RevB NGC IDU - Ad Tech Manual - RevB - 11

NGC-IDU
Antenna Controller
Unit
Advanced Technical Manual
Manual# 7581691 – Revision B
ASC Signal Corporation

CANADA: USA:
606 Beech Street 1120 Jupiter Rd.
Whitby, Ontario, Canada Ste. 102
L1N 7T8 Plano, TX 75074
7581691_Rev B Page 0 of 179

© 2010 ASC Signal Corporation
All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means whether electronic, mechanical, or otherwise without the prior written
permission of ASC Signal Corporation.
ASC Signal Corporation reserves the right to change details in this publication without notice.
Trademark Notices
Any and all products and companies named herein are the trademarks of their respective creators and/or
owners.
Open Source Software Notice

This product makes extensive use of Open Source Software (OSS), including but not limited to the operating
system, network agents, user interface shells, and tools used to develop the software. This software gives you
the benefit of a large base of well-tested and feature-rich system software while lowering the expense of
providing these features to you. It also carries certain obligations.
Some of this software is licensed by the GNU General Public License (GPL), which requires that all
modifications or additions to the source code be kept public, and that the licensee continues to make the
source code covered public. None of this source code has been modified for use in this product. If you are a
user of this product who desires a copy of any source code covered by the GPL, contact our technical support
and we will provide this free of charge through an agreeable medium. We expect all source code archives will
be posted to public FTP servers. At the time of this writing the exact address is not known. Be advised that this
is a large archive. We may recommend you obtain it from the source we obtained it from, as the source may be
using more recent versions. We will always supply it ourselves if you prefer.
Some of this software is licensed by the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), which requires that
modifications be kept public but does not require proprietary source code linked to LGPL'ed libraries be made
public. None of this code has been modified for use in this product. All of the required source code will be
conveyed along with the code covered by the GPL above.
Some of this software is licensed by variations of the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) license, which do
not require us to pass on source code. Some of this software has been modified for use in this product.
However, in the spirit of open source, the original code will be supplied in the same manner as the code
covered by the GPL on request.
Please be advised that you will incur the same responsibilities we have incurred if you choose to redistribute
any or all of the source codes obtained through this method. Please read the included license documents
carefully.
If you have any questions about our interpretation of our obligations under OSS licenses, do not hesitate to
contact us. Our intent is to comply fully with all licensing obligations.
©ASC Signal Corporation

www.ascsignal.com
7581691_Rev B Page 1 of 179

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: How to Use This Manual 9
I.I Purpose, Overview, & Description 9
I.II Personnel Requirements 10
I.III Miscellaneous Notices 10
I.IV Warning Symbols 10
I.V Safety Terms Summary 11
I.VI Summary of Safety Precautions 11
I.VII Things to Never Do 12
I.VIII Parts Verification 12
1.0 NGC-IDU System & Parts Overview 13
1.1 NGC-IDU Standard and Optional Features 13
1.1.1 Standard Features 14
1.1.2 Options & Variations 14
1.1.3 Overall NGC-IDU System Performance 14
1.2 NGC-IDU Chassis Front Panel 15
1.2.1 Front Panel LEDs 16
1.3 NGC-IDU Back Panel 17
1.4 NGC-IDU with Numbered Parts (internal) 19
1.5 NGC-IDU System Control Processor (SCP) 20
1.6 NGC-IDU Touch Panel Unit (TPU) 22
1.7 NGC-IDU Real Panel Interface (RPI-6) 23
1.8 NGC-IDU Keyboard CPU (KBCPU-1) & Keyboard (KB-3) 26
1.8.1 KBCPU-1 26
1.8.2 KB-3 Module 27
1.9 NGC-IDU Built-in Spectrum Analyzer (OPTION) 29
1.10 NGC-IDU Built In DVB-S Receiver (OPTION) 30
1.11 Other options 32
1.11.1 Rack Slides 32
1.11.2 ESTOP switch 32
1.11.3 External Keyboard (Customer-Supplied) 32
1.11.4 External USB Jump Drive (Customer-Supplied) 32
1.12 External Beacon Receiver Connections 33
1.13 Network connection 35
1.14 Power Supplies

35
2.0 NGC-IDU Operation 36
2.1 Powering On & Off the NGC-IDU 36
2.2 Touch-Screen Screen & Keys Breakdown 38
2.2.1 Status Bar Breakdown 39
2.2.2 Home Screen Breakdown 39
2.3 Access Levels 40
2.4 General Features of the Touch-screen 41
2.4.1 Screen Saver 41
2.4.2 Keyboard shortcuts 42
2.5 Checking Status 43
2.5.1 Detailed Status 43
2.5.2 Faults and Fault Logs 46
2.5.3 Diagnostics 47
2.6 Administration Functions 48
2.6.1 Update Software Screen 49
2.7 Operations Functions 50
2.7.1 Tracking Operation 51
2.7.1.1 Track Status Menu 52
2.7.1.2 Beacon Display Screen 52
2.7.2 Movement & Jogging 53
2.7.2.1 Goto Satellite Screen 55
2.7.2.1 Goto Longitude Screen 55
2.7.2.2 Jog Screens 56
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2.7.3 Spectrum Analyzer (Option) 59
2.7.3.1 General Mode 60
2.7.3.2 Frequency Mode 61
2.7.3.3 Span Mode 62
2.7.3.4 Amplitude Mode 62
2.7.3.5 Marker Mode 63
2.7.3.6 RBW/Trace Mode 65
2.8 Configuration Functions 65
2.8.1 Configuring the System 66
2.8.1.1 SNMP Configuration 67
2.8.2 Configuring Satellites 68
2.8.2.1 Working with the Working Sat Table 69
2.8.2.1.1 Intelsat Data Entry (OPTION) 73
2.8.2.1.2 DVB Descriptor Data Entry (OPTION) 75
2.8.2.2 Working with the Global Sat Table 75
2.8.2.2.1 Updating the Global Table 76
2.8.2.2.2 Purging the Global Table 77
2.8.3 Configuring Tracking 78
2.8.4 SmarTrack® Configuration 78
2.8.5 Configuring the Platform 79
2.8.6 Configuring Motorization 79
2.8.6.1 Azimuth Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens 80
2.8.6.2 Elevation Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens 82
2.8.6.3 Polarization Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens 83
2.8.7 Configuring the SRT accessory 85
2.8.7.1 SRT X Axis Configuration 86
2.8.7.2 SRT Y Axis Configuration 87
2.8.7.3 SRT Z Axis Configuration 87

3.0 Basic Installation & Setup Tasks 88

3.1 Installation Interview GUI Conventions 88
3.2 Completing the Installation Interview 89
3.3 Checking the Beacon Receiver Interface 96
3.4 Initial Satellite Peak-up 97
3.4.1 Manual Peaking 97
3.4.2 Automatic Peaking with an external analyzer 98
3.4.3 Adjusting the tracking level 98
3.5 Platform Configuration 99
3.5.1 Antenna Size 99
3.5.2 Antenna Encoder Offsets, Types, & Limits 99
3.5.3 Heading, Roll, & Pitch 100
3.5.4 Earth Location 101
3.6 Location Configuration 101
3.7 Tracking Start, Stop, & Status Check 101
3.7.1 Start Track 101
3.7.2 Stop Track 102
3.7.3 Status Check 102
3.7.4 Automatic Track Resume 102
3.8 Configuring the network 103
3.9 Baseline Save & Restore 104
3.9.1 Custom Polarization 105
3.9.2 Multi-Band Systems with Interchangeable Feeds 105
3.10 System Time 105
3.11 Legacy Serial Protocols 106
3.11.1 APC100 Emulation 106
3.12 License Keys 106
3.13 Administration Operations 107
3.13.1 Updating Software 107

3.13.2 User Management 108
4.0 Intermediate Installation & Setup 109
4.1 NORAD & Intelsat Tracking Setup & Optimization 109
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4.1.1 Predictive Tracking 109
4.1.2 Predictive Tracking Offsets 110
4.1.3 NORAD Data Set 110
4.1.4 Intelsat Data Set (Eleven parameters) 111
4.2 Step-Track (3pp) Configuration Setup & Optimization 112
4.2.1 Configuration 112
4.2.2 Optimization of 3PP 113
4.2.3 Finding inclined orbit satellites 114
4.2.4 Interaction with other features 114
4.2.5 About the Adaptive Continuous Step Track (ACST) variant 114
4.3 SmarTrack® Configuration Setup & Optimization 115
4.3.1 Configuration 115
4.3.2 Functionality of SmarTrack® 115
4.3.3 Optimization of SmarTrack® 115
4.3.4 Pre-charge feature 115
4.3.5 SmarTrack® Model 116
4.4 Tracking Receivers 117
4.4.1 Analog Beacon Receiver Interface 117
4.4.2 Serial Beacon Receiver Interface 118
4.4.3 Internal DVB-S Receiver Option 118
4.5 Configuration of Built-in Spectrum Analyzer for Tracking 119
4.6 Satellite Configuration & Updates 119
4.6.1 Updating Satellite Table 119
4.6.2 Configuring Satellites 120
4.7 Box Limits 121
4.8 SNMP Parameters & Configuration 122
4.9 10 MHz System Accessory Configuration 122

5.0 Advanced Installation, Setup, & Operation 124

5.1 Acquisition Assist (OPTION, TriFold® only) 124
5.1.1 About the Acquisition Assist 124
5.1.2 Configuring acquisition assist signals 124
5.1.3 Configuration of Acquisition Raster Scan 125
5.1.4 Deploy & Acquire Sequence 126
5.1.5 Overriding the Compass 127
5.1.6 Correcting the Compass After Acquisition 127
5.1.7 Correcting Elevation After Acquisition 127
5.1.8 TriFold® Operation Notes 128
5.1.9 The Stow Sequence 128
5.2 Configuration of DVB-S Carrier (OPTION) 129
5.2.1 Required Information 129
5.2.2 Collecting Info for TriFold® with Acquisition Assist 130
5.3 Inclined Orbit Polarization Compensation 131

6.0 IDU System & Parts Troubleshooting 132

6.1 General Problems 132
6.2 Communications Issues 133
6.3 Alarms & Faults 134
7.0 Inspections & Maintenance 139
7.1 Cleaning the unit 139
7.2 Checking redundant power supplies 139
8.0 NGC-IDU Upgrade Kits 140

APPENDIX A: Adjusting for the Southern Hemisphere 141
APPENDIX B: Theory of Operation 142
APPENDIX C: Glossary Tables 152
APPENDIX D: Screen Status Messages 172
APPENDIX E: Limitations & Restrictions to J9 APC100 Emulation 176
APPENDIX F: NGC-IDU Mobile TriFold® Coordinate Systems 177
APPENDIX G: Equipment Issues & Tech Support 178
7581691_Rev B Page 4 of 179
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1-1: NGC-IDU Front View 13
Figure 1-2: NGC-IDU Rear View 13
Figure 1-3: NGC-IDU Front Panel 15
Figure 1-4: NGC Back Panel 17
Figure 1-5: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Left Half, Expanded View 17
Figure 1-6: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Right Half, Expanded View 17
Figure 1-7: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Right Half (Spec An Option) 18
Figure 1-8: NGC-IDU with Numbered Parts (Internal) 19
Figure 1-9: NGC-IDU SCP 20
Figure 1-10: TS-7395 TPU CPU Card (actual appearance may very) 22
Figure 1-11: Rear Panel Interface (RPI-6) Board 23
Figure 1-12: Keyboard CPU (KBCPU-1) 26
Figure 1-13: KB-3 Module 27
Figure 1-14: Built-in Spectrum Analyzer 29
Figure 1-15: DVB-S Tuner Board 30
Figure 1-16: DVB-S Main/Demodulator Board 31
Figure 1-17: J11 Port 33
Figure 1-18: J12 Port 34
Figure 2-1: NGC-IDU Menu tree 36
Figure 2-2: Shutdown Screen 37
Figure 2-3: Status Bar 39
Figure 2-4: Home (Main Menu) Screen 39
Figure 2-5a: Screen Saver 1 (Status screen) 41
Figure 2-5b: Screen Saver 2 (Current Fault Summary screen) 41
Figure 2-6: NGC-IDU Keyboard 42
Figure 2-7a: Detailed Status 1 43
Figure 2-7b: Detailed Status 2 44
Figure 2-7c: Detailed Status 3 44
Figure 2-7d: Detailed Status 4 45
Figure 2-7e: Detailed Status 5 (SRT Systems) 45
Figure 2-8: Current Faults/Conditions Screen 46
Figure 2-9: Event History Screen 46
Figure 2-10: Diagnostics Screen 47
Figure 2-11: Administration Screen 48
Figure 2-12: Update Software Screen 49
Figure 2-13: Operations Menu Screen 50
Figure 2-14: Tracking Screen 51
Figure 2-15: Track Status Menu 52
Figure 2-16: Beacon Display Screen 52
Figure 2-17: Movement Screen 53
Figure 2-18a: Movement Commands 1 53
Figure 2-18b: Movement Commands 2 54
Figure 2-19: Goto Satellite Screen 54
Figure 2-20: Goto Longitude Screen 55
Figure 2-21: Typical Jog Screen (Pol Installed) 56
Figure 2-22a: Jog Screen (No Pol Installed) 57
Figure 2-22b: Jog Screen with SRT Selected for Movement 57
Figure 2-22c: Jog Screen with Beacon vs. Time Displayed 58
Figure 2-22d: Jog Screen with Spec An Beacon Displayed 58
Figure 2-22e: Jog Screen with Spec An Displayed 58
Figure 2-22f: Jog Screen with SRT Position Displayed 59
Figure 2-23: Spec An Tab Bar 59
Figure 2-24: Spec An General Mode 60
Figure 2-25: Presets Page 61
Figure 2-26: Spec An Frequency Mode 61
Figure 2-27: Spec An Span Mode 62
Figure 2-28: Spec An Amplitude Mode 62
Figure 2-29: Spec An Marker Mode 63
Figure 2-30: Spec An RBW/Trace Mode 64
Figure 2-31: Controller Configuration Manu Screen 65
7581691_Rev B Page 5 of 179
Figure 2-32: System Setup Screen 66
Figure 2-33: System Setup Page 2 67
Figure 2-34: SNMP Configuration Screen 67
Figure 2-35: SNMP Configuration Page 2 68
Figure 2-36: Satellite Menu Screen 68
Figure 2-37: Working Satellite Table 69
Figure 2-38: Working Satellite Entry Screen 70
Figure 2-39: Working Satellite Entry Page 2 71
Figure 2-43: Intelsat Data Screen 73
Figure 2-44: Intelsat Data Page 2 73
Figure 2-45: DVB Element Configuration Screen 74
Figure 2-46: DVB Element Configuration Page 2 74
Figure 2-47: Global Satellite Table Screen 75
Figure 2-48: Update Satellite Table Screen 76
Figure 2-49: Update Satellite Table Screen 77
Figure 2-50: Step-Track Configuration Screen 78
Figure 2-51: SmarTrack® Configuration Screen 79
Figure 2-52a: Motorization Screen 80
Figure 2-52b: Motorization Page 2 81
Figure 2-52c: Motorization Page 3 82
Figure 2-52d: Motorization Page 4 83
Figure 2-52e: Motorization Page 5 83
Figure 2-52f: Motorization Page 6 84
Figure 2-53: SRT Axes 85
Figure 2-54a: SRT Configuration Screen 1 85
Figure 2-54b: SRT Configuration Screen 2 86
Figure 2-54c: SRT Configuration (X Axis) Screen 3 86
Figure 2-54d: SRT Configuration (Y Axis) Screen 4 87
Figure 2-54e: SRT Configuration (Z Axis) Screen 5 87
Figure 3-1: Installation GUI Conventions 88
Figure 3-2: Spiral Scan 98
Figure 3-3: Analog Beacon Receiver Example 98
Figure 3-4: ODU Coordinate Transform Flow 100
Figure 3-5: Roll & Pitch in NGC-ODU & How They Are Used 100
Figure 3-6: NGC-IDU Restart After SW Update 108
Figure 3-7: User Management Screen 108
Figure 4-1: NORAD TLE with Selected Elements Identified 110
Figure 4-2: Intelsat Data with Selected Elements Identified 112
Figure 4-3: SmarTrack® model 116
Figure 4-4: Tracking Receivers 117
Figure 4-5: Box Limits 122
Figure 4-6: 10MHz Reference Screen 1 123
Figure 4-7: 10MHz Reference Screen 2 123
Figure 5-1: Raster Scan 125
Figure 6-1: General Troubleshooting Flowchart #1 132
Figure 6-4: Communications Troubleshooting Flowchart #1 133
Figure 6-7: Alarms/Faults Troubleshooting Flowchart #1 135
7581691_Rev B Page 6 of 179
Figure 7-1: Location of Power Indicator LED on Power Brick 139
Figure B-1: NGC-IDU Block Diagram 142
Figure B-2: NGC Antenna Control System Block Diagram 143
Figure F-1: TriFold® Orientation 177
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1: NGC-ODUs compatible with NGC-IDU 13
Table 1.2: NGC-IDU Optional Hardware Elements 14
Table 1.3: NGC-IDU Optional Software Elements 14
Table 1.4: Software Elements 14
Table 1.5: System Performance Specs 14
Table 1.6: Front Panel LEDs 16
Table 1.7: NGC Back Panel Connectors 18
Table 1.8: SCP LEDs 21
Table 1.9: SCP Main Board Jacks & Plugs 21
Table 1.10: SCP Modem Jacks & Plugs 21
Table 1.11: SCP Main Board Jumpers 21
Table 1.12: SCP Modem Jumpers 21
Table 1.13: TPU LEDs 22
Table 1.14: TPU Jacks & Plugs 22
Table 1.15: TPU Jumpers 22
Table 1.16: RPI-6 LEDs 24
Table 1.17: RPI-6 Jacks & Plugs 24
Table 1.18: RPI-6 Switches 25
Table 1.19: RPI-6 Jumpers 25
Table 1.20: RPI-6 Test Points 25
Table 1.21: KBCPU-1 LEDs 26
Table 1.22: KBCPU-1 Jacks & Plugs 27
Table 1.23: KBCPU-1 Switches 27
Table 1.24: KBCPU-1 Jumpers 27
Table 1.25: KBCPU-1 Test Points 27
Table 1.26: Keyboard functions 28
Table 1.27: KB-3 LEDs 28
Table 1.28: Spectrum Analyzer Jacks and Plugs 29
Table 1.29: J11 Pin-Out (analog beacon receiver interface) 33
Table 1.30: J12 Pin-out (receiver serial interface) 34
Table 1.31: Supported beacon receiver Models 34
Table 1.32: J3 RJ-45 Pin-Out 35

Table 2.1: Touch Screen Icons & Buttons 38

Table 2.2: Security Access Levels 40
Table 2.3 Band Type Icons 69
Table 2.4: Pol Type Icons 70

Table 3.1: Common Slash-to-Decimal Forms 103

Table 4.1: Summary of Some Tracking Techniques 109

Table 4.2: Step Tracking Issues 114
Table 4.3: Community String Functions 123

Table 5.1: Acquisition Sequence 126

Table 5.2: Stow Sequences 128
Table 5.3: DVB-S Receiver Info 129

Table 6.1: Unusual Alarms & Conditions of NGC-IDU 134

Table C.1: List of Handheld Terminal Parameters 152

Table C.2: Encoder/Resolver Types 162
7581691_Rev B Page 7 of 179
Table C.3: Axis Limit Conditions, Azimuth, Polarization, and SRT X axes 162
Table C.4: Axis Limit Conditions, Elevation and SRT Y axes 162
Table C.5: Supplementary azimuth axis inputs 162
Table C.6: Supplementary Elevation axis inputs 163
Table C.7: Cabinet power status fields 163
Table C.8: NGC Communications Bus Entities 163
Table C.9: Compass Calibration Statuses 163
Table C.10: Compass Faults 164
Table C.11: Compass Mode 164
Table C.12 GPS Faults 164
Table C.13 GPS Quality 164
Table C.14: Limit Switch Mask Fields 165
Table C.15: Local Remote settings 165
Table C.16: Axis Movement Faults 165
Table C.17: Movement command enumerations 166
Table C.18: Voltage Monitor Mask values 166
Table C.19: Operational Configurations 166
Table C.20: Stepper Motor types 166
Table C.21: Polarization Axis Setup 167
Table C.22: SRT Axes Present field 167
Table C.23: SRT Movement Command 167
Table C.24: SRT Overall Status 167
Table C.25: SRT Temperature Status 167
Table C.26: SRT Z Limit status field 168
Table C.27: Track Mode enumeration 168
Table C.28: Track State field meanings 168
Table C.29: VFD DataLink Status 168
Table C.30: Fault Severity Table 169

Table D.1: Screen Status Messages 172
7581691_Rev B Page 8 of 179

INTRODUCTION: How to Use This Manual
I.I Purpose, Overview, & Description
Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to provide installation, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting and corrective maintenance
information together with detailed checkout procedures for the NGC Antenna Controller Indoor Unit (IDU). This manual is
intended for use by qualified technical and/or installation personnel ONLY, for the performance of installation,
operation, and maintenance procedures for the NGC-IDU system.
IF YOU ARE A GENERAL USER, DO NOT USE THIS MANUAL! General users should refer to manual 7581739

Overview
The NGC Antenna Control System is an advanced level antenna control system intended for applications with demanding
tracking requirements, complex geometries, and changeable circumstances.
The NGC Antenna Control System offers precise, user-friendly control over the basic motorization kits for ASC Signal
Corporation antennas with sizes ranging from 2.4 meters and up. The NGC Antenna Control System may be used in
situations that have previously used (or had the potential to use) the ACS3000.
The NGC-IDU features a SmarTrack® predictive tracking mode that utilizes a patented Three-Point Peak Algorithm that
saves wear on the antenna motors and jacks.
Another feature of the NGC system is the use of VFDs (Variable Frequency Drives) that allow the antenna to increase
speed when the antenna is commanded to move to a new target satellite, while moving at a precise lower speed when the
antenna is tracking or peaking up on a satellite.
Providing convenient features such as straightforward color graphics, LCD touch screen interface, and a number of
powerful remote control software protocol options, the NGC Antenna Control System is an ideal solution for medium- to
large-sized earth stations requiring complex pointing and tracking functions.

