SynScan app has two variants:
Features: (PDF Manual)
Feedbacks are appreciated: [email protected]
Release Notes
## 2024-08-10 v2.5.2
Changes compared to v2.4.33
• Android: target Android 14. Minimum supported to Android 8.
• SynMatrix AutoAlign: add (except iOS)
• Auto home: support AZ-EQ mount that has home index.
• Newer mount AZ tracking: make it less likely to fail when using Bluetooth LE
## 2024-06-25 v2.4.33
Changes compared to v2.4.31
• Serial port: list port names on Mac. Adjust combobox layout
## 2024-06-10 v2.4.31
Changes compared to v2.4.29
• Fix problem introduced in 2.4.27, where connection fails with mounts that don't support setting guide speed.
## 2024-05-15 v2.4.29
Changes compared to v2.4.27
• Updated user manual/ help page
• AutoHome: fix crash when communication error occured
• Set minimum Android version to 7 from 6
• PAE: ignore samples that cause conflict (leading to eg AZ tracking hang). When two samples conflict, the more recent one is kept.
## 2024-04-23 v2.4.27
Changes compared to v2.4.18
• Android serial: updated version of third party library
• Serial: same timeout value (default 200ms) for all bytes (originally: 10ms for bytes after first). Affects Windows, Android, Mac.
• Location page: when manual entering, show 3 decimal places
• Android: system status bar and navigation bar to black
• Fix problem introduced in 2.4.15 where after hibernate, data is immediately removed
• Speed compensation ppm: not show decimal places
• Desktop app default size to 480x640
• Sun warning: fix night mode. Only show in main menu
• Advanced page: guide rate, dual encoder. Ensure synced with mount. Handle failure when writing to mount.
• Alignment compensation: fix data not saved if using default alignment but with non-default NP/CH
• Speed adjustment resolution ppm: ensure 32 bit command mount uses 32 bit command ppm calculation
• Alignment menu: new Sync Samples icon
• Connect popup: Fix: when changing from network to serial connection, popup UI is not updated
## 2024-02-08 v2.4.18
Changes compared to v2.4.16
• Fix app servers not starting
## 2024-01-24 v2.4.16
Changes compared to v2.4.11
• Handle keyboard hotkey F10, F11, +, - as described in user manual
• Speed Compensation ppm: adjusted display
• Location: input elevation
• Alignment stars: fix problem where there's very few stars for southern hemisphere EQ mount
• Updated SharpCap scripts
• Night mode updates
## 2023-12-13 v2.4.11
Changes compared to v2.4.8
• Fix broken night mode.
• Android SDK to 33 (Android 13)
## 2023-09-19 v2.4.8
Changes compared to v2.4.5
• Fixed set guiding speed. Affected ASCOM "GuideRateRightAscension" and "GuideRateDeclination"
• Windows: bundle SharpCap AutoAlign scripts under "SharpCap scripts"
• Serial connection: improve baud detection and upgrade
• Serial connection: add "Max upgrade baud" to Connect Setting. Default is 115200. App will not attempt to upgrade to a baud above this value. This does not affect baud detection at connection.
## 2023-09-02 v2.4.5
Changes compared to v2.3.9
• Serial: will try to upgrade to 921600. If failed will try 115200
• User object: fix not able to add while disconnected
• Re-enabled PAE, where were disabled from 2.3.4 to 2.3.9
• Replaced "Align with Sync" page with "Sync samples" page.
• Multi-star alignment, where performing any of the following adds a sync sample:
• Using one of the alignment methods from the Alignment page
• Centering on a celestial object at the prompt after any catalog object GOTO
• Receiving a `SyncTo` command from ASCOM with a plate-solving software
## 2023-07-11 v2.3.9
• Fix: ASCOM SideOfPier failed "Conform" test in southern hemisphere
## 2023-06-09 v2.3.8
• Fix: serial connect: change baud for both axes to work with older mounts
## 2023-06-01 v2.3.7
Changes compared to v2.3.6
• Fix: Android not loading star database in some situations
• Fix: broken application-wide handling of direction keys and back key
## 2023-05-28 v2.3.6
Changes compared to v2.3.5
• Fix: crash when displaying alignment star
## 2023-05-27 v2.3.5
Changes compared to v2.3.3
• Android: Respect system auto rotation lock. Changed screenOrientation from "fullSensor" to "fullUser".
