Hardware Validation and Compatibility

CAUTION: Experimental Status

As of version 1.7.6, this driver is primarily validated against the caux-sim simulator. Deployment on physical hardware should be approached with extreme caution. The following scripts are provided for testing purposes.

Hardware Interaction Test (HIT)

The HIT script (scripts/hit_validation.py) verifies safe movement and bus communication.

  1. Start the INDI Server:

    python src/celestron_aux/celestron_indi_driver.py

  2. Run the Test:

    python scripts/hit_validation.py

  • Pulse N/S/E/W: Verify physical motion matches the command.

  • Abort Test: Press Space during movement to verify immediate stop.

Photography & Pointing Test (PPT)

The PPT script (scripts/ppt_accuracy.py) automates pointing error measurement using a camera and plate solver (requires ASTAP).

python scripts/ppt_accuracy.py --camera "Your Camera"

Periodic Error (PE) Measurement

The scripts/pec_measure.py script measures tracking stability over a long period.

python scripts/pec_measure.py --duration 20

Feature Parity Checklist

Feature

Python Status

C++ Parity

Serial (Direct AUX)

✅ Done

Yes

Serial (via HC)

✅ Done

Yes

TCP/IP (WiFi)

✅ Done

Yes

Manual Slew

✅ Done

Yes

Fast GoTo

✅ Done

Yes

Slow Approach

✅ Done

Yes

Anti-backlash

✅ Done

Yes

Sidereal Tracking

✅ Done

Yes

Multi-Point SVD

✅ Done

Yes

6-Param Geometric

✅ Done

Improved

Focuser

✅ Done

Yes

GPS / RTC

✅ Done

Yes

Power/Battery

✅ Done

New

Readiness Checklist

  1. [ ] Balance: OTA perfectly balanced.

  2. [ ] Cables: 360-degree clearance.

  3. [ ] Soft Limits: TELESCOPE_LIMITS configured.

  4. [ ] Emergency Abort: Keyboard within reach (Space key).