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PrimaLuceLab EAGLE4 User Manual
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PrimaLuceLab EAGLE4 User Manual

Advanced control unit for telescopes and astrophotography
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EAGLE4
advanced control unit for telescopes and astrophotography
VERSION 1.0
Update 15-12-2020
EAGLE is manufactured by PrimaLuceLab S.p.A. (Italy). For any matters relating to the use, service and warranty, please
refer to the addresses given in the relevant documents.
P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . • V i a R o v e r e d o 2 0 / B , 3 3 1 7 0 , P o r d e n o n e
w w w . p r i m a l u c e l a b . c o m
•

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Summary of Contents for PrimaLuceLab EAGLE4

  • Page 1 VERSION 1.0 Update 15-12-2020 EAGLE is manufactured by PrimaLuceLab S.p.A. (Italy). For any matters relating to the use, service and warranty, please refer to the addresses given in the relevant documents. P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . • V i a R o v e r e d o 2 0 / B , 3 3 1 7 0 , P o r d e n o n e w w w .
  • Page 2 WINDOWS: EAGLE includes a computer with Windows OS. For any reference on how to use Windows, please refer to the operating system user manual. QUALITY CONTROL: After assembly in our laboratories, every EAGLE unit, is tested by PrimaLuceLab technical experts to verify the correct operation of all components = the integrated computer, stability and speed of the wireless connection and the power bridge.
  • Page 3 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Index Components Identification First use: how to choose the correct power source First use: switch on and activation of wireless network First use: Setting remote control with iPhone or iPad First use: Setting remote control from a Windows computer...
  • Page 4 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Advanced use: remotely turn on EAGLE with wired connection Advanced use: configure EAGLE to automatically start when power is restored Controlling the telescope remotely with Cartes du Ciel Autoguiding with PHD2 Guiding...

