Quasonix HyperTrack Software Instruction Manual Download Page 1

 

ISO 9001:2015 

Certified

 

 

 

No part of the document may be circulated, quoted, or reproduced for distribution without prior written approval from 

Quasonix, Inc. 

 

Copyright Quasonix, Inc., All Rights Reserved. 

 

HyperTrack™

 

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

 

Software Instruction Manual

 

 

 

 

 

Quasonix, Inc. 

6025 Schumacher Park Dr. 

West Chester, OH 45069 

15 December, 2022 

 

*** Revision 1.0 *** 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Specifications subject to change without notice. 

All Quasonix products are under U.S. Department of Commerce jurisdiction; not covered by ITAR 

 

Summary of Contents for HyperTrack

Page 1: ...nix Inc Copyright Quasonix Inc All Rights Reserved HyperTrack Graphical User Interface GUI Software Instruction Manual Quasonix Inc 6025 Schumacher Park Dr West Chester OH 45069 15 December 2022 Revision 1 0 Specifications subject to change without notice All Quasonix products are under U S Department of Commerce jurisdiction not covered by ITAR ...

Page 2: ...rential GPS GP 3 1 2 2 6 Gyroscope IMU GY 4 1 2 2 7 Pedestal Spacer PS 4 1 2 2 8 Reinforced Backup Structure RB 4 1 2 2 9 Tripod TR 4 1 2 2 10 Uplink Transmitter TX 4 2 Specifications 5 3 Safety 6 3 1 Warning and Caution Statements 6 3 1 1 Warning 6 3 1 2 Caution 6 3 2 Electromagnetic Radiation Hazards and Precautions 7 3 3 Operational Safety Summary 7 3 4 Maintenance Operations Safety Summary 7 3...

Page 3: ... 4 2 1 4 Status and Indicator Window 24 4 2 1 5 Settings Window 26 4 2 1 5 1 Client Preferences 28 4 2 1 5 2 Mission 32 4 2 1 5 3 Hardware 44 4 2 1 6 Tools 53 4 2 1 6 1 True North 54 4 2 1 6 2 Handwheel Test 59 4 2 1 6 3 Joystick Test 60 4 2 1 6 4 Scope Recorder 61 4 2 1 6 5 Change Password 62 4 2 1 6 6 Manage Users Administrators Only 62 4 2 1 6 7 Restart HTAC 65 4 2 1 6 8 Shutdown HTAC 65 4 2 1 ...

Page 4: ...6 4 2 3 5 1 HW Handwheel Position 96 4 2 3 5 2 HW Handwheel Velocity 96 4 2 3 5 3 JS Joystick Velocity 96 4 2 3 6 Lower Tool Bar 96 4 2 3 6 1 Time Synchronization Status 97 4 2 4 Optional Equipment Auto Stow Assembly 98 5 Maintenance Instructions 102 6 Product Warranty 103 6 1 Quasonix Limited Warranty Statement 103 6 1 1 Extended Warranties 104 7 Technical Support and RMA Requests 105 8 Appendix ...

Page 5: ...atement 6 Figure 4 Windows 10 Pro System About Page 9 Figure 5 HyperTrack Antenna Control Unit Front Panel 10 Figure 6 HyperTrack Antenna Control Unit Back Panel 10 Figure 7 HTAC Communications Block Diagram 11 Figure 8 Windows Desktop User Interface Icon 12 Figure 9 Server Selection Screen 13 Figure 10 Login Screen 13 Figure 11 Login Screen Used for General and Advanced Access 14 Figure 12 HyperT...

Page 6: ... Mission Designates 35 Figure 35 Mission Designate Add Designate 35 Figure 36 Mission Designate Edit Designate 36 Figure 37 Mission Designate Remove Designate 36 Figure 38 Mode Control Selection and Designates Window 37 Figure 39 Mission Location 38 Figure 40 Mission Receivers Add Receiver 39 Figure 41 Mission Receivers Channel Map 40 Figure 42 Channel Map Receiver Channel Drop Down Menu 41 Figure...

Page 7: ...Window 65 Figure 73 HyperTrack Shut Down Window 66 Figure 74 Tool Bar Status Icon 66 Figure 75 Help Contact Tab 67 Figure 76 Help Version Tab 67 Figure 77 Help Firmware Update Tab 68 Figure 78 Windows Explorer with File Highlighted 69 Figure 79 Firmware Update Status 70 Figure 80 Main Screen View Drop Down Menu 71 Figure 81 HyperTrack Graphical User Interface GUI Main Screen 71 Figure 82 Tracking ...

Page 8: ...nel 1 Received Signal Acquire Orange 92 Figure 111 Mode Control Window 93 Figure 112 Search Window 93 Figure 113 Mode Control Window 94 Figure 114 Slave Window 94 Figure 115 Mode Control Manual Enabled 94 Figure 116 Mode Control Standby 95 Figure 117 Mode Control Camera Icon 95 Figure 118 Azimuth and Elevation Input Control Windows 96 Figure 119 Lower Tool Bar 96 Figure 120 Time Synchronization St...

Page 9: ...or rate Sidebands After HTAC Processing 113 Figure 134 Dynamic Tracking Loop Bandwidth Surface 114 Figure 135 GSA Generates the Actual RF Signal with Correct AM 115 Figure 136 GSA An Integral Part of each HyperTrack Ground Station 116 List of Tables Table 1 Model Configuration Example 3 Table 2 GUI Main Screen Function Overview 15 Table 3 System General Fault Tags 22 Table 4 Tracking Status Flags ...

Page 10: ...estions concerns maintenance scheduling or upgrades 1 1 Description The PD Series of HyperTrack positioners are Elevation over Azimuth precision positioning assemblies comprised primarily of Commercially available Off The Shelf COTS sub assemblies proven in the industrial robotics world with duty cycles and availability times much greater than our applications The PD Series positioners design is a...

