USER`S MANUAL
Contents
1. FRONTAL VIEW DQ a FRONTAL VIEW TEMPERATURE PROBE OPTIONAL CONNECTOR DESCRIPTION SERI AL ADAPTER RIT DB9 1 WHITE NC 1 NC 2 BLACK GND 2 BLACK 3 RED NC 3 RED 4 GREEN RX 4 NC 5 VELLOW TX 5 VELLOW 6 BLU NC 6 7 8 9 NC NET CABLE DES CRIP TION 1 YALLOW 12V 2 GREEN ACHANNEL 3 RED B CHANNEL 4 BLACK GND p PROBE 5 2 45 1 8 2 FRONTAL VIEW So 7 4 a 5 2 y 6 6 Q is SERIAL ADAPTER DB9 Figure 13 Connectors schematic ir TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS DI ITAL NET S C 20 mm NW 40 mm or 60 mm discontinued BIG 35 40 mm Focuser Total travel distance mm Total travel distance mm BIG 35 Net Precision on reset Maximum speed Minimum speed Motor Maximum load Maximum load BIG 35 Net Pinion reducer Gear focuser Pinion reducer BIG 35 Net Gear focuser BIG 35 Net Controller connector CPU Technology CPU Memory Ram EEPROM Clock frequency Power consumption max Temperature probe OPTIONAL Size minimum Operating temperature Calibration sensor Power supply Weight Controller CPU Technology CPU memory Ram EEPROM Clock frequency Power consumption max Focuser connector PC connector serial Size minimum Operating temperature Power supply optional Input Output Connector Certificate 20 S C 40 or 60 newton 40 5 um2. USER S MANUAL ASCOM COMPATIBLE INSTALLATION a 2 kaz ta aa ika aa ae al u tenti 3 Mechaniese Schmidt assegrali i tas a St ects ee nt secre rennen 3 Mechanics Newton Sacto een eh le aA ni re 3 EIGCHOMICS ee feta are A tee 3 NAL ROCUIC TO M45 A PA 3 il STA PA MA 3 CONTROLLER AND COMMANDS n caza a Naaa 4 Figure 1 Rotary switch X Figure 2 Controller keyboard L nar nono nenn nenn nenn nennen 4 Figure 3 Menu device select X Figure 4 Menu manual position X Figure 5 Menu temperature 4 Controller ODE ONS sa ica 5 FOCUSEF OPLONS os 5 A Absolute and relative DOS ON venir a een 6 By Manual mode Operation daa 6 C Memory Positions aan ae ee ee 6 DECS aliBr aO ana SN oe dins 6 TROUBLESHOOTING azarri A ab a aa iaa 7 Figure 7 Adapters and rings X Figure 8 Cables N Figure 9 Installation s en 7 REMOTE CONTROL AND SOFTWARE iii a a a G ieee 8 US ea ae Eee aa tg 8 Software installation i asa 8 iio A A 8 Figure 10 SOU page nase a incre A A 8 o RR TA ae Re ER ne eee ee eee ee ee ee emer a 9 Backlash 22 2 2er o o e e a N e ee a 9 CONNEC sts ae ne Se ee See Se ea era ee ea at a ee eh ua 9 Table 1 Description of RS232 COMMUNICATION POR Susi 9 Bi ares Control page ee ne a 9 Figure 11 Control page an ir e ee ee ban besos ts 9 POSI IS RANA EA AA E 10 EDS eea A se een ee 10 Defined POSIVOMS as 10 Saving and opening POSITION Ale nia aa 10 Fig
3. Position Sets the visualization of the position as relative absolute or both at the same time Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to select between relative absolute or both Focuser options The firmware version of the microprocessor will be shown when the menu is displayed 1 Voltage displays the current voltage as supplied by the power supply This function is very import to monitor the voltage when an external battery is used or when many devices are connected to the network Calibration calibrates the focuser to its zero reference whole tube inside This function must be called if the focuser slipped for an excessive load After the calibration the focuser will be positioned at the first quarter of its travel 5 mm for the 20 mm focuser During the calibration the current step is displayed on the screen for example 014 028 means step 14 out of 28 Reset this function resets all the settings to the factory default Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to enable disable Minimum speed selects the minimum speed of the motor The valid range is minimum 20 steps second maximum 190 steps second Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to modify the setting then ENT to confirm Maximum speed selects the maximum speed of the motor The valid range is minimum 200 steps second maximum 600 steps second Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to modify the setting ENT to confirm Back Lash this setting compensate the gears clearance which c
