• For firmware version 2.00 DrzCom version 2.00.

See the download page for information on determining your firmware version and downloading the correct program.

 Setup  |  Status  |  Manual Movement  |  Calibration  |  Track Testing  |  Tracking

When the DrzCom program is started for the first time, it is necessary to set up the communications port and baud rate before it can communicate with the controller. Click on the "Program Setup" button and select the desired com port options. Click "OK" or "Apply" to save your settings. The program will remember your settings so you only have to do this once.  The default rate that the CT-2 uses is 9600 baud.  You can change this with the dip switches on the board, see Switch configuration and Setting for more details.

Now you can click the "Off" button in the "Comm to Controller" section of the main window. This button will change to "On" and stay pushed and the program will attempt to communicate with the controller. At this point no movement commands will be sent to the controller but it will try to display the current position and status of the controller board. Some of the status and communications indications will be operative as shown below, but they may not all work as the encoders have not yet been set up. However it is necessary for communication with the controller board to be working before the encoders can be configured.  On a new controller, the default setting for encoder type is A/D for both Azimuth and Elevation.  So if you are connected to some different kind of encoders, no position information can be displayed until you set up the encoders.  However the little 'LED' next to the Reset button should be flashing at a rapid rate, indicating that serial communication with the controller has been established.  If the controller does not respond, the 'LED' will flash very slowly.

Once communication is working, click on the "Encoder Configuration" button. The following window will appear:

Initially all that is required is to select the correct encoder type for Azimuth and for Elevation, and set the appropriate ranges. The other settings are explained in detail in Detailed Settings.

Once you have adjusted the settings click the 'Send Changes to Controller' button. The new settings will be sent to the controller board and stored in it's non-volatile memory, and the configuration window will be closed. You will return to the main program window communication with the controller will resume. (However after the controller receives a new configuration it will automatically 'reboot' so as to resume operation with the new settings.  Thus it will take a few seconds before communication resumes.)

Eight of the LED's are used to show Antenna Motion status. Four are for motion requests. These will be lit when the controller board has received a request to move the antenna but it has not yet initiated actual motion. This can happen in two circumstances:

a) The antenna has just stopped moving and the controller's stop timer has not yet expired. As soon as the timer times out the controller will start moving the antenna and the status LED will change from Requested to Current.

b) The controller has detected an error and has disabled movement. In this case the "Movement Enabled" LED will be off. This will happen only if the controller detects that the antennas are not moving when they should be. If no motion is detected after the Move Timeout period selected for the encoder, the controller board will stop all movement and disable further movement. It is necessary to reset the controller before motion can be re-enabled. This can be done with the "Reset Controller" button, or by power cycling the controller board.

The final LED is a communication indicator. When the program is communicating with the controller it will flash. The speed at which it flashes is an indicator that can be used to help understand what is going on. Normally it will flash very fast, the exact speed being controlled by the "Updates / sec" box. At the default setting of 10, a data exchange with the controller is attempted 100 times per second, except in Nova mode. When in the Nova test mode, the data exchange will be 10 times per second and the LED will flash much more slowly. The reason for the difference is that when in Nova mode, much more data is sent and received each time, so a slower repetition rate is required. Using the "Updates / sec" box you can change the update rate between 1 and 20. This gives a rate of 10 to 200 times per second for normal mode, and 1 to 20 times per second in Nova mode.

If the communications LED is only flashing once per second, and no data is being displayed, that means that the program is getting no response from the controller. Perhaps the controller board has no power applied, or the serial cable is disconnected or wired wrong. Or the wrong comm port or baud rate may be selected. As soon as the problem is corrected the LED should start flashing at the normal fast rate.

At the top of the dialog the current position of the antenna is shown, and there are two buttons you can use to move the antenna clockwise or CCW.  If the calibration has not yet been done, the reading may be incorrect, but is provided as a reference and an indication that calibration is successful.

Following the instructions in the dialog, first move the antenna to the minimum position as shown next to "Set to" in step one.  This is the minimum azimuth that you specified when you configured the azimuth encoder.  If it is not right, exit the calibration dialog and go to the "Encoder Configuration" dialog to change the range settings.  Note: Do not rely on the position shown at the top of the dialog when setting min or max position, as the system is uncalibrated at this time.  Instead, visually check the antenna against a known reference such as a compass rose, or the Sun or Moon.

