Control unit PrimaLuceLab EAGLE6 S for telescopes and astrophotography

EAGLE is an open platform for telescopes: you can use your favorite devices and Windows software.

Replace your standard laptop or desktop computer with an EAGLE and you will spend less time setting up your equipment and more time imaging. Because EAGLE combines, in a single device, a Windows 11 computer with the most advanced remote control and power management system for telescopes, it allows you to use your preferred devices and Windows software from any manufacturer without limitations, while offering many advantages and features you can't find on a standard computer. Engineers at PrimaLuceLab designed the all-in-one EAGLE solution (design protected by European patent EP3335078) for use with any telescope. By connecting the data and power cables to the EAGLE, when the telescope moves, all cables will move accordingly, reducing the possibility of cable snagging and providing the best cable management solution - all you need is a single power cable from your battery or AC adapter to your EAGLE!

EAGLE6 computer for telescopes and astrophotography - key features:

• Windows 11 Enterprise computer allows you to install your favorite Windows software and use the devices you want to use
• NEW Intel Celeron J6412 (TDP10W) Quad-Core processor with 8GB DDR4 3200 MHz RAM and NVMe SSD drive
• Industrial-grade SSD disk and RAM module for best reliability even in very low temperatures
• 10-port USB hub with 4 Hi-Speed USB 3.2 (2 of them with USB-C connectors), plus 6 USB 2.0 ports (4 of them with remote power on/off capability)
• 4 12V power output ports with remote on/off control to power your stand, camera and other 12V accessories
• 3 variable power output ports from 0 to 12 V for spray heaters
• GPS sensor with high gain antenna to detect elevation, latitude, longitude, date and time.
• EYE sensor to monitor sky brightness over a 5° field of view where the telescope is pointing
• Inclinometer to measure the elevation of your telescope
• Motion detector to detect unexpected or unwanted movement of your telescope caused by strong winds, sudden bending or snagging of cables.
• DARK mode to turn off the LED lights
• GHOST mode to replace USB cables of PLL devices with wireless connection
• NEW observatory actions with dedicated CTRL IN and CTRL OUT ports that can be used to activate the EAGLE function or to turn on/off any device (such as mounts and/or domes) that accepts an external switch input.
• NEW Lights-out management (LOM) to enable remote power on and monitoring of sensors and EAGLE ports with a dedicated Ethernet port, regardless of the operating system (even when the computer is turned off)
• NEW Powerful and fast WiFi 6E (802.11ax) extends connectivity to the 6 GHz band (in addition to 2.4 and 5 GHz) to reduce radio interference.
• Measuring the power consumption of each device powered through the EAGLE's 12v power output ports
• Monitoring of the power level provided to the EAGLE's 12V power input port
• EAGLE Manager X interface for easy control of all EAGLE functions
• Aluminum PLUS case, allowing you to easily attach the EAGLE to any telescope by adding rings, rods or clamps
• Weight: 1.1 kg (2.43 lb)

What's New in EAGLE6: Observatory Actions

What's new in EAGLE6: Lights Out Management (LOM)

EAGLE simplifies your telescope and allows you to remotely control your favorite telescopes and astronomical accessories.

EAGLE is compatible with any astrophotography device: an integrated computer running Windows 11 Enterprise.

EAGLE is compatible with any telescope and guarantees low power consumption.

EAGLE comes with 10 USB ports so you can connect and control all the devices you need for your telescope.

EAGLE includes an advanced power bridge with 7 power output ports: it can power 12 V devices directly through EAGLE.

The EAGLE has a separate 12 V power input that can operate at up to 16 amps. From there, via a special internal plate, power is distributed to seven power output ports: four 12 V power output ports are designed to power your camera, mount, focuser or other 12 V devices. These ports are equipped with safety screw-type connections to prevent unwanted cable disconnection, and we have made special power cables (optional) for different devices. The three 0 to 12 V variable power output ports are designed to power spray heaters without the need for an external controller. Control of these ports is managed directly through EAGLE Manager X (which allows you to turn the spray heater on/off and set the supply voltage from 3 to 12 V) and can be easily automated by adding the optional ECCO environmental module for EAGLE. A dedicated chip on the EAGLE power board protects the electronics (both in EAGLE and in the connected devices) from any overcurrent by temporarily disconnecting the power in case of electrical problems, faster than traditional fuses. The power is automatically reactivated once the problem has been solved. In addition, a special microcontroller allows you to adjust (+- 1A) the maximum current limit of the 12 V ports. Thus, if you want to connect a device to a maximum 3A port and that device has a maximum power consumption of 4A, you can increase the port limit to 4A.

Add the optional ECCO environmental computer controller to automatically control the power of the dew heater based on the dew point.

GPS sensor with high gain antenna to automatically detect latitude, longitude, elevation, date and time.

EAGLE EYE to monitor sky brightness only where the telescope is pointed.

EAGLE comes with an inclinometer to measure the tilt of your telescope.

EAGLE comes with a motion detector to detect unexpected or unwanted movements of your telescope.

Powerful and fast WiFi 6E (802.11ax) with Tri-Band connection (2.4, 5 and 6 GHz) to remotely control your telescope from any device.

