PRIMALUCE LAB ECCO2 Environmental Computerized Controller User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- PRIMALUCE LAB
Table of Contents
PRIMA LUCE LAB ECCO2 Environmental Computerized Controller
Important Information
WARNING
- If improperly handled, ECCO2 may become damaged, so please follow the instructions below:
- Do not disassemble
- Do not open, damage or subject to electric shock or excessive impact any part of ECCO2. Do not drop.
- Do not short the electronic elements
- Do not expose to temperatures below -20°C and above +60°C
- Do not burn or incinerate any component.
- Do not expose to rain or other atmospheric effect related to water
- Do not bend, modify or force any part of ECCO2
Contents of the package
- ECCO2 environmental computerized controller
- Adapter for Vixen-style finder shoe
- 2 temperature probes
- USB Type C cable – length 120cm
- Quick guide
NOTE
You can download the ECCO2 drivers and softwares package from our website:
www.primalucelab.com/astronomy/downloads
Save the package (in zip
format) onto the EAGLE or computer you want to use to control the ECCO2 and
unzip it
with the proper unzip software (right click, and select “expand”). If an unzip
utility is needed, you can use WinZip, available at https://www.winzip.com
First use: install ECCO2 on your telescope
comes with an adapter that allows you to connect it to Vixen-style finder shoe. Insert the ECCO2 to the adapter and lock it by using the 2 grub screws provided in the box
Now you can insert the ECCO2 in the Vixen-style finder shoe of your telescope.
If you do not have a finder base, you can use our optional “DX finder base”
and then connect the ECCO2. Now connect the USB cable (you find in the box) in
the USB-C port of the ECCO2 and in USB port of the EAGLE or your standard
Windows computer.
First use: use ECCO2 with EAGLE Manager
ECCO2 is designed to work with the EAGLE (compatible with EAGLE units that come with power regulated ports for the dew heaters) and, in order to automatically control dew heater power it doesn’t need any external software. In order to use the ECCO2 with EAGLE, please follow these steps:
- Connect temperature sensors to the ECCO2; temperature sensor ports in the ECCO2 are numbered in the same order as the dew heater ports on the EAGLE. Connect temperature sensor to the ECCO2 port number corresponding to the port number on the EAGLE where you connected the dew heater. For example, if your telescope dew heater is connected to port 5 of your EAGLE, connect the temperature sensor to the port 5 of the ECCO2. Please do not connect the other side (the probe) to your telescope since, before start using the ECCO2, temperature probes will have to be calibrated. Please have the temperature probes free and not connected to different objects: for example you can leave them on the table or hanging freely.
- Click on the ECCO button in the EAGLE Manager interface and, after a few seconds, ECCO2 will activate.
- The ports of the ECCO2 where you connected the temperature sensors, will become red. This means that the temperature sensors have to be calibrated. When the temperature sensors are not calibrated, ECCO2 LED light is flashing.
- In the EAGLE Manager, please click the ADVANCED SETTINGS button, this will open a new window. In the top right part of the new window, you will see the CALIBRATE button .
- Click on the CALIBRATE button and you will see a red icon that will appear during calibration. When the calibration is complete you will see a “Calibration OK” notification, click OK to confirm and then click OK in the ADVANCED SETTINGS window to close
- Click on the CALIBRATE button and you will see a red icon that will appear during calibration. When the calibration is complete you will see a “Calibration OK” notification, click OK to confirm and then click OK in the ADVANCED SETTINGS window to clos
- Insert the temperature probe head between the dew heater you want to automatically control with the ECCO2 and the telescope optical tube.
- Temperature readings in the ECCO2 are displayed in Celsius (°C). If you want to see temperatures in Fahrenheit (°F), please go to ADVANCED SETTINGS and select “°F” in Temperature option.
ECCO2 settings in EAGLE Manager
In the upper part of the ADVANCED SETTINGS window of EAGLE MANAGER you can find the “Delta-T” value: this is the temperature that ECCO2 adds to the dew point temperature relative the numbered dew heater. The larger your optics, the higher we suggest to set this value in order to keep your optic uniformly heated.
