[amsat-bb] Re: Uni-Trac 2003 Parallel Port Version

[Matty Cunningham]

Hi Mike,

Not sure if this may help or not (depends on how you run your DDE) - and if 
your interface is compatible is it same protocol as AMSAT-IF100?

I have got this to work with a G6LVB serial type tracker.

I have been using the last free version of HRD that Simon Brown released 
(5.0 build 2893) - not sure if it works in the commercialised version - 
guess it probably would (will need to install on both machines).

The HRD satellite tracking software can connect via TCP/IP to a 'remote 
server' (DDE running on your machine with interface) - (Menu - Tools - DDE 
Server).

Setup the remote server with the IP address of your machine with the 
tracking interface, open firewall ports on both machines for ports 7815, 
create a new UDP password if you wish.

Select the satellite you want to track, and az/el info etc will be sent from 
the Sat Tracking software to the DDE server.

On the machine with the interface, run HRD Satellite tracking DDE Server 
(small executable in the HRD folder).

Check you're using the same password as the other machine, when the other 
machine connects - you should see DDE date fill the DDE server screen.

What I do is then run the HRD rotator software, pointing at the comm port 
for my interface, and connect this to the DDE server (Nova format) - this 
pulls the DDE strings from the local 'DDE Server' software that has it's own 
DDE info sent via the network from my main machine running HRD Sattellite 
tracking.

You may be able to use the above step with your Uni-Trac software and 
interface - if it accepts DDE data from the DDE server.

A bit convoluted - but it works, my solution now is to run a Raspberry Pi 
with a serial 'server' - connected to my rotator, driven by my main machine 
with a VSP virtual serial port as i don't have enough 'real' serial ports on 
my main PC.

The rotator software 'thinks' it is sending the rotator commands to a local 
serial port, but is connecting remotely to the Raspberry Pi, connected to my 
serial tracking interface .

Hope you get it running.

Matty

MD0MAN








Uni-Trac 2003 Parallel Port Version - Any
Users outthere ?
Message-ID: <8D11155FE568006-FA0-3181A at webmail-m202.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


Mike,
I have the same combo and tried a Win 7 machine (laptop) with a 
USB-to-Parallel adapter to no avail (I'm neither a PC guru nor patient).  I 
gave up and just keep a legacy machine running XP for this controller.  It 
has worked reliably since I bought it more than a decade ago.
73,
Jerry, M0GOE

***********************************************************************************************
Greetings,

I'm still running a Uni-Trac Parallel port interface with ZL2AMD's Uni-Trac
3.0.b software on Windows XP to control a Yaesu G5400B.  Yes its old, and
yes, it works fine.  It even has DDE capability to run it from SATPC32,
which is credited to DK1TB (Erich - SATPC32 Author).

Question, is there anyone out there using this tracker on an O/S
later/other than Windows XP ?

(If so, I'd be interested in the details)

-- 
73
Mike