The Sky-Watcher SynLink Universal Astrophotography Controller is a central control and power supply unit for modern astrophotography set-ups. It combines the functions of a mini-PC, a USB hub and a power distribution unit in a compact housing. This allows the camera, mount, focuser, filter wheel and other accessories to be connected centrally and controlled via a single piece of software.
SynLink is not limited exclusively to Sky-Watcher components. The controller supports numerous cameras, mounts, focusers, filter wheels, rotators and other instruments from various manufacturers. Connections are made via four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 and one USB-C port. A dedicated serial interface also enables direct connection to compatible Sky-Watcher mounts.
Power can also be supplied centrally to connected instruments via SynLink. Four DC outputs each provide up to 5 A, with the total load limited to 10 A. In addition, two independently usable connections are available for dew heaters. The controller itself can be operated with 9 to 16 V DC and features reverse polarity protection on the main input.
The integrated processor is based on a Rockchip RK3566 with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and features 64 GB of internal storage. Control is carried out wirelessly via dual-band Wi-Fi at 2.4 or 5 GHz. The SynLink software is available for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.
Imaging options include single shots, video recording, mosaic imaging, as well as basic and advanced imaging sequences. Functions such as automatic device detection, plate solving, GoTo, automatic centring, guided polar alignment and a focus assistant support automated imaging. Extensive sequences can be programmed for deep-sky imaging.
The compact housing can be attached directly to the telescope or to the mount. A prism rail supplied with the unit enables mounting on, for example, a Vixen finder shoe. This keeps USB and power cables short and tidy, whilst the entire setup can be moved as a single unit.
Contents:
- SynLink module
- Prism rail
- Wi-Fi antenna
- Sky-Watcher mount Serial cable
- 0.3 m male-to-male DC power cable
- 0.5 m male-to-male DC power cable
- 1 m male-to-male DC power cable
- 0.5 m male-to-female DC power cable
