Astromi.ch MGBox User manual

MGBox Manual

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................4
Overview........................................................................................................................................5
System Requirements...................................................................................................................6
General Requirements...............................................................................................................6
Windows Operating Systems.................................................................................................6
Other Operating Systems.......................................................................................................6
ASCOM Connections.................................................................................................................6
MGBox usage................................................................................................................................7
Windows Application .....................................................................................................................8
Temperature, Pressure and Dew Chart.....................................................................................8
Chart Details .......................................................................................................................... 9
Temperature, Pressure and Dew point values........................................................................10
Offsets..................................................................................................................................11
GPS-Location, altitude and UTC-Time....................................................................................12
Connection indicator................................................................................................................12
Setup and Close buttons .........................................................................................................14
Setup....................................................................................................................................14
Close button.........................................................................................................................15
Running multiple Instances of the application.............................................................................16
Firmware Versions ......................................................................................................................17
Standard Firmware ..................................................................................................................17
10Micron specific Firmware.....................................................................................................17
Installation and Configuration ..............................................................................................17
Differences in Windows Application.....................................................................................18
More Details.........................................................................................................................19
Hardware information..................................................................................................................21
Pressure Sensor......................................................................................................................21
Temperature Sensor................................................................................................................21
Humidity Sensor.......................................................................................................................21
Microprocessor ........................................................................................................................22
GPS Module.............................................................................................................................22
RJ10 Interface..........................................................................................................................23
Application Interface....................................................................................................................24
Serial Port settings...................................................................................................................24

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Serial Port settings RJ10 .........................................................................................................24
Protocol....................................................................................................................................25
Setting, resetting, receiving Calibration data and other commands........................................26
Setting pressure calibration..................................................................................................26
Setting temperature calibration............................................................................................26
Setting humidity calibration..................................................................................................27
Resetting calibration values.................................................................................................27
Getting calibration values.....................................................................................................27
Send GPS-Data to Mount (Generic Firmware only) ............................................................27
Send Meteo-Data to Mount (Generic Firmware only)..........................................................27
Update Mount refraction data (10Micron specific Firmware only) .......................................27
Update Mount time (10Micron specific Firmware only)........................................................27
Getting Mount Model (10Micron specific Firmware only).....................................................27
Getting Mount Firmware Version (10Micron specific Firmware only)..................................28
Query the status of the initial time sync (10Micron specific Firmware only)........................28
Troubleshooting...........................................................................................................................29

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Introduction
Thank you for purchasing MGBox (short for Meteo- and GPS Box), a small, self-contained
device that delivers positional information, barometric pressure, temperature, humidity and dew
point information with high accuracy.
Sophisticated telescope mounts usually allow the creation of models to minimize inaccuracies in
pointing and tracking that can result from mechanical tolerances, atmospheric refraction and
other factors. In order for this model to be of the highest quality, the mount computer or
controlling software can use the data that MGBox provides and thus improve the accuracy in
their calculations.
Because of the small size of MGBox, it can be used in both mobile astronomy as well as
stationary setups inside an observatory.
MGBox is CE conform according to EN 301489-1 Class B and EN 61000-6-3 Class B
MGBox is also ROHS compliant.

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Overview
1 –RJ10 Port
2 –GPS Status LED
LED blinks in 1 second interval if no GPS Fix is acquired
LED remains off once a valid GPS Fix is achieved
3 –Mount Status LED
Only relevant for the 10Micron specific Firmware
Indicates if communication with the mount has been established. If the LED is on,
MGBox and the mount are not communicating with each other.
4 –Micro USB Connector

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System Requirements
MGBox was tested on WindowsXP, Windows 7 and Windows 10 in a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit
versions. It is assumed that the Windows OS is updated to the latest patches and updates.
General Requirements
Windows Operating Systems
Windows 10
Windows 8 / 8.1
Windows 7
oNo further requirements, in case the FTDI Driver is missing or overwritten by
the Windows update process, please reinstall the one from the FTDI website
(http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm)
WindowsXP
oService Pack 3
o.Net Framework 4.0
oFTDI Driver (http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm)
Other Operating Systems
Although untested, MGBox should work on Mac or Linux operating Systems. It may be
necessary to install the proper driver that is available from FTDI (see link above). For a
description of the command protocol please refer to Section Application Interface.
ASCOM Connections
For connections thru ASCOM the following needs to be installed:
ASCOM Platform 6.2 or later
Astromi.ch MGBox Driver

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MGBox usage
MGBox can either be used with or without a computer.
If you use the RJ10 interface of MGBox, please check the pinout of your mount’s computer
before hookup. We take no responsibility for possible damages resulting from improper
configurations! Please see Chapter “RJ10 Interface” for details
Usage with computer
Connect MGBox to your computer using the supplied USB-Cable and launch the
application. MGBox will be recognized by Windows as a new Com-Port
It is recommended to do this at least once to in order to configure the behavior of the
RJ10 Port.
On older Windows Versions or other Operating Systems, it might be necessary to install
the proper FTDI Driver before the device becomes available.
Usage without computer
MGBox can also be connected to your mount using the supplied RJ10 cable. The RJ10-
Port is configured similar to a serial port and MGBox can draw power either thru the
USB-Port or from the RJ10-Port.
Using just the RJ10 Port makes MGBox operate in stand-alone mode where it just
keeps sending data according to its configuration.
Note: For 10Micron Mounts, if the mount is powered off but the mount’s power source
remains on, MGBox will continue to receive power from the mount.