Page 11: ...ction 1 2 2 for detailed descriptions of each option Please contact Quasonix for assistance ordering HyperTrack options AS Auto Stow CA Ethernet Camera FC Fiber Optic System Control FR Fiber Optic RF GP Differential GPS GY Gyroscope IMU PS Pedestal Spacer XX XXX QSX Quasonix Product Precision Drive Antenna System Feet 1 0m Feet 1 2m Feet 1 8m Feet 2 4m 1 1 Feet 3 0m 1 1 Feet 4 3m 1 1 Feet 5 0m Fee...

Page 12: ...s a remotely actuated stow pin for store and safety PD450 PD900 1 2 2 2 Ethernet Camera CA The Ethernet Camera option includes a 1080p 30 fps Power Over Ethernet coaxial camera It has 30X optical zoom 4 3 to 128 mm focal length auto focus and auto exposure An h 264 to HDMI hardware decoder is included 1 2 2 3 Fiber Optic System Control FC The Fiber Optic System Control option includes Ethernet Con...

Page 13: ...rength riser extension Contact the Quasonix factory to determine the correct length 1 2 2 8 Reinforced Backup Structure RB The Reinforced Backup Structure option provides reinforced reflector and spar structure for higher wind loads or heavier feed requirements 1 2 2 9 Tripod TR This option provides a temporary installation tripod PD300 and PD450 1 2 2 10 Uplink Transmitter TX This option provides...

Page 14: ...0 MPH 50 MPH 65 MPH 120 MPH 50 MPH 65 MPH 120 MPH Power Requirements 1 5 KW 115 230 VAC 50 60 Hz 1Ø 2 5 KW 115 230 VAC 50 60 Hz 1Ø 3 0 KW 115 230 VAC 50 60 Hz 1Ø 4 0 KW 208 400 VAC 50 60 Hz 3Ø 5 0 KW 208 400 VAC 50 60 Hz 3Ø Torque Cont 125 ft lbs Peak 250 ft lbs Cont 235 ft lbs Peak 400 ft lbs Cont 900 ft lbs Peak 1800 ft lbs Cont 3600 ft lbs Peak 7200 ft lbs Cont 5800 ft lbs Peak 12000 ft lbs Vel...

Page 15: ...nts are used when an operation or maintenance procedure presents the most severe hazard to the user Failure to obey warning statements could result in destruction of equipment and or loss of life Warning statements display in red as shown in Figure 2 WARNING Always ensure there are no persons servicing the positioner prior to applying power to the system A visual check or headphone communications ...

Page 16: ...s in the antenna system however high voltage AC is present at the positioner heater assemblies and in the feed assembly High Voltage AC is also present within the Servo Amplifier Assembly when in operation or when the servo is first connected to an external power source The system itself can be hazardous during operation so warning lights and or buzzers should be obeyed 3 6 Safety Summary The foll...

Page 17: ...ying power to the system A visual check or headphone communications to someone close to the positioner is essential Obey all warning lights and buzzers Caution Do not service or adjust alone Under no circumstances should any person reach into or enter the enclosure s for the purpose of servicing or adjusting the equipment except in the presence of someone who is capable of rendering aid Resuscitat...

Page 18: ... Windows 10 Pro system About page shown in Figure 4 outlines the HyperTrack PC hardware supplied with the Windows client PC Note the installed RAM was upgraded to 32 GB in all client computers Figure 4 Windows 10 Pro System About Page 4 1 HyperTrack Antenna Control Unit The HTAC is the assembly which maintains the direct Ethernet connection to the antenna system as well as the client PC and system...

Page 19: ...ce AM HT and AGC network connections power COM and video Figure 6 HyperTrack Antenna Control Unit Back Panel 4 1 1 HTAC Touch Screen Display The following Touchscreen controls are available to the user About Opens the HTAC box product information page including the Hardware IP Firmware and Software builds Network Opens the Ethernet Information page Sets the HTAC IP address and other LAN parameters...

Page 20: ... Fiber Optic FO or Wired RJ45 depending on the tracking system selected and the distance between the control room HTAC and the Servo Assembly Figure 7 HTAC Communications Block Diagram 4 1 3 Client Computer Graphical User Interface GUI The client software Graphical User Interface GUI is located on the Windows 10 PC and is installed via a standard windows installer typically from a USB flash drive ...

Page 21: ...llers Displays the unit Name and unique IP address URI Detected Controllers Provides the Name Hardware ID and URI of automatically detected controllers on the network Add button Allows unique controller addresses to be saved for access at a later time Connect button Displays when either section is selected In this example two HyperTrack Antenna Controllers are available one saved and one detected ...

Page 22: ...e entered for the connection to be completed Refer to section 4 1 4 for more information Figure 10 Login Screen 4 1 4 HTAC Security The General User password of admin admin can be entered into the Login screen shown in Figure 11 to open the Standard View GUI This allows the user to access the GUI controls and settings menus With it the user can control all of the motion and tracking functions ...

Page 23: ...ngs the Quasonix factory must be contacted for a single use temporary password After the password is obtained from Quasonix and entered in the HTAC all of the restricted hardware settings menu becomes available This single use password expires 24 hours from issue If additional time is needed a new password must be obtained from Quasonix The same password Login window is used for the General User p...

Page 24: ...Figure 12 The numbered labels in the figure are described in Table 2 Figure 12 HyperTrack Graphical User Interface GUI Main Screen Table 2 GUI Main Screen Function Overview Item Window Name Description 1 Tool Bar Upper Tool Bar Left Side icons for Network Connections Logging Warning and Notification Indicators Set Up Menus Tool Menus Help Menu and the Date and Time Display Selecting any icon opens...

