Direct Hardware

What is Direct Hardware

The Direct Hardware adapter lets CitraSense control your telescope devices end-to-end — no intermediary software like N.I.N.A. or KStars is needed. CitraSense communicates directly with your cameras, mounts, focusers, and filter wheels over USB or serial.

This is the recommended adapter for Linux, macOS, and Raspberry Pi deployments.

Why Use Direct Hardware

Simplest deployment — no additional software to install, configure, or keep running
Full CitraSense integration — autofocus, alignment, pointing model calibration, camera preview, and calibration frame capture are all built in
Composable — connect only the devices you have. A camera alone works fine; add a mount, focuser, or filter wheel as your setup grows.
Headless-friendly — ideal for unattended Raspberry Pi deployments via citrasense-pi

Supported Devices

Cameras

Device	Install Extra	Notes
Moravian Instruments (Gx/Cx series)	(none)	Includes integrated filter wheel support
USB Camera (via OpenCV)	`uv tool install citrasense --with citrasense[usb-camera]`	Guide cameras, planetary cameras, webcams
Raspberry Pi HQ Camera (IMX477)	`uv tool install citrasense --with citrasense[rpi]`	For Pi-based deployments
Ximea Hyperspectral (MQ series)	Install `ximea-api` from the Ximea SDK	Specialized hyperspectral imaging

Mounts

Device	Install Extra	Notes
ZWO AM3 / AM5 / AM7	`uv tool install citrasense --with citrasense[zwo-mount]`	USB serial or WiFi TCP connection
Rainbow Astro RST-135 / 135E / 150H / 300	(none)	USB serial. Set the mount handset to Rainbow (native) protocol — the LX200 emulation does not expose most commands CitraSense uses. Satellite work uses plate-solve-and-retarget; custom per-axis tracking rates are not supported.

You can run CitraSense without a mount for static camera setups. Leave the mount type empty in configuration.

Focusers

Device	Install Extra	Notes
ZWO EAF (Electronic Automatic Focuser)	(none)	Enables autofocus when paired with a camera

Filter Wheels

Device	Install Extra	Notes
Moravian Instruments (External)	(none)	Standalone external filter wheel
Integrated camera wheel	(none)	Automatically detected from Moravian cameras — leave filter wheel type empty

Configuration

In CitraSense Web Interface

Open the CitraSense web interface (default: http://localhost:24872)
Go to the Config tab and click Hardware in the sidenav
Select Direct Hardware from the hardware adapter dropdown

The settings form updates dynamically based on your device selections:

Setting	Required	Description
Camera Type	Yes	Select your camera from the dropdown. Available options depend on which device libraries are installed.
Mount Type	No	Select your mount, or leave empty for a static (no-mount) setup.
Filter Wheel Type	No	Select a standalone filter wheel, or leave empty to auto-detect an integrated wheel from the camera.
Focuser Type	No	Select your focuser, or leave empty if you don’t have one.

After selecting a device type, additional device-specific settings appear (e.g., serial port, connection parameters, gain defaults). These vary by device.

Click Save Configuration. CitraSense will connect to each selected device and report status in the dashboard.

Install Extras

Some devices require additional Python libraries — the Install Extra column in the tables above shows the command for each one. Install before selecting the device, then restart CitraSense.

To install everything at once:

uv tool install citrasense --with citrasense[all-hardware]

Features

The Direct Hardware adapter provides the most complete feature set of any adapter:

✅ Mount control — slew, track, custom tracking rates, home
✅ Camera control — exposure, gain, image capture, live preview
✅ Filter wheel — automatic filter selection and renaming
✅ Focuser control — move to position, abort
✅ Autofocus — V-curve autofocus when both camera and focuser are connected
✅ Plate solving — position verification and sync
✅ Alignment — plate-solve-based mount model calibration
✅ Pointing model — multi-point calibration for improved pointing accuracy
✅ Calibration frames — bias, dark, and flat frame capture from the UI
✅ Camera preview — live JPEG preview in the monitoring tab
✅ Mount limits — altitude limits and cable wrap tracking with auto-unwind
✅ Custom tracking rates — for satellite tracking (when mount supports it)

Autofocus, filter wheel, and focuser features require the corresponding device to be connected. If you only have a camera and mount, those features simply won’t appear in the UI.

When to Choose Direct vs an Intermediary Adapter

Choose Direct Hardware when:

You’re building a new setup and don’t already use N.I.N.A. or KStars
You want the simplest possible deployment (especially on a Pi)
You need pointing model calibration or V-curve autofocus
Your devices are in the supported list above

Choose N.I.N.A. instead when:

You run Windows with a Planewave mount
You already have a working N.I.N.A. equipment profile
You need park/unpark or safety monitor integration

Choose KStars or INDI when:

You already have a working KStars/Ekos or INDI setup with devices not supported by Direct Hardware

Troubleshooting

Problem: A device type doesn’t appear in the configuration dropdown.

Solutions:

Install the required extras: uv tool install citrasense --with citrasense[zwo-mount] (or whichever extra)
Restart CitraSense after installing new packages
Check that the device is physically connected (USB, serial)

Connection Fails

Problem: CitraSense reports a device as disconnected after saving configuration.