ASIAIR Connecting To HEM27EC

stnagy

Hello Everyone --

Two nights ago, I attempted to connect an iOptron HEM27ec to an ASIAIR Pro (which has a HEM27 option in the menus), but the ASIAIR Pro was not able to find the mount via USB-serial connection. I tried connecting the USB cable from the ASIAIR to the hand controller (as shown in the mount documentation) as well as connecting the cable from the ASIAIR directly to the mount. In each cable connection configuration, I tried all of the different baud rate selections available in the dropdown menu. Nothing worked.

Last night, I successfully controlled the mount using ASCOM drivers on a Windows PC, using the same USB-serial connection cable (connected between my laptop and the USB port on the hand controller).

Any ideas on why the ASIAIR Pro would not find and control the mount, but my computer would?

Thank you.

sfoo

Please try connecting from HEM27 -> Hand Controller -> Camera Hub -> ASIAIR.
It is a USB port known bug from all new iOptron mount.

vladi

Does the connection chain "HEM27 -> Hand Controller -> Camera Hub -> ASIAIR" also means that one needs to use (or just have it connected) the Hand Controller in order to use HEM27 with ASIAIR? I think, HEM27 is the first mount from iOptron which has a USB port. IIRC, on all others the Hand Controller is needed to be able to have a connection via USB

rcolman

We have been using an asiair pro to a cerm40ec mount without the hand controller.

rcolman

I tried this last night, and i9t dfid not seem to work? HELP.

w7ay

rcolman HELP.

Did you follow this in the HEM27's manual?

Chen

rcolman

Basically, YES. I ran a usb cable from the hand controller to one of the type A ports on the ASIAIR box.
It would not see the serialo port as per error message. a

w7ay

rcolman It would not see the serialo port as per error message.

If you have a Mac, connect the iOptron's serial port to the Mac. Then, go to the Apple menu (top left corner of menu bar) and select "About this Mac."

In the small About window, select System Report... .

In the System Report window, select "USB" under the Hardware category. That brings up the USB Device Tree.

Look for the iOptron, and click on the device. And in the bottom right half of the window, you should see the details. Check the Vendor ID (i.e., the USB VID).

Does it show Prolific instead of FTDI (Future Technology Devices International)? The ASIAIR has problems with the Prolific driver, and this might be another of their bugs. You could also try a USB 3 port on ASIAIR, or go through a USB Hub.

If it says FTDI, then the problem is something else.

If the iOptron does not appear in the USB Device Tree (you can refresh the information by typing Command-R), the ASIAIR will also not see the iOptron, and the problem is likely the iOptron port or the USB cable.

Chen

rcolman

would this work on a IPAD

w7ay

rcolman would this work on a IPAD

Nope. But there is a similar interface in Windows. (You would have needed a USB dongle for the iPad anyway -- not many people own one).

Chen

rcolman

OR is there a Windows or android equivalent?

rcolman

then i can look under device drivers under windows, tnx.

WalterT

I haven’t seen you mention whether you have tried the wireless connection or not. I don’t have this mount but I do have a GEM28 which I control wirelessly with my AAP.

For my mount, when the HC is connected it creates a WiFi hotspot, you then connect the AAP to the hotspot, select the mount in the telescope menu, and connect it.

i don’t remember if the hotspot requires a password or not or if you need to enter a port number in the telescope (mount) menu and I can’t check for you because I can’t open the app without being next to the AAP powered on (a super annoying “feature”)

enaiman

I have the same mount and I got it working right.
First: not all USB cables will work so try another cable before dismissing the USB connection.
I have my HEM27 EC connected at HC USB Port to one of the USB ports on my 2600MC (hub) and I am using the CEM 40 (new one) preset to connect in AA. Absolutely no problem.

I have tried to connect to the USB B port on the mount itself but it wouldn't connect no matter the preset or baud rate.
Also, it seems like the IP connectivity is very limited on this particular mount because I haven't found a way to change the IP - without being able to do that I can't see how it can be connected wirelessly to AA.

