more documentation; command line switch for debugging messages; improved response time when UART connected

Author: scriptorron

README.md

@@ -1,8 +1,24 @@
 # AutoSTAR_remote
-This is a GUI to remote control (using ASCOM) the Meade AutoSTAR #497 handheld.
+This is a GUI to remote control (using ASCOM or serial interface) the Meade AutoSTAR #497 handheld.
 
 ![screenshot](AutoSTAR_remote_V1.0.png)
 
 Press [SHIFT] when clicking on "ENTER", "MODE" or "GO TO" to generate a long key press.
 
+You can change the serial port parameters when connecting with UART. Default parameters for the MEADE AutoSTAR #497 are:
+- Speed: 9600 baud
+- 8 data bits
+- 1 stop bit
+- no parity
+- no flow control
+
+When connecting with the serial port you have the option to set the time and date of the AutoSTAR to the computer clock. This feature is not fully tested. Especially the daylight saving may be wrong. Please check the AutoSTAR settings if you see strange errors when doing GOTO to an object.
+
 The compiled binary just needs to be unpacked. No installation and no Python is needed. ASCOM driver https://bitbucket.org/cjdskunkworks/meadeautostar497 must be installed and off course you need to connect your #497 AutoSTAR with your computer.
+
+For running the Python source code you need the following packages:
+- PyQt5
+- pyserial
+- win32com when using ASCOM on Windows
+
+The Python source code runs also on Raspberry Pi (Astroberry). 

src/ASCOM.py

@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@
 
 class ASCOM:
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, showDebugMessages=False):
         self.Telescope = None
         self.Name = ""
+        #
+        self.showDebugMessages = showDebugMessages
+
+    def dbgMsg(self, msg):
+        if self.showDebugMessages:
+            print(f'DEBUG: {msg}')
 
     def open(self):
         self.close()
@@ -48,10 +54,11 @@ def close(self):
 
     def sendCommandBlind(self, cmd):
         if self.is_open():
+            self.dbgMsg(f'sendCommandBlind: {cmd}')
             try:
                 ret = self.Telescope.CommandBlind(cmd, False)
             except win32com.client.pywintypes.com_error as e:
-                print(f'sendCommandBlind: {e}')
+                print(f'ERROR in sendCommandBlind: {e}')
                 return None
             else:
                 return ret
@@ -88,6 +95,6 @@ def get_LCD(self):
                 # send the LCD contents before the ASCOM driver trows a timeout exception.
                 # Here we catch these timeout exceptions.
                 print(f'ERROR in get_LCD: {e}')
-            #print(f'sendCommandString response: {Response}')
+            self.dbgMsg(f'get_LCD response: ED --> {Response}')
             return Response[1:].translate(self.CharacterTranslationTable)
         return None

src/AutoSTAR_remote.py

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 theme_selection = "Dark"  # "Dark", "Light"
 LCD_polling_time = 1000  # milliseconds
-LCD_earlyUpdate_time = 200  # milliseconds
+LCD_earlyUpdate_time = 50  # milliseconds
 
 """
 By watching the RS232 communication of the AutoStart Suit telescope control I found the following commands: 
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
 """
 
 """
+How the ASCOM driver sets time and date:
+
 21:06:26.686 UTCDate                   Set - 11.22.22 20:06:26
 21:06:26.686 SendString                Transmitting #:GG#
 21:06:26.704 SendString                Received -01
@@ -73,8 +75,9 @@ class MainWin(QtWidgets.QMainWindow):
     AutoSTAR_remote main window.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, showDebugMessages=False):
         super(MainWin, self).__init__()
+        self.showDebugMessages = showDebugMessages
         self.ui = AutoSTAR_remote_ui.Ui_MainWindow()
         self.ui.setupUi(self)
         self.setWindowTitle(f'AutoSTAR_remote {version}')
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.Interface = None
         # persistent settings
         self.Settings = QtCore.QSettings()
-        print(f'QSettings file: {self.Settings.fileName()}')
+        self.dbgMsg(f'QSettings file: {self.Settings.fileName()}')
         # LCD polling timer
         self.PollingTimer = QtCore.QTimer()
         self.PollingTimer.setSingleShot(True)
@@ -127,6 +130,10 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.ui.pushButton_FocOut.pressed.connect(lambda: self.sendCommandBlind("F+"))
         self.ui.pushButton_FocOut.released.connect(lambda: self.sendCommandBlind("FQ"))
 
+    def dbgMsg(self, msg):
+        if self.showDebugMessages:
+            print(f'DEBUG: {msg}')
+
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
     def closeEvent(self, event):
         self.PollingTimer.stop()
@@ -151,7 +158,7 @@ def update_GuiOpenInterface(self):
 
