Feature Requirements of SynLink

Larry-UMa

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm Larry Ji, Product Manager for SynLink. To help SynLink better meet your actual usage scenarios and expectations, we’ve opened up this dedicated Feature Requirements collection space.

Whether you're looking for a brand-new feature, want to optimize an existing interactive experience, or have run into pain points that need improvement, please leave a comment below and let us know!

💡 How to Participate

Drop your ideas, suggestions, or specific use cases directly in the replies below.
If you see someone else's suggestion that matches your thoughts, feel free to give it a thumbs up or reply with your own perspective.

We look forward to hearing your valuable feedback and building a better SynLink together! 🚀

Luxo

Hey very nice ! I'll start.

For those using larger scopes with long focal lengths - such as C9.25, C11, C14, the 10"RC, Mewlons , big maksutovs or cassegrains are likely to use a ZWO DUO camera, which have both the main sensor and guide sensor in the one body. One of the big challenges with long formal lengths is finding guide stars - there are targets such as galaxies and planetary nebulae where suitable guide stars are very hard to find. While a rotator helps, often we are hunting "blind" without knowing if there is a good guide star nearby.

It would be a huge help if the star atlas could show both the main sensor and the guide sensor on the atlas - with the rotation, like this:

Luxo

Send request - this one concerns the cables bundled with SynLink.

The two 2.1mm sockets for the power supply are so close I cannot insert two plugs side by side - they are too fat.

Would it be possible to include a spliiter with 2 x 2.1 plugs with the SynLink ? This would have to be pretty beefy to carry 10A total current - I use 14AWG cable on my rig. Or alternatively in a future hardware change, replace the 2.1mm plugs with RCA plugs ?
There is an issue as well with the 4 x 2.1mm output sockets - practically every dew heater cable uses RCA plugs, not 2.1mm ones. It would be a huge help if the 12V outputs used RCA plans instead.

PS... RCA plugs have proven to be a lot more reliable - not prone to momentary interruptions - the 2.1mm plugs are prone to intermittent momentary disruptions if the cable moves.

Larry-UMa

Luxo Received and added to the 1.0.7 todos.

Larry-UMa

Luxo Thank you. I've forwarded this to our hardware colleague and will follow up as soon as I hear back from them.

Moontanner

Luxo Would it be possible to include a spliiter with 2 x 2.1 plugs with the SynLink ? This would have to be pretty beefy to carry 10A total current - I use 14AWG cable on my rig. Or alternatively in a future hardware change, replace the 2.1mm plugs with RCA plugs ?

Hiya Luxo and Larry.
Another solution that I've been playing around with is using 2x (1m long) right angle M to straight F type plugs for power input. I secure these firmly and leave the tails hanging freely at the back of the scope so I can attach two standard 2.1mm male supply plugs with 5amp fuses. Those two cords simply plug into my power splitter at the battery, along with the mount power supply. (The 2600 Duo then gets juice from the SL power outputs using the standard supply cord).
One cable would be easier, but this arrangement seems to work well enough with common off the shelf equipment. The main benefits being the twin 5amp fuses, the improved 2.1mm connection vs 1x input when slewing, and the fact a snagged power cable simply pulls itself free in an emergency.

Moontanner

Nice progress on the update! It's much easier to find things and the extra functions are very welcome additions.

One thing that I noticed during the last update was that I was no longer able to time shift in what is now the Offline Plans tab. It's the same in this update and makes the offline planner much harder to use ahead of time if you go into that tab.
Without looking it up for my chosen location I'm guessing the time tab is locked to the middle of the night for that location? I would be great if the time tab worked the same as when setting up a sequence in the Start Shooting part of the app.

Another thing that's a bit sketchy relates to the scrolling selector for the rotator angles and the filters. As you run your finger over the tab it's impossible to see under your finger sometimes and things start moving as soon as you let go. It's one thing to have the filter wheel start moving to a random filter accidentally because of wandering fingers. It's downright terrifying when the rotator does the same thing and totally ignores the cable wrap protection mode (that seems to be a 180 deg limit from the starting point?).
Some sort of selection confirmation other than lifting your finger is going to be a must IMO.

In the non-dealbreaker department the ZWO EAF temperature probe readout would be a welcome addition, as would the ability to glance at current draw and power usage of the SL in the app. An easy to understand user manual for the Pro Mode would also help a great deal.

I've got some other totally selfish support requests for random cameras I have spare. That's something for another day.
Again, great work on the latest update. It's a big improvement and I look forward to watching the SL improve.