Page 25: ...een The small digital displays top right and bottom left report the computed axis velocity and the AZ axis slave angle if slave angles are received 6 RSSI The RSSI window displays the four 4 user selected tracking channels along with their AGC signal level meters out of the 16 available channels Typically LHCP RHCP and Combined channels are used with a fourth channel also available The Client GUI ...

Page 26: ...e 8 Designates or Track Multi function display area When a Gear button next to any axis mode button is selected the settings displays or parameter input windows associated with that mode button are displayed Designates are located within this window and are accessed by selecting the gear button next to the Manual button 9 Elevation Input Control The Elevation Axis Input Mode Control buttons are lo...

Page 27: ... user option icons 4 2 1 2 HTAC Communications Status The HyperTrack Controller HTAC link re link tab connects disconnects the Ethernet link to the HTAC and opens the Server Selection menu This is used to choose between additional HTACs on the network via the Server Selection Menu Detected Controllers In Figure 14 the user has selected the saved controller in the upper pane to connect Selecting th...

Page 28: ... used to access the Logging feature This drop down menu allows the user to enable the feature and configure the settings and file management for data logging Figure 15 Tool Bar Clipboard Icon Selecting the Enable option activates the logging process a check mark displays next to Enable The logger continues to log the selected parameters if Enable is active The log file is saved to the HTAC s inter...

Page 29: ...rt button begins the logging function Figure 16 Start Logging Window 4 2 1 3 2 Log Settings The Log Settings window is accessed from the Clipboard icon as shown in Figure 17 Figure 17 Tool Bar Clipboard Icon Settings Selection Log Settings allows the user to select what parameters the logger will record by selecting and highlighting each data box parameter to be recorded The Data box turns green w...

Page 30: ...ged Figure 18 Log Settings Two Examples with Different Settings Selected The selected logging parameters in Figure 19 are continuously collected for all sixteen 16 channels but recorded for only the selected green active tracking channels If Auto Receive Auto Rx is selected and the Active Channel parameter is green only the channel which is actively tracking the target LHCP or RHCP for example wil...

Page 31: ...g parameters Status Flags Fault Flags and Track Flags Selectable parameter abbreviations are listed in Table 3 and Table If a fault condition appears while the logger is enabled and the fault is present in the Fault Flags list the abbreviated flag is recorded and displays in the resulting saved log file as long as a flag s parameter is selected and is highlighted green Table 3 System General Fault...

Page 32: ...ive during the track OHPE Overhead Pass Enabled Overhead pass has been selected OPHA Overhead Pass Active Overhead pass is selected and active 4 2 1 3 3 Log File Management The Log File Management window is accessed from the Clipboard icon as shown in Figure 20 Figure 20 Tool Bar Clipboard Icon File Management Selection The Log File management window shown in Figure 21 displays the name and file s...

Page 33: ...s shown in Figure 22 to access the Status and Indicator window Figure 22 Tool Bar Status Icon The Status and Indicator Window shown in Figure 23 is broken into four blocks listed from left to right System Elevation Azimuth and Dehydrator Status indicators illuminate green for Operational and red for Fault A blank uncolored box indicates a state where no fault or indicator is required until a condi...

Page 34: ...ystem parameters The Clear Faults button at the bottom of the window can be used to clear minor fault conditions If the faulted condition remains red or in a fault condition after selecting the Clear Faults button this requires additional system analysis to resolve the fault The Status window System section provides overall system health indicators which include Safety Controller Run Switch Feed C...

Page 35: ...luding Connected Maintenance Required System Status Compressor Alarm Fan High Flow Alarm Heater High Outlet Pressure Alarm Tank Pressure Low Outlet Pressure Alarm Outlet Pressure High Humidity Alarm Flow Rate High Temperature Alarm Temperature High Last Runtime Alarm Humidity 4 2 1 5 Settings Window Select the Settings icon from the Main Tool Bar as shown in Figure 24 to access the Settings window...

Page 36: ...es access to user selectable parameters for system motion control and visual feedback Standard login required for access These parameters include an Error Meter shown in Figure 25 Arrow Keys Hand Wheels and Joystick The Mission section provides user selected variable parameters for typical system operations and or tracking missions Standard log in required for access These parameters include Azimu...

Page 37: ... the tracking parameters Figure 26 Mission Section Track Parameter Selected and Settings Displayed 4 2 1 5 1 Client Preferences 4 2 1 5 1 1 Error Meter Within the Client Preferences section the user has the option to enable the Error Meter s 45 Grid Lines This grid line function places diagonal 45 lines in the Error Meter These lines are typically used for verifying the off axis Elevation and Azim...

Page 38: ...tton to save the setting To disable this feature select the Enabled button The button changes to Disabled and the color returns to gray To close the window select the close window X located at the top right corner The grid lines are only green when the SCM feed is scanning or the Conscan feed is powered up and spinning as shown in Figure 29 If the feed s are not powered up or connected the grid li...

Page 39: ...arrow key moves the axis in small steps in the direction indicated by the keyboard arrow key Holding any arrow key down drives the axis at rate the user has set for the Arrow Keys in Client Preferences The Up Down arrow keys control the Elevation axis Up Down directions The Left Right arrow keys control the Azimuth axis CW and CCW motion Always select the Apply button to save the selections To clo...

Page 40: ...AZ hand wheel moves the axis 10 CW or CCW in position Selecting the Apply button saves all parameter selections To close the window select the close window X located at the top right corner Figure 30 Client Preferences Hand Wheels 4 2 1 5 1 4 Joystick Within Client Preferences the user has the option to select a joystick its type Enable Disable functions and its calibration parameters as shown in ...

Page 41: ...ck Parameters 4 2 1 5 2 Mission 4 2 1 5 2 1 Azimuth The Mission Azimuth window contains the critical Azimuth Axis motion and limit parameters as shown in Figure 32 The soft limit locations if used are set here To enable select Disabled next to the Enable Soft Limits field When enabled the field is highlighted green When a Slipring Rotary joint assembly option is installed in the Azimuth Axis the A...

