My Astro Notes

This guide documents my personal conversion of an Orion SkyView Pro (SVP) Equatorial Mount into a computerized OnStep GoTo system. I encourage you to review the steps and parts I used, and refer to this guide if you find this method useful for your own project! Parts Required To complete this conversion, you will need the following components: Category Item Description Quantity Timing Belts 128mm Close Loop Timing Belt , (Compatible with GT2) 2 Pcs Pulleys (Motor) 2GT Aluminum Timing Pulley, 16 Teeth , 5mm Bore 2 Pcs Pulleys (Gear) 2GT Aluminum Timing Pulley, 40 Teeth , 6.35mm Bore 2 Pcs Motors High Accuracy 0.9° Step Angle Nema 17 Stepper Motor, 1.7 A, 0.52 Nm (74 oz-in) 2 Pcs Connectors (Motor Side) Aviation Plug GX16 Connector, 4 Pin Socket with 20CM Wire 2 Pcs Connectors (Cable) GX16 Double Female Electrical Plug (Female-to-Female), Circular Aviation Connector with 1M Cable (4 Pin) 2 Pcs Small Connectors JST PH 2.0mm Connector Kit (6Pin Housing, Female/Male Adapter Cable Connec...

  Connect OnStepX to NINA Step 1:    Download and Install ASCOM and NINA from the link below. ASCOM NINA Step 2: Connect to computer Connect the control box to a 12V power supply and connect it to the computer via a USB cable. Open the device manager on the computer, check if the CH340 serial port device is recognized, and remember the COM port number (as shown in the picture below). If not recognized, you may need to install the CH340 driver.  Note on CH340 driver: The CH340 driver is  a software that allows your computer to communicate with devices using the CH340 USB-to-serial chip , commonly found in Arduino clones and other development boards.  Most modern operating systems like Windows 10 and newer versions of macOS will install the driver automatically, but manual installation is sometimes necessary.  To install manually, download the appropriate driver package for your OS from the chip manufacturer's website ( Nanjing Qinheng Microelectronics...