Norsat ATOM Series User manual

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ATOM Ku
BUC/SSPA
20W/25W/40W/50W
Operator Manual
Document Number: 908239
Revision A
Norsat International Inc.
110 – 4020 Viking Way
Richmond, British Columbia
Canada V6V 2L4

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ATOM Ku BUC/SSPA 20W/25W/40W/50W
Operator Manual
The information in this document has been fully reviewed and is believed to be entirely reliable. Norsat
International Inc., hereinafter referred to as Norsat reserves the right, however, to modify any products
herein to improve reliability, function or design. Norsat does not assume any liability arising out of the
application or use of any product or circuit described herein. Norsat does not convey any license under its
patent rights or the rights of others.

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Copyright Notice
NOTICE: Norsat International Inc. ("Norsat") assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that
may appear in this publication. Norsat reserves the right to change this publication at any time,
without notice.
Copyright © 2016. Norsat International Inc. All rights reserved.
All materials contained in this user guide are the property of Norsat International Inc. except as noted
here below:
All materials in this user guide are protected by United States and international copyright laws. The
compilation of all content in this user guide is the exclusive property of Norsat.

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Support
Technical Support This manual provides engineers with information necessary to operate the
applicable system. Technical Support is available from Norsat.
Norsat International Inc.
Attn: Technical Support
110 – 4020 Viking Way
Richmond, BC
Main: 1 [phone]
Support: 1 800 644 4562
[e-mail]
Customer Service Direct non-technical questions and business-related matters to Customer
Support at the above number.

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REVISION HISTORY
Rev
CO No.
Reason For Change
Reviewed
By
Author
Date
yyyy/mm/dd
1.0
5521
Initial Release
BPetrovic
Florence Leung
2013/11/14
1.1 5764
Add details on screw
lengths for RF Output
and Ground Connection
JGlassford Florence Leung 2014/04/29
1.2
5964
Update Address
JLu
Florence Leung
2014/09/05
1.3
6955
Added ESD Warning
JLu
Matt Battistel
2015/11/17
1.4 7478
Additional content for
CE compliance
HMei Matt Battistel 2016/05/24
1.5 7988
Corrected Pinout
Table 2-1
SLei Thomas Pethick 2016/11/14
1.6 8108
Corrected RS-485 &
RS-232 grounding notes
SLei Thomas Pethick 2017/01/05
A
CN-
000157
Document is applicable
to 20W also
SLei Frank Yang 2019/02/22
Non-Digital Approval (Only if required)
Scan this page with signature and attach to Change Order if this section used
Approver Name:
Approver Signature:
Date:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT NOTICE .................................................................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 8
SECTION 1.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 8
BUC - Block Up Converter and Amplifier .............................................................................................................8
SSPA – Solid State Power Amplifier ....................................................................................................................8
SECTION 1.2 FEATURES ............................................................................................................................. 9
Inputs and Outputs...............................................................................................................................................9
Electrical Interface................................................................................................................................................9
Fuse .....................................................................................................................................................................9
SECTION 1.3 CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS ................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION AND INTERFACES ................................................................................... 11
SECTION 2.1 OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................... 11
SECTION 2.2 MECHANICAL INSTALLATION .................................................................................................. 11
SECTION 2.3 J1 –INPUT ........................................................................................................................... 12
BUC ...................................................................................................................................................................12
SSPA .................................................................................................................................................................12
SECTION 2.4 J2 –MONITOR AND CONTROL INTERFACE.............................................................................. 12
Pin Outs .............................................................................................................................................................12
Pin D: Shutdown (i.e. Mute Control)...................................................................................................................13
Pin G: GND ........................................................................................................................................................14
Pin A, B, C, J: RS-485........................................................................................................................................14
Pin E, F: RS-232 ................................................................................................................................................14
SECTION 2.5 SERIAL PORT SOFTWARE INTERFACE .................................................................................... 15
Controller Responses.........................................................................................................................................15
Message Definitions...........................................................................................................................................16
Command Response .........................................................................................................................................18
Mute Logic .........................................................................................................................................................19
SECTION 2.6 J3 –DC POWER .................................................................................................................. 20
Connector Type..................................................................................................................................................20
J3 Connector Pin Outs.......................................................................................................................................21
SECTION 2.7 J4 –RF OUTPUT.................................................................................................................. 22
SECTION 2.8 GROUND CONNECTION ......................................................................................................... 22
SECTION 2.9 EMC CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................................ 23
APPENDIX A MECHANICAL DRAWINGS................................................................................................ 24
Drawings – 20W and 25W .................................................................................................................................24
Drawings – 40W and 50W .................................................................................................................................27
APPENDIX B ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................ 30