Page 42: ... located at the top right corner Figure 32 Mission Azimuth 4 2 1 5 2 2 Elevation The Mission Elevation window contains the critical Elevation Axis motion and limit parameters as shown in Figure 33 The soft limit locations if used are set here To enable select Disabled next to the Enable Soft Limits field When enabled the field is highlighted green This enables the limits in the Up Down directions ...

Page 43: ...the user entered pre programed and named Elevation and Azimuth position locations as shown in Figure 34 This allows the user to store antenna positions that are repetitively used such as Boresight Runway and Stow The system is configured at the factor for Sun Designate and is fixed Sun Designates accuracy is dependent on correct set up at install ...

Page 44: ...th and Elevation coordinates for each axis After entering the coordinates add a name for recall then select the Save button The new Designate displays in the Mission Designates window Figure 35 Mission Designate Add Designate 4 2 1 5 2 3 2 Edit Designate To change program coordinates select the Edit button at the top of the Mission Designates window In the Edit Designates window enter the Azimuth ...

Page 45: ...ission Designates window Figure 36 Mission Designate Edit Designate 4 2 1 5 2 3 3 Remove Designate To delete program coordinates select the saved designate in the Mission Designates window The designate to delete is highlighted in blue as shown in Figure 37 Select the Remove button and the coordinate entry is removed Figure 37 Mission Designate Remove Designate ...

Page 46: ...the AZ and EL pointing positions into the immediate Designate entry fields Selecting the Go button drives the system to the selected pointing location Since the Sun Designate pointing position was selected in Figure 38 the system drives to the Sun pointing location Note If only one axis is enabled Manual button is green and the other is disabled manual button is red when the Designates Go button i...

Page 47: ...ates with other manufacturer s receivers but the full system functionality will not be available The Mission Receivers window shown in Figure 40 has three receivers saved in the window 4 2 1 5 2 6 1 Add Receiver When the Add Receiver button is selected it allows the user to enter a unique name and IP Address for a Quasonix receiver into a separate Add Receiver window This enables remote control of...

Page 48: ...ow For example in Figure 41 receiver 1 IP 192 168 200 52 has three tracking channels entered as Channel 1 LHCP Channel 2 RHCP and Channel 3 Combiner In this example the tracking system is supplied with only one RDMS receiver From the Client GUI on the Windows PC the operator can select certain parameters to change such as the tracking frequency and bit rate and each linked Quasonix receiver receiv...

Page 49: ...d A channel name is selected from the drop down menu for each of the receiver s three tracking channels as shown in Figure 42 In this example Channel 1 Channel 2 and Combiner are selected If a second receiver is entered it displays in the Tracking Channel column lines of 4 5 and 6 Receiver 2 Tracking Channel 4 could also be named Receiver Channel 1 from the drop down menu Tracking Channel 5 would ...

Page 50: ...ce window displays as shown in Figure type the source Name Description and IP address for recall The only slave source input available in the Provider field is a Standard Ethernet This is selected from the drop down menu Select the Save button to add the slave source 4 2 1 5 2 8 2 Edit Slave Source Select the Edit Source button to make changes to any listed slave source Type updates in the Edit So...

Page 51: ...indow is available with the Standard Login The message type is set by selecting from the drop down menu at the end of the Message Type field Type the Destination IP Address Dst IP Address and Destination Port Dst Port into the appropriate fields The Message Rate must be a value between 1 Hz and 100 Hz Select the desired value from the drop down menu The message protocol Endian field can be switche...

Page 52: ... are factory adjusted to the type of feed such as Conscan or SCM and the reflector size of the deliverable Note these parameters are typically factory set for each deliverable and should not need adjustment The Dynamic Bw Min and Dynamic Bw Max parameters can be fine tuned to achieve smoother system target tracking These changes should be made in small increments and verified by checking the track...

Page 53: ...tion to the basic system hardware parameters for the overall tracking system Parameters include tracking System Name Reflector Diameter in meters and the ACQ AID aperture in meters This information is factory installed and should not be changed This window is NOT available to the standard user An Advanced Use Password must be received from the Quasonix factory to access this window ...

Page 54: ...rows to match the available PTP device to receive time data The system always selects the best available server Select the Set PTP Domain button to save any changes If an NTP time server is available the Network Time Protocol information can be obtained by adding the time server s IP address to the NTP servers list Multiple servers can be added with the system automatically selecting the best choi...

Page 55: ...her Cat Vlan Protocol Number This is a factory software setting which controls EtherCat communication between the servo controllers and the managed switch within the external servo assembly and should not be changed Changing this setting may shut off the servo controller s internal EtherCat links An Advanced Use Password must be received from the Quasonix factory to access this window ...

Page 56: ... operation of the Azimuth Axis The parameters entered saved and displayed here are for Gear Ration Input Revs Gear Ration Output Revs Maximum Velocity Maximum Acceleration and Maximum Deceleration These are parameters set at the factory and are password protected to prevent damage to the system or personnel An Advanced Use Password must be received from the Quasonix factory to access this window ...

Page 57: ...t operation of the Elevation Axis The parameters entered saved and displayed here are for Gear Ration Input Revs Gear Ration Output Revs Maximum Velocity Maximum Acceleration and Maximum Deceleration These parameters are set at the factory and are password protected to prevent damage to the system or personnel An Advanced Use Password must be received from the Quasonix factory to access this windo...

Page 58: ...option The typical stow position locates the drive side yoke arm where the manual stow pin yoke arm pass through and receptacle are located At this exact location the manual stow pin should easily mate into the receptacle holding the yoke arm in place These are parameters set at the factory and are password protected to prevent damaged to the system or personnel An Advanced Use Password must be re...