• Manual: add gamepad note
• Translation: add Polish
• Sun warning: don't warn again for 12 hours after dismiss
• PM Sharing: allow set remote port
• Trail Points: fix progress going over 100%
• Catalog List: reduce processing by only loading when list is shown.
• Fix: app crash at app closing due to net server problem.
• ASCOM: add missing `SetPark`
• Sync: remove old PAE implementation
• Fix: broken set polar scope light command
## 2023-04-18 v2.3.3
Changes compared to v2.3.0
• UI: more update for landscape
• Keep screen on by default
• In Connect Settings: allow setting app server TCP/UDP port
## 2023-04-04 v2.3.0
Changes compared to v2.2.0
• Serial: try connect new baud rate 921600
• Shutter control fix
• Android BLE fixe
• iOS: use multicast entitement
• Android vibrate fix
• Update UI for gamepad navigation
• Fix: communication fail if using BLE and set polar scope light brightness
• Fix: user object cannot enter value between -1 and 0
• Allow landscape (wide) UI
• Mac sign and notarize. User no longer need to make security exception for app.
## 2023-02-14 v2.2.0
Changes compared to v2.1.12
• Mac: fix settings not saved due to default writable dir not exist.
• Fixed align star list display stars outside of user specified alt range.
• Windows: remove unnecessary dll. Much smaller package.
• Windows: add MSVC redistributable in case it is not already installed.
• Windows: allow run on Windows 7 and 32 bit machine (Windows on ARM).
• Trail points meridian flipping:
• No longer depend on EQ flipping setting. First point always uses auto flipping.
• Depend on two new settings in Advanced settings page
• "Trail Points Meridian Flip": When enabled, EQ mount will flip.
• "Threshold (deg)": how many degrees past meridian to flip.
• Bluetooth LE (BLE) improvements
## 2023-12-12 v2.1.12
Changes compared to v2.1.11
• Mac version
• Windows/Mac: open help in external browser
• Bluetooth LE (BLE) permission improvements
## 2022-12-05 v2.1.11
Changes compared to v2.1.8
• TrailPoints: improvement for when EQ mount flipping mode is not auto
• EQ axis 1: update to new convention (different from SynScan Hand Controller)
• ASCOM: Fix SlewToAltAzAsync crash
## 2022-11-17 v2.1.8
Changes compared to v2.0.13
• iOS enable screen rotation according to store requirement
• Align Star: apply basic filter rule for star 2, 4 to star 1
• Identify page: remove hard-coded star vmag > 2.2 filter
• User object page: allow list to be rearranged
• Sun with solar telescope warning banner
• Font: fix Chinese fonts on Windows
• Orientation sensor: fix unnecessarily reading sensor in background
• Catalog filter: star/planet use star vmag limit, dso/comet/double star use other vmag limit
• Catalog filter: always show objects above lower limit
• Sun: fix incorrect location on Android
• Catalog filter: adjust
• Show Information page: ensure update works if mount connects after page show
• Solar system: fix missing Neptune
• Polar alignment: fix no tracking
• Improve Bluetooth LE
• Fix backlash compensation broken in 2.0.13
• Numbered Deep Sky object: fix wrong data in object info page
• Android: add USB OTG
• Require Android 6.0, iOS 13. Previously require Android 5.0
## 2022-09-19 v2.0.13
Changes compared to v2.0.12
• Bluetooth LE support. Works with Star Adventurer GTi
• Corrected ASCOM SideOfPier
## 2022-09-08 v2.0.12
Changes compared to v2.0.11
• Corrected implementation of ASCOM MoveAxis
• Use 32 bit motor command if firmware is 3.39 or above (instead of 3.22 or above)
## 2022-09-01 v2.0.11
Changes compared to v2.0.6
• User object: fix wrong value read when UI has negative value
• Trail points: faster slewTo. Improve UI
• Trail points: fix incorrect data being loaded on Windows for some system timezone
• Connection fix: problem when connecting to Star Adventurer GTi Wi-Fi. (newer ESP32)
• AZ tracking: implement with trail points command if firmware supports it
• Trail points: allow slew from tracking UI
• Motor command: when available, use 32 bit command for axis position and motion control related command. Improves performance for mounts that support it.