4. using the DB9 adapter We recommend to connect the all the cables before turning on the MFD_NET If a different power supply is used then it s mandatory to verify the following specifications Minimum Vcc 12 Volts maximum 14 5 V At least 1 25 Ampere for the current Introduction The options and command of the MFD NET or BIG35N are configurable via a menu system very easy to use These options are divided in controller and focuser s A detailed description about each menu is available below section CONTROLLER AND COMMANDS Before modifying any option please read with care the documentation available in this manual Keys Four keys on the controller permit to operate and configure the MFD_NET or BIG35N IN OUT ENT and ESC When in this manual they are printed in bold it means that these keys should be pressed to perform the operation Do not press more than one key at the same time all the commands require just a single click l ZU oO CONTROLLER AND COMMANDS ID configuration Before powering on the MFD_NET or BIG35N select the ID number 1 on the rotary switch figure 1 located on every focuser If more than one identical focuser is connected to the controller then the other devices must be set with an increasing ID number 2 3 4 etc This procedure is not needed if the focusers are different Example if two focusers are connected the first is a Newton the second a Schmidt Cassegrain they must be set both at
5. a delav and a small positioning error when the motor direction is inverted Press the button Set to store the new value Connect Press this button to connect the software with the MFD NET or BIG35N If more than one focusers are available in the network then a dialog window will permit to select the device to be used The dialog window contains a list of all focusers available and their characteristics When the connection is active the button Disconnect becomes enabled press it to close the session Always use this button to disconnect the focuser and use it in manual mode Closing the program will not close the connection and the focuser will remain connected Com 1 Com 2 The standard serial port of most PCs Com 3 Com 4 Extra ports available when a PCI ISA expansion card is used Com 5 6 7 8 Extra ports available when a USB lt gt Serial converter is used This is itik the recommended setup if the PC has not anv serial port Table 1 description of RS232 communication ports ai KI Click this icon to start the automatic focuser calibration see point 2 section focuser options Click this icon to display a dialog window with some useful information about the focuser model currently under control and the software version Click this icon to start this manual The Control page This page is related to the control of the focuser via the serial port ca Micro Focuser Digital HET m Mu 90 20 sal sl a 1 5 20
6. accepted but the focuser will obviously stop at the end of its travel To move the focuser to the selected position click the button Go or press ENTER on the PC keyboard Every new position will be stored in the combo box press the button with the book icon to display a dialog window see figure 12 where every position can be edited as text file saved to disk and loaded The correct syntax is lt Position gt Space lt Description gt Example 3802 Green filter Note The space between the position and the description is always required Saving and opening Position Files All positions stored in the combo box can be edited saved and loaded from the Defined position dialog window figure 11 Click the book button to display the window then use the buttons on the tool bar to execute the desired command Defined Positions 6 sl El Y 0K X Cancel Foz Description Filtra Filtra Filtro UV Filtro IE Filtro Verde ipertura libera Figure 12 Window Defined positions Temp This panel displays the temperature as detected by the external probe It s possible to choose the scale between Degrees and Fahrenheit SVUEO FOERSER NOTES ty E A FL Pig FUCUCFO LOCKS EEL NOTES 19 CABLE AND SERIAL ADAPTER DESCRIPTION 654321 SERIAL CABLE 6 WAYS FRONTAL VIEW 4321 NET CABLE 4 WAYS
7. of free hard disk space e CD ROM for installation only e Mouse or equivalent pointing device Software installation 1 Insert the CD ROM in the drive 2 Click on Install click Open and follow the instructions If needed It s possible to modify the destination folder 3 Atthe end of the installation execute the software clicking on the icon MFD_NET MFO WET focuser control 2 Installation software FLI MET 1 05 oe This program install the control software for Micro Focuser Digital Net in the your computer The program will come installed in the following folder C AProgrammi Micro Focuzer Po Annulla Figure 9 Installation The Setup page The main window is composed by two pages The first one is related to the setup of the focuser and its connection to the PC through the serial port and ASCOM platform chosen LA Micro Focuser Digital HET m Uptions Backlash Seral port Min position D Set sara A P COM 7 U Window in foreground Sscom remote control Connect Figure 10 Setup page Options These options configure the serial port of the PC for a correct communication with Micro Focuser selecting a proper BAUD rate and COM port It s also possible to set the program alwavs in foreground over other applications also when inactive selecting the checkbox Window in foreground Backlash This parameter expressed in micron 0 255 compensates the gears clearance which mav cause
