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Sky Quality Meters

Deep-Sky Planner can acquire readings from Unihedron's Sky Quality Meter models LE, LU (and LU-DL) or LR. You should consult your Sky Quality Meter documentation to configure the device.

You can use the Sky Quality Meters function to keep a list of SQM configurations in Deep-Sky Planner, test communications with each, and select one for use in the product (the Favorite.) The dialog box is composed of a browsing pane on the left and a property viewing/editing pane on the right. A communication status pane appears at the bottom of the window. The tool bar provides access to all meter configuration functions.

Tool Bar

New initializes the property pane for a new meter and enables editing.

Edit initializes the property pane for the selected meter and enables editing.

Delete removes the selected meter from the database. You are warned before the meter is actually deleted.

Favorite toggles the 'favorite' status for the selected meter.
Important: A meter must be selected as Favorite to be used elsewhere in Deep-Sky Planner. Note that only one meter can be selected as Favorite at a time.

Find attempts to identify any SQM-LU attached to a USB port or any SQM-LE on the local sub-network. There is a time delay built into the search for SQM-LE devices to allow for network latency.

SQM-LU

The FTDI USB Serial Converter driver must be installed and the USB cable attached to your computer for the SQM-LU (and LU-DL) to be identified. Please see SQM-LU documentation for more about the driver.

If any SQM-LU devices are detected, a message is displayed in Communication Result showing the serial number of each device and the Com port to which it is attached.

SQM-LE

Deep-Sky Planner broadcasts a command via UDP to all devices. Most routers do not permit the UDP packet to cross over to the outside world, so the search is usually limited to inside your local sub-network. Each SQM-LE device should respond with its MAC address and IP address, allowing you to determine the correct value for IP Address/Host Name in the properties pane. Unihedron includes a MAC address with each meter so that you can identify a particular physical device.

If any SQM-LE devices respond, a message is displayed in Communication Result showing the MAC address and IP address of each device that responded. You can use copy and paste to place the address information on the Windows clipboard for transfer to IP Address/Host Name in the properties pane.

Test attempts to communicate with the selected meter. Results of the test are displayed in Communication Result.

Help opens this help topic.

Browsing Pane

Meters shows a list of the Sky Quality Meters. Select an entry to delete, edit or view its properties. Double-clicking a meter opens it in the property pane for editing.

Press OK to accept changes and close the dialog box.

Press Cancel to discard the changes and close the dialog box.

Property Pane

Meter Name allows you to specify a simple name that helps identify the meter; the name is not stored in the device. Each name must be unique.

SQM Model contains a list of supported Sky Quality Meter models, LE (Ethernet), LR (Serial), LU (USB). Select the proper model of your device.

LE (Ethernet) Model Only

IP Address/Host Name allows you to specify an IP address for the SQM-LE. See SQM-LE documentation for setting this value for the device. This value may also be a domain name for the device, excluding the 'http://' (e.g., mydomain.com/sqm).

TCP Port allows you to specify the the port number of the SQM-LE. See SQM-LE documentation for setting this value for the device.

Timeout allows you to specify how long Deep-Sky Planner will wait for a connection with the SQM-LE and how long it will wait for a reading to be returned. Specifically, Deep-Sky Planner waits for this amount of time to connect, and this amount of time to acquire unit information, and this amount of time to acquire the reading.

LR, LU (RS-232 and USB) Models Only

COM Port allows you to select the serial port to which your SQM is attached. You can enter a serial port name into this box or select one from the drop down list. The USB model requires a driver to convert data to serial format. Please see your SQM documentation for further information.

Equipment Bar SQM Read Interval (min) allows you to choose how often the Sky Quality Meter is read and its data displayed on the Equipment/Conditions Bar. Select None to disable automatic reading of the SQM.

Enclosure Offset allows you to enter the amount of light loss, in unsigned magnitudes per square arcsecond, that occurs when light passes through glass to reach the meter. Light loss produces darker (higher number) raw readings, so the value is subtracted from raw readings to adjust for absorption in the glass.

The offset is applied to both Mag/Sq Arcsec and NELM displayed readings. This value should be set to 0 if your meter is not in an enclosure.

Save stores changes and returns to browsing.

Cancel discards the changes, disables editing and returns to browsing.

Communication Status Pane

Communication Result contains a message describing the latest attempt to communicate with the selected meter.

Clear erases the message in Communication Result.

Sky Quality Meter is a product of Unihedron. Knightware thanks Unihedron for their kind assistance while devloping support for SQM.