PS. what exactly does the "Local Time Tracking Limit" in the mount config tab do?

Luxo

Moontanner PS. what exactly does the "Local Time Tracking Limit" in the mount config tab do?

The ZWO CAA is a can of worms due to its internal firmware which may decide to rotate differently to the command given, ie rotate +30 degrees could be executed as - 330 or +390 degrees. Despite what ZWO claim it isn't fixed. The conclusions I reached are:

Good: if you really are determined to use a CAA, plug it in (so it has power) and operate it manually using the (optional) handset. Do not enable it in ASIAir, ever.
Best: remove it and replace with a manual rotator. That way you won't ever make a mistake.

re the "Local Time Tracking Limit" - I hope it's a limit to stop the scope going below horizontal, eg if a session has finished while you fall asleep at 0400. This was suggested previously.

"An easy to understand user manual for the Pro Mode..." I'm working on that idea. I'm very focussed on the workflow both for novice users - and its far from trivial, as well as those who have some prior experience. I won't publish a first cut though until the UI settles down, there are changes happening. It's already evident from the FB posts that first-timers with no imaging experience are keen - and they are a significant audience.

Moontanner

Luxo I've had my ZWO CAA dialled in for months now on the AA. Not that it's without it's quirks on the AA app.
Rotators are a luxury that becomes quite addictive once you start framing multiple targets while sleeping soundly. I'm definitely hooked in that regard.
The SL currently controls the CAA in a predictable manner from my testing today. I even used it to reset the limit range for use on the AA the other day with the old software. It's just the issue with the scrolling angle adjustment tab that caught me off guard. You can flick your finger and play the wheel of fortune game with that one.

I think you're bang on with the Local Tracking Time Limit setting. I did have it send me a warning during earlier testing due to me forcing the mount beyond the tracking limit. The hangover from years with two fork mounted scopes that were originally in alt az had my HA's muddled up a bit on the equatorial mount, so that's on me. Next time around I should be able to figure out the precise behaviour easily enough. I just need this monsoon style weather to clear out (250mm in 3 hours just up the road a couple of days back is a big change from crunchy brown grass everywhere).

Your plan with the manual sounds solid. I'm actually quite keen for some regular NINA style control users to jump into the SL and start sharing recommended sequence settings for lowly AA users like myself. Did you ever go down that path?
The SL has been officially unboxed again, so really keen to try it with the latest update and push things further this time.
CS.

Moontanner

Feature requests:

The rotator cable wrap protection needs a +/- 90deg option to go along with the +/-180deg option
Limit the rotator scroll tab to fine tuning adjustments only to avoid any wheel of fortune style adjustment possibility
Enlarge the rotator GoTo tab to push people in that direction for adjustments
Individual sub stats (AVG,MIN,MAX,STD) displayed while imaging to help evaluate sky brightness and settings at a glance
Power draw and current for the SL in the status tab alongside the input voltage
12v 2.1mm power outlet on/off control
In app firmware reset option
Guider gain setting adjustment in the filter wheel tab for each filter for dual sensor cameras with integrated guide chips (yes, many NB filters can often be used for those that say you can't)
A big plus one for the Duo guide cam chip FOV in the sky map when selecting a target
An even bigger plus would be something similar for any guiding setup FOV
The screen timeout during operations (GalaxyS8+) shouldn't happen for safety reasons and started as soon as I updated the app
A temperature probe for ambient temperature, similar to the plug in version for the ZWO EFW, should be included in the box and active in the app for setting refocusing based on temperature
The foot on the SL is too tall for many finder shoes including some SW scopes
The stubby fixed antenna is a really limiting mounting options for the SL
2x 2.1mm extension cables with right angle male to straight female would be a great inclusion to allow a sturdy dual 12v power input option for the two input jacks that are too close together for many supply plugs when placed side by side, or a suitable (2x5A fused splitter) for attaching a single 10A supply

Shamelessly selfish support requests for my box of almost useless spares (that aren't really saleable items):

ASI120MC USB2.0 version support fix as it keeps crashing on the SL as soon as I start capturing frames
I've got an old Opticstar DS-616C XL CCD camera that refuses to die https://www.opticstar.com/2024-06-29-Opticstar-camera-software.html A camera that only works with the AstroArt imaging software https://www.msb-astroart.com/

CS.

mklosterman1

Request some kind of alert or audible warning that the mount is about to do a meridian flip (user selectable like 2,3,5 etc minutes before)

Also more live-stacking features like some image enhancement tools such as noise reduction, auto color calibration and filtering of subs based on fwhm values or detected satellite steaks.

