Lx200 Command Set; Command Set Formats; General Telescope Information - Meade LX200 Instruction Manual

PC keyboard, this will move the LX200 North, South, East, or
West respectively. Press the space bar on the PC keyboard to
stop. Press X to exit the program.
If the LX200 does not respond to the N, S, E, or W keys, be
sure the CAPSLOCK is OFF. If it still does not work, check the
PC serial port pinouts of your computer to be sure they are
wired correctly to the LX200 6-line connector.
With a successful check-out of the PC link with the LX200 using
LX200 TEST, you are now ready to write your own software
program using the LX200 Command Set, or to use the sample
program called "DEMO" that is written in Quick Basic software
language.

3. LX200 Command Set

Intended for professional programmers, the LX200 Command
Set is used to write custom software for remote operation of the
telescope with a PC. Each command is listed in a section
appropriate to its type. Each entry in the command list includes
the command name, any parameters, any return values, and a
description. The parameters and the return data are shown in
a manner that indicates their format. These formats are listed
below along with examples of how the data might actually
appear, the legal range of values, and a short description.
Below is a detailed description:
a. Command Set Formats
HH:MM.T
Example 05:47.4
Range 00:00.0 - 23:59.9
Hours, minutes, and tenths of minutes.
sDD*MM
Example +45*59
Range -90*00 - +90*00
Signed degrees and minutes (the '*' represents
ASCII 223 which appears on the handbox as a
degree symbol).
DDD*MM
Example 254*09
Range 000*00 - 359*59
Unsigned degrees and minutes.
HH:MM:SS
Example 13:15:36
Range 00:00:00 - 23:59:59
Hours, minutes, and seconds.
MM/DD/YY
Example 02/06/92
Range 01/01/00 - 12/31/99 (see description)
Month, day, and year. The two digit year
indicates the following:
92-99 = 1992-1999
00-91 = 2000-2091
sHH
Example -5
Range -24 - +24
Signed hour offset.
NNNN
Example 3456
Range 0000 - 9999
Four digit object number.
sMM.M
Example 02.4
Range 05.5 - 20.0
Signed magnitude value.
NNN
Example 134
Range 000 - 200
Three digit object size (minutes).
- 55 -
DD*
Example 56*
Range 00* - 90*
"Higher" parameter (degrees).
TT.T
Example 59.2
Range 56.4 - 60.1
Tracking "frequency."
<obj> info
Example CNGC1976 SU DNEBMAG 3.9 SZ 66.0'
Range n/a
Object information.
Ok
Example 1
Range 0 or 1
Status value returned after setting values. If the value
is legal 1 is returned, otherwise 0 is returned.
b. General Telescope Information
Command :GR#
Returns +HH:MM.T#
Gets the current Right Ascension.
Command :GD#
Returns sDD*MM#
Gets the current Declination.
Command :GA#
Returns sDD*MM#
Gets the current Altitude.
Command :GZ#
Returns DDD*MM#
Gets the current Azimuth.
Command :GS#
Returns HH:MM:SS#
Gets the current sidereal time.
Command :SS HH:MM:SS#
Returns Ok
Sets the sidereal time.
Command :GL#
:Ga#
Returns HH:MM:SS#
Gets the local time either in 24 hour (GL) or 12 hour (Ga)
format.
Command :SL HH:MM:SS#
Returns Ok
Sets the local time. NOTE: The parameter should always
be in 24 hour format.
Command :GC#
Returns MM/DD/YY#
Gets the calendar date.
Command :SC MM/DD/YY#
Returns Ok (see description)
Sets the calendar date. NOTE: After the Ok, if the date is
valid, two strings will be sent. The first will contain the
message "Updating planetary data," the second (sent
after the planetary calculations) will contain only blanks.
Both strings will be terminated by the "#" symbol.
Command :Gt#
Returns sDD*MM#
Gets the latitude of the currently selected site.
Command :St sDD*MM#
Returns Ok
Sets the latitude of the currently selected site.
Command :Gg#
Returns DDD*MM#
Gets the longitude of the currently selected site.