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Meade Autostar extension cable, help please.



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 24th 04, 05:00 PM
Jo
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Default Meade Autostar extension cable, help please.

Hello all,

I want to drive my Meade SN-10 from a distance (indoors!). I already have
the video side sorted via Toucam Pro and lo-o-ng USB cable. That works fine.

The Meade Autostar unit uses standard RJ45 connectors and I have a long Cat
5E Ethernet male-male patch cable that fits fine physically...except it
doesn't work because the connectors are end-to-end wired "opposite" to the
Autostar cable, if you see what I mean. Pity...I thought I was in luck.

Questions:
1) I see that Cat 5E "crossover" Ethernet cables are available. Is this what
I need?

2) What are the issues with purchasing the RJ45 connectors and cable and
rolling my own? I have never used RJ45 connectors, how are they fitted? I
don't especially want to buy a £25 crimping tool to make up one cable...are
RJ45 connectors available that can be used without a crimping tool? UK
vendors for cable and connectors please, anyone?

3) Are there any electrical constraints on a multi wire cable used to
connect the Autostar? Must it be screened? What signals are sent through it?
Is pinout info available?

4) On a related topic...where can I go to get info on driving my SN-10
direct from a PC or laptop? Is this possible with no extra hardware?

Any advice, suggestions or "gotchas" appreciated.

Thanks,

Jo


  #2  
Old July 24th 04, 07:03 PM
John Knight
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Jo wrote:
Hello all,

I want to drive my Meade SN-10 from a distance (indoors!). I already have
the video side sorted via Toucam Pro and lo-o-ng USB cable. That works fine.

The Meade Autostar unit uses standard RJ45 connectors and I have a long Cat
5E Ethernet male-male patch cable that fits fine physically...except it
doesn't work because the connectors are end-to-end wired "opposite" to the
Autostar cable, if you see what I mean. Pity...I thought I was in luck.

Questions:
1) I see that Cat 5E "crossover" Ethernet cables are available. Is this what
I need?

snip
If a crossover is required (and I'm not qualified to speculate on SN-10
connections) then Maplin have a cheap crossover adaptor which saves you
getting different cables and later wondering "Now is this the crossover
or the normal cable?" Product code A07AB for £3.99

Best of luck,
JK
  #3  
Old July 25th 04, 12:09 AM
Jo
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Default

In ,
John Knight typed:
snip
If a crossover is required (and I'm not qualified to speculate on
SN-10 connections) then Maplin have a cheap crossover adaptor which
saves you getting different cables and later wondering "Now is this
the crossover or the normal cable?" Product code A07AB for £3.99

Best of luck,

Thanks John,
I found an even cheaper solution. The original Meade Autostar cable is
already a crossover cable so all that I need to do is include this together
with my straight Ethernet cable via a straight F-F connector...at £0.5.

Actually, there is a big "Gotcha" that could result in a fried Autostar.. I
understand that a standard Cat 5E crossover is *not* a simple
reversal...only certain conductors are reversed and so it will not work.
Using the Meade cable together with a straight F-F connector and straight
Cat 5E cable ensures that there is a complete crossover, as required.

If this doesn't make sense then take a look he
http://members.aol.com/kewtasheck/pinouts.html


Jo






  #4  
Old July 25th 04, 03:58 AM
Ed Astle
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Default

Try the sbig.com website - they have some really good documentation for
connecting their ccds to various things and you might find some pin out info
there.

I modified my EQ6 handcontroller to accept an autoguider input (still
haven't tried it) and the sbig website was one of my sources of info.

Regards,
Ed.


  #5  
Old July 25th 04, 12:05 PM
Jo
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Posts: n/a
Default

In ,
Ed Astle typed:
Try the sbig.com website - they have some really good documentation
for connecting their ccds to various things and you might find some
pin out info there.

I modified my EQ6 handcontroller to accept an autoguider input (still
haven't tried it) and the sbig website was one of my sources of info.

Regards,
Ed.


Thanks Ed,

There right now...

Jo


 




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