DCD is a platform independent user interface for remote telescope and
device control, compatible with the INDI standard.
Library:
DCD has got a documented API, including some examples:
indiclient.py implements the client side of the INDI protocol for
Python. It provides handy little functions to write INDI scripts
easily. It provides a more sophisticated object oriented interface to
write more complex INDI clients (see documentation)
gtkindiclient implements methods to bind INDI objects to GTK objects. It provides handy little
functions to connect widgets to INDI objects, hiding the complexity of
GTK. (see documentation)
My view on INDI: INDI is
still a rather new standard. And it is not mature enough to use it to
control large systems. I would not recommend to use in INDI
professional scientific telescopes. I recommend
INDI for amateur telescopesonly, and for these it is very useful.
Requirements:
1) A TCP/IP (Internet) connection to a computer running an INDI sever connected to the
telescope you like to operate.
2) Linux or Windows (or any other operating system supporting Python
and GTK and Glade).
Installation for Windows:
Download Python or use deep link:
python-2.4.1.msi
Download Glade and GTK
or use deep link: gtk-win32-2.6.10-rc1.exe
Download Pygtk
2.6 for Win32 or use deep link:pygtk-2.6.2-2.win32-py2.4.exe
Install these three packages in exactly
this order.
And reboot your computer after
all packages have been installed.
Download DCD
Unpack the archive using Winzip or
any other file extractor you are familiar with.
Open the directory where you extracted the archive and double click the
file: "dcd.py"
Installation for Linux and other operating systems:
Windows:
run .dcd/lib/preview.exe (installer) Linux: as root do:
cd dcd/lib python setup.py install # This installs a mini C library to do gamma correction # brightness and contrast adjustment # The source is given in previewcrunch.c
History
I stated to work on this project in the IAYC 2005 (an
international meeting of youngsters
interested in astronomy). In this group it is usual to call anything
either stuff or device since the proper English expression is usually
not known by most of the people, which explains this rather unusual
name. I would like to thank IWA (the organization behind IAYC) for the
wonderful time, and the spirit that encouraged me and many other people
to work on astronomical projects.