First use: use ECCO2 with ASCOM drivers
ECCO2 is provided with an ASCOM driver in order to allow third party software
to connect to the ECCO’s 2 sensors, allowing you to connect the ECCO2 to a
standard Windows 10 computer. ECCO2′ s ASCOM driver requires at least ASCOM
platform 6.4 that can be found here https://ascom-standards.org. In order to
install the ASCOM driver (on your EAGLE or on your standard Windows 10
computer), please double click to the “PLL Environmental Conditions ASCOM
driver” and follow the instructions, this will install the “PLL Environmental
Conditions ASCOM driver”. Now you can start your astrophotography software and
connect to the ECCO2 ASCOM driver by following the instructions provided with
the third
party software. Please note that:
- by using the ECCO2 with a standard computer, you can use the ECCO2 to monitor air temperature, humidity and pressure but you can’t control dew heaters power in the same way you can do with the EAGLE.
- if you use the ASCOM driver with your EAGLE, in order to use third party software you always have to connect the ECCO to the EAGLE Manager
Troubleshooting
Q: When I click the ECCO button in the EAGLE Manager, the temperature probes
readings are red and ECCO2 is flashing.?
A: This means that the temperature probes are not calibrated. Please click on
ADVANCED SETTINGS in the EAGLE Manager and click on CALIBRATE button.
Q: Temperature probes readings are red also if I previously calibrated.?
A: It means that you connected the temperature probes to the wrong port number
of the ECCO2. Please check numbers of the dew heater ports in the EAGLE and
have them matched with the ones in the ECCO2.
Q: When I click on ECCO button in the EAGLE Manager, it doesn’t connect.?
A: If you see the “No ECCO found” after you press ECCO button, it means that
Windows didn’t properly load the driver when you connected ECCO’s USB cable to
your EAGLE. With the ECCO2 disconnected from the USB port, please go to
Control Panel, then select Device Manager. Here you see the list of all the
devices. Please connect ECCO’s USB cable and you will see the list updating.
If the new found device has a yellow mark, it means that the driver has not
automatically loaded. Make a mouse right-click on it and select “Update
Driver”. In the new window select “Browse my computer for driver software”,
click on Browse button and select the folder where you previously unzipped the
“ECCO2 software package” zip file, that includes also the system driver. This
will manually install the ECCO2 driver, reboot your EAGLE and connect again to
the ECCO2 in the EAGLE Manager.
Q: My telescope has dew on optics also if I use the ECCO.?
A: First of all please check that, when ECCO applies power to dew heaters,
they warm up. If the dew heaters are fine, we suggest you to increase (for
example to 2-3 degrees) the Delta-T value in the EAGLE Manager ADVANCED
SETTINGS.
INFORMATION TO USERS
According to art. 26 of Decreto Legislativo 14 marzo 2014, n. 49 “Attuazione della Direttiva 2012/19/UE sui rifiuti di apparecchiature “Attuazione della Direttiva 2012/19/UE sui rifiuti di apparecchiature elettriche ed elettroniche the symbol of the barrel placed on the equipment or its packaging indicates that the product at the end of its useful life must be collected separately from other waste. The user will therefore have to give the end-of-life equipment to the appropriate separate collection centers for electronic and electrotechnical waste or to return it to the reseller upon the purchase of a new type of equivalent equipment, one by one. Properly differentiated collection for the subsequent start of dismantled equipment for recycling, treatment and environmentally compatible disposal helps to avoid possible adverse effects on the environment and health and favors the reuse and / or recycling of the materials contained in the equipment The abusive disposal of the product by the user implies the application of the administrative sanctions as per D.Lgs. 152/2006. Compliance with the RAEE legislation (D.Lgs. 49/2014) PrimaLuceLab is registered to AEE Register with number IT17030000009790 PrimaLuceLab adheres to Sistema Collettivo ERP Italia for the compliance to RAEE legislation
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>