Once the antenna is at the min position, click the "Set min" button. The display will change to read the min value. Next move the antenna to the maximum position as shown next to "Set to" in step 2.  Again, do not rely on the uncalibrated reading, but check the max position of the antenna visually.  When you click the "Set max" button the display will change to read the max position that you have specified for the encoder (in the Encoder Configuration" window). Once you have set min and max, the readout should track with the antenna position accurately. Repeat the process for elevation and you are done calibrating. The min/max configuration is stored in the controller's non-volatile memory so it will be remembered after a power cycle.

There is one exception to the above. That is when using absolute encoders. In that case it is not necessary to do a max set. All that is necessary is to properly set the range and then do a min set. The max button will operate but it does nothing if the encoder is absolute.

You may also make an adjustment to the current calibration.  This is for circumstances where the antenna has already been calibrated for min and max, but the antenna position has changed in respect to the encoder (antenna slipped on shaft, for instance).  In that case, point the antenna to a known reference point and then enter the position in the current position field at the bottom of the calibrate dialog.  Then click 'set current'.  The position shown at the top will change to match the value entered, and the antenna will now track with the new position.  What has happened is that an offset to the count value from the encoder is calculated and saved in the controller.  That offset is then applied to the values the controller returns to the controlling program.  Note that this will change the min and max for the antenna range.  For example if the previous min and max were 0 and 360 degrees and an adjustment of +10 degrees was entered, the new min and max will become 10 and 370 degrees.  The range shown in the encoder configuration dialog will not change, but in operation, the end points of rotation will be changed.

Adjust works much the same as for the other encoders, see above.

Some incremental encoders have an output line to provide a 'Zero Pulse'.  This is a short data pulse that occurs once per revolution, when the encoder passes the zero position.  This is extremely useful because the controller calibration can automatically be corrected whenever a Z-Index pulse is detected.  So if a windstorm has turned your antenna while the controller was off and unable to detect the count change, all you have to do is rotate the antenna past the Z-Index and the calibration will automatically be corrected.

Now consider the case where the antenna and the encoder are geared 1 to 1, a full antenna rotation of 360 degrees also turns the encoder 360 degrees.  In that case the encoder will only pass the Z-Index once.  During full calibration, the controller  has detected the Z Pulse and saved the count at that point as the Z-Index position.  So when the Z-Pulse is detected again the controller calibration is adjusted back to that same count.  However a 1 to 1 gearing can be hard to do, and additionally it is possible to get more accuracy of position by 'gearing up' the encoder, turning it several times or more for a full rotation of the antenna.  When this is the case, multiple Z-Pulses will be detected during the calibration.  At each Z-Pulse detected during calibration, the controller stores the current position in a table that can hold up to 16 positions.  Thus the maximum gearing up the controller can handle is 16 to 1.  In this situation, there is one problem.  When the encoder passes a Z-Index point, how does it know which stored count to use.  The answer is that it uses the one that is closest in count to the current count.  So what do you do if the antenna has moved enough so that the current count is close to the wrong Z-Index?  The answer is shown in the dialog above.  Select Z-Reset at the top and then set the antenna close to a known position (by eye).  Enter the position at the bottom and click the 'Set Current' button.  Now the calibration will be close and the next time a Z-Pulse is detected the calibration will be adjusted to be exactly correct.

After calibrating the antenna with Z-Indexes, and whenever entering the incremental calibrate dialog when a Z-Index calibration has already been done, a second dialog box will be shown along side of the calibrate dialog shown above.  This box shows the results of the Z-Index counting and is shown to the right.

Note the Range at the bottom that is shown both in degrees and count.  This is how close to the actual position your antenna must be in order to get an accurate Z-Reset operation.  If the antenna position error is greater than this amount then the wrong Z-Index will be used and the calibration will be off by one or more rotations of the encoder.

Remember, this is all automatic and each time a Z-Pulse is detected the controller will adjust it's calibration if necessary.  Thus any minor errors that might creep into the count are automatically accounted for.  The greater the gearing (up to 16:1), the more often the calibration will be checked and adjusted.  However with higher gearing, the amount of antenna error that can be tolerated when making a Z-Index adjust is reduced.

There are two ways in which these programs may interact with the CT-2 controller board.  One is via direct serial communication from the tracking program to the controller.  The F1EHN, MoonSked, and EME2008 programs use only the serial mode.  Nova and TrakSM can use serial mode when they are set for the NovaComm or EasyComm modes. Nova and TrakSM may also be used in the DDE mode, and SatScape can only be used in DDE mode.

DDE stands for "Dynamic Data Exchange", and is a method for multiple programs running on the same computer to communicate with each other.  A tracking program that uses DDE is said to be a DDE server and it sends tracking information to another program via DDE.  The DrzCom program is a DDE client and can receive this tracking information and then relay it to the CT-2 controller board via the serial port interface.  When DrzCom in functioning in this manner, the Tracking section of it's screen will show the name of the body or satellite being tracked, and the current position of that body as determined by the DDE messages from the tracking program.  In this mode, the actual tracking program (Nova, SatScape or TrakSM) may be minimized on your computer screen and the DrzCom screen will show both the current satellite position and current antenna position.

When DDE tracking is started. tracking will be paused, requiring you to click the pause/resume button to start moving the antenna.  This is a safety feature so the antenna does not start moving until you can see it happening on the DrzCom screen

If you are using a tracking program that directly communicates with the CT-2 controller via the serial port, you must set up DrzCom to use that program.  Then the program can be run right from DrzCom. When you end the tracking program you will automatically return to the DrzCom program where you can test or reset calibration if necessary. This saves a lot of switching back and forth between programs.  When running one of the DDE trackers it is necessary to run it from DrzCom so that both are operational at once.

In the tracking window of the main DrzCom screen there is a drop down box that contains the names of all the tracking programs that DrzCom has been set up for.  This list is initially empty, you must specify what tracking programs you wish to use and where they are located on your computer, and what the interface method is.

This is done from the "Program Setup" dialog, in the Programs tab. Here you will see a list of all programs that you have already set up.

You can add a new tracking program by clicking the "New Program" button, or click any existing program in the list to change it's setup parameters or remove it from the list.

First enter the name that you wish to show the program by.  Then enter the full path and file name, or browse to the location of the program. If you browse to the file, you can double click on the file or single click and then use the OK button.

You can enter a command to be passed to the program on the command line if the program supports it.  In this example you see the custom data file being passed to the F1EHN program.

Next select the data format that the program uses, then click the Save button.

All of this information will be saved and remembered whenever DrzCom is restarted.  Click the             following links for details on setting up and using the various trackers.

F1EHN  -  Nova (serial)  -  Nova (DDE)  -  MoonSked  -  SatScape - TrakSM  EME2008

When you are ready to start tracking, start communications from the DrzCom program to make sure the board is operational and movement is enabled.  Use the reset button if necessary.  Make sure the selected tracking program in the tracking window is F1EHN, and then click the "Run" button.  The DrzCom program will minimize and the F1EHN Tracker will start.  Double click on the correct setup file in the F1EHN initial window and the tracking program will start.  (If you are using version 6 or greater of the F1EHN Tracker then you can put the name of the data file as a command in the DrzCom program setup window.  Then the initial setup window of Tracker will be bypassed and you will go immediately to the main screen and start tracking.)

If you get a communications error message, exit and then recheck that the controller is operational from DrzCom and that the F1EHN setup has specified the correct comm port and speed.  While the F1EHN tracker is running, the DrzCom program will remain minimized and unresponsive.  As soon as you exit from F1EHN Tracker, the DrzCom program will restore itself to your desktop so you can use it again.

Study the F1EHN documentation for the details on operation and parameter settings.  Note: The F1EHN elevation setup should always be set to 0-360 degrees when using with the CT-2.  Set the CT-2 encoder parameters to 0-90 or whatever you need.

If you have the CT-2 set up for negative elevation or azimuth, the Tracker program will not be able to display the negative numbers.  It will 'wrap' from zero to 359 degrees when the angle is -1, and continue to lower degrees as the negative amount in increased.

