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Hobym Observatory TiTaN TCS Opeation Manual

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F/W 2.6.0
2018/11/23
TiTaN TCS
Opeation Manual
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  • Page 1 F/W 2.6.0 2018/11/23 TiTaN TCS Opeation Manual 1 / 62...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    TiTaN TCS(Telescope Control System) is the most compact and powerful telescope control system which adopted the latest technologies in a small size. In addition, the powerful CPU, memory, wireless module and various connectors are readily available for continuous updates of functions and upgrades, so that the device will meet your needs.

  • Page 3: Main Functions Of Titan Telescope Control System

    1. Main Functions of TiTaN Telescope Control System 1. Titan has separate control CPU (120MHz / 32bit) and UI CPU for future expansion of required functions. 2. Internal GOTO databases including Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell, and SH-2, so users can slew to the desired object using TCS without PC. 3.
  • Page 4 14. USB Virtual COM Port Supported: can connect TCS to your PC via USB. Two Virtual COM Ports are supported, reducing the number of cables needed. 15. 4 LED equipped in the guide port input: The guide status for each axis can be checked in real time during auto-guiding.
  • Page 5  Titan TCS V1  Titan TCS V2 5 / 62...

  • Page 6: How To Use Navigation Button & Wheel

    2. How to Use Navigation Button & Wheel Option input can be done by rotating the navigation wheel, clicking arrow keys and the enter key at the center.  Navigation button & wheel moves the telescope, searches for objects, and performs menu operations.

  • Page 7: Parking & Speed Volume Knob

    3. Parking & Speed Volume knob Speed Selection: The slewing speed can be adjusted by rotating the volume knob. When you make adjustments, the OLED screen shows current slewing speed, which can be used for observation, astrophotography or fine adjustment. Parking: When fully turned counterclockwise, the volume knob will tick and the telescope will be parked.

  • Page 8: System Configuration Diagram

     Caution) Even though TiTaN TCS has both Micro USB Type B connector and USB Type A connector, both are internally connected to same USB port. NEVER CONNECT TO BOTH CONNECTORS AT THE SAME TIME! ...
  • Page 9  Motor Cable Connection (Circular Connector Type, V1)  Motor Cable Connection (15 pin D-Sub type, V2) 9 / 62...
  • Page 10 10 / 62...

  • Page 11: Operation Sequence Of Titan Tcs

    B. Connect the RA motor cable to the telescope controlling system: Connect red cable to the RA connector of the TiTaN TCS and yellow (or white) cable to the DEC connector of the TCS. Please check the indications on cable carefully as the color of cable may be different depending on the model or production date.
  • Page 12 B. Connect the RA motor cable to the telescope controlling system: Connect red cable to the RA connector of the TiTaN TCS and yellow (or white) cable to the DEC connector of the TCS. Please check the indications on cable carefully as the color of cable may be different depending on the model or production date.

  • Page 13: Menu List

    6. Menu List 6.1. User Menu Top Menu Sub Menu Option Functions Mode Telescope TCS Main Operation Screen Display RA, DEC, time and TCS status Object Star Name Alphabet 240 items Solar System Sun / Mercury / Tracking rate will be changed to luna tracking Venus / Mars / rate or solar tracking rate...
  • Page 14 Fast Current Current setting for high 135mA ~ 1150mA speed (for Crux Mini 135mA ~ (Slewing condition) 1405mA) Time Lapse Alt, Az Speed Speed : 0 ~99.0x Speed setting for moving speed Direction : +, - Minutes : HH:MM 00:01 min ~ 99:00 min 1 minute ~ 99 hours Start Cancel...
  • Page 15 Site Select a site from the 4 sites are supported. site list. Site Name Enter the name of the Up to 12 characters selected site Location Enter the location of the Latitude, Longitude selected site Time Zone Enter the time zone of -12 ~ + 12 hours the selected site Parking...
  • Page 16 before passing the meridian. In case it is positive, it will stop after passing. Landscape Sky view / Landscape When Landscape mode is selected, RA tracking stops and "Tracking Stopped!" message is displayed at the bottom of the OLED. Go below Enable / Disable Enable : horizon...
  • Page 17 Flip) Enable / Disable PEC Training Start / Stop System Max Bright Input numerical values Maximum OLED Brightness(20~100 %) Min Bright Input numerical values Minimum OLED Brightness (20~50%) Guide Speed Input numerical values 0.1x ~ 0.9x Batt Low V Input numerical values Set voltage for battery low (voltage) voltage warning...
  • Page 18 Volt & Current for internal motor power source. The current sensor may have an offset error of about 0.2A. Users can optimize power consumtion for low power system. Guide Port Ignore guide port. Guide port(RJ-12) can be ignored using this menus. TCS has pulse guide function using ASCOM or LX200 protocol.
  • Page 19 Update mode turn the power off and on. However, never turn off the power after the firmware has been started. U/I Mode B : Begginer Mode E : Experet Mode "Observatory" / "Date / Time" does not need to be saved after changing the setting. Immediately after entering the Date &...
  • Page 20 To improve the overload condition, adjust the Slow / Fast Current properly in the [RA], [DEC] menu. Operation for long time beyond 55 ° C may result in damage to internal components. Power devices generate heat, so the temperature is higher than the CPU. It is recommended that you save, reboot, and check the function again after you change important settings.