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FIGURES
Figure 2-1: J2 Connector Pin Out, Viewed Looking at SSPA/BUC from the Outside..................................................13
Figure 2-2: Setup Serial Port.......................................................................................................................................15
Figure 2-3: Command getident....................................................................................................................................16
Figure 2-4: Command getstatus..................................................................................................................................16
Figure 2-5: Command getfaults...................................................................................................................................17
Figure 2-6: Command resetfaults................................................................................................................................17
Figure 2-7: Command setmute - mute unit..................................................................................................................18
Figure 2-8: Command setmute - unmute unit..............................................................................................................18
Figure 2-9: J3 Connector Pin Out, Viewed Looking at SSPA/BUC from the Outside..................................................21
Figure A- 1: 20W and 25W Interconnect Locations.....................................................................................................24
Figure A- 2: 20W and 25W KU SSPA/BUC Assembly, without Fans...........................................................................25
Figure A- 3: 20W and 25W Base Plate Mounting Locations ........................................................................................26
Figure A- 4: 40W and 50W KU SSPA/BUC Assembly, with Fans...............................................................................27
Figure A- 5: 40W and 50W KU SSPA/BUC Assembly, without Fans..........................................................................28
Figure A- 6: 40W and 50W KU SSPA/BUC Assembly, with Fans and EMC/EMI Filter Option ...................................29
TABLES
Table 1-1: Input and Outputs ........................................................................................................................................9
Table 2-1: J2 Pin Outs ................................................................................................................................................13
Table 2-2: Fault Trip and Reset Points........................................................................................................................17
Table 2-3: Commands Summary ................................................................................................................................19
Table 2-4: J3 Connector Pin Out.................................................................................................................................22

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Chapter 1
Introduction
Section 1.1
OVERVIEW
This User’s Guide covers the following product lines:
ATOMSKU020, ATOMSKU025, ATOMSKU040, ATOMSKU050
ATOMBKU020, ATOMBKU025, ATOMBKU040, ATOMBKU050
BUC -BLOCK UP CONVERTER AND AMPLIFIER
If this unit is a BUC, this unit converts IF to RF in the KU range for the frequencies specified in the original
configuration of this unit and amplifies the power to the specified power.
SSPA –SOLID STATE POWER AMPLIFIER
If this unit is an SSPA only, this unit amplifies the input signal to the specified power.

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Section 1.2
FEATURES
INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Table 1-1: Input and Outputs
20W / 25W / 40W / 50W
Input Type Female N-Type Connector
Output Type Waveguide WR75 (default)
Waveguide WR62
(Adaptors are available to convert output type to
SMA, TNC, or N-Type connectors. Please contact
Norsat for more information.)
ELECTRICAL INTERFACE
M&C Connector – ten pin connector used to interface to a host computer. See Chapter 2 for detailed
description of pin outs.
Power Connector – four pin connector used to provide power to unit. See Chapter 2 for detailed
description of pin outs.
FUSE
On units equipped with the EMC/EMI filter option there is a fuse on the SAT-3300 (PCBA 039301) board.
Reference designator is F1, Bel Fuse Inc. SMM 25 rated for 25A.

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Section 1.3
CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS
CAUTION: Do not stand in front of waveguide during operation. Especially, do not look into the
waveguide.
CAUTION: Do not allow any items to fall into the unit from the waveguide opening.
WARNING: DO NOT ALLOW EQUIPMENT TO BE IN STANDING WATER. While the BUC/SSPA is
designed to be used outdoors, the equipment is not designed to operate in standing water. Failure to
follow this precaution could result in electric shock and injury to persons.
WARNING:Power to the unit must be shut off before the DC cable is disconnected and the DC cable and
M&C cable must be disconnected before servicing.
CAUTION:Apply voltage to the DC input connector only as specified in the original configuration of this
unit. Application of a voltage outside of the specified range may cause the unit to become damaged or
non-functional.
CAUTION:Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can damage electronic circuits. The M&C and RF input
connector center pins may be sensitive to ESD. Follow proper ESD precautions when handling these
products.

