QCI Control System for GM4000 / GM2000
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL FUNCTIONS
 
 
 
QCI Automatic GoTo System:
QCI is an active automatic pointing device designed, developed and fully integrated directly by our technicians and programmers; it uses high technology and high performance industrial components to guarantee the best level of reliability.
 
Main technical specifications
 
Motors:
  New generation servo brushless motors with fully integrated servomotors system: F.I.S. is a new technology in the field of the total integration of the electronics for control, power , encoder and communications, all built-in in the motor's body.
Pointing Speed:
  Up to 1900× max. = 8°/sec. (Gm2000)
Up to 1200× max. = 5°/sec. (Gm4000)
Pointing precision:
  Mount’s mechanical errors: <1’ ;
Pointing error: <30” with internal 25 stars software mapping.
Tracking Speeds:
  Sidereal, solar, lunar , custom, land mode.
It is possible to set different speed for the two axes for comet, asteroids or satellite tracking.
Objects data bases:
  Internal, complete catalogues: M, NGC, IC, PGC, UGC, SAO, BSC, HIP, HD, PPM, ADS, GCVS, PLANETS, ASTEROIDS, COMETS...all in memory.
Operator interfaces:
 

Control hand pad: the QCI system uses a ergonomic hand terminal to pilot the mount , to slew to objects, to set parameters, to sync. on a star , to set moving speeds.
It is a numerical pad with rapid search keys, red illuminated display 2x 16 dots, that operated within a wide range of ambient temperatures : +40°C / –20°C . It’s a communication interface between the mount and the operator.
GPS:
  The system automatically links and adjust itself to the GPS network date, time, position (external and optional).
Connection to PC:
  The system can be controlled by means of the LX200 protocol, (same as Meade 16’’GPS) ,
A.P GTO protocol and ASCOM protocol to use with other Ascom compliant programs such as The Sky, MaximDL, Desktop Universe, Perseus.
Remote Control:
 

- The mount can be controlled up to 15 meters from the PC with the serial RS232 connection.
- The mount can be controlled up to 100 meters from the PC with the LAN (ethernet) connection with “virtual key pad
QCI software or with special custom made software using the 3490 port
- The system can be controlled even remotely by mean of an ethernet host server or by wireless links and Internet
- The system can be powered on / off remotely using an external switch
Autoguider Interface:
  It uses the more popular standards: SBIG and Starlight X-press, and it provide one port:
6 contacts western standard phone jack (TTL).
Using this input port, the CCD camera will activate automatically every guide corrections with a 0.5x speed.
Furthermore it’s possible to autoguide with the “telescope” function (of MaximDL) with corrections directly sent to the RS232 serial port using the LX200 protocol.
Encoders:
  QCI has built-in encoders inside the motors which allow to obtain a theoretic final resolution of 0.1 arcsec. (GM4000) – 0.5 arc.sec. (GM2000) (minimum move). Encoders allow to always maintain the position reference of the mount in every given moment, also after the system shutdown (park), because the system automatically records the coordinates in the internal memory of the motors ; every time the system is switched on, it automatically initialize the motor’s soft homing of itself. Furthermore the system can do an Hard Homing (with sensors) in case of the total loose of reference positions (GM4000 only).
PE correction:
  To obtain a better tracking precision during the guide it is possible to activate the P.E.C. function (Periodic Error Correction): it is allowed to train the PEC function even in more steps using a dedicated software to optimize the resulting tracking algorithms ( “Pem-Pro”).
 
Special Functions:
 
Cord wrap protection:
  The system take in account the number of turns automatically and/or manually made by the axis and prevents their wrapping, de-winding them every time that the system goes to slew a new object.
Meridian flip:
  The system automatically calculate the ideal pointing position avoiding the collision of the telescope with the base of the pier or of the tripod. It is allowed to surpass by 15 degrees maximum the limit, to point an object up to 5 degrees under the horizon, for example to wait for his raising, and it does not stop the sidereal tracking during a long exposure photographic session if the telescope goes over the meridian, assuring the continuation of the guiding session for maximum 30 degrees. Note: the limits are fully configurable from 1° to .max.
Mount alignment functions:
  - Alignment of the polar axis with Polaris: this procedure uses a star and Polaris to align the polar axis.
- Two stars calibration: when this procedure is performed, the mount uses the two stars to calculate the polar axis error
and compensate for it.
- Calibration with additional stars: Refine 2-stars, up to 25 stars !
- 3-stars alignment: direct 3-stars alignment (used to find some stars in a very close view sky condition)
Alignment of the polar axis without Polaris:
  The new automatic “Polar Align” function is used to align the polar axis of the mount to the celestial pole without the use of the polar finderscope. Polaris is not required to be visible.
Orthogonality error correction:
  The” Ortho Align” function is used to help you to correct the mechanical orthogonality error of the instrument.
Align info:
  This function shows the alignment information. A short text will appear and tell you the type of alignment used (no alignment, 2 stars, 3 or more stars if you have used additional stars) If a 2 stars 3 or more alignment has been completed, an estimation of the polar axis position error:
- an estimation of the polar axis position error and its position angle relative to the celestial pole and plus informations how to correct errors operating directly on azimuth and altitudo knobs.
- an estimation of the orthogonality error between the optical axis and the declination axis. This function is useful to verify that the telescope is really orthogonal to the declination axis.
- a list of the aligned stars and date of the last saved alignment.
Two axes Automatic tracking:
  “follow objects”- with this function, the system will set automatically a custom tracking rate in both axes each time it slews to an object, in order to follow it through the stars. Used to track automatically comets , asteroids, moon and planets.
Visible Object’s filter: (comets and asteroids)
  When you activate this function, the system will ask to you to define the limit of magnitude to consider to create the observable objects list.