• Serial port: make it work on Windows
• Connection settings page: List available serial ports (only works for Windows)
• Android: further improvement to make send work correctly while mobile network is connected (ConnectivityManager.bindProcessToNetwork())
• Android: Use Android API to download comet file over https. This allows download to work when ConnectivityManager API is used.
## 2022-06-20 v1.19.20
• Workaround: accept RA Dec values from ASCOM being out of range
## 2022-05-27 v2.0.6
• Android: when in background, continue to handle request from other apps
• Android: work around problem where when mobile network is enabled, connection to mount fails
## 2022-01-19 v1.19.16
• Workaround for Android 12 crashing when reading location sensor. For Android:
• not read location sensor during app startup
• not use location sensor by default, and ignore previous read location sensor settings
• ensure location sensor works before saving the setting to use it automatically
## 2021-11-29 v1.19.15
• Removed backlash logic in PulseGuide for better compatibility with autoguiding software
## 2020-10-08 v1.19.10
• Add Keyboard shortcut (hotkey) for slewing
• Add detailed manual (English)
• Can connect automatically when app starts
• Fix: crash on Android 11
• Fix: Avoid briefly showing a white screen while changing page
• Fix: reliability problem with Satellite Tracker
• Fix: some UI problem in night mode
## 2020-05-26 v1.19.0
• Rearranged menu
• Added alignment sharing
• Added comet catalog
## 2020-02-06 v1.18.0
• Android: fixed problem where Point and Go always disabled (no tilt/compass)
• When connect by serial port, try upgrade motorboard baud rate
• Update tracking speed if tracking rate is set after tracking has started
## 2019-07-24 v1.17.0
• Added speed compensation
• Improved Android USB OTG speed
## 2019-07-02 v1.16.7
• This is a test version
• Improved two-star, three-star, and polar alignment
• Fixed an issue involving autoguiding the dec axis
• Support Stellarium Telescope Server Protocol
## 2019-04-03 v1.16.0
• Fixed alignment not accurate problem introduced in 1.15.0
• Windows: Fix crash at startup if apps setting cause it to try to read location service
## 2019-03-04 v1.15.0
• iOS: Fix problem where locking screen would interrupt connection
• Show how many stars in the next page for a given star selected in this page
## 2019-01-11 v1.14.0
• Target Android 8 (API26)
• Correct text problem in polar scope page
## 2019-01-03 v1.13.0
• Android: supports Prolific serial
• Connect settings: Show UI for all platforms, list COM ports on windows
• Renamed "Sync Encoder" to "Recover Alignment"
• Align with Sync: Added feature
## 2018-11-15 v1.12.0
• iOS: Handle Connect request from SSML
• Android: Fix cannot input negative number in User Object
• Fixed Point and track not showing Unicode object name
## 2018-09-09 v1.11.0
• iOS version can output alignment data to third-party app
• Android version dialog style changed to avoid problem
## 2018-08-29 v1.10.0
• Use a new format to save alignment data.
• Fixed problem where app caused third party app using compass/tilt to malfunction
• Updated AZ tracking algorithm
• Fixed catalog error on Turkish iOS
• On Android: can save diagnostic log in Settings > Diagnostics menu
• Improved connection error reporting
• Fixed a crash involving hibernate
• Allow setting SynScan Wi-Fi's 2.4G channel
• Sync encoder: made more accurate and allow performing on mount without aux encoder.
## 2018-04-10 v1.9.0
• Updated translation
• UI Settings: added an option to keep iOS screen unlocked
• Elevation limit: allow go to to -10 degree altitude.
• Auto home: Fix problem with dec offset
• Control polar scope light for EQ6 and HEQ5
• Orientation sensor: avoid keeping sensor activated
• Added Observe sun option
• Save PAE data to file, restore it on connect along with alignment data
• SynScanMobile ASCOM: improve conformance
• Pro: Added sun and moon to 1-star alignment list
## 1.8.0
- Mobile only - fixed slewing while tracking issue
## 1.7.0
- Android only - Resolved status bar covering app content on x86 Atom device
- Windows only - Improved device search reliability
- Improved performance for pulse guiding ASCOM command and low speed slewing.
- UI adjustments
- Use location sensor sensor by default. Refresh location at app start.