ASTRO DEVICES Nexus-II User manual

USER MANUAL
Nexus
STATUSCHARGE
POWER
-II

User Guide for Nexus-II
Version 1.1
Firmware version 1.x.x
Last revised on May 15th, 2016
Printed in Australia
Copyright
Copyright © 2016, Astro Devices. All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form for any
purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use, without the express written
permission of Astro Devices.
Astro Devices reserves the right to make changes and improvements to its
product without providing a notice.
Precautions and Safety
Electricity
Nexus-II contains a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.
Lithium-ion batteries can explode or cause a fire if
they are used incorrectly or if they are defective.
Therefore, you are recommended to read the following
instructions very carefully:
NEVER leave Nexus-II where it is subjected to extremes
in temperatures. This includes low levels as well as high.
DO NOT leave Nexus-II where it is in direct sunlight or in
an enclosed space, such as a car, that can become
extremely hot very rapidly.
Do not drop or subject the Nexus-II to impact.
Do not handle power plug and adapter with wet hands.
Electrical shock may result.
Immediately power off the product and unplug the DC
adapter and/or batteries if smoke or odours emit from the
product.
Immediately power off the product and unplug the DC
adapter and/or batteries if water or other liquids are
present.
Product
Do not drop or subject the device to impact.
Keep it away from harsh environments including humid,
dusty, and smoky areas.
Do not use excessive force on the connectors or attempt
to disassemble the device.
Do not place heavy objects on the product. Damage to
your products may result from improper use.
Technical Support
Astro Devices
198 The Esplanade,
SYLVANIA, NSW 2224
AUSTRALIA
ABN 75 270 616 917
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.astrodevices.com

1 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
Thank you
Thank you for purchasing Nexus-II WiFi electronic telescope interface. We hope
you enjoy it! This user manual will get you started and help you make the most
of your Nexus-II.
Introduction
Nexus-II is a computerised WiFi wireless adapter for your telescope. It works
with most popular telescopes – on equatorial or Alt-Azimuth mounts.
Nexus-II can be configured to function as a DSC and/or USB serial to WiFi
adapter.
Nexus-II, two optical encoders, encoder cable and a tablet or computer will
transform your telescope into a computerised telescope making locating all
those hard to find objects an easy task. Also Nexus-II communicates wirelessly
with your tablet or personal computer so you will find no wires to trip over in the
darkness.
You will need planetarium software in order to use Nexus-II.
Product Features
Below is a short outline of main features of your Nexus-II.
• Supports extended Ouranos, Bbox, Sky Commander and LX200
communication protocols
• Handles TTL quadrature optical encoders with practically unlimited
number of pulses per second
• Dual power source – internal 3.7V Lithium battery or external 5-9V DC
• Operating temperature range from -20 oC to +50 oC (-5 oF to +120 oF)
• Humidity 10%-90% non-condensing
• FCC / CE/ IC certified 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11b/g transceiver
• Supports Access Point and infrastructure WiFi networks
• Secure Wi-Fi authentication schemes (WEP/WPA/WPA2)
• Class I WiFi device (up to 150 meters)
• Uses 2412 ~ 2484MHz Unlicensed ISM band (channels 1-14)
• USB providing up to 0.5A, 5V power
• Uses a 32-bit MIPS CPU.
• Power consumption (while charging) – 1.5 A from 5V
• Reverse polarity protection
• RoHS compliant
System Requirements
Nexus-II uses a WiFi communication module and requires one of the following
to be connected to:
• iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) running iOS 3.0+
• Android devices with WiFi support
• PC with WiFi support (running Windows XP or Windows 7).
• Apple computers with WiFi support (running Mac OS X).
Please also refer to the system requirements for your favourite planetarium
software.

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 2
Package Content
The package contains:
- Nexus-II
- User manual
- DC 2.1mm to USB-A power cable
For using Nexus in the field we advise on using rechargeable batteries or
external power source.
Controls
Status LEDs are situated on the front panel of Nexus-II:
Controls are situated on side panel of Nexus-II:
WARNING:
Do not connect Nexus-II to an external power source that is not
within the specified voltage range. Nexus has internal over-current
protection but it is safer to use it with the power source specified.
The USB port can be used to charge your portable computing
device and Nexus-II can provide up to 0.5A.
Nexus
STATUSCHARGE
POWER
-II
1 2 3 4 5
ENCODERS
FS
5-9V DC USB
OFF ON
1 – ON/OFF slide switch
2 – 2.1mm DC connector
3 – USB
4 – Encoders RJ45 connector
5 – Factory settings button
CHARGE – indicates if charging is in
progress (ON if charging, OFF if charging
is complete)
STATUS – Encoders RJ45 connector
POWER – indicates if the power source is
valid (ON if the power source is between 5
and 9V DC and provides sufficient current)

