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The following troubleshooting guides are
currently available:
CPS (computerized pointing system)
Communications
Configuration
If you are experiencing difficulty in establishing a link with
the BBox, or one of its compatibles
(hereafter referred to as "BBox") you should follow
this troubleshooting guide for possible solutions. While many
users suspect the BBox or cable, it is rare for either of these
(especially the BBox) to be faulty.
CONNECTION Ensure that the RJ11-to-DB9 adaptor (the
part on the cable which connects to your computer’s serial
port) is the correct one. Two such adaptors may have been
included with this cable — one for the LX200-series, the
other for the BBox and compatible devices. If these adaptors are
not labeled, please contact Software Bisque for help in
identifying the correct adaptor. If you are unsure which is the
correct adaptor, you may try both.
SETUP Verify that the interface COM Port setting under
TheSky is correct. See Troubleshooting COM
Port Conflicts for help.
TEST Check the BBox independently of TheSky.
Here’s how:
Windows 95, Windows 98, NT 4.0, or
Windows 2000, Windows Me
- Launch the HyperTerminal
application. If you do not know how to launch HyperTerminal, consult
the Help file of your operating system for instructions on starting and
using this application (click Start > Help, enter HyperTerminal
into the Search and then click Search).
- In the Connection Description dialog box,
enter the text "Test" (without the quotes) in the Enter a
Name and Choose an Icon for the Connection text box and then click OK.
- In the Connect To dialog box, set the Connect Using
option to the COM
port that the BBox is attached to and then click OK.
- In the COM Properties dialog box, set Bits Per Second
to 9600, Data Bits to 8, Parity to
None, Stop Bits to 1, and Flow Control
to None and then click OK.
- Turn the BBox on. You should see V2.00
(or
similar) on the HyperTerminal window.
Type an uppercase letter
Q (shift key+q). If the BBox, cables and COM port are functioning properly,
two five-digit numbers in the format "-00130 +00778"
(without the quotes) will be displayed in the HyperTerminal window.
If two five digit numbers are not displayed, then there is a problem with the computer, cable, or BBox.
If HyperTerminal does not receive
a response from the BBox, TheSky will not be able to communicate with the BBox
either. Communication with the BBox must be bi-directional (send and
receive). BBoxes almost never fail. A bad cable or COM port conflict
usually prohibits bi-directional communication with the BBox.
Each of your serial ports has a different COM port assignment,
most commonly between 1 and 4. If possible, test another serial
device on this same COM port to confirm that the port is working
properly. If you believe the port to be non-functioning, check
the IRQ and base address settings. Here’s how:
Windows 3.1x or Windows NT 3.5x
- From Windows’ Program Manager, select the
Main program group.
- Run Control Panel.
- Choose Ports.
- Click on the COM port you have the BBox
attached to.
- Select Settings, then Advanced.
- Make a note of the current Base Address and IRQ
settings.
- If necessary, correct these values. If you don’t
know what they should be, consult your computer
manual or a computer technician. A common problem is
two COM ports conflicting with each other.
Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
- Choose Start / Settings / Control Panel.
- Open (double-click) the Ports Icon.
- Click on the Port you have the BBox attached
to.
- Select Settings, then Advanced.
- Make a note of the current Base I/O Port Address
and Interrupt Request Line settings.
- If necessary, correct these values. If you don’t
know what they should be, consult your computer
manual or a computer technician. A common problem is
two COM ports conflicting with each other.
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If you are experiencing difficulty in establishing a link with
the Celestron Compustar, you should follow this troubleshooting
guide for possible solutions.
CONNECTION Ensure that the serial cable is wired
correctly, and connected to the correct ports. The left-most
9-pin connector on the Compustar is used for serial
communications. Attempting to use any of the other connectors for
this purpose could result in damage to the Compustar and the
personal computer. The pinout for a Compustar serial cable is as
follows:*
| Compustar |
PC w/9-pin |
PC w/25-pin |
| DB9P (male) |
DB9S (female) |
DB25S (female) |
| 2 (TX) |
2 (RX) |
3 (RX) |
| 3 (RX) |
3 (TX) |
2 (TX) |
| 7 (GND) |
5 (GND) |
7 (GND) |
*The user accepts full responsibility for the
suitability of any cable assembled from this pinout information.
An assembled and tested cable may be purchased from Software
Bisque in standard, or custom lengths.
SETUP Verify that the interface COM Port setting under
TheSky is correct. See Troubleshooting COM
Port Conflicts for help.
OPERATION The following criteria must be met
for proper operation:
- Be sure that you are running the latest
version of TheSky.
- The Compustar must be properly aligned and have all its
input data set properly (date, time, time zone, latitude
and longitude).
- You must set the epoch in the Compustar to the current
year. This is done by pressing "SET",
"EPOCH", keying in the current year (e.g.
"1997"), then pressing "ENTER."
- You must have successfully issued the Compustar a
"BEGIN" command, and it should be capable of
slewing to objects on its own.
- The Compustar must be in the "Ready" mode in
order for TheSky to be able to communicate with it. This
is indicated by the word "Ready" being lit on
the Compustar control panel.
- Because the Compustar cannot communicate during a slew
(outside communication during a slew may actually crash
the control firmware), TheSky is not able to
automatically update the telescope position indicator.
For this reason, it is necessary to use TheSky's Telescope->Update Position
command whenever an indication of the Compustar's current
position is desired. Be sure that the telescope is not in
the process of slewing at the time you select this
command, or you may crash the firmware, requiring a reset
of the Compustar.
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