RC2000 dual axis antenna controller

[marrull]

The RC2000A does not perform any calculation on itself as, say, the Egis system.
You can't introduce your location because it is not needed.
The W or E firmware versions differs only for the satellite that are stored from the factory, not else.
So, in the RC2000A initial setup, you must only set East/West/Down/Up limits, then set any single satellite manually.
If I remember correctly, the RC2000C version adds Autotracking, but it always starts from a preprogrammed situation. For example, it can autofocus an inclined orbit satellite but after the satellite location was set in its memory.
From my side, I daily use the RC2000A to drive my 2.4m dish and I'm very happy with it.

Hello 7mdish,

Thanks for clearing this up regarding the firmware, I thought it makes some calculation based on that letter but it seemed strange since there is not enough software to do that. I am am used with my K3NG antenna rotator controller that uses Plan13 to do the calculation and takes into consideration the GPS location of the antenna to do that.

One more question which is not clear for me how it does the pointing for the correct Az/El, let's say 2 users one in Sweden and one in Italy use the RC2000 and input the same satellite how does the controller points to the correct location in the sky? Or the same satellite has practically different settings depending on the actual location of the user?

Sorry for these maybe a dumb questions but I don't watch TV and I don't use the satellite dishes for TV sats but Ham sats and I use them with the TLE data. I am not used with these TV sats coordinates. This is new for me and I am still learning.

 

[marrull]

You're right. It's ages since I played with remote control of the RC2k. I used one of these:

USB to 4-Port RS-422, RS-485 DB9 Serial Interface Adapter - Sealevel

The SeaLINK® 2402 USB serial I/O adapter provides four RS-422 or RS-485 serial ports for USB connectivity to legacy or non-USB compliant devices.

www.sealevel.com

My excuse is it has 485 in the name but does both 422 & 485.

Another thing I forgot to mention was that my units are RC2000X which are for az-el. Once set up, they display az-el position which is useful for non geo.

An extract from the manual is attached.

I don't have any RS422 interface but I plan to get a few soon. I was thinnking to get a RS232-RS422 converter to use on PC and another RS422 for the Arduino. My goal would be to use an Arduino with RS422 adapter to convert the Gpredict (Hamlib) commands into RC2000 commands so I can use the Gpredict and do all the tracking.

I looked at the cutsheet on the website and the RC2000X looks like it adds some nice features. What is the difference in hardware betweek A and X models? Can I just burn a new EPROM with the X firmware and run it on my A model?

 

[marrull]

I attached an Arduino sketch that takes the Hamlib commands from Gpredict for example and converts them to RC2000 commands and sends them via RS422 serial port.

NOTE: This is not tested and I am not a programmer! The sketch compiles fine in Arduino IDE 2.3.3 with the board selected as Arduino Mega 2560.
Your RS422 adapter needs to be connected to pins 10 and 11 (RX and TX) of the Arduino board.

 

[7mdish]

One more question which is not clear for me how it does the pointing for the correct Az/El, let's say 2 users one in Sweden and one in Italy use the RC2000 and input the same satellite how does the controller points to the correct location in the sky? Or the same satellite has practically different settings depending on the actual location of the user?


Sorry for these maybe a dumb questions but I don't watch TV and I don't use the satellite dishes for TV sats but Ham sats and I use them with the TLE data. I am not used with these TV sats coordinates. This is new for me and I am still learning.

I do not understand if you want to use the RC2000 for satellite TV or ham satellite tracking.
All satellites designed for TV broadcast are in geostationary orbit, so they do not need any tracking action (except for those birds placed in inclined orbit), appearing like a dot in the sky because they move at the same speed of the earth, so your antenna must be pointed only once in their direction and stay there.
Ham satellites (and many other) are placed in a lower orbit and move at higher speed above the earth, they are visible only for few minute/hour daily, so you must continously move your antenna to track them.
I'm a ham too but never made satellite activity, so I can't tell you any suggestion about the RC2000 usage for that.
Regarding satellite TV, when the RC2000 is switched on for the first time it asks for limits, so you must move the dish using the direction keys to set East/West/Down/Up limits exactly in this order.
Once the limits are set, you can freely move the dish in the four directions looking for any satellite.
Once you have found the satellite that you want, you can store it into one of the 50 locations. Then repeat the same operation for all additional satellites.
So, your location is not a matter. Being in Sweden, Italy, UK does not change the procedure that I mentioned because the RC2000 will never know your location and it does not need it.
Hope this helps.

 

[s-band]

One more question which is not clear for me how it does the pointing for the correct Az/El, let's say 2 users one in Sweden and one in Italy

I'm not sure about the A version but the C and X do require the antenna location to be set for inclined tracking (which I've never used) and for the more important thing, to calculate the az-el. See section 5.10.10 Antenna Parameters in the C manual. To get to the menu needed, you must set the 'Expert Access' flag. I can't work out if it matters which type of mount is used with the A (polar or az-el). It looks like you only need the correct version if using inclined tracking.

