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Table of Contents
Testing PHD2 interface
This page describe the interface with the auto-guiding software PHD2.
The installation procedure for the interface script is likely to be updated for a more simple setup in the coming weeks.
Setup
You need to install a Skychart version superior to skychart-3.11-3015, available form the “Download beta version” link on the left panel.
Launch Skychart and display a free Tool box panel, for example press F4 key.
Click the “Script” button under “Configuration”.
Click the “Load” button and navigate to the Skychart installation directory (C:\Program Files\Ciel on Windows, /Application/Cartes du Ciel on Mac or /usr/share/skychart on Linux).
Then open the directory data/script/ and select phd.cdcps file, click OK.
Close the Script editor window.
Save the Skychart configuration now.
Connection to PHD
Start PHD2 and check that Tools / Enable server is checked.
In Skychart you can change the host on which PHD is running and the connexion port. If Skychart and PHD run on the same computer you can just keep the default values.
Click the “Connect” button. The status must change to “Connected” and indicate the current state of PHD.
Initialize PHD as usual and start guiding. The state must change to “Guiding”.
Use the Lock shift function
This function allow you to keep your telescope pointed on a moving object while guiding on a star.
Click on a moving object in the map, for example an asteroid or comet. The object displacement in arcsec/hour is show.
To send this displacement rate to PHD click the “Set rate” button. The current PHD lock shift status is displayed to confirm the change.
To start the shifted guiding on the moving object click the “Off” button. The button text change to “On” and the PHD status change to “True”.
Use the Dithering function
The dithering function let you apply a random offset to the guiding position to avoid to cumulate the sensor defects at the same position on every exposure.
The function is disabled by default because this is normally done by the capture software between the exposure. The use this function from Skychart is only interesting if you take your pictures with a standalone camera or with a software that not support dithering.
To activate the function, open the script configuration with the “Script” button.
Select the row “Event_0:0:Initialisation” and click the “Edit script” button.
At the top of the script comment out the line that hide the dithering box. Just add // at the beginning of the line.
Save the modified script and click the Apply button. Save the Skychart configuration for a permanent change.
To apply an offset set the required parameters value and click the Dither button.
Be sure you click this button only between exposure when the camera shutter is closed!