General Product Description
The ASC Signal NGC-IDU is a modular, scalable, adaptable advanced-level antenna pointing and tracking controller
intended for motorized satellite earth station antennas used with geosynchronous communications satellites.
The system is intended for new installations, and as a replacement for legacy control systems such as the ASC Signal
APC100, APC400, and ACS3000 systems.
The NGC-IDU provides the following basic and optional features:
• Variable Speed motor control for two- and three-axis motor systems complying with the standard ASC Signal
interface, using VFDs for driving the Az and El axes
• Support for single phase AC Pol rotators
• Automatic positioning of antennas to pre-programmed look angles
• Optical Interfacility link
• Local control from the indoor unit through an advanced touch screen LCD and keypad
• Local control from the outdoor unit through an advanced handheld unit
• Automatic installation commissioning assistance
• 10/100 BaseT Ethernet interface for external M&Cs (via the IDU)
• Remote control through network-based and serial-port-based communications protocols, including both legacy
protocols and SNMP
• Integral beacon receiver interfaces to support ASC Signal’s patented three-point peaking step-track and SmarTrack®
hybrid feedback/predictive program tracking algorithms
• NORAD and Intelsat program tracking
• Optional integrated subreflector tracking (SRT) capability for high-accuracy Ka-band tracking, including hybrid main
dish and SRT positioning and tracking
The NGC system is physically divided into an Indoor Unit (NGC-IDU) and an Outdoor Unit (NGC-ODU), connected by a
dedicated multimode optical fiber link.
The NGC-IDU is a 3RU 19-inch rackmount chassis that is mounted inside the equipment shelter or building. It provides
the user interface and the interface to the tracking receivers. All NGC system variants have the same NGC-IDU package.
The NGC-ODU is packaged in multiple layouts based on application. All are generally mounted outside, on the positioner,
pedestal or tripod mount. Depending on the ordered chassis variant, the NGC-ODU may use 208VAC or 380VAC three-
phase WYE power, or 240VAC single-phase power. The NGC-ODU may use common or separate sources for technical
and service power, as desired by the customer.
7581691_Rev B Page 9 of 179

The functional allocation between NGC-IDU and NGU-ODU follows one basic principle: the indoor unit generates all
pointing commands and the outdoor unit executes them. All tracking functions are isolated to the NGC-IDU, which as
mentioned is indoors, where the beacon receiver or other signal measurement device will be located. All motion control
functions are isolated to the NGC-ODU, which is located on positioner or pedestal, allowing termination of all local control
cables after short runs and minimizing interconnection between indoor and outdoor to AC power, transmit and receive
signals, and a single control fiber pair.
No configuration of the dedicated link between NGC-IDU and NGC-ODU is required. This avoids the need for the installer
to understand TCP/IP networking configuration.
I.II Personnel Requirements
NOTICE
THE INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE OR REMOVAL OF AN ANTENNA REQUIRES QUALIFIED,
EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL.
ASC SIGNAL CORP. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED FOR SUCH
PERSONNEL. ANTENNA SYSTEMS SHOULD BE INSPECTED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR BY QUALIFIED
PERSONNEL TO VERIFY PROPER INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND CONDITION OF THE EQUIPMENT.
ASC SIGNAL CORP DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RESULT OF IMPROPER OR
UNSAFE INSTALLATION OR MAINTENANCE PRACTICES.
I.III Miscellaneous Notices
Proprietary Information
The technical data contained herein is proprietary to ASC Signal Corporation. It is intended for use in the installation,
operation, and maintenance of ASC Signal equipment. This data shall not be disclosed or duplicated, in whole or in part,
without the expressed written consent of ASC Signal Corporation.

Installation Notice
Installation, maintenance, or removal of the hardware described in this manual requires qualified and experienced
personnel. ASC Signal installation instructions are written for such personnel. Qualified personnel MUST perform
proper installation and maintenance of the equipment, and MUST verify the condition of the equipment at initial
installation and periodically thereafter.
NOTE: ASC Signal is NOT liable or responsible for results of improper or unsafe installation and maintenance practices.
All designs, specifications, and availability of products are subject to change without notice.

IMPORTANT: What to Know When You See OPTION:
Any time you see “OPTION:” this means that the information following it is related to an optional element (in either
hardware or software) that may or may not apply to the arrangement of your particular NGC Unit. Please note that if you
see an option that you do not have but would like to purchase, you should contact ASC Signal.
I.IV Warning Symbols
Various components of this System may display safety symbols. Be sure to use extreme caution when operating
components with any of the following safety symbols:
Certains éléments du système montreront peut-être des symboles de sécurité. Faites très attention à faire marcher tous
les éléments qui tiennent les symboles de sécurité suivants:
OR WARNING! HAZARDOUS MOVING PARTS! KEEP FINGERS AND OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY!
AVERTISSEMENT! PIÈCES MOBILES DANGEREUSES! GARDEZ LES DOIGTS ET LES AUTRES PARTIES DU
CORPS HORS D’ATTEINTE!
WARNING! RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!

AVERTISSEMENT! RISQUE D’ÉLECTROCUTION!
WARNING! REFER TO MANUAL

AVERTISSEMENT! SE RÉFÉRER AU MANUEL D’UTILISATION.
7581691_Rev B Page 10 of 179

I.V Safety Terms Summary
The following safety terms may appear on this product:
Les termes de sécurité suivants peuvent apparaître sur le produit:
DANGER—Indicates an immediately accessible injury hazard is present as you read the marking, and failure to take
precautions could result in loss of life
DANGER—Cette indication signale un risque de blessure immédiat et qui peut être mortel.
WARNING—Indicates a nearby injury hazard that is not immediately accessible as you read the markings, and failure to
take precautions could result in personal injury and/or loss of life
AVERTISSEMENT—Cette indication signale un risque de blessure non immédiat mais qui peut être mortel.
CAUTION—Indicates a potential hazard to property, including the product
PRUDENCE—Indique un risque pour l’environ du produit, le produit inclus.
The following safety symbols and terms may be used in this manual:
Les symbols et les termes suivants de sûreté peuvant être employés en ce manuel:
WARNING! Statements identify conditions & practices that could result in injury or loss of life.
AVERTISSEMENT! Les rapports d’avertissement identifient les conditions ou les pratiques qui pourraient avoir comme
conséquence les dommages ou la perte de la vie.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!

RISQUE DE DÉCHARGE ÉLECTRIQUE!
I.VI Summary of Safety Precautions

The following safety precautions are not related to any specific procedure, and so will not appear elsewhere in this
manual. Ensure all personnel understand & apply these precautions in all phases of installation, operation, &
maintenance. Failure to do so may result in loss of life.
KEEP AWAY FROM LIVE CIRCUITS: Personnel must observe all applicable safety regulations at all times. Ensure
power is disconnected or removed from the unit BEFORE replacing any components. Potential hazards may exist even
though the power control switch is in OFF position. Capacitors retain electrical charges. Always REMOVE POWER & use
test equipment to confirm a circuit is at ground potential BEFORE touching it. NEVER reach into or enter an enclosure to
service or adjust the equipment until the absence of power has been confirmed.
DO NOT SERVICE OR ADJUST ALONE: Under NO circumstances should ANY person reach into or enter the
enclosure for the purpose of servicing or adjusting the equipment except in the presence of someone who is capable
of rendering aid in case of an accident/emergency.
RESUSCITATION: Personnel working with or near high voltage should be familiar with resuscitation methods (CPR
and/or AED). CPR info may be obtained from medical personnel. For AED (Automated External Defibrillator) information,
contact supervisor or hosting administration for details on the availability and/or location of an AED unit at your worksite.
ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PRECAUTION

This equipment contains electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitive devices. ESD sensitive equipment handling methods
must be used to prevent equipment damage during handling and servicing.
ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENT

Refer to document “P/N 240117—Essential Health and Safety Requirements”.
7581691_Rev B Page 11 of 179

I.VII THINGS TO NEVER DO
• NEVER touch circuits or reach into an enclosure until the disconnection of power and absence of charge has been
confirmed
• NEVER service or adjust equipment alone. Electric shock can lead to cardiac arrest. Presence of immediate aid gives
you a 90% chance of survival, but this drops by 10% with every passing minute. After 5 minutes, resuscitation
without permanent heart and/or brain damage is nearly impossible. Consider this: Without the immediate aid of
CPR or an AED, what are the odds you will be found and successfully revived in under 5 minutes?
• NEVER ignore warning symbols or fail to read safety signs
• NEVER skip steps in a sequence, unless specifically instructed to do so by the manual, software, and/or authorized
ASC Tech Support Personnel. Aside from risking harm to yourself, you risk doing permanent damage to the equipment
• NEVER touch or stand near any potentially moving parts (even if they are not in motion at the time) when the unit is in
operation or powered on, as they may move without warning
• NEVER stand underneath any object while it is being lifted
• NEVER remove, disable, or exceed the unit’s safety, software, security, or movement limits, unless specifically
instructed to do so by the manual, software, and/or authorized ASC Tech Support Personnel. The careless disabling of
such safeguards is one of the most common causes of serious equipment damage during installation and operation
I.VIII Parts Verification
STOP! READ BEFORE BEGINNING ASSEMBLY OR INSTALLATION!

Upon receipt of your order, the shipment should be verified to ensure that all parts have reached your site. This process
should occur before the installation process begins. ASC Signal Corporation thoroughly inspects and carefully packs all
equipment before shipment. If you find that there are missing or damaged components, please refer to the step-by-step
instructions (located in back of this manual) on how to properly report equipment loss or damage. When you have
received your order, verify that all parts contained in the shipment correspond to the parts listed on your packing
slip/inventory.
7581691_Rev B Page 12 of 179

1.0 NGC-IDU System & Parts Overview
The following sections will cover all parts and components for the NGC-IDU, both internal and external. These
sections will also cover all current standard, optional, and additional features for the NGC-IDU.
Figure 1-1: NGC-IDU FRONT VIEW Figure 1-2: NGC-IDU REAR VIEW
NOTE: normally, the chassis should NOT be opened as shown in the above figures.
1.1 NGC-IDU Standard and Optional Features

NOTE: some features require optional and/or the installation of a software license key.

1.1.1 Standard Features
All NGC-IDUs come with the following set of standard features:
• 800x480 WVGA-format 32,768-color touch screen
• Auxiliary keypad
• Optical (100baseFX) interface to the NGC-ODU
• Analog and serial beacon receiver interfaces
• TCP/IP over Ethernet (100BaseT) networking including SNMP, FTP, and NTP protocols
• USB jump drive support
• APC100 serial protocol emulation
• Status monitoring and logging
• External PC keyboard supported (not supplied)
When combined with certain NGC-ODUs, it adds the following standard features:
• Automatic stow and deploy of TriFold® antennas.

1.1.2 Options and Variations
The NGC-IDU is designed to create a complete system when combined with a wide variety of
configurations. It automatically configures itself to match ODU capabilities, including all installed options
[heaters, Pol drive kits, SRTs, etc.]. At the time of writing, the IDU supports the following ODUs.
Table 1.1: NGC-ODUs compatible with NGC-IDU
Part Number Description
NGC-ODU-208-3 208VAC, 3HP, Fixed
NGC-ODU-208-3D 208VAC, 3HP, Fixed, Dual Az (High Accuracy Encoders)
NGC-ODU-208-3-HA 208VAC, 3HP, Fixed, High Accuracy Encoders
NGC-ODU-208-LPP 208VAC, Low Profile Positioner, Dual Az
NGC-ODU-208-SPP 208VAC, Standard Profile Positioner
NGC-ODU-SRT 120/240VAC, SRT-only system, fixed
7581691_Rev B Page 13 of 179
The following optional hardware elements can be installed in or with the NGC-IDU. Optional software
associated with some of these elements is automatically activated by the NGC-IDU hardware.
Table 1.2: NGC-IDU Optional Hardware Elements

Option Code Feature Name Notes
NGC-001 Spectrum Analyzer Factory-installed hardware spectrum analyzer.
NGC-003 DVB-S Receiver Factory-installed DVB receiver
NGC-009 Rack slides Factory-installed rack slides
NGC-006 ESTOP switch Factory-installed additional ESTOP switch
The following software elements can be field activated by software license key as shown in the following
table:
Table 1.3: NGC-IDU Optional Software Elements
Option Code Feature Name Notes
NGC-101 Step Tracking (Standard)
NGC-102 SmarTrack® Orbital prediction algorithm
NGC-103 Predictive Track NORAD and Intelsat ephemeris
NGC-104 Full Track NGC-101 + NGC-102 + NGC-103
NGC-107 Enhanced Spec An Requires NGC-001 to be effective.
The software elements shown in the following table are automatically activated by the presence of specific
NGC-ODU hardware:
Table 1.4: Software Elements
Option Code/Part # Feature Name Notes
NGC-105 Acquisition Assist Activated by presence of AS-1 unit, mobile operational
configuration
7579403 Three-axis SRT carriage Motorized subreflector tracking carriage for 8.1m
antennas
7581065 Dual-axis SRT carriage Motorized subreflector tracking carriage for 3.5m
antennas
The NGC-IDU software system is common to all deliveries. Unlike some other antenna control systems,
customized software is not used. Therefore, the current release can always be updated on the NGC-IDU
and any optional feature will continue to work.

1.1.3 Overall NGC-IDU System Performance
Table 1.5: System Performance Specs

Item Specification Remarks
Az/El Axis Resolution 0.001° internal True resolution depends on encoder/resolver used in NGC-
0.001° display ODU
Pol Axis Resolution 0.001° internal True resolution depends on encoder/resolver used in NGC-
0.100° display ODU
Pointing accuracy Varies with NGC-ODU
Beacon sensitivity 0.01dB Analog

7581691_Rev B Page 14 of 179

1.2 NGC-IDU Chassis Front Panel
The NGC-IDU front panel has an 800x480 color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and 30 key areas. From this
interface, you can perform all functions to configure, control, and monitor operation of your antenna.
11
3
4
5 10
2
6
7
8 9 12
1

Figure 1-3: NGC-IDU Front Panel
# Item Description
1 USB Jack Allows a limited number of peripheral devices to be connected to system. These include USB
keyboards and Windows-formatted USB drives (jump drives) which can be used for data
entry tasks without networking. There is also a USB jack on the back of the unit.
CAUTION: Some jump drives or other peripherals can interfere with the bootstrap of Linux
operating system. Do not leave jump drives or other peripheral devices attached when you are not
using them.
2 Touch-screen Allows interactive data entry and display of all controls to and information from the system.
Panel Unit (TPU) This TPU is the central user interface of the NGC-IDU.
3 Fault LED indicates current faults. If you touch it, screen jumps to Current Fault Summary
4 Standby Used to halt program movement quickly. It is a program halt (only program movement is
inhibited). LED is lit if system is halted
5 Signal Used to jump to Spectrum Analyzer function (if installed). LED lit if low signal fault present
6 Tracking Used to jump to tracking screen. LED indicates system is actively moving, seeking a new
peak by flashing, and indicates the system is actively tracking if constantly lit
7 GoTo Used to jump to satellite selection screen. LED flashes if antenna is in motion
8 LCL/Remote Used to toggle between Local (LCL) and Remote (REM) modes.
9 Jog Mode As the button text suggests, this button toggles the Jog mode
10 Jog Keys Allows jogging (if system is in correct mode), jump to Movement screen, and provides
backup to the touch-screen in the event that it becomes unresponsive
11 Keypad Allows alphanumeric entries as well as sign (+/-) and decimal (.) values
12 Power Button NGC-IDU Power ON/OFF
OPTION: one option is an EMERGENCY STOP button on left of front panel just above USB port. Emergency stop is an
inhibiter. Antenna will not move until it is cleared.
7581691_Rev B Page 15 of 179

1.2.1 Front Panel LEDs
• Each Front Panel LED uses specific combinations of color and flashing rate to communicate system
status items at a glance.
• During startup the LEDs cycle in a characteristic pattern from the FAULT LED to the power LED. Once
the LEDs stop cycling, the SCP has started, and the system will resume operation in a couple of
seconds.
• During shutdown the LEDs will flash white twice and then go dark.
• During software update the LEDs will cycle like they do for startup.
NOTE: Some versions of software may vary somewhat from these descriptions
The following table gives the steady-state meanings of each LED:
Table 1.6: Front Panel LEDs

# Key LED Type/Color Meaning
3 FAULT BLUE fast blink Loss of comm. with ODU (see NOTE)
RED solid Major or critical fault
YELLOW solid Minor fault or event active (see NOTE)
GREEN solid No unacknowledged faults
4 STANDBY BLUE solid Standing still
Off (no color) Moving
5 SIGNAL YELLOW slow blink Low signal alarm
Off (no color) Signal level is OK
6 TRACKING BLUE fast blink Track fault
BLUE slow blink Scanning or finalizing peak
BLUE solid Tracking
Off (no color) Not tracking
7 GOTO YELLOW fast blink Position loop
YELLOW slow blink Jogging
Off (no color) Not moving
8 LCL/REM GREEN on Local mode
YELLOW fast blink Local handheld mode
YELLOW on Remote mode
9 JOG MODE YELLOW fast blink Jogging dish
GREEN slow blink Jogging SRT
GREEN solid Jog enabled
BLUE solid Jog disabled
12 POWER Off (no color) No power
Very slow blink Standby
On/Solid Normal On
NOTE: Some SCP software versions may not support some of the specific color/blink combinations mentioned in the
above table.
7581691_Rev B Page 16 of 179

1.3 NGC-IDU Back Panel
The NGC’s back panel provides power and interface connections.
Figure 1-4: NGC Back Panel
Figure 1-5: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Left Half, Expanded View
Figure 1-6: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Right Half, Expanded View
7581691_Rev B Page 17 of 179

Figure 1-7: NGC Back Panel Connectors, Right Half (w/ SPEC AN OPTION)
Table 1.7: NGC Back Panel Connectors

Item Function Type Description Required Mating Connector
J1 +15VDC power Power coaxial Interface to external power ASC Signal P/N NGC-008 Power
with locking screw brick Supply
J2 +15VDC power Power coaxial Interface to external power ASC Signal P/N NGC-008 Power
with locking screw brick Supply
(redundant, optional)
J3 Ethernet LAN RJ45 Network interface Standard RJ45
J4 Modem RJ11 POTS modem interface Standard RJ11 or RJ12
J5 Transmit Fiber ST 100BaseFX link to ODU Standard Type ST
J6 Receive Fiber ST 100BaseFX link to ODU Standard Type ST
J7 NGC Bus IEC DIN Serial bus for expansion Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics P/N C091
connector equipment 31H008 101 2
J8 USB USB flat USB for system control Standard Type A USB plug or memory
connector processor stick
J9 Legacy M&C DB-9P Legacy protocol Standard Type D-Subminiature 9 socket
female (receptacle). Example:
AMP/Tyco P/N 5-747905-2
J10 Mobile DB-9S Dual RS-422 links for Standard Type D-Subminiature 9 Pin
expansion Male (Plug) connector. Example:
AMP/Tyco P/N 5-747904-2
J11 Analog Beacon DB-25P Analog interface for beacon Standard Type D-Subminiature 25
receiver, compatible with socket female (receptacle). Example:
APC300 & APC400 pin-outs AMP/Tyco P/N 5-747913-2
J12 Serial Beacon DB-15S Serial interface, compatible Standard Type D-Subminiature 15 Pin
with APC400 Male (Plug) connector. Example:
AMP/Tyco P/N 5-747908-2
J13 DVB Input L-band F-type Standard Type F connector
J14 GPRS Customer option Not available at this time
J15 Spectrum analyzer N-type Customer option Standard Type N 50Ω male
input
7581691_Rev B Page 18 of 179

1.4 NGC-IDU with Numbered Parts (internal)
WARNING: The following sections show the internal components of the NGC-IDU. This information is provided for
use under guidance from ASC Signal service personnel only. Do not open IDU chassis unless instructed to do so by ASC
Signal service personnel. Opening the IDU chassis without proper authorization may result in a voided warranty. Also,
charges may apply to any subsequent repairs that are needed as a result of unauthorized opening of the IDU chassis.
With the chassis lid removed, the internal components of the NGC-IDU can be seen.
2
3
4 1
Figure 1-8: NGC-IDU with Numbered Parts (Internal)

# Part Description Reference Section
1 7579962 Rear Panel Interface PWA Section 1.7
2 7579582 Embedded Spectrum Analyzer (Option) Section 1.9
3 7579587 System Control Processor Section 1.5
4 7544375 Embedded DVB-S Receiver (Option) Section 1.10
5 7579590 Touch Panel Unit Section 1.6
6 7579959 Keyboard Processor (KBCPU-1) PWA Section 1.8.1
7 7579078 Keyboard PWA (KB-3) Section 1.8.2
7581691_Rev B Page 19 of 179

1.5 NGC-IDU System Control Processor (SCP)
The System Control Processor is a Technologic Systems TS-700 single board computer system. This item is
supplied off-the-shelf, as-is, by the vendor. ASC Signal adds only software programs, an optional modem from
the same manufacturer, and installs the unit in the chassis. This is a PC/104 compliant single board computer.
The TS-7300 is based upon the Cirrus EP9302 ARM9 CPU, which provides a standard set of on-board
peripherals. The EP9302 features an ARM920T 200 MHz processor design with MMU. In addition, TS-7300 is
powered with two SD Card flash sockets, one of which is used.
Figure 1-9: NGC-IDU SCP

# Part Name
1 COM6 RS-232 port. Not used
2 COM4 RS-232 port, DVB receiver option
3 COM5 RS-232 port, Keyboard CPU
4 COM3 RS-232 port, Legacy M&C protocol port (J9 on rear panel)
5 CN104 System +5VDC power
6 J2 Internal Ethernet LAN Network jack
7 JP1-JP5 Modem jumper set
8 J6 Dual USB jack
9 J5 External Ethernet LAN Network jack
10 CN4 SD Card socket. SD card contains system software.
NOTE: SD Card must be supplied by ASC Signal. This card is not formatted for camera use or PC use.
Do not remove unless directed to do so by ASC Signal support staff.
11 JP1-JP6 Jumpers
12 L1 Analog modem
7581691_Rev B Page 20 of 179
Table 1.8: SCP LEDs
LED Color Name
“RED” Red CPU fault
“GREEN” green CPU run
“TX DATA” green Tx serial data
“RX DATA” green Rx serial data
Table 1.9: SCP Main Board Jacks & Plugs

