Integrated Computer Control Units - 2024 round up of units without brand constraints

[William Shaw]

Jan 13 2024 update: added link to Cuiv's Stellarmate Pro review.

 

There was a lot going on in this segment during 2023, with new products emerging even as the year ended. Devotees of separate units for the computer, power distribution and network management have a huge number of choices and their own favourites and I cannot cover all the possibilities. For my own high data rate work I use a standalone i5 machine with 64G, a decent SSD, a Pegasus Ultimate Power Box V2 and a GL Slate router, and that smashes tasks like doing high frame rate full solar disks at high res.  I also know many people like to separate those tasks so they can upgrade the parts to take advantage of newer tech, especially for the PC part, and/or not get involved with potential shielding issues with power and USB. Nothing wrong about any of that!

 

But for many DSO projects, especially in the field, a more compact integrated solution may be more useful. For some time this area was dominated by ZWO with the Asiair and non-ZWO hardware needed an Eagle from Primalucelab. These both have their fans but in the case of the Asiair you are limited to ZWO gear for critical components such as the camera, and the Eagles require a certain budget. I'm not going to discuss the Asiair here after this paragraph. There is plenty of coverage elsewhere! And in the UK and Europe (not so much in the US) the higher end ZWO cameras are very expensive compared to other brands. Special offers make the numbers fluctuate a lot, but right now in the UK and ASI2600MC-Pro is between £400 and £620 more expensive than the Altair Hypercam 26C. Both have the IMX571 sensor. When I bought my Hypercam 24CFX I paid nearly £1000 less than the ASI2400 was at the time - as I write the difference is around £500. The money you save can cover the cost of a control unit!  No-one should think I am anti-ZWO though. I have some good ZWO guide cams (120 and 290 - though replacing one by the GPCAM3 2210M) and a ZWO EAF (though I am going to replace that), am pondering an AM5/3 alongside seeing how IOptron's strain wave offerings evolve. But having had an Asiair and sold it I am not going back to a closed architecture that forces me to pay higher prices or limits choice. Let's also remember that the control PC is really just a minor accessory and should not be dictating how you manage your hobby and product choices. You may wish to pick gear with particular features or go for the most value. So if you like the Asiair scheme I wish you well with it, but I am not joining that universe. Also with my IOptron mounts the Asiair (the last time I checked) does not operate the integrated ipolar or iguider cameras either so given the advanced options of the ipolar for accurate calibration there are other reasons not to go there. I'm happy for folks to disagree with me on all this. Everybody has their favourites and it would be arrogant to suggest anyone is just wrong. Your choices might depend on how much you are happy to fiddle with the gear as well. I don't think any of these systems are, in all honesty, truly plug and play out of the box. How you plan to interface to them can also be an issue. 

 

So this will focus on integrated units managing at least computer control and doing the networking. Dew heater management may or may not be integrated. There should not be hardware brand constraints, though I realise one might have to make sure there are drivers - one cannot get away from that. 

 

Budget Solutions

 

Astro-Gadget AstroPC Pro

 

https://astro-gadget.net/gadgets/astrophotography/astropc-pro-new-mini-pc-windows-pro-intel-celeron-8-128-gb?fbclid=IwAR0L3FDksS5wxHHm3S0UgsGews--rbqOFRfZ9iBO4n9ztXBFG5E_373Ey1w

 

This uses a quad core Celeron and runs Windows 10 Pro with 3 USB3.1 Type A and 1 USB Tye C. 8G RAM and 128G SSD.  Remote Desktop is the access method and it makes its own wifi hotspot.  I might get one myself to try out - it is $289 raw but you might have to adjust for shipping and local import duties or sales tax. It is from Ukraine but seems to be easy to source, perhaps with a bit of a wait. It's a bit like a MELE Q3 with power outputs and a wifi hotspot, but it is also easily able to connect to your house wifi too for getting apps. Cuiv the Lazy Geek has a nice YouTube review here so I recommend going there. His eyesight is probably better than mine - I struggle with NINA on my iPhone 10R!