3 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
The status LED reports different states of Nexus-II:
Blinking type
Description
Fast pulsating blinking
(once a second)
A computing device is connected to Nexus or
Nexus is connected to a WLAN
Slow pulsating blinking
(once every two seconds)
Nexus is not connected
ON
Updating firmware
Flashing
(once a second)
Error/Change Mode
Charge the battery
The battery may not be fully charged at first. It is advised to fully charge the
battery.
Please use either the provided optional power adapter or one of the
recommended power adapters to charge the battery.
Please use the supplied USB to DC 2.1mm cable to charge the battery from a
power adapter with a USB socket. The power adapter should be capable of
supplying at least 1.5A at 5V otherwise it will take much longer to fully charge
the battery in Nexus-II.
Connect the power adapter to Nexus-II and plug the adapter into a power point.
It is recommended to keep Nexus-II turned off during charging to reduce
charging time.
WARNING:
Do not connect Nexus-II to an external power source that is not within
the specified voltage range. Nexus-II has internal over-current
protection but it is safer to use it with the power source specified.
The internal Lithium battery can only be charged at a temperature
range of 0 oC to +30 oC (32 oF to 86 oF)
Connecting Nexus-II to Your Telescope/Other Devices
Nexus can operate in various modes:
• Wireless DSC
• Wireless DSC and USB serial to WiFi adapter
• USB serial to WiFi adapter
Wireless DSC
The following diagram illustrates how Nexus-II is connected to a telescope:

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 4
Nexus-II constantly detects pulses sent by the encoders and translates them
into absolute angular positions. Planetarium software periodically (depending on
the settings) requests the encoders’ current position and converts it to real sky
coordinates. Then the position of the telescope is usually reflected on the
screen by a cross hair. An alignment procedure needs to be performed before
the planetarium software can start showing where the telescope is pointing.
Please refer to the user manual of the planetarium software for details on
performing the alignment procedure.
Please note that the connection to a telescope mounted on an equatorial mount
is the same except the Azimuth cable is connected to the RA (right ascension)
encoder while the Altitude cable is connected to the Declination encoder.
Wireless DSC and USB serial to WiFi adapter
Nexus-II can be used as a wireless DSC and a USB serial to WIFi adapter. In
this mode Nexus-II is used for a ‘push-to’ DSC on a telescope while USB can
be connected to another telescope/device.
WIRELESS
CONNECTION
TO TABLET/PC/MAC
ENCODERS
FS
5-9V DC USB
OFF ON
Telescope
Encoders
Telescope/
Other device

5 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
USB Serial to WiFi adapter
In this mode only the USB port is used. The USB port is connected using a
standard USB cable to a telescope with a USB interface. Nexus-II supports a
number of telescopes with a USB interface based on FT232x (ServoCAT,
SiTech), CP210x (iOptron) and PL2303 (iOptron, Meade) chips.
Ports Pin Descriptions
Encoders
Nexus has a standard RJ-45 connector to connect it to the rotary encoders of
your telescope. The pins are numbered according to the following diagram:
The pin descriptions are in the following table:
Pin
Description
1
Channel B of Azimuth or RA encoder
2
+5 V
3
Channel A of Azimuth or RA encoder
4
Ground
5
Channel B of Altitude or Declination encoder
6
+5V
7
Channel A of Altitude or Declination encoder
8
Ground
WARNING:
While Nexus-II’s encoders’ port has an input protection, care
must be taken not to exceed the maximum input voltage of +5V
DC on any input, and the inputs should never be driven to
negative voltages below GROUND. This will cause permanent
damage to the internal circuits of Nexus-II.
Nexus-II only works with TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic)
ENCODERS
FS
5-9V DC USB
OFF ON
Telescope/
Other device
USB ENCODERS
PIN 1 PIN 8

