Research Concepts RC2500 - Manual (Page 8)

RC2500 Antenna Controller Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Research Concepts, Inc. • 5420 Martindale Road • Shawnee, Kansas • 66218-9680 • USA www.researchconcepts.com
Chapter 1 – INTRODUCTION
The RC2500 is a satellite antenna controller manufactured by Research Concepts Inc. (RCI). The
RC2500 operates with low-voltage resolvers for position feedback and an Antenna Interface Unit or A.I.U.
which is typically mounted at the antenna pad. The RC2500 features the popular user interface found in
the RC2000 series of Antenna Controllers manufactured by RCI and can store up to 30 satellites in its
non-volatile memory. It is PC remote controllable through the standard RS-422 port. Simple remote
control software is supplied with the unit. The SABUS-based remote control protocol is compatible with
many head-end and broadcast automation systems.
The RC2500A model is designed to operate with geostationary satellites. A single Az/El position is
stored in memory for each satellite. The RC2500B supports all the features of the ‘A’ model but also
tracks up to 5 of the 30 stored inclined orbit satellites through the use of step track and memory track
algorithms. Automatic polarization tracking is not supported.
A version of the RC2500 (A or B) is available which is plug compatible with the Vertex 7134 antenna
controller. The EPROM for this version of the software is labeled ‘summary’. Another version of the
controller is available which supports individual azimuth ccw, azimuth cw, elevation down, elevation up,
polarization ccw, and polarization cw limit switches. The EPROM for this version of the controller is
labeled ‘individual’. For the ‘individual limits’ version of the controller the antenna position sensor and
antenna stimulus interfaces are plug compatible with the Vertex 7134 controller. A third version is plug
compatible with the Harris 9135 controller.
1.1 Organization of this Manual
This manual is divided into two broad parts, Installation and Reference. The Installation part of this
manual is designed to familiarize the user with the controller and guide him or her through the installation
and configuration of the controller. The Reference portion of the manual gives a detailed description of all
of the features and capabilities of the controller.
The Installation portion of the manual is comprised of Chapters 2 through 4. Chapter 2 explains the user
interface and the basic operation of the unit. Chapter 3 guides the user through the physical installation
and wiring of the unit as well as the initial software configuration. Chapter 4 covers all aspects of tracking
inclined orbit satellites from setup to normal operations. Inclined orbit tracking is available only on the
RC2500B model.
The Reference portion of this manual is comprised of chapters 5, 6, and 7 as well as the appendices
which follow. These chapters of the manual describe the fields on the screens that the user will
encounter, as well as the data that can be entered at any prompt. After the initial installation, when the
user has become familiar with the operation of the controller, these chapters will probably be the only
ones consulted by the user to handle the routine chores of adding new satellites and deleting old ones.
1.2 Before You Begin
Please read and understand the manual. Time invested in understanding the installation and operation of
the controller will insure satisfactory results. The unit has been tested thoroughly and will work accurately
and reliably if it is installed and configured properly.