Frequency Asked Questions

Questions
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Answers

1.   What does it take to add a second communication port to the Gemini Controller?
Answer: THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
The Level 4 Firmware now provides a way to add a second communications port to the Gemini Controller. This is done by removing the hand controller and adding either a  USB Isolated Adapter. When you add this adapters to the hand controller port (DB15 connector on the side of the Gemini controller), you now have a USB port plus the normal RS242 port. This second communications port has all the functionally of the RS-232 port on the front of the Gemini. You can have 2 computers connected at the same time, or one computer with 2 ports connected, or a computer and GPS connected.
This adapters has been tested with Gemini Control Center (GCC) Level 4, and with the L4 and L5 versions of the ASCOM drivers. Please note that when powering up the Gemini, using this adapter, that the Gemini will stop and wait for a program to tell it which mode to boot in. SEE FAQ2 Also note that the hand controller is disconnected, so it is non-functional, when one of the adapters is connected. You can use the hand controller emulation provided in GCC to emulate the hand controller.
The question of how the Gemini works with two programs comes up a lot. If you are using ASCOM with the POTH HUB, the Gemini is already working with many programs at once. All the programs that I have tested, normally if they receive a response from the Gemini that they did not initiate, just ignore the response. The Gemini never initiates a command except in the case of it trying to get GPS data. It only does this out the normal RS232 port. however

Special WARNING to USERS of OLDER GEMINI UNITS THAT HAVE THE DISPLAYS ON THE GEMINI CONTROLLER ITSELF. Using one of the modules will cause the On-Board display to be blank and not function as long as the module is attached. This is normal. The data to the display is being modified to become RS-232 data and is not compatible with the display data format. The Gemini will work just like the newer Gemini's that has the display in the deluxe hand controller. Use a display emulation program such as GCC.

2.   Why does the Gemini Stop and wait for startup instructions if the hand controller is not present?
Answer:   The Gemini unit has to have either the hand controller or an external computer to tell it which mode to boot in. When the Gemini initializes, it looks to see if a hand controller is connected, or some other type of communications adapter is connected to the DB15 pin connector.  If it detects a hand controller, then it will go ahead and send out the display commands to the hand controller.  If a hand controller is not present, or a Second Serial Port adapter is present, then the Gemini will stop and wait for a signal into either the normal RS-232 port or the Second Serial Port, to tell it that a computer or PDA or some kind of controlling device is present.  The controlling device has to be able to tell the Gemini what mode to start up in.

3.   Can the hand controller be removed with power on, and the USB or RS-232 Adapter connected?
Answer:  THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
YES, the hand controller can be removed while the Gemini Control box is powered Up.  If the mount is in a tracking mode such as sidereal, then the mount would keep moving.  You can then add one of the three communications adapters listed in FAQ1. The Gemini will then detect them. You have about 1 minute to do this swap normally. It is suggested that you either stop the tracking or park the telescope first to prevent the telescope from possibility hitting the mount or going into a safety zone.

4.   Can the 9 Pin Powered Version of the RS-232 adapter be connected to a PC?
Answer:   THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
No, not directly.  My testing has shown that the +5VDC on pin 9 into the PC shuts down the serial port.  I tested this with both dedicated serial ports and USB - Serial Converters.  All tested ports would not work.  No damage was done to any of them, this signal just turns off the serial port.  However Astronomy Stores now can provide you with a Male/Female DB9 (Power Blocker) adapter with Pin 9 Removed, that will allow you to connect the 9 Pin Powered Version of the RS-232 adapter to a PC at low cost.

5.   Can TheSky6 be used through the USB or RS-232 Adapter?
Answer: THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
Yes there are 2 ways to get TheSky6 to work.  If you use the Native Gemini drivers built into TheSky6, then you need to use another program to boot the Gemini Control box before connecting TheSky6.  One such program is the one I supply with the adapter, called Rebooter.exe.   The second method is to use the ASCOM drivers using the Telescope API interface.  You have to install the ASCOM driver for version 4.  Go to the ASCOM site for details on ASCOM.