  • Page 21: Explanation Of Menu

    7. Explanation of Menu 1. How to enter menu mode To enter the menu operation mode, press the enter key in the center of the navigation button for more than 2 seconds. When you enter menu mode, the top menu is displayed on the screen. To return to telescope mode, select the telescope menu and press the enter key.
  • Page 22 2. Telescope The first state after power up is Telescope mode. Displays basic information, including current date and time, RA and DEC, current status. B/T : When Bluetooth is connected to the TCS, “B/T” is displayed at the top. SYNC : When TCS is synchronized, “SYNC” is displayed at the top. PEC : If the PEC data is valid but the PEC has not been started, dimmed gray color "PEC"...
  • Page 23  PEC Menu Tracking Rate : If the RA tracking rate is not Sidereal tracking rate, a yellow color “Solar” or “Luna” is displayed at the top. 1. Sidereal tracking rate => There is no status indication for Sidereal tracking rate. 2.
  • Page 24 The tracking rate can also be changed using the “Object/Solar System/Goto” or “Object/Solar System/Sync” menus. Speed Volume : The speed of the motor operated by the navigation button is displayed as a dimmed red bar at the bottom. The Speed Volume affects only when slewing with the TCS navigation button. Speed about 0% Speed about 40% Speed about 100%...
  • Page 25 The final position of the telescope, whether it is synced or not, and the PEC training results are restored to the same as before parking. => => The TCS carefully moves the stepping position of the stepper motor to the origin and completes parking.
  • Page 26 3. Object It is possible to slew or synchronize to the desired object by directly choosing it from TCS menu  Select celestial list type First, Select the type of celestial list type.  Search screen (3 ways) String Keyword Number Keyword Name List After selecting a list type, a search screen appears to select for objects in the list.
  • Page 27  Star Name : 240 stars  Solar System : Solar system objects including the Sun and Moon.  Messier : 110 objects  NGC : 7840 objects  IC : 5386 objects  Caldwell : 109 objects  SH-2 : 341 list of Sharpless Use the arrow keys to input the keyword and press the Enter key.
  • Page 28 The list is white if the altitude of the celestial body is above the horizon and gray if it is below the horizon. ex) “Nekkar” is above the horizon, “Alcyone, Arneb” are below the horizon. In the displayed list, select the target using the up / down arrow keys and press the Enter key to display the Goto / Sync screen When a low-altitude object is selected, the following Warning screen is displayed so that it can not be goto / sync.
  • Page 29 When the "Goto" function is selected, a window similar to "Telescope" Mode appears and displays the movement to the target. Up / Down / Left / Right buttons do not work in this screen. If you press Enter key at this time, the movement is immediately canceled and the screen returns to the previous screen.
  • Page 30 4. RA Sets RA speed and other variables.  RA sub-menu  Max Speed : Setting the maximum RA slewing speed.  Acc. Rate : RA speed Acceleration / deceleration. The lower the value, the slower the acceleration / deceleration. Slowing the acceleration lessens the load on the mount and the motor.
  • Page 31 This is mainly the current required for tracking. In this case, the stepper motor operates in 1/128 microsteps.  Fast Current (Slewing Speed Current) Specifies the current required for high speed drive. Torque required for acceleration, voltage boost for high-speed operation consumes a lot of current for a short time.
  • Page 32 6. Time Lapse 6.1. Az, Alt Speed  Az : Moving speed of azimuth axis (=RA axis)  Alt : Moving speed of altitude axis (=DEC axis)  Minute : Duration of time lapse operation, At the end of the time, the mount stops. ...
