ZWO-Server Software Documentation

News

v0033 (2023-03-21)

Print ASI_CONTROL_CAPS list at startup.

Minor bug fix.

Download zwoserver-0033.tar.gz

v0031 (2022-08-24)

Implement 'ASIGetSerialNumber' and relay the serial number to the host.

Download zwoserver-0031.tar.gz

v0029 (2021-10-20)

Supports the ASI294-MM camera, used with the new guider as an alternative to the Andor camera

Please note that the ASI-294 requires a newer version of the libASICamera2.so library (at least 1.20.2) from ZWO (--> Developers tab).

v0023 (2020-08-21)

Added 'bitDepth' to support the new ASI-6200 camera. While all cameras send 16 bit data, the other cameras only use 12 bits.

Please note that the ASI-6200 requires a newer version of the libASICamera2.so library (at least 1.15.0617) from ZWO (--> Developers tab).

v0020 (2019-08-08)

Added "gain" and "offset" commands

This is the minimum version required for operation with the CASCA scheduler (v0016).

v0015 (2019-07-17)

Report cooler and color when requesting ASIGetCameraProperty or sending the "open" command.

Requires ZwoFinder-v0027.

ZwoServer Command Protocol

Connect to the zwoserver via "nc" (or netcat or similar)

nc rpi 52311

Command: version

Returns the version string, a cookie and the startup-time of the server.

Command: open

Opens the USB connection to the camera - does nothing if already connected.

Returns the chip geometry, cooler and color availability, examples:

"1936 1096 0 1" : no cooler, color (ASI290MC)

"4656 3520 1 0" : has cooler, monochrome (ASI1600MM)

Command: setup [ x y w h b p ]

Returns the current setup or changes the readout geometry (example "0 0 4656 3520 1 8")

[x y w h] : window geometry

[b] : binning {1,2,4}

[p] : bits-per-pixel {8,16,24}

The values for 'x y w h b p' are stored to disk.

Command: setup default

The values stored via the last 'setup x y w h b p' are loaded.

Command: setup image [ b ]

same as "setup 0 0 4656 3520 1 16" -- the optional 'b' parameter overwrites the binning

Command: setup video [ b ]

same as "setup 0 0 4656 3520 1 8" -- the optional 'b' parameter overwrites the binning

Command: exptime [ # ]

Sets the exposure time in seconds {0.0001 .. 30.0}

Command: gain [#]

Set the CCD gain (0..600)

Command: offset [#]

Set the CCD offset (0..100)

Command: expose

Starts an exposure. A return value of "0" signifies sucess. Any error will start with "-E".

Command: status

Returns the current server status:

"closed" : the connection the the USB camera is closed.

"idle" : conneced to the USB camera; no exposure or video stream is active.

"exposing #" : exposure is running (for # seconds).

"streaming" : streaming video from the camera.

Command: data [ # ]

Readout the image data (exposure or video) and send it as binary data.

The optional parameter limits the number of binary data bytes beeing sent ('0' allows to omit sending binary data for testing).

Returns the number of bytes in the image, followed by the binary data.

Command: start

Start video streaming from the camera.

The images may be transmitted via the "data" command.

Command: stop

Stop video streaming.

Command: write [ # ]

Writes the current image (exposure or video) to disk as $HOME/zwo0000.fits

the '0000' number is incremented after each 'write' command.

'#' sets the file number.

Command: close

Closes the connection to the USB camera.

Note: "close" is implicit when the network connection is terminated.

Command: tempcon [ # ]

Set the temperature control setpoint; "off" turns off the temperature control.

Without parameter it returns the temperature and cooler percentage.

Example: "0.0 25"

Command: filters

Returns the number of positions on the filter wheel.

If no filter wheel is connected the return is "0".

Note: Must be called before the wheel can be moved.

Command: filter [ # ]

Move the filter wheel to position '#' (the index is '0' based).

Return: "0" (move accepted)

Without parameter it returns the current filter wheel position or "-1" for "moving".

Software Documentation

HowTo setup a RaspberryPi (ARMv7) / Rock64 (ARMv8) / Minnow (x86_64)

Install the ASI library: (get the latest version from the ZWO webpage --> ForDevelopers)

sudo cp libASICamera2.so.1.13.0930 /usr/local/lib/libASICamera2.so

sudo install asi.rules /lib/udev/rules.d

and reconnect the camera, then the camera can be opened as non-root.

Run 'cat /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/usbfs_memory_mb' to make sure the result is 200

Install the EFW library: (get the latest version from the ZWO webpage --> ForDevelopers)

sudo cp libEFWFilter.so.0.3.1205 /usr/local/lib/libEFWFilter.so

sudo install efw.rules /lib/udev/rules.d

and reconnect filter wheel, then filter wheel can be opened as non-root.

HowTo compile/make the 'zwoserver'

tar xf zwo0010.tar.gz

cd src

make zwoserver

./zwoserver

The screen output should be something like

ZwoServer-0.010

Feb 25 20:28:29: ZwoServer-v0.010: UT= 20:28.29 LT=hh:mm:ss

run_tcpip(52311)

indicating that the ZwoServer is running and listening to port 52311

HowTo connect the ZWO-Finder' GUI to the 'zwoserver'

Enter the IP-number or hostname of the computer running the 'zwoserver'.
If you leave the hostname empty, the GUI will try to connect to the ZWO-camera connected to a local USB port.

ZWO-Finder documentation.