Part Function
CN1 COM2 serial port interface
CN104 System +5VDC power
CN301 COM1 serial port interface (Linux console)
CN303 COM3 serial port
CN9 VGA out (not used)
J2 Internal Ethernet LAN Network jack
J5 External Ethernet LAN Network jack
J6 Dual USB jack
Table 1.10: SCP Modem Jacks & Plugs

Part Function
L1 POTS RJ-11 analog modem line
Table 1.11: SCP Main Board Jumpers

Part Installed? Function
JP1 No Recovery bootstrap required. Do not install.
JP2 Yes Enable serial console on COM1. Left installed.
JP3 No Write-enable flash. Do not install. This flash is like the BIOS in a PC.
JP4 No Console send to COM2. Do not install.
JP5 No User jumper. If jumper is installed at power up, software will delete all data files, which causes
system to be restored to a pre-factory state with no data files, configuration, and/or backup
information. This may be used in extreme emergencies.
JP6 No Fastboot jumper. Do not install. Installation will prevent NGC-IDU from working correctly.
Table 1.12: SCP Modem Jumpers

Part Installed? Function
JP1 No COM port number selection
JP2 No Not used
JP3 No Not used
JP4 Yes Interrupt selection
JP5 No Interrupt selection
7581691_Rev B Page 21 of 179

1.6 NGC-IDU Touch Panel Unit (TPU)
The Touch Panel Unit is a Technologic Systems TS-7395 single board computer system with an integral
800x480 pixel 15-bit color graphics display. This item is supplied off-the-shelf, as-is, by the vendor. ASC Signal
adds only an open-source software program and installs the unit in the front panel.
The TS-7395 CPU card has the following basic hardware features:
• Cirrus EP9302 200MHz ARM9 CPU running Debian 2.6 Linux
• On-board FPGA (5K LUT LatticeXP2 FPGA) with dedicated 8MiB RAM Framebuffer & 800x480 video core
• 128MiB DRAM
• 512MiB NAND flash memory
• 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port
• Dual full-speed USB ports (host)
• XY touch-screen interface
Figure 1-10: TS-7395 TPU CPU Card (picture may not be representative)
# Part Name
1 CN2 +12VDC power for TPU
2 n/a Backlight power to LCD display
3 J5 100BaseT Ethernet LAN connector (RJ-45)
4 J6 Dual USB header
5 CN34 XY touch-screen interface cable
6 DIO Diagnostic header, factory use only
7 CN4 LCD parallel display interface
Table 1.13: TPU LEDs
LED Color Name
D4 Red Power on fault LED 2, fades off with power up. Will turn back on
later
D5 Green Power on fault LED 1, turns on with power up, turns off
Table 1.14: TPU Jacks & Plugs
Part Function
CN2 5-28V Power In
CN34 XY touch-screen controller
CN4 LCD digital interface
J5 100BaseT Ethernet LAN connector (RJ-45)
J6 Dual USB connector
Table 1.15: TPU Jumpers
Part Function
JP1 Boot from SD card, not used in the NGC-IDU. Do not install
7581691_Rev B Page 22 of 179
1.7 NGC-IDU Real Panel Interface (RPI-6)
Rear Panel Interface (RPI-6) board provides all most external connections from NGC-IDU. RPI-6 contains
beacon receiver interface, internal network switch, power distribution circuits, & support functions for chassis
Figure 1-11: Rear Panel Interface (RPI-6) Board

# Part Name
1 RJ12 Beacon serial interface
2 RJ11 Beacon analog interface
3 J14 Legacy serial RS-232 connection to SCP
4 RJ910 Legacy serial to external connection, expansion serial ports
5 RJ8 Expansion USB
6 RJ7 NGC Bus
7 RJ5/RJ6 Fiber TX/RX
8 RJ4 Modem
9 RJ3 External LAN connection
10 RJ2 Secondary Power
11 RJ1 Primary Power
12 J26 Serial connection to control and monitor DVB receiver option
13 J9 KBCPU power/Standby
14 J17 TPU diagnostics
15 J19 TPU USB
16 J18 SCP USB
17 J20 Front Panel USB
18 J2 RPI-6 USB port
19 J6 SCP +5VDC power
20 J1 TPU +12VDC power
21 J23 TPU LAN
22 J24 Spectrum Analyzer LAN
23 J25 SCP LAN
24 J16 POTS modem to SCP
25 J12 External LAN
26 J27 DVB Serial Link
27 J5 DVB Power
28 J4 Expansion device power
7581691_Rev B Page 23 of 179
Table 1.16: RPI-6 LEDs
LED Color Name
DS1 Green USB link status. Used when JP1 is installed
DS2 Green USB connection status. Used when JP1 is installed
DS3 Red RPI-6 microprocessor fault
DS4 Green RPI-6 microprocessor run
DS5 Green +3.3V power rail status
DS6 Green +15VDC primary raw power rail status
DS7 Green +15VDC secondary raw power rail status
DS8 Green +5VDC power status
DS9 Green +3.3VDC analog power rail status
DS10 Green +14.6V power rail status after diode OR from +15V inputs (unswitched)
DS11 Green +12VDC power rail status
DS12 Green +5VDC power rail status
DS13 Green Future use (Wi-Fi RF link)
DS14 Green Bus activity
DS15 Yellow Internal RPI-6 processor link active (switch side)
DS16 Green Internal RPI-6 processor link speed (switch side)
DS17 Yellow Internal RPI-6 processor link active (processor side)
DS18 Green Internal RPI-6 processor link speed (processor side)
DS19 Yellow Fiber link active (to NGC-ODU)
DS20 Green Fiber speed
Table 1.17: RPI-6 Jacks & Plugs

Part Rear Panel Location Function
Label
J1 None Internal Switches +12V DC power
J2 None Internal USB jack for software update
J3 None Internal Mirrors J11. Analog interface for internal beacon receiver option assembly
J4 None Internal Switched +5/+12VDC power for internal spectrum analyzer option assembly
J5 None Internal Switched +5/+12VDC power for internal DVB option assembly
J6 None Internal +5VDC power to System Control Processor PWA
J7 None Internal Contact closure for E-Stop button assembly option
J8 None Internal Switched +14.6VDC power rail for accessory power
J9 None Internal Standby/on/off power connection control from KBCPU; power supply to
KBCPU, [email protected] maximum
J10 None Internal Factory Use Only
J11 None Internal Internal beacon serial interface. Mirrors RJ12
J12 None Internal External LAN connection to SCP board (pass through to RJ3)
J13 None Internal Factory use only
J14 None Internal Internal interface to SCP COM3 RS232 serial port, used by legacy serial
protocol on real panel’s J9
J15 None Internal Factory use only
J16 None Internal Internal interface to POTS modem installed on SCP’s PC-104 stack. Pass
through to RJ4
J17 None Internal Diagnostic connection to TPU PWB
J18 None Internal Internal interface to USB port on SCP, with added +5VDC power.
J19 None Internal Internal interface to USB port on TPU PWA
J20 None Internal Internal interface to USB port on front panel, with added +5VDC power.
J21 None Internal Future use only
J22 None Internal NGC Bus Monitor port (TTL level)
J23 None Internal Ethernet TPU PWA network connection
J24 None Internal Ethernet Spectrum Analyzer Module network connection (optional)
J25 None Internal Ethernet SCP PWA network connection
J26 None Internal Internal interface to SCP COM4 RS232 serial port, used by DVB receiver
option
J27 None Internal Serial connection to control and monitor DVB receiver option
RJ1 J1 External power Primary +15VDC power supply from external P/S
RJ2 J2 External power Secondary +15VDC power supply from external P/S (optional)
RJ3 J3 External LAN External LAN connection to SCP board (pass through to J12)
7581691_Rev B Page 24 of 179

Part Rear Panel Location Function
Label
RJ4 J4 External POTS RJ11 connection to conventional analog phone line for remote diagnostic
access
RJ5 J5 100BaseFX Fiber Fiber connection to NGC-ODU or NGC-ODU-SRT
connection TX
RJ6 J6 100BaseFX Fiber Fiber connection from NGC-ODU or NGC-ODU-SRT
connection RX
RJ7 J7 NGC bus Serial/power bus for accessory expansion
RJ8 J8 USB USB access for SCP. Reserved for future use.
RJ910 J9 & J10 Serial DB15 jacks
Expansion serial ports for future use
RJ11 J11 External DB25P Beacon receiver analog interface. Analog interface has same pin-out as the
analog interfaces on legacy ADU, APC300, & APC400 controllers &
accessories.
RJ12 J12 External DB15S Beacon receiver serial interface.
NOTE: jacks and plugs on RPI-6 board have PCB labels that differ slightly from silkscreen on rear panel
Table 1.18: RPI-6 Switches

Part Function
SW1 Reset switch. Momentary contact.
Table 1.19: RPI-6 Jumpers

Part Function
JP1 USB load jumper. When installed, RPI-6 operates as USB flash drive for software update
JP2 Factory use only, do not install
JP4 Future use only, do not install
JP6 NGC bus 120 ohm termination select, do not install
Table 1.20: RPI-6 Test Points

Part Function
TP1 Scaled analog voltage 1
TP5 Hardware reset line
TP6 +3.3VDC digital regulated power
TP7 +15VDC primary
TP8 +15VDC primary
TP9 +5VDC regulated power for digital supplies
TP10 +3.3VDC analog regulated power
TP11 Analog ground (beacon analog input)
TP12 +12VDC regulated power
TP13 +5VDC regulated power for analog-to-digital conversion
TP14 Digital ground
TP15 Beacon receiver serial interface transmit (TTL level)
TP16 Beacon receiver serial interface receive (TTL level)
TP17 RPI-6 internal serial port 0 receive (future use)
TP18 RPI-6 internal serial port 0 transmit (future use)
TP21 NGC bus transmit enable
TP25 +1.8VDC analog regulated power
TP27 RPI-6 internal MAC interrupt request
7581691_Rev B Page 25 of 179

1.8 NGC-IDU Keyboard CPU (KBCPU-1) and Keyboard (KB-3)
The following sections cover boards, parts, and components related to the Keyboard (KB-3) and related CPU
(KBCPU-1) for the NGC-IDU.

1.8.1 KBCPU-1
The keyboard CPU, when combined with the KB-3 module, makes up a USB keyboard assembly. To the
rest of the system, the USB keyboard is indistinguishable from an ordinary USB keyboard. Unlike the rest
of the system, however, this board is always powered on while the chassis is plugged in. This allows the
board to implement the soft power function.
The KBCPU-1 contains a microprocessor that implements the USB HID protocol, necessary circuits to
implement the capacitive touch sensors for up to 30 keys on the keyboard, and a piezoelectric speaker to
make sounds to signal key presses.
The KBCPU can also be started in a mode where it emulates a USB flash drive. This mode can be used to
change the firmware in the KBCPU by drag-and-drop using an ordinary PC.

Figure 1-12: Keyboard CPU (KBCPU-1)
# Part Name
1 J5 Electrode interface to the Keyboard
2 J2 Serial port
3 J1 USB port used to connect to TPU
4 J4 Power/Standby
5 J6 LED interface to the Keyboard
Table 1.21: KBCPU-1 LEDs

LED Color Name
DS1 Green USB link status. Used when JP1 is installed
DS2 Green USB connection status. Used when JP1 is installed
DS3 Red Microprocessor Fault
DS4 Green Microprocessor Run
DS5 Green Power
DS6 Green +3.3VDC power rail
7581691_Rev B Page 26 of 179
Table 1.22: KBCPU-1 Jacks & Plugs
Part Function
J1 USB connection
J2 Serial port. This connects to SCP and is used to control the LEDs on the front panel of the unit
J3 JTAG port
J4 Power/Standby. The KBCPU is always powered when the unit is plugged in
J5 Electrode interface to the Keyboard
J6 LED interface to the Keyboard

Table 1.23: KBCPU-1 Switches
Part Function
SW1 Reset switch. Momentary contact

Table 1.24: KBCPU-1 Jumpers
Part Function
JP1 USB load jumper. When installed the RPI-6 powers in into a state where it operates as a
USB flash drive for software update

Table 1.25: KBCPU-1 Test Points
Part Function
TP1 Reset
TP2 +3.3VDC power
TP3 Digital Ground

1.8.2 KB-3 Module
The keyboard, when combined with the KBCPU-1 module, makes up a USB keyboard assembly. The KB-3
has no active components except for multi-color LEDs.
Figure 1-13: KB-3 Module
7581691_Rev B Page 27 of 179

Table 1.26: Keyboard functions
Key Legend Function Keyboard equivalent
A01 FAULT Shortcut jump to fault screen F3
A02 UP Jog up/cursor up Up
A03 3 Enter a 3 3
A11 PLUS/CW Jog Pol clockwise/Enter a +/jog SRT out +
A12 1 Enter a 1 1
A13 . (PERIOD) Enter a period .
A41 SIGNAL Shortcut jump to Spectrum Analyzer screen F5
A42 DOWN Jog down/cursor down Down
A43 5 Enter a 5 5
A51 JOG MODE Toggle between jog enabled/disabled F2
A52 0 Enter a 0 0
A53 DELETE Delete character DEL
B21 LCL/REM Toggle between local and remote modes F8
B22 MINUS/CCW Jog Pol CCW/Enter a -/jog SRT in -
B23 6 Enter a 6 6
B31 STANDBY Stop all movement and tracking F4
B32 HOME Go to top of menu system HOME
B33 2 Enter a 2 2
B61 LEFT Jog Az CCW/move cursor left Left
B62 4 Enter a 4 4
B63 POWER Power F9
B71 TRACKING Shortcut jump to tracking status screen F6
B72 RIGHT Jog Az CW/move cursor right right
B73 8 Enter an 8 8
C73 ENTER Accept input ENTER
C81 GOTO Shortcut jump to select satellite screen F7
C91 BACKSPACE Backspace BACKSPACE
C92 7 Enter a 7 7
C93 9 Enter a 9 9
CB2 BLUE Goto F1
Table 1.27: KB-3 LEDs

LED Color Name
DS1 Tricolor Fault
DS2 Tricolor Standby
DS3 Tricolor Signal
DS4 Tricolor Tracking
DS5 Tricolor Goto
DS6 Tricolor Local/Remote
DS7 Tricolor Jog speed status
DS8 Tricolor Power pilot LED
NOTE: See Table 1.1 in this manual for specific LED color types, meanings, and descriptions
7581691_Rev B Page 28 of 179

1.9 NGC-IDU Built-in Spectrum Analyzer (OPTION)
The optional spectrum analyzer provides signal measurement, display, and other functions. It is an AVCOM of
Virginia RSA-2500B-SBS module.

Figure 1-14: Built-in Spectrum Analyzer
# Part Name
1 N/A SMA jack for L-band input
2 N/A Network RJ-45
3 N/A Power jack

Table 1.28: Spectrum Analyzer Jacks and Plugs
Part Function
SMA jack L-band input from a cable connected to rear panel J15
USB jack USB interface, no used
DB9 Serial port, not used
RJ-45 Internal LAN connection to the RPI-6.
Power jack Accepts +14.6V power from the RPI-6 module
NOTE: The only LED on this part is the power indicator LED. There are no jumpers, test points, or other switches.
7581691_Rev B Page 29 of 179

1.10 NGC-IDU Built In DVB-S Receiver (OPTION)
The optional DVB-S receiver provides signal measurement, display, and other functions. It is a vendor item,
from Horizon Global Electronics, an HDSM satellite meter.
NOTE: DVB-S receiver is only capable of locking to DVB-S carriers. DVB-S2 carriers are not supported.
In the IDU, receiver is turned off unless current satellite in Working Satellite Table has a defined DVB carrier.
The DVB-S receiver electronics consists of two modules, a tuner module and a main (demodulator) module.
They are connected to each other using a Molex 98268-0155 Premo-Flex cable (ensure when ribbon cable is
installed that the contacts are on the correct side).
The following illustrations (Figures 1-15 & 1-16) show the components of the DVB-S receiver.
Figure 1-15: DVB-S Tuner Board

# Part Description
1 J101 Flex cable connector
2 n/a L-band output (not used)
3 n/a L-band input w/ 12VDC power bias. Connected to back panel through DC voltage block to remove DC bias
7581691_Rev B Page 30 of 179

Figure 1-16: DVB-S Main/Demodulator Board
# Part Description
1 n/a RJ-45 Serial/programming interface
2 n/a Circular power jack (+12VDC in)
3 n/a Flex cable connector
4 n/a LCD display
NOTE: The only LED on this part is the power indicator LED. There are no jumpers, test points, or other switches.
7581691_Rev B Page 31 of 179

1.11 Other options
The following sections deal with a number of miscellaneous, uncommon, and/or additional options for the
NGC-IDU antenna controller.

1.11.1 Rack Slides
Rack slides can be installed on the side of the unit for ease of mounting. Consult installation instructions.

1.11.2 ESTOP switch
The NGC-IDU with option NGC-006 has a front panel ESTOP switch. When this switch is depressed, the
NGC-IDU will stop the NGC-ODU from moving and refuse to accept any command that would move the
antenna.
Please note that this ESTOP is not a substitute for the outdoor ESTOP switches, which are electrically
interlocked. An NGC-IDU ESTOP will not prevent the handheld terminal from moving the antenna if it is
connected to the NGC-ODU.

1.11.3 External Keyboard (Customer-Supplied)
A standard PC keyboard can be plugged into the front panel to use for data entry. The NGC-IDU supports
most standard business USB keyboards with US layout. Support for non-US keyboards has not been
evaluated. ASC Signal cannot guarantee that any specific keyboard will work.
If this option is chosen, the Function Keys [F1 through F9] may be used to perform the following respective
functions:
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9
BLUE JOG FAULT STAND SIGNAL TRACKING GOTO LCL / SOFT
(jog) MODE BY (spec an) SAT REM POWER
SCREEN

1.11.4 External USB Jump Drive (Customer-Supplied)
External USB flash (jump) drives can be used for software update, configuration storage, data set update,
and other functions. The drive should be formatted as a conventional FAT32 volume. The NGC-IDU has
been tested with many name-brand USB flash drives from SanDisk, Lexar, and other manufacturers.
The IDU cannot format these drives. You must use a Windows PC or similar computer to perform any
necessary formatting.
NOTE: many times these drives are formatted at the factory and this format will normally work just fine.
Compatibility Note: Some USB jump drives use non-standard methods to implement proprietary security or other
features. These drives rely on the installation of specialized software device drivers so that Windows PCs can access
them. The IDU will not recognize or support these drives.
Security Note: IDU software is not based on Windows, MacOS, or other common desktop operating system. For that
reason, it should not be normally susceptible to viruses, such as Trojan horse programs, root kits, or other common
security threats. While it is theoretically possible to target any system with malware, the odds of a compatible threat being
developed and deployed for this system are unlikely.
7581691_Rev B Page 32 of 179

1.12 External Beacon Receiver Connections
The NGC-IDU may be connected to a beacon receiver using either of two potential jacks, designated as J11
and J12, which are located on the rear panel (see Figures 1-5, 1-6, & 1-7) of the NGC-IDU.
J11: shown below in Figure 1-17, this jack acts as the analog port.
Figure 1-17: J11 Port

Table 1.29: J11 Pin-Out (analog beacon receiver interface)
Pin Purpose Comments
1 Analog 1+ Beacon input signal 0-10VDC
2 Analog 1- Beacon input return 0VDC
3 Analog 2+ For future use only
4 Analog 2- For future use only
5 N/C
6 Aux Relay N.C. Closed when beacon relay control normal
7 Aux Relay Common Return for pins 8 and 8
8 Aux Relay N.O. Closed when beacon relay control inverted
9 N/C
10 Fault Relay N.C. Closed when unacknowledged fault is not present
11 Fault Relay Common Return for pins 10 and 12
12 Fault Relay N.O. Closed when unacknowledged fault is present
13 Signal Ground Signal ground
14 N/C
15 N/C
16 N/C
17 N/C
18 N/C
19 N/C
20 N/C
21 N/C
7581691_Rev B Page 33 of 179

J12: shown below in Figure 1-18, this jack acts as the serial port.
Figure 1-18: J12 Port

Table 1.30: J12 Pin-out (receiver serial interface)
Pin Purpose Comments
1 RS422 RX+ Use with RS422 setting
2 RS422 RX- Use with RS422 setting
3 RS422 TX - Use with RS422 setting
4 RS422 TX + Use with RS422 setting
5 RS232 TX Use with RS232 setting
6 RS232 RX Use with RS232 setting
7 Signal Ground Ground
8 Signal Ground Ground
9 N/C
10 N/C
11 N/C
12 N/C
13 N/C
14 N/C
15 N/C
The NGC-IDU may be connected to the receiver using either one for both of these jacks. If only analog jack is
connected, the IDU can use the analog voltage as a tracking source. If only serial port is connected, the IDU
can often control the beacon receiver and also use the serial port for the tracking signal level. If both are
connected, it can use both analog voltage and/or serial port based on user-selected option.
Supported beacon receivers include those listed in the following table:
Table 1.31: Supported beacon receiver Models

Manufacturer Model Notes
Atlantic Satellite ASC3xx series No restrictions
General Dynamics (Vertex) VB-253 No restrictions
Miteq BR-L Serial interface is not recommended due to complexity
Novella B30/B300-series No restrictions
Any other beacon receiver with an analog output ranging from 0-10VDC can be used as well.
NOTE: The NGC-IDU supports an internal beacon receiver kit. If this kit is installed, it will preclude the use of the two
external beacon receiver connectors. Connecting a beacon receiver to any of the pins on J11 or J12 except the alarm
contacts will compromise the operation of both beacon receivers and could cause damage.
7581691_Rev B Page 34 of 179

1.13 Network connection
The NGC-IDU may be connected to a wired LAN through CAT-5e patch cord connected to J3 on rear panel.
This LAN connection conforms to 100BaseT standard. The IDU does not automatically sense transmit/receive,
so you must either use the proper cable or use the IDU with a switch that supports autosense.
Table 1.32: J3 RJ-45 Pin-Out

Pin Function
1 TX+
2 TX-
3 RX+
4 No function
5 No function
6 RX-
7 No function
8 No function
See Section 2.6 in this manual for instructions regarding NGC-IDU software.
1.14 Power Supplies