Page 59: ...lows for the system to be configured for up to four 4 feeds in a single Quasonix HyperTrack For example Feed 1 would save the parameters for the provided typical SCM feed assembly as shown in Figure 52 while Feed 2 would contain the parameters for an additional feed such as an offset dish mounted ACQ AID Different types of feeds can be selected and configured within this window such as combination...

Page 60: ...modified These parameters are provided for factory test and troubleshooting purposes only The frequency bands shown within the table are typical for the Quasonix SCM Tri Band Tracking Feed Assembly Additional frequency bands can be added removed or modified by selecting the Add Band Edit Band or Delete Band button s The frequency bands must be compatible with the feed s installed and cannot overla...

Page 61: ...ommunication parameters The dehydrator s IP Address SNMP Community setting and Polling Rate are entered and stored here To allow the HTAC to communicate with the dehydrator the Enable parameter must be selected and highlighted in green After communication is established the basic dehydrator data and faults can be received by the HTAC and displayed with in the Status and Indicators ...

Page 62: ...playing configurable features is accessed via the Tools icon on the Main Tool Bar as shown in Figure 55 The features include True North Handwheel Test Joystick Test Scope Recorder Change Password Window Manage Users Window Restart HTAC Shutdown HTAC Figure 55 Main Screen Tools Icon and Configurable Features List ...

Page 63: ...ach alignment method and are nearly identical Sun Calibration Boresight Calibration Landmark Calibration 1 In the True North Wizard Introduction screen select the Next button Figure 56 True North Wizard Introduction 2 The True North Wizard Select Method screen shown in Figure 57 is used to select the desired option for aligning the antenna Sun Boresight or Landmark Each method of alignment uses th...

Page 64: ...h Wizard Select Method 3 Sun Calibration Verify system location and the correct Date and Time Verify the system location in the True North Wizard System Settings screen as shown in Figure 58 Select the Next button to continue Figure 58 True North Wizard System Settings ...

Page 65: ...cking frequency in the True North Wizard Channel Configuration as shown in Figure 59 Select the Next button to continue Figure 59 True North Wizard Channel Configuration 5 In the True North Wizard Enable Manual Mode screen enable Manual Mode axes control as shown in Figure 60 The AZ and EL axes are ready to move Select the Next button to continue ...

Page 66: ...True North Wizard Enable Manual Mode 6 On the True North Wizard Find Sun window shown in Figure 61 point the antenna at the sun by selecting the Move to Sun button or by manually moving the HyperTrack as shown in Figure 62 Figure 61 True North Wizard Find Sun ...

Page 67: ...tered over the Cassegrain Feed Assembly Figure 62 True North Wizard Track Sun 7 After the antenna is positioned to sun select the Set Current Position as Sun Position button Select the Next button to continue 8 This completes the True North wizard setup The True North AZ Offset has been calculated as shown in Figure 63 When the AZ Axis position dial reads 0 0 the Antenna Azimuth Axis is pointed to...

Page 68: ...the tracking system The other two methods Boresight and Landmark are nearly identical to the solar calibration method Both have easy to follow wizards and are not covered here The sun calibration is the most used method as pointing the antenna to the sun using Sun Designate is typically used to verify the correct AZ North 0 0 pointing position The True North calibration Wizard s are available with...

Page 69: ...s calibration By moving the joystick from left to right and up and down the Joystick Test window verifies the correct movement When the joystick is released the joystick is at center The red dot on the test window should be at the center of the crosshairs as shown in Figure 65 This indicates that the Client PC is reading the joystick inputs Figure 65 Joystick Test Red Dot in Center of Crosshairs ...

Page 70: ...arameters that can be recorded and saved are AM AGC DQM Strobing Signal 1 Strobing Signal 2 The Scope Recorder window shown in Figure 66 displays the Scope Recorder enabled After the Trigger button is selected the recorder saves the listed parameters in 10 seconds in the example pre trigger selection and 10 seconds post trigger selection for a total of 20 seconds of data saved The file is automati...

Page 71: ...e from Quasonix The Advanced Use password expires after 24 hours In the Change Password window shown in Figure 67 type the current password and new password in the appropriate fields Confirm the new password by typing it into the Confirm New Password field Select the Apply button to change the password Figure 67 Change Password 4 2 1 6 6 Manage Users Administrators Only The Manage Users feature in...

Page 72: ...d Username The name used to identify the account First Name First name of the user Last Name Last name of the user Role The role assigned to the user may limit access to some user interface functionality Use the drop down menu to select Viewer Administrator or Operator Password For the specific user being added Confirm Password Re enter the user password Select the Create button to add the user ...

Page 73: ...e desired parameters Select the Update button to save the changes Figure 70 Manage User Accounts Edit User To delete an existing user account highlight one of the users in the list then select the Delete button The Reset Password button is only available to Administrator user accounts It allows an Administrator to reset any other user s account password without the Administrator actually knowing t...

Page 74: ... and the front panel Manual control buttons turn gray If Yes is selected manual control is lost and the Server Log In screen opens requiring a new login to reconnect with any listed HTAC To continue the restart select the Yes button To cancel the restart select the No button Figure 72 HyperTrack Restart Window 4 2 1 6 8 Shutdown HTAC The Shutdown HTAC option in the Tools drop down menu is used to ...

Page 75: ...t the Help icon from the Main Tool Bar as shown in Figure 74 to access the Help window shown in Figure 75 Figure 74 Tool Bar Status Icon The Help window provides access to three features Contact Version Firmware Update 4 2 1 7 1 Contact The Contact tab displays Quasonix contact information as shown in Figure 75 ...

Page 76: ...are Instruction 67 Quasonix Inc Figure 75 Help Contact Tab 4 2 1 7 2 Version The Version tab displays the system software versions for the Client and the Server software as shown in Figure 76 Figure 76 Help Version Tab ...