When you are ready to start tracking, start communications from the DrzCom program to make sure the board is operational and movement is enabled.  Use the reset button if necessary.  Make sure the selected tracking program in the tracking window is Nova, and then click the "Run" button.  The DrzCom program will minimize and the Nova for Windows program will start.  Make sure the rotator interface in Nova is set to NovaComm, and that the serial port and baud rate are set correctly.  Then in the Nova AutoTracking menu, select "Start AutoTracking".

There is no feedback to the Nova program, so the only way to be sure that the antenna is being controlled is to observe it, or to observe the LCD display on the controller board if you have one.  If the antenna stops responding, exit the Nova program so that the DrzCom program is restored to your desktop and you can verify board operation and reset the controller if necessary.

When you are ready to start tracking, start communications from the DrzCom program to make sure the board is operational and movement is enabled.  Use the reset button if necessary.  Make sure the selected tracking program in the tracking window is Nova, and then click the "Run" button.  The Nova for Windows program will start and tracking will begin in the paused condition.

Now you can switch to DrzCom, or minimize Nova so that you can see the DrzCom screen.  The tracking window in DrzCom will show that tracking is Paused, and it will show the satellite being tracked and the current position as reported by Nova.  It will also show the current antenna position, and the LED indicators will show motion requests and commands as they are generated to keep the antenna in track.

Note in the screen shot above, Nova is showing elevation as 1.4 degrees but the antenna is at 15.91 degrees.  The antenna motion indicator shows "Down", indicating that the antenna is being moved to correct the difference.  You may click the "Pause Tracking" button to temporarily stop receiving tracking information from Nova.  While Tracking is paused, DrzCom will continue to show the current moon and antenna positions, and you can make manual changes, recalibrate, or change other settings and then resume tracking.  To end tracking, switch to the Nova program and exit.

To start tracking, make sure that MoonSked is selected as the tracking program and click "Run".  When the DrzControl.exe program starts, you can use the Utilities/Settings screen to set the proper serial port.  Next click the "Start MoonSked" button.  In MoonSked 's "Preferences" window you can specify that the tracking window will automatically open when MoonSked starts.  Otherwise you will have to manually start tracking from within MoonSked each time it starts.

Once MoonSked is started and tracking, switch back to the DrzControl screen and check the AutoTrack ON box. The current satellite and antenna position will now be shown in the window.  You can also switch to the "Utilities" tab and request a reset of the CT-2 controller board, if required.

As with the other direct serial trackers, the DrzCom program will be minimized and unresponsive while MoonSked is controlling the CT-2 board.  When tracking is ended by exiting the MoonSked DrzControl program, DrzCom will be restored to your desktop and be available for testing, etc.

To set up SatScape for DDE, go into the Settings menu and select "Main Settings".  Check the box that says "Rotor/Radio Tracking DDE Auto Start up".  This will cause the DDE window to launch when SatScape is started.  Caution, do not click on the button labeled "Start WISP DDE" in the SatScape dialog box.

When you are ready to start tracking, start communications from the DrzCom program to make sure the board is operational and movement is enabled.  Use the reset button if necessary.  Make sure the selected tracking program in the tracking window is SatScape, and then click the "Run" button.  The SatScape program will start and tracking will begin.

Now you can switch to DrzCom, or minimize SatScape so that you can see the DrzCom screen.  The tracking window in DrzCom will show that tracking is paused, and it will show the satellite being tracked and the current position as reported by SatScape .  It will also show the current antenna position, and the LED indicators will show motion requests and commands as they are generated to keep the antenna in track.

Note in the screen shot above, SatScape is showing elevation as 31.05 degrees but the antenna is at 32.92 degrees.  The antenna motion indicator shows "Down", indicating that the antenna is being moved to correct the difference.  You may click the "Pause Tracking" button to temporarily stop receiving tracking information from SatScape.  While Tracking is paused, DrzCom will continue to show the current moon and antenna position, and you can make manual changes, recalibrate, or change other settings and then resume tracking.  To end tracking, switch to the SatScape program and exit.