Add support for SAMP Virtual Observatory protocol

[andre....@gmail.com]

Hi Harshad,

I'd like to ask you to add the support for SAMP Virtual Observatory protocol (http://www.ivoa.net/documents/SAMP/20120411/REC-SAMP-1.3-20120411.pdf) into SkEye Pro, so it would be possible to integrate it with many other desktop astronomy software (https://wiki.ivoa.net/twiki/bin/view/IVOA/SampSoftware), like 

Cartes du Ciel/skychart to send/receive coordinates updates (https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/documentation/vo_samp), and update the catalog using apps like TOPCAT (http://www.star.bristol.ac.uk/~mbt/topcat/).

As a suggestion, I think you should check the implementation of JSAMP (https://github.com/mbtaylor/jsamp) for a SAMP library/infrastructure in Java.

Thanks,

Andre

[Harshad RJ]

Hi Andre,

Thanks for the suggestion. It's the first time I have heard about SAMP.

How does this compare with the INDI ecosystem? It looks like INDI, Ekos, StellarMate are all the rage these days, atleast among astrophotography circles.

If anyone would like to summarize this space, please go ahead. Mentioning any products / competitors is fine with me; I am more of a hobbyist than a commercial vendor :)

best,

Harshad

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Harshad RJ

[andre....@gmail.com]

Hi Harshad,

The difference between INDI and SAMP is that INDI (like ASCOM) is used for interoperability between hardware and astronomical software (e. g., control mount, camera, focuser, filter wheel), and SAMP is used for interoperability between different astronomical software (e.g., send coordinates, catalogs, selected objects, images).

Also, in case for SkEye, the app could act as a client and read coordinates from an INDI telescope driver (connecting to a remote INDI server), but would have to provide an INDI server and a local telescope driver to share its coordinates with another application (INDI for Java seems to be inactive for a long time). 

Now, with SAMP, you can use a remote SAMP hub on a desktop, like TOPCAT or JSAMP, and could share information with another astronomical software (e.g., Cartes du Ciel/Skychart, Aladin):

1- Act like digital encoders: Send the current coordinates of the reticule displayed on SkEye to center the chart of the desktop software;

2- Act like a guide scope: Send the coordinates of a highlighted/searched object on the desktop software to SkEye to guide de user during guiding (just like the search on SkEye does);

3- Allow the user to customize the catalog of objects: Receive a VOtable with a list of objects from the desktop software.

To get started with SAMP, I suggest the example from here: https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/documentation/vo_samp

Best,

Andre

[andre....@gmail.com]

Hi Harshad,

Since you're interested in INDI, I just found the following auxiliary INDI driver that is a middleware used for integrating INDI and SkySafari, via SkySafari's own protocol: https://www.indilib.org/devices/telescopes/skysafari.html

It features: Goto, Align, Slew Speeds, Abort, and Setting of Latitude/Longitude.

You could base an integration between SkEye and INDI on it, allowing SkEye to act as a planetarium program controlling a remote mount connected to an INDI server. But, I'm afraid that only Align and Setting of Latitude/Longitude features would make sense in this scenario, since Goto and Slew would require that SkEye could act as an INDI DSC driver (like the ones discussed here: https://indilib.org/forum/wish-list/2026-i-would-like-support-of-digital-setting-circles.html?start=48), requiring another specific integration protocol.

Best,

Andre

[Harshad]

Andre,

Belated thanks for the information. I will definitely consider this during the design of SkEye connect.

At first glance, it seems SAMP was made for "serious" Astronomy, while I am currently focussed on casual usage.

But I will investigate it more.

best,

Harshad