  • Page 5: Components Identification

    P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Components Identification The numbers indicate the name of the specific component. Read the paragraphs below for detailed operation description. Power IN 12V n.2 USB 3.0 ports WiFi Antenna...
  • Page 6 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: how to choose the correct power source EAGLE allows you to distribute power to many devices used in telescopes astrophotography (such as mount, camera, fil- ter wheel, electronic focuser, dew heaters, etc.), thus eliminating the need for many different power supplies.
  • Page 7 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: switch on and activation of wireless network EAGLE is designed to be controlled from an external device (not included with EAGLE) via WiFi.
  • Page 8 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Image 2: Connect the power plug into the socket (1) In order to power EAGLE with a 12V battery equipped with a cigarette lighter socket, use the 12V cable with cigarette lighter socket that you find in the EAGLE package.
  • Page 9 A window will appear where you will be asked to enter the password of your net- work (image 5). The password is primalucelab. Using the keyboard (virtual or physi- cal) of your device, enter the password paying attention to appropriate upper or lower case.
  • Page 10 On Windows operating systems, when you select EAGLE’s WiFi network, you may be requested to insert a “PIN from the router label”. Please click on the “Connect using a security key instead” and then type the password “primalucelab”. p a g e 9...
  • Page 11 (picture 8) where you can enter your username and password to log on to Windo- The values are: - Username: PrimaLuceLab; - Password: (that shown on the quick guide in the EAGLE box) Then press the button "Save" to save the ac- Image 8: Insert User name and cess data.
  • Page 12 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Returning to the main page you will find a new connection (picture 10). Tap on it and wait a few seconds, you’ll see on your device's desktop EAGLE (image 11).
  • Page 13 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l NOTE After being connected to the EAGLE's WiFi, I start a Remote Desktop connection but I get an error “Unable to connect”.
  • Page 14 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 3) With the IPv4 address and DNS settings configured manually, the Remote Desktop should work correctly. Please launch again the Microsoft Remote Desktop app and start the connection.
  • Page 15 (picture 15) where you can enter your username and password to log on to Windows. The values are: - Username: PrimaLuceLab; - Password: (that shown in the flyer in the EAGLE box) Image 15: Insert User name and Win- dows access password.
  • Page 16 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Image 17: Select the created link Double click on the connection and you will be connected to the EAGLE Manager (image 18).
  • Page 17 (picture 20) where you can enter your username and password to log on to Windows. The values are: - Username: PrimaLuceLab; - Password: (that shown in the flyer in the EAGLE box) Image 20: Insert User name and Win- dows access password.
  • Page 18 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Image 22: Select the created link Double click on the connection and you will be connected to the EAGLE Manager (image 23).
  • Page 19 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l NOTE After being connected to the EAGLE's WiFi, I start Remote Desktop connection but I get an error “Unable to connect”.
  • Page 20 This will remove all the access data saved related to your EAGLE’s WiFi network. Please connect again to the EAGLE’s WiFi (you will be requested to enter again the “primalucelab” password) and start the Remote Desktop connection to your EAGLE.
  • Page 21 Win- dows. The values are: Image 25: Insert User name and Win- - Username: PrimaLuceLab; dows access password. - Password: (that shown in the flyer in the EAGLE box) Then press the button "Save" to save the access data.
  • Page 22 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Returning to the main page you will find a new connection (picture 27). Image 27: Select the created link Double click on the connection and you will be connected to the EAGLE Manager (image 28).
  • Page 23 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l NOTE After being connected to the EAGLE's WiFi, I start Remote Desktop connection but I get an error “Unable to connect”.
  • Page 24 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 3) Next configure DNS to the IP address of your EAGLE (192.168.137.1). 4) With the IPv4 address and DNS settings configured manually, the Remote Desktop should work correctly.
  • Page 25 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: backup your SSD drive before installing your software Before installing your devices driver and your astronomy software in the Windows operating system of the EAGLE, we suggest you to create a backup copy of your SSD.
  • Page 26 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Macrium Reflect will start and you'll see a detailed list of the disks of your EAGLE. Select the SSD disk of the EAGLE (the first line) by checking the leftmost box option and click"Image This Disk”.
  • Page 27 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l In the next window, please leave the options as they are and press Next to continue. In the next window, please press Finish button finish the backup wizard.
  • Page 28 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l In the next window, please press OK button to start the backup of your SSD drive. Finally, Macrium Reflect will begin the cloning process.
  • Page 29 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l At the end of the procedure, you will get a confirmation message. You can press OK and exit from Macrium Reflect and disconnect your drive from the EAGLE.
  • Page 30 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: install your software EAGLE uses a Windows 10 64 bit operating system. This way you are free to install the astronomy software you choose, as long as it is designed to work with 64 bit Windows 10.
  • Page 31 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: turn off EAGLE When you want to turn off EAGLE, first disconnect your remote control device. From the START screen, select the "options off"...
  • Page 32 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: installing EAGLE on the telescope EAGLE has been designed entirely with SolidEdge three-dimensional design software to offer the best modularity with the PLUS elements (rings, dovetail plates or clamps) and/or any brand telescopes.
  • Page 33 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l In order to use the EAGLE with this configuration, insert 2 M6 screws (a) in each PLUS ring (2 screws for each ring) and so fix the EAGLE.
  • Page 34 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Connecting to telescopes not equipped with PLUS rings If your telescope is not equipped with PLUS support rings, just add the optional "PLUS Vixen + Losmandy style dovetail clamp"...
  • Page 35 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: powering other instruments connected to the EAGLE EAGLE incorporates a power bridge to which you can connect up to 4 instruments such as mount, camera, filter wheel and electronic focuser.
  • Page 36 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l WHAT IF I CONNECT A DEVICE THAT HAS A HIGHER POWER CONSUMPTION THAN THE ONE ALLOWED ONE FROM THE POWER OUT PORTS OF THE EAGLE : the power board has a dedicated chip that protects the electronics.
  • Page 37 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l First use: remotely control devices with EAGLE Manager When you remotely (with WiFi or Ethernet wired connection) connect to the EAGLE, you will see the EAGLE Manager con- trol interface.
  • Page 38 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l In the first window that appears (“Select power source”, image 23) please check your power source, with AC power units (5A or 14A) or with a battery.
  • Page 39 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - connect or disconnect every power out port of EAGLE Leaving power connected to your devices (for example, mount, camera, filter wheel, etc.) allows you to activate them re- motely when you turn on the entire system.
  • Page 40 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - set power out voltage of the 3 power out ports with adjustable voltage For example, you can increase or decrease the heat generated by dew heaters connected to EAGLE without the need for external controller.

