alistairsam: Just what type and how big is this 'scope? Have you actually done any IR experiments? Vishay detected IR is usually able to be read well even when bouncing off the most trivial reflectors - hands,clothing,walls,windows etc, and output can be easily boosted by overdriving the IR LEDs briefly too. Stan. (who prefers to control telescops from PCs)
Hi Stan,
I have done some IR tests, and I guess it could work for the button control of the focusser motor and the RA drive motors.
but as the handheld remote has the LCD as well, it needs uninterrupted data from the encoder unit. so I'd have to go with RF for that, and I'll check specs on the xBee's to see if that'll work for low power short range links.
My scope is an 8" F6 Newtonian (120cm tube) on a home built fork mount, so the focuser can get into odd positions, but should still work with IR.
I'll try the 3 IR Detector trick as well and if I place it below the optical tube, it would cover most positions when I want the motors to rotate.
is it possible to use one IR transmitter (or a pair) to control two different IR receiver units based on which buttons are pressed? will do a search on this forum.
I think this approach would be the simplest and most reliable as I'd have only one RF link for the LCD data.
you mentioned some modules will need to be atleast a room away, is that even without antennae at the receiver and transmitter?
Although PC control of scopes does most of whats needed, I designed this mount from ground up to be autonomous, so I'll be replacing the LCD with a graphics LCD at the end so I can view pictures of objects on the handheld remote. it will eventually be a goto system where I choose the object from a list and it sends commands to the picaxes to drive the steppers. bit more to go for that though.