8. option Press ENT to select the option then IN and OUT to set the desiderated value To confirm the new setting press ENT to save it and ESC to exit from the options menu The procedure to modify the focuser settings are just the same to enter into the focuser menu press ESC for two seconds instead of ENT The options for the focuser are calibration reset minimum speed maximum speed back lash Figure 3 Menu device select Figure 4 Menu manual position Figure 5 Menu temperature Controller options The firmware version of the microprocessor will be shown when the menu is displaved Language this option sets the language of the menu it s possible to choose English Italian French and German Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to choose ENT to confirm 2 Speed This is the delay to switch from the minimum speed to the maximum speed when the keys are pressed to move the focuser Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to choose minimum 2 seconds maximum 25 seconds ENT to confirm 3 Contrast this command sets the contrast of the display useful then the external temperature is low Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to choose minimum 20 maximum 186 ENT to confirm 4 Temperature this option selects the scale for the temperature Degrees or Fahrenheit Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to choose ENT to confirm 5 Buzzer enables or disables the beeps played by the internal buzzer Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to enable disable 6
9. so so Rel 00000 our o Defined positions Temp fe Absolute C Relative f Cr F 112345 Red Filter E B ga 00 0 Figure 11 Control page Position This panel displavs the current position both absolute and relative see paragraph Absolute and relative positions page 6 The panel contains also the buttons IN and OUT to move the focuser bv a free amount On the right side of the pointers a vertical bar that it indicates in graphical form the position of the focuser regarding the zero Steps This panel contains some buttons to move the focuser by a fixed amount of steps If the focuser is close to its range limits then it will only move until the end of its travel Defined positions Here it is possible to choose the visualization mode of the current position as Absolute or Relative Selecting Relative the button Reset ref will be enabled pressing it the current position will be used as a reference for the further positions new zero reference Under these options a combo box permits to select and store some user positions write with the keyboard a number between 1 and 20 000 for the 20mm focuser zero won t be accepted and a name to describe the position The absolute positions must be in the range of the focuser and cannot be negative The relative positions can be negative their range depends by the current absolute position If the relative value sets the focuser out of its range then the command will be
10. ID position 1 If instead the focusers are identical example two Newtons then the first must be set to position 1 the last to position 2 The controller must be always connected to the focuser with ID 1 Figure 1 Rotary switch Power on Connect the power cable to the focuser to turn it on Power off Remove the power cable Powering off the focuser does not delete any internal setting nor the stored positions Device selection After powering on the MFD NET or BIG35N the buzzer will play a short beep and the writing Select device will be shown on the display After two seconds it will be possible to choose which focuser has to be controlled if more than one focuser is connected see figure 3 In this case use the keys IN and OUT to choose the focuser and press ENT to confirm Press ESC to return to the device selection menu where keeping ESC pressed for one second it will be executed the function device search to search the network and verify all connections Controller options Using the controller figure 2 it s possible to configure all the options of the MFD_NET The options are grouped in two sets the first are related to the controller the second to the focuser to be controlled The controller options are general and related to all focusers these are language speed keyboard response contrast temperature buzzer position To modify these settings keep pressed ENT for two seconds then press IN or OUT to choose the
