ASCOM Platform 7.1 - Update 1

Installer

The installer is located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018 release) or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (this will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes and fixes in Platform 7.1 Update 1

• Installer - Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented the OmniSim COM proxy drivers from registering.
• Device Hub
  • Added a dome safety feature to prevent sudden changes in rotation direction. This ensures that a configurable minimum time period passes between a slew completing, and the next slew starting.
  • Fixed issue where dome synchronisation failed when the controlled dome did not support opening the dome aperture.
  • Fixed an issue where the new "two axis offsets" dome slaving calculation was not selected by default.
  • The user guide has been updated with consistent language for optical offset names and other terms.

Changes for Everyone in Platform 7.1

• JustAHub
  • The 32bit version of JustaHub now supports all ASCOM device types including SafetyMonitor, CoverCalibrator, Focuser, ObservingConditions, Rotator and Switch.
  • A new 64bit version of JustAHub has been added to host 64bit in-process DLL drivers.
• Device Hub
  • A new dome synchronisation algorithm from Patrick Wallace that adds support for L mount and more complex mount types.
  • Dome synchronisation support for mounts with multiple observing telescopes. Device Hub can now store offsets for up to 5 telescopes, mounted in different positions, and the dome will slew to the appropriate position depending on the configured offsets for the selected telescope. The selected telescope can be changed in real time without needing to disconnect the telescope or dome devices.
  • A wider range of telescope axis movement rates in the Direct Slew tab drop-down including: the minimum available rate, the maximum available rate, minimum + 25% of range, minimum + 50% of range and minimum + 75% of range.
  • The user guide has been expanded to include full instructions on setting up dome synchronisation for multiple mount types and telescope configurations.
• The Omni-Simulators have the following new features: ◦A tray icon is now provided to enable the console to be shown or hidden and the web UI to be launched.
  • The generated ASCOM API swagger documentation has been greatly improved.
  • Individual device configuration can be changed programmatically through a new JSON API to support test requirements. Further information is provided in the developer changes section.
  • The Dome, FilterWheel, Focuser, Rotator, and Safety Monitor devices have been completely rewritten (the remaining device types will be updated in a future release). This provides several new features:
    • Each device type now supports multiple instances.
    • The interface version can be set so that each device can simulate behavior for different ASCOM interface versions.
    • Each device's configuration can be changed through a new JSON API, see developer changes for more information.
    • Each device instance now creates its own log file whose log level can be set independently.
    • Asynchronous connects now take a short time to complete enabling asynchronous connect code to be tested more effectively.
• Diagnostics has a new feature to log and report use of .NET 3.5 based components by clients and drivers. This is enabled through the Diagnostics / Tools menu.
• Links to both 32bit and 64bit connection testers have been added to the Start/ASCOM Platform menu.
• Installation speed has been improved by omitting NGEN optimisation by default. This can be enabled through the installer UI if required by older, less performant, PCs.
• The built-in Delta UT predictions have been updated to January 2027.
• Online help has been switched to a more modern format that works well on both phone and desktop screen sizes: Online Help

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 7.1

• Installer
  • The VB6 support DLLs are now registered by the installer as well as being installed.
  • The error message when installing on a non-supported OS has been improved.
  • An issue that listed only the last error encountered rather than all errors encountered has been fixed.
  • Ensure that all required PlatformUpdateChecker DLL files are installed.
  • An unnecessary message box has been removed when uninstalling the Platform update checker.
• Device Hub
  • Only one app log file is created rather than two.
  • Telescope.Slewing and Dome.Slewing are polled more frequently to ensure that accurate values are returned by Device Hub.
  • Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented Device hub from responding to a telescope slew when dome synchronisation was enabled.
• Dynamic Clients
  • Fixed an issue where multiple ? characters were sent in GET calls that have parameters.
  • Fixed an issue where Dynamic Drivers created under Platform 6 fail after update to Platform 7.
  • The Action method once again supports strings in excess of 65,535 characters as it does in Platform 6.
• Chooser - Devices that are not registered correctly, and that have missing CLSID values, are now handled cleanly.
• Diagnostics - Diagnostics can now handle values stored as multi-strings correctly.
• Astrometry - Fixed an "Unknown update type value" error message from the DeltaT function when earth rotation parameter updates are configured as "manual internet update".

Changes for Developers in Platform 7.1

• Each Omni-Simulator device configuration can be changed programmatically through a new JSON API that enables the simulators to be configured to support a variety of client testing requirements.
  • This Omni-Simulator specific API can be explored by clicking the "View Swagger docs and interactive queries" link on the main page of the Omni-Simulator browser interface and selecting the "OmniSim only endpoints" definition from the drop-down selector at the top of the page.
  • Please note that the API may be refined in future and that some implementations and capabilities could change.
• Driver Templates
  • The hardware class comments have been improved to aid implementation.
  • The main form has been removed because it was not adding any value and appeared as a minimised Window.
• TraceLogger.LogMessage now accepts null strings for the test name and message fields, which are now treated empty strings rather than throwing exceptions.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 7.1

• Driver Templates
  • Fixed logic and messaging errors in the Disconnect() method.
  • Fixed an issue causing the generated hardware class to have two dots separating the file name and the file extension. e.g. CoverCalibratorHardware..cs
  • Fixed an issue in the hardware class SetupDialog method where unnecessary error messages were displayed when the device was already connected.

Installer SHAs

SHA256: e9ad47936fd422130cf42f4ba6b5b53e728abc8c7a4b7e3420d33538624b2e59
SHA1: fec4b74eb35814c9cfada6fc6aa509cbaf133323

ASCOM Platform 7.1

Installer

The installer is located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018 release) or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (this will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 7.1

• JustAHub
  • The 32bit version of JustaHub now supports all ASCOM device types including SafetyMonitor, CoverCalibrator, Focuser, ObservingConditions, Rotator and Switch.
  • A new 64bit version of JustAHub has been added to host 64bit in-process DLL drivers.
• Device Hub
  • A new dome synchronisation algorithm from Patrick Wallace that adds support for L mount and more complex mount types.
  • Dome synchronisation support for mounts with multiple observing telescopes. Device Hub can now store offsets for up to 5 telescopes, mounted in different positions, and the dome will slew to the appropriate position depending on the configured offsets for the selected telescope. The selected telescope can be changed in real time without needing to disconnect the telescope or dome devices.
  • A wider range of telescope axis movement rates in the Direct Slew tab drop-down including: the minimum available rate, the maximum available rate, minimum + 25% of range, minimum + 50% of range and minimum + 75% of range.
  • The user guide has been expanded to include full instructions on setting up dome synchronisation for multiple mount types and telescope configurations.
• The Omni-Simulators have the following new features: ◦A tray icon is now provided to enable the console to be shown or hidden and the web UI to be launched.
  • The generated ASCOM API swagger documentation has been greatly improved.
  • Individual device configuration can be changed programmatically through a new JSON API to support test requirements. Further information is provided in the developer changes section.
  • The Dome, FilterWheel, Focuser, Rotator, and Safety Monitor devices have been completely rewritten (the remaining device types will be updated in a future release). This provides several new features:
    • Each device type now supports multiple instances.
    • The interface version can be set so that each device can simulate behavior for different ASCOM interface versions.
    • Each device's configuration can be changed through a new JSON API, see developer changes for more information.
    • Each device instance now creates its own log file whose log level can be set independently.
    • Asynchronous connects now take a short time to complete enabling asynchronous connect code to be tested more effectively.
• Diagnostics has a new feature to log and report use of .NET 3.5 based components by clients and drivers. This is enabled through the Diagnostics / Tools menu.
• Links to both 32bit and 64bit connection testers have been added to the Start/ASCOM Platform menu.
• Installation speed has been improved by omitting NGEN optimisation by default. This can be enabled through the installer UI if required by older, less performant, PCs.
• The built-in Delta UT predictions have been updated to January 2027.
• Online help has been switched to a more modern format that works well on both phone and desktop screen sizes: Online Help