The input power for the NGC-IDU is a 15VDC, 6.7A maximum with a fuse. The NGC-IDU uses one or two
external DC power bricks with a standard, detachable electrical cord.
OPTION: a second power supply can be plugged in & operate simultaneously with the primary power supply. If one goes
out, the other takes over. When both power supplies are in proper working order, they will share the power load.
7581691_Rev B Page 35 of 179

2.0 NGC-IDU Operation
The following sections will explain how to operate various functions of the NGC-IDU. Please note that the
following NGC-IDU Menu Tree (Figure 2-1) is not intended to show every screen present in the system. The
below menu tree simply illustrates the most significant and/or commonly encountered screens, up to three
levels deep from the HOME/Main Menu screen.
HOME Main Menu
Status Configuration
Administration
Operations
Controller
Configuration Menu
Operations Menu
Satellite Working Tracking General
Global Beacon
Track
Detailed Status Administration System SNMP SRT
Status Setup
Baseline Spec An
Config
Diagnostics Shutdown Smar‐
Adv. Track
VF Drives Movement
Update SW Config Step
Go To Mgmt Track
Sat
Faults Settings Install‐
Go To ation Motorization
Long.
History
User Mgmt Move/ Platform Location SRT
Flush Jog
Archives
Spec An

Figure 2-1: NGC-IDU Menu tree
2.1 Powering On & Off the NGC-IDU
WARNING! PROVIDE ADEQUATE SURROUNDING SPACE FOR VENTILATION! Take care not to cover vent or
cooling hole/slot in side covers
The IDU is intended for indoor, controlled environment use only. Before you start-up the IDU, you MUST
properly install and connect the system. For detailed instructions on installing the IDU, please refer to manual
7581695. For detailed instructions on installing the antennas motors, please refer to the appropriate Motor Kit
Electrical Installation Instructions document for your equipment, 7580540 (208VAC) or 7580541 (380VAC).
To power ON the IDU:
• Press the Power Button (on bottom right of the NGC front panel).
• System should power on
NOTE: LEDs of IDU Front Panel will flash sequentially as the system boots up. This is nothing to worry about. Do not
forget that you will need to WAIT 90 SECONDS for startup process to complete
7581691_Rev B Page 36 of 179

Figure 2-2: Shutdown Screen
To power OFF the IDU:
Normal Shutdown (recommended):
• Press & release Power Button on bottom-right of NGC front panel to show Confirm Shutdown
screen
• Press Confirm Shutdown in center of TPU (it will turn grey & begin 40 second countdown)
NOTE: During shutdown the screen may show “SCP Lost Communication.” Do not be concerned about this, as it is a
normal part of the NGC-IDU shutdown sequence.
Touch Screen Shutdown (also recommended):

• HOME Æ Administration
• From Administration screen, press SHUTDOWN navigation button at bottom of screen
• CONFIRM SHUTDOWN will appear. Press CONFIRM SHUTDOWN on touch screen
Forced Shutdown (allowed, but not recommended for shutdowns under normal conditions):
• Press & hold Power Button (See Figure 1-3) for 6 seconds until system powers down
• The IDU will make a continuous beeping sound. This is nothing to be concerned about
7581691_Rev B Page 37 of 179

2.2 Touch-Screen Screen & Keys Breakdown
There are a number of keys, buttons, and key/button types that you will regularly encounter while using the
NGC-IDU. The table provided in this section provides you with a basic rundown of what these keys are, where
they are located, and (if applicable) how they may be used.
Table 2.1: Touch Screen Icons & Buttons
Image Name Description
HOME Go to HOME screen (Main Menu)
(Bottom Button Ribbon)
SCREEN BACK ARROW Go BACK to previous screen

(Bottom Button Ribbon)
PAGE BACK ARROW Go BACK to previous page (PAGE NAVIGATION ONLY: will
(left side of screen) not navigate away from screen, which remains the same)
PAGE FORWARD ARROW Go FORWARD to next page (PAGE NAVIGATION ONLY:

(right side of screen) will not navigate away from screen, which remains the same)
These rectangular blue buttons are found at bottom of the

NAVIGATION BUTTONS screen. These allow you to jump to a different screen. i.e.,
(Bottom Button Ribbon) pressing the example button would take you to the
CURRENT FAULTS/CONDITIONS screen.
ACTION BUTTONS These buttons are located at the side of the screen (usually
(commonly appear on either side of the left side), and offer user actions. For example, the
screen, commonly in grey margins) provided image would be for a “Log On” action.
This button type is a scroll device that may be used to toggle
between certain related screens. It can be used by touching
TOGGLE BUTTON
the above or below screen options (the center is your current
screen).
The 3-Way Rocker consists of the following elements:

• Rocker text from top to bottom: Name of field, units (if
applicable) and value.
3-WAY ROCKER • Top third of rocker or ‘+’: Press to increment value or
through list of values.
• Bottom third of rocker or ‘-‘: Press to increment value or
through list of values.
• Middle third of rocker: Press to bring up keyboard or list
box to edit value.
NOTE: Tapping many graphics that appear on the NGC-IDU touch screen will redirect you to a related screen. For
example, if a view of the Az Plot is shown on an area of the screen, tapping it will take you to the Az Plot screen.
7581691_Rev B Page 38 of 179

2.2.1 Status Bar Breakdown
Figure 2-3: Status Bar

# Item Description
1 Tracking LED On (light blue) if antenna is tracking satellite.
Off (dark blue) if antenna is not tracking.
2 Satellite Current Satellite (i.e. satellite that according to the sat table is related to the current
coordinates). If the current coordinates do not correspond to a bird this field will be blank.
3 Az Current Azimuth or “ODU?” if ODU is disconnected
4 El Current Elevation or “ODU?” if ODU is disconnected
5 Pol Current Pol or “NA” if antenna does not have Pol drive or “ODU?” if ODU is disconnected
6 Signal Current signal strength
7 Mode Will show as Local, Remote, or Handheld. All configuration functions are available in Local, while
most are disabled in other modes. Remote mode is only used if the SNMP agent is being
utilized. Handheld cannot be chosen. It will appear when handheld unit is plugged into the ODU.
8 Hardware Faults Illuminates RED for Hardware faults. Pressing it will take you to the Current Faults screen.
9 Network Faults Illuminates RED for Network faults. Pressing it will take you to the Current Faults screen.
10 User Faults Illuminates RED for User faults. Pressing it will take you to the Current Faults screen.
11 Connectivity to Shows status for SCP connection, illuminated as either GREEN for connected or RED for not
SCP (LED) connected

2.2.2 Home Screen Breakdown
Figure 2-4: Home (Main Menu) Screen

# Item Description
1 Status Bar See Figure 2-3 for a detailed description of the Status Bar
2 Status Go to Detailed Status screen
3 Operations Go to Operations Menu screen
4 Administration Go to Administration screen
5 Configuration Go to Controller Configuration Menu screen
7581691_Rev B Page 39 of 179

2.3 Access Levels
The IDU program includes a basic security model of decreasing privilege. Each security level except monitor is
identified by a password. When logging in, the user does not have to supply the intended level. For this reason,
the passwords have to be unique for each level.
The four levels are Installer, Customer Administrator, Customer User, and Monitor.
Table 2.2: Security Access Levels
Security Level Summary Modification Privileges Data View Privileges
Installer Super user. Installed and Can modify installation parameters such as None
commissions antenna. networking, pedestal configuration, loop control,
redundancy configuration, etc.
Customer Power user. Tunes Can modify everything lower levels can modify Cannot see higher
Admin system. plus tracking parameters and satellite definitions level passwords
Customer Typical user. Maintains Can modify volatile satellite data, antenna Cannot see installer-
User data sets, watches system. positions and current satellite; can move antenna, privileged data
trigger redundancy
Monitor Locked system Almost none Highly limited
(There is one additional security level, Administrator, which is not covered by this document. This is the ASC
Signal proprietary mode. It cannot be accessed by customers because it may be used to change the system
serial number. Otherwise, it is identical to Installer.)
Path: HOME Æ Administration Æ User Mgmt.
The Installer password cannot be changed, and is locked as JFQB23.
The user changes the security level from the following path:
Path: HOME Æ Administration Æ press “Log On” button
Security levels are persistent and survive power cycling.
The choice of what security level to leave the system in is left to the customer. ASC Signal recommends
choosing a level that best fits the specific circumstances and preferences of the Earth Station.
7581691_Rev B Page 40 of 179

2.4 General Features of the Touch-screen
The following sections will cover some of the general user features of the NGC-IDU, such as the Screen Saver
and shortcuts provided by the Front Panel Keyboard.

2.4.1 Screen Saver
Path: HOME (Main Menu) Æ Administration Æ Settings
The above path will take you to the TPU Settings screen, where you can select between the Screen Saver
settings “ON” or “OFF.”
NOTE: the IDU touch screen does not develop “screen burn,” as one experiences with a CRT screen saver. LCDs do not
“burn in.” The IDU can develop temporary “memory” at times, which may resemble screen burn. However, this is not
permanent and will wear off in a short time.
Keep the following points in mind regarding the NGC-IDU Screen Saver:
• The default setting for the Screen Saver is “OFF”
• The Screen Saver will activate after 15 minutes of not using the TPU (touch screen)
• Screen Saver may be deactivated by simply touching the TPU or pressing any key/button on the front
panel
• The Screen Saver actually alternates between two screens: Status (Figure 2-5) and Current Fault
Summary (Figure 2-6) screens
Figure 2-5a: Screen Saver 1 (Status screen)
Figure 2-5b: Screen Saver 2 (Current Fault Summary screen)
7581691_Rev B Page 41 of 179

2.4.2 Keyboard shortcuts
In addition to the TPU touch screen interface, the NGC-IDU also comes equipped with a physical keyboard
(found on the IDU front panel). These buttons provide the user with shortcuts to various screens and/or
functions of the NGC-IDU, as explained below in Figure 2-7.

Figure 2-6: NGC-IDU Keyboard
# Item Description
1 Fault Pressing this will take you to the Current Faults/Conditions screen
2 Standby Takes you to the Movement screen
3 Signal Takes you to the Spec An screen (if installed)
4 Tracking Takes you to the Tracking screen
5 GOTO Takes you to the GoTo Satellite screen
6 LCL/REM Toggle between Local and Remote modes
7 Jog Mode Activate Jog Mode (Blue=OFF, Green=ON)
8 Back Arrow Return to previous screen
9 HOME Go to the HOME (Main Menu) screen
10 CW (+) Jog Pol Clockwise (increase Pol value)
11 CCW (-) Jog Pol Counterclockwise (decrease Pol value)
12 Jog Screen Go to Jog screen
13 El Up Jog Elevation UP
14 El Down Jog Elevation DOWN
15 Az CCW Jog Azimuth Counterclockwise
16 Az CW Jog Azimuth Clockwise
17 Number Pad Used to input numeric values. In Jog Mode, use these to input Jog Speed: from 1=10%
(0-9) (slowest) to 9 = 90% (fastest). Note that choosing 0 = 0% Jog Speed, meaning the antenna
will not jog
18 Delete Delete selected field or value
19 Enter Accept input of selected field or value
20 Power Button Used to power ON/OFF the NGC-IDU
7581691_Rev B Page 42 of 179

2.5 Checking Status
The following sections deal with system status screens for the TPU of the NGC-IDU.

2.5.1 Detailed Status
Path: HOME Æ Status
There are three main detailed status screens. These give status information that helps the user understand
the state of the system.

Figure 2-7a: Detailed Status 1
# Item Description
1 Azimuth Current Az angle. Same as status at top of screen & displayed in global coordinates
2 Elevation Current El angle. Same as status at top of screen & displayed in global coordinates
3 Polarization Current Pol angle. Same as status at top of screen & displayed in global coordinates
4 Latitude Latitude of station on Earth. May/may not be editable depending on configuration. If system is
“fixed” station, they usually can be edited. If “mobile” they cannot be edited, as they are
supplied by the GPS. If GPS is provisioned on fixed system, fields will appear as editable, but
editing them will not accomplish anything as the GPS reading will override any entered value.
NOTE: Unless program tracking, it is not necessary to enter site’s exact latitude & longitude. However, NGC
automatically calculates many satellite look angles if you enter site’s exact latitude & longitude.
5 Longitude Longitude of the station on the surface of the Earth
NOTE: If you change latitude & longitude, look angles & Pol will be recalculated!
6 Altitude Altitude of the station on the surface of the Earth
7 Track Mode Displays currently selected track mode. Pressing it brings up a screen which allows selection of
various Track Mode functionalities
8 Track State Indicates the compass reading.
9 Heading This displays the True Heading, which corresponds to 0 degrees for platform Azimuth
10 GPS Status AS-1 fault status is reported here (not used in fixed antennas, and status will display as “fixed”)
Possible values: No data from dev, no satellite fix, or fixed
11 GPS Quality AS-1 quality is reported here (not used in fixed antennas). Possible values: good, marginal, or
none
12 GPS Sat Count GPS satellite count is reported here (not used in fixed antennas). Range: 0 to 12
14 Home Return to HOME screen
15 Diagnostics Go to Diagnostics screen
16 Faults Go to Current Faults/Conditions screen
17 Tracking Go to Track Status screen
7581691_Rev B Page 43 of 179

Figure 2-7b: Detailed Status 2
# Item Description
1 Time Current UTC time. If equipped with GPS, time is taken from it. Otherwise, time is taken from on-
board clock. If connected to GPS, field can still be edited but will not be effective
2 Roll This displays the angle of the kingpost side-to-side—typically, around a vector pointing straight
out from 180 degrees. Usually, this is set to 0.0
3 Pitch This displays the angle of the kingpost side-to-side—typically, around a vector pointing straight
out toward 90 degrees
4 Scan El Offset Displays the distance between raster scans during acquisition assist. Parameter is used by
TriFold® antennas only. Automatically calculated from 3dB beamwidth
5 Scan Pass Count Displays max number of raster scans during acquisition assist. Parameter is used by TriFold®
antennas only. Automatically calculated from 3dB beamwidth
Figure 2-7c: Detailed Status 3

# Item Description
1 Compass Fault Indicates whether or not the compass (if equipped) is operational
2 Compass Calibration Indicated calibration state of the compass module
3 Attitude Status Status of the inclinometer that supplies roll and pitch
NOTE: These fields may or may not be editable depending on system configuration; generally speaking, if the system is a
“fixed” station they can be edited, and if a system is “mobile” they cannot be edited as they are supplied by the GPS. If a
GPS is provisioned on a fixed system, the fields will appear as editable, but editing them will not accomplish anything as
the GPS reading will override any entered value.
7581691_Rev B Page 44 of 179

Figure 2-7d: Detailed Status 4
# Item Description
1 Az Limit Azimuth limit engaged, and what type (Hard or Soft, Off = limit not engaged)
2 El Limit Elevation limit engaged, and what type (Hard or Soft, Off = limit not engaged)
3 SRT Status The current status of the SRT. If an SRT is present in your system, this will be indicated here (in the
above example, note that the SRT is shown as “absent” … this means the system in question does
NOT have an SRT)
NOTE: See APPENDIX C, Table C.3 for Axis Limit Conditions

Figure 2-7e: Detailed Status 5 (SRT Systems)
# Item Description
1 SRT Status The current status of the SRT (for SRT Only systems)
2 SRT X Limit X axis limit engaged, and what type (Hard or Soft, Off = limit not engaged)
3 SRT Y Limit Y axis limit engaged, and what type (Hard or Soft, Off = limit not engaged)
4 SRT Z limit Z axis limit engaged, and what type (Hard or Soft, Off = limit not engaged)
NOTE: See APPENDIX C, Table C.3 for Axis Limit Conditions
7581691_Rev B Page 45 of 179

2.5.2 Faults and Fault Logs
Path: HOME Æ Status Æ Faults
Figure 2-8: Current Faults/Conditions Screen

# Item Description
1 ACO Alarm Cut off. Pressing this causes all active alarms to be acknowledged.
2 Clear Latched Clear all displayed faults in Latched Faults Column
4 HOME Return to HOME screen
5 Flush Archives Go to Flush Archives screen
6 History Go to Event History screen
7 Active LEDs & Column List of all active (unacknowledged) alarms
8 Latched LEDs & Column List of all alarms registers since last Clear Latched
9 ACO LEDs & Column List of all active acknowledged alarms
Path: HOME Æ Status Æ Faults Æ History
Figure 2-9: Event History Screen

# Item Description
1 Clear Table Clear all displayed events from Event History Table
2 Warning Column Icon here indicates this alarm is major or minor and active: BLUE = minor, RED = major
3 Time This column displays date and time of event. Sortable.
4 Message Column Message explains type of event
5 Flags SET = set, CLR = Clear, Min = Minor, Maj = Major, Cri = Critical, Info = Informational
6 Scroll Bar Navigate up and down list of events. Also can be done by dragging finger across screen
7581691_Rev B Page 46 of 179

2.5.3 Diagnostics
Path: HOME Æ Status Æ Diagnostics
The Diagnostics screens, reached from Detailed Status and then Diagnostics, are useful for isolating the
root causes of any problems and parameters that are not reasonably grouped as other items.
The main screen shows some general information and provides several action and navigation buttons.
Figure 2-10: Diagnostics Screen

# Item Description
1 Cabinet Temperature Current measured temperature in the ODU
2 Spectrum Analyzer Relays any internal problems with spectrum analyzer subsystem
Status
3 Stop Command Indicates an ESTOP switch (option) has been activated. If ESTOP switch has been
activated on the ODU system, “ESTOP” will be displayed as well.
4 Az, El, Pol Faults These three fields show various fault situations as follows:
• Cleared: fault has been cleared.
• Timeout: movement took longer than normal due to a problem or obstruction
• Overcurrent: movement caused current draw more than normal due to some
problem or obstruction
• Interlock: movement prohibited due to an open interlock
• Feedback Failure: resolver failure / problem is present
• Comm Bus Fault: Communication Bus failure indicated
• Maintenance Mode: system is in Maintenance Mode
5 Key Test Used to access function check for Front Panel Keypad or keyboard plugged into the
unit
6 VF Drives Jumps to a diagnostic screen for extremely detailed information from the VFD
7581691_Rev B Page 47 of 179

2.6 Administration Functions
Path: HOME Æ Administration

Figure 2-11: Administration Screen
# Item Description
1 User Access Level The current access level, as already described in this manual. The displayed access level is
dependent upon which password has been used to access the system.
2 SCP Version The current used version of SCP software
3 TPU Version The current used version of TPU software
4 Goto View ID Many screens have a View Code, which may be entered in this field in order to Shortcut to that
screen. The View Code for any screen can be found in the SCREEN INFO box, which may be
reached by holding down the HOME button for more than 5 seconds.
5 Log On Pressing this button will bring up the virtual keyboard, allowing you to enter the appropriate
password (unique to access level). Any incorrect passwords entered will be ignored and the
most current access level will remain unchanged.
6 Log Off Pressing this will reduce the Access Level down to “monitor,” which will restrict the user to basic
status information. Also, the menu structure will be limited to general user operations.
7 Back Arrow Return to Previous screen
8 Home Go to HOME screen
9 Shutdown Commence shutdown [“Confirm Shutdown” icon will appear]
10 Update SW Go to Update Software screen
11 Settings Go to TPU Settings screen
12 User Mgmt Go to User Management screen

7581691_Rev B Page 48 of 179

2.6.1 Update Software Screen
Path: HOME Æ Administration Æ Update SW

Figure 2-12: Update Software Screen
# Item Description
1 SW Update Source This field allows you to choose between either the Internet or a File as a
source, from which you will retrieve software updates for installation. The
content and appearance of the “File Path” fields (below) and the “Update”
action buttons (to the left) will change in order to match what you select in
this field.
2 SCP SW File/URL Path Configurable path (File or URL, depending on what source is chosen) to
SCP .deb file
3 TPU SW File/URL Path Configurable path (File or URL, depending on what source is chosen) to
TPU .deb file
Other issues to keep in mind regarding the “Update Software” feature:

• The Update Software feature is disabled for the Microsoft Windows version of the GUI software
• Use of the Update Software feature is also disabled for copies of the GUI that run on a TPU which
is not native to the same box of the SCP to which it is connected
• Use of the URL/Internet Update feature will require a connection to the Internet as well as a fairly
forgiving firewall. A firewall that is too restrictive may prevent you from using of this feature.
7581691_Rev B Page 49 of 179

2.7 Operations Functions
The following sections will cover screens related to the various operational functions of the NGC-IDU.
Path: HOME Æ Operations

Figure 2-13: Operations Menu Screen
# Item Description
1 Track button Brings up Track Configuration Screen (see Section 2.8)
2 Movement button Brings up Movement Menu Screen (see Section 2.7.2)
3 Spec An Button Brings up Spectrum Analyzer Screen (see Section 2.7.3)
4 Pattern Button Brings up Pattern Screen

7581691_Rev B Page 50 of 179

2.7.1 Tracking Operation
For more detailed instructions on starting and stopping Tracking Operations, refer to Section 3.7 in this
manual.
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track
The tracking operation screen allows basic control and monitoring of tracking operations.
1
6 9
2
10
7 11
3
8
4 5

Figure 2-14: Tracking Screen
# Item Description
1 Scan button Initiates a spiral scan to attempt to find the satellite automatically.
2 Resume track Tells the system to attempt to resume the selected tracking mode.
3 Pre-charge For adaptive predictive track modes like SmarTrack®, tells the system to attempt to
resume selected tracking mode and use historical data to pre-charge the tracking model.
4 Status Goes to a lower level tracking status menu
5 Config Goes to a tracking configuration menu, see Section 2.8.3
6 Beacon plot Time strip-chart of beacon signal over the last ten minutes. Touch this to zoom in.
7 Az plot Time strip-chart of Az over the last ten minutes. Touch this to zoom in.
8 El Plot Time strip-chart of El over the last ten minutes. Touch this to zoom in.
9 Track State Summary of the current tracking state.
10 Track Mode Current selected tracking mode. Editable, but only when Track is paused.
11 Az vs El Plot XY plot of Az and El for current satellite over the history of position log. Touch this to
zoom in.

