npeter / ESP32AlpacaDevices2

ASCOM Alpaca Server for ESP32 based devices

This is an ASCOM Alpaca Server implementation for ESP32. The following devices are supported:

• Cover Calibrator V1
• Observing Conditions V1
• Switch V2
• Focuser V3

This library is more or less a new implementation. But it's primary based on the great ideas and work of:

• https://github.com/agnunez/AlpacaServerESP32.git
• https://github.com/elenhinan/ESPAscomAlpacaServer

Motivation

My primary motivation was:

• To have a state of the art compact and robust platform for the rework of my ESP32 based devices with propritary network protocols and .NET based ASCOM drivers.
• Learn and understand ASCOM Alpaca API
• Work with embedded systems and web technologies
  
  

Features

• Easy to use platform for Alpaca Self Contained Device & Driver

• Templates for CoverCalibrator, Switch and ObservingConditions (Focuser in future)

• Support ASCOM auto discovery

• Optimized for ESP32

• Improved robustness, error handling and debugging

• Device service counter for diagnosis

• Published as library

• Multi ASCOM devices on one ESP32

• Support for several client connections per device

• Connection watch dog

  • if no request for a certain time (ALPACA_CLIENT_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_SEC)
  • impliziet device specific disconnect

• Pass ASCOM Conform Universal validation with zero errors and issues (ConformU 3.0.0)

• Addapted for ArduinoJason V7 (https://github.com/bblanchon/ArduinoJson.git)

• Test with N.I.N.A 3.1 - with ASCOM Alpaca Discovery (https://nighttime-imaging.eu/)

• Suported ASCOM devices:

  • CoverCalibrator.h, CoverCalibrator.cpp
  • ObservingConditions.h, ObservingConditions.cpp
  • Switch.h, Switch.cpp
  • Focuser.h, Focuser.cpp

• Support of ASCOM Methods: action, commandblind, commandbool, commandstring

  • Full implementation for CoverCalibrator

• Logging using SLog: "https://github.com/npeter/SLog"

• Configuration via dynamicaly created webpages as developed by (https://github.com/elenhinan/ESPAscomAlpacaServer)

Remarks

• For this project "platformio" (https://platformio.org/) is used as development system
  
  
• Library dependencies:
  • ESP32AlpacaDevices:
    • "bblanchon/ArduinoJson": "^7.0.2",
    • "me-no-dev/ESP Async WebServer": "^1.2.4",
    • "SLog": "https://github.com/npeter/SLog",
    • "AsyncElegantOTA": "https://github.com/npeter/AsyncElegantOTA"
      Remark: https://github.com/ayushsharma82/ElegantOTA produces some chrashes inside AsyncTCP (to be investigated)

• Webpage data has to be stored in the SPIFF-Filesystem of the ESP32
  • platformio/Build Filesystem image
  • platformio/Upload Filesystem Image
    
    

Usage

• Let your class inherit the relevant AscomDevice-derived class (e.c. AscomSwitch, AscomCoverCalibrator, AscomObservingConditions)
• Implement all pure virtual functions
• Implement all your device specific functions
• See demo application .\Examples*

ESP32AlpacaDevices class diagram

Demo Application: Alpaca Discovery Map generated with **Conform Universal **

Useful Links

• ASCOM Alpaca API
• ASCOM Platform Developer Help
• ASCOM Documentation Center
• platformio
• ArduinoJson
  
  

Open Topics

• Concept for AlpacaConfig.h
• Test device specific interface with real device implementation
  • Already done for CoverCalibrator CoFlat