Winradio WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 Manual

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WR-ARP-ELAZ-100
WR-RCU-100
Antenna Rotator / Positioner
and
Rotator Control Unit
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Technical User’s Guide
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WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 and WR-RCU-100 Technical User’s Guide
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2 Rev. F 
Published by
WiNRADiO Communications
15 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Victoria 3166, Australia
Copyright © 2009 WiNRADiO Communications, Melbourne, Australia
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means
without written permission of the publisher.
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Trademarks
WiNRADiO is a registered trademark of WiNRADiO Communications.
All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
Printed in Australia

WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 and WR-RCU-100 Technical User’s Guide
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Table of Contents
1.
I NTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 4
2. P ACKAGE CONTENTS .............................................................................................. 5
3. S YSTEM R EQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................ 5
4. R OTATOR C ONTROL U NIT I NSTALLATION ................................................................. 6
5. S OFTWARE INSTALLATION ...................................................................................... 7
6. R OTATOR S YSTEM B ENCH T ESTING ........................................................................ 8
7. R OTATOR I NSTALLATION ...................................................................................... 10
8. R OTATOR A LIGNMENT .......................................................................................... 11
8.1. Azimuth alignment..................................................................................... 11
8.2. Elevation Alignment .................................................................................. 12
9. S OFTWARE O PERATION ........................................................................................ 13
9.1. Rotator Selection....................................................................................... 13
9.2. Rotator Calibration .................................................................................... 14
9.3. Rotator Software Controls........................................................................ 15
9.4. Rotator Offset Adjustments...................................................................... 17
9.5. Diagnostics ................................................................................................ 19
9.6. Keyboard Support ..................................................................................... 19
10. C ONTACTS ........................................................................................................ 20
A PPENDIX A............................................................................................................ 21
T ROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................................. 21
A PPENDIX B............................................................................................................ 22
T ECHNICAL S PECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................... 22
Rotator/Positioner ............................................................................................ 22
Rotator Control Unit ......................................................................................... 23

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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the WiNRADiO antenna rotator/positioner system. Please
allow a few minutes to get acquainted with the information in this manual in
preparation for the installation and commissioning of your system.
WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 Rotator
WR-RCU-100 Rotator Control Unit

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2. Package Contents
The supplied package should contain the following items:
•WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 Rotator
•WR-RCU-100 Rotator Control Unit
•WR-PSU-IEC100-2404160 power supply (100-240 VAC to 24 VDC)
•WR-IFC-AC40556B USB interface cable
•WR-RCU-TB3804 Terminal block connectors (Quantity = 2)
•CD ROM with:
oWR-RCU-100 Manual Tracking Controller software
oWR-RCU-100 Rotator Control Unit API SDK
•This Technical User's Guide
3. System Requirements
•1 GHz Pentium 3 or better
•512 MB of system RAM memory or more
•One vacant USB port
•Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Windows 7 operating system
•20 MB of free disk space

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4. Rotator Control Unit Installation
1. Connect the rotator control unit to the PC by means of the supplied USB
cable.
2. Connect the rotator control unit to the 24 V power supply.
3. Connect the rotator azimuth motor cable to the azimuth connector on the rear
panel of the rotator control unit in accordance with the connections shown in
Figure 1 and Table 1 below (see specifications for recommended cable).
4. Connect the rotator elevation motor cable to the elevation connector on the
rear panel of the rotator control unit in accordance with the connections shown
in Figure 1 and Table 1 below.
Figure 1: WR-RCU-100 Rotator Control Unit rear panel.
Table 1: Azimuth and elevation connector pin descriptions
Pin Function
1 Motor terminal 1 (power)
2 Motor terminal 2 (power)
3 Reed Switch Contact (connected to unit ground)
4 Reed Switch Contact

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5. Software Installation
1. Insert the supplied CD into the CD drive.
2. Click Start … Run ... WR-RCU100-MTC-xxx.EXE, where ‘xxx’ stands for the
current software release version. The WR-RCU-100 installation will start.
3. Follow all prompts through a number of dialog windows to complete the
installation.