7581691_Rev B Page 51 of 179

2.7.1.1 Track Status Menu
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track Æ Status

Figure 2-15: Track Status Menu

# Item Description
1 Beacon Display This button will take you to the Beacon Display screen
2 SmarTrack® Models This button will take you to the SmarTrack® Model screen

2.7.1.2 Beacon Display Screen
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track Æ Status Æ Beacon Display
The beacon display screen gives some statistics about the analog beacon signal.
NOTE: if the tracking source is the spectrum analyzer, the serial data from a beacon receiver, or any other
receiver, this data will not necessarily be useful.

Figure 2-16: Beacon Display Screen
# Item Description
1 RainBuf Sigma Standard deviation of rain sample buffer. Used to mark likely rain events in event history log.
2 RainBuf Depth Number of one-minute sample intervals in the rain buffer
3 RainBuf Mean Average signal strength in rain buffer
4 Bcn Lvl Sigma Standard deviation of rain sample buffer. Used to mark likely rain events in event history log.
5 Filter Depth Number of samples in the beacon averaging filter
6 Scintillation System’s evaluation of the level of scintillation in the atmosphere
7 Beacon Plot Time strip-chart of beacon signal over the last ten minutes. Touch this element to zoom in.
7581691_Rev B Page 52 of 179

2.7.2 Movement and Jogging
The following sections will cover screens and operations related to antenna movement and manual
jogging.
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Movement

Figure 2-17: Movement Screen
# Item Description
1 Track Brings up a menu of tracking commands (see Figure 2-18a)
2 Scan Initiates a spiral acquisition scan
3 Motor Brings up a menu of low-level diagnostic commands (see Figure 2-18b)
4 Track State Shows the current state of the tracking state machine.
5 Track Mode Shows current tracking mode
6 Goto Sat Brings up Goto Satellite screen
7 Goto Long. Brings up Goto Longitude screen
8 Move Ant. Brings up Movement Menu screen

Figure 2-18a: Movement Commands 1
Command Action
Clear SmarTrack® Model Erases the current SmarTrack® model. Cannot be undone.
Recalc. SmarTrack® Forces system to recompute model. Usually has little or no effect, for
backward compatibility only
Clear rain buffer Erases the rain analyzer buffer
Flush logs Forces the system to write log files. Not used much in operational systems.
Pause track Another way to stop track.
Resume track Another way to resume track.
Precharge track Another way to resume track through precharge.

7581691_Rev B Page 53 of 179

Figure 2-18b: Movement Commands 2
Command Action
Stop Stop all movement
Stow Initiates the stow command. Only works for TriFold®
Acquire Initiates the acquisition assist function. Only works for TriFold®
Position designation Reissues the last commanded position.
Diagnostic Not used.
Repeak Initiates a step-track cycle that pauses automatically at the end of the peak.
Pol Calibration Used to recalibrate Pol drives with that feature.

2.7.2.1 Goto Satellite Screen
Note the Goto Satellite screen looks a lot like the Satellite Table screens. However, these are separate
screens as far as operative functions are concerned.

Figure 2-19: Goto Satellite Screen
# Item Description
1 Goto Sets up the receiver parameters for the indicated satellite and then moves to its stored
location.
2 Retune Sets up receiver parameters for indicated satellite but does not move to stored location
3 Recompute Force angle recomputations
4 Warning column Has warning symbol if entry not filled out enough to support 3PP tracking. Sortable.
5 Working # column Index into this table. Sortable.
6 Band column See Section 3.9.2.
7 Name column Name of the satellite. Sortable.
8 Longitude column Orbital longitude of the satellite. Sortable.
9 Az column Projected Azimuth of the satellite. Sortable.
10 El column Projected Elevation of the satellite. Sortable.
11 Polarization column Projected Pol angle of the satellite. Sortable.
12 Pol type column See below.
7581691_Rev B Page 54 of 179
13 NORAD ID column NORAD ID.
14 Scroll bar Used to move around the list window.
15 Stow button (TriFold® only) Starts the stow command, see Section 5.1.9
16 Acquire button (TriFold® only) Starts the acquisition assist command, see Section 5.1
17 Working table shortcut Jumps to the editing screens.

2.7.2.1 Goto Longitude Screen
The Goto Longitude screen can be used to point the antenna at the predicted location of a
geostationary satellite at a specific longitude without going to the degree of creating a satellite entry.
This is generally recommended only for installation.

Figure 2-20: Goto Longitude Screen
# Item Description
1 Satellite Long. Longitude of satellite. Used with site latitude & longitude to compute nominal look
angle
2 Satellite Pol Orbital skew of satellite. 0 is usually horizontal, 90 vertical. Used to estimate Pol
angle for drive
3 Stop Stop current movement, if any.
4 Move Execute changes to computed Az, El, and/or Pol from orbital parameters that have
been entered.

7581691_Rev B Page 55 of 179

2.7.2.2 Jog Screens
The Jog Screen set allows the user to jog the antenna or, if equipped, the SRT. It also allows direct
command of the antenna using the Designate position command.
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Movement Æ Move Ant.

Figure 2-21: Typical Jog Screen (Pol Installed)
# Item Description
1 Store Peak button Saves the current position into the working satellite table as the Peak Az, El,
and Pol. This only works if Status Bar shows a current satellite.
2 Resume (Pause) Resumes tracking if not tracking, pauses tracking if currently tracking. This is
Track button a convenience button to reduce the need for menu navigation.
3 CW Pol jog Turns Pol rotator clockwise (if equipped). Blank if no Pol drive is configured.
4 CCW Pol jog Turns Pol rotator counterclockwise (if equipped). Blank if no Pol drive is
configured.
5 El up jog Jogs Elevation up
6 El Down jog Jogs Elevation down
7 Az CCW jog < Jogs Azimuth counterclockwise
8 Az CW jog > Jogs Azimuth clockwise
9 Dish jog selector Selects main dish motorization for movement. Blank unless the system has
both kinds of motorization. If the system has only an SRT, SRT selection is
implied.
10 SRT jog selector Selects SRT motorization for movement. Blank unless system has both kinds
of motorization
11 Jog Speed selection Jog speed as a % of max speed. Jog speed of 0 effectively disables the jog
function.
12 Jog Speed selector Picks a jog speed as a percentage of the maximum speed.
13 Target Az Designated commanded position for Az. Note the SRT and main dish cannot
be positioned independently except through jogging.
14 Target El Designated commanded position for El. Note the SRT and main dish cannot
be positioned independently except through jogging.
15 Target Pol Target Pol, if equipped. Field is blank if no Pol drive is configured.
16 Stop button Stop current movement, if any.
17 Move button Execute changes to Az, El, and/or Pol that have been entered.
18 Right panel selector Scrolls the right-hand panel between several options, see following screens.
TOGGLE BUTTON
7581691_Rev B Page 56 of 179

Figure 2-22a: Jog Screen (No Pol Installed)
# Item Description
1 Store Peak Allows you to store the current target coordinates as the signal peak
2 Resume Track Allows you to return to the Tracking State
3 Jog Arrows Use these arrows to jog Az & El. If Pol drive is installed, you will see the CW & CCW
Pol arrows (not shown)
4 Jog Speed This column allows you to choose your Jog Speed, in %, from 0% to 90%
5 Target Az This field allows you to numerically input a Target Azimuth
6 Target El This field allows you to numerically input a Target Elevation
Target Pol (not shown) This field allows you to numerically input a Target Polarization
7 STOP Pressing this button will immediately STOP antenna movement
8 Move Pressing this will accept the input Target Az & El (& Pol if installed), and move the
antenna to the Target coordinates
9 Toggle Button This will allow you to toggle between certain views. For example, pressing up will
show the Spec An Beacon and pressing down will show the Beacon vs. Time Plot.
Toggling up or down will also allow you to see other view options on the toggle button.

Figure 2-22b: Jog Screen with SRT Selected for Movement

7581691_Rev B Page 57 of 179

The display can be changed with the 3-way rocker on the right to display other information. A beacon
plot can be shown along with the jog panel to facilitate manual peaking.

Figure 2-22c: Jog Screen with Beacon vs. Time Displayed
If the spectrum analyzer is installed, a beacon spectral display can be shown along with the jog panel to
facilitate manual peaking.

Figure 2-22d: Jog Screen with Spec An Beacon Displayed
If the spectrum analyzer is installed, an L-band spectral display can be shown along with the jog panel
to facilitate manual peaking.

Figure 2-22e: Jog Screen with Spec An Displayed
7581691_Rev B Page 58 of 179

If an SRT is installed, an XY/Z plot can be shown to facilitate centering.

Figure 2-22f: Jog Screen with SRT Position Displayed

2.7.3 Spectrum Analyzer (Option)
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Spec An (tap the touch screen to open General Mode screen)

Figure 2-23: Spec An Tab Bar
# Item Description
1 General Activate General page (see Section 2.7.3.1)
2 Frequency Activate Frequency page (see Section 2.7.3.2)
3 Span Activate Span page (see Section 2.7.3.3)
4 Amplitude Activate Amplitude page (see Section 2.7.3.4)
5 Marker Activate Marker page (see Section 2.7.3.5)
6 RBW/Trace Activate RBW/Trace page (see Section 2.7.3.6)

When at any page of the Spectrum Analyzer, all configurable parameters populate the right edge of the screen in the
form of green radio buttons. The select parameter has absolute focus of all configuration techniques.
Configurable parameters may be edited using some or all of the following elements:
1. The description and value on the 3-Way rocker.
2. The virtual keyboard or selection box for invoked by pressing the 3-Way rocker in the center.
3. Incrementing and decrementing using the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ sign on the 3-Way rocker.
4. The left/Right or down/up arrow keys on the key pad.
5. The number pad, including enter and delete, on the keypad (not used for enumerated lists).
6. The arrows and numbers keys on a keyboard plugged into the USB jack or as part of a PC running the PC
version of the UI.
7581691_Rev B Page 59 of 179

2.7.3.1 General Page
This page is the home for general operations. It is also the only page where the keypad arrows actually affect the
jog of the dish or SRT. In all other pages the key pad is redirected to the configuration values.
Figure 2-24: Spec An General Mode

# Item Description
1 User Control Switches between L-Band & User Ctrl mode (in L-Band plot) or Beacon & L-Band (in Beacon
plot). This means is that when in L-Band mode or Beacon mode the plot is drawn based on
default settings that best depict L-Band frequencies or Beacon frequencies respectively. User
Ctrl mode is initialized to whatever plot you have chosen but allows the user through the UI to
tweak setting for specific purposes such as zeroing in on a carrier or group of carriers.
2 Save Spectrum Saves current L-Band plot as the reference spectrum of current satellite. Not available in User
Ctrl or Beacon modes
3 ID Spectrum Identifies current spectrum as being a saved reference spectrum for a specific satellite if one
is found. Not available in User Ctrl or Beacon modes
4 Presets Go to Presets page (see Figure 2-33), where you can load and store preset info.
5 Plot Plot of Frequency (GHz) vs. Amplitude (dBm) in the confines of amp. and freq. ranges, as
dictated by the L-Band, Beacon, or User Control modes.
7581691_Rev B Page 60 of 179

Figure 2-25: Presets Page
# Item Description
1 Activate After selecting a preset in the list by touching it pressing ”Activate” will configure the IDU
to have the presets plot parameters
2 Set to Current After selecting a preset in list by touching it, pressing this will assign critical plot
information to that preset
3 Delete After selecting a preset in list by touching it, pressing this will zero out values and set
Label to default
4 Edit Label After selecting a preset, pressing this will bring up virtual keyboard so you can create an
appropriate label (if not edited, will be given a default label such as “Preset1”)
5 Label Column A column displaying the labels of Presets
6 Cnt (MHz) Column This column displays the Center Frequency of the preset. This is the same as what would
be found on the Frequency tab
7 Span (MHz) Column Displays Span of the preset. This is the same as what would be found on the Span tab
8 Ref Lvl (dB) Column Displays the Reference Level of the preset
9 RBw (KHz) Column Dsiplays the Resolution Bandwidth of the preset

2.7.3.2 Frequency Page
This page allows alterations to the X axis and contains parameters to alter range of frequency observed
in plot.
Figure 2-26: Spec An Frequency Mode

# Item Description
1 Start Frequency Alters value of the lowest frequency
2 End Frequency Alters value of the highest frequency
3 Center Frequency Alters values of both lowest and highest frequencies, so chosen freq is absolute center
4 3-Way Rocker Used to edit values
5 Plot Plot of Frequency (GHz) vs. Amplitude (dBm) in the confines of amp. and freq. ranges, as
dictated by the L-Band, Beacon, or User Control modes.
7581691_Rev B Page 61 of 179

2.7.3.3 Span Page
This page contains parameters to alter the span of the frequency on the plot. This is similar to altering the
frequency; however, the Spec An now separates the span from the start, end, and center values.
Figure 2-27: Spec An Span Mode

# Item Description
1 Span Adjust the start and end frequencies equally to accommodate the desired span. The
frequency will not change.
3 Plot Plot of Frequency (GHz) vs. Amplitude (dBm) in the confines of amp. and freq. ranges,
as dictated by the L-Band, Beacon, or User Control modes.

2.7.3.4 Amplitude Page
Figure 2-28: Spec An Amplitude Mode

# Item Description
1 Ref Lvl Press this button to alter the highest point of amplitude.
2 dBDiv Use this to alter the amount of amplitude between each Y-Tick, or horizontal line, in the
plot graph.
3 Y-Ticks Alters the number of horizontal reference lines in the plot, not including the axis.
5 Plot Plot of Frequency (GHz) vs. Amplitude (dBm) in the confines of amp. and freq. ranges,
as dictated by the L-Band, Beacon, or User Control modes.
7581691_Rev B Page 62 of 179

2.7.3.5 Marker Page

Figure 2-29: Spec An Marker Mode
# Item Description
1 Next Peak Places marker in focus to next peak LOWER than marker is presently
2 Peak Right Places marker in focus to next peak right of its current position. May be higher or lower than
marker’s current position
3 Peak Left Places marker in focus to next peak left of its current position. May be higher or lower than
marker’s current position
4 Hide Markers Hides any User Interface (UI) Markers currently in use. Press again to show UI Markers.
5 Normal Allows you to move the Normal marker using 3-Way rocker, keypad, etc. (you can always “grab”
and move the marker from any visible screen). The delta marker will not be visible if in Normal
configuration. When in Normal configuration, normal marker is in focus for all action buttons
6 Delta Allows movement of Delta marker with 3-Way rocker, keypad etc. Normal marker remains visible
when in Delta configuration but can only be moved by “grabbing” it with finger. Frequency setting
on 3-Way rocker is actual, while value displayed in delta marker box is difference between the
actual delta marker position and normal marker position. When in Delta configuration, delta
marker is in focus for all action buttons
8 UI Normal This action can be invoked by switching to Marker tab or just by touching plot in any other tab.
Marker Actual marker is gray diamond that rides on plot, while gray info button/box above contains
marker’s coordinates. You can move location of the marker by “grabbing” marker line with your
finger and moving it left or right. The user marker is represented with a gray marker and gray info
box, while the delta marker has a blue diamond and box. The delta info box doesn’t show the
marker coordinates, but difference of delta marker & normal marker coordinates
7581691_Rev B Page 63 of 179

2.7.3.6 RBW/Trace Page
Figure 2-30: Spec An RBW/Trace Mode

# Item Description
1 Hold Trace Draws a duplicate of the plot in gray exactly as it existed at the moment the action was
pressed. As the “real” plot continues to change the trace plot will remain as a ghost image
representing the plot at the time of the trace. The time of the trace will appear at the top
right of the plot graph in UTC
2 Clear Hold Clears the trace information and removes the trace image
3 Save Hold Saves a common delimited set of plot coordinates of the trace plot to the USB thumb
drive. Requires a thumb drive plugged in the USB port of the NGC IDU. Not available in
Windows version of UI
4 Single Trace This button acts as a kind of freeze command for the Spec An. Pressing this button
instructs the SCP to halt all upgrades aside from one. Once pressed, the button will
change to “Cont. Trace.” When pressed, “Cont. Trace” reactivates regular updates and the
button return to “Single Trace.”
5 RBW Alters the resolution bandwidth.
7581691_Rev B Page 64 of 179

2.8 Configuration Functions
The following sections will cover the various screens related to functions for the configuration of your NGC-IDU
and NGC antenna control system.
Path: HOME Æ Configuration

Figure 2-31: Controller Configuration Manu Screen
# Item Description
1 Satellite Go to Satellite Menu screen
2 Tracking Config Go to Tracking Configuration menu screen
3 Motorization Go to Motorization screen
4 System Setup Go to System Setup screen
5 Platform Go to Platform Configuration screen
6 SRT Go to SRT Configuration screen
7581691_Rev B Page 65 of 179

2.8.1 Configuring the System
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup
These screens collect several general information elements related to overall system operation of the
NGC-IDU itself. They include time, networking, and licensing functions.

Figure 2-32: System Setup Screen
# Item Description
1 Restart GUI button Restarts the GUI program. Not normally needed.
2 Operational Basic setup parameters used to tell NGC-ODU what kind of pedestal and equipment it is
Configuration running on. Be very careful to get this right. See table C.19 for meaning of values.
3 J9 Emulation Configures which protocol to emulate on J9 on rear panel. Typical value is “APC100”
4 Time Current UTC time from GPS or NGC-IDU. DO NOT use local time. The IDU does not
adjust for daylight savings time or any other local conventions, and only uses UTC (also
known as GMT or Zulu time).
5 Sys Name Name of the system within the site
6 IP Addr Network address of external ethernet port. See Section 3.8
7 IP Mask Network mask of external Ethernet port. See Section 3.8
8 SNMP Opens the SNMP Configuration Page
9 Baseline Opens the Baseline Page
10 Advanced For certain advanced functions. DO NOT USE.
11 Config Mgmt Opens the Configuration Management Page
12 Installation Opens the Installation Interview

7581691_Rev B Page 66 of 179

Figure 2-33: System Setup Page 2
# Item Description
1 Gateway Network address of local gateway router. See Section 3.8
2 Deg Prec Not used
3 Product Key Software license key. See Section 3.12
4 Product Serial Number Serial number
5 HW Address MAC Address of Ethernet. Cannot be changed.
6 NTP Server IP Network address of an NTP server to synchronize time. A display of
“0.0.0.0” means your system does not use NTP
Page 3 (on screen) of the System Setup screens does NOT contain information that is of common interest
to the general user.

2.8.1.1 SNMP Configuration
The following screens will allow you to configure various elements of the NGC-IDU’s SNMP agent.
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup Æ SNMP

Figure 2-34: SNMP Configuration Screen
# Item Description
1 SNMP Off Enable or disable the SNMP agent globally. Changing this requires a power cycle
2 Read Community Read community string used by SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 for GET and GET-NEXT
access
3 Write Community Write community string used by SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 for GET, SET, and GET-
NEXT access
4 Trap Community Trap community string used by SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 traps.

7581691_Rev B Page 67 of 179

Figure 2-35: SNMP Configuration Page 2
# Item Description
1 SNMP Sys Location Configures what is reported for sysLocation MIB II parameter
2 SNMP Sys Contact Configures what is reported for sysContact MIB II parameter
3 SNMP Sys Name Configures what is reported for sysName MIB II parameter
4 SNMP Port Num For future use only

2.8.2 Configuring Satellites
The NGC-IDU supports storage of up to 64 working satellites and up to 1000 global satellites in the system.
The NGC-IDU can store a variety of satellite information, including pre-programmed, fixed Az, El, and Pol
values. Additionally, the NGC-IDU can store more sophisticated information, such as a full set of orbital
tracking parameters used with the tracking option.
The working satellite table contains the satellites that can be used by the system immediately. These
satellites can be edited, and the system can be pointed at them.
The global satellite table contains all satellites that the NGC-IDU knows about. In order to edit them, the
user must put them in the working satellite table. Note that while only a limited amount of information is
displayed for the global table entries, all information is retained when a satellite in demoted to the global
table by the user.
Path: HOMEÆ Configuration ÆSatellites
This screen allows the user to select between working table editing and global table actions.

Figure 2-36: Satellite Menu Screen
# Item Description
1 Working Satellite Table This button will take you to the Working Satellite Table
2 Global Satellite Table This button will take you to the Global Satellite Table
7581691_Rev B Page 68 of 179

2.8.2.1 Working with the Working Sat Table
The working satellite table is presented as a list screen, as in the following figure:

Figure 2-37: Working Satellite Table
# Item Description
1 New button Pressing this button will start the process of creating a new satellite entry from scratch
Edit button (Not shown) Selecting a satellite and pressing Edit brings up the Edit Screens
2 Remove button Selecting a satellite and pressing Remove will erase a satellite after confirmation.
Note unless it is also removed from the Global Table it will still be available to be
recalled. Note a recalled satellite may not necessarily be put in the same column.
3 Recalc Angs button Recompute look angles.
4 Warning column Has warning symbol ( ) if entry not filled out enough to support 3PP tracking.
Sortable.
5 Working # column Index into this table. Sortable.
6 Band column See below.
7 Name column Name of the satellite. Sortable.
8 Longitude column Orbital longitude of the satellite. Sortable.
9 Az column Projected Az of the satellite. Sortable.
10 El column Projected El of the satellite. Sortable.
11 Polarization column Projected Pol angle of the satellite. Sortable.
12 Pol type column See below.
13 NORAD ID column NORAD ID.
14 Purge Visible button Erases any entries below the horizon.
15 Refresh Table button Reloads this table.
Table 2.3 Band Type Icons

Icon
none Automatic
C band feed
X band feed
Ku band feed
K/Ka band feed
User defined 1
User defined 2
User defined 3
User defined 4
7581691_Rev B Page 69 of 179

Table 2.4: Pol Type Icons
Icon Meaning
none Automatic
Circular Pol, no Pol drive active
Linear Pol, Pol drive active

Figure 2-38: Working Satellite Entry Screen
# Item Description
1 Commit Saves the current entry into the satellite tables. Updates to working tables are also made to
global tables.
2 Cancel Drops the current edits and restores the previous data. This is used when the user has made a
serious mistake and wishes to start over.
3 Recompute Re-project the look angle based on current data. The system does not always do this
automatically, so this is a way to force it to do so.
4 Clear DVB Erases the (optional) DVB descriptor (see Section 2.8.2.1.2)
5 Working Sat # Index into the working satellite table
6 Azimuth Calculated Az of the satellite from the current location. This entry can be edited if desired but the
Recompute button will cause it to be overwritten.
7 Elevation Calculated El of the satellite from the current location. This entry can be edited if desired but the
Recompute button will cause it to be overwritten.
8 Polarization Calculated Pol of satellite from current location, taking into account orbital Pol & local skew
angle. This entry can be edited if desired but Recompute button will cause it to be overwritten.
9 Longitude Orbital longitude slot of the satellite. This is essential data, see Section 4.7
10 Name Name of the satellite. This is essential data, see Section 4.7
11 Peak Az Saved peak Az of satellite. It may not match calculated Az. Note the recompute button will erase
this angle. Peak Az of 0.000 is ignored.
12 Peak El Saved peak Az of the El. It may not match calculated El. Note the recompute button will erase
this angle. Peak Az of 0.000 is ignored.
13 Peak Pol Saved peak Pol of the El. It may not match the calculated Pol. Note the recompute button will
erase this angle. Peak Pol of 0.000 is ignored.
14 Orbital Pol Orbital Pol angle plus offset, used to calculate Pol angles. This is essential data, see Section 4.7
15 Clear Spectra Used to erase any associated L-band spectra in the system taken with Spectrum Analyzer.