6.    Can more that one program be used to control the Gemini Control box, one connected to the normal RS-232 port and another connected to the Gemini USB Adapter or Gemini RS-232 adapter (Not in production anymore).
Answer: THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
Yes, but giving conflicting command to the Gemini control box would result in unpredictable results.  Using one program to control the mount, and another to monitor and get positions from the mount are fine.  One such possibility is TheSky6 to control the mount, and MaximDL for the camera control.  MaximDL can get the mounts position for the FITS header files.  I have not tested using MaximDL to do serial guiding through the serial ports while TheSky is in command of the mount. Another Possibility is running ASCOM type programs through one port and GCC theough the second port, It does not matter which is connected to which port. The Gemini has been tested with MaximDL/TheSky6 to one port and GCC to the other port. This works fine, as long as you do not command the Gemini to move with both programs at the same time.

7.   Can a Blue-Tooth adapter be directly connected to the Gemini USB Adapter?
Answer:  THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
No, USB-Blue Tooth adapters have to have software commands to configure them.  The Gemini does not provide these software commands. Almost all slave type USB devices have to have drivers to configure them. The Gemini USB Adapter requires drivers in the computer to configure it. Most BlueTooth devices also requires a driver to configure it. The Gemini USB Adapter cannot initial any type of communications device. It also does not provide power to power a BlueTooth device.

8.    Can a serial-Blue Tooth adapter be connected to the RS-232 Adapter? (NOTE: This device is no longer in production)
Answer:  THESE ADAPTERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  The ASCOM Gemini .NET driver now provides a way to have 2 programs control the mount.
Yes, in fact I have tested both the AirCable and The Socket Serial Blue Tooth adapters.  Both work.  Using a normal RS-232 adapter either of the adapters have to have an external power source.  Using a Powered RS-232 that provides +5V on pin 9, no external power source is needed.  Please see Question 3 above about the Powered RS-232 Adapter.

9.    Can the USB adapter be connected to a USB GPS Unit?
Answer:  No. All USB connections on GPS units are USB slave devices. USB slave devices require a USB master/host such as a PC to be able to initial them. The Gemini Adapter I sell is also a USB slave device. USB slave devices cannot talk to each other even if connect together through a USB hub. It would take very special software running in a USB master/host to pass messages back and forth between USB slaves. You can us programs such as GCC to get GPS data from a USB GPS unit connected to a PC, then have it update the Gemini with the GPS data. Also, the Gemini only interrogates and looks for a GPS unit out the 4 pin Telephone Style RS-232 port. Even if my adapter could connect to a USB GPS unit, the Gemini would not interrogate it for GPS data.

Answer: A ground loop is a difference of potential in voltage between connected devices. It is normal to have a small difference due to the resistance in cables and connectors. However it should not be more than 1 volt in practice. Here is a good article that explains ground loops: Ground Loops Article

11.     How do you disable the Gemini modeling, to use T-Point or ACP
Answer:  If using the ASCOM driver for your mount? Go into the driver setup and click first on the "Modeling Parameters" button. This should show all zeros. If it does not, click on "Clear Parameters" and store the clear out in your Gemini. Now go back to the main setup window and click on "Advanced Setup". In the top right of the window that opens you should see a check box with "Sync Mode Affects Model (Additional Align)". Make sure
this is UNchecked. Otherwise every time you do a sync you will be adding to a Gemini model which would adversely interact with the TPoint model. While you are in there, uncheck precession and refraction calculations, as TheSky does this itself.

12.     Is it possible to use more than one USB-serial adapter at one time on a laptop?
Answer:  Yes. You can use as many as you have USB ports. Please note that each one will be assigned a Serial port number according to which one is plugged into which port. Each USB to Serial Adapter has a unique serial number. So lets say that your first RS-232 adapter has serial number 2001 and your second has serial number 4001. Lets also say that you have 3 USB ports on your laptop called 1, 2 and 3.

Now lets say that you plug RS-232 #2001 adapter into USB port 1. The computer might assign it Com port 3,
Now lets say that you unplug adapter #2001 and plug in adapter 4001 into USB port 1, The computer might assign it to Com 4.
Now lets say that you plug adapter #2001 into USB port #2. The computer might assign it to Com 5.
As you can see, XP uses the adapters serial number and which USB port to assign the serial ports.

My recommendation is mark each adapter to which USB port you are plugging it into, and always use the same setup. That way you will continue to use the same predictable com port setting.

13.    How do you install the ASCOM Driver in TheSKY6?
Answer: If you downloaded the TeleAPI package from the ASCOM web site, Downloads section, Plugins, the zip file you have contains a ReadMe file that says:
This plugin allows Software Bisque's TheSky to communicate with ASCOM-compliant telescopes via TheSky's "TeleAPI" feature.

