kstars-3.5.6/doc/indi.docbook

<chapter id="indi">
<title>Astronomical Device Control with <acronym>INDI</acronym></title>
<indexterm><primary>INDI Control</primary>
<secondary>Overview</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>&kstars; provides an interface to configure and control astronomical
instruments via the <acronym><link linkend="what-is-indi">INDI</link></acronym>
protocol.
</para>

<para>The <acronym>INDI</acronym> protocol supports a variety of astronomical
instruments such as CCD cameras and focusers. For an up to date list of supported
devices, please visit <acronym>INDI</acronym>
<ulink url="https://indilib.org/index.php?title=Devices">supported devices page</ulink>.
</para>

<sect1 id="indi-kstars-setup">
<title>INDI Setup</title>
<indexterm><primary>INDI</primary>
<secondary>Setup</secondary>
</indexterm>
<para>
&kstars; can control local and remote devices seamlessly via the
<link linkend="what-is-indi">INDI</link> server/client architecture. INDI devices
may be run in three different modes:
</para>

<orderedlist>
<listitem><para><guilabel>Local</guilabel>: The local mode is the most common and is used to control
local device (&ie; a device attached to your machine).
</para></listitem>

<listitem><para><guilabel>Server</guilabel>: The server mode establishes an INDI server for a particular
device and waits for connections from remote clients. You cannot operate server devices,
you can only start and shut them down.
</para></listitem>

<listitem><para><guilabel>Client</guilabel>: The client mode is used to connect to remote INDI servers
running INDI devices. You can control remote devices seamlessly like local devices.
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>

<para>You can run local device, establish INDI servers, and connect to remote clients
from the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Device Manager...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>

<para>Here is a screenshot of the <guilabel>Device Manager</guilabel>
window:
</para>

<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Running device drivers</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="devicemanager.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
<textobject>
<phrase>Start device drivers</phrase>
</textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>

<para>You can run devices by browsing the device tree, selecting a specific device,
and then clicking on the <guibutton>Run Service</guibutton> button. You can select
the operation mode, either local or server as defined above. The port number is
randomly generated between the range from 7624 to 10,000. To specify a port, click
on the port column next to the desired driver. &kstars; allows multiple drivers to
run under one INDI server, and hence one port. Select multiple drivers then press
<guibutton>Run Service</guibutton> button.
</para>

<para>To control remote devices, refer to the
<link linkend="indi-remote-control">remote device control</link> section.
</para>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-telescope-setup">
<title>Telescope Setup</title>
<indexterm><primary>INDI</primary>
<secondary>Setup</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>Most telescopes are equipped with <hardware>RS232</hardware> interface
for remote control. Connect the RS232 jack in your telescope to your
computer's <hardware>Serial/&USB;</hardware> port. Traditionally, the RS232
connects to the serial port of your computer, but since many new laptops
abandoned the serial port in favor of <hardware>&USB;/FireWire</hardware>
ports, you might need to obtain a Serial to &USB; adaptor to use with new
laptops.
</para>

<para>After connecting your telescope to the Serial/&USB; port, turn your
telescope on. It is <emphasis>highly</emphasis> recommended that you
download and install the latest firmware for your telescope
controller.
</para>

<para>The telescope needs to be aligned before it can be used properly.
Align your telescope (one or two stars alignment) as illustrated in your
telescope manual.
</para>

<para>&kstars; needs to verify time and location settings before connecting
to the telescope. This insures proper tracking and synchronization between
the telescope and &kstars;. The following steps will enable you to connect
to a device that is connected to your computer. To connect and control remote
devices, please refer to
<link linkend="indi-remote-control">remote device control</link> section.
</para>

<para>You can use the Telescope Setup Wizard and it will verify all the
required information in the process. It can automatically scan ports for
attached telescopes. You can run the wizard by selecting the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Devices</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Telescope Wizard</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>

<para>Alternatively, you can connect to a local telescope by performing the
following steps:
</para>

<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>Set your geographical location. Open the
<guilabel>Set Geographic Location</guilabel> window by selecting the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Geographic...</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
menu item, or by pressing the <guiicon>Globe</guiicon>
icon in the toolbar, or by pressing <keycombo
action="simul">&Ctrl;<keycap>G</keycap></keycombo>.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem><para>Set your local time and date. You can change to any time or
date by selecting <menuchoice><guimenu>Time</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Set Time...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item, or by pressing the <guiicon>Time</guiicon>
icon in the toolbar. The <guilabel>Set Time</guilabel> window uses a standard
&kde; Date Picker widget. If you ever need to reset the clock back to the current
time, just select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Time</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Set Time to
Now</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>Click on the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Device Manager...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>Under the <guilabel>Device</guilabel> column, select your telescope model.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>Click on the <guibutton>Run Service</guibutton> button.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>Click <guibutton>Close</guibutton> to leave the Device Manager
Dialog.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>

<note id="geo-time-note">
<title>Frequent Settings</title>
<para>You do not need to set the geographic location and time every time you
connect to a telescope. Only adjust the settings as needed.
</para></note>

<para>You are now ready to use the device features, &kstars; conveniently provides
two interchangeable &GUI; interfaces for controlling telescopes:
</para>

<orderedlist>
<title>Controlling your telescope</title>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Sky map Control</guilabel>: For each device you run in the
<guilabel>Device Manager</guilabel>, a corresponding entry will show up in popup menu
that allows you to control the properties of the device. You can
issue commands like <command>Slew</command>, <command>Sync</command>, and
<command>Track</command> directly from the sky map.
</para>

<para>Here is a screenshot of the popup menu with an active LX200 Classic device:
</para>

<screenshot>
<screeninfo>Controlling devices from sky map</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="skymapdevice.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel>: The panel offers the user with all the
features supported by a device.
</para>

<para>The panel is divided into three main sections:
</para>

<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Device tabs</guilabel>: Each additional active device occupies a
tab in the INDI panel. Multiple devices can run simultaneously without
affecting the operation of other devices.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>
Property views on the <guilabel>Main Control</guilabel> and <guilabel>Options</guilabel>
tabs: Properties are the key element in INDI architecture. Each device defines a
set of properties to communicate with the client. The current position of the
telescope is an example of a property. Semantically similar properties are usually
contained in logical blocks or groupings.
</para>
</listitem>

<listitem>
<para>
<guilabel>Log viewer</guilabel>: Devices report their status and acknowledge commands
by sending INDI messages. Each device has its own log view. A device usually sends messages
to its device driver only, but a device is permitted to send a generic message when appropriate.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>

<screenshot>
<screeninfo>INDI Control Panel</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="indicontrolpanel.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>

<para>You are not restricted on using one interface over another as they can be both
used simultaneously. Actions from the <guilabel>Sky map</guilabel> are automatically
reflected in the <guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel> and vice versa.
</para>

<para>To connect to your telescope, you can either select <guimenuitem>Connect</guimenuitem>
from your device popup menu or alternatively, you can press <guibutton>Connect</guibutton>
under your device tab in the <guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel>.
</para>

<important><para>By default, &kstars; will try to connect to the <constant>/dev/ttyS0</constant>
port. To change the connection port, select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu> <guimenuitem>INDI Control Panel...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item and
change the port under your device tab.
</para></important>

<para>&kstars; automatically updates the telescope's longitude, latitude, and
time based on current settings in &kstars;. You can enable/disable these
using the <guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page from the <menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Configure &kstars;...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item. Using the
<guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page you can configure &kstars; to display or not
INDI status messages in the status bar. By default INDI server port numbers have values between
the range from 7624 to 9000, but you can easily change the range using the <guilabel>From:</guilabel>
and <guilabel>To:</guilabel> text boxes from the <guilabel>Server Port</guilabel> section.
</para>

<para>If &kstars; communicates successfully with the telescope, it will retrieve the
current <abbrev>RA</abbrev> and <abbrev>DEC</abbrev> from the telescope and will display a
crosshair on the sky map indicating the telescope position. You can hide the crosshair that marks telescope
position using <guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page from the <menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Configure &kstars;...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>

<note id="indi-sync">
<title>Synchronizing your telescope</title>
<para>If you aligned your telescope and the last alignment star was, for example, Vega,
then the crosshair should be centered around Vega. If the crosshair was off target, then
you can <mousebutton>right</mousebutton>-click Vega from the sky map and select
<command>Sync</command> from your telescope menu. This action will instruct the telescope
to synchronize its internal coordinates to match those of Vega, and the telescope's crosshair
should now be centered around Vega.
</para>
</note>