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Chapter 2
Installation and Interfaces
Section 2.1
OVERVIEW
The unit has three connectors on the input side of the housing and one waveguide port on the output
side. The interface for these connectors is detailed in this document.
On the input side, there are the following connectors:
J1 – Female N-type L-band IF Input
J2 – Ten pin circular connector
J3 – Four pin circular power connector
On the output side, there is one connector:
J4 – WR75 or WR62 waveguide RF output (specify at time of order)
Section 2.2
MECHANICAL INSTALLATION
The units are designed to be mounted via 6-32 size screws which must be supplied by the end user.
There are a number of 6-32 UNC threaded holes on each face of the main housing to facilitate mounting
in many different applications and in any orientation; please refer to Appendix A for exact mounting hole
locations. The preferred mounting scheme is to fix the ATOM to the larger assembly using at least four
mounting points on each of two opposite sides of the unit. Other arrangements are possible depending on
the requirements of the application; please contact Norsat technical support for details. Please leave at
least 1 inch of clearance around the fan air intakes.
The unit is entirely watertight and suitable for outdoor operation. All joints are O-ring sealed. The
waveguide port J4 is not internally sealed, so the antenna feed must be sealed with a radome or window,
and all waveguide joints should be O-ring sealed if water-tightness is required.

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Section 2.3
J1 –INPUT
BUC
The IF input is a 50 ohm type-N connector. The input is to be applied here (950-1700 MHz for Extended
Band; 950-1450 MHz for Regular Band). Also, the 10 MHz signal input is diplexed onto this line.
Therefore, the IF signal and 10 MHz reference are both traveling on this line. The connector is DC-
blocked. Do not exceed +/- 50VDC on this port.
The 10-MHz signal should be accurate within +/-20ppm, otherwise the BUC may have difficulty phase
locking to it. The 10-MHz should be free of sideband spurs, particularly close-in (under 100 kHz), as these
may also cause failure to lock. Power level of the 10 MHz reference signal should be +/-10 dBm.
SSPA
In the SSPA-only configuration, this is the RF input. It is a precision type-N connector, with performance
to 18GHz. No 10 MHz reference is required for SSPA-only operation.
Section 2.4
J2 –MONITOR AND CONTROL INTERFACE
The serial interface is used to interface the unit to a host computer. All on-board sensors are read through
this interface, including forward power monitoring. In default mute configuration (refer to section Pin D:
Shutdown (i.e. Mute Control)), use of this connection is optional.
PIN OUTS
The monitor and control interface is a ten pin connector.
CAUTION: EXTREME CARE MUST BE USED WITH THIS CONNECTOR TO AVOID ELECTRO
STATIC DISCHARGE (ESD). Many units have been damaged by improper ESD precautions. Always use
industry-standard practices including wrist straps when coming within six inches of these connectors or
any accessories or cables to be attached to this.
The connector is a cannon type connector with a 12-10 configuration with pins (Amphenol part number
71-533723-10P). This connector is a MIL-C-26482 Series 1 receptacle, Shell size 12, 10 pins. The
connector is a “receptacle” and it has pins (as opposed to sockets), and requires the mating connector to
be a “plug” with ten sockets. An example mating connector would be Amphenol #PT06A-12-10S. A range
of other plug-compatible Amphenol part numbers for the mating connector may be used to add options to
the plug such as right-angle, stress relief clamp, metal color/finish, etc. Please contact the connector
manufacturer for more information and/or see Amphenol catalog 12-070.

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The pin outs are given in Table 2-1 and shown in Figure 2-1.
Table 2-1: J2 Pin Outs
Connector Pin
Function
Description
A
TX- (RS-485)
Host computer TX- signal (signal into unit)
B
TX+ (RS-485)
Host computer TX+ signal (signal into unit)
C
RX+ (RS-485)
Host computer RX+ signal (signal out of unit)
D
SHUTDOWN
Controls Muting of Amplifier
E
RX (RS-232)
Host computer RX signals (signal out of unit)
F
TX (RS-232)
Host computer TX signals (signal into unit)
G
GND
Case Ground – Do not exceed 100mA
H
Reserved
Leave unconnected / open circuited
J
RX- (RS-485)
Host computer RX- signal (signal out of unit)
K
Reserved
Leave unconnected / open circuited
Figure 2-1: J2 Connector Pin Out, Viewed Looking at SSPA/BUC from the Outside
PIN D: SHUTDOWN (I.E.MUTE CONTROL)
This pin implements the shutdown, or mute function, and the user should apply Ground to this pin to mute
the amplifier. When muted, the unit power transistors are turned off, reducing power consumption and
giving an RF output noise close to the thermal noise floor.
Pin D has an internal 50K-ohm resistor that can be configured as a pull-up to 4V, or as a pull down to
ground. Because of the configurable pull-up / pull-down resistor, the unit can be configured to be active
(i.e. not muted) when Pin D is left open circuited, therefore, no connection is necessary on pin D for the
amplifier to operate normally.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K