  • Page 41: Battery Lifetime

    P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - connect or disconnect devices attached to the 4 USB 2.0 ports This feature is convenient in case of temporary crash of autoguider or planetary camera (or other devices), which can then be reactivated without the need to go to the telescope and disconnect/reconnect the cable.
  • Page 42 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - set WiFi connectivity You can access the EAGLE in Access Point (AP) mode for field use (use your smartphone, tablet or external computer by connecting directly to EAGLE without the need of a WiFi router) or HOST mode for connecting to your existing network such as the WiFi network at your home.
  • Page 43 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l ATTENTION! Make sure that you entered the correct network parameters (especially your network password) because, if they are wrong, EAGLE will not be able to access your network and at the same time it will not create its network in Access Point mode: in this case you won’t be able to connect to EAGLE anymore and you will need to click its RESET button to reset the network.
  • Page 44 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - remotely turn on/off the entire telescope EAGLE has a standard ON/OFF button to turn on/off the unit but you can also turn off the whole system remotely.
  • Page 45 By default, EAGLE generates a WiFi network with EAGLExxxxx name (where xxxx is the serial number of your EAGLE) as reported also in the front part of the EAGLE. Default password is primalucelab but you can change it for your safety.
  • Page 46 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - Check for GPS data In the left part of the EAGLE Manager interface you can see data automatically captured by the GPS sensor (image 37): •...
  • Page 47 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l This will open a new window. Here please check that the options “Set time automatically” and “Set time zone automati- cally”...
  • Page 48 E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l - EYE sensor data EAGLE4 include the EYE sensor to automatically measure the sky brightness for you (in magnitude per square arc second - mag/arcsec ) with a 5 degree field of view, only where your telescope is pointed.
  • Page 49 The EAGLE EYE sensor is sensitive only to visible light since, behind the lens, there is a UV/IR cut filter and every EYE sensor is calibrated in PrimaLuceLab laboratory in order to consider temperature variations (thanks to a temperature sensor integrated in every EAGLE case) and by using a special light meter.
  • Page 50 Image 45: EAGLE Switch ASCOM driver EAGLE’s ASCOM drivers are already installed in your system. Updates can be found at https:/ /www.primalucelab.com/ astronomy/downloads. EAGLE's ASCOM drivers require at least ASCOM platform 6.4 that is already installed on your sy- stem.
  • Page 51 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Advanced use: program connection and power to devices In the ADVANCED SETTINGS window, you can determine how EAGLE Manager sets USB and power ports (except for the USB 3.0 ports that will always be active) when EAGLE is turned on or off.
  • Page 52 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Advanced use: remotely turn on EAGLE with wired connection EAGLE is designed to allow you, in a simple and fast way, to remotely control your telescope that is connected and powe- red by EAGLE.
  • Page 53 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l It is therefore necessary to set a static IP address for EAGLE. To do this, select the Start button and then click on Control Panel and select "...
  • Page 54 - In “PC name” field, enter the static IP of the EAGLE that is 192.168.100.100 - In “Username” field enter PrimaLuceLab - In “Password” field enter Windows access password you find in the EAGLE box...
  • Page 55 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Immagine 52: set the Remote Desktop for wired connection Create the new connection, click on the name of the newly created connection (in our example "EAGLE Wired") to activate the remote connection (Image 53).
  • Page 56 After the BIOS installation, Windows will reboot. Please shut down your EAGLE by pressing "Start" and then "Shut down". After the EAGLE is turned off, please press the Power On button of the EAGLE and, as soon as you see the PrimaLuceLab logo on the screen, please press the F2 button in your keyboard to enter in the motherboard BIOS.
  • Page 57 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Here press the ADVANCED button and then press on the "Power" tab. In the window that opens, click on “Secondary po- wer settings”...
  • Page 58 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Controlling the telescope remotely with Cartes du Ciel Sky Charts is a free planetarium software for Windows that shows all the sky objects and lets you control the telescope.
  • Page 59 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 3) Select “Telescope” then “Control panel”. This will open a new window “ASCOM interface” . Click on “Select” and this will open a new window “ASCOM Telescope Chooser”.
  • Page 60 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l For example, if you use a SkyWatcher mount, you may use the “EQMOD USB interface for SkyWatcher mounts” that directly connects the mount electronics to the EAGLE using a USB port.
  • Page 61 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 4) In the “ASCOM Telescope Chooser” window select “Proprierties” and the “ASCOM configuration” window will open. Set the right number port in “Port”...
  • Page 62 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 6) A circle indicator indicates the telescope position, in this example it’s in the North Polar star. In order to move the telescope to a desired object you can see in the planetarium window, you can select the object, make a right mouse click, select “Telescope”...
  • Page 63 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 8) You can increase the magnification of the sky chart using the Zoom buttons. Then select one of the available speeds in the speed selector (3 or 4 are ok for object centering) and center the object in the telescope field of view (in your eyepiece or in the camera) Zoom buttons Speed selector and direction buttons...
  • Page 64 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 10) The telescope will be synchronized and the sky chart position will be set to the object. 11) When you want to disconnect the planetarium software from the mount, select “Telescope”...
  • Page 65 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Autoguiding with PHD2 Guiding PHD2 Guiding is a free software among the most used for autoguiding since it's very easy to use. In this tutorial we will explain how to set up this software (that is pre loaded into the EAGLE) using a QHY5L-II camera but the same steps can also be made using other au- toguiding cameras.
  • Page 66 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 3) In the “Connect Equipment” window verify that the “Mount” option is “On-camera”. This option is used when the camera integrates an ST4 autoguide port.
  • Page 67 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l PHD2 Guiding will perform a loop images that will be displayed on the screen. Do not worry if, as in the image below, you notice a lot of background noise: in fact PHD Guiding automatically compresses the image histogram to help better visualize the guide stars and this makes especially the sky background very noisy (but it has no impact on guide accuracy).
  • Page 68 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 7) Then press the third button on the left (the one with the green icon): PHD2 Guiding will automatically start the calibration process that allows the software to "understand"...
  • Page 69 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 8) After the calibration, PHD2 Guiding will indicate the starting position of the guide star with two green lines (one horizontal and one vertical) and it will begin automatically guiding.
  • Page 70 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Drift Alignment using PHD Guiding In order to record the best astrophotography pictures it’s important to record pictures with exposition times as long as possible. In order to do that the equatorial mount’s polar alignment is fundamental.
  • Page 71 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Azimuth Alignment Open the Drift Align Tool: You will see a window like this: p a g e 7 0...
  • Page 72 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Position your scope for the Azimuth axis adjustment. Point near the Meridian and the celestial equator. You can either click the Slew button, or move the mount manually.
  • Page 73 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Notice we are only a few degrees off the meridian ("Meridian offset"), and close to the equator (small value of Declination.).
  • Page 74 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Slowly turn your mount's Azimuth adjustment, watching the screen and moving the guide star towards the magenta cir- cle.
  • Page 75 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l move the guide star approximately the width of the screen. If you do see the magenta circle, you should move the guide star to the circle, like this: After moving the guide star, click Drift to take another measurement.
  • Page 76 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Altitude Alignment Now, you will need to repeat the process for the mount's Altitude adjustment. Click the Altitude button; the Drift tool will now look like this: Click Slew or manually slew your mount towards the horizon (East or West): p a g e 7 5...
  • Page 77 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l The exact position is not important, but 25-35 degrees above the horizon works well. Click Drift to start drifting. Drift until you have a stable Dec slope.
  • Page 78 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Q & A Q: Where to save my pictures or videos? A: You can save captured images or videos directly on the hard disk of EAGLE.
  • Page 79 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Q: Sometimes I see a temporary connection drop and then it starts again, is this normal? A: Using the EAGLE, sometimes you can have a drop out and then connection is automatically resumed.