<para>This is it: your telescope is ready to explore the heavens!
</para>

<warning>
<title>WARNING</title>
<para>Never use the telescope to look at the sun. Looking at the sun might cause irreversible
damage to your eyes and your equipment.
</para>
</warning>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-other-setup">
<title>CCD and Video-Capture Setup</title>
<indexterm><primary>CCD Video Control</primary>
<secondary>Setup</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>You can run CCD and Video Capture devices from the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu> <guimenuitem>Device Manager...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
Like all INDI devices, some of the device controls will be accessible from the skymap.
The device can be controlled fully from the <guimenuitem>INDI Control Panel...</guimenuitem> item.
</para>

<para>The standard format for image capture is FITS. Once an image is captured and downloaded,
it will be automatically displayed in the &kstars; <link linkend="tool-fitsviewer">FITS Viewer</link>.
</para>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-configure">
<title>Configure INDI</title>
<indexterm><primary>Configure</primary>
<secondary>INDI</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>The <guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page allows you to modify <emphasis>Client side</emphasis> INDI
specific options. To access it, select the <guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page from
<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure &kstars;...</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
menu item.
The window is divided into several main categories: General, Device Updates, Display and Server Port:
</para>

<itemizedlist>
  <listitem><para><guilabel>General</guilabel></para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>INDI server:</guilabel> Specify the binary of installed INDI server in your system. By default, &kstars; uses <quote>/usr/bin/indiserver</quote> binary.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>INDI drivers XML directory:</guilabel> Specify the &XML; directory where INDI drivers are located in your system. By default, &kstars; uses <quote>/usr/share/indi</quote> directory.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Default FITS directory:</guilabel> Specify the directory where all captured FITS images will be saved to. If no directory is specified, images will be stored in <varname>$HOME</varname>.</para></listitem>
    <!-- Telescope port & Video port:
      <listitem><para><option>Telescope port:</option> The default telescope port. When you connect to a local or remote telescope service, &kstars; will automatically fill the telescope's device port with the specified default port.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><option>Video port:</option> The default video port. When you connect to a local or remote video service, &kstars; will automatically fill the webcam's device port with the specified default port.</para></listitem>
    -->
    </itemizedlist>
  </listitem>
  <listitem><para><guilabel>Time &amp; Location Updates</guilabel></para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>KStars updates all devices</guilabel>: KStars is the master source for time and location settings. All INDI devices time and locations settings are synchronized to KStars settings.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Mount updates KStars</guilabel>: Mount handset is the master source of time and location settings. KStars time and location settings are synchronized with controller settings.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>GPS updates KStars</guilabel>: GPS driver is the master source of time and location settings. KStars time and location settings are synchronized with GPS settings.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Time</guilabel>: Synchronize KStars date and time automatically from the update source.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Location</guilabel>: Synchronize KStars location settings from the update source.</para></listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </listitem>
  <listitem><para><guilabel>Display</guilabel></para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Telescope crosshair</guilabel>: When checked, &kstars; displays the telescope's target crosshair on the sky map. The crosshair is displayed upon a successful connection to the telescope and its location is updated periodically. The telescope's name is displayed next to the crosshair. &kstars; displays one crosshair per each connected telescope. To change the color of the telescope's crosshair, open the <link linkend="viewops">Configure - &kstars;</link> window. Select the <guilabel>Colors</guilabel> page, and then change the color of the <guimenuitem>Target Indicator</guimenuitem> item to the desired color.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Independent window</guilabel>: Make <guilabel>FITS Viewer</guilabel> window independent.</para></listitem>
      <listitem><para><guilabel>Message notifications</guilabel>: Show INDI messages as desktop notifications instead of dialogs.</para></listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </listitem>
<!--
  <listitem><para>Update Source: Synchronize &kstars; according to either the
    computer or device time and location settings.</para>
  </listitem>
  <listitem><para>Filter Wheel: Assign color codes to the filter wheel slots (&eg; Slot #0 Red, Slot #1 Blue, &etc;) You can assign color codes for up to 10 filter slots (0 to 9). To assign a color code, select a slot number from the drop down combo box, and then type the corresponding color code in the edit field. Repeat the process for all desired slots and then press OK.</para>
  </listitem>
-->
  <listitem><para><guilabel>Server Port</guilabel></para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem><para>Specify range of ports that INDI Server will bind to when starting new drivers.</para></listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </listitem>
</itemizedlist>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-concepts">
<title>INDI Concepts</title>
<indexterm><primary>Telescope Control</primary>
<secondary>Concepts</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>
The main key concept in INDI is that devices have the ability to describe themselves.
This is accomplished by using &XML; to describe a generic hierarchy that can represent
both canonical and non-canonical devices. In INDI, all <emphasis>devices</emphasis>
may contain one or more <emphasis>properties</emphasis>. Any <emphasis>property</emphasis>
may contain one or more <emphasis>elements</emphasis>.
There are four types of INDI properties:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>Text property.</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Number property.</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Switch property (Represented in &GUI; by buttons and checkboxes).</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Light property (Represented in &GUI; by colored LEDs).</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>