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Pin D is also configurable to be either active high or active low. When configured as active high, any
voltage between 3.0 V and 5.0 V (relative to case ground) will mute the output. When configured as
active low, any voltage between 0.0 V and 0.8 V (relative to case ground) will mute the output.
The case ground may be connected at any location on the outer metal shell of the unit.
PIN G: GND
Ground is connected to the amplifier housing. This pin is electrically connected to the outer aluminum
shell and thus to the mounting screws used to hold down the unit. This is for small signal only; any high-
current connections should use the external screws on the outside of the aluminum case.
PIN A, B, C, J: RS-485
These four pins form a standard RS-485 port, with RX+, RX-, TX+, TX-. Use Pin G as the ground
reference for this port.
TX+ and TX- are the differential pair which carries a signal from the host computer to the unit. RX+ and
RX- are the differential pair which carries a signal from the unit to the host computer. Ensure these are
connected to the host computer RS-485 port accordingly.
•A
TX- (RS-485)
Host computer TX- signal (signal into unit)
•B
TX+ (RS-485)
Host computer TX+ signal (signal into unit)
•C
RX+ (RS-485)
Host computer RX+ signal (signal out of unit)
•J
RX- (RS-485)
Host computer RX- signal (signal out of unit)
PIN E, F: RS-232
Pins E and F form a standard RS-232 port, with RX and TX. Use Pin G as the ground reference for this
port. Ensure these are connected to the host computer RS-232 port accordingly.
•E
RX (RS-232)
Host computer RX signals (signal out of unit)
•F
TX (RS-232)
Host computer TX signals (signal into unit)

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Section 2.5
SERIAL PORT SOFTWARE INTERFACE
Communications to and from the serial interface is character based. Use any standard “Terminal”
program with setup parameters as shown in Figure 2-2.
Figure 2-2: Setup Serial Port
CONTROLLER RESPONSES
The unit will only generate messages in response to a command. Each command received will result in a
single message reply, which may simply be an Acknowledge message.
In general, command responses are returned immediately, though the precise command-response delay
varies slightly based on the specific command.

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MESSAGE DEFINITIONS
getident
This command returns the part number, software revision and serial number of the unit.
Figure 2-3: Command getident
getstatus
This command instructs the unit to respond with fault flag, forward power and temperature. Note: reverse
power, “revpwr”, in the response is a future enhancement and is not currently supported.
•A “0” after “fault” indicates no faults. A “1” indicates a fault. Use command “getfaults” to
determine what fault exists.
•Power is in dBm.
•Temperature is in degrees C. The temperature scale is from –55 to 150 C, with approximately
+/- 2 degrees C accuracy.
Figure 2-4: Command getstatus

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getfaults
This command gets the status of the mute, over temperature and pll loss of lock.
For mute, “0” indicates the unit is in an unmuted state. A “1” indicates a muted state. Note that a “1”
does not necessarily indicate an error as the unit could have been commanded into a mute state (see
“setmute” command).
For over temp and pll, a value of “0” means no error and a value of “1” indicates an error.
Figure 2-5: Command getfaults
resetfaults
This command clears faults under certain conditions. Note that the “mute” fault code indicates muted
state, not necessarily an error. Since the unit can be commanded into mute state, without a fault, the
“resetfaults” command will not clear a mute fault in this situation.
The temperature sensor has a trip point (above which a fault is triggered) and a reset point (below which
a fault is automatically cleared.) The reset point is set below the trip point to provide hysteresis. See
Table 2-2 for Trip and Reset Points.
The resetfaults command will clear an overtemp fault which has been tripped if the unit is currently below
the trip point. If the fault mode sensor value is above the trip point, the fault cannot be cleared. Some
faults may not have a reset point, and must be reset through the “resetfaults” command.
Table 2-2: Fault Trip and Reset Points
Fault Condition
Trip Point
Reset Point
Mute N/A N/A
Over Temperature 85C 75C
PLL Loss of Lock
N/A
N/A
Figure 2-6: Command resetfaults

