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ASCOM Platform 6.6 - Service Pack 2
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@Peter-Simpson Peter-Simpson released this 24 Aug 08:32
v6.6SP2Release
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Peter-Simpson Peter Simpson
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Learn about vigilant mode.

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
Assets 7
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