Installation

1. Rename the file C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\TeleAPI.dll to TeleAPI-Original.dll
Copy the ASCOM TeleAPI.dll to C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\TeleAPI.dll

1. In TheSky, Telescope menu, select Setup...
2. In the Control System box, select "Telescope API"
3. Click Settings... to open the ASCOM Telescope Chooser and select the ASCOM compliant telescope you wish to use.
4. Now click Properties... in the Chooser, which will display the settings window for the telescope type you just chose. Make adjustments as your telescope needs.
5. Close all windows including the TheSky Telescope Setup window by clicking OK or Close. Do not click any Cancel buttons.

1. Make sure both your telescope and TheSky are set for the same geographic location and time.
2. In TheSky, Telescope menu, select Link->Establish. You should see the cross-hairs indicating where the telescope is pointing.
3. Please follow steps (1) and (2) exactly. The file does not go into "The Sky 6 folder in the program files"...

14.    How do you determine the Com Port of a connected USB to Serial Adapter and change it?
Answer:  These instructions work only for Windows XP.

• First click on the Start Tab at the bottom left of the screen.
• Then in the menu that pops up, Right click "My Computer", then scroll down and select "Properties." You should now have window up that says "System Properties".
• There is a "Hardware Tab," click that. You now have several selection buttons, click the one that says "Device Manager" This will bring up a window that has a list of all the hardware in your computer.
• Scroll down to the one that says Ports(Com & LPT). Click on the + sign to the left. (this will open the list of ports. If you have a USB to Serial Adapter plugged in and powered up, you should see it in the list. Double Click on it.
• This will open a box that has Several Tabs across the top. Select the one called "Port Setting" This is where you can set the Communications baud rate data bits etc.
• Click on the button that says "Advanced..." A new window will open labeled Advanced Setting for Com(number of what the port is presently).
• At the bottom you will also see a selection box label "Com Port Number" If you click on this you will see a list of all your com ports and if they are empty or not.
• You can assign the USB to serial Adapter to any of the empty ports safely. Assigning it to a used port will give a warning message that this port is already in use. Only assign to a used port if you are completely sure that it is no longer being used. Close all windows.

15.    What is the different between the old and new autoguider ports?
Answer:  Directly from the manual:
4.2.1 The Autoguider Port.
IMPORTANT: There are two different versions of the Gemini Autoguider port hardware. The versions can be distinguished by the type of connectors used for the motor cables. The older Gemini version uses RJ-45 modular connectors, and the newer version uses 6-pin DIN connectors. The primary difference between the versions is that the older Gemini Users Manual 41 version does not directly support autoguiders with TTL output, but the newer version does. Gemini contains a separate Autoguider port  a 6-pin modular RJ-11 socket located below the 15-pin connector to the left. It contains a common pin, four directional pins and one pin that is controlled by the alarm signal that can be used for shutter control. The common pin of the RJ-11 modular connector is connected to +5V on the older version of Gemini, and GND on the newer version. The 4 directional inputs must be connected to the common pin to be active (they are active at High potentials on the older version of Gemini, and at Low potentials on the newer version). Simultaneously activating opposing directional signals (DEC+ and DEC- or RA+ and RA-) will be ignored and displayed as Autoguider Error.
Note: The autoguider port is only active in the Photographic Mode and All- Speeds Mode of the Gemini system. Selecting the Visual Mode disables Guiding and therefore the Autoguider Port.
More from the manual:

4.2.2 Manual Guiding
Manual guiding is usually done using an eyepiece with an illuminated reticle attached to an off-axis guider or separate guidescope. You center a star (or the object being photographed) in the reticle and use the buttons on the Deluxe Hand Controller to apply guiding corrections to keep the star on the reticle throughout the duration of the exposure. Rather than using the Deluxe Hand Controller, you can instead guide with a Losmandy Standard Hand Controller plugged into the autoguider port. The LED of the Standard Hand Controller will not normally be lit, but will light up anytime the alarm sounds. Using a Standard Hand Controller in the autoguider port has a big advantage for manual guiding, in that accidentally pressing opposite directional buttons simultaneously will not result in movement at centering speed, as happens with the Hand Controller in its normal socket, or when using the Deluxe Hand Controller. This reduces the risk of spoiling a long exposure photograph due to an accidental key press. In either case, you will need to make sure that the Hand Controller is set to either the Photographic or All-Speeds Mode.

