Firmware Revision History

(May 17, 2017)

This document provides an overview of the changes to our firmware. This document applies to the
application code in our hand controllers, mounts, and accessories. It does not fully describe updates to boot
loaders or databases. Release dates are approximate.

This document covers only those devices whose firmware can be updated using Celestron Firmware Manager
(CFM). The latest releases for CFM and this document can be found at URL below.
http://software.celestron.com/updates/CFM/CFM/

Celestron recommends that you always use the latest version of the firmware in your devices.

NexStar+ Hand Control

Version # release date updates

5.29.6226 2/2017 Bug Fix: CGX-L mount reported as “CGX”. No functional changes.
5.29.6225 9/2016 CGX support.
Bug Fix: LED settings not initialized at power up.
Support for warnings messages, e.g. “slew limit reached”, and “battery low”
Support for error messages, e.g. “CGX hardware switch failure”
Note: Errors and warnings require MC support. Currently CGX only.
5.29.6111 3/2016 Support for Astro Fi
Fixes restores ASCOM.
Corrects problem discovered in 5.28.5183.
5.28.5300 11/2015 Bug Fix: RS-232 “h” command failures
Bug Fix: language resets
Bug Fix: Incompatibility with GPS modules
Known Bug: Completely breaks ASCOM. sorry.
5.28.5183 8/2015 RS-232: new command “y” : last alignment
Half hour and quarter hour time zone support
Updated and expanded the city database
Known bug: lock ups occur when polling with ASCOM while using the MENU tree.
5.27.5150 7/2015 Korean Language support
5.26.5080 3/2015 Bug Fix: User Objects getting smashed when new units added.
Bug Fix: Factory reset does not reset Language setting
Boot Loader 3.1.xxxx improves support of old HC’s with old WiFi modules.
5.25.4320 12/2014 Bug Fix: ASPA doesn’t work in southern hemisphere.
Official Support for WiFi updating.
Bug Fix: RS232 commands Side of Pier and Desired SOP.
EVO: Japanese and Russian support
5.24.4200 9/2014 Bug Fix: Peripherals menu showing in non-Evolution mount.
Improved CFM support for WiFi updates — still failing for some users.
5.24.4182 8/2014 Support for Evolution mount:
peripherals menu, controls and monitors for battery, WiFi module, etc.
Beta support for updates via WiFi module.
Bug Fix: long messages on the aux bus, could crash the HC.
5.23.4110 5/2014 Support for COSMOS (TM) mount.
5.22.3xxx ?/2013 Support for hardware changes to the PCB and the LCD
5.21.2336 12/2012 Bug Fix: Display not correct contrast
Bug Fix: Moon not showing in Solar System Align (since 5.21.2014)
AVX: supports RTC 2.0 protocol. (fewer glitches near hour/date rollovers).
AVX: improved meridian sweep.
Holding button 0 at power up, leads to Factory reset for HC.
5.21.2200 9/2012 Support for Advanced VX
Support for Orion StarSeeker
Bug Fix: Camera menu showing up in mounts other than SE 4/5.
Bug Fix: Custom Rate9 support not showing in SE 4/5
Support for half width characters in Asian languages e.g. α-Boötes
Bug Fix: Scrolling characters overwrite information on LCD.
5.21.2102 4/2012 Support for CostCo 2012 mounts
5.21.2064 3/2012 Bug Fix: Alt Az mounts when Dec < 0.
Bug Fix: erroneous “No items in database” error during 2-star alignment
Bug Fix: rare alignment failure on Alt-Az mounts due to math library error.
Bug Fix: Soft Sync when tandem mode set.
Bug Fix: Land objects in the south (north in the SH).
5.21.2014 1/2012 Hand control menu added.
European Language support (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian)
Asian Language support (Chinese, Japanese)
Bold, Contrast, LED brightness settings
Bug Fix: Set Mount position when median mode active
Bug Fix: Hard Sync failure when OTA orientation west.
5.21.1236 12/2011 Corrected “Direction Button” polarity bug
CPC_Deluxe support
Bug Fix: NCG objects greater than 5462
Bug Fix: Blinking on View Time/Site page
5.21.1180 9/2011 Initial release