11. an cause a delay and a positioning error when the motor direction is inverted The optimal setting must be found by trial and error and varies from focuser to focuser The valid range is minimum 0 maximum 255 Press ENT to enter IN and OUT to modify the setting ENT to confirm Temperature visualization after having selected the focuser to be controlled pressing the key ENT press ENT again to display the temperature figure 5 only with temperature probe optional A Absolute and relative position The absolute position is a number referred to mechanical zero whole tube inside The relative position is referred to a given position chosen by the user To select this reference follow the procedure below be sure to operate the focuser in manual mode All the positions are expressed in microns um 1 1000 mm B Manual mode operating After having selected the focuser to be controlled pressing the ENT key the display will show on the first row the focuser model on the left and the letter M on the right see figure 4 At this point press ENT again on the first row it will be displayed the focuser model and the current temperature on the second row the absolute position followed by the letter A which means absolute position After this data in the middle of the row the letter I or O will mark the last direction of the focuser I stands for IN O stands for OUT If a blinking cursor is visible below the number this means th
12. approx 600 steps seconds 1 step seconds stepper micro motor 216 mm reducer 166 1 4 5 5 2 kg depends by the tilt of the instruments 18 20 kg depends by the tilt of the instruments 15 teeth INOX steel 71 teeth brass 28 teeth INOX steel 53 teeth brass Modular Jack 4 pin golden cable mt 5 00 RISC PIC Microchip 16F876i FLASH EEPROM FLASH 8K 14 bit 368 bytes 256 bytes 16 MHz 650 mA Digital 9 bit lin 0 5 C 0 70 cable 50 cm 110x92x75mm LxWxH 25 65 C Hall effect neodymium magnet external 12 14 5 Vcc 2 90 approx BIG 35 Net D_ Net 720 gr 20 mm 780 gr 40 mm RISC PIC Microchip 18F252i FLASH EEPROM FLASH 32K 16 bit 368 bytes 256 bytes 16 MHz 35 mA Modular Jack 4 pin golden cable mt 5 00 Modular Jack 6 pin golden cable mt 2 40 105x72x255mm LxWxH 25 75 C 100 240 Vac 47 63 Hz 0 5 A 12 Vcc 1 25 A 15W max Coaxial plug 5 5 mm Vcc central pin UL CE GS CB Revision January 2015 firmware controller 1 34 focuser 1 7 web http www microfocuser com e mail info microfocuser com 1999 2015 O MO FOLHSEE 14
13. at the focuser is still moving On the right side of the second row it s displayed the relative position followed by the letter R Pressing for two seconds the ENT key after a beep the current position will be used as reference and the displayed relative position will be set to zero Press ESC quickly to manage the Memory Positions discussed in the next paragraph C Memory positions The MFD_NET or BIG35N can store up to 6 positions in memory This feature is very useful when using a filter wheel since every filter may change the focus in a different way another advantage is the quick refocus when changing different cameras After selecting the focuser pressing ENT on the display it will be shown the focuser model and letter M on the right side of the row Use the keys IN and OUT to select the desired memory position now it is possible to move the focuser to that position or modify its value The total positions available are 6 Press ENT to edit the current position then press IN and OUT to modify its value Press ENT again to move automatically the focuser to that position at the end of the procedure a beep will played by the buzzer To store in memory the current position of the focuser set the controller to manual mode pressing OUT until the letter M becomes visible then press ENT and IN OUT to find the best focus as reported by the instrumentation D Calibration This function sets the focuser to its zero reference whole tube ins
14. he motor will stop automatically and the only possible movement will be the inversion of the direction The display will show Out of range If the focuser was hit or it slipped from its position for an excessive load the focuser will need to be calibrated again to reset its zero reference See the paragraph about Calibration If the focuser slips often then the thumbscrews near the serial number of the MFD NET or BIG35N must be tighten These small screws should be tighten bv an half turn all in the same direction If the problem cannot be corrected this way contact the dealer or the manufacturer For every other problem in the control box or in the focuser not listed in this manual feel free to contact the manufacturer Please note This product and its software can be improved in the future so the specifications listed in this manual could vary in the next releases Warning Connections Attention Be careful when you insert the cables a wrong connection may damage the focuser of the serial port of PC See figure 6 Figure 7 Adapters and rings Figure 8 Cables 1 Micro Forgot Treviso ITALY e mail info microfocuser com Remote control and software This section describes the remote control of the MFD NET or BIG35N from the Personal computer with advanced features to integrate it with CCD cameras and remote observatories System requirements e Microsoft Windows ALL e CPU 486 DX minimum 8 Mb RAM e 1 Mb