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 6
rotary encoders with quadrature output.
Connecting To Tablet/PC/Mac
Nexus-II communicates with planetarium software using one or more TCP/IP
ports. Nexus-II’s default TCP/IP ports’ configuration is described in the following
table:
TCP/IP
port
Port
Connection
Serial port parameters,
baudrate, data bits, stop bits,
parity
4060
Astro Devices communication
protocol
4061
LX200 communication
protocol
4062
USB
9600, 8, 1, no
4070
Configuration protocol
Nexus-II is operating in Access Point mode by default. The default SSID of
Nexus is ADNexusII_XXXXX where XXXXX is the serial number of your Nexus.
The serial number is printed of the back of your Nexus-II. The SSID can be
changed using the configuration utility.
The default IP address of your Nexus is 10.0.0.1.
Note: The WiFi Configuration setup may differ based on the
brand of the computer used and on the OS running on that
device. Please refer to the user manual of the devices and the
OS. The TCP/IP port used for configuration is always 4070 and
cannot be changed.
Please refer to the user manual of your planetarium software for the explanation
on setting up the communications with telescope. Some software is designed to
operate a telescope directly through a serial port. You can use a special utility –
virtual serial port driver for you computer. A number of utilities of this type are
available, with many of them free:
COM2TCP - with a 45-day free trial, by AstroGeeks
HW VSP 3 - Free for personal use
Operating Nexus-II
Updating Firmware

7 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
Nexus-II’s firmware can be updated using a USB memory stick. Please
download the latest firmware from the support section of our website and
copy it to the root folder of the USB memory stick. Please follow these
steps:
• Turn Nexus-II OFF
• Insert the USB memory stick into USB connector of Nexus-II
• Press and hold the ‘Factory Setting’ button (using a pin/pen)
• Turn Nexus-II ON
• Wait for two seconds
• Release the ‘Factory Setting’ button
• The firmware will be updated. Once the update is complete the
Status LED will start ‘pulsating’ blinking
• Turn Nexus OFF
• Remove the USB memory stick
Please note that Nexus-II may reset all of its settings with a firmware
update.
Restoring WiFi factory settings
From time to time you may need to restore the WiFi settings of your
Nexus-II. The following steps will allow you to reset them:
• Turn Nexus OFF
• Press and hold the ‘Factory Setting’ button
• Turn Nexus-II ON (the status LED will start flashing)
• Release the button
• The WiFi settings are restored as soon as the status LED will start
‘pulsating’ blinking
Note: Please make sure that no device is connected/joined to
Nexus-II’s WiFi network when restoring WiFi factory settings.
List of Compatible Planetarium Software
Nexus-II is compatible with most planetarium software packages that support
Ouranos or Bbox protocols. You can also use planetarium software that
supports ASCOM platform (http://ascom-standards.org). The table below lists
just a few software packages that Nexus-II was tested with.
Software Name
Platform
Protocol
Website
Deep Sky Browser
iOS
Astro Devices Nexus
http://www.astrodevices.com/
Cartes du Ciel
Windows
Orion IntelliScope Mounts
(ASCOM platform)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/skychart/
DeepSky
Windows
Orion IntelliScope Mounts
(ASCOM platform)
http://www.deepsky2000.net
Hallo northern sky
Windows
Orion IntelliScope Mounts
http://www.hnsky.org/

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 8
Software Name
Platform
Protocol
Website
(ASCOM platform)
Megastar
Windows
Bbox/Sky Wizard CTI
http://www.willbell.com/
SkySafari Plus/Pro
Android
iOS
MacOS X
Basic Encoder System
http://www.southernstars.com/
Starry Night®
Windows
Orion IntelliScope Mounts
(ASCOM platform)
http://www.starrynightstore.com
TheSky 6
Windows
BBox
http://www.bisque.com
Voyager-4.5
Windows
MacOS X
Basic Encoder System
http://www.carinasoft.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Q: How long does the battery last?
A: That depends on a number of different factors – type of encoders used, and
operating temperature to some extent. It also depends on the mode Nexus-II is
running in. For example, the internal battery (fully charged) will last for around
11 hours with Nexus operating as a WiFi DSC with US Digital S2/S6, 10000
steps encoders
Q: Can I use non-optical encoders?
A: Yes, the firmware processes pulses from standard quadrature encoders.
They can be optical, capacitive or magnetic encoders. Any of them can be used
as long as they provide TTL level quadrature output.
Q: Does Nexus-II use external power when external is connected?
A: Nexus-II uses only external power source to operate and to charge the
battery. If the battery is fully charged then the external power will be used to
power Nexus-II. If the battery is not fully charged then external power will be
used to charge the battery and to power Nexus-II.
Q: Does Nexus-II have a built-in charger for the installed battery?
A: Yes, Nexus-II has a built-in charger with a temperature sensor and high
precision voltage output required to charge Lithium batteries. It also has a built-
in safety timer that will disconnect the battery under charge in 5 hours.
Q: How can I determine the resolution of my encoder?
A: Just multiply the CPR (counts per revolution) of your encoder by four and
then multiply the result by the ratio of the gears it is connected to your telescope
(if you have any).
Q: Does Nexus-II work with a standard Android based device (without any
modifications to the device’s firmware?

