Research Concepts RC4000 User Manual
Page 67
RC4000 Antenna Controller
Chapter 3
Software
59
3.2.2.3.3 Azimuth Scanning Autopeak
The figure shows the movements made to perform an azimuth scanning (SCAN) operation. This SCAN
operation enables the RC4000 to try to compensate for any azimuth inaccuracy caused by truck heading
calculation errors.
1) as part of the basic LOCATE movement, the mount will be moved to the target elevation position and
the polarization axis will be moved to the correct orientation.
2) SCAN moves to the closest azimuth position “scan range” away from the nominal target azimuth.
SCAN will begin trying to detect a satellite from this position.
3) SCAN steps and samples signal strength following each step. The signal strength measurements
are used to calculate the average background signal noise and to determine if a signal strength peak
has been detected indicating the presence of a satellite at a particular position. The size of steps
taken is calculated as a function of the antenna diameter and the signal band the receiving equipment
is using to ensure that the satellite is not “stepped over”. Note that in order to compensate for any
vehicle tilt, occasionally elevation movements are also made to stay on the target elevation. Note
also that the stepping movements may be truncated due to the physical limit of azimuth movement.
4) After completing the total number of step movements, SCAN moves to the position that gave the best
indication of a satellite. If no satellite was clearly indicated, SCAN moves back to the original target.
During the SCAN operation, line 4 of the display shows the total number of steps to be made and the
current step being performed.
AZIM: 0.0 ( -5.9) SS1:523 LOCATE
ELEV: -61.7 ( 44.8) SAT:GALAXY 7
POL: 0.0 ( -45.0)
SCAN( 1/17) AZIMUTH FOR PEAK
The scan range is a user-defined angular value (see autopeak configuration 3.3.1.2.6) that determines
the range to be searched by the SCAN routine. Since this angular range is user-defineable, there are