Anyway - in summary - connect USB port on the HC to a hub and chose CEM40 - it will work.

PMTeam@ZWO

enaiman Thanks for you info~

Kingsley

enaiman Yeah it worked with the USB to a hub and CEM40... strange as when I use my CEM40 I have to select CEM120! ..... Looking for an update @ASIAIR@ZWO 😃

hfhenrichs

I get the HEM27EC wirelessly connected with the ASIAir, but not with any USB cable and connected as described above, also not through the ASI294MC hub.
It works for the ASIAir, ASIAir Pro and ASIAir Plus.
The handbox should be connected, as it contains the WiFi.
Put the ASIAir in Station Mode, and connect to the HBX8409xxx WiFi.
The info shows the gateway 10.10.100.254.
Use this for the mount Ethernet settings, with port 8899, TCP.
(These numbers showed up when connecting the iOptron Commander 8 wirelessly.)

Kingsley

hfhenrichs Hi HFHenrichs,

Ok, I'm struggling a little here.... can you step me through this, I'm struggling a little bit.

I have the handcontroller in... thats where I loose you 😃

Do I then change the wifi on my phone to the HBX not ASIAir? I think I'm also struggling a bit with Station mode too. I've found it on the app, but not sure of what settings I am specifically changing. So far it has the ASIAIR+ listed.

Cheers

Kingsley

Hi HFHenrichs,

Ok, I'm struggling a little here.... can you step me through this, I'm struggling a little bit.

I have the handcontroller in... thats where I loose you 😃

Cheers

Kingsley

hfhenrichs

Hi Kingsley,
Here are screenshots from the steps in the ASIAir App, which I connected to a ASIAir V1 to control a HEM27(EC) wirelessly.
I have verified that it works identically for the ASIAir Pro and Plus.
In your case connect the WiFi of your phone always to the ASIAir Plus, as can be confirmed in step 1 below.
These figures are supposed to be self-explanatory, if needed to be accompanied by my previous note.
Make sure that in step 3 the HBX8409-xxx is selected, which makes the WiFi connection between the ASIAir and the mount's WiFi.
In step 5 the selected mount is iOptron CEM26/GEM28/HEM27.
The IP address corresponds to the gateway address in step 4, which was provided as info, so nothing to be entered there.
The WiFi IP address and Port are also mentioned in the HEM27 manual, see section 5.4.10, to be accessed by the handbox. It is an open connection, so there is no password. It also allows to restart or reset the WiFi module.
I emphasize that no USB cable is required, but that the handbox should be attached to the mount.

May I add that the CEM40 has no internal WiFi and therefore the connection method is very different, unless an external WiFi adapter is attached, in which case the connection procedure will be essentially the same as the one described here.
I hope this helps. If for some reason it does not work immediately, just start over from the beginning, with a restarted ASIAir and App. The next time, all settings will be remembered.

Cheers - Huib

Kingsley

hfhenrichs Thanks so much Huib, that is very helpful... I will give it another go. I did try the station mode and connect to the HBX, but it asks for a password to connect. I have tried resetting the ASIAIR to overright any settings, but it keeps asking for a password. I have tried 12345678 and 00000000 with no success. Any thoughts?

Also can I confirm you had the handset plugged in, handset>HEM27, but no cable from handset to the ASIAIR?

Thanks so much you've been amazing

Cheers

Kings

Kingsley

hfhenrichs stranger and stranger.... I got it to work... though it kept disconnecting the ASIAIR. I then switched everything off and on again, and when I tried the sequence again, the HBX asked for the password again... weird.

hughes

hfhenrichs thanks for the detailed explanation. I would like to resurrect this topic since I have an iOptron HAE29 on order. Everything I have seen indicates that the wireless connection to the hand controller uses Station Mode to the hand controller hotspot. That means that you cannot then use Station Mode to connect to your home network, correct? That's been the way I have been using my ASIair Plus very reliably.

If the hand controller supported a mode where it could also connect to your home network then you could have both. My iExos100 has the same issue, you can connect to it as a hotspot but it cannot connect to another network.

Thanks again.