Don't worry about USB power. I had USB2Serial, Guide camera and imaging camera connected, no problem. I think the problem is that Kstars was connected to the camera and PHD could not connect because of that. Some drivers are written to support multiple clients and some are not. For example, I know for a fact that Celestron's mount driver can have multiple clients like PHD and Kstars connected at the same time but typically the camera drivers only support one client. Also, I believe that PHD only uses native control of the cameras - i.e. its not using an INDI driver, its talking directly to the camera through an API provided by ZWO to PHD.

So, try not using Kstars at all for now, just run the INDI server so PHD can talk to the mount and connect PHD to the camera and mount.

Then you can try Kstars for goto control but you will have to remember who has control of the guide camera and make sure there is no conflict.

Till the "magic smoke" problem is resolved, seems a bit futile to try to continue further...needs require that the electronics need to be pulled & to magnify and define any potentially fried-or-melted components within the mounts circuits...If the mount has suffered a "smoking event", then this must be the first concern! Till that is "fixed", nothing else will help...

smoke sounds bad but sometimes its not serious. It can be from a overheated resistor casing or a blown capacitor but neither of these necessarily will impede the operation of the electronics.

Sorry, I assumed that the SLO (Smoke Let Out) post was so infamous that I hardly needed to link to it. Basically I plugged the power cable intended for the DEC drive into the "Guide" (ST-4) port. See the post for my complete rant on the human-factors boners involved, and iOptron's generous response.

If I run the mount with "On camera" from KStars or PHD using an ST-4 cable from the camera to the mount, that dog don't hunt. So yeah, I must've blown something. However, if I use a USB-to-serial adapter going to the mount's hand-controller socket, either software package can slew the mount just fine. I agree that there might be problems subtler than "can't make mount go" that would necessitate repair, which is what I was attempting to establish last night. Too, any fried circuitry on the mount should not affect whether the camera can operate effectively via its entirely separate USB cable, absent some sort of short inducing a power-instability problem. And I've no other evidence of that.

I definitely am not running KStars and PHD, it's one or the other and since KStars won't let me attempt guiding without killing any running INDI server and starting its own, there are no processes running that might interfere. (I checked.) And gbeaton, I think you're right about PHD and the native ASI driver, it certainly can't run it as "INDI camera" even with its service running in the INDI server. Huh, I think I might still have had that service running even though it's probably redundant -- probably ought to try it without. Doubt it would be a problem, but ya never know.

What made me suspicious of power issues is that I don't seem to have the problem when I'm inside with my MacBook plugged into its wart (but of course I can't see stars that way!). It could be something else, but I've only seen the problem when the five-year-old MBP is running on battery power.

I am going to send the mount in to iOptron, which offered to fix it for free even though it was my ham-handedness that caused the fry. So yay them! But, c'mon, I have a FREAKING BRAND NEW STELLARVUE here and couldn't bear to send the mount away without seeing if I could make it work first!

Yeah they should fix it for free because thats bad design, and a failure just begging to happen. Hopefully they'll retrofit the connector to something that can't be misconnected! Good luck!

I ordered a USB hub anyway. Can't hurt, and it may help. This will also let me plug in my phone (which I use for an intervalometer) and at some point a Raspberry Pi to run all this stuff. Think I'll wind up ordering my own Pi -- my old one wouldn't even run Ubuntu MATE -- and seeing if I can get MATE + KStars + EKOS all working, and if it isn't easy say "bleep it" and pay $50 for their premade image. That's an excellent deal. The laptop is fine for getting things working, but I'd rather have something compact hanging right there on the mount that I can access via WiFi. Two USB cables and a 12V power cable make for a lot of chances to trip in the dark.

Well actually, that has been answered..missed it, yet what are you using as the guide scope? (Perhaps I missed that also?)

You may want to guide using ASCOM & bypass the ST-4 port all together...(ASCOM has been proven to be a better solution in the long run.)

Guiding with an ASI 120MC-2, on an Orion mini 50mm guidescope (162mm FL). Sadly, ASCOM not an option for me, as I've no Windows PC available. I mean, I can run a virtual machine under VMWare, but that just adds to the number of moving parts! So I have to make it work with INDI in some fashion.

"Their premade image" in my previous refers to StellarMate.

Perhaps investing in a refurbed W7 Dell or HP laptop might be an option?...may make things easier...

Well, I spent every cent of my Christmas money on the scope, camera, and guidescope. Though come to think of it, my wife is planning to spend some of hers on a Windows laptop. "Hey, honey, let me see your PC a minute <leaves for dark site>"

Well, I spent every cent of my Christmas money on the scope, camera, and guidescope. Though come to think of it, my wife is planning to spend some of hers on a Windows laptop. "Hey, honey, let me see your PC a minute <leaves for dark site>"

<returns to find all the door locks changed>