The telescope interface cable is plugged into the Autostar hand paddle.  Do not plug it into the AUX port on the base of the unit!

• Make sure that the sticker on the gray 9-pin adaptor reads LX200/Autostar.

• The Autostar must be completely initialized and read to operate stand-alone before TheSky can control it. Read the Autostar documentation for details about initializing this device. See Autostar Initialization for further details.

Autostar II Connection Notes

• The telescope interface cable must be plugged into one of the RS232 ports on the base of the telescope.

Autostar Initialization

Step-By-Step Procedure for Linking TheSky for Windows to the Autostar

1. Connect the telescope interface cable to the Autostar keypad and to the COM port of the computer (see photograph above).

2. Turn on the Autostar. Note the firmware version that is displayed on the hand paddle next to the Meade text. Next carefully read the warning message displayed on the hand paddle related to never pointing a telescope at the Sun.

3. Verify that the Autostar's Daylight Saving Time option is correct for your location.  This setting cannot be initialized through software, so it must be set manually using the hand paddle.

4. Perform a "mock" Autostar alignment so that the Autostar beings tracking. This is done by selecting the Select Item | Setup | Align | One Star command on the Autostar hand paddle. Put the telescope in the home position and then select any Autostar alignment star. Once the telescope begins slewing to the alignment star, press any of the direction control "slew" buttons on the hand paddle to abort the slew. The telescope should now being tracking (the device should be making an audible noise) even though it is not yet aligned. The Autostar hand paddle will now begin computing and updating the Local Sidereal Time internally.

5. From TheSky, click Telescope | Setup. Select Autostar by Meade Instruments Corp. from the Control System list and then click Settings. Select the correct COM port on the Settings dialog box and then click OK.  TheSky's Link Wizard will attempt to locate the Autostar by searching all available serial ports, but it's best to select the correct port now.

6. Click Close on the Telescope Setup dialog box.

7. Click Telescope | Link | Establish to begin the Autostar Link Wizard.

Autostar Link Wizard

1. Step 1 Sun Warning. Carefully read the warning message and click the "I have read the above warning. I fully understand and accept any and all consequences related to pointing a telescope at the Sun" option.  Click Next.

2. Step 2 Compatibility. Verify that TheSky is compatible with your Autostar firmware from step 2. If TheSky is not compatible, download the latest firmware from Meade's web page before continuing.

3. Step 3: Telescope Training. You must train the Autostar before TheSky can control it. Read and following the Autostar instruction manual for details about training this device.  Once the Autostar is trained, click Yes and then click Next. The Autostar normally needs to be trained once, and this information is stored in the Autostar hand paddle.

4. Step 4 Establishing a Link.  The Link Wizard will now attempt to establish communications with the Autostar.  Verify that the telescope is turned on, tracking is on (the Autostar is making a low, audible noise) and that the hand paddle's menu reads Setup or other high-level command.  The hand paddle should not be in any mode that is requesting input (such as the date, time, time zone, longitude, or latitude input modes). Click Next.

5. The Link Wizard attempts to establish communication with the Autostar. TheSky sends the Autostar a "get right ascension command" (#:GR#), then listens for a response. If TheSky receives the correct response from the Autostar, the message "Success" will appear. Click Next.

6. Step 5 Link Established. This step confirms that TheSky can successfully send and receive commands from the Autostar.  However, before TheSky can successfully control the Autostar (slew the telescope to stars, etc.), the Autostar must be properly aligned and initialized using the Autostar hand paddle's Align command. Click Next.

7. Step 6 Setting the Autostar's Date, Time, Time Zone, Longitude and Latitude. In order for TheSky to control the Autostar, the Autostar's site information must match TheSky's. Specifically, TheSky's Local Sidereal Time (LST) must match the Autostar hand paddle's internal LST. To make them match, first, click the button to set the Autostar's date, time, time zone, longitude and latitude using the values specified in TheSky's Data | Site Information dialog box. Note: the Autostar's Daylight Saving Time option cannot be configured through software and must be set manually using the hand paddle (Press Select Item | Setup | Daylight Savings option). Click Next.

