▁ceased ▁and ▁the ▁source ▁code ▁was ▁re located ▁to ▁Source For ge . ▁ ▁What ▁is ▁it ? ▁The ▁As com ▁Platform ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁computer ▁drivers ▁for ▁different ▁astronom y - related ▁devices . ▁It ▁uses ▁agreed ▁standards ▁that ▁allow ▁different ▁computer ▁programs ▁(' apps ') ▁and ▁devices ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁each ▁other ▁simultaneously . ▁This ▁means ▁that ▁you ▁can ▁have ▁things ▁like ▁mount s , ▁focus ers , ▁cam eras ▁and ▁filter ▁whe els ▁all ▁controlled ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁computer , ▁even ▁with ▁several ▁computers ▁sharing ▁access ▁to ▁those ▁resources . ▁For ▁example , ▁you ▁can ▁use ▁one ▁program ▁to ▁find ▁targets ▁and ▁another ▁to ▁guide ▁your ▁teles cope , ▁with ▁both ▁of ▁them ▁sharing ▁control ▁of ▁your ▁mount ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁ ▁An ▁AS COM ▁driver ▁acts ▁as ▁an ▁abstra ction ▁layer ▁between ▁the ▁client ▁and ▁hardware ▁thus ▁removing ▁any ▁hardware ▁dependency ▁in ▁the ▁client , ▁and ▁making ▁the ▁client ▁automatically ▁compatible ▁with ▁all ▁devices ▁that ▁supports ▁the ▁minimum ▁required ▁properties ▁and ▁methods . ▁For ▁example , ▁this ▁abstra ction ▁allows ▁an ▁AS COM ▁client ▁to ▁use ▁an ▁imag ing ▁device ▁without ▁need ing ▁to ▁know ▁whether ▁the ▁device ▁is ▁attached ▁via ▁a ▁serial ▁or ▁network ▁connection . ▁ ▁AS COM ▁defines ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁required ▁Properties ▁and ▁Method s ▁that ▁AS COM ▁comp li ant ▁software ▁can ▁use ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁an ▁AS COM ▁comp li ant ▁device . ▁AS COM ▁also ▁defines ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁optional ▁Properties ▁and ▁Method s ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁common