# Guitastro Device ASCOMCAM library

GUITAstro stands for General Use of Instruments and Telescopes in ASTROnomy.

GuitAstro is a Python module that provides classes and methods to write easily Python scripts for astronomical observations. 

[GIT repository: https://gitlab.irap.omp.eu/guitastrolib/guitastro.git](https://gitlab.irap.omp.eu/guitastrolib/guitastro.git)

Guitastro device Ascomcam complete Guitastro to provide access to ASCOMCAM camera drivers:

[GIT repository: https://gitlab.irap.omp.eu/guitastrolib/guitastro_device_ascomcam.git](https://gitlab.irap.omp.eu/guitastrolib/guitastro_device_ascomcam.git)

## Few basic examples of use

First example: To connect a Ascomcam controler and acquire an image:
```
import guitastro
import guitastro_device_ascomcam

dev = Device_Ascomcam("ASCOMCAM", name="Ascomcam")
dev.open(True)
dev.commandstring("camera SET exptime 0.1")
dev.commandstring("camera DO ACQ START")
while True:
    timer = dev.commandstring("camera GET timer")
    if timer == -1:
        break
    time.sleep(1)
ima = dev.component('camera').ima
ima.save("my_image.fit")
```

## Guitastro functionalities

GuitAstro device Ascomcam wraps the driver functions dispatched into the classes:

- **Device_Ascomcam**: Manage device Ascomcam drivers.

This class inheritate from the classes Component* of Guitastro.
As a consequece, it is needed to install Guitastro before using Guitastro Ascomcam.
Moreover, this class imports internally a Python wrapper to use the SDK ascomcam libraries provided by Finger Lakes Instruments.
You need to compile the python wrapper *wrapper_ascomcam*:

```
$ cd guitastro_device_ascomcam/src/wrapper_ascomcam
$ python setup.py build_ext --inplace
```

A complete documentation can be generated from .rst files in the folder doc/doc_rst

## Support and contact

The main author is alain.klotz@irap.omp.eu