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Applied Instruments XR-3, Operation Manual

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Applied Instruments XR-3 Operation Manual Download Page 36

XR-3 TS2 Module Operation Manual 

 

XR-3 

 

Page 36 of 66 

If you fill up the file storage space, you can transfer all of the stored files to a PC and then erase 
the meter’s flash memory to create new space.  You can erase the stored files by using the 
MeterMaid program on a PC or by pressing the ‘Format’ soft-key in the File Utility screen. 

Transfer Data File to PC 

After the data is collected you can take the meter back to your PC and transfer the files to the PC 
disk using the MeterMaid program, which can be downloaded from the Applied Instruments 
website.  The MeterMaid program, MeterMaid.exe, will most likely be found in the default location 
of C:\FlashUpdate\   
 
1)  Connect the meter to your PC using the supplied USB data transfer cable and turn the meter 

on. 

2)  Start MeterMaid after the meter has completed its 5 second boot-up countdown. An icon that 

looks like the XR-3 should be installed on your desktop for this purpose. 

 

3)  The File Transfer window appears somewhat like the following example. 
 

 

 
The box on the left displays the files stored on the meter.  The box on the right shows the files 
stored on the PC.  The files are stored in a text file format (.txt) so they can be easily opened in 
Excel or other PC applications. 
 
By default, the text files are stored in a “Data” folder under the “Applied” folder where the 
MeterMaid program is installed (in the folder C:\FlashUpdate\Data ).  You may navigate to other 

TESCOM USA

TESCOMUSA.COM

Summary of Contents for XR-3

Page 1: ...XR 3 Modular Test Instrument TS2 DBS Satellite Meter Module Operation Manual Revision 1 00 Date 04 02 2015 PUCHASE THE TURBO S2 MODULE FOR THE XR 3 TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 2: ...STEMS 15 LNB MODEL 15 SWITCH TYPE 16 5 OPTIONS 17 SIGNAL LEVEL 17 SIGNAL QUALITY 17 FREQUENCY 17 SOUNDER OPTION 17 SHUTDOWN TIMER 18 FREQUENCY DEVIATION 18 IRD CALC 18 6 VERSIONS 19 7 AZIMUTH ELEVATION LOOKUP 20 POLARIZATION OFFSET 21 SKEW 21 8 MANUAL TUNING 22 FREQUENCY 23 SIGNAL TYPE 23 CODE RATE 23 SYMBOL RATE 23 OPTIONS 24 LO FREQUENCY 24 LNB CONTROL 24 9 CUSTOM TRANSPONDER 24 10 VOLTAGE CURRE...

Page 3: ...NSTALL PC SOFTWARE TRANSFERRING DATA FILES TO PC 49 15 SPECTRUM SCREEN 51 16 CONSTELLATION 54 17 FILE UTILITY 56 18 UPDATING YOUR METER 59 15 POWER 60 LNB POWER 60 BATTERY CHARGE 60 AC POWER 61 DC POWER 61 16 TROUBLESHOOTING FAQS 61 17 REPLACEMENT PARTS ACCESSORIES 64 18 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS 64 19 SPECIFICATIONS 65 This manual covers basic operations and functions of the XR 3 s TS2 Module For m...

Page 4: ...ock or peak Store measurements for Proof of performance reporting Limit Scan Pass Fail for key transponders Displays antenna settings AZ EL Skew based on user s postal code or latitude and longitude coordinates Field replaceable type F barrel connectors Fast system boot up time in less than 5 seconds MEASUREMENTS Demodulates DVB S DSS DIRECTV Legacy Digicipher 2 Turbo FEC DVB S2 QPSK 8PSK CCM sign...

Page 5: ...em The basic operation becomes extremely simple Left arrow button goes to next orbit east Right arrow button goes to next orbit west Up arrow button next higher transponder Down arrow button next lower transponder Connections 1 ODU LNB connects to the LNB or receiver side of a multi switch 2 IDU IRD connects to the IRD receiver or modem NOT REQUIRED ODU LNB Connection The ODU LNB connector has two...

Page 6: ...cted to multi LNB systems see Multi LNB Systems below b Satellite name is on the top line c Orbital position is shown at upper left 2 Lock status a Search when searching for a matching signal b LOCK when signal lock is obtained this indicates you MIGHT be pointed at the selected satellite but you must use the ID soft key to confirm the satellite 3 Transponder information upper right a Transponder ...