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setmute
This command sets the software mute state of the unit. If the command code is 1, the amplifier will be
muted. If the command code is 0, the amplifier mute will be controlled as shown in Section Mute Logic.
The mute state can be monitored by examining the MUTE code in the “getfaults” message.
Figure 2-7: Command setmute - mute unit
Figure 2-8: Command setmute - unmute unit
COMMAND RESPONSE
The CLI operates on a command response format. Each time a command is entered, a response will be
displayed. If a command executed correctly, an “ok” along with potential parameters and values will be
displayed. Otherwise, “err” will be displayed along with a description of the error.
The potential errors that may be displayed are:
•Invalid Command – The command was not recognized
•Invalid Parameter – The parameter was not recognized
•Invalid Value – The value was invalid for the command/parameter
•Missing Parameter – A required parameter was not provided

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Each command response will have the following format:
<CR><LF><msg><CR><LF>
where msg is as described above and in the commands summary and example tables below. Note that a
response is enveloped by leading and trailing <CR><LF> characters.
Table 2-3: Commands Summary
Command Param-Value
Pairs
Response Format
(enveloping <CR><LF> characters not shown)
getident None ok pn <part#> swver <swver#> sn <serial#>
where:
<part#> = unit part number label
<swver#> = software version label
<serial#> = unit serial number label
getstatus None ok fault <fault#> fwdpwr <fwdpwr#> revpwr <revpwr#> temp <temp>
where:
<fault#> = fault flag, either 0 (no fault) or 1 (fault) .
Use the getfaults command to determine the specific fault(s)
<fwdpwr#> = forward power value, in dBm
<revpwr#> = currently not used but reserved for reverse power
<temp> = internal system temperature in degrees Celsius
getfaults None ok mute <mute_flag> overTemp <temp_flag> pll <pll_flag>
where:
<mute_flag> = 0 (unit unmuted) or 1 (unit muted)
<temp_flag> = 0 (temp ok) or 1 (error - over temp condition exists)
<pll_flag> = 0 (pll ok) or 1 (error – pll loss of lock)
resetfaults None ok
setmute cmd (0|1)
0 = unmute
1 = mute
ok
MUTE LOGIC
The unit will be muted when any of the following conditions exist:
1. A software mute command is issued through the serial interface.
2. A mute command/signal is issued through the discrete SHUTDOWN line (Pin D: Shutdown (i.e.
Mute Control).
3. A fault condition exists.

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Section 2.6
J3 –DC POWER
Units typically require 20V to 56V DC power. Refer to the specific configuration of the unit for the exact
voltage range. Power is supplied through a four pin type cannon connector. Two pins are used to deliver
the positive connection and two pins are used for the negative connection in order to reduce resistance.
The negative connection is internally connected to case ground. The negative power connection may
alternatively be applied directly to the outer aluminum case.
The external power supply must be capable of supplying 165W, 305W or 350W for the 25W, 40W or 50W
ATOMs respectively. For CE compliant operation the external power supply must have overcurrent
protection with a current limit between 20A and 23A. The DC power cable must be capable of safely
carrying at least 10A continuous for 25W ATOMs and 20A continuous for 40W, 50W and low voltage 25W
ATOMs. Note that the power supply connection should not be made with the power live. The unit should
not be powered on until all input and output connections have been made.
CONNECTOR TYPE
The J3 connector is a four pin cannon type cylindrical connector (AMPHENOL PT07A-12-4P). This
connector is a MIL-DTL-26482 Series 1 receptacle, Shell size 12, 4 pins. (The pins are size #16) The
connector is a “receptacle” and it has pins (as opposed to sockets), and requires the mating connector to
be a “plug” with four sockets. An example mating connector would be Amphenol # PT06E-12-4S-SR. A
range of other plug-compatible Amphenol part numbers for the mating connector may be used to add
options to the plug such as right-angle, stress relief clamp, metal color/finish, etc. Please contact the
connector manufacturer for more information and/or see Amphenol catalog 12-070.