  • Page 33  Wake up Camera wake-up function. Turn off the camera power saving function by sending a focus signal 5 seconds before exposure.  Stop T-Lap. (Stop Timelapse) The entire exposure is completed, turn off the timelapse function. TCS returns to tracking mode. ...
  • Page 34 7. Observatory Current Date/Time and location setting  Date/Time : Set current date and time. Current date and time will always retained by internal Real Time Clock(RTC.) If the current date and time are cleared each time the power is turned off, try moving the battery tray back and forth several times.
  • Page 35  Site Name : Enter the name of the site selected in the “Site” menu. Up to 12 characters can be entered, and blank characters can not be entered consecutively.  Location : Enter the location of the site selected in the “Site” menu. Set the Latitude and Longitude of current site.
  • Page 36 8. Safety  RA Auto Stop : Enable : In tracking mode, RA tracking automatically stops when the RA axis(=Telescope Direction) passes near the meridian. The auto stop position can be specified in the "RA Limit" menu. In case RA auto stopped, “RA Auto Stop!” message is displayed at the bottom of the OLED.
  • Page 37 => “Sky view mode” is normal tracking mode.  Go below Horz. (Go below the Horizon) Enable : When the TCS executes a command that slews to the target, the telescope can be directed down the horizon. The lowest altitude of the telescope is aimed at is -15 [deg]. But, if the “Meridian Flip”...
  • Page 38 9. Meridian Set the operation related to the meridian.  Meridian Flip : Disable or enable automatic meridian flipping by choosing this option. By limiting the movement of the RA, the collision between the telescope and the tripod or pier can be prevented. 10.
  • Page 39 When you select [start] and start training, it usually collects data of 2 cycles. If the training was successful, the PEC function is automatically activated. If the period of two cycles is too long or it is impossible to learn by variables such as clouds, the user can stop training by selecting “PEC Training”...
  • Page 40 11. System Guide Speed, power-related and communication speed settings.  Max Bright Maximum OLED Brightness(20~100 %)  Min Bright Minimum OLED Brightness (20~50%)  Guide Speed : The guide speed can be set from 0.1 to 0.9 and it is the setting to maintain the optimum guide condition.
  • Page 41 For reference, increase Guide Speed for short focal length guides and decrease guide speed for long focal length guides.  Batt Low V : Set Battery low voltage warning You can set the minimum battery voltage value for warning.  When a under voltage situation occurs, a under voltage message will be displayed on the screen with the beep sound.
  • Page 42  DC/A Limit : Set DC Current Limit The total current consumption is monitored. If the TCS consumes more current than the set value, motor speed acceleration is automatically lowered to reduce current consumption. Nevertheless, the actual consumption current may exceed the specified set value even if the consumption current decreases by lowering the acceleration amount.
  • Page 43 The factory default setting is 115,200 bps, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. User can select from 9,600 ~ 115,200 bps.  Serial B : RS-232 B You can set the communication speed with the astronomical simulation software and Serial port B.
  • Page 44 => Ex) Beginner Mode Menu 44 / 62...
  • Page 45 12. Save The manipulated setting values can be stored in the nonvolatile memory of the TCS. Once saved, the settings will not be erased even after the power is turned off and can be used when the power is turned on again. ...
  • Page 46  Reboot TCS will reboot itself. If you use parking, please park first. 46 / 62...
  • Page 47 13. Help The connector assignment of TiTaN TCS and current communication speed can be checked.  Serial BPS : Display the speed of serial port A/B (Display only)  Version Display firmware information.  Firmware Update : Enter firmware update mode To terminate this function, turn the power off and on.