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 7.1

• Installer
  • The VB6 support DLLs are now registered by the installer as well as being installed.
  • The error message when installing on a non-supported OS has been improved.
  • An issue that listed only the last error encountered rather than all errors encountered has been fixed.
  • Ensure that all required PlatformUpdateChecker DLL files are installed.
  • An unnecessary message box has been removed when uninstalling the Platform update checker.
• Device Hub
  • Only one app log file is created rather than two.
  • Telescope.Slewing and Dome.Slewing are polled more frequently to ensure that accurate values are returned by Device Hub.
  • Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented Device hub from responding to a telescope slew when dome synchronisation was enabled.
• Dynamic Clients
  • Fixed an issue where multiple ? characters were sent in GET calls that have parameters.
  • Fixed an issue where Dynamic Drivers created under Platform 6 fail after update to Platform 7.
  • The Action method once again supports strings in excess of 65,535 characters as it does in Platform 6.
• Chooser - Devices that are not registered correctly, and that have missing CLSID values, are now handled cleanly.
• Diagnostics - Diagnostics can now handle values stored as multi-strings correctly.
• Astrometry - Fixed an "Unknown update type value" error message from the DeltaT function when earth rotation parameter updates are configured as "manual internet update".

Changes for Developers in Platform 7.1

• Each Omni-Simulator device configuration can be changed programmatically through a new JSON API that enables the simulators to be configured to support a variety of client testing requirements.
  • This Omni-Simulator specific API can be explored by clicking the "View Swagger docs and interactive queries" link on the main page of the Omni-Simulator browser interface and selecting the "OmniSim only endpoints" definition from the drop-down selector at the top of the page.
  • Please note that the API may be refined in future and that some implementations and capabilities could change.
• Driver Templates
  • The hardware class comments have been improved to aid implementation.
  • The main form has been removed because it was not adding any value and appeared as a minimised Window.
• TraceLogger.LogMessage now accepts null strings for the test name and message fields, which are now treated empty strings rather than throwing exceptions.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 7.1

• Driver Templates
  • Fixed logic and messaging errors in the Disconnect() method.
  • Fixed an issue causing the generated hardware class to have two dots separating the file name and the file extension. e.g. CoverCalibratorHardware..cs
  • Fixed an issue in the hardware class SetupDialog method where unnecessary error messages were displayed when the device was already connected.

Installer SHAs

SHA256: 50e05c79fc1201f85a6b4800f1994658d3b77649745fd8cfcf5bd557cc13ddd4
SHA1: 3328856774bd883522821aa86c57e72c4ad95c9d

ASCOM Platform 7.0 - Update 2

Installer

The installer is located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Changes from initial Platform 7.0 release

Update 2

• TraceLogger
  • Localised strings in log files created by the TraceLogger component can now display as expected rather than containing hex dumps. This new behaviour can be enabled through the Options menu in the Diagnostics application.
  • Unicode characters above code point 255 are now displayed as four hex characters when hex display is enabled rather than being truncated to two characters.
• Astrometry - The built-in DeltaT and DeltaUT predictions have been extended to February 2026.
• Device Hub
  • Operational state properties now always query the device rather than the Device Hub cache, which could be 3 to 5 seconds out of date.
  • Fixed composite slewing that was broken by a change in Update 1
• Dynamic Clients – Fixed an issue in Telescope.SlewToAltAz causing it to be called when it was not available, resulting in a not implemented exception.
• Chooser - Fixed an issue that prevented manual creation of Dynamic Clients.
• Installer
  • Fixed an issue where the installer would not start if a previous install was interrupted.
  • Now shows a prompt if a reboot is required rather than immediately rebooting.
• Omni-Simulators
  • When changing configuration using the Chooser's Properties button, the OmniSimulators now present a Setup dialogue with a browser link to the OmniSimulator UI rather than a message box.
  • Fixed issue that caused even number Switches to be invisible in the Switch UI
  • Improved the camera simulator logic for mapping colours in a source image, read from a file, to the target image that is returned to the client. The new approach maintains the same resolution and FOV with all sensor types. Each pixel in the source image now corresponds to one pixel in the final image, but filtered through the colour filter of the cell.
  • The ObservingConditions DewPoint property calculation now uses any override values specified for temperature and relative humidity.
  • The ObservingConditions DewPoint property units are now shown as Celsius,
  • The ObservingConditions WindGust and WindSpeed property units have been corrected to "metres per second" from "miles per hour".

Update 1

• Device Hub - Fixed an issue that prevented the configuration from being changed when log activity to disk was disabled.
• Chooser - Fixed an issue that prevented some drivers (e.g. the Gemini Telescope driver) from being selected.
• Omni-Simulators - Improved message that is displayed when the SetupDialog method is called.
• ASCOM Remote - Added a non-standard behaviour option to omit the raw parameter on Telescope CommandXXX method calls.

Operating System Compatibility

Following discovery of issues when installing Platform 7 on some Windows 7 systems, the decision has been made to restrict Platform 7 to Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) and later operating systems. For context, Windows 7 is now 15 years old and Microsoft withdrew support for this operating system over four years ago in January 2020.

Platform 6.6 SP2 is the latest Platform release for those who prefer to stay with Windows 7 or 8, and continues to provide good access to both COM drivers and Alpaca devices.

Platform 7 Highlights and Dependencies

This release focuses on the asynchronous behaviour interface changes presented in the consultation held between July and October 2023.

Use of asynchronous programming techniques improves the end user experience by ensuring that user interfaces remain responsive while long-running operations are underway. Their use also speeds up tasks by enabling operations to be run concurrently rather than serially.

This release implements the post-feedback interface changes and is backward compatible with Platform 6 and earlier clients, drivers and Alpaca devices.