  • Page 80: Port Indexes

    The use of these commands is by your own risk and PrimaLuceLab has no responsibility on any application of these commands and integration on third party softwares. If you have problems related to the use of the EAGLE with third party softwares, please refer to the third party software support.
  • Page 81 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l http:/ /localhost:1380/setpwrout?idx=2&label=Camera Set label of the power port 2 to "Camera". Reply: {“result":"OK"} http:/ /localhost:1380/setregout?idx=5&volt=9.2 Set the voltage in RCA ports voltage with indexes from 5 to 7.
  • Page 82 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l Note on EAGLE Manager integration: The EAGLE Manager is not to be modified and it must be automatically started at Windows startup (as it is default in the EAGLE), also when the EAGLE’s ports are controlled through third party software.

  • Page 83: Troubleshooting

    WiFi antennas with sma connector and male central pin. F) If you checked all the points A, B, C, D, E and you still can’t find the WiFi network, you may have an hardware issue, please write us to support@primalucelab.com. p a g e 8 2...
  • Page 84 E) If you checked all the points A, B, C, D, and you still have WiFi disconnections (not related to Remote Desktop client disconnections), you may have an hardware issue. In this case please write us to support@primalucelab.com and we’ll support you to fix the problem.
  • Page 85 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 1) After you connect the device to one of the USB ports of the EAGLE (if you connect to one of the USB 2.0 ports, please verify that the status of the port is ON in the Eagle Manager), go to Windows Device Manager.
  • Page 86 E) If you checked all the points A, B, C, and you still have power problems, you may have an hardware issue. In this case please write us to support@primalucelab.com and we’ll support you to fix the problem. p a g e 8 5...
  • Page 87 All these steps require knowledge on computers and may require to change internal components, so if you can’t do this or feel uncomfortable, please contact us writing an email to support@primalucelab.com 1) If the PW LED is off, you may have a problem rela- ted to the power ON button or a related to the mo- therboard power management.
  • Page 88 P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A . E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l 2) If the PWR LED is blinking in a pattern of three, it means that the motherboard is not able to detect the memory mo- dule, or that the memory module is defective or that the memory module is the wrong voltage and/or incompatible.

  • Page 89: Information To Users

    The abusive disposal of the product by the user implies the application of the administrative sanctions as per D.Lgs. 152/2006. Compliance with the RAEE legislation (D.Lgs. 49/2014) PrimaLuceLab is registered to AEE Register with number IT17030000009790 PrimaLuceLab adheres to Sistema Collettivo ERP Italia for the compliance to RAEE legislation. p a g e 8 8...

  • Page 90: Warranty

    E A G L E 4 U s e r M a n u a l WARRANTY 1) The PrimaLuceLab product warranty is effective from the date of purchase and is valid only if it is with the invoice (or receipt) of purchase.