Testing A Meade #505 Cable Connection (On Windows)
Source: From: http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_testing.html
Note: you can also do the following test via Autostar and the Comm. Test.
This is for testing a communications between a telescope’s Autostar and a laptop connected with a 505 cable and serial adapter. These instructions are useful as a way of finding out what port it is on and establish that communications are working. If something’s not working, at least you can rule out a communications problem.
The following test is done in Windows, using Hypertermal to communcate with the Autostar. In place of Hyperterminal, you could use any terminal emulation program. The main thing is get keyboard entries to the Autostar and get a response.
First, connect up the Autostar and your computer, but only turn the computer on. Run Hyperterminal and name a New Connection or else just File > Properties to configure a connection. If creating a new connection, a box will pop up with a “Connect using” option.
Choose “Direct to COM1.” Then you’ll get a COM1 Properties pop up. Set it to 9600 bits per second, 8 data bits, Parity: None, StopBits: 1; Flow Control: None.
With Hyperterm set up and running, turn on Autostar. After initialization you may see an “X” appear on the Hyperterminal window. This is good news. It’s a kind of “wake up” signal. Press enter on Autostar to get to the Align option.
Now, type a single control-f on your PC’s keyboard. (You won’t see anything you type in the Hyerterminal window unless under Properties > Settings > ASCII Setup, you have local echo checked.) You should see output from the Autostar with an “A” or “P” depending upon whether it’s set up as Alt/Az or Polar mount. If that works, you’ve got communication!
Problems Connecting
If not, try a couple more control-f’s, but if that doesn’t work, something’s wrong.
Go back into Hyperterminal’s settings and move on to the next COM port. Remember to reset the baud rate, etc. Progress through the COM port offerings until you “find” the Autostar. Try the control-f to test.
If an A or P does appear, you can try #:GVF# (pound-sign colon G V F pound-sign). Again, you won’t see what you are typing, but you should get the response of Autostar’s identification string, including the word Autostar and a time and date (when the firmware version was built at Meade).
Once you have a response on a COM port, exit Hyperterminal. You must exit Hyperterminal if you want to use Meade’s Autostar Suite software on COM1.
Alternative Solution
This is what I did when the machine would freeze when I tried to connect to COM1. Also, the serial jack didn’t work for me no matter which COM port I chose. So, I bought a USE-Serial adapter/converter.
Setting this up is pretty easy. Windows usually detects the cable and installs the hardware for it. It also allots a COM port for it. All you need to do is going into Device Manager and see what the COM port is under the device’s properties, or else assign a COM port to your liking.
Next, go into Hyperterminal and use that COM port to test communications.