Page 7: ...tions the selected polarity will be maintained If you have selected a multi LNB system the selected satellite will also change when you use the LNB soft key to switch between LNBs See Multi LNB Systems below Changing Transponders The up and down arrow keys take you to the next or previous transponder in the same satellite actually in the same orbital slot If the polarity is locked via single polar...

Page 8: ...le LNBs or multi head LNBFs via the switch setting the LNB ON OFF button also controls the switch setting Upon pressing the LNB power soft key the meter sends a switch command to toggle to the next feed horn and the satellite is automatically changed to the one normally used for that port TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 9: ... identify the satellite Unfortunately one transponder is not always enough there may be another satellite using the same combination ID Verification Unlike other meters the XR 3 has the ability to check one or more transponders looking for a match on a combination that is unique to each satellite This is what we call the ID Verification feature It is initiated when you press the ID soft key middle...

Page 10: ...est one satellite at a time until a positive ID is found or the horizon is reached or you abort the scan Field Guide Updates Unfortunately the satellite identification process is only as good as the transponder definitions that are used And these change often enough to make the job challenging That s where Field Guide updates come into play As we update our software database we post the revisions ...

Page 11: ...XR 3 TS2 Module Operation Manual XR 3 Page 11 of 66 TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 12: ...k to the Run Screen The functions are described in the sections that follow 4 System Setup You must use this screen to specify the type of system you are connected to and where you are This step is essential the XR 3 calculates all frequencies based on this information and displays only the transponders that can actually be received by the selected system in the selected location To enter the Syst...

Page 13: ...ion actually selects three items 1 Region 2 LNB system 3 Switch type Due to the large variety of LNB systems in use the LNB system selection is divided into three levels 1 Service 2 System 3 LNB model Because you will not need to change the region very often if ever the second option is highlighted by default You will need to use the up arrow key to change the region TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 14: ...You must select a region within the Field Guide that better identifies the area where you will be using the meter If you are not sure of which region you are in it probably doesn t matter because there is significant overlap in the regions For example the NE Continental US region extends as far south as South Carolina and the SE Continental US region extends as far north as New Jersey The region s...

Page 15: ...66 Systems The system selection lets you pick the type of system within the selected service In some cases this is the final LNB model selection In other cases the system will be broken down further by the LNB model selection TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 16: ... the LNB or when you connect to a multi LNB head the XR 3 must know what switch type is connected so it can send the proper type of command to control that switch The switch type is usually selected automatically when you pick an LNB Model but you may wish to change it or select another external switch If you are installing a system that does not have a switch you may need to select none Note addi...

Page 17: ...s N Energy per symbol over noise energy per hertz in dB IRD numbers for DIRECTV range from 0 to 100 Dish Network uses two scales the old scale from 0 to 125 and a new scale with much lower values approximately 0 to 85 Frequency The frequency may be displayed as either the L band frequency which the meter is tuned to or the downlink frequency transmitted by the satellite Both are displayed in MHz T...

Page 18: ...left corner of the Run screen will display an estimate of the frequency deviation or drift of the LNB The XR 3 is capable of locking onto a signal up to 10 MHz from the frequency defined for the transponder A frequency deviation of more than 2 MHz 2000 kHz may indicate a problem with the LNB High or low temperatures will cause an LNB to drift and an LNB that works in normal weather with a signific...

Page 19: ...ry default settings will erase any stored postal code or latitude and longitude setting will return the RF signal level field to its default dBm value will return the signal quality field to its default C N value etc Date Time Pressing the DATE TIME soft key in the Options menu will take you to a new screen that allows you to specify and store the date and time for the meter s internal clock The d...

Page 20: ... satellite dish You may change the selected satellite using the left and right arrow keys In the United States enter any zip code and this screen will look up the latitude and longitude for that location and calculate the azimuth and elevation angles for the selected satellite The USA ZipCodes database in the meter holds all of the zip codes for the entire United States of America Puerto Rico and ...

Page 21: ...ype a dash in front of the numeric value The different postal code databases or No Postal Code database may be downloaded and updated using the FlashUpdate program which is described further in the Updating section of the manual Polarization Offset The Polar off is the polarization offset degrees used for FSS LNBs If the value is negative turn the LNB counter clockwise if positive turn it clockwis...

Page 22: ...eed transponders that aren t always active You can manually enter the tuning parameters The screen will display the locking status at the bottom The parameter changes will be kept when you return to the Run Screen but not saved when powering off or changing to other satellites or transponders If you need to permanently save a transponder to the XR 3 s database then use the Custom Transponder featu...