4.2.3 Connecting an Autoguider to an Older Gemini:
4.2.3.1 Connecting an Autoguider with Relay Output
Autoguiders with relay outputs (such as the SBIG ST-4) can be connected to the Gemini system directly. Simply connect one side of each of the four relay contacts to the Autoguider input common pin, and connect the other side of each relay to the appropriate direction input pins of the autoguider port. Cables are available for most compatible autoguiders to plug directly between the autoguider and Gemini. Gemini Users Manual
42 4.2.3.2 Connecting an Autoguider with TTL Output:
The typical "open collector" output stage (e.g. the ST-7/8/9/10, user-modified ST-4) has high impedance while inactive and pulls down the direction signals to a common ground when active. This is exactly the opposite of the way the Hand Controller and autoguider ports of the older version Gemini system work. A relay (or optocoupler) decouples the switching device (the Autoguider) from the controlled device (the Gemini), thereby avoiding a direct connection between the two systems and protecting both systems against high currents that could cause damage.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
(1) Never connect TTL output stages directly to the Hand Controller or autoguider ports of an older version Gemini! Severe damage may occur to the connected devices. Use a Relay Box (as provided by SBIG) or the optional Losmandy Optocoupler unit instead. By so doing, you get the additional advantage of providing electrical protection to these sensitive units. (2) The use of two separate power supplies without a coupler unit is strongly discouraged. To do so would connect the ground of one system to the supply voltage of the other system, causing the two grounds to be at different potentials. If the grounds of the two systems are then connected, severe damage is likely to occur. Detailed instructions for connecting an SBIG camera with TTL outputs to the older version of Gemini can be found in Appendix 8.6 (Autoguider Port). 4.2.4 Connecting an Autoguider to a Newer Gemini The Autoguider port on the newer versions of Gemini is plug compatible with a large variety of autoguiders. You can use an autoguider with relay outputs such as the SBIG ST-4 and STV or an autoguider with TTL outputs such as the SBIG ST-7/8/9/10 directly using the appropriate cable. Use SBIGs TIC cable for the ST-4 and STV, and SBIGs TIC-78 cable for cameras with TTL output. The SBIG relay box can be used, but is not necessary. The Losmandy Optocoupler is not compatible with the newer Gemini.
Also Note that the Common pin is not ground on the Newer style Gemini's. It is pulled to ground through a 100 home resistor. All the guider inputs are pulled to +5V through 3.3K ohm pullups.

16.    How do you get Windows 2000, XP, Vista & Win7 to show all the com ports that have been allocated?
Answer:   Windows does not normally show non-connected devices in device manager. This is even true if you turn on show hidden devices under the view tab. Before you do this change, be for warned - that this will let you modify/delete devices that you might not want changed or deleted. You do this at your own risk!. With that said here is a step by step process. You can also see how to do this on the Microsoft's web site at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241257.
For 2000 and XP:

1. Right mouse click on My Computer and select Properties.
2.  Select the Advanced tab.
3.  Select the "Environment Variables" Button at the bottom above the "Ok" Button
4.  In the "Systems Variables" box select "New"
5.  A box will Popup that has 2 entry blocks.
6. 1. In the Variable Name: box enter devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices
   2. In the Variable value: box enter 1 then click the OK button , then click the OK button on the bottom of Environment Variables.
7. Close the Hardware manager, and System Properites windows.
8. Use step one above to reopen System Properites and select the Hardware tab.
9. Select the Device manager.
10. Under the View menu, select show hidden devices.
11. Under Ports you should see all the devices that Windows has allocated now. You can modify them and delete them if you need, but please be careful what you delete.
    

1. Click in the Vista Ballon at the bottom of the page.
2.  Right mouse click on Computer and select Properties.
3. Select Advanced System Setting. If you are asked for permissions hit continue.
4. Select the "Environment Variables" Button at the bottom of the page
5. In the "Systems Variables" box select "New"
   1. In the Variable Name: box enter devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices
   2. In the Variable value: box enter 1 then click the OK button , then click the OK button on the bottom of Environment Variables.
6. Close the the windows until you are back at the Control Panel > System.
7. Select Device Manager
8. Under the View menu, select show hidden devices.
9. Under Ports you should see all the devices that Windows has allocated now. You can modify them and delete them if you need, but please be careful what you delete.