De-rotate feature for rotators (useful for alt-az mounts to reduce field rotation, especially for live stacking)

moonchild617

Hello Larry and the UMa team,

Thank you for opening this dedicated space to collect feature requirements and feedback. Based on my field experience using a harmonic drive mount (Sky-Watcher Wave 150i), dedicated cameras (ASI 585MC and ASI 120MC-S), an EAF, and a manual filter drawer, I would like to contribute a couple of key points for the roadmap:

Power Draw Telemetry & Battery Safety: For those of us running field sessions powered by portable lithium power supplies (like Celestron PowerTanks), having real-time current draw (Amps) and power consumption metrics displayed in the SynLink status tab is essential. This allows us to monitor total system load and prevent sudden power dropouts during high-speed mount slews.

USB 3.0 Buffer Stability: Regarding camera integration, while older USB 2.0 variants can experience buffer issues, modern USB 3.0 cameras (like the ASI 585MC and ASI 120MC-S) deliver smooth performance. Ensuring clean memory buffer management during fast guiding cycles or high-FPS planetary capture remains critical to avoid dropped frames.

Keep up the fantastic work with these updates!

moonchild617

Hi again, Larry and team!

I forgot to mention a crucial point in my previous post, so I'd like to add it as another feature request focused on session safety:

Audible Alerts & Critical Error Notifications:
It would be extremely helpful to have a configurable alert system (such as an intermittent beep or an alarm in the app) whenever a critical failure occurs during an imaging session. For example:

If autoguiding fails or gets lost (e.g., due to passing clouds or star loss).

If a sudden drop in voltage or power delivery occurs.

If any connected device unexpectedly loses communication.

Having a clear audio alert immediately warns us so we can intervene and prevent losing a full night of valuable data. Thanks again!

Moontanner

I'm adding another request for a better manual. Firstly, to address much needed clarity during the initial power supply selection. Secondly, to clearly address the many base functions that are available in the app.

@Luxo did a great job on an English language version for first time users of the red box. That's the sort of thing needed for mass market users in many markets.
Hit up the users to help out if needed. Discussion will be overly robust to say the least, but it will provide different sets of eyes to help dial in a great onboarding experience for all levels of users IMO.

Please have a read of the confusion that's currently in play.
https://www.cloudynights.com/forums/topic/1009233-sky-watcher-synlink-a-full-walkthrough-and-first-impressions/page/14/#findComment-14878653
I already know the answers to the questions I asked in those post's. I'm not asking them for myself.

Kind regards and CS.
Ross

Luxo

Moontanner

I'll start a SynLink version over the Xmas holidays.
The idea was to detail the basic workflow from setup to extracting images.

Moontanner

Luxo
I look forward to it. Happy to provide some input from a non-software dev perspective once you get going.

Tonight was a total bust with the new release unfortunately. I managed to get through AF, PA, multiple plate solves, rotator +/- 180 limit set, backlash compensation, and half of the filter offset routine before the whole thing went tits up and started showing a white screen for each exposure. After that nothing wanted to work and the software was hung up no matter what I tried, including powering the unit down for a hard reset.
It's much better in many areas, but still needs some serious work.

PS. (For @Larry-UMa ) That stumpy antenna should be banished to the depths of hell. It's unbelievably useless in the field no matter what I try and it seems a bit ridiculous to be stealing a working type from my older ASIAIR for the win.
With all those extra USB ports it would also be great if we could plug in something similar to the USB wifi dongles commonly used on the back of a PC desktop tower. Surely there's something cheap and easy that works? I haven't needed ethernet for several years with the ASIAIR's so I know it's possible to live without it if you don't mind the lower connection speeds.

Luxo

Moontanner

Luxo
First draft I take it? 😂
I've got quite a few contacts in the publishing industry for a potential book deal.

Yin-UMa

Moontanner Thanks so much for the detailed feedback and kind words! We really appreciate the time and effort you've put into testing SynLink and sharing your experience.
Your suggestions are really helpful! We need to be more careful with certain operations, and we'll work on improving them.
Thanks again for your continued support! It's great to have users like you helping us improve SynLink.

Local Time Tracking Limit: For example, if you set the limit to 06:00, the mount will stop tracking at 6:00 AM and won't resume tracking after that time.