StellarMate Pro is an advanced observatory-class astrophotography controller. It is a powerful command center that is compatible with a wide selection of astronomy equipment across different manufacturers.
Powered by Open Source technology, it provides a complete astrophotography solution and comes preloaded with all the necessary software and drivers required to operate astronomical equipment, no additional 3rd party software is required.
In addition to its role as a dedicated astronomical equipment controller, SM Pro offers comprehensive power distribution capabilities. It can power up to four 12V DC devices, two 12V Dew Heaters, and one adjustable voltage output ranging from 3-9V. To power all connected devices, a 12V @ 10A DC regulated power supply (Not included) is required. The unit ships with a robust high-density XT-60 connector, engineered to withstand currents of up to 60A.
SM Pro is equipped with a built-in GPS/GLONASS receiver that provides highly accurate location and time services necessary for accurate and reliable operations of your equipment whether you are on the field or in a stationary observatory. Passive GPS and WiFi antennas are optimized to provide high gain even in noisy environments. Reliable communication between SM Pro and your controller (Mobile, Tablet, or PC/Mac) is critical for the operation of the unit.
A multi-purpose AUX port is built to support environmental sensors and future accessories including observatory relay controls. With a dedicated stepper controller capable of commanding up to NMEA 17 stepper motors, you can directly control many focuser stepper motors directly with SM Pro.
SM Pro provides unparalleled freedom in selecting your favorite platform to control your equipment:
- Standalone: Since SM Pro is a mini Computer, you can connect it to an external monitor via HDMI cable and connect a mouse/keyboard to use StellarMate OS directly. However, since SM Pro is usually mounted on the telescope, this control method is not recommended.
- Mobile: Operate SM Pro remotely via WiFi using StellarMate App for Android/iOS. It is highly recommended to run StellarMate App on modern Tablets/iPad with screen sizes 10” or more to get the best experience. While phones are supported, the SM App is optimized to run on tablets.
- Windows/Mac/Linux: Use Ekos astrophotography tool on Windows, MacOS, or Linux. Remotely control StellarMate via WiFi, Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN). Ekos supports advanced functionality including mosaic planner and scheduler.
Using StellarMate Pro is simple. To get started right away:
- Connect your equipment (Mount, Camera, DSLR, Focuser, Filter Wheel..etc) to StellarMate Pro via USB or WiFi.
- Power your equipment via connecting them to SM Pro power ports.
- Connect to StellarMate Pro from either your Mobile, Tablet, or Laptop/Desktop Computer.
- Start controlling your setup and image from any major platform.
Product Specifications
- 4x 12VDC output.
- 2x dew heaters.
- 1x 3-9VDC variable voltage output.
- External GPS and WiFi antennas
- 4x USB 3.0 & 2x USB 2.0 ports
- Auxiliary port for sensors and accessories.
- Stepper Controller.
- Anodized CNC aluminum case with M6 threads.
- Weight: 600g Net, 1200g Gross
- Dimensions: 165mm x 125mm x 35mm
- Accessories: XT-60 to DC Adapter, 50 & 100 cm 5.5x2.1 DC cable.
The feature rich companion StellarMate App provides many functionalities:
- Highly accurate Polar Alignment for both GOTO and non-GOTO mounts. Achieve the perfect polar alignment!
- Framing Assistant to automatically center and rotate your field of view to match your desired orientation. What you see in the App is what you get in your camera.
- Live stacking to get spectacular images. See the fine details pop out as you receive more frames and increase the signal-to-noise ratio.
- Get pin-point stars with tried-and-tested focusing algorithms suited to both fast and slow focal ratios.
- Explore a tailored list of targets suited for your current time and location. One-click goto to center the target in your camera with sub-arcsecond accuracy.
- Gallery viewer with rich metadata support. Find and sort your images or export to your mobile device and computer.
- Get up-to-date weather and sky quality data including 3-hour cloud coverage.
- Control your dome, dust cap, flat-field light sources, and many more auxiliary equipment with our extensive equipment support.
Learning StellarMate
For new users without any prior experience in astrophotography, using StellarMate effectively can take a bit of a learning curve (like everything else) especially given the breadth of the features provided. Video tutorials and manuals are currently only available in English. For now we recommend this product mainly for english speaking and computer savvy users.