15. ide This function must be called if the focuser was hit or it slipped for an excessive load After the calibration the focuser will be positioned at the first quarter of its travel 5 mm for the 20 mm focuser the display will show the number 5000 as absolute position E 1 mu ij i THY CH AA nel Temperature probe Controller serial cable Power supply Figure 6 Connection schematics NET cable 4 pins To the PC through the DB9 adapter and the 6 pins 11 14 5 Vcc TROUBLESHOOTING Noise for vibrations during the calibration this can be normal and won t affect the precision of the pointing nor the quality of the imaging The noise can be caused only by the movement of the focuser at the lowest speed during the calibration At the start of the calibration procedure the focuser reset its references moving itself at variable speed At first from the current position the focuser slews to the initial position whole barrel inside at the maximum speed until it detects the Hall sensor which marks the limit of the travel At this point the focuser inverts its direction goes back a little then it moves forward again to find the initial position with maximum precision Out of range The focuser is programmed to respect its range of positions between O and 20 mm of free travel 0 40 for the newton 0 10 for the MFD PC upgrade so the position number will be limited between 0 a 20 000 Beyond this limits t
16. s of the Schmidt Cassegrain model To mount the focuser to the telescope use the supplied plate attaching it with screws at the same place of the previous focuser of the telescope Before mounting the MFD NET it is mandatory to securely attach the plate to the base of the focuser using the 4 thumbscrews supplied The available travel of the focuser is approx 40 or 60 mm Electronics The MFD_NET or BIG35N are a network system which is composed of two or more units Digital Net also with the BIG35N model The first unit is the control box controller which can control up to 10 focusers for Newton and Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes The other units are the focusers This network allows to control many focuser in a independent multitasking way using just one control box and one software For example it is possible to focus the main telescope and the guide telescope at the same time MFD_NET or BIG35N The MFD_NET comes with a cable for the 12Vcc power supply 12 14 5 Vcc allowed range Optionally it s available a power supply with an universal input 110 240 Vac 50 60 Hz and 12 Vcc output The 4 pins NET cable between the controller and the focuser is approx 5 meters long from each focuser its possible to connect other 4 pins NET cables to control other devices The maximum length of the NET cable is 1 Km The RS232 6 pins cable is 3 meters long maximum length 15 mt see figure 8 and must be connected between the controller and the PC
17. ure 12 Window Defined positions ccooocnccoccconoconnnnocononononcnnnconcnnononononnncnnononnnnonnnnnnnnnrnnnrnnnnnnnnnannnnnnnns 10 A EEE EE O A A E EAA E A E TE I E E A EE 10 NOTES ii ee 11 NOTES ee ee anes Rn ke A a ee 12 Figure 13 Connectors schematic scada be 13 TECHNICAL SPEEIFIGATIONS euere 14 A ata 14 Sos A AP A Me emt eee ene eee 14 Power supply optional eee 14 INSTALLATION Mechanics Schmidt Cassegrain The Micro Focuser Digital NET MFD NET is designed to be compatible with most Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes and other mounts with a standard 2 inches barrel not BIG35 Digital Net subsequently appointed BIG35N The threaded ring figure 7 must be removed by hand from the focuser and attached firmly to the telescope then connect the MFD_NET focuser rotating it if needed and block it using the three thumbscrews near the base of the focuser Along with the MFD NET two adapters are supplied figure 7 the first permits to insert eyepieces and accessories with a diameter of 114 the seconds is designed for 2 accessories The available travel of the focuser is approx 20 mm 10 mm for the upgrade of the MFD_PC The positions displayed on the hand controller are referred to the true steps of the stepper motor 1000 steps correspond to 1 000427 mm one steps is 0 001000427 mm or a 0 000039387 inches Mechanics Newton amp BIG35N This focuser supports the same accessorie
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