Page 77: ...e factory and saved locally the files can be accessed by selecting the Browse button then searching for the Quasonix update firmware Firmware Image img file as shown in Figure 78 This process is used to update the Server HTAC Firmware only The firmware located in the Feed Control Box is updated simultaneously Note The system Feed Control Box must be attached and connected by its system interface c...

Page 78: ...te button The Upload Progress bar shows loading process until it is 100 complete The Status window displays the firmware file elements as they process as shown in Figure 79 If the firmware install fails the progress bar does not reach 100 and the factory should be contacted to resolve the install failure 4 Note Verify the system Feed Control Box is installed powered and connected correctly In the ...

Page 79: ... windows executable file by selecting the file and completing the install 4 2 1 8 View The View drop down menu is accessed via the Main Tool Bar as shown in Figure 80 The features include multiple views or windows which can be independently opened and placed on the Windows Desktop These windows contain tools for calibrating checking and operating the tracking system parameters These parameters inc...

Page 80: ... Standard view opens the Client GUI front panel as shown in Figure 81 which is the main display for operations of the antenna system This is the same screen that opens when the ACU icon is selected from the Windows PC Desktop Note Multiple Standard View windows can be opened at the same time if needed Figure 81 HyperTrack Graphical User Interface GUI Main Screen ...

Page 81: ...the charts immediately display data There is no start or stop chart button Tracking Error History records the AZ and EL errors in degrees over time approximately 30 seconds as the system is tracking the target This is a graphic representation of what the Error Meter displays during a target track Tracking RSSI History displays the signal level history of the tracking channel in dBs used during a t...

Page 82: ...n of the axes in degrees over a 30 second repeating time The EL and AZ Velocity charts display the Commanded vs Actual velocities in degrees per second over a repeating 30 second time The EL and AZ Current charts display the measured current in amps delivered by each servo amplifier to the EL and AZ motors over 30 seconds Figure 83 Motion Tuning Charts 4 2 1 8 4 Scope Scope view shown in Figure 84...

Page 83: ...is a few degrees off boresight Note The Scope shows the feed strobing signals in yellow pink and the AM in green just offset from boresight Figure 84 Scope View 4 2 1 8 5 Motion Test The Motion Test view accesses the Motion Testing window parameters as shown in Figure 85 This window is composed of four parameter entry columns Each column has axis specific parameters ...

Page 84: ... 2 1 8 5 1 Position The Position parameters shown in Figure 86 command the antenna to the AZ and EL angles Type or use the Up Down arrows to set the axis and elevation values In this example the antenna slews to 0 0 Azimuth and 0 0 Elevation when the Go button is selected 4 2 1 8 5 2 Position Relative The Position Relative parameters command the antenna to the AZ and EL positions relative to their...

Page 85: ...he Up or Down limits the elevation axis components can be mechanically damaged The Stop Movement button in the Misc column should ALWAYS be used to stop EL axis motion NOT the system limits 4 2 1 8 5 4 Misc The Misc column contains two buttons Clear Faults and Stop Movement When the antenna is commanded to drive at a constant velocity selecting the Stop Movement button stops all AZ and EL motion T...

Page 86: ...onix Inc Figure 88 GUI Quick Open Icon Multiple Windows Open 4 2 3 Graphical User Interface GUI Front Panel Detail The Front panel is the main GUI screen displayed upon launching the ACU HyperTrack application software as shown in Figure 89 ...

Page 87: ...al readout The actual position of the axis is indicated by the Orange pointer represented by the upper digital readout Examples are shown in Figure 90 If a slave position is detected a green pointer shows the slave pointing angle to the axis A separate slave digital numerical readout also displays the slave angle not shown The Elevation Up and Down limits for electromechanical and software indicat...

Page 88: ...HyperTrack Software Instruction 79 Quasonix Inc Figure 90 Axes Analog Digital Position Feedback Indicators Figure 91 Axes Analog Digital Position Feedback Indicators Labeled ...

Page 89: ...user configurable limits are indicated by the red tick marks on the degrees indicator as shown in Figure 92 After the software limits are set the non reachable degrees tick marks are blocked in red When the user configurable Multi Path Clipping MPC is enabled the antenna will not go below lines on the degree indicator marked in yellow In Figure 92 the MPC is set for 0 0 During a target track the E...

Page 90: ...vation deflection The Tracking error meter provides the operator with digital readouts of the Azimuth and Elevation track errors in numeric format located in the two small displays fixed to the bottom of the meter as shown in Figure 94 When the system is auto tracking a radiating target in both Azimuth and Elevation both TRACK buttons are green the Meatball should be centered at or near the centra...

Page 91: ... AGC Levels the manual and automatic selection of the tracking channels the Auto Rx button the Rx Threshold setting tool and the Receiver Settings buttons Gear buttons for configuring channel parameters The multiple tracking channels are available to the user and can be displayed 4 four at a time up to the maximum of 16 tracking channels The user selected 4 tracking channels to be displayed are hi...

Page 92: ...Gain feature provides the user with High Hi Medium Md and Low Lo amplifier gain settings In Figure 96 all three bands are set to the medium power amplification setting Md The gain difference between each setting is approximately 10 dB 4 2 3 3 4 RSSI Active Frequency The Active Frequency feature displays the frequency the receiver is currently tuned to as shown in Figure 97 This display only works ...

Page 93: ... Rx Off button must be enabled and illuminate yellow for auto channel switching to take place An example is shown in Figure 99 Figure 99 Main Screen RSSI Activated Auto Rx Channels 4 2 3 3 5 2 RSSI Receivers Signal Level The Auto Rx feature displays the active selected AGC level for each tracking channel The level is represented by the illuminated green bar in the display scale In Figure 100 the s...

