I've begun a Python module to provide a complete interface to the Meade
LX200 command set:
http://rjs.org/Python/LX200.py
and would like input from potential users or people interested in
developing it further.
The code I have online is a very alpha start - it contains all of the
command set, parsed from
http://www.meade.com/support/LX200CommandSet.pdf
reg-exp'd into methods, but few methods are actually complete yet.
My thinking is to have it useful for Python command line testing, as well
as GUI programs.
History: after searching for such a thing, I had found only:
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=1
from University of Durham, but the code is not available...
and
http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.p...200.py?rev=1.4
from the Galileo project, but which only has a subset and is aimed at their
needs, mostly. Some of the Galileo code looks useful, and so I might want
to make use of at least some of the methodology, even if only to get their
interest as well.
Current input I would most like is on module structure and Pythonic-ness:
-Only one class, or two?
I was considering splitting the commands into two classes: Telescope and
Library, as either could be used without the other for a scope session. (If
you have large libraries on your PC, you do not need the LX one - or if you
don't, or have a PDA, then just doing a Library lookup alone might be useful.)
If you were to "import LX200", how would you expect it to work?
-Should I have module methods, as I do? (Galileo uses some static methods)
-What constants might be useful to define?
-When should the com port be opened/tested? (I have it on init...)
-What about the class names?
It is already ~1200 lines code and comments, even without most of the
commands actually useful yet, and so I'd like to get a good form started
before getting too far along.
Is anyone here interested in using such a module, or willing to critique?
Thanks,
Ray
arr-ayy-why-ess at blue-cove.com
