nRF52840 Telescope Park Bridge v0.3.1

ASCOM Alpaca bridge for nRF52840 XIAO Sense based telescope park sensor with built-in LSM6DS3TR-C IMU.

Features

• Serial Communication: Direct communication with nRF52840 XIAO Sense device
• ASCOM Alpaca API: Full compliance with ASCOM Safety Monitor specification
• Web Interface: Modern responsive web UI for device control and monitoring
• Device Control: Set park position, calibrate IMU, factory reset
• Manual Commands: Send raw commands to device and view responses
• Auto-Discovery: Automatically detects nRF52840-like devices

Hardware Requirements

• Primary: Seeed Studio XIAO nRF52840 Sense with built-in LSM6DS3TR-C IMU
• Alternative: Any nRF52840-based device with compatible firmware

Firmware Compatibility

This bridge is designed to work with the nRF52840 firmware that:

• Uses hex command protocol: <XX> format
• Returns JSON responses with status, data, message fields
• Supports commands: 01-0E (status, position, park control, calibration, etc.)

Quick Start

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd telescope_park_bridge

# Build the project
cargo build --release

Usage

# Auto-detect nRF52840 device and start
./target/release/telescope_park_bridge --auto

# Specify a specific port
./target/release/telescope_park_bridge --port COM3  # Windows
./target/release/telescope_park_bridge --port /dev/ttyACM0  # Linux

# Enable debug logging
./target/release/telescope_park_bridge --debug --auto

# Custom bind address and port
./target/release/telescope_park_bridge --bind 0.0.0.0 --http-port 8080

Web Interface

Once running, access the web interface at:

• Local: http://127.0.0.1:11111
• Network: http://YOUR_IP:11111

ASCOM Alpaca Endpoints

The bridge provides standard ASCOM Alpaca endpoints:

• Base URL: http://127.0.0.1:11111/api/v1/safetymonitor/0/
• Management: http://127.0.0.1:11111/management/v1/

Command Line Options

Options:
  -p, --port <PORT>          Serial port (e.g., COM3, /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/ttyACM0)
  -b, --baud <BAUD>          Baud rate for serial communication [default: 115200]
      --bind <BIND>          HTTP server bind address [default: 127.0.0.1]
      --http-port <PORT>     HTTP server port for ASCOM Alpaca [default: 11111]
      --auto                 Auto-select first available nRF52840-like device
  -d, --debug                Enable debug logging
  -h, --help                 Print help
  -V, --version              Print version

Device Commands

The nRF52840 firmware supports these hex commands:

Command	Description
01	Get device status
02	Get current position
03	Check if parked
04	Set park position
05	Get park position
06	Calibrate sensor
07	Toggle debug
08	Get version
0A###	Set tolerance (### = hundredths of degrees)
0B	Get tolerance
0C	Get system info
0D	Software set park
0E	Factory reset

Web Interface Features

Park Sensor Tab

• Real-time connection status
• Device information display
• Current position and park status
• Serial port selection and connection

Device Control Tab ⭐ NEW in v0.3.1

• Set Park Position: Set current position as park position
• IMU Calibration: Recalibrate the built-in sensor
• Factory Reset: Reset all settings to defaults
• Manual Command Interface: Send custom hex commands and view responses

Activity Logs Tab

• Real-time activity logging
• ASCOM endpoint testing
• Connection status monitoring

API Endpoints

Web API

• GET /api/status - Get device state
• GET /api/ports - List available serial ports
• POST /api/connect - Connect to serial device
• POST /api/disconnect - Disconnect from device
• POST /api/command - Send manual command ⭐ NEW
• POST /api/device/calibrate - Calibrate IMU ⭐ NEW
• POST /api/device/set_park - Set park position ⭐ NEW
• POST /api/device/factory_reset - Factory reset ⭐ NEW

ASCOM Alpaca API

• GET /api/v1/safetymonitor/0/connected - Connection status
• GET /api/v1/safetymonitor/0/issafe - Safety status (parked)
• GET /api/v1/safetymonitor/0/name - Device name
• GET /api/v1/safetymonitor/0/description - Device description
• GET /management/v1/configureddevices - Device list
• GET /management/v1/description - Server description

Technical Details

Serial Communication

• Baud Rate: 115200 (configurable)
• Protocol: Hex commands in <XX> format
• Response: JSON with status, data, message fields
• Timeout: 10 seconds for device responses

Device State

The bridge maintains real-time state including:

• Connection status and error messages
• Device information (name, version, platform)
• Position data (pitch, roll, park position, tolerance)
• Park status and calibration state
• System information (uptime, capabilities)

Error Handling

• Automatic reconnection on serial errors
• Timeout handling for device communication
• Graceful degradation when device unavailable
• Comprehensive error logging and user feedback

Troubleshooting

Device Not Detected

1. Check device is connected and powered
2. Verify correct drivers installed
3. Try different USB cable/port
4. Check device appears in system device manager
5. Use --debug flag for detailed logging

Connection Issues

1. Ensure correct baud rate (115200)
2. Check no other software using the port
3. Verify device firmware is compatible
4. Try manual port selection instead of auto-detect

ASCOM Issues

1. Test endpoints directly via web interface
2. Check Windows firewall settings
3. Verify ASCOM Platform installed (for local clients)
4. Use debug logging to trace API calls

Development

Building from Source

# Debug build
cargo build

# Release build
cargo build --release

# Run with debug logging
cargo run -- --debug --auto

Project Structure

src/
├── main.rs              # Application entry point
├── device_state.rs      # Device state management
├── serial_client.rs     # nRF52840 communication
├── alpaca_server.rs     # ASCOM Alpaca API server
├── port_discovery.rs    # Serial port detection
├── connection_manager.rs # Connection and command management ⭐ NEW
└── errors.rs           # Error types

templates/
├── index.html          # Web interface HTML
├── style.css           # Web interface styles
└── script.js           # Web interface JavaScript

Changelog

v0.3.1 ⭐ NEW FEATURES

• Device Control Commands: Set park position, calibrate IMU, factory reset
• Manual Command Interface: Send custom hex commands and view responses
• Enhanced Connection Management: Better command-response handling
• Improved Error Handling: More detailed error messages and logging
• Better Web UI: Enhanced device control tab with confirmation dialogs

v0.3.0

• Complete rewrite for nRF52840 XIAO Sense compatibility
• Enhanced serial communication with proper JSON parsing
• Improved web interface with device control functions
• External template files for better maintainability
• Better error handling and device discovery
• Real-time status updates and activity logging

v0.2.x (Abandoned)

• ESP32 compatibility (kept external templates concept)

v0.1.0 (Original)

• Basic ESP32 functionality
• Embedded HTML templates

License

[Specify your license here]

Support

For issues and questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Enable debug logging for detailed information
3. [Create an issue on GitHub]