Observatory Roof Controller

A fork of the original INDI Aldiroof project by Derek O'Keeffe, designed for simplified roll-off roof mechanisms requiring only two signals: OPEN and CLOSE.

This project includes an INDI driver and Arduino firmware to manage a roll-off roof for astronomical observatories.

Key Features

• Efficient Roof Operation: Control a motor-driven sliding gate reducer with just two signals.
• Hardware Safety: Includes limit switches for roof position and reed switches for telescope parking.
• Simple Electronics: Two 30A relays connected to an Arduino handle all roof movements.
• Seamless Communication: Uses the Firmata protocol for interaction between the Arduino and the INDI driver.

Hardware Requirements

Components

• Microcontroller: Arduino UNO (or compatible board).
• Relays: Two 30A relay modules.
• Sensors: Limit switches and reed switches for positional feedback.
• Server: A Linux-based machine running the INDI server.
• (Optional) A custom 3D-printed case for the hardware.

Software Setup

1. Flashing the Arduino Firmware

1. Open the Arduino IDE.
2. Connect your Arduino board to your computer.
3. Navigate to the arduino-firmware/RoofController directory.
4. Open RoofController.ino and upload the firmware.

2. Building and Installing the INDI Driver

1. Install Required Dependencies
   Make sure your system is up to date and install the necessary libraries:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install -y cmake libindi-dev libnova-dev

2. Clone the Repository
   Clone this project to your machine:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd <repository-directory>

3. Build and Install the Driver
   Run the provided script:

   chmod +x ./indi-rollroof/install.sh
   ./indi-rollroof/install.sh

   This script will:

   • Create a build directory.
   • Configure the driver using cmake.
   • Compile and install the driver via make install.

3. Configuring the INDI Web Manager

To integrate the driver with the INDI Web Manager:

1. Open /usr/share/indi/drivers.xml for editing:

   sudo nano /usr/share/indi/drivers.xml

2. Add this configuration under the <Domes> section:

   <device label="Roll Roof" manufacturer="miksoft">
     <driver name="Roll Roof">indi_rollroof</driver>
     <version>1.0</version>
   </device>

3. Save and restart the INDI Web Manager.

4. Wiring and Hardware Setup

• Wire the Arduino with relays, sensors, and motor as outlined in the wiring diagram.
• Ensure that:
  • Limit switches are positioned to detect the fully open and closed states.
  • Reed switches confirm the telescope’s parked position before closing the roof.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you encounter bugs or have suggestions for improvements:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch.
3. Submit a pull request.

Acknowledgments

This project is based on the work of Derek O'Keeffe and leverages the powerful INDI Library.
Special thanks to the open-source community for enabling projects like this.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.