<para>For example, all INDI devices share the CONNECTION standard switch <emphasis>property</emphasis>.
The CONNECTION property has two elements: CONNECT and DISCONNECT switches. &kstars; parses the generic
&XML; description of properties and builds a &GUI; representation suitable for direct human interaction.
</para>

<para>The INDI control panel offers many device properties not accessible from the sky map.
The properties offered differ from one device to another. Nevertheless, all properties share
common features that constrains how they are displayed and used:
</para>

<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
Permission: All properties can either be read-only, write-only, or read and
write enabled. An example of a read-write property is the telescope's Right
Ascension. You can enter a new Right Ascension and the telescope, based on
current settings, will either slew or sync to the new input. Furthermore,
when the telescope slews, its Right Ascension gets updated and sent back to
the client.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>State: Prefixed to each property is a state indicator (round LED).
Each property has a state and an associated color code:
</para>
<table frame="top"><title>INDI State color code</title>
<tgroup cols="3" colsep="1" rowsep="1">
<thead>
<row>
<entry>State</entry>
<entry>Color</entry>
<entry>Description</entry>
</row>
</thead>
<tbody>
<row>
<entry>Idle</entry>
<entry>Gray</entry>
<entry>Device is performing no action with respect to this property</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Ok</entry>
<entry>Green</entry>
<entry>Last operation performed on this property was successful and
active</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Busy</entry>
<entry>Yellow</entry>
<entry>The property is performing an action</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>Alert</entry>
<entry>Red</entry>
<entry>The property is in critical condition and needs immediate
attention</entry>
	</row>
	</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>

<para>The device driver updates the property state in real-time when
necessary. For example, if the telescope is in the process of slewing to a
target, then the RA/DEC properties will be signaled as
<guilabel>Busy</guilabel>. When the slew process is completed successfully,
the properties will be signaled as <guilabel>Ok</guilabel>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Context: Numerical properties can accept and process numbers in two formats:
decimal and sexagesimal. The sexagesimal format is convenient when expressing
time or equatorial/geographical coordinates. You can use any format at your
convenience. For example, all the following numbers are equal:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>-156.40</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>-156:24:00</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>-156:24</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Time: The standard time for all INDI-related communications is Universal Time UTC
specified as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS in accord with ISO 8601. &kstars; communicates the
correct UTC time with device drivers automatically. You can enable/disable automatic
time updates from the <guilabel>INDI</guilabel> page in the settings dialog.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-remote-control">
<title>Remote Device Control</title>
<indexterm><primary>Telescope Control</primary>
<secondary>Remote Devices</secondary>
</indexterm>

<para>&kstars; provides a simple yet powerful layer for remote device control.
A detailed description of the layer is described in the INDI <ulink
url="https://www.clearskyinstitute.com/INDI/INDI.pdf">white paper</ulink>.
</para>

<para>You need to configure both the server and client machines for remote control:
</para>

<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para><guilabel>Server</guilabel>: To prepare a device for remote control, follow the same steps in the
<link linkend="indi-kstars-setup">local/server</link> setup. When you start a device
service in the <guilabel>Device Manager</guilabel>, a port number is displayed under
the <guilabel>Port</guilabel> column. In addition to the port number, you
also need the hostname or IP address of your server.
</para>