7581691_Rev B Page 70 of 179

Figure 2-39: Working Satellite Entry Page 2
# Item Description
1 Box Limits Toggles whether limit are defined and enforced for this satellite, see Section 4.8
2 Box Lmt Up Elevation up box limit
3 Box Lmt Dn Elevation down box limit
4 Box Lmt Lt Azimuth counterclockwise box limit
5 Box Lmt Rt Azimuth clockwise box limit
6 Beacon Attn Beacon attenuation setting. See tracking receivers in Section 4.4
7 Beacon Freq Beacon downlink frequency. This is essential data, see Section 4.7
8 Lcl Bcn offset Local offset applied to received beacon strength. Not recommended to be used.
9 Bcn Switch Setting for external switch connected to J11 pins 6, 7, &8. See Section 1.12 for details

# Item Description
1 Norad ID 5-digit ID assigned by NORAD. This is essential data, see Section 4.7
2 NORAD Az Offset Per-satellite Az offset for NORAD fine tuning. See Section 4.1.2
predictive tracking offsets
3 NORAD El Offset Per-satellite El offset for NORAD fine tuning. See Section 4.1.2 predictive
tracking offsets
4 Norad Data Validity Indication Red or Green tells if data has expired
5 Norad Line 1 69-character TLE line 1
6 Norad Line 2 69-character TLE line 2

7581691_Rev B Page 71 of 179

# Item Description
1 Intelsat Az Offset Per-satellite Az offset for Intelsat fine tuning. See Section 4.2.2 predictive
tracking offsets
2 Intelsat El Offset Per-satellite El offset for Intelsat fine tuning. See Section 4.2.2 predictive
tracking offsets
3 Intelsat Data Validity Indication Red or Green tells if data has expired
4 Intelsat Data Press to edit, see Section 2.8.2.1.1
5 Polarization Inclination Amplitude of Pol offset, see Section 5.6
6 Polarization Inclination Peak Time Time of max Pol offset, see Section 5.6
7 DVB Descriptor Press to edit, see Section 2.8.2.1.2

# Item Description
1 Track Signal source to use for peaking, 3PP step-track, and so forth. Users who are unsure should
Source leave this set to auto.
2 Pol Type Type of Pol associated with the satellite. See Section 3.10 for more information. This is useful
for TriFold ® systems with interchangeable feeds. Users who are unsure should leave this set
to auto.
3 Band Type of band associated with the satellite. See Section 3.10 for more information. This is
useful for TriFold® systems with interchangeable feeds. If unsure, you should leave this set to
auto.
None Acq (Not shown above) Signal source to use for acquisition assist. If unsure, you should leave
Source this set to auto.
7581691_Rev B Page 72 of 179

2.8.2.1.1 Intelsat Data Entry (OPTION)
This screen is used to enter the IESS 422 parameters.
NOTE: if the option is not installed, the data can be entered but not used.

Figure 2-43: Intelsat Data Screen
# Item Description
1 Commit button Save the current edits into the satellite table entry
2 Cancel button Drop the current edits from the satellite table entry
3 Sat Name Name of the IESS 422 data set. Not critical
4 Epoch Date/Time Epoch time on which ephemeris is based. Also start of timeframe for expiration.
5 Predicted Long. Estimated longitude 170 hours after epoch time, used as a check on the rest of the data
6 Predicted Lat. Estimated latitude 170 hours after epoch time, used as a check on the rest of the data

Figure 2-44: Intelsat Data Page 2
# Item Description
1 LM0 Mean longitude, in degrees East
2 LM2 Longitude drift acceleration
3 LonC Amplitude of longitude oscillation, cosine term
4 LonS Amplitude of longitude oscillation, sine term
5 LatC Latitude oscillation, cosine term
6 LatS Latitude oscillation, sine term
7 LM1 Longitude drift, in degrees/day
8 LonC1 Rate of change of longitude oscillation, cosine term
9 LonS1 Rate of change of longitude oscillation, sine term
10 LatC1 Rate of change of latitude oscillation, cosine term
11 LatS1 Rate of change of latitude oscillation, sine term
7581691_Rev B Page 73 of 179

2.8.2.1.2 DVB Descriptor Data Entry (OPTION)
These pages allow entering data from the DVB-S receiver. Note if the option is not installed, this
data can be entered but it will not be used.

Figure 2-45: DVB Element Configuration Screen
# Item Description
1 Commit button Save this DVB element into the table entry.
2 Cancel button Drop these edits.
3 Satellite Name Name of the satellite, not used by DVB subsystem.
4 Carrier Frequency Downlink carrier frequency, see Table 5.1
5 LNB Frequency LNB local oscillator, see Table 5.1
6 Search Range AFC capture range, see Table 5.1
7 Sym Frequency Symbol rate, see Table 5.1
8 Roll Off Roll off of filter, see Table 5.1

Figure 2-46: DVB Element Configuration Page 2
# Item Description
1 Sym Rate Code See Table 5.1
2 Modulation See Table 5.1
3 Modulation2 See Table 5.1
4 FEC Forward error correction, see Table 5.1
5 LPF See Table 5.1
6 IQ Swapped See Table 5.1
7 22kHz Tone, not normally used. See Table 5.1
8 Horizontal See Table 5.1
9 Options See Table 5.1

7581691_Rev B Page 74 of 179
2.8.2.2 Working with the Global Sat Table

Figure 2-47: Global Satellite Table Screen
# Item Description
1 Set Working button If a satellite is highlighted and it is not in the working table, pressing this button
moves it into the working table.
2 Delete button If a satellite is highlighted that is not in the working table, pressing this button will
permanently delete it. All information will be lost. If the satellite is restored from
the NORAD geo.txt file, all frequency and other configuration data not in the TLE
is lost.
3 Recalc Angs Recompute look angles for all satellites based on current geolocation.
4 Name column The common name of the satellite, taken from the geo.txt file.
5 Band icon column An indication that the satellite entry has been associated with a specific
frequency band. See Section 3.10 for more information.
6 Longitude column Orbital longitude slot. For inclined orbit satellites this is the mean longitude.
7 Pol column Orbital Pol. Usually 0 degrees for horizontal, 90 for vertical. Note some
satellites have slightly twisted orientation.
8 Pol type icon Indicates if the satellite is associated with linear, circular, or neither (automatic)
column Pol. See working table page 5 (on screen) for more information.
9 Norad ID Five-digit number assigned by NORAD.
10 Working set number Number of the satellite in the working table, or none
11 Scroll slider Slider allows paging or scrolling through entries. Note user can also drag the
screen.
12 Update Table See Section 2.8.2.2.1
13 Purge Table See Section 2.8.2.2.2
14 Refresh table Refreshes the table (similar to refresh on a web browser)

7581691_Rev B Page 75 of 179

2.8.2.2.1 Updating the Global Table

Figure 2-48: Update Satellite Table Screen
# Item Description
1 Install URL button Using the file named in item 5, the system updates the NORAD TLE in each
element in the global satellite table. If the satellite is also in the working
satellite table, it is updated too. If the satellite does not exist, a new entry in
the global satellite table is created for it.
2 Install File button Using the file named in item 6, the system updates the NORAD TLE in each
satellite table, it is updated too. If the satellite does not exist, a new entry in
the global satellite table is created for it.
3 Archive button When pressed, copies all satellite tables to the archive file path (item 7) on
the jump drive.
4 Install Archive button Copies the archive named in item 7 into the system replacing the working and
global satellite tables.
5 URL Path File name of the NORAD file on an FTP site
6 File Path File name of the NORAD file geo.txt
7 Archive File Path File name of the archive file, always globalsatdump.tgz
8 Update URL button Using the file named in item 5, the system updates the NORAD TLE in each
satellite table, it is updated too. No new entries are created.
9 Update File button Using the file named in item 6, the system updates the NORAD TLE in each
satellite table, it is updated too. No new entries are created.

7581691_Rev B Page 76 of 179

2.8.2.2.2 Purging the Global Table
The “purge” functions are provided to simplify maintenance of the Global Satellite Table. The table
can get quite large – up to 1000 entries – and removing them one at a time would be very difficult
and tedious.
Satellites in the working table are never removed from the global table no matter what other
categories they fit into.

Figure 2-49: Update Satellite Table Screen
# Item Description
1 Purge All but Visible Remove all entries from global table that are not in working table
as well as not visible. Visible is defined as below the horizon
from current site location. This action cannot be undone.
2 Purge All but Working Remove all entries from global table that are not in working
table. This action cannot be undone.
3 Purge Non- Remove all entries from the global table that are not in the
Geostationary working table with inclinations greater than as determined by
their NORAD TLEs (If an entry doesn’t have a TLE, it is
assumed to be geostationary). This action cannot be undone.
7581691_Rev B Page 77 of 179

2.8.3 Configuring Tracking
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ Step Track
The IDU step-track algorithm uses the patented “three point peaking” (3PP) approach, where the antenna
is peaked by fitting measured signals to the parabolic loss curve. This gives greater resolution than
traditional signal-balancing step-track in less time.

1
2
3
4

Figure 2-50: Step-Track Configuration Screen
# Item Description
1 Step Multi Factor % of a 3dB beamwidth to move during peaking. Parameter is typically set at 0.120 (12%),
but you may have a slightly different idea for the value. Values <0.120 will tend to flatten
the beacon response and weaken resolving power of tracking algorithm. Values >0.120
may produce more accurate peaks but may cause significant signal loss during the
peaking process. ASC Signal does not normally recommend changing this value. There
may be valid reasons, however, for overriding this parameter. Nominal value is 0.120
2 Step Cycle time Max time between unconditional peaking intervals, in minutes. Nominal value is 15 min
3 Step Cycle Signal loss from previous peaking result, at which system automatically re-peaks antenna.
Thresh Smaller values will result in more movement. Nominal value is 0.40dB
4 Step Distance Distance for each step-track move, automatically calculated from antenna size, downlink
frequency, & step multiplier factor. Not user changeable

2.8.4 SmarTrack® Configuration
Path: HOME Æ Configuration ÆTracking Config ÆSmarTrack®
IDU SmarTrack® algorithm is based on building a mathematical model of observed satellite orbit from the
history of Az & El readings during tracking. Once sufficient data is collected to build a reliable model, the
system switches automatically to a predictive mode and uses occasional peaking to update the model.
Quality of model is given in dB by computing RMS error between the model’s predictions and actual
peaking points on the tracking status screen.
NOTE: many step track parameters also apply to SmarTrack® during the “model building” phase.

See following page for Figure 2-51 of the SmarTrack® Configuration screen and descriptive table.

7581691_Rev B Page 78 of 179

1
2
3

Figure 2-51: SmarTrack® Configuration Screen
# Item Description
1 Minimum Used in predictive tracking modes to determine allowable computed tracking error in degrees.
Move When predicted Az/El vector differs from current Az/El vector by more than minimum move
value, system orders a move. Value may need adjustment for your system requirements.
Making value too small will cause extra movement, and making it too large will cause signal
loss between jumps.
NOTE: If the value is less than the deadband parameters in the Az and El axes this will be ineffective.
2 Cycle The time between model updates once system is running in predictive mode. Should not be
Time confused with Step Track cycle time
3 RePeak Level at which model is updated because signal has fallen too far from last peak. This should
Trigger not be confused with the Step Track Repeak Level

2.8.5 Configuring the Platform
To access the Platform Configuration screen, allowing you to view, edit, & configure values related to your
platform (Site ID, Antenna Size, fixed parameters, etc.), use the following path:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Platform
• You will now be at the Platform Configuration screen

2.8.6 Configuring Motorization
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Motorization
These pages are used to configure all parameters related to the position and rate loops for each of the two
or three axes for the main dish. There are up to five screens. The exact contents will vary based on the
configuration of the NGC-ODU.
7581691_Rev B Page 79 of 179

2.8.6.1 Azimuth Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens
The following two screens show in this section will be available unless the NGC-ODU is in the “SRT
only” operational configuration.

Figure 2-52a: Motorization Screen
# Item Description
1 Az Ratio Az encoder turns ratio, related to resolver speed and any gearing. Note this does not refer
to the transformation ratio, which is electrical.
2 Az Kp Az axis PID controller proportional gain coefficient. This is similar in effect to the “ramp
down” or “deceleration” parameter in other controllers, although entered as the reciprocal. A
setting of 0125/0100 means that the controller will start slowing the axis at about (1/1.25) or
0.800 degrees. A higher gain means a steeper ramp-down.
3 Az Kd Az axis PID controller derivative gain coefficient. This is almost always set with a numerator
of 0. This can be used to dampen acceleration.
4 Az Ki Az axis PID controller integration gain coefficient. This provides a slight boost to help drive
out very small errors. It has a similar effect to the “hunting” coefficients of some other
controllers. Note that if parameter is raised it may be necessary to lower the same axis’ Kp.
5 Az Drv Time Distance between samples in Integration buffer in Az axis PID to use as derivative
difference signal.
6 Az Int Depth Az Axis PID integrator depth in samples. Not generally changed from 100.
7 Az Invert Indicates whether Az resolver/encoder is mounted so it counts backward from true angle
8 Az Max Rate Az max rate. Ranges 100 to 1000, where 1000 corresponds to max permissible output of
VFD
9 Az Min Rate Az min rate. Ranges from 0 to 1000, where 1000 corresponds to the minimum permissible
drive signal to the VFD. Not usually set below 100.
10 Az Rsp T/O # of seconds with no discernable movement tolerated by Az axis control loop when position
loop is enabled. May affect jogging in some NGC-ODUs as well.
11 Az Int Time Number of seconds of samples to integrate in the Az PID control block.
12 Az Az drive error tolerance. When the difference between target platform Az and the current
Deadband platform Az as is less than this value, the Az command is completed. Note that the system
will allow a slightly larger error without declaring a timeout in order to prevent resolver jitter
from causing spurious errors.

7581691_Rev B Page 80 of 179

Figure 2-52b: Motorization Page 2
# Item Description
1 Az Overcurrent Trip VFD parameter indicating the max sustained current that should be
generated for Az motor. Consult installation drawing for motor kit for correct
value.
2 Az Brake Delay Time delay between actuating Az brake release and turning on drive signal
to Az motor. When set to 0.0 the brake release function is disabled.
7581691_Rev B Page 81 of 179

2.8.6.2 Elevation Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens
These screens will be available unless the ODU is in “SRT only” operational configuration.

Figure 2-52c: Motorization Page 3

# Item Description
1 El Ratio Elevation encoder turns ratio, related to resolver speed and any gearing. Note this does
not refer to the transformation ratio, which is electrical.
2 El Kp El axis PID controller proportional gain coefficient. Similar in effect to “ramp down” or
“deceleration” parameter in other controllers, although entered as the reciprocal. A setting
of 0125/0100 means controller will start slowing axis at about (1/1.25) or 0.800 degrees.
Higher gain means steeper ramp-down.
3 El Kd El axis PID controller derivative gain coefficient. This is almost always set with a
numerator of 0. This can be used to dampen acceleration.
4 El Ki El axis PID controller integration gain coefficient. Provides a slight boost to help drive out
very small errors. Similar effect to the “hunting” coefficients of some other controllers.
Note that if this parameter is raised it may be necessary to lower the same axis’ Kp.
5 El Drv Time Distance between samples in Integration buffer in eL axis PID to use as derivative
difference signal.
6 El Int Depth El Axis PID integrator depth in samples. Not generally changed from 100.
7 El Invert Indicates whether El resolver/encoder is mounted so it counts backward from the true
angle.
8 El Max Rate El max rate. Ranges 100 to 1000, where 1000 corresponds to max permissible output of
VFD
9 El Min Rate El min rate. Ranges from 0 to 1000, where 1000 corresponds to the min permissible drive
signal to VFD. Not usually set below 100.
10 El Rsp T/O # of seconds with no discernable movement tolerated by El axis control loop when
position loop is enabled. May affect jogging in some NGC-ODUs as well.
11 El Int Time # of seconds for samples to integrate in the El PID control block.
12 El Deadband El drive error tolerance. When difference between target platform El and the current
platform El as is less than this value, El command is completed. Note the system will
allow a slightly larger error without declaring a timeout in order to prevent resolver jitter
from causing spurious errors.

7581691_Rev B Page 82 of 179

Figure 2-52d: Motorization Page 4
# Item Description
1 El Overcurrent VFD parameter indicating the maximum sustained current that should be generated
Trip for the El motor. Consult installation drawing for motor kit for correct value.
2 El Brake Delay Time delay between actuating El brake release and turning on drive signal to El motor.
When set to 0.0 the brake release function is disabled.

2.8.6.3 Polarization Main Dish Axis Configuration Screens
This screen is always available.

Figure 2-52e: Motorization Page 5
# Item Description
1 Pol Present Indicates whether or not a Pol drive is present, selected from a list of predefined
options
2 Pol Invert Indicates whether Pol resolver/encoder is mounted so it counts backward from true
angle
3 Pol Ratio Pol encoder turns ratio. The number of times the resolver or encoder turns per turn of
the main axis
4 CW Coast Distance from target platform Pol that NGC cuts power to Pol motor in CW direction
5 CCW Coast Distance from target platform Pol that NGC cuts power to Pol motor in CCW direction
6 Pol Rsp T/O # of seconds with no discernable movement tolerated by Pol axis control loop when
position loop is enabled
7 Pol Brake Time delay between actuating Pol brake release and turning on drive signal to Pol
Delay motor. When set to 0.0 the brake release function is disabled.
7581691_Rev B Page 83 of 179

If a Pol drive is present but not currently enabled, then only the “Pol present” field will be displayed
(as shown below in Figure 2-52f).

Figure 2-52f: Motorization Page 6

7581691_Rev B Page 84 of 179

2.8.7 Configuring the SRT accessory
The SRT screens are used to configure the subreflector tracking carriage. An SRT may have two or three
axes—X, Y, and Z—as shown below in Figure 2-53.

Figure 2-53: SRT Axes

If an XY SRT is present, this screen looks like that shown in the below example (Figure 2-54a):

Figure 2-54a: SRT Configuration Screen 1
# Item Description
1 SRT Status Overall summary of SRT’s current state
2 SRT Num SRT master configuration field, selected from a list of predefined options (none, XY present,
Axes XYZ present).
3 SRT Axis TO Timeout value for all SRT axes. Minimum time to drive motors without seeing any feedback
change. Individual axes on the SRT cannot be separately configured for timeouts.
4 Soft Lmt Used in calibration of X and Y to ascertain position for soft limits versus detected hard limits
Margin
5 SRT 3dB BW Estimate of number of degrees offset before SRT degrades signal by 3dB

7581691_Rev B Page 85 of 179
If no SRT is present, the screen looks like that shown in the below example (Figure 2-54b):

Figure 2-54b: SRT Configuration Screen 2

2.8.7.1 SRT X Axis Configuration
The screen shown in the below example (Figure 2-54c) is used to configure the SRT X axis (also
known as the Azimuth/Az or cross-Elevation).

Figure 2-54c: SRT Configuration (X Axis) Screen 3
# Item Description
1 SRT X Calibrated side-to-side range of SRT
Range
2 SRT X Scale Relationship between X offset and cross-el beam displacement
3 SRT X Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the X SRT axis, selected from a list of predefined
Motor Type motors. This controls the amount of current delivered to the motor and the holding torque.

7581691_Rev B Page 86 of 179

2.8.7.2 SRT Y Axis Configuration
The screen shown in the below example (Figure 2-54d) is used to configure the SRT Y axis (also
known as the Elevation/El).