Page 23: ...o ACM signals for 1st generation WildBlue signals more DTV S2 for DIRECTV proprietary DVB S2 signals Other for other signal types not compatible with the TS2 module TS2 module has limited compatibility with Turbo ACM signals and users may experience a slight delay before signal locks TS2 module has limited compatibility with DIRECTV DVB S2 signals and locks are not supported but an estimated carri...

Page 24: ...cumstances you may want to use the lower left key to change to CUST or custom mode and specify an LNB LO frequency directly The LO Local Oscillator frequency is the difference between the downlink frequency and the L band tuner frequency High side LO frequencies like those used in C band LNBs and some stacking LNBs may be specified using a negative number LNB Control You may use the right side sof...

Page 25: ...d custom transponder highlight a custom transponder and press Drop soft key located near middle right side of LCD screen If you wish to exit the Custom Transponders screen press the EXIT soft key located near bottom right corner of LCD screen to return to the Main Menu Add or edit will take you to a screen to define the transponder parameters The layout of the Custom Transponder parameters screen ...

Page 26: ...fined in the System Setup menu Modems often display the L Band frequency of the carrier but for this information to be useful you must specify the LO frequency of the LNB in use for that system If there is already an ID transponder for the satellite in the meter s database then the custom transponder would become a 2nd ID transponder used for an additional level of checking If there is not present...

Page 27: ...approximately 12 6 volts and empty is approximately 11 1 volts Ext DC amount of voltage being supplied to instrument by external AC to DC switching power supply connected to DC charge port on bottom panel of instrument Soft Keys 1 22K Turns the 22 kHz tone on or off 2 Voltage Changes LNB voltage see below 3 LNB Turns LNB power on or off and selects switch ports 4 EXIT returns to the Main Menu Scre...

Page 28: ... Second it decodes and displays other DiSEqC commands received on the IDU IRD port of the meter OPI Simulation When OPI messages are received it displays them on the screen just like the OPI device HughesNet Cross Pol Check Procedure 1 Align the dish using the receiving LNB just as you would a normal Ku band dish using the XR 3 s main Run Screen 2 Connect the modem and PC to the transmit and recei...

Page 29: ...bers transmitted from the modem just like the OPI device 6 Adjust the dish to peak the transmitter cross pol quality number The higher the number the better the quality DiSEqC Monitoring When other DiSEqC commands are received on the IDU IRD port of the meter they are displayed on the screen The most common switch control commands are decoded into switch type and port selection other commands may ...

Page 30: ... error rate For Turbo and DVB S2 signals the meter displays Bad blocks This is the rate of errors detected that the Reed Solomon decoder was unable to correct These are the errors which cause tiling or other problems visible to the customer This is sometimes referred to as the post FEC error rate Corrected This is the rate of errors detected and corrected by the Reed Solomon portion of the Forward...

Page 31: ...other hand if you are testing during a rainstorm you can expect some errors to occur The MORE button can be used to display additional information about the signal This displays the following additional information 1 Pre FEC error count 2 Reed Solomon corrected error count 3 Reed Solomon uncorrected bad error count Pressing the MORE soft key again yields more information 4 Symbol rate in kilo symb...

Page 32: ... Operation Manual XR 3 Page 32 of 66 7 Code rate or bit puncture rate 8 Data rate calculated rate of payload kilo bits per second post FEC data rate 9 Bit rate 10 Elapsed time counter seconds TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 33: ...the presently selected LNB port and collects data for that LNB only Full PoP Scan steps through all LNB positions and collects data for all related orbital positions Tip You should choose Full PoP Scan when you re connected to a multi LNB head LNBF assembly with built in multi switch that is receiving signals from more than one satellite or when you re connected to the output port of a multi switc...

Page 34: ...a summary of the data You press EXIT to discard the data or NEXT to continue Saving Data If you press NEXT the following screen appears allowing you to enter some identification data about the test Note Alphanumeric characters can be entered in the following way Press the key once to display the numeric digit Press it quickly a second time to display the first alphabetic character Press it quickly...

Page 35: ... has already been used To determine which names have been used you can run the MeterMaid program on a PC or can select File Utility from the Main Menu There is file storage space for about 70 files The actual limit depends on the number of transponders used Press SAVE and the system will copy the file from temporary storage to flash file storage If an error occurs during the copy process or the fl...

Page 36: ... found in the default location of C FlashUpdate 1 Connect the meter to your PC using the supplied USB data transfer cable and turn the meter on 2 Start MeterMaid after the meter has completed its 5 second boot up countdown An icon that looks like the XR 3 should be installed on your desktop for this purpose 3 The File Transfer window appears somewhat like the following example The box on the left ...

Page 37: ...Erasing Files When you have transferred all desired files click Erase All Files to erase the files from the meter and free up the flash storage space Due to the way the flash memory works it is not possible to erase only selected files all files must be erased to free up the memory Print Reports The File Transfer window is not the only window available in the MeterMaid program You may also open on...

Page 38: ...n the Proof of Performance Scan report and select Properties Results Only before printing PoP Scans to reduce the number of columns printed Most field technicians do not need to or want to see the transponder parameters signal type code rate symbol rate Screenshots of the Properties menu settings change and the subsequent trimmed down Limit Scan results are shown below TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 39: ...XR 3 TS2 Module Operation Manual XR 3 Page 39 of 66 TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 40: ... quality values Specifications 1 Up to 5 transponders per satellite may be tested 2 Up to 10 total satellites may be stored 3 Signal quality test IRD signal quality number i e 0 to 100 signal quality scale 4 Signal level test 5 Signal quality limits defined for individual transponders 6 Signal level limit defined overall 7 Limits are changeable and are stored in the instrument Setup Use the normal...

Page 41: ...r chosen signal level values in the Options menu 3 IRD The measured IRD signal quality value corresponding to each specified transponder 4 A transponder grade next to each individual transponder a FAIL Below the minimum Signal Level limit or below the minimum IRD Signal Quality limits b Low At or above the minimum Signal Level limit and at or above the minimum Signal Quality limits but below the a...

Page 42: ...measured in sequence When all limit scan transponders have been scanned the individual transponder grades and the summary will appear on the screen The Limit Scan will continue running constantly until stopped by the user You will receive a summary at the bottom of the screen after each cycle of limit scanning has been completed The following keys are active while scanning EDIT lets you edit the t...

Page 43: ...next desired field when no editing is necessary With the cursor on a field in the Tran column use the numeric keypad to type the number of the transponder you d like to scan Press the Enter key to move cursor to next field after typing in each desired value You can edit the minimum and average required IRD signal quality values for each transponder These IRD values apply only to the selected satel...

Page 44: ...rsor is in the Transponder Tr column field pressing the TR soft key several times will allow you to numerically scroll through the different transponders Press EXIT when you have entered the desired values to return to the Limit Scan screen to let the Limit Scan begin Preset Limits Use the FlashUpdate program on your PC to load a database of preset limits In the Limit Values field of FlashUpdate u...

Page 45: ... populate the fields with minimum and average values specified by Dish Network To auto populate the minimum and average IRD signal quality value fields based on your geographic location zip code in the Limit Scan feature 1 Press MENU soft key 2 Using the arrow keys highlight Limit Scan from Main Menu 3 Press Enter button 4 Press EDIT soft key 5 If the zip code shown at the bottom of the screen is ...

Page 46: ...Limit Scan screen to begin running a Limit Scan Errors If you enter an invalid transponder number the error will be detected after you press DONE and the system tries to scan that channel The following error will appear and the invalid transponder will be removed from the list TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 47: ... you leave the site To accomplish this you can save the Limit Scan to the flash memory of the XR 3 while out in the field Then you can upload it to a PC when back at the office to store the documentation on your hard drive or forward it on to upper management if required Since the Limit Scan function only scans the key transponders up to five per satellite it is much less time consuming to use tha...

Page 48: ...ct File Utility from the Main Menu of the meter After you type in the file name using the numeric keypad press SAVE and the system will copy the file from temporary storage to flash file storage If an error occurs during the copy process or if the flash storage area is too full the message Flash copy failed will appear and the test data will be lost There is file storage space for about 70 files T...

Page 49: ...ed files to your PC using the MeterMaid application A screenshot from an example of a transferred Limit Scan file is shown below It is recommended to right click with your mouse on the Limit Scan report and select Properties Results Only before printing Limit Scans to reduce the number of columns printed Most field technicians do not need to or want to see the transponder parameters signal type co...

Page 50: ...XR 3 TS2 Module Operation Manual XR 3 Page 50 of 66 TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 51: ...een although it has less resolution and a slower sweep rate than an actual spectrum analyzer This screen has the following features Adjustable frequency span Automated level scaling Frequency and level cursors Adjustable sweep rate To view the spectrum display press the MENU soft key in bottom right hand corner of main Run screen Then press the Spectrum soft key or use your up down arrow keys to h...

