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@NameOfTheDragon NameOfTheDragon released this 13 Feb 17:26
4.0.0
15e4c9f

Important - Must Read

This major version release is a breaking change from earlier releases.

This is primarily because the bundled firmware, also a major version update, has protocol changes that may break backward compatibility.
Over time we expect applications to update to support the new firmware version.
We believe that NINA and INDI have already done this and of course this release brings the ASCOM driver into line.
This ASCOM driver was tested with firmware V4.0.0 and they are released as a matched pair.
The firmware images are installed along with the driver and they must be used to re-flash the NexDome hardware using the built-in firmware updater.

NOTE: Firmware 4.0.0 is a breaking change and will cause all firmware settings to revert to factory defaults.

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 (Windows 7/8 may work but is not supported and has not been tested)
  • .NET Framework 4.8 (this should be automatically installed if necessary)
  • ASCOM Platform 4.6 Service Pack 1 (should be installed automatically if necessary)
  • NexDome Firmware 4.0.0. Once the driver installation is complete, the firmware will be available in the firmware update screen incorporated into the driver setup dialog.

Diagnostic Logging

This software gathers diagnostic data and posts it to our logging service in the cloud, where we may further analyse problems and perform statistical analysis.

By default, the log data posted contains your machine name and Windows login name (so we can correlate errors to specific installations). By downloading and installing this software, you are consenting to our use of that information for diagnostic purposes only. Log data is kept for up to 90 days and then permanently deleted and will not be shared outside of Tigra Astronomy. This feature is enabled by default and is considered mandatory in pre-release builds as a condition of early access.

For a full description of the diagnostic logging, including instructions on how to configure or disable it, please refer to the wiki page at https://github.com/nexdome/ASCOM/wiki/Logging-and-Privacy

New Features

The main changes in this release are:

  • Includes Firmware 4.0.0
    • Adds low battery detection logic
    • Adds commands for configuring low battery detection
    • Adds notifications about the low battery status
    • Adds the ability to autonomously auto-close the shutter when low battery is detected.
    • Please see the FAQ for information on upgrading the firmware, and details of the firmware protocol.
  • Modified the rotator firmware to maintain holding torque after motion stops. This is to avoid gradual loss of pointing accuracy over time (nexdome/Firmware#35). Thanks to Christopher Duffey @cduffey for helping to develop and test this fix.
  • Used a more sensible default of approximately 0.5 degrees for dead-zone..
  • ASCOM Driver
    • Setup screen updated to include controls to configure the auto-close feature
    • Improved status display with 'battery low' annunciator
    • Introduced a new logging engine that allows us to collect detailed log data directly into a cloud server. This is controlled via the NLog.config file.
  • Incorporates Sync-to-Azimuth support (PR #32 contributed by @ghilios)

Installation

  1. Download and run the installer as usual. This will overwrite the previous version.
  2. Upgrade both rotator and shutter units to the alpha firmware build included with this release. The previous firmware version is also included in case you need to roll back.

Note on Updating the Firmware

We have had several instances where the shutter firmware has been installed on the rotator and then the user has contacted us to report that "nothing works". Please remember that both units must be upgraded seperately, using a USB cable connected directly to the unit with the appropriate firmware image. The shutter firmware cannot be updated via the rotator, you must plug in a separate USB cable to update the firmware. You can remove the cable once the update has completed.

We suggest only connecting one unit at a time, so that there is no confusion about which serial port should be used. Suggested sequence:

  1. Open the firmware update screen
  2. Select the Rotator firmware image and the COM port that corresponds to the rotator.
  3. Perform the firmware upgrade.
  4. Power off the rotator and disconnect the USB cable.
  5. Quit out of the firmware update screen completely.
  6. Attach a USB cable to the shutter controller and power it on if not already on.
  7. Open the firmware update screen
  8. Select the shutter firmware image and the COM port associated with the shutter.
  9. Perform the firmware update.
  10. Remove the USB cable and power off the shutter.
  11. Reconnect the USB cable to the rotator and power it on.
  12. Wait about 30 seconds and power on the shutter.

After a minute or two, the system should be fully functional.

Note: don't be alarmed if you see the firmware updater using different COM ports than the ones you selected - this is a normal (if slightly odd) Arduino behavior.

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