</listitem>
<listitem>
<para><guilabel>Client</guilabel>: Select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu> <guimenuitem>Device Manager...</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
menu item and you can add, modify, or delete hosts into <guilabel>Client</guilabel> tab.
Add a host by clicking on the <guibutton>Add</guibutton> button.
Enter the hostname/IP address of the server in the <guilabel>Host:</guilabel> field, and enter the port
number obtained from the <emphasis>server</emphasis> machine in step 1.
</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>

<screenshot>
<screeninfo>INDI Client</screeninfo>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="indiclient.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>

<para>After you add a host, right click on the host to
<guimenuitem>Connect</guimenuitem> or <guimenuitem>Disconnect</guimenuitem>.
If a connection is established, you can control the telescope from the
<guilabel>Sky map</guilabel> or <guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel>
exactly as described in the <link linkend="indi-kstars-setup">local/server</link> section. It is as easy at that.
</para>

<sect2 id="indi-commandline">
<title>Running an INDI server from the command line</title>
<para>While &kstars; allows you to easily deploy an INDI server; you can launch
an INDI server from the command line.
</para>

<para>
Since INDI is an independent backend component, you can run an INDI server on a host
without &kstars;. INDI can be compiled separately to run on remote hosts.
Furthermore, device drivers log messages to <constant>stderr</constant> and that can
be helpful in a debugging situation.  The syntax for INDI server is as following:
</para>

<para>$ <command>indiserver</command> [options] driver [<filename>driver</filename> ...]
</para>

<para><screen>Options:
 -l d     : Log driver messages to &lt;d&gt;/YYYY-MM-DD.islog
 -m m     : Kill client if gets more than this many MB behind, default 128.
 -d m     : Drop streaming blobs if client gets more than this many MB behind, default 5. 0 to disable.
 -p p     : Alternate IP port, default 7624.
 -r r     : Maximum driver restarts on error, default 10.
 -f path  : Path to fifo for dynamic startup and shutdown of drivers.
 -v       : Show key events, no traffic.
 -vv      : -v + key message content.
 -vvv     : -vv + complete xml.
 driver   : Executable or [device]@host[:port]
</screen></para>

<para>For example, if you want to start an INDI server running an LX200 GPS
driver and listening to connections on port 8000, you would run the
following command:
</para>

<para>$ <command>indiserver</command> -p 8000 <filename>lx200gps</filename></para>
</sect2>

<sect2 id="indi-secure-remote">
<title>Secure Remote Operation</title>

<para>Suppose we want to run an indiserver with INDI drivers on a remote host,
<constant>remote_host</constant>, and connect them to &kstars; running on the local machine.
</para>

<para>From the local machine log onto the remote host, <constant>remote_host</constant>,
by typing:
</para>

<para>$ <command>ssh</command> -L <varname>local_port</varname>:<constant>remote_host</constant>:<varname>remote_port</varname></para>

<para>This binds the <varname>local_port</varname> on the local machine to the
<varname>remote_port</varname> on the <constant>remote_host</constant>. After logging in,
run indiserver on the remote host:
</para>

<para>$ <command>indiserver</command> -p <varname>remote_port</varname> [<filename>driver</filename>...]</para>

<para>Back on the local machine, start &kstars; then open the <guimenuitem>Device Manager</guimenuitem>
and add a host under the <guilabel>Client</guilabel> tab. The host should be the local host
(usually 127.0.0.1) and the port number should be the <varname>local_port</varname> used in the steps above.
<mousebutton>Right</mousebutton>-click on the host and select <guimenuitem>Connect</guimenuitem> from
the popup menu. &kstars; will connect to the remote INDI server securely. The host information will be saved
for future sessions.</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>

<sect1 id="indi-faq">
<title>INDI Frequently Asked Questions</title>
<indexterm><primary>Telescope Control</primary>
<secondary>&FAQ;</secondary>
</indexterm>