StarSense Accessory Hand Control

Version # release date updates

1.19.17055 12/2017 Recreated All Star Polar Align routines. It now works on Wedge mounts.
GEM mounts should see faster convergence to the pole.
Known bug. Sometimes slows to “final approach speed” when the mount is
still some distance from the target. Also found in 1.18 and earlier releases.
Bug Fix: reduced frequency of the bug where the HC would freeze up displaying
“Acquiring Image” during alignment. Please report if you still see this.
1.18.17055 5/2017 Bug Fix: Custom Rate 9 not working (CGEM and others)
Bug Fix: Cord wrap feature not re-enabled after hibernate
Feature: Clear Alignment data with LOGO + BACK
Bug Fix: RS-232 sync past meridian now syncs with correct position.
Bug Fix: J2000 bug on RS-232 sync command.
Bug Fix: SSI box compatibility restored.
Bug Fix: Partial repair of support with SSI + SkyFi + SkySafari.
1.17.16291 3/2017 Known Bug: incompatibility with StarSense Interface (MotorMenu.c line 170 trap).
Bug Fix: Custom rate 9 entry showing impossible values
Bug Fix: After Hibernate cordwrap was not engaged
Feature: Alignment save Data will warn if used with wrong mount.
Feature: Aligment Clear Data clears entry. LOGO+BACK clears alignment data
 Bug Fix: RS-232 Sync past meridian not working
Bug Fix: J2000 bug on RS-232 sync commands
1.16.16055 3/2016 Support for StarSense Interface box and SkyWatcher mounts
Bug Fix: Wake from Hibernate not reenabling cordwrap
1.15.15178 8/2015 Bug Fix: Custom Rate 9 cannot be enabled/disabled
Bug Fix: Still using J2000 in RS-232 sync command
Adds support for updates via WiFi accessory
1.14.15019 2/2015 Feature: you can now back out of ASPA at any time.
Bug Fix: RS-232 now uses JNOW
Bug Fix: Solar System object pointing degrades after UTC midnight
Bug Fix: View/Goto position still showing J2000 instead of JNOW
1.13.14356 1/2015 Feature: JNOW is used for all objects, but J2000 remains an option.
Bug Fix: Southern Hemisphere wedge pointing
Bug Fix: ASPA gives bad values if plate solving fails.
Bug Fix: Turning tracking off, switches to RA + Dec tracking.
1.12.14318 12/2014 Bug Fix: All Star Polar Align feature doesn’t work
Bug Fix: DB object declinations between 0 and -1 show up as with positive dec.
Bug Fix: Solar system objects positions drifted long after alignment.
Bug Fix: GPS screen allows you to leave before it was fully linked.
Bug Fix: Pointing when using a wedge and Full auto not always working
1.11.14176 8/2014 Bug Fix: pointing to Solar System objects broken in 1.11.14164
1.11.14164 8/2014 improvements to menus
data entry and display is now more intuitive.
Feature: Solar System Align and Quick Align work without camera
Bug Fix: User Auto Align not working with more than 4 alignment references
Bug Fix: SAO DB indexing not always correct
RS-232 sync: does Hard Sync rather than add align reference
Known bug: breaks pointing on a wedge with Auto Align.
1.11.14142 6/2014 Filter Limit and Slew Limits separation
Bug Fix: Allow Sun not saved to EEPROM
Feature: User Auto Align
IC Catalog added
Bug Fix: EQ mounts not properly initialized at power up.
Bug fixes: User profiles not reliable
Custom Rate 9 option added
1.10.14008 2/2014 Bug Fix: RA only mode
1.09.13346 1/2014 Bug Fix: Year read out incorrectly on GPS and RTC devices
Bug Fixes: Southern hemisphere working (except Solar system align)
1.07.13311 12/2013 Reduced power up delays.
Bug Fix: Hibernate/Wake locking up.
1.06.13287 11/2013 Bug Fix: Calibration not always working
Feature: added Local Sidereal Time
Improved clarity of error messages
Feature: User profiles
1.06.13246 10/2013 Support for mounts with switches
random lock ups
1.06.13201 9/2013 Initial Release

StarSense Accessory Camera

Version # release date updates
1.2.13343 1/2014 Support for changes made in 1.09.13346 of the Hand Control firmware.
1.1.13285 11/2013 Support for changes made in 1.06.13287 of the Hand Control firmware
1.1.13201 9/2013 Initial Release

StarSense Interface Box For SkyWatcher Telescopes

Version # release date updates

1.0.6032 3/2016 Initial Release

Advanced VX (AVX)

Version # release date updates

7.13.7075 4/2017 Bug Fix: tracking now turns back on when you back away from a RA slew limit.
Feature: When mount hits a slew limit it decelerates smoothly to a stop
Feature: When mount hits a slew limit it posts a warning to a NexStar+ HC
Requires 5.29.6225+ of the NexStar+ HC
7.11.5056 3/2015 Bug Fix: AVX compatibility with newer HC firmware and possibly GPS.
Support for Hardware changes in AVX update (8pin header, K10 MCU etc.)
7.09.4155 7/2014 Bug Fix: toggling up and down quickly causes anti-backlash to moved too far.
7.08.3065 3/2013 Bug Fix: version number not reporting incorrectly.
Bug Fix: with slew limits are disabled, you can’t slew east.
7.07.2356 1/2013 Initial release.

Astro Fi

Version # release date updates

7.13.6110 3/2017 Bug Fix: tracking command sent during slew caused mount slew forever.
Bug Fix: A rare “No Response” error associated with the WiFi module.
Bundled with boot loader update which makes WiFi updates more reliable.
7.13.6055 5/2016 Initial Release

CGX

Version # release date updates

7.13.7070 3/2017 Support for PecTool
Reduce false alarms on RA and Dec sensors
7.13.7018 3/2017 Reduces power consumption during high speed slews.
7.13.6223 10/2016 Changed default guide rate to 90% sidereal
7.13.6162 9/2016 Initial Release

CGXL
Version # release date updates
7.13.7070 3/2017 Support for PecTool
Reduce false alarms on RA and Dec sensors
7.13.7018 3/2017 Reduces power consumption during high speed slews.
7.13.6350 2/2017 Initial Release

Evolution

Version # release date updates

7.11.6165 8/2016 Improved tracking performance.
7.11.5100 5/2015 Reduce battery consumption while slewing.
Stability enhancements when updating over internal WiFi module.
7.10.4188 9/2014 Reduce power consumption while switched off.
7.10.4109 8/2014 Initial Release