DARK mode to turn off LED lights.

GHOST mode to replace USB cables of PLL devices with wireless connection.

....................................................................................................................................................................

EAGLE Manager X to control EAGLE functions.

EAGLE comes with a special software "EAGLE Manager X" that starts automatically and provides an easy and intuitive interface that allows you to:

• Enable/Disable each 12 V power output port: this way you can keep all your devices connected (e.g. mount, camera, filter wheel, etc.) and activate them remotely when you turn on the whole system.
• Check power consumption: allows you to check how much power each 12 V device powered through the EAGLE requires and displays the total power consumption of your telescope, thus providing you with the best way to monitor the power of your system.
• Power and USB port names: you can rename each port with the name of the connected device to easily control them or to save the COM port number associated with a specific device.
• Check GPS data: elevation, latitude, longitude, date, time and number of connected satellites
• Check EYE sky brightness: select the sensor facing the sky and check the sky brightness value, also with the Bortle scale.
• Set the output voltage of the 3 output ports from 0 to 12 V: increase or decrease the power of the dew heaters connected to EAGLE. Each port displays the current consumption which can also be monitored over time.
• Check the inclinometer to verify the elevation of your telescope with respect to horizon level.
• Displays motion detector data and displays if unwanted motion is registered.
• Activate DARK mode: this turns off all LED lights.
• Enable GHOST mode: this allows you to replace the USB cables of PLL devices with wireless connection.
• NEW configuration for the CTRL-IN port: decide if you want to use this port to remotely turn on the EAGLE, one of the 12V power output ports, one of the spray heater ports, one of the USB 2.0 ABCD ports or to enable/disable the DARK mode.
• NEW configuration for the CTRL-OUT port: control the CTRL OUT on/off, choose between Switch/Pulse mode, decide the Pulse duration (ms) and Pulse repetitions (n).
• Connect or disconnect devices connected to the USB 2.0 ABCD ports: this function is convenient in case of temporary failure of an auto-guider or planetary camera, which can then be reset without the need to go to the telescope and disconnect/reconnect a cable.
• Set wireless or wired connectivity: displays IP addresses that you can use with the remote desktop to access your EAGLE in AP mode (use your smartphone, tablet or external computer connecting directly to EAGLE without the need for a WiFi router) or HOST mode to connect to your existing network, such as your home WiFi, also with a wired connection.
• Configure your automatic power-on routines: you can define the port status "After power on" and "Before power off" for the devices connected to the EAGLE. This way, for example, you can automatically turn on all your devices after starting the EAGLE and turn them all off when you shut it down.
• Automatically connect to the optional ECCO controller: if you have the environmental controller, EAGLE Manager X can automatically connect at startup and take control of the spray heater power based on the calculated dew point.
• Save EAGLE sensor data in log files for later processing: data from several sensors are saved in log files directly in your EAGLE, so you can download them later.

Aluminum PLUS case, to allow easy integration with any telescope and withstand demanding payloads without flexing.

EAGLE6: dimensions and weight

EAGLE6 packs all these advanced features into a lightweight and compact all-in-one aluminum chassis, designed to be installed on your telescope in any way you prefer. This way, you can connect all USB and 12V power cables from your devices to the EAGLE, greatly improving cable management. The EAGLE6 weighs only 1.1 kg (2.43 lb). In the picture you can see all dimensions with M6 and M5 threaded hole positions for connecting rings, bars and clamps.

Performance comparison with a miniPC.

EAGLE offers not only exclusive features for advanced astrophotography, but also all the power of a real computer (superior to a Mini PC) to allow you to use any astrophotography software. To test its performance, we used the PCMark benchmark and compared EAGLE6, EAGLE6 S, EAGLE6 PRO and EAGLE6 XTM with one of the many Mini PCs on the market. As you can see in the image below, EAGLE6 offers 62% more performance than a common Mini PC with Intel Celeron N3160 processor, 4 GB RAM and SSD disk; EAGLE6 S further increases the gap by bringing this difference to 272%; EAGLE6 PRO increases even more to +310% and the fastest EAGLE6 XTM increases everything to an incredible +349%!

EAGLE: a complete family of telescope computers.

All EAGLE computers run Windows, so you can install the Windows software of your choice and use the devices of your choice, but to better suit everyone's needs, we have developed a complete line of EAGLE computers that offer different computing power, memory capacity, disk space, advanced features and integrated sensors. This allows you to choose the EAGLE that best suits your application, power requirements and budget. In the table below you will find the specifications of all EAGLE models with different processors, RAM, SSD disks, USB ports, HDMI ports, wireless and wired connectivity, integrated sensors and operating systems.

EAGLE6 computer for telescopes and astrophotography: scope of supply.

• EAGLE6 computer
• 2 WiFi antennas
• 1x GPS antenna
• 12 V power cable with cigarette lighter socket for EAGLE - 250 cm
• n.4 screws M6x6 + n.4 screws M6x8 + n.4 screws M6x10 + n.4 screws M6x12 + n.4 screws M6x18 + n.4 screws M6x25 + n.4 screws M6x35
• Quick guide