 

 

 

IOptron IMate

 

This is a very new offering from IOptron and I have had one of these for a few weeks. It is basically an Orange Pi 3 LTS with power distribution and local wifi hotspot generation. With it being such a new device there are some details that need to be confirmed. It runs KStars and right now ships with 3.6.7, with IOptron curating updates.  

 

https://www.ioptron.com/product-p/8480.htm

 

I've reviewed it here on BYA. I think quite a few people feel the underlying Pi version is underpowered, but IOptron seem to have done a good job of squeezing the most out of it. It's not an ordinary RPi 3 but an Orange Pi 3 LTS with a USB3 port. I had this wrong originally - this is now fixed in the review, but have yet to see any speed benefit from using that port, and am exploring whether the bottleneck in saving files is the SD card interface write capability.  You do need to pay attention to USB and power connections, but it is stable running my Hypercam 26C, though file saves take about 6s. With a $219 entry point it is highly affordable. In UK including VAT you can get it from Altair for £199 plus shipping. It has its own strong wifi hotspot, connects easily to the web over ethernet and uses NoMachine to interface. That was new to me but is very easy to use - less hassle than RDP in my view. Three USB ports with one labelled USB3 for reasons that are not completely clear - it recognises my 26C as USB3 but that seems to be about it with no speed benefit, maybe because of the memory card write speed. A USP is support for ipolar from a mobile phone or tablet if you have one. In my review I had it running my Hypercam 26C, a SESTO SENSO 2 focus motor, ZWO guide scope, IOptron GEM45 (ipolar mobile running) and a PLL Giotto flat panel off the mount for flats. The mobile ipolar is a little disappointing as it currently lacks some features of the desktop version. Having to do the position confirm every time and not being able to store a precise camera calibration is a regrettable downgrade from the desktop version.

 

 

 

Mid-price solutions

 

Bear in mind that at this price level you can also get a good new pile of separates like a MELE, Pegasus Advance and a router. For integrated units I'm aware of the following: 

 

Gaius-S Smartbox

 

This unit hails from Spain and is available online here, currently for 565 Euros. 

 

https://en.rbfocus.net/product-page/rb-focus-gaius-2022-smartbox

 

A quad core Celeron, but now with a bigger array of USB ports: 1x USB-C, 3X USB3.0 type A, 2x USB 2 type A, FIVE 12V DC outputs and 2 dew heater ports. It ships with all kinds of apps include NINA and makes its own strong wifi, as well as being easily connected to home wifi or ethernet. So now we have all you need in one unit to control a lot of gear. 

 

I have done a review here also:

 

 

I've been using this one for a year as I wrote and it just works. The USB-C port could be a little deeper for security and there are parts of the OS that are in Spanish, but that's it for minor gripes that affect me. It has been running my 24CFX full Frame Hypercam, ZWO EAF, ATIK filter wheel, ASI 290MM mini and now Altair 2201M guide cams, PLL Giotto flat panel, GEM45, powering everything include dew heaters, with the exception the mount (I always do that separately for cable management.) 

 

StellarMate Pro 

 

You can order it here. 

 

https://www.stellarmate.com/products/stellarmate-pro-128gb.html

 

Similar capabilities to the Gaius but running Stellarmate and with tablet-friendly app. $599. As of mid January 2024 this is now shipping and Cuiv has got his paws on one and done a detailed review on YouTube:

 

 

Eagle4

 

This unit seems to be being discontinued as it has very recently dropped of the Primaluceab web site now they are focusing on Eagle 5 units. But there are some still in the channel - eg here for $995 (USD). That's getting quite expensive but I'll deem it to be mid-price as it is less than 1000 USD. 

 

https://optcorp.com/products/primalucelab-eagle-4-standard

 

It's got a dual-core Celeron, 4G RAM and 120G disc, which is now rather off the pace, but the presence of 4 USB3 and 4 USB2 ports, robust power connections, and a case you can most a smaller scope on means it has some real merits for DSO. It adds various sensors (GPS and EYE) compared to the other mid price units. 