<qandaset defaultlabel="qanda">
<qandaentry>
<question id="what-is-indi">
<para>What is INDI?</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para><acronym>INDI</acronym> is the
<ulink url="https://indilib.org"> Instrument-Neutral-Distributed-Interface</ulink> control
protocol developed by <author><firstname>Elwood</firstname><surname>C. Downey</surname></author> of
<ulink url="https://www.clearskyinstitute.com/">ClearSky Institute</ulink>. &kstars; employs device
drivers that are compatible with the INDI protocol. INDI has many advantages including loose coupling
between hardware devices and software drivers. Clients that use the device drivers (like &kstars;)
are completely unaware of the device capabilities. In run time, &kstars; communicates with the device
drivers and builds a completely dynamical &GUI; based on services provided by the device. Therefore, new
device drivers can be written or updated and &kstars; can take full advantage of them without any changes
on the client side.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Do you plan to support more devices?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Yes. We plan to support major CCD cameras and focusers and extend support
for more telescopes. If you would like INDI to support a particular device,
please send an email to <email>indi-devel@lists.sourceforge.net</email>
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What operations does &kstars; provide to control the telescope?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
It depends on the particular telescope you're running, but the minimum three operations are
<command>Slew</command>, <command>Track</command>, and <command>Sync</command>, which you can
issue directly from the sky map. Your telescope must be aligned for those operations to perform
correctly. Some telescopes offer you more operations like site management, slew modes, focusing,
parking, and more. You can access the telescopes extended features from the
<menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>INDI Control Panel...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
What's the difference between <command>Slew</command>, <command>Track</command>, and <command>Sync</command> exactly?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
The command <command>Slew</command> orders the telescope to move to a particular target, and once
the telescope reaches its target, the telescope keeps tracking that target at a
<emphasis>sidereal</emphasis> rate (&ie;, the rate at which stars move across the sky). This works well
for stars, Messier objects, and about everything outside our solar system. But solar system objects
travel differently across the sky and so the telescope must <command>Track</command> the objects as they move.
</para>
<para>
Therefore, you need to issue a track command if you want to track an object with non-sidereal motion.
On the other hand, <command>Sync</command> is used to synchronize the telescope's internal coordinates
with that of an object you select.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
Can I control my telescope remotely?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>
Yes. You can start an INDI server on the machine connected to your telescope and the server will listen
to requests from &kstars; clients. Once you're connected, you can control your telescope directly from
the sky map. This procedure is described in detail in the
<link linkend="indi-remote-control">Remote device control</link> section.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>
When I try to <guibutton>Connect</guibutton>, &kstars; reports that the
telescope is not connected to the serial/&USB; port. What can I do?
</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>This message is triggered when &kstars; cannot communicate with the telescope. Here are few things you can do:</para>

   <orderedlist>
   <listitem>
<para>Check that you have both reading and writing permission for the port you are trying to connect to.</para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
<para>Check the connection cable, make sure it is in good condition and test it with other applications.</para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
<para>Check your telescope power, make sure the power is on and that the telescope is getting enough power.</para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
<para>Select the <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guisubmenu>Devices</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>INDI Control Panel...</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item and set the correct
port in the <guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel> dialog. The default device is
<constant>/dev/ttyS0</constant></para>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
   <para>Restart &kstars; and retry again.</para>
   </listitem>
   </orderedlist>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>&kstars; reports that the telescope is online and ready, but I cannot find the telescope's crosshair, where is it?</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>&kstars; retrieves the telescopes RA and DEC coordinates upon connection. If your
alignment was performed correctly, then you should see the crosshair around your target
in the Sky Map. However, the RA and DEC coordinates provided by the telescope may be
incorrect (even below the horizon) and you need to <link linkend="indi-sync">Sync</link>
your telescope to your current target. You can use the right-click menu to center and track
the telescope crosshair in the sky map.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>

<qandaentry>
<question>
<para>The telescope is moving erratically or not moving at all. What can I do?</para>
</question>
<answer>
<para>This behavior is mostly due to incorrect settings, please verify the following check list:</para>
<orderedlist>
<listitem>
<para>Is the telescope aligned?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Is the telescope alignment mode correct? Use <guilabel>INDI Control Panel</guilabel> to check
and change these settings (<constant>Alt/Az,Polar, Land</constant>).
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Are the telescope's time and date settings correct?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Are the telescope's longitude and latitude settings correct?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Is the telescope's UTC offset correct?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Are the telescope's RA and DEC axis locked firmly?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Is the telescope's N/S switch (when applicable) setup correctly for your hemisphere?</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Is the cable between the telescope and computer in good condition?</para>
</listitem>
</orderedlist>

<para>If you think all settings are correct but the telescope still moves erratically or not at all,
then please send a report to <email>indi-devel@lists.sourceforge.net</email>.
</para>
</answer>
</qandaentry>
</qandaset>
</sect1>
</chapter>