Mount Hardware Requirements:

oAstro-Physics GTO mounts, OEM German Equatorial mounts with GTO Servo System (Parallax Instruments or Mathis Instruments).

oGTOCP4/GTOCP5 Control Box or GTOCP3 Control Box with revision "V" or later firmware.  Revision V began shipping with all mounts starting at the end of July, 2014.  Refer to this information from the Technical Support section of our website. (https://www.astro-physics.com/tech_support/mounts/servo/cp3-chipupgrade.htm)

Minimum Recommended Computer Hardware Requirements:

The whole idea of "minimum computer requirements" for a single application is really no longer valid in today's computer world.   Any computer that can run any of the modern software packages that you will be using with APCC will be adequate to run APCC.   The issue in today's environment is whether your computer can run ALL of the required software SIMULTANEOUSLY to achieve your desired goals.   APCC is unlikely to ever be run as a stand-alone piece of software.   When you consider your computer hardware, aim for a system that can handle all of the observing and imaging software that you plan to use, and that can handle all of it running together.   That being said, here are some general tips and recommendations and a few specific requirements:

oRAM is generally more critical to adequate performance than processing power.   If budgeting for a computer system, spend the money on more RAM instead of the latest and fastest processors with the most cores.   8GB of RAM is probably adequate for an imaging system, but 16GB or more is even better.  

oSolid State Drives (SSDs) have recently become much more affordable.  They are certainly not a requirement, but are recommended for your boot drive for their robustness, lack of moving parts, and overall speed.   At least 10GB of free drive space (for logs and settings) should be available.

oAPCC makes some demands for graphics capabilities, but its demands are generally less than those for either of the two most popular planetarium programs.   If you can run TheSkyX or Starry Night Pro Plus, you have probably already exceeded APCC's minimum requirements.  However, for clarity, please note the following:

▪3D accelerated graphics card or integrated controller recommended if using the 3D Telescope View

▪OpenGL 1.5 or later required  (Both planetarium programs mentioned above require higher Open GL.)

▪Note that having multiple graphics-intense applications open on the desktop simultaneously can cause problems if your computer doesn't have some graphics muscle!

oNative serial port, or installed PCI serial card, or USB/serial port converter required.   For USB to serial converters, we recommend the following:

▪USB to Serial Adapter from FTDI (USB1PFTDI) units (sold by Astro-Physics)

▪High quality units with FTDI chipsets (i.e. Industrial units from serialgear.com like their 2-port  or 4-port)

▪Industrial USB to Serial converters from Moxa

▪Converters from Digi/Edgeport

▪Keyspan converters have also been used with success.  Beware: Keyspan was sold to Tripp Lite, which is now part of a bigger conglomerate.  Make sure to get the real Keyspan unit and NOT the basic Tripp Lite converter.

▪We CAN NOT advise using ANY converter with a Prolific chip set!  

oNetwork connections - Ethernet and/or WiFi (optional) for GTOCP4/GTOCP5 Control Boxes  

Minimum Computer Software Requirements and Recommendations:

oWindows  7 / 8 / 8.1  / 10 / 11  32-bit or 64-bit   Windows 10 Pro 64 bit is our current favorite among OS choices, but Win 11 is coming up strong.  Note that since Microsoft has abandoned older versions of Windows, we can no longer recommend or support systems that are running XP or Vista.

▪Required - Run Windows Update to apply all updates.  

▪Required - The .Net framework must meet the same requirements that are needed for the latest ASCOM Platform. See below

oRequired - The latest ASCOM Platform installed (https://www.ascom-standards.org)  The platform installer will ensure that the various required Windows updates like those for the .Net framework have been installed.

oRequired - The latest AP V2 ASCOM Driver installed (https://www.gralak.com/apdriver)

oWe recommend that you update your browser to the latest version

oWe recommend that you install Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF reader (may be needed to read APCC and ASCOM PDF documentation)

oPlease remember that we are NOT Microsoft.  Whatever your hardware and Windows OS version, you should have the PC prepared and know the operational basics.

▪        Know how to:    use Windows Explorer to: copy and/or paste files and/or folders

▪                        ...navigate to Windows Device Manager

▪                        ...navigate through your file system and make the directory C:\ProgramData\xxx  visible in Explorer.  (It's hidden by default.)

o

Additional Requirement for APCC Pro's APPM Point Mapping Program:

One of the following is required:

o The FULL (paid) version of DC3 Dreams PinPoint application v5 or later (v6 or later is recommended).

oSequence Generator Pro

oTheSkyX Image Link

oASTAP