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Windows Application
The Software that is provided together with MGBox collects the data from the hardware and
displays it in a small graphical user interface that can be split up into two main sections, which
are described below. The application also writes a file called “10micronRefraction.txt” to your
temp folder at periodic intervals. If you own a 10Micron mount and use Per Frejvall’s ASCOM
Driver for the mount, the driver will read this file and send the atmospheric information to your
mount.
Temperature, Pressure and Dew Chart
As soon as MGBox is connected by the application the chart region (1) will begin to be
populated with data. The Chart features a temperature scale on the left side that is used for
temperature and dew point, and a pressure scale on the right side used to indicate current
relative air pressure. The scale at the bottom indicates a timeline, with the actual time and data
displayed on the right side of the graph.

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Below the chart the current measurements are displayed as clear text (2), along with
information about configured offsets, GPS information, the port used for communication and
firmware version of MGBox.
Chart Details
Moving the mouse pointer inside the chart area will change it to a crosshair that provides
detailed information about a certain point on the chart when hovered over a line.
On the bottom left of the chart, the current range index of the chart is displayed. Scrolling with
the mouse wheel acts as zoom into or out of the graphic and will change the time range that is
displayed on the chart.
Clicking onto the chart with the right mouse button brings up a context menu as shown in the
next figure.

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Save as JPG
oSaves the currently displayed chart in a picture on your computer.
Export to CSV
oExports all data points available into a CSV file that can later be used with 3rd
party Software (e.g. Excel) to recreate the graphs.
Clear
oClears the current graph and removes all data points
Temperature, Pressure and Dew point values
In addition to the chart, the current values are displayed in a numeric format for easier
readability.

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Offsets
Should you find your MGBox to not be accurate enough in either temperature, pressure or
humidity, you can apply a linear offset. Double clicking either the offset label or the numeric
value for the offset in question will bring up a small window asking for a new offset to be
applied.
Offset values are stored inside the EEPROM and are therefore unique to the device and
transferred to all systems that you use this particular MGBox on.
Note: Dew point is calculated by MGBox and is based on current temperature and current
humidity. Applying an offset to either of these two values will automatically be reflected in the
dew point reading as well.

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GPS-Location, altitude and UTC-Time
Once MGBox receives valid GPS-Data, information about the location is displayed in the GUI.
Connection indicator
Below the dew point information, the connection status is displayed. If no MGBox is detected by
the software, “Waiting for MGBox” is displayed. Once a connection has been established the
Com-Port used for the connection along with the Firmware-Version of the connected MGBox is
displayed.

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Setup and Close buttons
Setup
You can configure behavior of the software as well as perform firmware updates should they
become necessary.
Data Source
oSpecify if the application should connect to MGBox thru the available ASCOM
Driver, or directly to the serial port. If ASCOM is selected, the setting for the
Com Port is grayed out.
oThe Application supports “Hot-Plugging” when using serial connections to the
device, meaning you can connect or disconnect MGBox at any time and the
application will either connect or disconnect automatically.
Configure
oConfigure ASCOM Driver settings. The settings will be stored and the
application tries to connect to MGBox automatically on the next startup
Com Port
oAutoDetect is the default setting. In this configuration the application will
periodically “scan” all available com-ports on your system for a MGBox.
It does so by connecting to the port, “listening” to the data coming from the port
and deciding whether the data looks valid or not. If no MGBox is detected, the
application will try again after a short delay.
Once MGBox has been found, the search is ended and a permanent
connection to MGBox is established.
oIf the AutoDetect routine described above is not wanted or causes undesirable
side-effects to other devices connected to your PC, you can manually select
which port the application should “listen” on.
Write Boltwood file
oIf this checkbox is selected, the application generates a text file in your “My
Documents” Folder named “boltwood.txt”. This file is compatible with the
structure as generated by Boltwood weather stations and can be used by
Software such as CCD Autopilot.