8. Step 7 Autostar Alignment. This is one of the most critical steps in the Autostar alignment process. The Autostar must now be aligned using the hand paddle's alignment procedure. If the Autostar is not aligned now, the Autostar's LST will not match TheSky's and the link will fail.  Completely align the Autostar now by following the two star alignment procedure described on the hand paddle's Select Item | Setup | Align | Two Star command. After the Autostar hand paddle alignment procedure has been completed click Yes and then click Next.

9. Step 8 Finished. TheSky can now successfully control the Autostar.  Click Close.  The Virtual Sky will show the telescope cross hair indicating the location of the telescope. 

Troubleshooting the Autostar Connection

If Step 4 of the Autostar Link Wizard fails to establish communication with the Autostar, verify the following.  

• The Autostar is turned on.

• The Autostar hand paddle is plugged into the Autostar base panel.

• The telescope cable is wired correctly for bi-directional communications.

• The telescope cable is plugged into the correct COM port.

• The telescope cable is plugged into the RS232 port on the Autostar hand paddle.

• The telescope cable is not plugged into a modem port on the computer.

• There are no interrupt conflicts with the selected COM port.

• The COM port is functional.

• The telescope interface cable (sold by Software Bisque) is connected with the gray DB9 connector labeled "LX200/Autostar" and not the connector labeled "SGT-MAX/BBox."

• The Autostar by Meade Instruments Corp. option is selected on the Control System list under Telescope | Setup.

• The selected COM port is correct (click Telescope | Setup | Settings).

• Read "Troubleshooting" section on page 179 of TheSky's manual, specifically the "Cannot Connect to the LX200" section.  Following the instructions outlined in this section, use a terminal application to send the Autostar's #:GR# command, instead of the LX200's :GR# command (note extra "#" character). The device must respond with a string that shows the telescope's current right ascension.  If the device does not respond, there is a problem with either the cable connection or the COM port of the computer.

• Check the version of the Autostar's ROM with the version listed in Step 2: Compatibility of the Autostar Link Wizard.  You may need to update your Autostar's internal ROM so that TheSky can communicate with the device.  Visit Meade's web site for details about upgrading the Autostar's ROM.

If Step 7 of the Autostar Link Wizard reports that TheSky's Local Sidereal Time (LST) is significantly different than the Autostar's LST, double-check TheSky's and the Autostar's date, time, time zone, and Daylight Saving Time setting to verify that they are identical.

Link Failure Due to Different Local Sidereal Time Work Around

Software Bisque has had reports from users that the Autostar (update 25Ea, the latest at the time of this writing) reports inconsistent LST values when using the hand paddle to display LST versus issuing the #GS:# (the get Local Sidereal Time command) from a terminal application (such as HyperTerminal). This may be a bug, and will prevent TheSky from successfully establishing a link with the Autostar. Be sure to record the difference between the LST reported by TheSky in Step 7 and the LST reported by the Autostar. If the difference is more than one hour, then verify the date, time, time zone, and Daylight Saving settings. If the difference is less than on hour, continue reading.

TheSky, by default, allows a maximum 10 minute difference between the Autostar's computed LST and its own LST. Although not recommended, there is a way to permit TheSky to allow a larger time difference by adding an appropriate setting to the Windows Registry.

Note: Only advanced computer users should attempt modifications to the Windows Registry. Unwanted modifications to the Windows Registry settings can cause serious operating system malfunctions. Software Bisque is not responsible for Registry setting modification errors.

Adding the "MaxSiderealDiffSec" Setting to the Windows Registry

1. If TheSky is running, click File | Exit.

2. Click Start | Run.

3. In the Open text box, enter "Regedit" and then click OK.

4. Open the Registry's HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Software Bisque\TheSky folder.

5. If not present, create a new key named "AUTOSTAR" by highlighting TheSky folder and clicking Edit | New | Key and then typing "AUTOSTAR" (no quotes) followed by pressing Enter.

6. Highlight the AUTOSTAR key, then click Edit | New | DWORD Value and then enter the text "MaxSiderealDiffSec" into the text box, followed by pressing Enter.

7. Highlight the "MaxSiderealDiffSec" value, click Edit | Modify, and then enter a value a new maximum allowable time difference between the Autostar and TheSky and then press Enter. For example, to allow a 30 minutes difference, enter 1800 seconds.

8. Click Registry | Close.

TheSky will now permit the specified time difference when establishing connection to the Autostar.