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Not enough USB ports!

 

Hello everyone - I¡¯ve finally moved into the 21st century and upgraded my old Digital Drive 492 system to Gemini 2 and it all seems to be working fine. One problem I have though is that my main laptop (a recent HP Envy) doesn¡¯t have an Ethernet port and only has two USB ports. I can connect to the Gemini 2 system by using one USB port but then need two other USB¡¯s for the guide and main camera. Is it possible to connect a router to Gemini 2 so I can connect to the mount wirelessly?
The other option in the short term is to guide via an ST-4 cable but then I can¡¯t get all the benefits of Gemini 2 guiding. Or can I use a USB hub and connect both cameras into the same laptop USB port via the hub?

How do others cope with newer laptops which only have two USB ports and no Ethernet port?
 

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The simplest option is to connect the cameras and Gemini to a USB hub that connects to your computer. You¡¯ll only need one cable from the computer to the mount. Make sure you use a powered hub.?

Alternatively, you can go down the route of putting a small dedicated computer on the mount. All the devices connect to the computer, and your laptop then connects wirelessly. It¡¯s a great way to do it but is somewhat more complicated to set up. Lots of options for the computer have been discussed on this list previously.?

??-Les


On May 20, 2021, at 6:53 AM, Ian Taylor <robert.ian.taylor@...> wrote:

?

Hello everyone - I¡¯ve finally moved into the 21st century and upgraded my old Digital Drive 492 system to Gemini 2 and it all seems to be working fine. One problem I have though is that my main laptop (a recent HP Envy) doesn¡¯t have an Ethernet port and only has two USB ports. I can connect to the Gemini 2 system by using one USB port but then need two other USB¡¯s for the guide and main camera. Is it possible to connect a router to Gemini 2 so I can connect to the mount wirelessly?
The other option in the short term is to guide via an ST-4 cable but then I can¡¯t get all the benefits of Gemini 2 guiding. Or can I use a USB hub and connect both cameras into the same laptop USB port via the hub?

How do others cope with newer laptops which only have two USB ports and no Ethernet port?
 

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Hi Ian,

?

If all you want to do is connect a laptop to the mount and other accessories, you can easily purchase one of those USB hubs which also has an Ethernet port. Alternatively, you can use a USB hub plugged into one USB port on your laptop, and a USB to Ethernet converter on the other. An Ethernet connection is usually favoured for the Gemini.

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Examples of these possibilities can be found here:

?

I¡¯m not promoting this particular example, just pointing to it as an example.

?

Greg

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ian Taylor
Sent: Thursday, 20 May 2021 11:53 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Losmandy_users_io] Not enough USB ports!

?

Hello everyone - I¡¯ve finally moved into the 21st century and upgraded my old Digital Drive 492 system to Gemini 2 and it all seems to be working fine. One problem I have though is that my main laptop (a recent HP Envy) doesn¡¯t have an Ethernet port and only has two USB ports. I can connect to the Gemini 2 system by using one USB port but then need two other USB¡¯s for the guide and main camera. Is it possible to connect a router to Gemini 2 so I can connect to the mount wirelessly?
The other option in the short term is to guide via an ST-4 cable but then I can¡¯t get all the benefits of Gemini 2 guiding. Or can I use a USB hub and connect both cameras into the same laptop USB port via the hub?

How do others cope with newer laptops which only have two USB ports and no Ethernet port?
 

Hi Ian

the trend in laptops is definitely fewer ports :(

As Les pointed out, the simplest answer is to get a USB hub

Multi-function hubs are very popular as well, which include a variety of connectors including USB, ethernet, HDMI, etc. (i'm not sure if you need USB-C but at a minimum i think you need some sort of USB 3 port so it's fast enough)

I recommend finding one that includes ethernet so you can connect the Gemini via ethernet cable.

I don't recommend wifi, as it isn't robust enough for error-free connections. if you drop your connection to the mount, it can be a challenge to get it back up and running.

