jAscom

If you're looking for an easy-to-use software for controlling your telescope, jAscom might just be what you need. This software serves as a wrapper around the JACOB (JAva-COM Bridge) libraries, which allow you to easily access the ASCOM Platform 3.0 functionalities out of Java. With jAscom, you can enjoy the entire functionality of the ASCOM Telescope API Version 2, including methods and properties.

The latest release of jAscom (Alpha2) includes not only Telescope API but also Focuser and Dome API. This means that you can now quickly and easily code Java applications for all sorts of telescope controlling problems using widely-accepted standards.

To get started with jAscom, you'll need to follow these installation instructions:

1. Download and install the ASCOM Platform 3.0 Full Setup.
2. Download 'jacob.dll' from the JACOB binary distribution 1.7. You can find a newer version in the FILE-Section at (jacob_jre142fix_bin.zip). Use 'java -xf jacob_dll.jar jacob.dll' to extract it. Add jacob.dll to your Path.
3. Download the jAscom Distribution, and extract it into a directory of your choice (jar -xf jascom.jar).
4. Compile the files, start your Telescope Driver, and connect it to the Telescope, or use the ASCOM Telescope simulator (preferred for testing). Execute com.jeamy.jascom.test.JAscomTest for some tests/examples.
5. Create your application using jAscom, and check out some examples in 'com.jeamy.jascom.test.JAscomTest', 'com.jeamy.jascom.test.JAscomDomeTest', and 'com.jeamy.jascom.test.JAscomFocuserTest'.

Overall, jAscom provides a convenient solution for controlling your telescope and programming Java applications with ease. With its compatibility with ASCOM Platform 3.0 and comprehensive functionalities, jAscom is definitely worth checking out.