iKarus Stellar Mate Plus, User Manual

Page: 161 / 227

The StellarMate Plus Manual
161 / 227
Serial to USB
IMPORTANT
In order to connect your mount via Serial to USB, you need to get a mount-specific
Serial to USB cable, which can be bought from Ikarus Technologies.
Most mounts provide an RS232 port (usually located in the handset). An RS232 to USB
cable is required in order connect the mount to StellarMate. StellarMate is equipped with 4
USB ports. However, it is highly recommended to use an
external powered USB Hub as it
can reliably support power to your equipment.
WARNING
Most problems in operating your equipment with StellarMate are related first and
foremost to power problems. Therefore, please invest in reliable power supply for
all your equipment!
For many Mounts & Focusers that use RS232 connectors, you need to purchase a Serial-
To-USB adapter suitable for your Mount/Focuser model from the manufacturer. When you
plug in your Serial-To-USB devices, they are assigned a specific port under StellarMate
(e.g.
/dev/ttyUSB0
). However, this port is not static. That is, next time you plug in the
same device on another session, it might get assigned another port
(e.g.
/dev/ttyUSB1
). Since INDI drivers require the port name to communicate with the
device, this could lead to communication issues. With the help of StellarMate Serial Port
Assistant (Web or Ekos versions), you can assign permanent designations for your
devices so that they always get the same port whenever they are connected
Wired Network
Some mounts support wired networked connection via a dedicated Ethernet port.
Depending on the mount manufacturer, the mount can be either connected directly via an