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018 release) or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (this will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 7

• Simplified Start menu
• The default log file location can be customised to something other than Documents\ASCOM using the ASCOM Diagnostics tool.
• Focus on technical changes to improve performance and application usability.
• Updated user guide that includes Alpaca.
• ASCOM Remote and the ASCOM Omni-simulators are now installed as part of the Platform and do not have to be downloaded and installed separately.
• The Omni-Simulators are now the default Platform simulators.
• The Platform now includes the "JustAHub" hub application to host 32bit in-process (DLL based) drivers and enable them to be used by 64bit applications.
• An alert will be generated when a new Platform version is released.
• The Platform installer is more resilient and reliable.
• Dynamic Clients
  • The Dynamic Clients now provide access to the Alpaca device's HTML configuration pages though the SetupDialog method when the Alpaca device is connected. Previously all access was blocked.
  • When connecting to an Alpaca device that cannot be reached, the Dynamic Clients now time out in about 4 seconds rather than the up to 30 second delay in Platform 6.
• Device Hub
  • The activity log page now has a "Save Settings" button to save the current logging configuration. This will be restored when Device Hub is next used.
  • The activity log now starts recording activity as soon as Device Hub is started, even if the activity log is not visible.
  • The activity log can now optionally be written to disk.
  • A configuration option has been added that will automatically show the activity log when Device Hub starts.
  • The telescope rate offset fields and "Send to telescope" buttons are now enabled only when tracking at sidereal rate, in line with the interface specification.
  • Device Hub now shuts down more quickly than previously.
  • The F12 key now toggles the Device Hub "Keep on top" state.

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 7

• The installer no longer displays a successful install message when an error occurs
• Telescope Simulators - These now respect the TrackingRates configuration setting and the TrackingRates property returns a PropertyNotImplementedException when tracking rates are configured to be not available.
• Profile Explorer - The visual appearance has been improved when the application starts and is re-sized.
• Device Hub
  • Hosted devices are now polled directly every time a client application asks for an operational property value such as Telescope.RightAscension. The previous behaviour of returning cached values could result in returned values being up to 5 seconds out of date with the device.
  • The default dome radius in the dome geometry configuration has been changed from 0.0 to 2000.0 to ensure that dome synchronisation works "out of the box".
  • When a device does not supply an expected numeric value, the displayed text in the Device Hub is now "Unavailable" rather than "NaN".
• Diagnostics
  • Fixed a bug where a non-existent directory could cause an unexpected Diagnostics error.
  • Fixed issues being reported when some telescope simulator settings were not at their default values.
  • The full Windows 10/11 version name e.g. "Windows 11 24H2" is now displayed rather than "Windows 10".
• Chooser - Fixed exception when starting the Alpaca device manager application when no device was selected in the Chooser drop-down list.

Changes for Developers in Platform 7

• The developer components are now included with the main installer and no longer need to be installed separately.
• A new DeviceState property for all interfaces that returns the entire device operational state in a single call.
• New asynchronous Connect and Disconnect methods for all interfaces.
• New asynchronous methods and API clarifications.
• The "How to make an ASCOM driver" document has been completely re-written to document the current process.
• New platform-neutral online documentation: ascom-standards.org/newdocs
• Increased documentation clarity on where asynchronous operation is expected
• DriverAccess now has convenience methods to retrieve device state in a single call.
• The driver templates have been updated to support Platform 7 interface changes.
• SOFA has been updated to release 19 as issued on 11th October 2023.
• Please note that Platform 6 versions of Conform are incompatible with Platform 7 and a warning is issued by the Platform installer to this effect. An updated Platform 7 compatible version is available on GitHub.
• Interface version numbers have all increased by 1.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 7

• NOVASCOM – Fixed error in Sun Ephemeris calculation introduced when the Code was transcribed from C++ in 2009.
• Driver template – Fixed issue in Focuser Link code that resulted in an out of the box Conform fail.
• Fixed issue in NOVAS 3.1 component where the ephemeris file may not have been closed on DLL unload.
• The installer now pre-populates historic leap second data so that AstroUtils.DeltaUT1 works out of the box when there has been no earth rotation data update.
• Fixed a bug introduced in Platform 6.6 SP2 where a DriverException was returned instead of more specialised exceptions like InvalidValueException.

Installer SHAs

SHA256: e696459635ad74449bbdeca4be9b0e89159d781087ab1694b3489cebb5c88742
SHA1: e519673850c204a627840d0fa456540f565ad4e9

ASCOM Platform 7.0 - Update 1

Installer

The installer is located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Changes from initial Platform 7.0 release

• Update 1
  • Device Hub - Fixed an issue that prevented the configuration from being changed when log activity to disk was disabled.
  • Chooser - Fixed an issue that prevented some drivers (e.g. the Gemini Telescope driver) from being selected.
  • Omni-Simulators - Improved message that is displayed when the SetupDialog method is called.
  • ASCOM Remote - Added a non-standard behaviour option to omit the raw parameter on Telescope CommandXXX method calls.

Operating System Compatibility

Following discovery of issues when installing Platform 7 on some Windows 7 systems, the decision has been made to restrict Platform 7 to Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) and later operating systems. For context, Windows 7 is now 15 years old and Microsoft withdrew support for this operating system over four years ago in January 2020.

Platform 6.6 SP2 is the latest Platform release for those who prefer to stay with Windows 7 or 8, and continues to provide good access to both COM drivers and Alpaca devices.

Platform 7 Highlights and Dependencies

This release focuses on the asynchronous behaviour interface changes presented in the consultation held between July and October 2023.

Use of asynchronous programming techniques improves the end user experience by ensuring that user interfaces remain responsive while long-running operations are underway. Their use also speeds up tasks by enabling operations to be run concurrently rather than serially.

This release implements the post-feedback interface changes and is backward compatible with Platform 6 and earlier clients, drivers and Alpaca devices.

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018 release) or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (this will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 7

• Simplified Start menu
• The default log file location can be customised to something other than Documents\ASCOM using the ASCOM Diagnostics tool.
• Focus on technical changes to improve performance and application usability.
• Updated user guide that includes Alpaca.
• ASCOM Remote and the ASCOM Omni-simulators are now installed as part of the Platform and do not have to be downloaded and installed separately.
• The Omni-Simulators are now the default Platform simulators.
• The Platform now includes the "JustAHub" hub application to host 32bit in-process (DLL based) drivers and enable them to be used by 64bit applications.
• An alert will be generated when a new Platform version is released.
• The Platform installer is more resilient and reliable.
• Dynamic Clients
  • The Dynamic Clients now provide access to the Alpaca device's HTML configuration pages though the SetupDialog method when the Alpaca device is connected. Previously all access was blocked.
  • When connecting to an Alpaca device that cannot be reached, the Dynamic Clients now time out in about 4 seconds rather than the up to 30 second delay in Platform 6.
• Device Hub
  • The activity log page now has a "Save Settings" button to save the current logging configuration. This will be restored when Device Hub is next used.
  • The activity log now starts recording activity as soon as Device Hub is started, even if the activity log is not visible.
  • The activity log can now optionally be written to disk.
  • A configuration option has been added that will automatically show the activity log when Device Hub starts.
  • The telescope rate offset fields and "Send to telescope" buttons are now enabled only when tracking at sidereal rate, in line with the interface specification.
  • Device Hub now shuts down more quickly than previously.
  • The F12 key now toggles the Device Hub "Keep on top" state.