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NOTE: If making use of this feature be aware that only the timestamp and the
data that MGBox provides are valid! The values e.g. for wind or rain shall not be
used as the data is not “real”!
Update Firmware
oShould newer Firmware versions become available you can use this button to
update your MGBox to the newest version. During the update process various
Windows may pop up. Please ignore them and do not interrupt the update
process.
oThe Firmware can only be updated if connected via Serial Port
NOTE 1: When connecting thru ASCOM, “Hot-plugging” of MGBox is not supported.
MGBox needs to be connected to the PC and the Com Port available on startup of the
application.
NOTE 2: Because of “issues” with Serial Ports in the .Net Framework, the application
needs to be restarted when switching from ASCOM to Serial connection.
Close button
Closes the application.

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Running multiple Instances of the application
It is possible to run multiple instances of the MGBox application. The instance number is
displayed in the title bar of the application the second and each subsequent instance that is
launched. Please note that each MGBox sensor can only be connected to one instance of the
application at a time.

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Firmware Versions
There are two versions of Firmware available for MGBox which are described here.
Standard Firmware
The standard Firmware is pre-flashed onto the microprocessor. It sends both positional and
meteorological data to the computer and the RJ10 port, if configured.
10Micron specific Firmware
Operating a high-end telescope mount can have some pitfalls. There are quite a few things that
can go wrong and ruin the experience the mount is capable of providing.
Just to name a few:
Wrong refractive data / time during model creation
Update of critical parameters during tracking / exposure
Multiple sources that sync (different values) with the mount (e.g. time)
Etc.
In order to reduce this complexity, a 10Micron specific Firmware is available. The goal is to have
one device that is “plug and forget” and does all of the above automatically and therefore
reduce complexity for the user.
Installation and Configuration
Please download the Firmware from the astromi.ch website and install it using the MGBox
application and the procedure described in chapter “Windows Application –Setup and Close
buttons”of this manual.
The application recognizes the firmware automatically after reconnection and automatically
enables additional features.
Configure the Mount’s GPS-Port to be a serial port. Details about this can be found in the
10Micron Manual.
Once these prerequisites are met and you have verified the pinout of your mount’s computer,
you can connect MGBox to your mount using the supplied RJ10 cable.
Note: If you want to use MGBox as the “one-and-only” data source, please ensure that no other
software or driver also synchronizes data as this could lead to unpredictable results.

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Differences in Windows Application
Because this Firmware features additional functionality, the Windows application also needs to
be slightly different to take advantage of these features. The additional functionality described
below is enabled automatically when the software detects the 10Micron specific Firmware.
Main Window
Mount Model and Firmware Information
Once MGBox and your Mount communicate with each other, information about the Mount
Model and the installed Firmware is displayed.

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Log-Button
The Log-Button opens an additional Window that contains Logging information sent from
MGBox to the application. The entries in this window are sorted by time, so the newest ones are
always at the top of the list.
Clicking with the right mouse button will bring up a context menu that allows you to either copy
the content to the clipboard, or to save it to a file.
Setup Window
Update time
Updates the mount’s time to the time received from the GPS Module.
Update refraction
Sends updated temperature and pressure information to the mount.
More Details
When MGBox is plugged into the mount it will boot up and constantly query the mount for
various information. As soon as a valid reply is received for a specific command, the main
processes start.
Tracking state
MGBox queries the mount for its tracking status at frequent intervals. Any updates to time or
refraction parameters will only happen if the status is anything but tracking.

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Location
Once the GPS Module reports valid data, the mount’s latitude, longitude and elevation is
updated to reflect the GPS data. This happens one time after MGBox establishes
communication with the mount and is irrespective of the tracking state.
Refraction and Time updates
The positional data from the GPS Module includes very accurate timestamps. These
timestamps, together with the UTC Offset and daylight savings defined via the hand controller of
the mount, the current local time is calculated and compared to the time the mount reports.
The difference between “Mount-Time” and GPS-Time is computed every 5 seconds and the
difference stored in the RAM of MGBox. Every two minutes, and only of the mount is not
tracking:
MGBox calculates the average of all time errors collected. If it is more than one second,
the actual time is set directly. If the error is less than one second, the mount’s time is
nudged by the difference.
Refraction data is updated
If MGBox misses an update to the mount (e.g. because the mount has been tracking for the last
15 minutes), it will update the mount as soon as the tracking state is anything but tracking.
Note: If either of the two options is enabled, MGBox will sync time / refraction once irrespective
of tracking state. After the initial sync, updates will only happen if the mount is not tracking.
Note: For time synch to be available, the GPS Module needs to have a 3D-Fix (tracking four or
more satellites).
LED
The top LED is used to indicate the current state of the communication with the mount.
The following is a breakdown of the different states:
LED Constantly on
oNo communication with the mount
LED blinking once a second
oCommunication with Mount established, update of location, refraction
parameters and time ongoing (if configured)
LED off
oAll mount parameters are updated according to the configuration. Time sync, if
enabled, is considered complete when the GPS- and mount time do not have a
delta of more than 100ms.
oThe LED flashes every time an update to refraction and / or time is done.