ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy

AFP User’s Manual Final_06_09_25

Order Now as Per Options Below

4-16 inch Flat Panel Options

The ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy(Model: AFP-X)  can be setup with your telescope for trouble free operation to control the ADU intensity of your flats automatically via software such as NINA and Sequence Generator Pro. The AFP-X has the ability to control your flat exposure with either 5V or 3.3V selection for all possible optical light path variations needed to match the appropriate gain and full well percentage setting chosen for your light frames.

Typically, you want about 25% of your maximum ADU full well for the chosen gain setting of your camera. For instance, one camera used at zero gain might have a full well of 65K ADU and the matching flat intensity exposure should set to about 16K ADU. However, if a 100 gain setting is used the full well will be less say 25K based on camera gain and full well curves. In this case the flats should be at 6K ADU for instance.

The flat panels come in various sizes for your telescope using a round flat panel design covering 16, 14, 12, 10, 6, and 4 inch telescope optics. For those who prefer a rectangular shape of any size panel can request per special order upon request.

The easiest way is to use the NINA flat panel wizard which automatically moves your telescope to Zenith where you simply place the flat panel on you telescope or dew shield when taking your flats.

Another nice feature of the NINA flat panel wizard is it will adjust the flat panel intensity automatically using the ASCOM interface when a chosen ADU is set.

The ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy(Model: AFP-X) is designed for Astronomers and Astrophotography’s who want a low cost, compact yet powerful ASCOM Flat Panel controller that can be used for portable or observatory mounted telescopes.

The ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy (Model: AFP-X) is designed to be used with any make or model of telescope.  Whether you have a refractor, newtonian, schmidt-cassegrain, or a ritchey-chretien, the AFP-X will solve your flat panel needs.

The ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy (Model: AFP-X) systems comes supplied with a 10ft USB-C interface but can be shortened or extended based on user needs. It also has a 5V or 3.3V selection switch that must be positioned to left for 5V operation or to right for 3.3V operation. The middle switch position turns the Flat panel off which can be used for taking darks.  

Since, the inception of this unique product at Astro-Smart, the AFP-X was many years in the making, over long periods in astronomy using existing products on the market to control dew, identifying their weaknesses and limitations making the product you see before you.  The AFP-X is finally here!!! The Astro-Smart ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy(Model AFP-X is  designed to be user friendly, serviceable, elegant and reliable and include the following  features  shown below:

 

1. Worry Free Warranty Program For Life Of Product Sale.
2. ASCOM interface control
3. 5Volt or 3.3Volt Selection switch for PWM Flat Panel Intensity upto 255 levels.
4. USB-C style input to USB-A cable PC port interface.
5. Power LED.
6. Price point set below development cost for such a system while providing more features.

The ASCOM Astro Flat Panel Buddy (AFP-X) was designed with the same Astro-Smart USER-Friendly design philosophy as all our other products:

 Usable ,  Serviceable,  Elegant,  Reliable,  User Friendly and we build with burn in time testing before shipment.

The package contents are shown below.

  • AFP-X Family Flat Panel. 
    • (Available in 16, 14, 12,10, and 4 in circular patterns). Custom Rectangular Patterns made upon request. 
  • Supplied USB-C cable 10ft long standard. Any length can be used for user needs
  • ASCOM Drivers.

Close up and ASCOM snap shots shown below working with NINA, Sequence Generator Pro and can be used by any 3rd party software that have a ASCOM flat panel interface such as APT as well.