Astro-uConsole is an open-source project that transforms the ClockworkPi uConsole into a fully standalone, handheld astrophotography control system.
The goal is to provide a reliable, offline-capable, and fully integrated environment for controlling telescope mounts and astrophotography accessories using industry-standard open-source software.
🎯 Project Objective
Use the uConsole as the primary handheld device to manage:
GoTo telescope mounts
Imaging cameras
Auto-focusers
GPS positioning
Environmental data
Plate solving and guiding
All without requiring an active internet connection.
🏆 Project Goals
Fully functional standalone astrophotography controller
Compatible with INDI-supported mounts and accessories
Optimized for the uConsole hardware
Modular and maintainable installation framework
Open-source and community-friendly
📦 Software Stack (Installed) Core Astronomy Software
INDI Core
INDI 3rd Party Drivers
INDI GPS Support
INDI OpenWeather
KStars & Ekos
PHD2 Guiding
Stellarium
SkyChart / Carte du Ciel
ASTAP
StellarSolver
Plate Solving utilities
Imaging & Processing
FireCapture
AstroDMx
SER Player
Siril
GIMP
ImPPG
GraXpert
Astropy
gPhoto2
Optional / Experimental
INDIGO
AIS INDIGO Imager
Hallo Northern Sky
FlightRadar (optional)
🖥 Hardware Stack
ClockworkPi uConsole
Hacker Gadget NVMe Board
Hacker Gadget RJ45 & USB 3.0 Board
INDI-supported telescope mounts
USB connectivity (Serial optional)
Wi-Fi (experimental)
💽 Operating System
Debian Bookworm 64-bit
Rex image (kernel 6.12.45 at time of writing)
🧩 Architecture Overview
Astro-uConsole uses a modular installer framework:
One entry script
Independent install modules
Offline-first philosophy
No cloud or runtime internet dependency
⚙️ Key Features (Planned)
Automatic uConsole dark theme configuration
Temperature-based autofocus compensation via ESP32
Hardware-aware UI scaling
Fast boot, no container overhead
🚫 Non-Goals
No mandatory internet dependency
No cloud-based control
No power-optimization focus (for now)
📜 Repository Intent
This project is currently personal but is intended to become fully open-source once stable.
All efforts are made to respect upstream licenses and avoid infringement.
✅ Success Criteria
One automated script produces a fully working astrophotography uConsole
All major components installed and verified
Ready to connect a mount and image immediately
🚧 Status
Early development / architecture definition phase