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6. Rotator System Bench Testing
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Note: Before doing the final mechanical rotator installation it is important that
the rotator system is first set up, calibrated and tested on a workbench. This is
to ensure that the rotator control unit determines the mechanical limits of the
rotator without physical obstruction, and that the Manual Tracking Controller
software positions the rotator azimuth and elevation shafts to their zero points.
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1. Remove the small cover (with two plastic glands) on the rotator to gain access
to the two terminal blocks inside.
2. Temporarily connect the azimuth motor cable to the azimuth terminal block of
the rotator as shown in Table 2.
3. Temporarily connect the elevation motor cable to the elevation terminal block
of the rotator as shown in Table 3.
4. Switch on the rotator control unit power.
5. Start the Manual Tracking Controller software. There should be an icon on the
desktop if you chose to install one. Alternatively, you can find the application
by clicking Start … Programs … WiNRADiO … WR-RCU-100.
6. The software should detect that a rotator calibration is required and then start
the process automatically. If it does, please wait until it is finished. This may
take a few minutes.
7. Click Tools … Diagnostics and observe that there are no faults. The last field
on the window should read “Calibration: Done”.
8. Click Tools …Offsets and ensure offsets are set to zero.
9. Now switch off the power and prepare for rotator installation.
Note: The Manual Tracking Controller software auto-detects the WR-RCU-100
rotator control unit. If at first the hardware is not detected, switch the control
unit power off and back on again. This should cause the “Found new
hardware” wizard to start.

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Table 2: Azimuth cable connections
Rotator Control Unit
Elevation Connector Function Rotator Elevation Terminal Block
Pin 1 Motor terminal 1 Pin 1
Pin 2 Motor terminal 2 Pin 2
Pin 3 Reed switch (RCU Ground) Pin 3
Pin 4 Reed switch Pin 4
Table 3: Elevation cable connections
Note: Please observe the connections on pins 1 & 2 of each cable. If they are
unintentionally crossed over, rotator calibration will still succeed, but the
motor will turn in the opposite direction!
Rotator Control Unit
Azimuth Connector Function Rotator Azimuth Terminal Block
Pin 1 Motor terminal 1 Pin 1
Pin 2 Motor terminal 2 Pin 2
Pin 3 Reed switch (RCU Ground) Pin 3
Pin 4 Reed switch Pin 4

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7. Rotator Installation
1. Unscrew the 8 pinch bolts on the azimuth mast clamp (i.e. the tube clamp with
the larger diameter) until no thread can be seen protruding on the inside of the
holder.
2. Mount the rotator on the mast by inserting the mast into the azimuth mast
clamp as far as it will go in. The full weight of the rotator, and ultimately its
payload, must rest and be supported on top of the mast and must not be just
held up by the pinch bolts.
3. Gently tighten the pinch bolts. They can be secured firmly once a final rotator
azimuth alignment has been performed.
4. Run the cable(s) between the rotator and the rotator control unit. Either an 8-
core cable or two 4-core cables may be used. The recommended wire gauge
for distances up to 10 metres is AWG 18. For longer distances use a thicker
wire gauge, e.g. AWG 16.
5. Ensure there is a generous amount of cable slack near the rotator to allow for
at least 380 degrees of azimuth travel and 205 degrees of elevation travel to
avoid the cables being damaged. This also applies to the antenna cable.
6. Feed the cables through the two plastic glands fitted to the small cover on the
rotator.
7. Connect the Azimuth cable to the Azimuth terminal block of the rotator in
accordance with the connections shown in Table 2.
8. Connect the Elevation cable to the Elevation terminal block of the rotator in
accordance with the connections shown in Table 3.
9. Replace the cover.
10. Use cable ties to ensure that all cables are secured and clear of getting caught
by moving parts.
11. The rotator is now ready to mount the antenna and perform a rotator azimuth
and elevation alignment.

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8. Rotator Alignment
8.1. Azimuth alignment
The objective in performing azimuth alignment is to have the antenna point towards
the North Pole, i.e. true North, when the Manual Tracking Controller software shows
rotator azimuth as 0 degrees. Use any of the methods described below to achieve
the correct azimuth alignment. Once the alignment process is completed, the azimuth
orientation can be fine tuned by using the azimuth offset control, in order to
compensate for any small inaccuracies.
8.1.1 Azimuth alignment using Google Earth version 5.0
Download and install the free software Google Earth from http://earth.google.com
Run the application upon installation completion. Zoom in to your location.
1. Turn on the GPS grid reference by clicking View … Grid.
2. Observe the orientation of the lines of longitude running North-South.
3. Now loosen the pinch bolts on the azimuth clamp.
4. Align the antenna to be parallel with the longitude lines, by pointing North.
5. Securely tighten the pinch bolts.
or
1. Identify a target object or landmark visible from the rotator, say 300 m away.
2. Open the Ruler tool in Google Earth.
3. Place the cursor sight over the rotator position first, and click the left mouse
button.
4. Now place the cursor sight over the target object position and click the left
mouse button.
5. Observe the angle given in the Bearing field.
6. Enter this bearing value into the Manual Tracking Controller software Azimuth
field and press Enter.
7. Wait until the rotator has moved to this angle.
8. Now loosen the pinch bolts on the azimuth clamp.
9. Align the antenna to point exactly at the target object.
10. Securely tighten the pinch bolts.
If Google Earth does not have any image maps for your area, you can still follow the
procedure as described above, but first enter the exact locations of the rotator and
target object into Google Earth as follows:

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1. Use a GPS receiver to obtain the exact GPS coordinates of the rotator.
2. Record the latitude/longitude of this point using maximum precision.
3. Now, in Google Earth, click Add … Placemark.
4. In the Name field, enter “Rotator”.
5. Enter the rotator Latitude and Longitude. Any of the following formats may be
used:
ddd mm’ ss.ss” (degrees, minutes, seconds, decimal seconds)
ddd mm.mmmm’ (degrees, minutes, decimal minutes)
ddd.dddddd (degrees, decimal degrees)
Example: Lat = 25 26' 47.70" S and Long = 122 34’ 42.81” E
6. Click OK to fix the marker on the map.
7. Now, perform the same procedure to add a Placemark for the target object.
8.1.2 Azimuth alignment using a compass
Using a compass, determine the direction of magnetic North. Now, do the correction
to find the orientation of true North. Loosen the pinch bolts on the azimuth mast
clamp. Swing the antenna sideways until it points in the direction of true North.
Securely tighten clamp the pinch bolts.
8.2. Elevation Alignment
The reason for performing elevation alignment is to ensure that the antenna is
positioned horizontally when the Manual Tracking Controller software shows rotator
elevation as 0 degrees.
If accurate elevation alignment is not important in your application, simply align the
antenna horizontally by doing a visual inspection.
If accurate elevation alignment is crucial in your application, then place a spirit level
horizontally on the antenna. If your antenna is a dish, rotate the dish to an elevation
of 90degrees by using the Manual Tracking Controller software elevation control, and
then place the spirit level across the top of the dish. Slightly loosen the pinch bolts on
the elevation stub mast clamp and turn the antenna until it is level. Then, securely
tighten the pinch bolts. To confirm proper alignment, rotate the antenna azimuth
through 360 degrees using the Manual Tracking Controller software azimuth control,
observing that the antenna is level at all azimuth settings. Once the elevation
alignment is done, the elevation orientation can be fine tuned using the elevation
offset control in order to compensate for inaccuracies.
Note: For accurate alignment, it is essential that your mast must be absolutely
plumb (vertical).

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9. Software Operation
9.1. Rotator Selection
Multiple copies of the Manual Tracking Controller software application can be run on
a single computer simultaneously. This provides the ability to control more than one
rotator from the same computer. Each software application instance must have a
matching WR-RCU-100 rotator control unit associated with it.
When the software application is started, it automatically searches for available
rotator control units connected to the computer via USB. If an unassigned unit is
found, control will be allocated to it. If several unallocated units are found, the
software will open a window showing all available controller units listed by their serial
numbers. The user then selects the desired unit from the list:
If no control unit is found, the software will open a message window and alert the
user. If the Ignore button in this window is clicked, the software will default to
operating in demo mode only. While in demo mode, controls are disabled and a
dynamic menu item "Select rotator control unit" appears under the File menu.

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9.2. Rotator Calibration
Calibration of the rotator is necessary, because the rotator does not have absolute
position sensors for azimuth and elevation. Instead, for each axis it has a sealed
Reed switch and a rotating magnet built into the gearbox assembly. For each full
rotation of the shaft in the gearbox, the switch is activated and this generates a pulse
which is detected by the rotator control unit. Each pulse represents a rotation of one
degree on the rotator shaft. The rotator control unit counts these pulses to determine
the angle traversed by the rotator.
For the rotator control unit to obtain the start and finish reference points (and hence
the full range of travel), it needs to turn the rotator until the limit (end-stop) switches
are activated. There are two limit switches incorporated per axis, one at the lower
end and one at the upper end of travel, these act as a built-in safety feature of the
rotator. As soon as a limit switch is activated, the power to the corresponding motor
will be disconnected and it automatically stops turning. Once a limit switch has been
activated, power to that motor must be reversed for it to rotate again.
Calibration needs to take place at least once during initial installation, but will also be
necessary under the following circumstances:
• A rotator or rotator control unit is replaced with another one.
• There is an unexpected interruption of power to the rotator control unit.
Normally, the calibration settings are stored in non-volatile memory by the
rotator control unit software whenever power is turned off by using the "soft"
On/Off switch on the front panel. These settings will then be used next time
the unit is powered on.
The calibration process is fully automatic and will be performed by the rotator control
unit application software whenever it detects that a calibration is required. However, it
may also be done manually at any time by the user, by selecting the Tools ...
Calibration function in the menu.
The following screen will be displayed when the Calibration function is activated:

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The first calibration method determines the position of the lower limits of travel, i.e.
the zero degree points for each axis.
The second calibration method determines the position of both lower and upper
limits. See also Adjusting Rotator Offsets for more details.
While the calibration process is running, the following screen will be displayed:
Note: To avoid re-calibration at power-up every time, ensure the rotator control
unit is powered off by its own On/Off switch first, before removing the 24 V
power.
9.3. Rotator Software Controls
The controls on this window are used to position the rotator in the required direction.
The circle on the left is a graphical representation of the rotator azimuth (as seen
from above), while the semi-circle on the right represents the elevation (as seen from
the side). The rotator can be controlled by four methods:

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1. Edit Controls:
Simply type into the numerical edit fields the value of the required azimuth or
elevation. Hit the Enter or Tab key. The rotator control unit automatically starts
moving the rotator to the required position. Under normal load conditions, the
rotational rate is around 4 to 5 degrees per second.
2. Spin Controls:
Click on the small up or down arrows of the spin controls. Up-arrow means increase
and down-arrow means decrease. A single mouse click increases or decreases the
required azimuth or elevation by one degree. Keeping the mouse button depressed
activates an auto-repeat function.
3. Buttons:
Clicking on any of the arrow buttons on the left side moves the rotator by one degree.
Keeping the mouse button depressed causes continuous rotator movement. The Up
and Down buttons change elevation, while Left and Right buttons change azimuth.
Clicking the Stop button will seize the rotator movement at any time.
4. Arrow Keys:
The rotator can be controlled using the keyboard arrow keys. While no numerical
field is being edited, the arrow keys are active and available for turning the rotator.
The Up and Down keys change elevation, while the Left and Right keys change
azimuth. A single key press causes a change of one degree, while keeping a key
depressed causes continuous rotator movement.
The numerical fields labelled Target rotator angles are the desired angles, while the
fields under the Rotator angles label, are the actual rotator positions. The Look
angles are the angles where the antenna is actually pointing to, which may be
different than the actual rotator angles.
The colours in the graphical representation have the following meaning:
Blue line: The direction where the antenna is pointing to.
Yellow Lines: The max and min of the travel range.
Green area: The angle traversed by rotator from reference position.
Note, once the rotator elevation shaft has moved through 90 degrees the blue line on
the azimuth circle swings the opposite way, indicating the direction where the
antenna is pointing.

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9.4. Rotator Offset Adjustments
Offset values may differ between various rotators,
depending on variations in the mechanical
construction. Rotator offset values associated with the
rotator control unit that is controlling it, are stored on
the host computer’s hard disk together with its serial
number. This allows the software to control multiple
rotators from a single computer, remembering the
offset values for each rotator.
Azimuth Offset
The rotator provides a greater azimuth range than the required 360 degrees. The full
mechanical rotator range is determined by the rotator control unit during calibration.
By using the azimuth offset setting, the user can place the required 0-360 degree
range in the centre of the full mechanical range. The maximum azimuth offset
achievable in either direction is determined as:
Maximum azimuth offset = ((Full mechanical rotator azimuth range)-360)/2
The WiNRADiO WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 rotator has a full mechanical rotator azimuth
range of around 370 degrees, giving it an over-travel of about 10 degrees, and hence
an azimuth offset range from approximately -5 to +5 degrees. A positive value for
azimuth offset rotates the antenna clockwise with respect to the travel range
reference points on the user interface, while a negative value rotates it counter-
clockwise.

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Examples:
Azimuth offset Resulting azimuth travel range
0 -5 to 365
+5 -10 to 360
-5 0 to 370
Elevation Offset
The rotator also provides a greater elevation range than the 180 degrees required by
the user. This full mechanical rotator range is determined by the rotator control unit
during calibration. By using the elevation offset setting, the user can place the
required 0-180 degree range in the centre of the full mechanical range. The
maximum elevation offset achievable in either direction is determined as:
Maximum elevation offset = ((Full mechanical rotator elevation range)-180)/2
The WR-ARP-ELAZ-100 rotator has a full mechanical rotator elevation range of
around 200 degrees, giving it an over-travel of about 20 degrees, and hence an
elevation offset range from approximately -10 to +10 degrees. A positive value for
offset will rotate the antenna upwards with respect to the lower travel range reference
point on the user interface, while a negative value rotates it downwards (if current
elevation < 90 degrees).
Examples:
Elevation offset Resulting elevation travel range
0 -10 to 190
+10 -20 to 180
-10 0 to 200

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9.5. Diagnostics
The Diagnostics window is a useful software
tool that provides valuable information about
the current state of the WR-RCU-100 rotator
control unit, by providing a snapshot of the
rotator system’s readiness, or if needed for
any system troubleshooting.
The rotator control unit has several means of
self-protection built into the hardware in order
to protect it from being damaged. These will
activate under abnormal conditions such as
over-temperature, under-voltage, over-current
and rotator motor overload. A malfunction or
abnormal condition will be displayed in red on
the diagnostics window.
9.6. Keyboard Support
The software provides basic keyboard support in the following ways:
1. For Windows controls the standard key sequences apply e.g.
Alt + Key provide shortcut
Alt + F4 close window
Tab move focus
Enter select
Arrows move up/down and left/right
Backspace/Delete clear/delete
2. For additional WiNRADiO functionality, the key definitions are:
Arrows increase or decrease values for azimuth and elevation
Esc exit edit mode without change
Enter exit edit mode with change

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10. Contacts
For more information about our products, please visit our website
www.winradio.com periodically.
If you would like to receive regular information and tips about our products, you are
welcome to register on-line using our webpage www.winradio.com/subscribe
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please use our general enquiry
form at www.winradio.com/enquiry