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
     def on_actionconnect_ASCOM_triggered(self):
-        self.Interface = ASCOM.ASCOM()
+        self.Interface = ASCOM.ASCOM(showDebugMessages=self.showDebugMessages)
         self.Interface.open()
         if self.Interface.is_open():
             self.update_GuiOpenInterface()
@@ -162,10 +169,9 @@ def on_actionconnect_ASCOM_triggered(self):
     @QtCore.pyqtSlot()
     def on_actionconnect_UART_triggered(self):
         Parameter = {k: self.Settings.value(k) for k in self.Settings.allKeys()}
-        self.Interface = UART.UART(Parameter=Parameter)
+        self.Interface = UART.UART(Parameter=Parameter, showDebugMessages=self.showDebugMessages)
         self.Interface.open()
         if self.Interface.is_open():
-            print("DBG: UART is open")
             Parameter = self.Interface.get_Parameter()
             for k, v in Parameter.items():
                 self.Settings.setValue(k, v)
@@ -221,11 +227,10 @@ def updateLCD(self):
             Line1 = LcdText[0:16]
             Line2 = LcdText[16:]
             self.ui.plainTextEdit_LCD.setPlainText(f'{Line1}\n{Line2}')
-            # print(f'{Unknown}: >{Line1}< >{Line2}<')
             # print(", ".join([f'{ord(c):02X}' for c in LcdText]))
             # print(bytes(LcdText, 'utf-8'))
         else:
-            print('DBG: no response from get_LCD.')
+            self.dbgMsg('No response from get_LCD.')
         if self.ui.actionpoll.isChecked():
             if not self.PollingTimer.isActive():
                 self.PollingTimer.setInterval(LCD_polling_time)
@@ -247,6 +252,11 @@ def on_actionpoll_toggled(self, isChecked):
 
 # Start Qt event loop unless running in interactive mode.
 def main():
+    import argparse
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="remote control for MEADE AutoSTAR #497")
+    parser.add_argument("-d", "--debug", action="store_true",
+                        help="enable debug messages")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
     # build application
     App = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)
     App.setOrganizationName("GeierSoft")
@@ -284,7 +294,7 @@ def main():
     else:
         pass
     #
-    MainWindow = MainWin()
+    MainWindow = MainWin(showDebugMessages=args.debug)
     # MainWindow.resize(1400, 900)
     MainWindow.show()
     if (sys.flags.interactive != 1) or not hasattr(QtCore, 'PYQT_VERSION'):

src/UART.py

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 class UART(QtWidgets.QDialog):
 
-    def __init__(self, Parameter={}):
+    def __init__(self, Parameter={}, showDebugMessages=False):
         super().__init__()
         self.ui = UART_ui.Ui_Dialog()
         self.ui.setupUi(self)
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ def __init__(self, Parameter={}):
         # no port opened
         self.PortHandle = None
         self.Name = ""
+        #
+        self.showDebugMessages = showDebugMessages
+
+    def dbgMsg(self, msg):
+        if self.showDebugMessages:
+            print(f'DEBUG: {msg}')
 
     def get_Parameter(self):
         Parameter = {
@@ -117,20 +123,22 @@ def initializeCommunication(self):
             # Attempting manual bypass of prompts
             for i in range(10):
                 self.sendCommandBlind("EK9")
-                self.sendCommandString("ED")
+                self.get_LCD()
             # set date and time
             if self.ui.checkBox_SetTimeDate.isChecked():
                 # TODO: make this aware of the daylight saving setting of the controller!
                 now = datetime.datetime.now()
                 time = now.strftime("%H:%M:%S")
-                self.PortHandle.write(f'#:SL{time}#'.encode("ascii"))
+                cmd = f'#:SL{time}#'.encode("ascii")
+                self.PortHandle.write(cmd)
                 Response = self.PortHandle.read(size=1)
-                print(f'DBG: #:SL{time}# --> {Response}')
+                self.dbgMsg(f'{cmd} --> {Response}')
                 # MM/DD/YY
-                date = now.strftime("%m/%d/%y")
-                self.PortHandle.write(f'#:SC{date}#'.encode("ascii"))
-                Response = self.PortHandle.read(size=1)
-                print(f'DBG: #:SC{date}# --> {Response}')
+                date = now.strftime("%m.%d.%y")
+                cmd = f'#:SC{date}#'.encode("ascii")
+                self.PortHandle.write(cmd)
+                Response = self.PortHandle.read(size=66)
+                self.dbgMsg(f'{cmd} --> {Response}')
 
     def is_open(self):
         if self.PortHandle is not None:
@@ -148,6 +156,8 @@ def sendCommandBlind(self, cmd):
         if self.is_open():
             MeadeCmd = f'#:{cmd}#'.encode("ascii")
             self.PortHandle.write(MeadeCmd)
+            self.PortHandle.flush()
+            self.dbgMsg(f'sendCommandBlind: {MeadeCmd}')
 
     # The :ED# command sends the LCD contents, coded with the char table of the SED1233 LCD controller.
     # For any reason the COM interface or the win32com transforms this into unicode. Unfortunately the
@@ -174,10 +184,10 @@ def sendCommandBlind(self, cmd):
     def get_LCD(self):
         if self.is_open():
             MeadeCmd = b'#:ED#'
-            #print(f'sendCommandString command: {MeadeCmd}')
             self.PortHandle.write(MeadeCmd)
+            self.PortHandle.flush()
             Response = self.PortHandle.read_until(b"#")
-            print(f'DBG: get_LCD response: {Response}')
+            self.dbgMsg(f'get_LCD response: {MeadeCmd} --> {Response}')
             Response = Response[1:].rstrip(b"#")
             Response = Response.decode("latin-1")
             return Response.translate(self.CharacterTranslationTable)