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Setting Up the Astro-Physics Command Center
APCC can be as simple or as complex as you wish to make it. This Quick Start guide will only touch
upon the Setup of this software. The Help menu will provide more detailed information. Don’t forget
to click of the “?” in the corners for specific information in that window!
Entering Basic Settings
1. Program Operation window
a) Ask if Ok to Exit - Checked (uncheck for remote).
b) This Form is Always on Top - Unchecked.
c) Show Emergency Stop Window - Checked.
2. Advanced Settings
(click Advanced Settings button).
a) Auto Initialize (secs) - Check & set to “0”.
b) Auto Shutdown (secs) - Unchecked.
c) Enable Logging (to disk) - Checked.
d) Show Status Window when Starting - Unchecked.
e) Prevent Errant RECALs - Checked.
f) Exhaustive COM Port Search - Checked (Uncheck only if start up is slow)
g) Keep Mount Time Synced to PC Time (enabling will override driver’s setting) - Checked.
h) Enable Tracking Rate Tweak Window - Unchecked.
3. Virtual Ports Tab
a) Virtual Ports - randomly choose high
COM numbers for the first two Virtual
Ports (COM 21 and COM 22) so that
they do not conflict with real COM
ports. Once you have chosen them,
click the Create button to the left of
each.
b) Once you have selected these Virtual COM ports, you will need to go to the AP V2 ASCOM Driver and check the
box APCC Virtual Port and change the selected Port to agree with your top Virtual port in APCC (we chose COM21
in the example).
Remember: APCC will connect to the mount with the real port and the AP V2 Driver will connect to
the virtual port. Third-party software will connect to the AP V2 Driver, which is a hub. In third-party
software the AP V2 Driver is called AstroPhysics GTO V2 Mount.
4. Edit Initialize Mount Settings window
(choose from Setting in the Menu
Bar)
a)
Initialization Site and Unpark will fill in automatically from the other tabs.
b) Optional Initialization
i) Set Tracking Rate - Sidereal.
ii) Set Guide Rate - 1.00x (always).
iii) Set Slew Rate - your favorite speed. It is recommended to use slower
speeds in cold weather.