  • Page 48: Bluetooth

    8. Bluetooth 8.1. How to connect TiTaN TCS to your PC via Bluetooth (Standard: Win10) 1. Select "Devices" in Windows Settings. 2. Select “Bluetooth & other devices” of the left menu bar. 48 / 62...
  • Page 49 3. Make sure Bluetooth is on and select "Add BT". When the "add device" screen appears, select bluetooth. 49 / 62...
  • Page 50 4. If the Titan TCS is powered on, it will take a moment and display "Titan TCS". If you entered a different name in the [Security] menu in TCS, the name will be displayed. It may take several tens of seconds to display the device.
  • Page 51 6. When the connection is successfully completed, the message "Paired" will be displayed. 7. There will be two "Standard Serial over Bluetooth link" generated, but only the top one can be used. In the example of the figure, only COM4 can communicate. After connection, use as the same way as normal serial communication.
  • Page 52 TCS Bluetooth from device. Remove it with the [Remove Device] button in the "Bluetooth Device Management" window. Wait for a moment after removing the device. The "Titan TCS" device will be displayed again. Click [Connect] button to install again.
  • Page 53 1. Select "Open Bluetooth Preferences..." in status menu. 2. If the Titan TCS is powered on, it will take a moment and display "Titan TCS". If you entered a different name in the [Security] menu in TCS, the name will be displayed.

  • Page 54: Technical Specifications

    9. Technical Specifications Power supply 12V, 4A Built-in reverse voltage protection circuit, built-in 2.6A Polyswitch for overcurrent protection. Current consumption About 250mA to 700mA when tracking 0.7 ~ 2.5A when high-speed slewing, depending on operational status Microprocessor Main Control : 32bit 120MHz U/I : 32 Bit 240MHz dual-core Internal power 3.3V, 5V, Motor power(~30V)
  • Page 55 3.5mm Streo Jack for camera focus & shutter signal * TitanTCS V2 only CAUTION: If AC power is supplied to the TiTaN TCS, it will be damaged. Make sure to use only at a limited voltage of DC 12V. User is responsible for the damage of the controller due to user‟s incautiousness.

  • Page 56: Lx200 Commands Supported

    10. LX200 Commands supported Command Explanation :CM# Synchronizes the telescope's position :MS# Slew to target object :SdsDD*MM:SS# Set object target :SrHH:MM.T# :SrHH:MM:SS# :GD#, :GR# Get telescope position :SdsDD*MM:SS# Set target object :SrHH:MM.T# :SrHH:MM:SS# :GS# Get the Sidereal Time :GC#, :GL# Get local Date, Time :SCMM/DD/YY# Set local Date, Time...

  • Page 57: Replacing The Battery

    11. Replacing the battery For some information and internal clock, the TCS has a built-in CR2032 battery. The battery tray is on the left. The battery tray can be removed using a small slot head screwdriver. If the battery tray does not draw easily, you can slightly loosen the bolt on the back of the case within 3 turns to make drawing easier.

  • Page 58: Faq

    13. FAQ a. GOTO is not precisely done.  The synced star has to be exactly at the center of the eyepiece.  Check the polar alignment.  Check whether there is error message displayed on TCS.  If previous two are not the case, contact the manufacturer or the seller. Such problem may occur due to the incorrect factory default setting such as gear ratio.
  • Page 59 Bad connection with the simulation programs.  When connecting with serial port. Make sure to use an RS-232 cable dedicated to TiTaN TCS. The RS-232 cable used by TCS is not a standard cable, and the pin connections are different for each manufacturer. Be extremely careful.
  • Page 60 f. The time and location of the simulation program does not match with the ones of TCS.  Check the settings of the simulation software: Some simulation software supports a function to download the data such as time and location of PC to TCS.
  • Page 61  When replacing the battery, please refer to the above explanation i. When automatic meridian flip function is undesired for photographing.  Select Disable from [Meridian]-[Meridian Flip] Menu  When disabling the meridian reversal function, always be careful of moving the telescope.
  • Page 62  In previous three cases, arrange properly according to the presence / absence of the home sensor. If there is no home sensor (CRUX 170, etc.): Refresh the PEC Training. The PEC function uses newly trained PEC data. If there is home sensor (Early CRUX 200, etc.): Turn the power off and reboot.

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