Figure 2-54d: SRT Configuration (Y Axis) Screen 4
# Item Description
1 SRT Y Range Calibrated up-and-down range of SRT
2 SRT Y Scale Relationship between Y offset and El beam displacement
3 SRT Y Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the Y SRT axis, selected from a list of predefined

2.8.7.3 SRT Z Axis Configuration
The screen shown in the below example (Figure 2-54e) is used to configure the SRT Z axis (also
known as the focus).
Figure 2-54e: SRT Configuration (Z Axis) Screen 5

# Item Description
1 SRT Z Range Calibrated in-and-out range of SRT
2 SRT Z Scale Relationship between Z offset and distance in inches
3 SRT Z Step Size Step size during peaking for Z axis. If set to 0 Z axis peaking is disabled.
4 Z Soft Lmt Marg Used in calibration of X and Y to ascertain position for soft limits versus detected hard limits
5 SRT Z Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the Z SRT axis, selected from a list of predefined
7581691_Rev B Page 87 of 179

3.0 Basic Installation & Setup Tasks
NOTE: before beginning the initial setup, the process will go faster and smoother if you have the below info/data on hand
To complete the minimum setup & configuration of the IDU, you will need to have already collected the
following information/data:
1. Site ID or Name
2. Site Latitude and Longitude. OPTION: with GPS option, you do not need this info
3. Current Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), in either Zulu (Z) or Greenwich (GMT) time. OPTION: Again, if
you have GPS option you do not need this info
4. The center frequency of your local oscillator that down-converts the beacon to L-band
5. Whether the beacon is inverted (lower side band) or not (upper side band) by the down converter. C-band
frequency is usually inverted, while Ku is not
6. The kind of beacon receiver to which you are interfacing
7. Your LAN address, mask, and gateway. Only needed if plan to use the Ethernet option
8. The satellite at which you intend to point the antenna, its NORAD ID, and its beacon frequency
INFO/DATA #1-#7 above will be needed during the INSTALLATION INTERVIEW and #8 will be needed
during SATELLITE CONFIGURATION
3.1 Installation Interview GUI Conventions

The Installation Interview process makes use of the Graphical User Interface (GUI), the elements and details of
which may be viewed in the following example (Figure 3-1):

Figure 3-1: Installation GUI Conventions
# Item Description
1 Status Bar Limited version of Status Bar (see Figure #-#)
2 Reset Button Un-checks all steps and resets progress bar
3 Step List Used to skip around to desired steps or to view which steps have been completed
(completed steps will have checkmarks). Can be scrolled through by firmly dragging your
finger up and down over list as if pushing it.
4 Sub-step Back Arrow Move back to a previous sub-step (arrow not shown in example)
5 Exit Leave Installation interview and return to System Setup screen
6 Progress Bar Shows % of steps “completed.” “Completed” simply means user has progressed through
the elements (sub-steps) of the current step
7 Current Step Description of current step. Will be checked if the step is completed
8 Sub-step/Question Sub-steps are most often questions, requesting yes/no choice or configuration
9 Next Step Pressing this button will take you to the next step.
10 Sub-step Forward Arrow Move forward to next sub-step (arrow not shown in example)
7581691_Rev B Page 88 of 179

3.2 Completing the Installation Interview
This process will go by much faster if you first setup the antenna using the handheld controller. If you have completed
the setup at the ODU, steps 1-14 of this process may only require a simple review.
The Installation Interview is an easy to follow, step-by-step question & answer process that enables you (with the
necessary info/data) to setup the IDU. This feature allows the IDU to “interview” you, the installer/operator, with a series of
crucial questions. One convenient part of the Installation Interview is that every answer input is immediately recorded &
saved, meaning the system will not lose previously entered info/data in the event of an unexpected power loss.
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup. Once at the System Setup screen, press Installation (located on
BUTTON RIBBON at BOTTOM of screen).
STEP 1: BASIC CONFIGURATION
STEP 1 will ask 3 basic setup questions. If you have already completed the INSTALLATION INTERVIEW in the past,
you will see the below screen which asks “Do you want to review the basic configuration?”
If this is a new setup for your NGC Unit, initial space to the right & move on to STEP 1, QUESTION 1.
• YES allows you to review/edit the previously
input parameters during the next three
questions. (YES is highly recommended,
especially if this is your first time doing the
NGC setup)
• If you choose NO, you will be moved on to

STEP 2 and the previously entered info/data (if
any) will remain

STEP 1, QUESTION 1: OPERATIONAL CONFIGURATION
If this is the initial setup of your NGC Unit, this should be the
first screen you see.
Question 1 will ask you to choose from one of two possible
answers regarding Operational Configuration:
• FIXED, which means your antenna is in a specific,
permanent location
• MOBILE, meaning that your antenna is designed to be
moved from location to location (such as a TriFold®
antenna)

STEP 1, QUESTION 2: ANTENNA SIZE
Question 2 will ask about the ANTENNA SIZE, meaning
the size of your antenna’s aperture measured in meters
(4.6m, 8.1m, etc.)
7581691_Rev B Page 89 of 179

STEP 1, QUESTION 3: POL PRESENT (POLARIZATION DRIVE)
Question 3 (the final question in STEP 1) will ask whether
or not you have Pol Present in the normal configuration. If
your system has the ability to be flexible between linear and
circular Polarization, then you can really just answer this
question either way at this stage
YOU MAY NOW PROCEED TO STEP 2

STEP 2: DEFAULT SETUP
Screen asks “Do you want to search for macros?” YES searches for an AUTOMATIC TEMPLATE based on data input
with HANDHELD and during STEP 1. If you have setup your antenna outside, using the handheld, you do not need
to select YES or NO. Simply move on to STEP 3 by pressing it.
The screen will now tell you “Package(s) found,” and
will ask “Would you like to apply?”
If you press YES, 1 of 2 possible things will happen:
1. If only 1 matching package was found, that
template will be applied
2. You will be asked to choose from a list of possible
templates (refer to details such as mount types or
main voltages to find the correct match)
ONCE YOU MATCH A TEMPLATE, PROCEED TO
STEP 3.

STEP 3: AZ CHARACTERISTICS
Screen may ask “Would you like to center the antenna

manually?” YES will redirect you to the JOG SCREEN to center
antenna (to return to INTERVIEW, hit BACK ARROW then
INSTALLATION). NO will allow you to review/enter data for:
• Az ENCODER OFFSET
• Az RATIO
• Az INVERT
• Az DEADBAND
• Az RSP T/O
• Az MIN RATE
• Az MAX RATE

DO NOT CHANGE VALUES UNLESS NEEDED

STEP 4: AZ HIGH LIMIT
Software Limits (SW Lmt) are input by the HANDHELD/ODU; DO NOT CHANGE THEM.
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the CW limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the
input values to make sure they are correct. YES will redirect to the JOG SCREEN.
7581691_Rev B Page 90 of 179

STEP 5: AZ LOW LIMIT
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the CCW limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the

STEP 6: AZ MOTORIZATION (LOOP CLOSURE)
Screen may ask “Would you like to review the Az
loop closure setup?” or will present you with screen
shown on the left. NO will move you to STEP 7. YES
will allow you to review/edit data for:
• Az Kp
• Az Kd
• Az Ki
• Az Drive (Drv) Time
• Az Int Time
Screen will now ask “Would you like to configure miscellaneous parameters?” NO will move you to STEP 7. YES will
allow you to review and edit the input data for:
• Az Overcurrent Trip
• Az Overcurrent Time
• Az Brake Delay

STEP 7: ELEVATION CHARACTERISTICS
Screen will ask, “Would you like to center the antenna manually?” YES will redirect you to the JOG SCREEN (to
return to INTERVIEW, hit BACK ARROW then INSTALLATION). NO leads to next question.
Screen may ask “Would you like to review the

Elevation setup?” NO will move to STEP 8.YES will allow
you to review/edit data for:
• El Encoder Offset
• El Ratio
• El Deadband
• El Rsp T/O
• El Min Rate
• El Max rate
• El Invert

STEP 8: ELEVATION HIGH LIMIT
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the up limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the

STEP 9: ELEVATION LOW LIMIT
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the down limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the
7581691_Rev B Page 91 of 179

STEP 10: ELEVATION MOTORIZATION (LOOP CLOSURE)
Screen may ask “Would you like to review the
Elevation loop closure setup?” or will present you
with screen shown on the left. NO will move you to
STEP 11. YES will allow you to review/edit data for:
• El Kp
• El Kd
• El Ki
• El Drive (Drv) Time
• El Int Time
The screen will now ask “Would you like to configure miscellaneous parameters?” NO will move you to STEP 11.
YES will allow you to review/edit data for:
• El Overcurrent Trip
• El Overcurrent Time
• El Brake Delay

STEP 11: Pol CHARACTERISTICS If your antenna does NOT have a Pol Drive, screen
will read “Pol drive not present.” If Pol drive is
present, system will ask “Would you like to review
the polarity setup?” NO will move you to STEP 12.
YES will allow you to review and edit the input data
for:
• Pol Encoder Offset
• Pol ratio
• Pol Rsp T/O
• CW Coast
• CCW Coast
• Pol Invert

STEP 12: Pol HIGH LIMIT
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the CW limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the
input values to make sure they are correct. YES will redirect to the Jog screen.

STEP 13: Pol LOW LIMIT
The screen may ask “Would you like to move to the CCW limit manually?” Pressing NO allows you to review/edit the
input values to make sure they are correct. YES will redirect to the Jog screen.

7581691_Rev B Page 92 of 179

STEP 14: SRT SETTINGS
If you have an SRT antenna, the system should detect
it. If you do not have SRT (or if for some reason it is not
being detected) the screen will read “No SRT detected.
Should one be present?” If you DO NOT have an
SRT, press NO and move on to STEP 15. If you DO
have an SRT press YES, ensure it has been properly
connected to the system, and follow the on-screen
instructions.

STEP 15: INDOOR PARAMETERS
The screen may read “Would you like to review the
general indoor parameters?” or you will see the Configure
Value screen shown in the photo to the left. NO will move
you to STEP 16. YES will allow you to review and edit the
data already input as needed for (you might want to record
this data for future reference in the areas below):
• Site ID:
• Product Key:
DO NOT CHANGE Product Key

STEP 16: GPS SYSTEM If you have GPS option, the NGC should detect it and
configure location values. Screen will ask “Would you like
to review the site location parameters?” Press YES to
review data (you might want to record this information for
future use).
OPTION: If you DO NOT have GPS (or if for some reason it
is not being detected), screen will ask “No GPS detected.
Should there be?” If you have a GPS but it isn’t being
detected, push the YES button, connect your device to the
system, and follow the on-screen instructions.
OPTION: If you DO NOT have a GPS option, simply press NO and manually input the following values (unless already
input, in which case simply review values and move on to STEP 17):
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Altitude
• Time

7581691_Rev B Page 93 of 179

STEP 17: KINGPOST TILT (POST OFFSETS)
ONLY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL SHOULD ALTER KINGPOST TILT
PARAMETERS
The screen may ask “Do you want to review post offsets?” NO will
move you to STEP 18. YES will allow you to review and edit the data
already input as needed for (if unit is MOBILE, you may initial and skip this
step):
• Roll
• Pitch
• Heading

STEP 18: BEACON (Bcn) SOURCE/RECEIVER (Rcvr) SETUP
The screen may ask “Would you like to review the beacon setup?” or will
present you with screen shown on the left. If Bcn Rcvr is configured for
analog input, NO moves you to STEP 19. If it is NOT, pressing NO will allow
you to configure LOW SIGNAL LVL. YES allows you to review and edit:
• LNB Local Oscillator (MHz)
• Bcn Inversion (True = yes, BEACON IS INVERTED, and False = no,
BEACON NOT INVERTED)

The screen will then ask “Does the system control the beacon receiver?” Answer YES or NO (SEE INSTRUCTIONS
BELOW FOR YOUR ANSWER)
“YES” ANSWER—review and/or input your specific Device Type. System will search for a default template and, if one is
found, will say “Default setups exist. Apply?” Answer YES to apply defaults, or NO to manually input values for Serial
Baud rate, Serial Control, Serial Multi-address (addr), Bcn Offset, Bcn Slope, and Low Signal Lvl
“NO” ANSWER—review and/or manually input values for Bcn Offset, Bcn Slope, and Low Signal Lvl

STEP 19: LAN SETTINGS
Screen may ask “Would you like to review the network settings?”
(press YES to review). Next it will ask “Would you like to review the
ethernet settings?” NO will move you to next (SNMP) question. YES will
allow you to review/edit data for:
• IP Address (Addr)
• IP Mask
• Gateway
OPTION: this data only applies if you have the ethernet option
Interview will ask “Would you like to review the SNMP settings?” NO will move you to STEP 20. YES will allow you to
review/edit values for the following:
• SNMP Off (True = it is OFF, and False = it is ON)
• Read Community (public, private, etc.)
• Write Community (public, private, etc.)
• Trap Community (public, private, etc.)

7581691_Rev B Page 94 of 179

STEP 20: GENERAL SETTINGS
The screen may ask “Would you like to review the general
settings?” or will present you with CONFIGURE VALUE SCREEN
shown in the photo to the left.
NO will move you to STEP 21.
YES will allow you to review & edit values for:

• Box Limits (ENFORCED or DISABLED; ENFORCED is
recommended)
• Premove Alarm (Alm) Time

STEP 21: TRACKING PARAMETERS
TRACKING PARAMETERS ARE NOT NORMALLY CHANGED
The screen may ask “Would you like to review the tracking settings?”
or will present you with screen shown on the left.
NO will END INSTALLATION INTERVIEW
YES will allow you to review & edit values for:
• Step Multi Factor
• Step Cycle Time (Minutes)
• Step Cycle Thresh
• Cycle Time (Minutes)
• Minimum Move (Degrees)
• NORAD Life (Days)
• Intelsat Life (Days)
OPTION: please note that ONLY APPLICABLE PARAMETERS WILL BE PRESENT out of the above list of options.
Your specific software license will determine what parameters are authorized for your unit.
7581691_Rev B Page 95 of 179

3.3 Checking the Beacon Receiver Interface
Before attempting to peak up or track, the user should make sure the beacon receiver interface is working
correctly.
To check the basic beacon receiver interface:
1. If using an analog beacon, check the cabling, specifically the analog cable to J11 (see Section 1.12 for
details).
2. If using the serial connection to the beacon receiver, check the serial cable to J12 (see Section 1.12 for
details).
3. If using the Spectrum Analyzer, check to see the L-band downlink is connected to J15.
4. If using a serial connection to the beacon receiver, check to see if it is working.
a. Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Cfg Æ Beacon Rcvr
b. Check beacon receiver type to make sure it matches the beacon receiver
c. Path: Home Æ Status Æ Faults
d. Ensure no Beacon Comm Fault is declared. If one is active, correct the beacon receiver
connection. Note that the Atlantic Satellite receivers will declare communications faults if they
are in LOCAL mode.
5. Testing the analog connection can be difficult without an active signal. With some beacon receivers, the
user can adjust the slope and offsets to produce analog voltages. A signal generator can always be
used to check the beacon receiver interface.
6. If using the Spectrum Analyzer, check to see if the analyzer appears to be making traces.
a. Path: Home Æ Operations Æ Spec An
b. You should be able to see the noise floor of analyzer varying slightly per trace
To check the response of the beacon receiver, you may need to steer the antenna slightly off the beam.
The following is a procedure for checking the response of the beacon receiver:
1. Determine the true receive 3dB beamwidth at the downlink frequency of the beacon receiver. The value
computed by the IDU is an estimate using a generic formula. The true beamwidth should be available
from the antenna manufacturer and may vary somewhat. Record this value.
2. Peak the antenna as well as possible using either the tracking system or manual jogging. Record the
signal strength from the status bar.
3. Carefully steer the antenna off beam “up” by as close to exactly one-half the value determined in Step
1, above. Record the measured signal strength from the status bar.
4. Carefully steer the antenna off beam “down” from the point recorded in step 2 by as close to exactly
one-half the value determined in Step 1, above. Record the measured signal strength from the status
bar.
5. Compute the average of the measurements in step 3 and step 4. This average should be roughly 3dB
below the value recorded in step 2.
6. If it is not, repeat the test using an external spectrum analyzer to check the 3dB response outside the
beacon receiver-NGC combination.
Do not use Az for this test as Azimuth’s apparent 3dB beamwidth varies with the secant of the El angle due to
the geometry of most mounts.
If there is no response at all from the analog interface, and the serial interface is connected and supported, try
changing the beacon source to digital (serial) and repeating the test.
Use the following path and procedure in order to do this:
1. Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Cfg Æ Beacon Rcvr
2. Change Bcn Data Type to digital
3. Repeat previous steps 1 through 5 (see the above steps)
4. Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Cfg Æ Beacon Rcvr
5. Change Bcn Data Type back to analog
7581691_Rev B Page 96 of 179

3.4 Initial Satellite Peak-up
When the antenna control system has not yet been completely aligned, finding and peaking on the first satellite
can take some time. This section gives a procedure for doing this.
Once a satellite has been chosen, the antenna controller operator must peak up on that satellite for the first
time. If the beacon receiver is connected, the readings from the beacon level may be used to peak. Otherwise,
the operator must use another source to identify when the antenna is peaked on the satellite, refer to the
satellite acquisition procedure below.
The operator may use both position designate and jog commands facilitate peaking. The displayed Az and El
on the top of the screen may not be valid position readings as the resolvers have not been calibrated yet.
The actual antenna pointing angles may be approximately determined by using an inclinometer for the
Elevation pointing angle and using the antenna foundation dead heading or a compass to determine the
antenna Azimuth angle. Change the Azimuth and Elevation encoder offsets until the Az and El readings are
approximately correct. Then steer the antenna to the approximate location of the satellite.

3.4.1 Manual Peaking
At this point, if no beacon receiver is available, an external spectrum analyzer (not supplied) can be used.
The specific procedure to acquire the satellite is as follows:
1. Connect the Spectrum Analyzer to the LNA output or convenient downlink monitor port.
2. Set the Spectrum Analyzer center frequency to the correct frequency for the satellite to be acquired.
3. Set the Spectrum Analyzer Settings to produce a fast sweep, as shown below:
• Reference Level: As applicable
• Input Attenuator: 0 dB
• Scale: 10 db/Division
• Center Frequency: For the base satellite
• Span: 200 MHz
• Resolution Bandwidth: Auto
• Video Bandwidth: Auto
• Sweep Time: Auto
4. Manually move the antenna in Az at the initial El angle over the range of ± 2°
5. While moving the antenna, monitor the Spectrum Analyzer for signals.
6. If signal detected, maximize the received signal level by tweaking the antenna Az and El angles
7. If a signal is not detected, increment and then decrement the antenna El angle, in steps, and repeat
above until the satellite is acquired or
The step size should be equal to one half of the half-power beamwidth. The NGC-IDU will calculate this for
you.
The above procedure is intended to peak the antenna on the satellite. To complete the antenna peaking on
the satellite, align the antenna feed Polarization with the satellite by peaking the co-polarized feed port with
a satellite signal or null the cross-polarized feed port with a satellite signal by rotating the feed.

7581691_Rev B Page 97 of 179

3.4.2 Automatic Peaking with an external analyzer
Whether or not the beacon receiver is present, the NGC-IDU can be used to peak the signal somewhat
automatically.
1. Verify that the Antenna Size, beacon frequency, and LNB Local Oscillator are configured.
2. Set up the external analyzer as described in section 3.4.1, above.
3. Preposition the antenna as described.
4. Follow path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track
5. Set the Track Mode to step.
6. Press the Scan button.
7. While the controller is moving the antenna, monitor the Spectrum Analyzer for signals.
8. If a signal is detected, press the STANDBY key. Maximize the received signal level by jogging the
antenna Az and El angles.
During the scan, the antenna controller will execute a spiral scan with appropriate step sizes.
Figure 3-2: Spiral Scan

3.4.3 Adjusting the tracking level
Once the first satellite is acquired, the beacon receiver parameters and attenuation should be adjusted so
the clear sky is 0.0dB after precise peaking. If using an analog beacon receiver, set clear sky so it is also
about 7.5 to 8.0 volts. This process is a combination of configuring the beacon receiver and the NGC-IDU.

Figure 3-3: Analog Beacon Receiver Example
7581691_Rev B Page 98 of 179
3.5 Platform Configuration
The platform configuration elements tell the NGC-IDU and NGC-ODU the antenna’s size, how the pedestal is
mounted, and the information needed to determine where the antenna is pointed. Most of the settings here are
stored in and used by the ODU. The following sections describe how they are used for background.

3.5.1 Antenna Size
The IDU needs to know the antenna size as part of the process of estimating 3dB beamwidth. The antenna
size is always in meters.
To view or change the antenna size, use the following path:

3.5.2 Antenna Encoder Offsets, Types, and Limits
The NGC-ODU has two built-in coordinate systems, the Local coordinate system and the Global coordinate
system. The ODU takes the raw resolver/encoder readings and adds the programmed center offsets to
create the platform angles that, when combined with the SRT offsets (if present), make up the local
coordinate system.
Soft movement limits are always specified along real axes in the NGC-ODU and IDU. Therefore, for
example, the Azimuth limits are “CCW platform SW Limit” and “CW Platform SW Limit”. The IDU does not
calculate or enforce travel limits based on the global coordinate system (Note, however, that the box limits
are calculated and enforced as global coordinates).
Use the following path and procedure to view or change the encoder offsets, encoder type, and soft limits:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Platform.
• Go to the page associated with the axis (Az, El, Pol)
NOTE: if the encoder center offsets are changed, it may be necessary to change the software limits as these are not
automatically connected to each other in the software.
7581691_Rev B Page 99 of 179

3.5.3 Heading, Roll, and Pitch
The heading, roll, and pitch values are used to adjust this system for the orientation of the pedestal through
a mathematical transform. The resulting (true) Azimuth, Elevation, and Polarization are sent to the IDU. If
the heading, roll, and pitch angles are all 0°, this transform is an identity. The following figure shows the
flow of calculations.

Figure 3-4: ODU Coordinate Transform Flow
The heading value can be used to allow for the antenna not being mounted with the center of travel facing
due South. See Appendix A for an example of what to do for an antenna that is installed in the Southern
Hemisphere.
The roll and pitch values can be used to correct for what is called “kingpost tilt.” Kingpost tilt is basically a
deviation of the Az axis of rotation from perpendicular. For a fixed antenna, the following diagram shows
the relevant terms.
18
0°

Figure 3-5: Roll & Pitch in NGC-ODU & How They Are Used
For example, if an antenna is installed so the pedestal is leaning back by 1.2° from perpendicular in the
North direction, the resulting effects on the coordinate system can be largely corrected by setting the pitch
setting to -1.200°.
7581691_Rev B Page 100 of 179

In a mobile TriFold® antenna, this calculation is very important and is automatically applied (see Appendix
F). For a fixed antenna, this is an unusual correction, however, all NGC equipment is capable of making it.
Use the following path to view or change the heading, roll, or pitch:

3.5.4 Earth Location
Earth location is a critical parameter for the NGC-IDU. The Earth location is used to compute satellite look
angles from orbital parameters. The site latitude and longitude are especially critical. Altitude is less so,
although it may make a small difference for large antennas with tight pointing requirements.
If the NGC-IDU is connected to a GPS service, either through the AS-1 module as in a TriFold® controller,
or through the 10MHz reference option, it may not be necessary to enter this information directly.
Use the following path and procedure if no GPS service is available, in order to enter the latitude,
longitude, and altitude:
• Press the Location button.
NOTE: latitude and longitude are entered in fractional degrees, not in degrees and minutes.
3.6 Location Configuration

Earth location is a critical parameter for the NGC-IDU. The Earth location is used to compute satellite look
angles from orbital parameters. The site latitude and longitude are especially critical. Altitude is less so,
although it may make a small difference for large antennas with tight pointing requirements.
If the NGC-IDU is connected to a GPS service, either through the AS-1 module as in a TriFold® controller, or
through the 10MHz reference option, it may not be necessary to enter this information directly.
Use the following path and procedure if no GPS service is available, in order to enter the latitude, longitude,
and altitude:
• Press the Location navigation button.
NOTE: latitude and longitude are entered in fractional degrees, not in degrees and minutes.
3.7 Tracking Start, Stop, & Status Check

The NGC-IDU screens can be used to start and stop tracking, and to check on the status of tracking. For
detailed breakdown of the various screens related to Tracking Operations, refer to Section 2.7.1 in this
manual.