Page 94: ...ected Tracking Channel Signal Strength The Signal icons visible just below the borders on receiver signal displays 1 2 and 4 indicate that the installed Quasonix RDMS receiver s IP address has been entered into the Settings Hardware Receivers panel and that the receiver tracking channels have been mapped to specific IP addresses This also indicates that STRICI is active 4 2 3 3 5 3 RSSI Receivers ...

Page 95: ...ration User configurable parameter for the saturation level of the AGC Meter The meter bar turns red upon reaching the set Saturation Threshold level in this example 100 0 dB Acquire User configurable parameter that determines where the tracking system switches from Manual mode to Track Mode above the threshold is 50 dB The signal strength meter display changes from orange to green when the acquir...

Page 96: ... The Noise Bandwidth parameter essentially adjusts the AZ and EL tracking gain which can cause poor tracking if set too high or low This parameter is factory adjusted and set for best tracking when Dynamic BW Enable is On for the system feed and antenna size Receiver Input Type Sets receiver input to HyperTrack digital or Analog the default is analog Input Source When in digital mode HyperTrack se...

Page 97: ...d Quasonix RDMS Receiver Figure 104 Channel x Receiver Settings The Channel x Receiver Settings screen can be used to change the following parameters Frequency Modulation Bit Rate IF Filter Mode IF Filter AGC Scale The parameter settings shown in Figure 104 are transmitted to the connected Quasonix receiver when the Apply button is selected All 16 available tracking channels contain this Settings ...

Page 98: ... 1 Servo The Servo power button is located at the bottom center of the Mode Control window Selecting the Servo button provides AC power to the Azimuth and Elevation Axes servo amplifiers located within the servo power assembly When the Servo button displays red the servos are Off Disabled When the Servo button is selected it changes color to yellow and a timed audible warning indicator sounds This...

Page 99: ... requirements or specific types of installs such as trailer systems On a trailer an interlock connect would be added to the tool box lid so the system won t hit the tool box When no interlocks are present the servos may be energized by selecting the red Servo button The servos are powered On only after a fixed transition time with audible alarm The alarm at the positioner alerts any personnel work...

Page 100: ... lost the Track buttons revert to gray and the Acquire buttons remain yellow Figure 107 Mode Control Window Figure 108 Track Window To access the user configurable parameters such as Multi Path Clipping MPC select the Gear button to the right of the Track mode control buttons From the Track window shown in Figure 108 the user can set the desired MPC angle which will be activated when the MPC butto...

Page 101: ...nnel s signal level drops below the acquire threshold and remains above the hysteresis level the AGC bar turns yellow to indicate the target is about to be lost The AGC bar turns orange when the signal is not acquired If the received signal is above the user configurable saturation level the bar turns red 4 2 3 4 2 3 Search When an axis is placed in Search mode the antenna slews in a pre configure...

Page 102: ... the search routine until Manual mode is selected again in both axes 4 2 3 4 2 4 Slave When an axis is place in Slave mode the Slave button illuminates green indicating that the axis is ready for manual input commands chain link button selects both axes at the same time That axis takes command angles from a slave source from an outside source typically Ethernet The axis Status meter displays the n...

Page 103: ...l Enabled Each axis is independent from each other The EL axis can be in Standby while the AZ axis is in Manual for example The system designates are accessed by selecting the Gear button to the right of the Manual buttons This opens the Designates window which allows the user to select pre saved pointing locations such as the antenna stow position and the sun tracking pointing location In additio...

Page 104: ...nd illuminates green the axis Standby button changes to gray The AZ and EL axes motor brakes are released and the axis servo is enabled and waiting for manual control input chain link button selects both axes at the same time Figure 116 Mode Control Standby 4 2 3 4 3 Camera Icon The Camera icon shown in Figure 117 allows access to the Camera parameters menu This allows the user to turn the camera ...

Page 105: ...CCW or Up and Down continuously as the handwheel CW and CCW is moved More rotational turns of the handwheel increases the antenna speed up to its maximum AZ and EL speed limit typically 30 degrees sec If the handwheel is released no longer turning the antenna continues to move until the handwheel rotation is reversed This slows down the angular speed of the antenna until it stops Continuing to rot...

Page 106: ...green when time code information is present and red when time code information is missing Selecting the green Clock icon opens the Time Synchronization Status window as shown in Figure 120 This window contains three 3 sub window tabs Tracking Source Statistics Sources Figure 120 Time Synchronization Status Tracking Tab Figure 121 Time Synchronization Status Source Statistics Tab ...

Page 107: ...w Assembly must be enabled from the Settings Hardware Auto Stow window If the tracker was not supplied with the Auto Stow Assembly option the page displays a Not Installed message as shown in Figure 123 If the system was ordered with the Auto Stow Assemble option the Enable button is selected and displays green Figure 123 Settings Hardware Auto Stow Not Installed ...

Page 108: ...electing the Anchor icon enables the Auto Stow system Figure 124 Auto Stow Status Message Enabling Servo Power The Servo button automatically activates and powers On both servos Both Manual buttons enable green and the system drives to the saved stow position as shown in Figure 125 When at the stow position the Auto Stow pin drives into the stow receptacle As it moves into the stow receptacle the ...

Page 109: ... pin has been completely inserted into the receptacle the Auto Stow icon stops blinking The AZ and EL Manual buttons turn red as the axes are disabled and the stow Servo button disables the servos and turns red If during the stowing process the final stow position is not reached or the stow pin fails to activate the process times out and a Stow Pin Fail Message displays as shown in Figure 126 ...

Page 110: ...HyperTrack Software Instruction 101 Quasonix Inc Figure 126 Auto Stow Error Message ...

Page 111: ...HyperTrack Software Instruction 102 Quasonix Inc 5 Maintenance Instructions HyperTrack requires no regular maintenance and there are no user serviceable parts inside ...

