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Software Bisque Paramount MEII

The table below compares the Paramount ME II and Paramount ME

Component	Paramount ME II	Paramount ME
Control system electronics	MKS 5000 (Fifth generation) One board includes all ports and control system electronics	MKS 4000 (gen 4) and Adaptor Panel Two board design; Adaptor Panel includes plug in ports; MKS 4000 board contains the control system electronics.
Counterweight shaft	47 cm (18.5 in.)x 4.8 cm (1.875 in.) Carries up to six counterweights	46 (18 in.) long and 3.8 cm (1.5 in.) in diameter Carries up to six counterweights
Counterweights	14 kg (30 lb), two included	9 kg (20 lb), two included
Declination bearing	8-in (48 contact points)	6-in (14 contact points)
Declination gear diameter	9.5 in.	7.5 in.
Declination housing	5 in. x 0.5 in. wall 6061 aluminum tubing	Rectangular aluminum box (6061)
Declination shaft diameter	3.0 in.	2.0 in.
Declination worm diameter	1.0 in.	0.75 in.
Hours past meridian (track and slew)	2	0.33
Maximum slew speed	4 degrees per second in right ascension and declination	3.5 degrees per second in right ascension, 5 degrees per second in declination
Motor diameter	2.3 in.	1.7 in.
Motor torque	30 in-oz	11 in-oz
On axis encoder (optional)	see below	None
Physical hard stop position	Configurable	Fixed
Power supply	221 W (+48VDC, 4.6A max.)	80 W
Right ascension bearing	8 in. (48 contact points)	8.6 in. (18 contact points)
Right ascension gear diameter	11.4 in.	11.4 in.
Right ascension housing	7 in. x 0.5 in. wall 6061 aluminum tubing	Rectangular aluminum box (6061)
Right ascension shaft diameter	3.0 in.	2.5 in.
Right ascension worm diameter	1.0 in.	1.0 in.
Software included	TheSkyX Professional Edition for Mac TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows TPoint Add On (Mac and Windows) Camera Add On (Mac and Windows) Multi-OS and Six License Add On for Mac and Windows	Bisque Observatory Software Suite
Through the mount cabling	Large diameter cable conduits.Cables can be run through the mount without altering polar alignment, removing the optical tube assembly, or altering the polar alignment and no mount disassembly is required.	Smaller diameter cable conduits, some mount disassembly required when adding cables.
USB ports on Instrument Panel	Two (2)	None
Weight (mount body with no payload)	38 kg (84 lb)	31 kg (69 lb)
Weight capacity (total payload without counterweights)	109 kg (240 lb)	68 kg (150 lb)

Photo showing both the Paramount ME II and the Paramount MX Robotic Telescope Mount

On-Axis Encoders

On Axis Encoders Executive Summary
Advantages	Mount is easier to use by eliminating the need to initialize the mount's position (through homing or synchronization) at start up or after power loss. Provides improved pointing and tracking accuracy by continuously monitoring the position of the main gear, as opposed to encoder mounted directly to the motor's drive shaft, the Paramount ME II, with TPoint, can achieve an estimated five (5) arcsecond RMS all sky pointing. Virtually eliminates errors caused by periodic error as well as the need to train periodic error. Optional component can lower total costs by mounting one one on-axis to the right ascension axis (homing in declination would still be required.) Transparent operation; the on-axis encoder hardware and electronic sensors are integral to the mount's mechanical design and integrated into the MKS 5000 control system electronics as well as TheSkyX Professional Edition.
Disadvantages	Cost. On axis encoder technology is expensive. Availability: The on-axis encoder option is not presently available. Relatively small performance gains: The improvements in pointing tracking and tracking accuracy are relatively minor. For example, without on-axis encoders, the Paramount ME II, on a stable pier, with a robust payload, periodic error correction enabled, and a TPoint Super Model based on 200 or more pointing samples, can achieve 10 arcsecond all sky RMS pointing accuracy and 15 minute unguided exposures at moderate focal lengths with tracking errors less than one arcsecond.

On Axis Encoders Executive Summary

Advantages

Mount is easier to use by eliminating the need to initialize the mount's position (through homing or synchronization) at start up or after power loss.
Provides improved pointing and tracking accuracy by continuously monitoring the position of the main gear, as opposed to encoder mounted directly to the motor's drive shaft, the Paramount ME II, with TPoint, can achieve an estimated five (5) arcsecond RMS all sky pointing.
Virtually eliminates errors caused by periodic error as well as the need to train periodic error.
Optional component can lower total costs by mounting one one on-axis to the right ascension axis (homing in declination would still be required.)
Transparent operation; the on-axis encoder hardware and electronic sensors are integral to the mount's mechanical design and integrated into the MKS 5000 control system electronics as well as TheSkyX Professional Edition.

Disadvantages

Cost. On axis encoder technology is expensive.
Availability: The on-axis encoder option is not presently available.
Relatively small performance gains: The improvements in pointing tracking and tracking accuracy are relatively minor. For example, without on-axis encoders, the Paramount ME II, on a stable pier, with a robust payload, periodic error correction enabled, and a TPoint Super Model based on 200 or more pointing samples, can achieve 10 arcsecond all sky RMS pointing accuracy and 15 minute unguided exposures at moderate focal lengths with tracking errors less than one arcsecond.

Software Bisque will offer optional on-axis encoders for the Paramount ME II; the estimated ship date at this time is second quarter 2014. The tentative (and subject to change) details about optional on-axis encoders are below:

Optional component for the right ascension axis and/or the declination axis.
Will allow all sky RMS pointing accuracies (with TPoint modeling) to five (5) arcseconds or less.
Periodic errors in the worm gear/main gear drive mechanics are virtually eliminated, and periodic error training is not required.
The axis that has the on-axis encoders always knows its mechanical orientation so that no homing or mount synchronization is necessary.
The Paramount ME II's right ascension and declination axes are already designed to accept on-axis encoder hardware and cabling.
Paramount ME IIs purchased before the on-axis encoders are available must be returned to Software Bisque for on-axis encoder installation. In other words, on-axis encoders must be installed by authorized Software Bisque personnel and cannot be installed by third-parties.
The estimated cost of the hardware and installation is $3,000.00 per axis.
Software Bisque will email all registered Paramount ME II owners when they are available.
On-axis encoders will not be available for the Paramount MX Robotic Telescope Mount or the earlier generation Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount.

While on-axis encoders have many advantages as described above, they should not be considered the "panacea" for taking long, unguided photos. Fortunately, TPoint's ProTrack (a software technology exclusive to Paramount mounts) compensates for external factors such as optical tubes that bend and differential refraction that conspire to degrade pointing and tracking accuracy and cannot be "fixed" with on-axis encoders.

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