Page 52: ... position Minimum span is 50 MHz Press the 3 key on the numeric keypad to zoom out more span This doubles the displayed span around the cursor s frequency position Full span is 1250 MHz i e 900 to 2150 MHz Paging Paging allows you to change the start and stop frequencies when not at full span while maintaining the same span This allows you to quickly jump through the full range of frequencies Pres...

Page 53: ...eep You can choose between 80 160 or 320 80 samples results in lower resolution and less detail but a faster sweep 320 samples results in a higher resolution and more detail but a slower sweep By default the meter measures 320 samples 1 pixel per sample to create a picture of the power spectrum Spectrum Menu From within the Spectrum Screen press MORE soft key to enter the Spectrum Menu TESCOM USA ...

Page 54: ...a spectrum at the same site performed at an earlier time on the same carriers or the same signal at another point in the network to show the change Cable loss View allows you to return to the Spectrum screen Exit allows you to exit to the main Run screen 16 Constellation To view the constellation screen Press the MENU soft key in bottom right hand corner of main Run screen Then press the Constell ...

Page 55: ... Manual XR 3 Page 55 of 66 Sample QPSK Constellation Sample 8PSK Constellation Soft Keys 1 Clear clears the present constellation diagram new diagram will begin to be plotted 2 Exit exits to Run screen TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 56: ...y of the selected drive Press MENU soft key and then select File Utility from Main Menu list By default the File Utility function displays the filenames of all saved files To filter the saved files first press the File Set soft key and then use up down arrow keys to select Satellite Files then press Enter Then press the File Type soft key and use up down arrow keys to select desired file type i e ...

Page 57: ...using the up down arrow keys and then press the Delete soft key Note that erasing a single file does not free up flash memory You must use the Format function to really erase the files To format the flash memory and erase all saved files on the drive press Format soft key TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 58: ...XR 3 TS2 Module Operation Manual XR 3 Page 58 of 66 TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 59: ...tension Limit Scans fail LMF Limit Scans pass LMP PoP Scans POP Spectrum Scans SPC 18 Updating Your Meter Updates to the Field Guide and to the instrument firmware are available from the Applied Instruments website See Software Updating section in XR 3 base operation manual for more information TESCOM USA TESCOMUSA COM ...

Page 60: ...lay can be misleading If not powering an LNB it may display full even if it is not It is more accurate when connected to an LNB load It is normal for the battery symbol of a fully charged battery to quickly drop by when powering an LNB The symbol should remain in the middle two segments for the longest time period and will again drop faster when the last battery symbol segment is displayed In summ...

Page 61: ... says UNDER i Replace top Signal In port F connector barrel Use a 7 16 wrench to loosen existing barrel Install new F connector barrel and only tighten to 20 inch pounds of torque with wrench after finger tightening Warning Do NOT over tighten c While attempting to perform a Limit Scan I receive an Error message saying ERROR Key transponder not found or invalid i Turn the meter off and on Then go ...

Page 62: ...de into the meter using the FlashUpdate application We have Field Guides available for North America Europe South America South Pacific NE Pacific Asia Middle East and Africa We have postal code files available for the USA and Canada For any region outside North America download the postal code file called No Postal Codes that allows you to type in and save your geographic coordinates latitude and...

Page 63: ...and MeterMaid programs and the related USB drivers If you have a hardware firewall either stand alone or in a router you must either modify the settings of the device to permit access to our program or you will have to entirely by pass the router or other inhibiting hardware device Also ensure that you are signed on as Administrator or have Administrator rights for Microsoft Windows If your compan...

Page 64: ...2150 MHz NS 1 18 Maintenance and Repairs Repair Services In the event that a unit is damaged or otherwise not performing as specified repair and maintenance service is available Warranty repair will be performed within one year from the date of purchase at no charge Beyond one year charges for time material and handling will be incurred Warranty repair includes defects in material and workmanship ...

Page 65: ... features and performance are enhanced we will upgrade older units at a nominal cost when possible Shipping charges are additional Contact us at 1 317 782 4331 for price and schedule if you are interested in having a unit updated Calibration Periodic calibration of modules may be necessary to ensure that the unit is operating within the original factory specifications A standard calibration charge...

Page 66: ...on to the factory is to be prepaid by the customer Authorization RMA by Applied Instruments is required prior to shipment Applied Instruments assumes no liability for secondary charges or consequential damages and in any event Applied Instruments liability for breach of warranty under any contract shall not exceed the purchase price of the instrument shipped and against which a claim is made Any a...

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