[closed] Controlling Dust Cover

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Bob, indeed your suggestion is worthwhile. Alluna however does provide a way in APL to know the status of the dustcover:

"GetDustCover" returns the status of the dustcover, 1=open or 0=closed

so it possible to query the status and to decide to toggle or not.
In the meantime I am becoming very fond of ACP!

Kind regards,
Roelof

[Bob Denny]

What is APL? Surely not theAPL -> IBM language "A Programming Language" from the 1970s??

APL-keybd2.svg.png

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Bob, my mistake, it shows my age, I am a digital dinosaur...I was familiar with APL...I should have written API ...Application Programming Interface,
apologies, Roelof

[Eric Dose]

Ha. I thought the same thing, Bob. APL was my first programming language. Reads right-to-left, operators are Greek letters or math symbols, everything can chain beautifully, but no comment lines allowed if memory serves. It's by far the densest syntax of any language I've every seen.

Some modern languages have partially caught up with APL's vector and matrix functionality, notably python and its numpy package.

[Bob Denny]

OK, what API then? I'm sorry that I can't keep track of the proprietary APIs on all of these devices. I am not going to include "native" (proprietary device specific) code for all sorts of switches, covers, etc. in my software. I have done this for a few very common switches. If the device makers can't use the standards then their customers will need to find "consultants" to help them with the special code. I will be happy to assist such consultants with the architecture of ACP etc. but not teaching them how to program ha ha.

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Hi Bob, it is a standard ASCII interface:

maybe this info helps.

Kind regards,
RoelofAlluna API.jpg

[Bob Denny]

Ohhhhh well I am not going to write an ASCOM driver for that device then. Serial I/O is not what I would call an API, ha ha. I'm sorry. The BAT file will need to suffice.

[Roelof Platenkamp]

That is fine Bob, the current solution is already a big help, and the support is much appreciated!
Roelof

[Roelof Platenkamp]

Question for Peter B: could you share your Shutdown script? I have got the Dust cover working using your startup script as a basis and I would like to do the same the shutdown. Thanks in advance, and of course happy new year, Roelof

[Peter Brackenridge]

Hi Roelof

Have attached the shutdown script. Just change the name ending to .js
Glad you have the StartUp script working.

Any questions or problems I will endeavour to help you.

Peter