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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/skyrobot804/node_v1/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

All telescope control operations in the Node v1 dashboard flow through the ALPACA client layer. The dashboard speaks to any ALPACA-compatible mount driver over UDP (for discovery) and HTTP (for all subsequent commands), so it works with Seestar, ASIAIR, and any other device that exposes the ASCOM Remote / ALPACA API. No driver installation is required on the node itself.

​
Discovering and Connecting

Before any mount commands are available, the dashboard must discover and connect to an ALPACA server on your local network.
1

Trigger discovery

Click the Discover button in the Connection panel. The dashboard sends POST /api/discover, which broadcasts a UDP packet on the ALPACA discovery port. All ALPACA servers that respond are listed in the server dropdown.
2

Select a server

Choose the correct server from the dropdown. The entry shows the server’s IP address and port number as reported during discovery.
3

Connect

Click Connect. The dashboard sends POST /api/connect with the selected server’s address and port:
POST /api/connect
{
  "address": "172.22.6.32",
  "port": 32323
}
On success, the status indicator turns green and all mount-control buttons become active. The full device state is available at GET /api/status.
4

Disconnect when finished

Click Disconnect to send POST /api/disconnect, which cleanly releases all ALPACA device handles.
If the node and the mount controller are on different subnets, UDP broadcast discovery may not reach the server. In that case, type the IP address and port directly into the manual address fields before clicking Connect.

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Park / Unpark

Parking and unparking commands move the mount to or from its designated park position and enable or disable axis movement respectively.
ActionEndpoint
Park the mountPOST /api/telescope/park
Unpark the mountPOST /api/telescope/unpark
Both endpoints accept an empty JSON body {} and return a status response.
Seestar users: the Seestar S50/S30 has a hardware-level park interlock. You must first unpark the scope inside the Seestar mobile app before POST /api/telescope/unpark will allow movement. Sending the unpark command from the dashboard while the hardware interlock is active will return an ALPACA error; the scope will not move.

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Tracking

Sidereal tracking can be toggled independently of slewing. The dashboard’s Tracking toggle calls: 
POST /api/telescope/tracking
{
  "enabled": true
}
Set "enabled": false to stop the drive motors without parking. The tracking rate is controlled by the telescope.tracking_rate config key. A value of 0 selects sidereal rate (the correct setting for most targets). Other standard ALPACA rates—lunar, solar, king—can be set by changing the config value and reconnecting.
Tracking is automatically re-enabled by the schedule runner before each slew. You do not need to toggle it manually between scheduled targets.

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Slewing to Coordinates

The Slew form accepts a target position in equatorial coordinates and sends: 
POST /api/slew
{
  "ra": 5.588,
  "dec": -5.391
}
​
ra
float
required
Right ascension of the target in decimal hours (0 – 24). For example, the Orion Nebula (M42) is at RA 5h 35m 17s ≈ 5.588 hours. Do not supply degrees here.
​
dec
float
required
Declination of the target in decimal degrees (−90 to +90). Negative values are south of the celestial equator.
RA must be supplied in decimal hours, not decimal degrees. A common mistake is to enter 83.8° (M42 in degrees) instead of 5.588 h. The mount will slew to the wrong position without returning an error if you mix up the units.
The catalog browser (see Scheduling) auto-fills the slew form with the correct RA/Dec values when you select an object, eliminating manual unit conversion.

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Joystick / Nudge

The on-screen joystick provides directional nudges for fine centering after a slew. Clicking any of the N / S / E / W arrow buttons sends: 
POST /api/telescope/nudge
{
  "direction": "N",
  "step": 30
}
​
direction
string
required
Cardinal direction: "N", "S", "E", or "W".
​
step
float
required
Angular distance to nudge, in arcseconds (valid range: 1–3600). The dashboard exposes two preset step sizes—Fine (small arcsecond value for precise centering) and Coarse (larger value for repositioning after a rough slew)—selectable with the step-size toggle above the joystick.
Nudge moves are non-tracking; the mount moves by the requested angle and then resumes tracking. For large repositioning, use the Slew form instead.

​
Autofocus

The autofocus module drives the focuser through a configurable range of positions, measures star FWHM at each point, and fits a parabola to find the best focus position. Start and stop it with:
ActionEndpoint
Start autofocusPOST /api/focus/auto
Stop / cancel autofocusDELETE /api/focus/auto
Both endpoints accept an empty body {}. Progress is reported in the live log stream. The autofocus sequence is controlled by the following config.yaml keys:
Config keyTypeDescription
autofocus.exposure_sfloatExposure duration (seconds) for each focus frame
autofocus.step_sizeintFocuser step increment between sample positions
autofocus.steps_per_sideintNumber of steps to take on each side of the starting position
autofocus.settle_sfloatSeconds to wait after each focuser move before capturing
autofocus.samples_per_pointintNumber of frames to average at each focus position
autofocus.min_positionintLower bound of the allowed focuser range
autofocus.max_positionintUpper bound of the allowed focuser range
Run autofocus at the beginning of the night and again after a significant temperature drop (typically >5 °C). The autofocus.settle_s value may need to be increased on slow focusers to avoid measuring during a vibration-induced blur.

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Auto-Centering

Auto-centering plate-solves the current field, calculates the offset from the requested target coordinates, and commands a correction slew. It repeats this loop until the target is within the configured tolerance or the iteration limit is reached.
ActionEndpoint
Start auto-centeringPOST /api/center/run
The centering loop reads these config.yaml keys:
Config keyTypeDescription
centering.exposure_sfloatExposure duration for each plate-solve frame
centering.tolerance_arcminfloatAcceptable distance from target center (arcminutes)
centering.max_iterationsintMaximum number of solve-and-slew cycles before giving up
centering.settle_sfloatSeconds to wait after each correction slew before solving
Auto-centering requires a working plate-solve installation (e.g., Astrometry.net local solver or the Seestar’s built-in solver). If the solver fails to return a result within the timeout, the centering run aborts and logs an error.

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Horizon Scan

The Horizon Scan feature sweeps a grid of sky positions and checks each one against the node’s horizon obstruction model. The resulting map shows which azimuth/altitude zones are blocked by trees, rooflines, or other obstructions at your site. This data feeds directly into the Safety Manager, which uses it to flag or halt observations when a target is tracking into an obstruction zone. To run a horizon scan, click Start Horizon Scan in the Telescope Controls panel. The mount slews to a series of positions in altitude-azimuth space; the safety layer records which positions produce valid frames versus obstruction-masked images. The scan completes automatically and updates the stored horizon model.
The horizon scan moves the mount across a wide range of positions. Ensure the telescope is unparked, tracking is on, and the observing area is clear of obstructions before starting the scan. Do not leave the scope unattended during a horizon scan.

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