[amsat-bb] Re: [SPAM] RE: Re: Making your own rotator controller

[Andrew Rich]

Is there a one stop shop for the LVB ?


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Andrew Rich VK4TEC
vk4tec at people.net.au <mailto:vk4tec at people.net.au>
http://www.tech-software.net




-----Original Message-----
From: Howard Long [mailto:howard at howardlong.com]
Sent: Monday, 31 December 2007 11:13 PM
To: vk4tec at people.net.au; 'Henk, PA3GUO'; amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [SPAM] RE: [amsat-bb] Re: Making your own rotator controller
Importance: Low


Hi Andrew

As well as sending commands to the rotator controller, most prediction
software also polls the rotator controller for some indication of feedback
for the user, and sometimes it is also used to detect stalling (protecting
you, for example, in the nightmare scenario whereyour rotator wraps itself
up in the feeder).

BTW, I've heard the LVB tracker is very good ;-)  and the v0.8 firmware
works with Predict.

In the LVB tracker I average sixteen or so ADC samples over time to get some
kind of sensible value. Either that or I could pop a 10uF cap on the Az/El
PIC ADC inputs, but software was cheaper.

73, Howard G6LVB

-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Andrew Rich
Sent: 31 December 2007 10:51
To: Henk, PA3GUO; amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Making your own rotator controller

I got an idea.

At the moment, most systems have some sort of PC sending data to a
controller which makes decisions.

1. Antenna pot goes to A/D on PIC
2. PIC is told from com port where it should be 3. PIC makes up its mind to
turn left or right.
4. Relays are part of controller.

I have another way to do it.

1. PIC chip reads position of POT etc from A/D and SENDS position to LINUX
box on RS232 2. PERL asks PREDICT where the sat should be 3. PERL works out
what to do 4. Turn on relays using an inexpensive relay board on the
parrallel port.

What about the old games port ?

That used to read pots ?

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Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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