9 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
A: Yes, Nexus-II works with any recent Android based phone/tablet without any
need to modify the firmware on that device. Nexus is working as a WiFi access
point.
Suppliers of Encoders/Telescope Encoder kits
Nexus is compatible with most quadrature rotary encoders with TTL level
outputs and powered with 5V. The following table lists just some of suppliers
selling encoders or telescope encoder kits.
Supplier
Hardware
Country
Website
Astro Devices
Encoders/
Telescope
encoder kits
Australia
http://www.astrodevices.com/
Intercon
Spacetec
Encoders/
Telescope
encoder kits
Germany
http://www.intercon-spacetec.de/
JMI
Telescopes
Encoders/
Telescope
encoder kits
USA
http://www.jmitelescopes.com/
Sky
Engineering,
Inc
Encoders/
Telescope
encoder kits
USA
http://skyeng.com/
US Digital
Encoders
USA
http://www.usdigital.com/

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 10
Warranty
Nexus-II is covered by a one-year limited warranty. Please refer to the enclosed
warranty certificate for full details.
Technical Support
You can find the latest version of the manual and firmware in the support
section of our website. Please feel free to e-mail us should you require further
technical assistance.
Technical Support
You can find software updates and user documentation on the Astro
Devices website.
http://www.astrodevices.com
e-mail: mailto:[email protected]?subject=Nexus-II support

11 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
FCC Statement for Nexus-II
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
NOTE: To comply with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements,
the antenna used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a
separation distance of at least 20 cm from all persons and must not
be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna !
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver !
! !
Contains:
FCC ID: 2AC7Z-ESPWROOM02

Nexus-II User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 12
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We,!Astro Devices, ABN 75 270 616 917, 198 The Esplanade,
SYLVANIA, NSW 2224, AUSTRALIA, E-mail: [email protected],
As manufacturer/producer declare that:
Product Name: Nexus-II
Product Series: NXIIW12
Product Description: Wireless digital setting
circles/multifunctional adapter for
telescopes
!
conforms!to!the!following!directives!and!standards!therein!
!
Directives:
WEEE- Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment - 2002/96/EC
Radio Equipment & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) - 1999/5/EC
RoHS- Restriction of use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment - 2002/95/EC
Standards:
EMC: EN 55022: EN 301 489-1 V1.8.1:2008-04, EN 301 489-17 V2.1.1:2009-05
RADIO: EN 300 328 V1.7.1:2006-10
Immunity: EN 55024: EN 61000-4-2:2001, EN 61000-4-3:2002
Safety: EN 60950-1:2006+A11:2009+A1:2010
Supplementary Information:
This unit is a battery-operated appliance.
Date of issue:
March 20th 2016

13 firmware version 1.X.X Nexus-II User Manual
Communication Protocols
Astro Devices Protocol
The following table lists the main command set supported by Nexus DSC
communication protocol.
Command
Description
Example of input
Returns
V
or
V
Return the firmware version
information
V
Astro Devices Nexus v1.0<CR>
R# #<CR>
or
R#<tab>#<CR>
Set encoders’ resolution.
Please note that the values set
are not saved into flash
memory and will be reset upon
a power cycle.
R10000<tab>9000<CR>
R
Z# #<CR>
or
Z#<tab>#<CR>
Set encoders’ resolution
Please note that the values set
are not saved into flash
memory and will be reset upon
a power cycle.
Z10000 9000<CR>
*
I# #
or
I#<tab>#<CR>
Set initial encoders’ positions
I0<tab>0<CR>
R
Q
Query encoders’ positions
Q
[phone]<CR>
H
or
r
Query encoders’ resolutions
H
8192 8192<CR>
A<0|1>_<RA >_<Dec><cr>
Align on an object. Please note
that the coordinates should be
using epoch 2000 if Nexus is
used with ServoCat.
A0_45.123_78.245<cr>
Y - success
E - error
T_<0|90><cr>
Initial telescope alignment at 0
degrees (horizontal) or at 90
degrees (vertical)
AI_0<cr>
Y - success
E - error
O
Release shutter
O<cr>
o
Close shutter
o<cr>
F
Activate ‘focus’
F<cr>
f
Deactivate ‘focus’
f<cr>
<CR>
Query the current position. The
current position will be valid
only once the star alignment is
performed
<CR>
12.345_67.890<CR>
Where
<CR> - carriage return (or ‘Enter’) character with a decimal value of 13
<tab> - tab character with a decimal value of 9.
_ - space character with a decimal value of 32.
Nexus-II Configuration Protocol
Nexus-II can be configured to operate in different modes. The configuration is
performed by communicating with Nexus-II using TCP/IP port number 4070.
Each command has the following syntax:
<set/get>_<parameter 1>[_<parameter 2>]_<value><CR>
Nexus-II will send back the value requested or ‘OK” in case of a ‘set’ command.
The returned packet will be equal ‘ERR’ in case of invalid requests. The return
packets are always terminated with <CR>.
The following table lists all command parameters:

