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Section 2.1 - Operating Focusers With FocusLynx Commander

The FocusLynx Commander control software is the easiest and most user-friendly method for controlling a  FocusLynx focuser hub with a Windows computer. Once you have installed FocusLynx Commander and configured it for connection with a focuser hub, you can use the following instructions to control a focuser:

Controlling Your Focuser

• Plug In Your Focuser - Ensure that there is a valid connection between your focuser and one of the two focuser ports on the FocusLynx.

• Relative Move - The In and Out buttons found below the position and temperature displays on the main Commander window can be used to move the focuser in and out, respectively. With each click, the focuser will move by the number of steps displayed in the Increment text box.

• Halting - To stop the focuser once it has begun moving, click the Halt button that is immediately to the left of the position display.

• Adjust Increment - To adjust the amount by which the Relative Move buttons move a focuser, enter a number (or use the up and down arrows) into the Increment text box that is located between the In and Out buttons.

• Temperature Compensation - If your focuser is capable of compensating for temperature variations and you properly set a compensation mode when you configured your focuser connection, you can use the Temperature Compensation buttons located below the Relative Move buttons to turn temperature compensation on or off. Unless you specify otherwise during focuser configuring, temperature compensation will be off by default.

• Home or Sync - The focuser type you have chosen in the configuration gives you a Home  or Sync button. For absolute focusers a Home button homes your focuser. For relative focusers a Sync button allows you to sync to a position.

• Absolute Move - To move the focuser to a specific location, use the Absolute Focus Adjust text box located below the temperature compensation toggle. Enter a number of steps into the text box, then click the Go To button to start the focuser moving. The number of steps must be between zero and the maximum number of steps for your focuser (you can find this in your focuser's documentation) or the move will not be allowed.

Note:  With both relative and absolute moves, if you try to move beyond the physical limits of the focuser the program will stop you from doing so to prevent you from damaging the focuser. This is why it is extremely important to ensure that you have configured your focuser type!

• Centering - To move the focuser to the exact center of its travel, click the Center button. The focuser will automatically begin moving.

Presets And Offsets

At the bottom of the window is a listing of all Relative Move Offsets and Absolute Move Presets. These tools allow you to preset a relative move distance or an absolute move position that can be quickly entered without changing the present values in the relative or absolute move text boxes. To use a preset or offset, simply click it. Refer to Focus Presets And Offsets for additional information regarding Relative Focus Offsets and Absolute Focus Presets.

Changing Display Units

You can adjust the units of the position and temperature display for the focusers simply by clicking the respective quantity's display.

Position units can be switched between steps, microns (µm), and millimeters (mm).

Temperature units can be cycled between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin.

Adjusting The Display

Using the View menu on the main Commander page, you can select what focuser control information is visible to you. You can click on each item to toggle its display on or off, and use the Show All selection to return to the default setting of showing all possible items.

The Always On Top option will place the FocusLynx Commander window on top of all other program windows you may have open, no matter which window is selected, so you can always see your focuser controls.

Your view preferences will be saved, so you can close FocusLynx Commander and have the same view settings applied the next time the program is opened.

In addition to controlling display of general classes of information, you may control which of the two focusers' information is displayed on screen. You may choose to display information from one or both focusers. You may not hide the display of both focusers, as this would cause the Commander window to disappear!