Telescope Control Plugin, /dev/cu.?

try ls /dev/cu*

You use PL2303?

ls /dev/cu* brought up

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-Modem
/dev/cu.UseriPhone-Wirel
/dev/cu.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

Im not sure what you mean by PL2303?

The Mac drivers that came with the USB to Serial Adapter are - FTDIUSBSerialDriver Kernel Extension, which I have installed.

If there are any good forums with telescope control plugin config guides for OS X, please send me over a link.

What's manufactured your USB-to-Serial adapter? About drivers for PL2303 you can read here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/

No I didn't use the PL2303 drivers. The drivers that I installed and that came with the adapter are FTDIUSBSerialDriver Kernel. Here is a link a webpage on the adapter.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=XC4834&keywords=USB+to+DB9M+RS%2D232+Converter&form=KEYWORD

I purchased the adapter in-store at JayCar, an electronics store. I downloaded the drivers for the adapter off the website (link above) - as the product came with a mini-cd for installation of the drivers and my MacBook Pro's Superdive doesn't support mini-cds.

I installed the PL2303 drivers from the link you gave me, restared. Then tried the "ls /dev/cu*" command in terminal - same results:

/dev/cu.Bluetooth-Modem
/dev/cu.UseriPhone-Wirel
/dev/cu.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

Do I need to have the telescope plugged in, aligned and ready to go when typing in the "ls /dev/cu*" command to get the right port? Because I have been trying to do this 'Serial Port' part without it plugged it. I assumed that because the plugin doesn't get as far as trying to connect to the telescope - it wouldn't make any difference.

Thanks again

Also, in the Celestron CPC800 Handbook - It says that the Serial interface is an RS-232 jack from the telescope - where as the adapter says in the description on JayCar website that "This USB to 9 pin Serial (RS-232) converter allows a computer with a USB port to use any RS-232C serial device via the USB port.". Note it mentions a RS-232C & RS-232 serial ports - im not sure if this 'C' in the RS-232C part makes in any less compatible with the telescope's RS-232 jack interface.

Yes, you need plugged and enabled telescope. Try it and check cu* devs

You can also try "ls /dev/*" - this will list all devices. I don't think that the "cu" thing is used by all drivers, but I'm not a Mac expert.

Ok so with the telescope connected there was an additional file:

/dev/cu.PL2303-000013FD

I tried it with the plugin and it's now saying connected.

When I try to use the telescope control with command + 0 the telescope moves but not to the right location. If I use the hand-held controller for the telescope it works fine, and you see the telescope icon move across the screen in Stellarium to the correct location. But when controlling it from Stellarium instead of the hand-controller it goes and locks-on to something in the complete other direction.

Im not sure whether its an error with latitude/longitude or with data/time or location or what? Are there any additional notes on when using command + 0 to slew the telescope.

First, telescope started from "home position"? Second, you enter correct coordinates and time?

Im not sure what "home position" is. But the telescope is properly aligned and working fine.

Stellarium says that it is grabbing the time/date from the computer which is correct.

Which coordinates? For where the telescope is or what what I'm trying to look at? Where in Stellirum can I check this? How can I cross check this so I know the coordinates are right?

I'm in CROYDON NSW AUSTRALIA 2132 at the moment. From quick Google search wikipedia says for Croydon:

33°52′38″S 151°06′18″E

But yes, I did set Croydon as the "location" in the "location window" F6. Then command + 0 when selected a viewable star and the telescope goes almost the complete opposite direction below the horizon. It actually shows the telescope as an icon on the screen looking at something below the horizon on stellirum in the correct position - but not the correct position as it told it to slew towards saturn!

Thank you for your help :)

Hmm... what place is settings in CPC800?

The keyboard shortcuts recognized by the Telescope Control plug-in on Mac OS X are:
- "Command+telescope number" (e.g. "Command+1") slews the telescope to the selected object (or nowhere, if there is no selected object)
- "Alt+telescope number" (e.g. "Alt+1") slews the telescope to the current center of the screen (if you move the screen after you start the slew, the slew will still finish at the point that was the old center)
- "Command+0" opens a dialog window allowing manual entry of coordinates.

If you are using the last case, make sure that you are using the right units (HMS = "hours, minutes, seconds" for the right ascension, DMS = "degrees, minutes, seconds", Decimal = "degrees in decimal fraction format") and that you haven't added a stray minus sign. The "slew" button applies only to the manually entered coordinates, and they are not updated from the selection, so if you select an object and push the big "slew" button in the window, it will NOT slew to the selected object.