OSX Drivers (AOSX) - Alpha2 release

[NickK]

A while back (well sometime in 2011 I think) there was a reference to ATIK drivers being developed for OSX.

I've released the first public release of the ATIK OSX Driver frameworks today (attached).

This is an alpha release (v0.02) with support for the current cameras and so far tested on my own cameras: ATIK 383L+ mono, Titan mono, ye-olde and trusted 16IC mono and EFW2 filterwheel.
The full frame 4000/11000 will take images - however I cannot verify correct images (mine is without sensor).

The current framework is compiled for OSX 10.8 64bit however I will look at a 10.6 32bit when I can.

I'd like to thank Jonathan and Steve for their time and patience!

Lastly - I am not an ATIK employee (just under NDA for the source code) so please bring problems with this driver to me. If you have any issues - please provide me with the ATIKOSXDrivers.log and/or ATIKOSXLegacyDrivers.log which will help me fix your problem.

Kind regards,
Nick
NickK on the StargazersLounge forum, or NickK-UK on CloudyNights forum.

[jonathan]

Massive credit to Nick for doing this major piece of work! I know it will make lots of people happy.

Thanks, Nick.

Jonathan

[NickK]

Someone once said to me - you know a good framework if you can write an example "Hello World" in 5 minutes whilst the client is sat beside you..

So whilst I was on the train.. I wrote a very simple little example app.

There's no different in the driver release - just the addition of an example application to the package file.

Just unzip, Load the example app xcode workspace then hit run! It should provide you with a list of cameras etc in the debug window. Quit the application.
Next simply change the ARTEMISCCD identity in the ATKAppDelegate.m file to your camera's identity as displayed ("ATIK-383L" for example). This is the camera that the claim will connect to (I didn't write a spiffy selection routine due to time).
Rerun and then select Camera > Claim. Once claimed select Camera > Take Exposure .. the camera will then take a 5 second exposure.

Have a look at the example application source to see how the driver API is used.

I hear some windows people have problems with the zip used (native OSX) - so heres a tar.gz

[Lex]

Wow that's a big step that you've done there Nick.

What software ( aka Nebulosity ) will your driver work with? What about plug-ins?
Man this is exiting; I see a Windows Free Mac Machine 

[NickK]

What software ( aka Nebulosity ) will your driver work with? What about plug-ins?

Now that would spoil the surprises

I'm in active contact with Craig Stark (Nebulosity and PHD), David (EQMac), Software Bisque are interested for TheSkyX... plus others so there's definite interest.

For me the main thing is finalising the support for the big full frame 4000/11000 but I should have that sorted for the beta release (plans are afoot) - along with some proper dogfooding (if the clouds go!) beyond copious amounts of automated testing.

[James]

This is excellent news Nick 

James

[NickK]

Well both the 11000 and 320E work too

[NickK]

Hard at work dog-fooding the Titan on a Lunt 60

[NickK]

New alpha 3 version coming soon (separate thread).

It will contain:
* Focus on 11000/4000 thanks to testing with Olly P and his 11000M resulting in several fixes
* updates that affect all cameras.
* Identities becoming unique
* Example app improved considerably - both source in the distribution and ready to run binary separately (simultaneous operation of multiple cameras etc and saving of images etc)

It's looking like this will be the last Alpha before I move into Beta.

[Lex]

Hi Nick;

Huge respect from my side for the job that you have already done; simply great!!

I enjoy it to think that I will be able to do astrophotography on my Mac!
What Capturing Software are you using with the drivers for the moment; the Atik one?

What software do you think will be released first; Nebulosity or SkyX?

What about EQMac; is this for Mount controling measures?

Thank you very very very very very Much 

Best

[NickK]

Hi Lex,
I've not been using a capture application at the moment - but I have been working on a small application to help test the drivers. This app should appear in the alpha 3. Here's a test shot.

[NickK]

Here's a shot with the 383L just plugged in pointing at the wall.

There's a still a little way to go in terms of getting the icons sorted (hence the odd icons), getting controls for the duration of the image etc but you can zoom in, scroll, change the contrast etc which will be useful for the test app.

[Steppenwolf323]

Hi

Being a newbie I am trying hard to set the drivers up on  my Mac. I use SkyX Pro. I have downloaded the drivers from
 this site, unzipped them and double clicked the ATIKOSXDrivers in the framework folder and get the below message in "
terminal. What am I doing wrong

Steppenwolf


localhost:~ Herbert$ /Users/Herbert/Downloads/ATIK\ OSX\ Drivers\ Alpha2\ Release/ATIKOSXDrivers.framework/Versions/A/
ATIKOSXDrivers ; exit;
-bash: /Users/Herbert/Downloads/ATIK OSX Drivers Alpha2 Release/ATIKOSXDrivers.framework/Versions/A/ATIKOSXDrivers:
cannot execute binary file
logout

[Process completed]

[NickK]

Hi Steppenwolf,
There's a software 'gap' between TheSkyX and these drivers.

The drivers here are for developers to develop against rather than end users to use directly - a bit like low level pre-made mecano/lego bricks for developers to use in their own software. For TheSkyX it requires couple additional thin layers of bricks to be developed.

Currently TheSkyX uses X2 to talk to ASCOM to talk to the Artemis drivers on the PC. On the Mac, the X2-ASCOM part will need building - this is where AOSX will bridge the gap.

I've attached the latest test this evening - running all my hardware at once with the test application! Now the icons are sorted there is just the live view control, threading (so things work in parallel which will be simple) and it'll be like conducting an orchestra! This ready to run app that will be supplied with the next release will allow you to test the drivers against your own camera!

[Lex]

Hi Nick;

this morning I also tried to "open" your application on my mac. I tried it just like you wrote a couple of posts higher. Unfortunately I was not able to anything; is there a trick? Could you please give me more precise details about the how to?
This would be very helpful for me because I am not used with this type of task 

Thanks a lot and keep on going!!
Best