ACP includes automatic dome control that can work with any ASCOM-compatible dome system. Currently, this includes the Technical Innovations HomeDome and ProDome, any dome that is controlled with Diffraction Limited's MaxDome, including the Sirius family of domes, and the Meridian Controls dome controller, which supports several types of domes. ASCOM drivers are being developed for other enclosures.

Features

• Supports domes, clamshells or roll-off roofs (as long as an ASCOM driver is available)
• Built-in dome control panel
• Slit-alignment geometry for domes and both fork and German mounts
• Automatic sequencing of dome homing and opening at startup
• Automatic dome slaving while telescope is connected
• Direct slewing on telescope slew, even for meridian flip
• Safety checks when closing dome (is telescope parked?)
• Automatic scope parking, dome homing and dome closing at shutdown or when the telescope is parked.
• New ACP.Dome object allows scripts to determine the dome status, home, park, and open/close the shutter.

Operation

ACP hides the details of dome control, making dome usage easy. The dome is automatically slaved to the telescope position, and it will slew directly to its final location on a telescope slew, even if there is a meridian flip! When combined with ACP's Weather Safety feature, the dome can automatically be closed if the weather becomes unsafe or unusable for observing. It can also be automatically homed and/or opened on ACP startup.

ACP does have a built-in dome control panel that displays annunciator lights for dome state and allows opening, closing, parking and homing the dome. When using the latter two controls, slaving is automatically disabled.

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