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Documentation Index

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The devices: section of config.yaml controls which ALPACA devices Node v1 attempts to connect to when you click Connect in the dashboard. Each entry under devices: maps to a physical piece of equipment on your ALPACA server. Setting enabled: true tells the dashboard to attempt a connection; enabled: false skips the device entirely without logging errors. The device_number is the zero-based index of the device on the server — for a single Seestar S50, every device number is 0.

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Device Keys

Each device block follows the same two-key pattern: enabled and device_number.

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telescope

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devices.telescope.enabled
boolean
default:"true"
Enables the ALPACA telescope (mount) connection. Required for slewing, tracking, parking, nudging, and the auto-centering routine. Disable only if you are using Node v1 purely as a camera controller.
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devices.telescope.device_number
integer
default:"0"
ALPACA device index for the telescope on the server. Almost always 0 unless multiple mounts are connected to the same ALPACA server.

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camera

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devices.camera.enabled
boolean
default:"true"
Enables the ALPACA camera connection. Required for manual exposures, the schedule runner, autofocus, horizon scan, and any feature that takes images. Disable only for mount-only testing.
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devices.camera.device_number
integer
default:"0"
ALPACA device index for the camera on the server. Almost always 0.

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focuser

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devices.focuser.enabled
boolean
default:"false"
Enables the ALPACA focuser connection. Only enable this if a physical motorised focuser is attached and configured in your ALPACA server. When disabled, the autofocus routine is unavailable and the dashboard will return an error if you attempt to start it.
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devices.focuser.device_number
integer
default:"0"
ALPACA device index for the focuser on the server.

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filterwheel

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devices.filterwheel.enabled
boolean
default:"false"
Enables the ALPACA filter wheel connection. Filter wheel support is not yet surfaced in the dashboard UI, but enabling the connection here makes the device available for future use and custom scripts.
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devices.filterwheel.device_number
integer
default:"0"
ALPACA device index for the filter wheel on the server.

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covercalibrator

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devices.covercalibrator.enabled
boolean
default:"true"
Enables the ALPACA CoverCalibrator connection, which drives the Seestar S50 arm open and closed from the dashboard. When connected successfully, Open Arm and Close Arm buttons appear in the telescope panel.
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devices.covercalibrator.device_number
integer
default:"0"
ALPACA device index for the cover calibrator on the server.

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Example devices: Block

The following is the complete default devices: section from config.yaml:
config.yaml
devices:
  telescope:
    enabled: true
    device_number: 0
  camera:
    enabled: true
    device_number: 0
  focuser:
    enabled: false
    device_number: 0
  filterwheel:
    enabled: false
    device_number: 0
  covercalibrator:
    enabled: true
    device_number: 0
If a CoverCalibrator device is not present on your ALPACA server, connecting with covercalibrator.enabled: true will log a warning such as CoverCalibrator connect failed: 400 Client Error. This is non-fatal — the rest of the dashboard continues to function normally. If you want to suppress the warning, set covercalibrator.enabled: false.
focuser.enabled is false by default because most Seestar S50 setups do not have a separately addressable focuser. The Seestar manages focus internally. Only set focuser.enabled: true if you have attached an external motorised focuser and registered it in your ALPACA server configuration.

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ALPACA Discovery

Before you can connect to any device, Node v1 must locate your ALPACA server on the local network. The alpaca: section configures that discovery process.
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alpaca.discovery_port
integer
default:"32227"
UDP broadcast port used for ALPACA server discovery. The ALPACA specification defines port 32227. Only change this if your server is configured to listen on a different port.
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alpaca.discovery_timeout
integer
default:"5"
Seconds the discovery scan waits for servers to respond. Increase this value on slow or heavily loaded networks. A value of 5 is sufficient for a direct wired or 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection.
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alpaca.api_version
integer
default:"1"
ALPACA API version used in all HTTP request paths (e.g. /api/v1/telescope/0/ra). Almost always 1. Only change this if your ALPACA server explicitly requires a different version.
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alpaca.default_server.address
string
default:"172.22.6.32"
IP address of the server to auto-connect to when found during a scan. Set by ticking Set as default in the connect dialog. Clear this field to disable auto-connect and always show the server selection list.
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alpaca.default_server.port
integer
default:"32323"
HTTP port of the default ALPACA server. For the Seestar S50, this is typically 32323. Used together with default_server.address for auto-connect.

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How Discovery Works

When you click Discover in the dashboard, Node v1 sends a UDP broadcast packet to port alpaca.discovery_port and waits up to alpaca.discovery_timeout seconds for responses. Any ALPACA server on the same subnet that is listening will reply with its address and port. The dashboard then presents the list of found servers and lets you select one to connect to. If alpaca.default_server is set and the saved address/port appears in the discovery results, the dashboard skips the selection dialog and connects automatically. This is the typical production setup: discover once, set as default, and subsequent starts connect in a single click.
config.yaml
alpaca:
  discovery_port: 32227
  discovery_timeout: 5
  api_version: 1
  default_server:
    address: 172.22.6.32
    port: 32323

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