Brian
Brian

On Thu, May 20, 2021 at 6:53 AM Ian Taylor <robert.ian.taylor@...> wrote:

Hello everyone - I¡¯ve finally moved into the 21st century and upgraded my old Digital Drive 492 system to Gemini 2 and it all seems to be working fine. One problem I have though is that my main laptop (a recent HP Envy) doesn¡¯t have an Ethernet port and only has two USB ports. I can connect to the Gemini 2 system by using one USB port but then need two other USB¡¯s for the guide and main camera. Is it possible to connect a router to Gemini 2 so I can connect to the mount wirelessly?
The other option in the short term is to guide via an ST-4 cable but then I can¡¯t get all the benefits of Gemini 2 guiding. Or can I use a USB hub and connect both cameras into the same laptop USB port via the hub?

How do others cope with newer laptops which only have two USB ports and no Ethernet port?



--
Brian?



Brian Valente
portfolio

 

I purchased a Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox 2 that is mounted on my SCT. ?One power cable goes up to it and one USB 3 cable comes down to the tripod. ?I have a 4 port powered USB 3 hub mounted on the tripod (find on Amazon). ?I connect to the laptop PC as host and use 2 other ports for the Polemaster and a gamepad/joystick. ?I believe that there is a limit to how many hubs a connection can go through (5?), and I think that the PC itself counts as one. ?So, I have three hub connections and it works fine for my ZWO ASI 1600 camera, a filter wheel, an ASI 174mm guide camera and a focuser.

One thing I dislike about most USB hubs is that they usually have red and blue LED connect lights that look like a Christmas tree. ?I cover them with black tape or paint them black.

Mark W
 

I too bought a new laptop?without an ethernet?port. Like my laptop, I would imagine that you have at least one USB-C port. I bought a USB-C adapter that has one ethernet port, and three USB-3 ports. Works great. This one takes advantage of the power USB-C provides for active cables, etc. If you buy adapters for USB-2 or 3 computer?ports, You miss out on the advantages of USB-C.

I got this on amazonsmile.

C2G USB Adapter, USB Hub, Ethernet Adapter with Power, 3 Port, Black, Cables to Go 29747

--

Mike Blaylock

Astronomy Images @?
 

Ian,

You'll probably find most of the newest cameras have a USB 3.0 input jack, and no ST-4 output which was common a few years ago. I like the ZWO cams since they have USB 2.0 outputs right on the back which can power filter wheels, guide cams, or other accessories. You should check what type of USB jack you have on your laptop, with 3.0 now commonly having a blue tab inside, versus 2.0 which are black. When connecting to a powered hub I like to use the gold plated cables, which supposedly have the best conductivity. You may want to try connect the hub to the Gemini 2 with the USB jack first to make everything works OK, then switch to a USB ethernet adapter after carefully viewing the Losmandy video on the subject. You'll need to create an new ethernet connection in Windows 10 using the wizard and properly input the same IP addresses you'll find on the hand controller. This is not especially hard to do, but must be entered accurately.
 

Thanks for all the replies - I didn't notice the laptop also had a USB-C port - I'll try a USB-C hub and that should give me the extra USB port I need
 


Ian,

Below is the approach I am taking now that my in-the-field astro laptop is getting long in the tooth.? I got a dedicated mini pc for about $250. Its a MinisForum GK41 running a decent 4 core intel CPU. It has 4 USB 3.0 ports which are all on one side of the box so cable management is conveniently similar to a USB hub. I currently plug in camera, guider, and focuser-controller and have one to spare for ad hoc items, including an extension USB hub if needed.

In addition to WiFi it has two ethernet ports. I configure the first port with a static IP and dedicate to the communication with the Gemini.? I then have several options on how to connect a laptop to the minipc. I can use the second ethernet port with a crossover cable straight into the ethernet adaptor on my nicer laptop. This is my preferred approach when near the mount.? Alternatively, I can connect via a WiFi router when that is available and I am too far away.? I can disconnect and change up this second path as needed as I go in and out of the house or RV; the dedicated ethernet connection between the minipc and gemini is not disturbed nor is any imaging activity.?

By the way, this particular minipc also comes with Windows 10 Pro which supports Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server. Personally, I have found this to be a much better remoting technology than TeamViewer or VNC.?

Note in the picture that all of the grey plastic is my 3-D printed accessory and cable management system. I prefer to mount the computer and controllers down on the mount rather than on the OTA.


--
Edward

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