Nexus User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 14
Parameter 1
Parameter 2
Value
Description
Examples
WiFi configuration
CHANNEL
0-14
Specifies the WiFi channel to be used. Please note that the
value of 0 should only be used when Nexus is setup to operate
in infrastructure mode.
set CHANNEL 7<cr>
get CHANNEL<cr>
DHCP
0,1
Specifies whether to use DHCP: 0 – disabled, 1 – enabled
set DHCP 0<cr>
get DHCP<cr>
IPADDRESS
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Specifies the IP address to be used. The IP address will only be
used when DHCP is disabled.
set IPADDRESS 169.254.1.1<cr>
IPMASK
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Specifies the IP mask.
set IPMASK 255.255.0.0<cr>
NTYPE
0 - infrastructure
7 – Access Point
Specifies the network mode to be used by Nexus.
PASSWORD
up to 32 bytes
Specifies the password to be used to connect to a WiFi network.
set PASSWORD Pass123<cr>
get PASWORD<cr>
SSID
up to 64 bytes
Specifies SSID
set SSID MyNexus<cr>
get SSID<cr>
TRANSPOWER
1÷12
Specifies the transmission power to be used by the WiFi
module. Please note that the value of 1 specifies the minimum
power and the battery will last longer at that level.
Physical Port
USB
baudrate
9600÷230400
Sets the baud rate to be used on the port specified. The value
specified is in bits per second.
set PORTI baudrate 19200<cr>
get PORTII baudrate<cr>
databits
8,9
Sets the number of data bits.
set PORTII databits 8<cr>
get PORTI databits<cr>
parity
0, 1, 2
Sets the parity to be used on the ports specified:
0 – none
1 – odd
2 – even
set PORTII parity 0<cr>
get PORTI parity<cr>
protocol
0÷2
Specifies the communication protocol to be connected to the
physical port
0 - Astro Devices communication protocol
1 - SkyCommander communication protocol
2 - ServoCat communication protocol
set PORTI protocol 1<cr>
get PORTI protocol<cr>
stopbits
1,2
Specifies the number of stop bits.
set PORTI stopbits 8<cr>
get PORTII stopbits<cr>

15 firmware version 2.X.X Nexus User Manual
Parameter 1
Parameter 2
Value
Description
Examples
Port Routing
PORT
0÷5
1024÷65535
Sets the TCP/IP port number to be used with virtual port (0÷5)
set PORT 0 4060<cr>
get PORT 5<cr>
PORTCONNECT
0÷5
0÷7
Specifies the connection type for the virtual port (0÷5), The
connection type can be equal to one of the following values:
0 - Astro Devices communication protocol
1 - SkyCommander communication protocol
2 - ServoCat communication protocol
3 - Configuration communication protocol
6 - Connect to USB
7 - no connection
Digital Setting Circles
AZENCRES
RAENCRES
128÷4294967296
Specifies the azimuth/RA encoder resolution. The default value
is set to 10000. The value specified is in ticks per revolution.
Please note that both commands (AZENCRES and
RAENCRES) set the same value.
set AZENCRES 10000<cr>
get RAENCRES<cr>
ALTENCRES
DECENCRES
128÷4294967296
Specifies the altitude/declination encoder resolution. The default
value is set to 10000. The value specified is in ticks per
revolution. The value specified is in ticks per revolution. Please
note that both commands (ALTENCRES and DECENCRES) set
the same value.
set DECENCRES 8192<cr>
get ALTENCRES<cr>
MOUNTERR
Z1 Z2 Z3
Specifies the mount fabrication errors in degrees.
set MOUNTERR 0.12 0.3 0.1<cr>
get MOUNTERR<cr>
MOUNTTYPE
0 – Alt/Az
1 - Equatorial
set MOUNTTYPE 0<cr>
get MOUNTTYPE<cr>
CONFIGURE
Saves the configuration into flash memory.
set CONFIGURE<cr>

Nexus User Manual firmware version 2.X.X 16
Glossary
CPR stands for Counts Per Revolution.
PC is a personal computer. It includes computers running Windows, Linux or
Mac OS.
SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of a wireless local area network
(WLAN),
Standby mode is when the Nexus is passively waiting for a connection with a
Tablet/PC.
TTL stands for Transistor-Transistor Logic
WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup

Printed in Australia