SoundStepper is a 100% software telescope controller, for Windows.Using audio hardware to real-time control step motors, it requires only simple external analog current amplifier to operate.Most systems of this type is written in any language for MS-DOS, because Windows is very poor for real-time control. This means using the CPU in dedicated mode, and lose all possibilities of using the computer for other purpose simultaneously with the telescope control, such as for example a sky map, autoguiding, or capture images from a webcam or CCD.In this system, for Windows, the CPU consumption is minimal, and can be used almost all the processing for other activities, without prejudice to control. The trick is to use the computer's sound hardware, which has data buffers and processing itself, to control step motors in "real time". What SoundStepper does is to generate a data stream and send it to the sound system, which in turn is responsible to play like a song, in constant speed, no flaws, leaps, without the need for real-time CPU.
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