To get it to calculate az-el position: Make sure that the az-el mount is perfectly level, set the antenna parameters, follow the instructions in the manual and program 2 geostationary satellites (spaced widely) Then you should get az-el displayed like this

I looked at the cutsheet on the website and the RC2000X looks like it adds some nice features. What is the difference in hardware betweek A and X models? Can I just burn a new EPROM with the X firmware and run it on my A model?

Did you see this document? https://researchconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/RC2K_FAM_010515JR.pdf
It doesn't tell you about the hardware but does list difference in operation

There's a discussion from a few years ago earlier in this thread. I never did anything about it as I moved on the F1EHN controller. I never worked out if there is any difference in the hardware or the PLDs. The only way would be to try it and I don't have an EPROM programmer.

I attached an Arduino sketch that takes the Hamlib commands from Gpredict for example and converts them to RC2000 commands and sends them via RS422 serial port.

I can't say anything about the coding but that's a nice solution. I wonder if you could use a virtual RS232 port and do it all in in the PC.

 

[marrull]

I do not understand if you want to use the RC2000 for satellite TV or ham satellite tracking.
All satellites designed for TV broadcast are in geostationary orbit, so they do not need any tracking action (except for those birds placed in inclined orbit), appearing like a dot in the sky because they move at the same speed of the earth, so your antenna must be pointed only once in their direction and stay there.
Ham satellites (and many other) are placed in a lower orbit and move at higher speed above the earth, they are visible only for few minute/hour daily, so you must continously move your antenna to track them.
I'm a ham too but never made satellite activity, so I can't tell you any suggestion about the RC2000 usage for that.
Regarding satellite TV, when the RC2000 is switched on for the first time it asks for limits, so you must move the dish using the direction keys to set East/West/Down/Up limits exactly in this order.
Once the limits are set, you can freely move the dish in the four directions looking for any satellite.
Once you have found the satellite that you want, you can store it into one of the 50 locations. Then repeat the same operation for all additional satellites.
So, your location is not a matter. Being in Sweden, Italy, UK does not change the procedure that I mentioned because the RC2000 will never know your location and it does not need it.
Hope this helps.

Thanks, now it makes it more clear. Very nice explanation about how to use it. I don't plan to use it for satellite TV so I will just play with it and see if I can manage to do any tracking via serial interface for the LEO satellites for amateur radio. Also this RC2000 is nice for testing different motorized mounts.

Considering what you wrote I am not even sure if RC2000 it is meant to do continuous tracking. Maybe those relays will not last much if I start/stop them so many times like in the case of LEO sats tracking.

 

[s-band]

Considering what you wrote I am not even sure if RC2000 it is meant to do continuous tracking. Maybe those relays will not last much if I start/stop them so many times like in the case of LEO sats tracking.

The RC2000 is designed for continuous tracking of inclined orbit satellites but, with a smallish dish, it only need to move every few minutes. I had continuous tracking working for DSN but I used AC motors with solid state relays so minimal current in the RC2000 relays. My mount wasn't really fast enough for LEOs. I also had problems with the RC2k going out of sync due to mis-counting - make sure that the pulse rate is within the limits shown in the manual.

 

[7mdish]

I had continuous tracking working but I used AC motors with solid state relays so minimal current in the RC2000 relays. My mount wasn't really fast enough for LEOs. I also had problems with the RC2k going out of sync due to mis-counting - make sure that the pulse rate is within the limits shown in the manual.

Both motors are not engaged using relais in the RC2000. Only solid state operation, so do not worry for its duration.
The only relais are for protections. If, say, a mechanical problem suddenly occurs in your setup, the protection is immediately activated and you hear a big relay (8 ampete) opening up, and your motor stops to avoid any possible damage.

 

[s-band]

Only solid state operation, so do not worry for its duration.

Ooops, I forgot that

 

[ArloG]

I attached an Arduino sketch that takes the Hamlib commands from Gpredict for example and converts them to RC2000 commands and sends them via RS422 serial port.

NOTE: This is not tested and I am not a programmer! The sketch compiles fine in Arduino IDE 2.3.3 with the board selected as Arduino Mega 2560.
Your RS422 adapter needs to be connected to pins 10 and 11 (RX and TX) of the Arduino board.

An Arduino guy. Cool. I've been looking at the RC units for some time now.
I even spoke with the fellows there a few times. Was asking if they knew of any third party vendors who had a diseqc interface.
Looks like each model uses a command set that is backwards compatible with the RC1000.
How much of a project would it be to take the existing Arduino diseqc libraries and modify them to send a go-to command to one of these movers?
I see that they accept go-to by name or stored position. I have a whole pile of literature, command references. The folks at RC are very nice to speak with. But nobody was aware of any diseqc interfaces, as were the few software vendors they told me of that I phoned and emailed.

