Set Speed Delay
This sets the time delay before the motor ramps up to full speed. The default is 1.0
second. This means the focus motor will begin moving slowly then accelerate to full
speed after 1 second. This allows more precise manual focusing. Changing the value to
0 would eliminate any delay and the motor would turn full speed immediately upon a
move command.
Set Steps
This sets the number of steps of the motor per count of the digital display. The default is
1 step per count. For each count on the digital display the motor will move one step, i.e.,
pressing the IN or OUT button once will move the motor one step. There are 300 counts
per revolution of the motor (and since the motor drives the 10:1 fine focus of the
Feathertouch Focuser, this equals 3000 counts per revolution of the focuser). Increasing
the steps per count reduces the resolution but increases the range of the focuser. For
example, setting the steps per revolution to 2 cuts the resolution in half, but doubles the
focus range. The count range is still 0-60000, but the equivalent range is 0-120000. It
may be desirable to change the steps per count if greater focus range is needed for
focusing eyepieces visually or for a focuser with a greater range of travel. Any value
from 1-10 can be selected.
Set Motor Speed
There are two choices for motor speed, Normal and High. Normal speed turns the
motor gear about once every 1 second. High speed doubles the rate of revolution. High
speed allows large focus changes in less time, but it produces less torque, so heavier
loads, such as a large-format CCD camera on a Crayford focuser, should always be
moved at Normal speed to avoid slippage.
Upgrading Firmware
If new versions of the MicroTouch firmware for either the hand control or the motor
control become available they can be downloaded and installed into the MicroTouch
Autofocuser.
To upgrade the hand control firmware, select the Hand Controller button under
Upgrading Firmware. A window will display allowing you to select the firmware file.
Press and hold both the IN and OUT buttons on the hand control then select the file on
the computer while holding the buttons down. Release the buttons after selecting file.
The LCD will display PROG MODE and the firmware will be downloaded to the hand
control.
To upgrade the motor controller firmware, simply click on the Motor Controller button
under Upgrading Firmware and select the appropriate file in the window that appears.
The upload will begin automatically.