 

 

Premium Function/Price Units

 

Above $1000 (USD) you can buy some serious separate hardware capable of running a hugh amount of gear and processing data. With a suitable battery 19V PCs with an i9 can be fitted (So you can do some serious processing), with a Pegasus UPB and router. But for integration you have the Eagle 5 units.

 

Eagle5S, Pro and XTM

 

You can go in at various price and power points, which differ mainly in processor and RAM/SSD size, though the precise details of USB and ethernet ports varies. I urge you to check here for all the details (it's the page for the 5S but scroll down to the table comparing them all) 

 

https://www.primalucelab.com/eagle/eagle5-s-computer-for-telescopes-and-astrophotography.html

 

5S: Dual core i3, 8GB RAM, 250GB NVME SSD (list 1389, sale 1250 Euros)

5Pro: Quad core i5, 16GB RAM, 500GB NVME SSD  (list 1799, sale 1619 Euros)

5XTM: Quad core Ryzen3 5400U, 32GB RAM, 2TBB NVME SSD  (list 2455, sale 2209 Euros)

 

They all have AT LEAST four USB3 ports (2-3A + 2C) and AT LEAST 5 USB 2 ports. WIFi 6 including its own hotspot. GPS, EYE, inclination and motion sensors are all standard as are the robust power connectors. There are 7 power outs for gadgets and dew. 

 

Sascha Wyss has a video review which is a good place to start (I look at his View into Space channel for his insights on a wide range of topics). Personally, I have not bought one of these units due mainly to cost. I like the robust power connectors, large number of ports, the great case. You need to decide for yourselves if the cost is worth it to you.  

 

 

Recommendation?

 

I am not going to make one as I think it's important for you to buy what best suits your needs within your budget. The choice of operating system and AP management tools you like will affect your decision. These units all have their merits.

 

I bought the integrated Gaius-S Smartbox for my OSC work and use an i5 (formerly a Hystou Windows 10, now a newer gen i5 Inside-Tech Windows 11) with a Pegasus UPBV2 and router for my big mono rig with all kinds of gear on it. On both I use NINA I am trialling the IMate as a KStars tool for a lightweight rig. It's too early for me to make a final judgement on the iMate but the Gaius-S has been great over more than a year of use. 

 

 

Edited January 13 by William Shaw
Link to Stellarmate Pro review

[TerryMcK]

Great write up William

[William Shaw]

On 1/6/2024 at 1:12 PM, TerryMcK said:

Great write up William

Thanks Terry - I have completed it now (hopefully). I see that like me you've worked with both KStars and NINA. 

[nickaltair]

This is a such a useful write-up - thank you for posting this excellent content, William.

[TerryMcK]

11 hours ago, William Shaw said:

Thanks Terry - I have completed it now (hopefully). I see that like me you've worked with both KStars and NINA. 

Yes indeed William. I looked at NINA in its early days, version 1.x I think and at that point parked it for the future. I headed down the linux route using Kstars/INDI etc on a Pi4 for a few years but was frustrated with the USB3 capabilities of the Pi. It was too slow to do high speed video for solar and to a certain extent lunar. So I was using a laptop running win10 and Sharpcap to run the camera and the Pi to control the mount.

Something had to give and I bought a couple of Mele Quieter 3’s running win11 pro and installed Nina, Ascom, Sharpcap et al and started trialling Nina.

To say I was blown away with its capabilities was an understatement. My 3 PI’s are resigned to “other” work at the moment and I am a full on Nina convert. I must say I dislike Windows but am a Microsoft systems professional as well as VMWare and Linux and it pays the wages. Win11 is good I have to say and the Quieter 3’s are great acquisition PCs.

 

[William Shaw]

Cuiv the Lazy Geek has done a review of the Stellarmate Pro and I've added the link. So there are now mid-price solutions for both NINA (or other Windows tools) and Stellarmate, covering all needed functions with a good supply of USB ports.