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 7

• The installer no longer displays a successful install message when an error occurs
• Telescope Simulators - These now respect the TrackingRates configuration setting and the TrackingRates property returns a PropertyNotImplementedException when tracking rates are configured to be not available.
• Profile Explorer - The visual appearance has been improved when the application starts and is re-sized.
• Device Hub
  • Hosted devices are now polled directly every time a client application asks for an operational property value such as Telescope.RightAscension. The previous behaviour of returning cached values could result in returned values being up to 5 seconds out of date with the device.
  • The default dome radius in the dome geometry configuration has been changed from 0.0 to 2000.0 to ensure that dome synchronisation works "out of the box".
  • When a device does not supply an expected numeric value, the displayed text in the Device Hub is now "Unavailable" rather than "NaN".
• Diagnostics
  • Fixed a bug where a non-existent directory could cause an unexpected Diagnostics error.
  • Fixed issues being reported when some telescope simulator settings were not at their default values.
  • The full Windows 10/11 version name e.g. "Windows 11 24H2" is now displayed rather than "Windows 10".
• Chooser - Fixed exception when starting the Alpaca device manager application when no device was selected in the Chooser drop-down list.

Changes for Developers in Platform 7

• The developer components are now included with the main installer and no longer need to be installed separately.
• A new DeviceState property for all interfaces that returns the entire device operational state in a single call.
• New asynchronous Connect and Disconnect methods for all interfaces.
• New asynchronous methods and API clarifications.
• The "How to make an ASCOM driver" document has been completely re-written to document the current process.
• New platform-neutral online documentation: ascom-standards.org/newdocs
• Increased documentation clarity on where asynchronous operation is expected
• DriverAccess now has convenience methods to retrieve device state in a single call.
• The driver templates have been updated to support Platform 7 interface changes.
• SOFA has been updated to release 19 as issued on 11th October 2023.
• Please note that Platform 6 versions of Conform are incompatible with Platform 7 and a warning is issued by the Platform installer to this effect. An updated Platform 7 compatible version is available on GitHub.
• Interface version numbers have all increased by 1.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 7

• NOVASCOM – Fixed error in Sun Ephemeris calculation introduced when the Code was transcribed from C++ in 2009.
• Driver template – Fixed issue in Focuser Link code that resulted in an out of the box Conform fail.
• Fixed issue in NOVAS 3.1 component where the ephemeris file may not have been closed on DLL unload.
• The installer now pre-populates historic leap second data so that AstroUtils.DeltaUT1 works out of the box when there has been no earth rotation data update.
• Fixed a bug introduced in Platform 6.6 SP2 where a DriverException was returned instead of more specialised exceptions like InvalidValueException.

Installer SHAs

SHA256: 9a634f79105e969be07696aa9c0850ef63f1c1909243dc5a64b2cd91102aace4
SHA1: 5cd8979407696a31d3db3da211e3e423bd3f4275

ASCOM Platform 7.0

The installer is located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Operating System Compatibility

Following discovery of issues when installing Platform 7 on some Windows 7 systems, the decision has been made to restrict Platform 7 to Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) and later operating systems. For context, Windows 7 is now 15 years old and Microsoft withdrew support for this operating system over four years ago in January 2020.

Platform 6.6 SP2 is the latest Platform release for those who prefer to stay with Windows 7 or 8, and continues to provide good access to both COM drivers and Alpaca devices.

Platform 7 Highlights and Dependencies

This release focuses on the asynchronous behaviour interface changes presented in the consultation held between July and October 2023.

Use of asynchronous programming techniques improves the end user experience by ensuring that user interfaces remain responsive while long-running operations are underway. Their use also speeds up tasks by enabling operations to be run concurrently rather than serially.

This release implements the post-feedback interface changes and is backward compatible with Platform 6 and earlier clients, drivers and Alpaca devices.

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018 release) or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (this will be installed automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 7

• Simplified Start menu
• The default log file location can be customised to something other than Documents\ASCOM using the ASCOM Diagnostics tool.
• Focus on technical changes to improve performance and application usability.
• Updated user guide that includes Alpaca.
• ASCOM Remote and the ASCOM Omni-simulators are now installed as part of the Platform and do not have to be downloaded and installed separately.
• The Omni-Simulators are now the default Platform simulators.
• The Platform now includes the "JustAHub" hub application to host 32bit in-process (DLL based) drivers and enable them to be used by 64bit applications.
• An alert will be generated when a new Platform version is released.
• The Platform installer is more resilient and reliable.
• Dynamic Clients
  • The Dynamic Clients now provide access to the Alpaca device's HTML configuration pages though the SetupDialog method when the Alpaca device is connected. Previously all access was blocked.
  • When connecting to an Alpaca device that cannot be reached, the Dynamic Clients now time out in about 4 seconds rather than the up to 30 second delay in Platform 6.
• Device Hub
  • The activity log page now has a "Save Settings" button to save the current logging configuration. This will be restored when Device Hub is next used.
  • The activity log now starts recording activity as soon as Device Hub is started, even if the activity log is not visible.
  • The activity log can now optionally be written to disk.
  • A configuration option has been added that will automatically show the activity log when Device Hub starts.
  • The telescope rate offset fields and "Send to telescope" buttons are now enabled only when tracking at sidereal rate, in line with the interface specification.
  • Device Hub now shuts down more quickly than previously.
  • The F12 key now toggles the Device Hub "Keep on top" state.

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 7

• The installer no longer displays a successful install message when an error occurs
• Telescope Simulators - These now respect the TrackingRates configuration setting and the TrackingRates property returns a PropertyNotImplementedException when tracking rates are configured to be not available.
• Profile Explorer - The visual appearance has been improved when the application starts and is re-sized.
• Device Hub
  • Hosted devices are now polled directly every time a client application asks for an operational property value such as Telescope.RightAscension. The previous behaviour of returning cached values could result in returned values being up to 5 seconds out of date with the device.
  • The default dome radius in the dome geometry configuration has been changed from 0.0 to 2000.0 to ensure that dome synchronisation works "out of the box".
  • When a device does not supply an expected numeric value, the displayed text in the Device Hub is now "Unavailable" rather than "NaN".
• Diagnostics
  • Fixed a bug where a non-existent directory could cause an unexpected Diagnostics error.
  • Fixed issues being reported when some telescope simulator settings were not at their default values.
  • The full Windows 10/11 version name e.g. "Windows 11 24H2" is now displayed rather than "Windows 10".
• Chooser - Fixed exception when starting the Alpaca device manager application when no device was selected in the Chooser drop-down list.

Changes for Developers in Platform 7

• The developer components are now included with the main installer and no longer need to be installed separately.
• A new DeviceState property for all interfaces that returns the entire device operational state in a single call.
• New asynchronous Connect and Disconnect methods for all interfaces.
• New asynchronous methods and API clarifications.
• The "How to make an ASCOM driver" document has been completely re-written to document the current process.
• New platform-neutral online documentation: ascom-standards.org/newdocs
• Increased documentation clarity on where asynchronous operation is expected
• DriverAccess now has convenience methods to retrieve device state in a single call.
• The driver templates have been updated to support Platform 7 interface changes.
• SOFA has been updated to release 19 as issued on 11th October 2023.
• Please note that Platform 6 versions of Conform are incompatible with Platform 7 and a warning is issued by the Platform installer to this effect. An updated Platform 7 compatible version is available on GitHub.
• Interface version numbers have all increased by 1.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 7

• NOVASCOM – Fixed error in Sun Ephemeris calculation introduced when the Code was transcribed from C++ in 2009.
• Driver template – Fixed issue in Focuser Link code that resulted in an out of the box Conform fail.
• Fixed issue in NOVAS 3.1 component where the ephemeris file may not have been closed on DLL unload.
• The installer now pre-populates historic leap second data so that AstroUtils.DeltaUT1 works out of the box when there has been no earth rotation data update.
• Fixed a bug introduced in Platform 6.6 SP2 where a DriverException was returned instead of more specialised exceptions like InvalidValueException.

Installer SHAs

• SHA256: 0925afa297c09b60b3702798752b8d1a9f950c822e0f4406edc58a7093025a9b
• SHA1: a0ea63379f5cd9afdba929ff1b4d0ead443e8534

ASCOM Platform 6.6 - Service Pack 2

The installers are located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

March 2024 - If you use Avast / AVG security tools, please use the "NewCertificate" installers in the Assets section because some people have seen issues with the original installers. The "NewCertificate" versions are functionally identical to the original release.

Platform 6.6 SP2 Highlights and Dependencies

This is primarily a bug-fix release and contains no major new features.

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 7 SP1 or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (Windows 7 and 8 only. .NET 3.5 will be activated automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 6.6 SP2

• Dynamic Clients - These can now be configured to trust user signed SSL certificates. This is only recommended for use by developers in development environments. SSL certificates signed by a trusted public root authority should be used in production environments.
• The Platform's built-in Delta T predictions have been extended to December 2024 using data from IERS/USNO.

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 6.6 SP2

• Installer
  • The installer can now detect a 64bit OS when run in a 64bit ARM processor's Intel emulation e.g. a Parallels Windows VM running on an Apple Silicon Mac.
  • The installer now provides a prompt when a .NET 3.5 automatic installation has completed successfully but a reboot is required for it to be activated.
  • DCOM registrations for legacy hubs are now added under all circumstances.
• Camera Simulator
  • Colour images rather than mono images are now returned when the colour sensor is selected.
  • The correct exception is now returned when Camera.LastExposureStartTime and Camera.LastExposureDuration are called before an image has been taken.
• Telescope Simulator
  • Corrected SlewSettleTime to wait for the specified time period.
  • Corrected RightAscensionRate to apply the requested tracking rate.
  • Fixed start-up issue that was confined to Windows 7 64bit.
  • Tracking accuracy has been improved.
  • Fixed Telescope Simulator so that it will handle RA/Dec rate offsets when in ALt/Az mode. Many thanks to Patrick Wallace for providing C code and describing the algorithm for this fix!
  • RA/Dec rate offsets now have the correct sign behaviour: positive rate offsets result in increasing RA and Dec values and vice versa. Tested with polar, German polar and alt/az mount alignments, all four side of pier quadrants and locations in northern and southern hemispheres. Fixes Platform issue #64.
  • Fixed bug in PulseGuide that could change the sign of the rate from the value set by the user. The change magnitude was unaffected.
  • CanSetPierSide and SideOfPier-SET now only function in German equatorial alignment mode per the ASCOM specification.
  • MoveAxis is now implemented for all alignment modes.
• Rotator Simulator - The simulator no longer fails if the Move method is called immediately after starting the simulator.
• Device Hub
  • Telescope - Improved accuracy of sidereal tracking offset calculation.
  • Focuser - Display step size with one decimal place.
  • Telescope - Fixed current tracking rate offset values to use the regional decimal separator.
  • Dome - Correctly persist layout settings when changed through the dome driver's SetupDialog method.
• Dynamic Clients - Timeouts are now handled better.

Changes for Developers in Platform 6.6 SP2

• Documentation
  • The Telescope.CanSetPierSide documentation has been clarified following feedback on ASCOM Talk.
  • The Camera.AbortExposure documentation has been clarified.
  • The CommandXXX method documentation has been clarified following feedback on ASCOM Talk.
  • The Dispose() method documentation has been clarified.
• The ErrorCodes class now has a GetExceptionName method that returns the ASCOM name of a supplied COM exception.
• The SOFA class has new methods: Hd2ae, S2pv, Ir, Ry ,Rxpv and Pv2s.
• The Kepler and NOVASCOM components will no longer be deprecated following feedback from developers.
• DriverAccess error messages have been shortened following feedback on the developer forum.
• The ASCOM.DeviceInterface assembly is now registered for COM Interop.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 6.6 SP2

• Kepler now calculates elliptical comet orbits correctly.

Installer SHAs

• Platform

  • SHA256: fbef857b52c75d283e0b251be384d7d5a23059f354e32e4c3fc0de4bc327e90b
  • SHA1: 0eabfbdc344f4d515222abe39700c1a3bb5eb778

• Developer Components

  • SHA256: 7be7b7589e633286d67dccbb4bdfd556dcc814259b69938d8efe908d04f2d78b
  • SHA1: ba207dd5f67d2d572186ca6662baebf470996e07

ASCOM Platform 6.6 - Service Pack 1

The installers are located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Platform 6.6 SP1 Highlights and Dependencies

Installer reliability and user experience have been improved.

Device Hub and many other Platform components have enhancements and bug fixes.

The driver templates have been removed from the Developer Installer and are now available as a Visual Studio extension, downloadable from the Visual Studio Marketplace.

The local server template has been enhanced, providing an improved starting point for new drivers.

The Platform requires the following Windows and .NET versions:

• Windows 7 SP1 or later
• .NET 3.5 to be installed (Windows 7 and 8 only. .NET 3.5 will be activated automatically on Windows 10 and 11.)
• .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 6.6 SP1

• Platform installer
  • The installer now runs 32bit and 64bit functional tests after installation to confirm that installation has succeeded.
  • .NET 3.5 support will now be enabled automatically on Windows 10 and 11, if required.
  • Thanks to a generous donation by InstallAware, the Platform and Developer Components installers are now generated with the latest InstallAware version that mitigates the InstallAware Security Issue announced in July 2022.
  • Installers now have the build number as part of the filename.
• Astrometry - The built-in DeltaT predictions have been updated to run until July 2023.
• Chooser - An improved message is given if a driver fails when attempting to display its Setup dialogue.
• Camera Simulator - ImageArray delivery is now faster through use of parallel processing.
• Diagnostics Connection Tester - Partially typing the name of the device type in the device type field now filters the list. e.g. pressing c shows just Camera and CoverCalibrator.
• Device Hub
  • Added U/I support for displaying accumulated move amount for relative and absolute focusers.
  • Added direct move amount for relative focusers.
  • Now shows a wait cursor during Connect operations in case it takes a long time to complete.
  • Circle buttons have been enhanced to change color when hovered over or pressed.
  • Device hardware will no longer be disconnected when all connected clients have disconnected, if DeviceHub was started interactively.
  • Device properties can no longer be changed programmatically if a device is connected via the U/I.
  • Interactive disconnects are now prevented when there are connected clients.
  • Disconnection delays due to garbage collection have been reduced.
  • GuideRateDeclination and GuideRateRightAscension have been added to the DeviceHub parameters view.
  • Expanded panels can now be restored at startup.
  • Activity Log will no longer show an icon on the Taskbar.
  • Fast polling is now extended for 3 seconds after completion of a slew for all devices.
  • Added improved support for offset tracking, including viewing current sidereal tracking rate offsets and changing those offsets.
• OpenWeatherMap Driver
  • The WindGust property is now functional.
  • The data caching interval is now configurable.
  • The installer is now signed.

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 6.6 SP1

• Transform - Fix logic error in automatic site pressure calculation.
• NOVAS 3.1 - No longer creates debug logs on the C:\ drive (Fixes bug introduced in the Platform 6.6 release).
• Dynamic Clients
  • No longer add an empty basic authentication header to requests when authentication is not required.
  • Alpaca device HTTP setup pages, accessible from the Dynamic Client Setup dialogue, now work when the device uses an IPV6 address.
  • Discovery now works correctly with certain VPNs installed.
• Platform Installer
  • Improved resilience when expected registry settings are absent.
  • The EarthRotationParameters executable now runs as expected if the operating system prevents it from creating a log file.
  • SOFA and NOVAS C components are now compiled using Visual Studio 2022 tooling.
  • The SOFA and NOVAS C components are now compiled using static linking to eliminate the need to distribute and install the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library. The requirement for a fully functioning version of the library to be installed on the user's PC has recently caused issues for some users.
• Device Hub
  • Improved DeviceHub user interface error trapping for all 3 devices.
  • Device manager connect/disconnect logic is now improved.
  • Fixed a minor bug in logging of an empty SupportedActions property.
  • The Telescope driver now sets Target RA and Dec through the telescope manager to ensure that they are immediately available to the DomeManager if a SlewToTarget is initiated.
  • Now includes improved exception handling and logging by device manager classes.
  • Fixed issue with dome slewing interruption.
• Telescope Simulator
  • Corrected East/West button movements.
  • Fixed East/West PulseGuide commands to move in the right direction.
  • Fixed the DriverVersion command to return the version number in the expected format: X.Y.
• Diagnostics
  • The FilterWheel simulator tests now work when any number of filters are configured for use. Previously, they would fail if the maximum number of filters was 3 or less.
  • Fixed issue when testing in a geography that has a non-integer time offset from UTC.

Changes for Developers in Platform 6.6 SP1

• The Driver Templates have been removed from the Platform Developer components installer and are now delivered as a Visual Studio extension that is available through the Microsoft Visual Studio Marketplace. (Search for ASCOM in the Visual Studio Extensions / Manage Extensions menu dialogue to find and install the new template extension.) This change moves template delivery from a deprecated, legacy, mechanic to the mechanic supported by Visual Studio 2017, 2019 and 2022.
• Developer Template Updates
  • Unnecessary COM registration functions have been removed from the C# driver templates.
  • The local server template has been extensively revised to create a better stating point. The template provides a three level architecture:
    • Driver instance - Clients receive an instance of this class with every COM connection made to the driver. (One instance per client COM connection).
    • Hardware implementation - A singleton class for each driver that is used by all driver instances to handle device specific behaviour. This creates a single source of data truth that is shared by all clients of this particular driver. (One instance per unique driver in served by the local server).
    • Shared Resources - A singleton class containing resources used by all drivers served by the Local Server. This is likely to include the communications mechanic between the PC and the device hardware. (One instance that serves all drivers served by the local server).
  • The VB and C# in-process driver templates now target x86 ratter than MSIL so that they register as 32bit objects when run /debugged in VS2022, which is a 64bit application.
  • All templates now include XML help comments to assist developers in implementing methods.
  • Generated project Setup dialogues now specifically say if they cannot find any COM ports on the PC.
  • Generated project Setup dialogues now use the Platform's extended COM port detection rather than just reporting COM ports detected by .NET.
  • n the local server template, all calls to the device hardware are wrapped in try:catch blocks.
  • In the local server template, every member, except for Connected, DriverInfo, DriverVersion, InterfaceVersion and Name, checks that the device is connected before actioning the call.
• Documentation Updates
  • All properties now have NotConnectedExceptions and DriverExceptions, as appropriate, with consistent wording.
  • The SupportedActions description has been extended to explain the property's purpose and use.
    expected exception are now consistent between Interface definitions and DriverAccess definitions.
  • IFocuser.Link description has been improved.
  • The developer help file now has links to extended developer information on the ASCOM Standards web site.
  • Added missing InvalidValueException to ITelescope.DeclinationRate.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 6.6 SP1

• Template Installer - Building a test console application no longer results in a driver wizard null reference exception.
• Corrected copy/paste error in IntelliSense text for Profile.WriteValue.
• Fixed exception in generated code when local PC has no COM ports.

Installer SHAs

• Platform

  • SHA256: 6bc739c670c3c04a0bad2bd76239bc827eb1b81138f79399589f602e270bb6da
  • SHA1: 35b0cacddca05968ecddcf72fe6d02e59c1b7771

• Developer Components

  • SHA256: 893c621c8610dde780d49964cf5ae3f1c91d74093fb15d2e4dcc11e1071a51a1
  • SHA1: b6c547b963299b00967a2a8cad39b270039566c6

ASCOM Platform 6.6

The installers are located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Platform 6.6 Highlights and Dependencies

Alpaca devices can be discovered and selected through the Chooser.

A new combined telescope cover and camera calibration device type has been introduced together with a simulator and the rotator interface has been enhanced to support syncing.

Device Hub replaces the POTH, Hub, Pipe and ASCOMDome hubs.

• Requires Windows 7 SP1 or later
• Requires .NET 3.5 to be installed (Windows 7, 8) or enabled (Windows 10, 11)
• Requires .NET 4.8 to be installed

Changes for Everyone in Platform 6.6

• Telescope Simulator
  • Client supplied TelescopeAxes values are validated before use
  • The Tracking state is restored after Park and Home are called.
• Camera Simulator
  • PulseGuide directions are validated before use.
• Device Hub
  • Added a setting to keep Device Hub as the topmost application.
  • Polling frequency is increased for the duration of a slew.
  • Implements a stricter interpretation of the the Park command requirements.
• The redundant "Chooser" buttons on the ObservingConditions Simulator and ObservingConditions Hub test applications have been removed and automatic polling can now be toggled on and off.
• The mechanic to bring Simulator setup dialogues to the front of screen has been improved.
• DeltaT predictions have been extended to October 2022.
• The Camera client now supports the ImageBytes mechanic. ImageBytes Concept and Implementation

Platform Issues fixed in Platform 6.6

• The Dome Simulator now throws ASCOM DriverExceptions when appropriate rather than using the original VB6 Err.Raise mechanic.
• Negative offsets can now be specified in the FilterWheel setup dialogue.
• Device Hub
  • Telescope. Slewing remains true if an associated Dome is still in motion.
  • Dome slaving is more resilient
  • The telescope driver rejects method calls when the scope is being parked or unparked.
  • Corrected logic to support aborting a fixed slew
  • Ensure that telescope side-of-pier is only calculated for a German Equatorial mount.
  • Fix Shutter position reporting & disable Open/Close Shutter button when CanSetShutter is False.
• Dynamic Clients
  • The Camera, Dome and Focuser Dynamic Clients now send every parameter value in the Invariant Culture, as required by the Alpaca specification, this avoids parsing issues in locales where the decimal separator is not the point character.
  • All clients are now tolerant of missing "Value" and ErrorMessage fields in returned responses
• A video utilities Diagnostic test failure that occurred on Windows 7 64bit when the text size was above 100% has been fixed
• Registry handles are now properly released in AstroUtils and EarthRotationParameters
• NOVAS ephemeris calculations have been made more reliable.
• Chooser
  • Drop-down list management has been refined to avoid an issue in AllSkEye
• Platform Installer
  • The mechanic used to set the ASCOM Profile registry ACL has been improved to avoid installation issues observed on some PCs.
  • The mechanic used to find the localised name of the BUILTIN\USERS group has been changed to avoid installation issues that a small
  • number of users experienced if their WMI installations were not fully functional.
  • All installer support executables are now code signed to avoid issues with some anti-virus programs.
  • The RemoveASCOM executable is now code signed.

Changes for Developers in Platform 6.6

• The SOFA component has been updated to use IAU SOFA release 18.0 - 12th May 2021
• Added a SitePressure property to Transform to improve accuracy when refraction correction is enabled.
• The Local Server Driver Generator now creates a project that uses a more secure mechanic to locate drivers that are to be served. A separate project for each driver is no longer required.
• The local server ReadMe file has been extensively updated to reflect the new driver location mechanic.
• Driver files created by the driver generator now include the device type to enable easy identification.
• Clarify Camera.ImageArray element ordering.
• Updated comments in the Switch driver template.

Development Issues fixed in Platform 6.6

• Links to support forums in the developer templates have been updated to reference the Groups.Io forum.
• An inconsistency in the Camera.SensorName documentation has been resolved.

Installer SHAs

• Platform

  • SHA256: bee24a7ff76e337f4d7759e109f7f8b9f78b53f6a4337326dae6a12497dba237
  • SHA1: 103d8f61128a71479c02377507761e4dd1c06224

• Developer Components

  • SHA256: 353d22b3274911a86f846b69fdfc4a3b5de5c8f54147173ec79a06ead1af5bcd
  • SHA1: 2a932ee176738c053401ac3d59359224ba10db8a

ASCOM Platform 6.5 - Service Pack 1

The installers are located in the "Assets" section at the end of these release notes

Important Announcement

We strongly recommend that you update to this release if you are using the initial Platform 6.5 release.

This is because of a bug that was introduced in the Transform component during Platform 6.5's development. If you are running Platform 6.4, we consider updating to Platform 6.5 SP1 as discretionary, just determined by your need for the new features.

Platform 6.5 Highlights and Dependencies

Alpaca devices can be discovered and selected through the Chooser.

A new combined telescope cover and camera calibration device type has been introduced together with a simulator and the rotator interface has been enhanced to support syncing.

Device Hub replaces the POTH, Hub, Pipe and ASCOMDome hubs.

• Requires Windows 7 or later
• Requires .NET 3.5 to be installed (Windows 7, 8) or enabled (Windows 10)
• Requires .NET 4.8 to be installed
• ASCOM Remote (if required) must be at least version 1.6.7500.21910 https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMRemote/releases
• Conform (if required) must be at least version 6.5.7500.22515 https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/Conform/releases

Changes for Everyone

• The Platform and Developer installers are now code signed.
• The Platform and Developer installer executable names now include SP1 to clearly differentiate them from the Platform 6.5.0 installers.
• The Platform installer requires write access to the user's Documents folder and, if this is not permitted, will recommend that installation is abandoned. Some situations where write access is known to be restricted are:
  • Microsoft's Controlled Folder Access capability is enabled.
  • An anti-ransomware program has restricted access.
  • Windows is run in a Parallels virtualisation environment under MacOS and the Platform installer is located in the Documents folder that maps directly to the user's MacOS Documents folder. Running the installer from a "native" Windows folder within the Parallels virtual machine, e.g. a folder on the Windows C: drive, works fine.
• Platform simulators and hubs now have 6.5.1.0 assembly version numbers to reflect the service pack release.
• The Hub, Pipe, POTH and ASCOM Dome driver profiles are now backed up by the installer before removal. This preserves configuration information for re-use in Device Hub, or the legacy drivers if these are reinstalled at a later date. The configuration information is stored in the "Platform Driver Backups" Profile key and can be viewed through Profile Explorer.
• Device Hub
  • Side Of Pier and Destination Side Of Pier will now be calculated by Device Hub if not available from the downstream driver.
  • The dome shutter can now be opened and closed when slaved.
  • Exceptions are now trapped and logged during dome slaving calculations.
  • Improved RotarySlider control use to support non-zero minimum value and to allow both minimum and maximum values to be selected by dragging the rotary dial.
  • The configuration persistence mechanic now tolerates a corrupted settings file.
  • The dome setup and telescope direct slew dialogues now uses text boxes instead of value controls.
  • The main window now displays help on how to expand all three expanders when in expansion mode.
  • There is now a confirmation message when the set park button is clicked.
• All references to the Yahoo ASCOM Talk forum have been replaced with references to the new Groups.IO forum.
• All links referencing the ascom-standards.org web site now use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
• DeltaT predictions, good to December 2021, have been revised based on the latest IERS predictions.
• The SOFA component has been updated to use the latest IAU 21st July 2020 - Version 16 SOFA release.
• Chooser Properties Button - detailed failure information will now be provided if a driver does not connect correctly.
• The Camera simulator description now reflects that it supports ICameraV3

Platform Issues fixed

• A serious bug was introduced in the Astrometry.Transform class during Platform 6.5 implementation, which prevented a single instance from being used for multiple transforms. The bug has been fixed and Transform now works as it did in Platform 6.4.
• Writing to the Alpaca Dynamic Client Camera.Offset property now works correctly.
• In October 2020, NASA disabled anonymous access to its earth rotation data files and this broke the Platform's update capability. This release restores functionality by mirroring the files on the ascom-standards web site and downloading them from there.
• Parsing of earth rotation data files is more robust when files do not contain expected data.
• Corrected a typo in the message given if a disconnect fails when using the Choose and Connect to Device form. Thanks Marco!
• The Platform installer now:
  • Works properly on machines whose PC Name contains a space character.
  • Handles unregistering drivers more gracefully.
  • Checks that the Windows Task Scheduler is enabled before attempting to create the earth rotation data update scheduled task.
  • Sets the required registry Profile store ACL on every install rather than assuming that it is correctly set when upgrading from a previous Platform version. Access to the Profile store is confirmed after setting the ACL and any issues will be reported by the installer.
  • Removes simulator COM entries when uninstalled.
  • Lists errors more clearly on the closing screen.
• Device Hub
  • Improved support for locales that use comma as the decimal separator.
  • Profile settings will now be preserved when upgrading.
  • SideofPier exceptions will now be forwarded to the client.
  • SlewDomeToAzimuth now responds with the correct exception if an invalid azimuth value is requested.
  • The telescope Slewing flag is now correctly maintained when the mount is pulse guiding.
  • Telescope set park functionality now persists the set value.
• Profile Explorer - Renaming a key now retains its subkeys and their values.
• Diagnostics:
  • Now correctly reports the Windows 10 operating system version.
  • A rare exception that occurred when recursing registry keys has been fixed.