 

[7mdish]

I would like to learn more about the RC2000 serial interface protocol.
Do you know if they use such text protocol so any terminal-like software could be used to read/write commands to/from the unit?
Do you remember the first version of Tandberg protocol used in the Alteia satellite receiver?
It was a plain-text protocol, so I built a lot of macros to control the box remotely, and it perfectly worked.
As the RC2000 originates in the 90s, it could be a similar situation. Anyone know something more? Thanks.

 

[s-band]

I would like to learn more about the RC2000 serial interface protocol.
Do you know if they use such text protocol so any terminal-like software could be used to read/write commands to/from the unit?

It's in the manuals on the RC site. Appendix E in the RC2000C manual
A simple terminal emulator will work e.g. RealTerm
There are example .exe files on the RC2000 page

 

[7mdish]

Thanks, I must check the manual of my unit, do not remember.

 

[marrull]

I made some photos of the internals of my unit. One PCB was made in '96 and one in '06 but the sticker on the back of the unit is '09 and firmware is '08 )

I need some free time to check how it works exactly and also read the complete manual. From what I understood the RC2000 can drive motors between 12VDC and 36VDC and up to 10Amps. There is a small transformer on the back of the unit which by looking at the wires it is the main transformer which powers the electronic boards and the display. The second transformer, the toroidal one, is the one which drives the motors but it is pretty strange Primary winding 2x 120V and Secondary winding 2x 15V. So how does it achieve 12V/24V/36VDC ? It must do some downconversion from 15V to 12V and maybe for 24V some up conversion from one of the Secondary windings and when it needs 36VDC it combines both 15V rails of the Secondary and also makes an upconversion?!

Do you guys have the same transformers like I have? I also cannot find a menu how to setup the voltage code for the motors... I read it in the manual but I don't seem to have that menu.

 

[marrull]

The RC2000 is designed for continuous tracking of inclined orbit satellites but, with a smallish dish, it only need to move every few minutes. I had continuous tracking working for DSN but I used AC motors with solid state relays so minimal current in the RC2000 relays. My mount wasn't really fast enough for LEOs. I also had problems with the RC2k going out of sync due to mis-counting - make sure that the pulse rate is within the limits shown in the manual.

Hi s-band, I would say that the RC3000 is better for that task since it has additional inputs for GPS and also compass that can do a better job for the exact position of the antenna.

 

[marrull]

There's a discussion from a few years ago earlier in this thread. I never did anything about it as I moved on the F1EHN controller. I never worked out if there is any difference in the hardware or the PLDs. The only way would be to try it and I don't have an EPROM programmer.

Any chance you can borrow a programmer and dump your RC2000X firmware? I used an old TL866 programmer to dump mine. Also it is good to have a backup since I saw many EPROMs going bad. They don't go completely bad but it is enough to have a few bits flipped and the whole box will not boot. SOmetimes I reuse the same EPROM with an old backup and they are OK after that.

 

[ArloG]

From what I see in the manual it is stated the motor output voltages are 36 volts. And regulated at the H-bridge FET circuit. I do see a couple of variable resistors that perhaps could be adjusted for voltage. The manual also covers voltage regulation for motor direction.
It is kind of stressed, since these are industrial units, that AC drive motors and hard contact reversing controllers are common.
There is a section advising dropping resistors on the motor outputs to use 24 VDC relays that then control positioning motors.
In the RC2000 manual I didn't see the power supply sections. It may have been an older document.

 

[s-band]

Hi s-band, I would say that the RC3000 is better for that task since

If you're not moving it around, I don't think it makes any difference, you can just set a fixed antenna position and a compass is only needed to set up the mount. The GPS etc is used in transportable installations.

Any chance you can borrow a programmer and dump your RC2000X firmware?

If I can find one. I was going to buy a cheap Willem board but never got around to it. However, I think @moonbase mentioned that RC sent an EPROM image on request.

There is a difference in U2 between the A and X (Good luck finding a programmer for the PLD!). Yours is RC2KE and mine RC2KH. It may just be a minor tweak of something (that PAL seems to be used for memory control). However, the upgrade instructions tell you to change both the EPROM and U2. The motor control PALs have the same stickers in A & X versions.

If you are going to put a lot of effort in it and are intending to use it for narrow beam width antennas, I'd recommend using one of the designs that has absolute encoders. The RC2k controller needed constant manual teaks tracking at 32GHz with a 1.2m dish where at least 0.5 degree accuracy is needed.

the motor output voltages are 36 volts

Speed control is done using PWM.

The unloaded DC voltage is specified as 40V (approximately the 30V marked on the transformer X 1.414)

I found a screenshot of the remote software:

 

[s-band]

Link to WinRC2kDemo software (remote control)