Page 112: ...ducts At no time shall requests for changes in the software architecture or visual esthetics be considered a warranty item The Products are manufactured using new materials only Replacement parts may be new or equivalent to new Replacement parts are warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship for thirty 30 days or for the remainder of the Warranty Period of the Products in which t...

Page 113: ...or e by modification or service by anyone other than i Quasonix ii an Quasonix authorized service provider or iii your own installation of end user replaceable Quasonix or Quasonix approved parts if available for the Products in the servicing country THE TERMS OF THE WARRANTIES CONTAINED HEREIN DO NOT IN ANY WAY EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT OR PART THEREOF OR SOFTWARE MATERIALS WHICH WERE NOT MANUFACTURE...

Page 114: ...ent Authorized return shipments must be addressed in the following manner Quasonix Inc ATTN Repair RMA 6025 Schumacher Park Drive West Chester OH 45069 To ensure that your shipment is processed most efficiently please include the following information with your product return Ship To Company name address zip code and internal mail drop if applicable Attention Contact person Name Title Department P...

Page 115: ... the HyperTrack control interface which is revolutionizing the way auto tracking antennas function Latency in the antenna tracking control loop leads to jitter in the antenna position HyperTrack replaces the traditional AM and AGC analog signals with a single high speed serial digital interface Furthermore all real time processing is done in FPGAs where signal timing is precisely controlled and co...

Page 116: ...HTAC Back Panel 8 2 HyperTrack User Interface HyperTrack brings revolutionary new features and employs advanced signal processing algorithms to achieve tracking performance beyond what has ever been achieved Despite the sophistication of the machinery under the hood the user interface is immediately familiar to anyone who has used auto tracking antennas before The Standard Main Display GUI is comp...

Page 117: ...est of brevity we simply list a few of those features here Manual Mode Multi Path Clipping Hand Wheel Control Access Control List Joystick Control User Configurable Designates Keyboard Control IMU Stabilization Slave Mode Time code synchronization support Search Mode GPS support Acquire Mode Compass support Track Mode Manual and or automatic stow pins Automatic Receiver Selection Network status pr...

Page 118: ... signal level Thereby it is always using the receiver with the best signal for the AM signal used to track of the target Unfortunately AGC is a very primitive measure of signal quality and is not necessarily the best choice It is particularly misleading in the presence of interference AGC responds only to signal strength A strong interferer can produce lots of signal strength This leads to the ant...

Page 119: ...s and then the three sets of noise floor results are stored in the HTAC This baseline data measured and stored in half beamwidth increments allows the HTAC to compute the true signal to noise ratio SNR at that frequency or frequencies while tracking the test article While in track mode the HTAC knows its azimuth and the current feed gain setting and therefore the noise floor It also knows the rece...

Page 120: ...ental AM is imposed on the RF signal A screenshot from the built in oscilloscope that is part of the HTAC is shown in Figure 131 This view shows 62 ms of data that was captured during recent testing at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground operating at 4500 MHz Figure 131 Prop chop Displayed On the HyperTrack Antenna Controller HTAC This periodic disturbance in the detected AM results in rotor rate side...

Page 121: ...powerful signal processing algorithm to remove these rotor rate sidebands as shown in Figure 133 Only the HyperTrack Antenna Controller offers this powerful signal processing algorithm This feature has been proven to deliver dramatic improvements in the tracking of helicopter and propeller aircraft on several US test ranges ...

Page 122: ...igure 134 illustrates how these estimates are used to create a loop bandwidth control surface that allows HyperTrack to handle a wide range of tracking situations automatically When the target is moving fast and the noise is low the algorithm adapts by increasing the loop bandwidth Similarly if the tracking noise is high or the target is moving slowly the gain will be reduced Generally under low n...

Page 123: ... crude bandpass characteristic that is intended to pass the scanning frequency and reject other signals In HyperTrack mode the receiver passes the complete receiver status to the HTAC and the signal conditioning including matched filter detection of the scanning signal is done entirely in the HTAC using settings that are automatically set by the HTAC Never again endure poor tracking performance be...

Page 124: ... there are dropouts caused by any signal characteristics or limitations in the ground station including tracking errors the GSA will produce them To illustrate how the GSA source creates RF signals that look like a real target a simple two state SCM example is shown in Figure 135 By increasing the amplitude of the transmission in conjunction with the right beam SCM scanning it can cause the HTAC t...

Page 125: ... the antenna toward the sun using the HTAC s Sun Designate function 2 The receiver reports the sun signal strength to the HTAC via the HyperTrack digital interface 3 The HTAC then steers the antenna to a series of locations expected to be cold sky 4 The receiver reports the cold sky signal strengths to the HTAC 5 The HTAC uses the lowest cold sky signal strength and the sun signal strength to comp...

Page 126: ...amlines trouble shooting by automatic End to end RF path verification This is accomplished by using the integrated test transmitter and iterating through all channels The channel under test is tuned to the test frequency and all other channels are tuned off frequency The test signal contains a PN test pattern which is verified by each HyperTrack system component Since all HyperTrack components sup...

Page 127: ...ift Keying CPM Continuous Phase Modulation DB 9 D subminiature 9 pin Serial Connector DC Diversity Combiner DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DPM Digital Phase Modulation DQ Data Quality DQM Data Quality Metric FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array IF Intermediate Frequency IP Internet Protocol kbps Kilobits per second KHz Kilohertz LCD Liquid Crystal Display mbps Megabits per second MCX Snap ...

Page 128: ... Rack Mount RRC Remote RDMS Client RS 232 Recommended Standard 232 Serial Communications SAW Surface Acoustic Wave SDI System Degradation Indication SOQPSK Shaped Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying SOQPSK TG Shaped Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying Telemetry Group TRL Tracking Loop TTL Transistor Logic UDP User Datagram Protocol UQPSK Unbalanced Quadrature Phase Shift Keying USB Universal Ser...

Reviews: