NEO Planner V5.0 - N.I.N.A. Parameters - Explanations
N.I.N.A. means >Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy< and is written by Stefan Berg.
This program is free of charge and normally used for automatic observation of deep sky objects based on ASCOM.
But it's also great for integrating NEO Planner's NEOCP, NEO and Comets
Execution List and loading Execute Search's mosaic fields.
There are two interfaces to N.I.N.A., one in XML format for importing targets,
the other in JSON format for the Advanced Sequencer.
NEO Planner creates both interface data formats with every planning or every
change of planning in the Revise Window.
These are saved in the planning folder.
The same format is returned when performing a search mosaic in Execute Search.
The camera binning of the active camera is displayed and applies
to both XML and JSON.
The start time of NEO Planner for the 1st object, all object positions in RA and
Dec.,
the exposure time and the number of exposures per object are also
transferred to the XML and JSON format.
The JSON format is recommended if you want to insert additional target
preparation instructions for each object.
The JSON format also offers the option of loading the start times of each
individual object calculated by NEO Planner.
The coordination between the real required start times in N.I.N.A. and the start
times determined by NEO Planner takes place
in the
CCD parameters of NEO
Planner only.
All required break times between the objects can be stored there.
The settings parameters for N.I.N.A. can be entered in the window above:
- Binning of the CCD or CMOS chip (XML and JSON).
Only advanced sequencing JSON format:
- Autofocus is also integrated if selected.
The swing time in the CCD parameter settings should be adjusted
accordingly.
- Two areas are available for target
preparation: Start sequence for the first object and object sequence for all
subsequent objects.
0 means no action, 1-5 indicates the order in the
N.I.N.A. sequence before. The Wait for Time value is mandatory in the start
sequence.
The Wait for Time parameter in the
Start Sequence is both the start time of the
schedule and of the first object.
In the
object sequence, Wait for Time means the start time of the object.
- You can define for the extended sequencer
of N.I.N.A. two separate purposes.
On the one hand the sequences for the
target preparation for execute planning,
on the other hand the sequences for the target preparation for execute search.
The JSON list of the execute search requires the value 0
in the Wait for time parameter for the following objects.