Changes for Developers

• Comments in the driver templates are now clearer on how to implement the CommandXXX methods.
• The ObservingConditions driver template code for the TimeSinceLastUpdate and SensorDescription methods has been refreshed to ensure that the VB and C# templates have identical functionality.
• Improved TraceLogger messaging if an instance is used after being disposed.

Development Issues fixed

• Recent versions of Visual Studio have started trapping NullReferenceExceptions that previously were not caught. Utilities.Profile has been recoded to avoid these.
• The CloudCover property has been added to the TimeSinceLastUpdate and SensorDescription methods in the ObservingConditions driver template.
• The developer installer repair option no longer loops indefinitely.
• DriverAccess now returns PropertyNotImplementedExceptions for the new "offset" properties when an ICameraV2 driver is in use.
• The new IRotatorV3 members in DriverAccess now return better formatted "not implemented" messages when an IRotatorV2 driver is in use.
• Clients will now see the correct type of NotImplementedException (PropertNotImplementedException or MethodNotImplementedException) when Alpaca devices report that a member is not implemented.

Installer SHAs

• Platform
  • SHA1: 7B0D5F8F8CDDA70C9FC3DA93283451F34EC3B94D
  • SHA256: 5CA76B235618E7A3A9A34208EE99C610EC3C4A2BADCE32F214901D34572676C1
• Developer Components
  • SHA1: SHA1: 40C8EFB3A0538CFC15BDB15B5A7B2C3F007984DE
  • SHA256: 6A68427907826A963042C5F96F220896BA387D672FC2A5607CC05E572174EF3F

ASCOM Platform 6.5

The installers have been removed from this release, please use the Platform 6.5 Service Pack 1 installers.

Highlights and Dependencies

Alpaca devices can be discovered and selected through the Chooser.

A new combined telescope cover and camera calibration device type has been introduced together with a simulator and the rotator interface has been enhanced to support syncing.

Device Hub replaces the POTH, Hub, Pipe and ASCOMDome hubs.

• Requires Windows 7 or later
• Requires .NET 3.5 to be installed (Windows 7, 8) or enabled (Windows 10)
• Requires .NET 4.8 to be installed
• ASCOM Remote (if required) must be at least version 1.6.7500.21910 https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMRemote/releases
• Conform (if required) must be at least version 6.5.7500.22515 https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/Conform/releases

Changes for Everyone

• Chooser
  • Alpaca devices can be discovered by the Chooser and drivers are automatically created for them.
  • Chooser can be configured to display more information about drivers than previously.
  • The Chooser dialogue width can be increased if required.
• Telescope Covers and Calibrators
  • Telescope covers and camera calibration devices are now supported through a new CoverCalibrator interface.
  • A CoverCalibrator simulator has been added to the Platform.
• A new Telescope / Dome / Focuser hub called Device Hub has been added to the Platform.
  • This makes the POTH, Hub, Pipe and ASCOM Dome Hub components obsolete and we recommended that you migrate to the Device Hub because the obsolete hubs will be removed in a future Platform update.
• The Diagnostics tool is now more tolerant of simulator configurations that are not set to default values.
• Tracing of Platform registry use now has its own independent trace enable / disable flag.
• SOFA has been updated to the current 22nd July 2019 version.

Platform Issues fixed

• The Diagnostics tool is more tolerant of simulator configurations that are not set to default values.
• All local server simulators now start just one instance when used concurrently from both normal and elevated clients.
• Camera simulator memory management has been significantly improved.
• ASCOM Utilities
  • Utilities components have been adapted to work when called by installers that use Inno 5.5.9 and later.
  • TraceLogger is better behaved when called after it has been disposed.
  • A registry handle leak in the Profile component has been fixed.
  • Transform now validates supplied Julian dates.
• ObservingConditions Hub and Simulator
  • The hub TimeSinceLastUpdate property now returns the value from the underlying ObservingConditions device.
  • The simulator now interprets AveragePeriod as being in hours, per the API specification, rather than minutes as in the original release.
• Telescope Simulator
  • The TrackingRate property now validates the supplied rate.
  • IsPulseGuiding now returns False after a synchronous move when dual axis pulse guide is disabled.
  • The CanOptics and CanSlewAsync configuration values are now persisted correctly.
  • RightAscensionRate and DeclinationRate movements are no longer 14,400 times faster than expected.
  • MoveAxis movements are no longer 4 times faster than expected
  • Tracking corrections are no longer applied when MoveAxis is in effect
• The CheckFoUpdates script now works again following ascom-standards.org move to HTTPS.

Changes for Developers

• Interface Standards and Components
  • ICoverCalibratorV1 has been added to Interfaces and DriverAccess.
  • IRotatorV3 has been added to Interfaces and DriverAccess.
  • Revision: The Rotator Position property and MoveAbsolute method behaviours are different when IRotatorV3.CanSync is true.
  • Clarification: The Focuser temperature unit is degrees Celsius.
  • Clarification: Telescope.PulseGuide may throw an InvalidValueException if called when an incompatible command is already underway e.g. a slew is in progress.
  • Clarification: IDomeV2 wording has been clarified for many properties and methods.
• An ASCOM.Utilities.AlpacaDiscovery component has been added. This enables .NET and COM clients to conduct searches for Alpaca devices through the Alpaca network discovery protocol. The associated ASCOM.Utilities.AlpacaDevice, ASCOM.Utilities.ConfiguredDevice and ASCOM.Utilities.AscomDevice data classes provide details of the Alpaca devices discovered on the network and of the ASCOM devices that can be accessed through them.
• The NOVASCOM and Kepler components are no longer flagged as deprecated because they provide unique functionality within the Platform.
• The version of ASCOM Controls installed by the Platform has been marked as deprecated. An updated version of the controls is available as a NuGet package. The displayed message contains a reference to the new TA.Winforms.Controls NuGet package.
• The Product Version tag of all executables is now the Platform Git build SHA.
• Diagnostics now flags an error if the installed Platform and Developer components versions are different.
• The deprecated NOVAS2, NOVAS2COM and NOVAS3 components no longer appear in the developer help file.
• DriverAccess can now handle ArrayLists from .NET Core drivers.
• Templates and the Driver Install Script Generator
  • Improved VS2019 support - driver templates can be found more easily by selecting ASCOM in the project type dropdown on the new project dialogue.
  • The TrackingRates class in VB driver template is now aligned to the C# template code.
  • The local server template has been updated so that simulators will start just one instance when used from normal and elevated clients concurrently.
  • The TraceLogger in the C# template is now an instance variable because of issues arising when disposing the original static TraceLogger variable.
  • CoverCalibrator device support has been added to the templates and the Driver Install Script Generator.
  • The required minimum Windows version has been set to Windows 7 using a format that works in Inno 6.
  • The support URL has been changed to the new ASCOM Groups.io forum.

Development Issues fixed

• The required minimum Windows version in the script created by the Driver Install Script Generator has been set to Windows 7 using a format that works in Inno 6.
• The support URL in the script created by the Driver Install Script Generator has been changed to the new ASCOM Groups.io forum.
• Developer project template creation is more robust
• IVideo utilities now returns the correct array format when creating an ImageArray from a bitmap
• Video
• IVideo utilities helpers for creating bitmaps now work with both row-major and column-major formats.