3.7.1 Start Track
Assuming that tracking has been configured to suit the user, use the following path and procedure to start
the system tracking:
1. Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track
2. Press the Resume Track or the Pre-Charge button, depending on what action is desired
For 3PP step-track, NORAD, and Intelsat, “Resume Track” is the usual selection.
“Pre-Charge” is appropriate for SmarTrack® when the user has been Step-tracking for some period of time.
Pre-Charge will use the position log information from previous peaking intervals to retrospectively build the
model. See Section 4.3 in this manual for more information on SmarTrack®.
7581691_Rev B Page 101 of 179

3.7.2 Stop Track
There are several ways to stop tracking.
1. From anywhere, press the STANDBY button on the front panel. This will abandon all current
movement and place the NGC-IDU tracking subsystem into stop mode.
2. From HOMEÆOperations ÆTrack, press the Pause Track button. (This button only appears when the
system is actively tracking.)
3. From the Jog screen, press the Pause Track button. (This button only appears when the system is
actively tracking.)
The NGC-IDU does not pause tracking because of any NGC-ODU-reported fault condition. The NGC-IDU
will continue to attempt to track through faults as best it can.

3.7.3 Status Check
The simplest way to check the status of tracking is to check the Tracking LED on the front panel. If it is a
steady blue or a slowly blinking blue, the system is tracking.
• Path: HOMEÆOperations Æ Track

• Track Status field gives the precise status of tracking.
See Table C.28 for detailed explanations of the statuses.

3.7.4 Automatic Track Resume
The NGC-IDU can be configured to resume tracking automatically upon NGC-IDU power-up.
To set this up, use the following path and procedure:
1. Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Cfg Æ General, page 3 (on screen)
2. Edit the Auto Track Resume field to “true”
Automatic Track Resume has the following four requirements:
1. The feature must be enabled.
2. A box limit must be configured for the current satellite.
3. Box limit enforcement must be turned on.
4. The system has to have been tracking at the time of power-down or reboot.
If any of these four requirements are not met, the NGC-IDU will not resume tracking on power-up. An entry
will be made in the Fault/Event History indicating this, and why.
7581691_Rev B Page 102 of 179

3.8 Configuring the network
The IDU can be connected to a TCP/IP-based Ethernet network using port J3 on the back panel. This is a
standard 100BaseT network connection on a RJ-45 connector.
Please note the IDU may not work well with some older 10BaseT-only Ethernet hubs. If the IDU does not
appear to be functioning correctly on the network, check to see if the equipment supports 100BaseT.
The IDU is designed to work with a static IP address only.
To configure the static IP address, use the following path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup
Doing this requires the following three pieces of information:
• IP Address
• IP Mask
• Gateway (also known as a router)
Selection of IP addresses and masks and router addresses is out of scope for this document. Generally
speaking, configuring these should only be done in cooperation with qualified IT support personnel.
Each IP address, mask, and gateway consists of four decimal numbers between 0 and 255 separated by
periods, e.g., 1.2.3.4. This is called dotted-decimal notation. When entering these numbers, do not add any
extra leading 0s; the system will follow the UNIX/Linux convention of treating these as base-8 numbers, which
is probably not is desired.
Sometimes the IP Mask is specified in slash form as part of the IP Address, e.g., 1.2.3.4/24.
The following table converts common slash forms to dotted-decimal form:
Table 3.1: Common Slash-to-Decimal Forms
Slash notation IP mask
/8 255.0.0.0
/16 255.255.0.0
/24 255.255.255.0
/25 255.255.255.128
/26 255.255.255.192
/27 255.255.255.224
/28 255.255.255.240
Once the network is configured, it is best to test it using PING. The use of this utility is outside the scope of
this document.
7581691_Rev B Page 103 of 179

3.9 Baseline Save and Restore
The IDU has a powerful feature to save, view, and restore known-good configuration settings as a group. This
set is called a “baseline.” These baselines are useful for restoring known-good operating conditions
automatically.
In the ODU, parameters are stored in the PWAs closest to where they are “needed.” So, for example, the
Polarization ACU is where the master copy of the Polarization coast coefficients are stored. The Pol ASU is
where limits and encoder offsets are stored.
To simplify maintenance, the installation documents recommend saving a baseline when installation is
completed for restoration.
If these boards are swapped out as part of a repair, the new boards need to have the parameters set to match
the system. The easiest and safest way to do this is a baseline restore.
• The current system settings can be saved as the baseline using the Save command on the Baseline
screen. This command captures virtually every configurable parameter in the system except the
satellite tables and models and saved them internally. Note that it also saves off tracking configuration,
beacon configuration, and so forth.
• The current system settings can be compared to the baseline using the Diff command on the Baseline
screen. All differences are displayed in the text window on the screen.
• The baseline must be re-applied to the system using the Restore command on the Baseline screen.
Restoring the baseline takes roughly one minute.
• Subsets of the baseline can be re-applied for Az, El, Pol, and so forth using the Restore Select screen.
When components are replaced, this is the recommended way to do this.
ODU parameters can also be saved/restored using Handheld. See ODU manual for details on this function.

3.9.1 Custom Polarization
For TriFold® systems with interchangeable feeds, the Save Pol function on the Baseline screen can be
used to save a set of parameters specific to the current band and Pol function.

3.9.2 Multi-Band Systems with Interchangeable Feeds
ASC Signal’s TriFold® antennas include removable, interchangeable feeds. If feeds use traditional AC
motors, ODU & IDU need to be slightly reconfigured when feed changes to adjust to different encoder
offsets and software limits from feed to feed. This can be done manually, but automatic means is available.
If working set entry for a satellite includes a Band and a Pol Type selection other than auto, the controller
will attempt to apply a “Pol template” for a baseline matching the indicated band and Pol selection if one is
saved (If not, there is a message indicating this when the satellite is selected for GoTo or ReTune).
To create template, user should first create the satellite and specify the band and Pol, and attempt to use
ReTune command. User should then manually configure system, including the following parameters:
• Polarization configuration
• Polarization encoder center offset
• Polarization software limits
• Polarization coast coefficients
• Polarization ratio
• Polarization deadband
• Polarization timeout
Once parameters are satisfactory, user should go to Baseline screen and select Save Pol. At this point,
settings will be associated with Band and Pol configuration of current satellite. They will be automatically
recalled whenever any satellite of this combination of Band and Pol configuration is selected for use.
NOTE: once user has elected to use the automatic means, it’s not possible to revert to manual means. Corresponding Pol
template cannot be deleted. It can only be updated.
7581691_Rev B Page 104 of 179
3.10 System Time
NORAD, Intelsat, and SmarTrack® require accurate synchronization of the NGC’s system time to Universal
Coordinated Time (UTC), also known as “GMT” or “Zulu time”. Other forms of tracking do not require the time
be synchronized; however, event logs and other data will be more useful if the time is set.
The IDU system can get system time from several sources:
• Built-in clock
• NTP server
• AS-1
The IDU has a built-in battery-backed-up real time clock module. This clock is accurate to ±1 minute per month
and should hold the date and time for approximately 10 years. This also allows the IDU to ride through outages
of any other source for reasonable amounts of time. The clock module is located in the IDU SCP module.
The IDU can take time from any network host or device reachable from the LAN port (connected to J3) that
implements the Network Time Protocol (NTP) according to RFC 1305. This interface is commonly implemented
by commercial GPS systems. The protocol obtains four samples from the server specified on the System
Config page, using port 123, and these values are filtered and the best value is selected. NTP is usually
capable of keeping the system synchronized to less than one second, which is far more than is needed for any
tracking application. Note that, as of this version, there is no alarm generated if the NTP client in the NGC
cannot reach the server, the only way to tell if this is working is to check the time. In this case, date and time
will be automatically set and maintained. The NTP client runs every 15 minutes, or whenever the NTP server
address is entered by the user (even if it does not change).
The IDU can obtain time from the external GPS in the optional ASC Signal AS-1 module. For mobile TriFold®
systems where no connection to the Internet is available, this is mandatory. An AS-1 can also be installed in
fixed applications to serve as both a system time and location source. In this case, date and time will be
automatically set and maintained.
Generally it is safe to use all three as long as the NTP server is properly synchronized to the GPS time system.
If no GPS or NTP time is available, the user may directly enter the current date and time from the Current Time
field on any page that displays it, e.g., the System Config page. Note that if the user enters time into a system
with an NTP connection, it may be overridden within 15 minutes, as soon as the NTP client runs again.
Unlike some other systems, the IDU allows the system date and time to be changed at any time. Intervals
between tracking steps and other periodic tasks are performed by elapsed time, which is unaffected by setting
the clock forward or backward. Note, however, that changing the time may make time-sensitive plots and data
look confused or awkward, as previous data samples are not adjusted by the system.
Some NGC Antenna Control Systems may have other time sources, such as built-in GPS references, as well.
This is out of scope for this manual.
7581691_Rev B Page 105 of 179

3.11 Legacy Serial Protocols
Port J9 on the rear panel can be connected to systems that supported legacy APC100/NGC-IDU controllers for
limited emulation.

3.11.1 APC100 Emulation
The NGC-IDU can be configured to emulate, partially, the ASC Signal (Andrew) APC100 product
previously available. This emulation is limited in some respects, but in general M&C programs written for
the APC100 should partially work with minimal changes. The emulation follows section 7 of the APC100
Operation and Maintenance Manual.
The DB9 communication port J9 on the rear of the unit is functionally compatible with the DB25S port on
the rear of the APC100 when configured for RS-232 mode. A commercially available adapter can be used
to connect the RS-232 ports. (A null modem may be required.)
Note that RS-422 and RS-485 are not supported; if this is required an external adapter should be fitted.
The port operates only at 9600 baud, even parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit.
Limitations and restrictions are given in Appendix E.
To enable or disable this interface:
1. Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup
2. Set J9 emulation to “APC100”
The “APC 300” and “telemetry” settings are for specific customer use only and are not generally supported
at this time.
3.12 License Keys

The NGC-ODU has a limited number of software features that are enabled and disabled by a license key.
A license key will look similar to the following example: $F4C0-67DA-180B-4202
License keys can be obtained from ASC Signal Customer Service for the following cases:
• Incorrect configuration of a licensed system, or
• Purchase of a feature not previously licensed.
To obtain a new key, the requestor will need the serial number of the NGC-IDU. This can be obtained from the
back label of the unit, or from the NGC-IDU front panel:
To obtain the serial number, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup
• Navigate to page 2 (on screen) and write down the serial number from the Product Serial Number field
Provide this information to the ASC Signal customer service/technical support person.
To enter a new license key, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ System Setup
• Navigate to page 2 (on screen)
• Edit the product key carefully. Be sure to preserve the punctuation. (Note that the key is not case
sensitive. Be sure to distinguish between the number zero and the letter ‘O’, and between the number
one and the letter ‘L’
• Press Save. If the key has been correctly entered, the value will change. If not, an error will be
displayed, and the user must start over
Note each license key is only good for the NGC-IDU with the same serial number for which it was generated.
7581691_Rev B Page 106 of 179

Because there is a random element in key generation, if the key supplied is unclear due to letter/number
confusion, you can always request another one. Each possible combination of serial number and features has
many hundreds of possible keys.
The key is encrypted and decrypted using a cipher algorithm which is permissible for export from the United
States.
3.13 Administration Operations

The following sections will cover screens and processes related to Administration Operations. General Users
(unqualified/non-technical personnel) should NEVER access the screens explained in these sections.

3.13.1 Updating Software
Most updates are made to TPU (front panel) and SCP (internal tracking, SNMP, & data storage system).
TPU and SCP are updated separately from separate distributed files. Generally, SCP & TPU software is
forward-and-backward-interoperable, and the order of update is not important. There are two common
ways to apply updates in the field: jump drive and FTP.
The IDU can copy files from a jump drive plugged into the front panel USB port. This method is preferred.
The update packages (.deb files) can be copied to a PC-formatted (FAT32) USB memory stick/jump drive.
They should be placed in the root directory of the drive. Pay careful attention to file names.
The IDU can also copy files from an FTP server. This mechanism is fast and reliable, but because of
evolving network security policies it has become more and more difficult to support.
Other mechanisms do exist. The programs may be updated via analog POTS modem by ASC Signal
support staff as well, in some circumstances if necessary, if data connection is stable enough to support
multi-Megabyte downloads. It is also possible to update programs using an RS-232 serial line, although
this would not normally be done in the field.
To update the software of the NGC-IDU, use the following procedure:
1. Choose your data source: Internet or File
2. Confirm that the path to the file (fields 2 & 3 in Figure 2-14) is correct
3. REFER to the Following Section
Updating the IDU and ODU embedded systems is done by installing a firmware image (binary file) through
drag-and-drop to each board when it is configured to operate as a USB flash drive mode.
When inserting the jump drive allow about 15 seconds for the NGC to recognize the jump drive.
• Unzip the file
• Copy all files NGCSCP.4.0.0.0.deb & NGCTPU.4.0.0.2.deb onto a jump drive into the root directory
• Use the “Safely remove hardware” option on the PC to eject the jump drive
• Plug it into the IDU front panel USB jack
• Follow this Path: HOME Æ Administration Æ Update SW
• Set the SW update source to File
• Edit the SCP SW update path to “/var/jumpdrive/NGCSCP.4.0.0.0.deb”. It needs to be exact.
• Press Update SCP
• Wait about 4 minutes for update to take. Update is complete when the front panel stops cycling LEDs
• Repeat for the TSM SW update path “/var/jumpdrive/NGCTPU.4.0.0.2.deb”.
• Press Update TSM
• Wait 3 minutes or so
The handheld terminal cannot be field updated at this time.
7581691_Rev B Page 107 of 179

During The update process, you may see a prompt on the screen that is similar to the one in the below
figure.

Figure 3-6: NGC-IDU Restart After SW Update

3.13.2 User Management
Path: HOME Æ Administration Æ User Mgmt
This screen allows the customer administrator user to change the passwords for the configurable security
access levels. See Section 2.2 for more information on access levels.
NOTE: the installer password is not shown and cannot be changed.
Figure 3-7: User Management Screen

# Item Description
1 User Admin Pwd Password for the customer (or user) administrator mode
2 User Pwd Password for the user level.

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4.0 Intermediate Installation & Setup
The following sections will cover advanced processes and procedures for both the installation and setup of the
NGC-IDU.
4.1 NORAD and Intelsat Tracking Setup and Optimization (OPTION)

Depending on software license keys that have been purchased with the system, the NGC-IDU can track
satellites using predictive tracking with either the NORAD or Intelsat data sets.
“NORAD” is a shorthand reference to a set of “simplified perturbation models” SDP4/SGP4 that calculate the
predicted location of the satellite in orbit over time. The models use data input called two-line element sets
(TLEs). TLEs are available for almost all communications satellites from NORAD, NASA, and some
commercial sources.
Choosing the best tracking mode depends on a number of potential factors.
Tracking modes can be roughly categorized as follows:
• Empirical methods that use the received beacon signal as the only source for pointing angles. If the beacon
signal degenerates due to weather or other issues, this kind of tracking stops
• Predictive methods that use the mathematical data as the only source for pointing angles. These are
immune to beacon loss but subject to several sources of errors
• Hybrid methods that use empirical methods to collect data which is processed by a modeling system and
used to generate pointing angles which may be used instead of empirically measured pointing angles
The following table gives the tracking modes supported by various ASC Signal controllers.
Table 4.1: Summary of Some Tracking Techniques
Tracking approach Summary Method Type
3PP/other Periodic or continuous signal peak through hill-climb or parabolic fit Empirical
algorithm
Adaptive Continuous 3PP with movement projected by linear extension of observed peak Empirical
Step Track locations
SmarTrack® orbital Fit of observed Az and El to model of orbital dynamics. Update model Hybrid
prediction with periodic peak measurements.
NORAD Predictive Unit follows look angles predicted by mathematical model Prediction
Intelsat Predictive Unit follows look angles predicted by mathematical model Prediction
Here is some advice on selecting tracking modes:

• Empirical modes work best if the dominant problem is not orbital motion
• Predictive and hybrid modes work best if the dominant problem is orbital motion
One challenge in predictive tracking systems has evolved as the frequencies rose. Satellite station-keeping
has improved to the point where orbital effects, while still important, are just another contributor to tracking
requirements. Physical changes in the antennas due to solar heating alone can cause as much or more need
for tracking adjustments than actual satellite motion. Obviously, these changes cannot be predicted by
astrodynamics no matter how sophisticated. Since they affect both the antenna pointing and its ability to
measure the position of the satellite, these effects compromise both predictive tracking algorithms like
SDP4/SGP4 and adaptive orbital modeling algorithms like SmarTrack® and competitors’ substantially similar
algorithms.

4.1.1 Predictive Tracking
When the system is in NORAD or Intelsat tracking mode, the NGC-IDU regenerates a new angle from the
model periodically. The rate at which this happens depends on how much the model indicates satellite
appears to be moving. When the new pointing angle exceeds the minimum move constraint from the
previous angle, the command angle is updated. No feedback or other considerations alter the generation
of these angles.
The angle is of course the ideal look angle from the current location. To make this accurate, the system
time must be closely synchronized and the latitude and longitude of the earth station must be accurately
7581691_Rev B Page 109 of 179
known. The predictive track user should either install an AS-1 to get the time, connect the NTP client in
the NGC-IDU to an accurate time server, or monitor and correct the time of the NGC-IDU at least monthly.
Refer to section 3.10 System Time in this manual.
The data set must be entered before this approach can be used. See below for details.
Predictive track works best if antenna is very precisely installed and aligned. The antenna mount should be
as orthogonal as possible (El axis perpendicular to Az, and the kingpost dead plumb). The resolver offsets
should be carefully set to minimize pointing error.

4.1.2 Predictive Tracking Offsets
Even if all of these offsets are well done, there still may be small errors due to nonlinearities in the mount.
The NGC-IDU includes the ability to use satellite-by-satellite offsets for Az and El for each algorithm which
can be used to correct these last few hundredths of a degree.
To edit these offsets, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Working Sat Tbl
• Select and edit the satellite of interest
• NORAD Az and El offsets are found on page 3 (on screen)
• Intelsat Az and El offsets are found on page 4 (on screen)
• Commit the changes to save them.
These parameters may be edited while the system is running. The offset will take effect on the next
prediction cycle, which may take a few moments.
Predictive track cannot account for true atmospheric refraction distortion (although some is modeled in at
low Elevations) of the antenna due to physical effects such as temperature, wind pressure, and mechanical
droop, and so forth. It will not normally perform as well as an equivalent system with closed-loop tracking.
Aligning and adjusting look angles is a tedious process that is beyond the scope of this manual.

4.1.3 NORAD Data Set
NORAD two-line elements sets (TLEs) actually consist of three lines. The first line is the name of the
satellite. The second and third lines contain fixed-length 69-character strings.
The NORAD SGP/SDP algorithm is a sophisticated astrophysical model suitable for all kinds of different
orbits – geostationary, geosynchronous, even MEO and LEO satellites. NORAD TLEs are available for the
ISS, for example.
The following figure shows a representative two-line element set with some example elements identified.
The exact meaning of each field is well-documented elsewhere and understanding them is not essential to
operating the NGC-IDU.
Figure 4-1: NORAD TLE with Selected Elements Identified
7581691_Rev B Page 110 of 179

With the NGC-IDU, it is possible to type in the two 69-character lines of the TLE directly, but this is not
recommended since it is quite tedious and error-prone. The format is very rigid and each space and
location has a specific meaning. Note that every space, plus-sign, minus-sign, etc., is meaningful.
• NORAD TLEs are found on page 3 (on screen)
• Commit the changes to save them
It is much simpler and more reliable to use a PC to place a file named “geo.txt” in the root directory of a
USB flash drive and use the update or import functions
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Global Sat Tbl Æ Update Table
• Insert jump drive with geo.txt file. This file should contain one or more sets of three lines containing
current TLEs
• Press the “Install File” command to add a satellite for each and every entry in the geo.txt file. Existing
satellites not mentioned will not be disturbed
• Or, press “Update File” command to correct any existing TLEs in the system with updates available in
the file, but it will not add any new satellites from ones in the geo.txt file that are not loaded
Please note that there is no way to “undo” installing a geo.txt file.
It is also possible to use FTP to update these files. This requires a reachable FTP site with network security
be set up so that anonymous FTP can retrieve the file. Configuring this aspect is beyond the scope of this
manual. The functions “Install URL” and “Update URL” use FTP instead of the jump-drive. The NGC-IDU
by default will expire the TLEs after 7.0 days. This can be configured to meet the local site’s accuracy and
data handling requirements.
As of the last update of this manual, NORAD TLEs are available for many satellites at the following URL:
http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/geo.txt
NOTE: ASC Signal cannot provide ephemeris information above and beyond what is available from the satellite
operators.

4.1.4 Intelsat Data Set (Eleven parameters)
Intelsat “weekly” element sets consist of 15 pieces of data obtained from Intelsat:.
• Eleven of them are the ephemeris data itself
• One is the name of the satellite
• One is the “epoch time”, the time at which the algorithm treats as 0 hours.
• Two are check values, predicted orbital latitude and longitude 170 hours from the epoch time.
This algorithm works by fitting sinusoidal approximations to satellite motion. It is not an astrophysical
model like the NORAD SDP4/SGP4 algorithm. This limits the use of Intelsat data to geosynchronous
satellites.
7581691_Rev B Page 111 of 179

Satellite name
Epoch date/time
Element data
Predicted Lat/Lon
Figure 4-2: Intelsat Data with Selected Elements Identified

With the NGC-IDU, it is required to type in the Intelsat information directly. Since most fields are floating
point numbers, the format is not critical, but the user needs to enter all digits or the validity check may fail.
• Intelsat data is found on page 3 (on screen). Press Edit View
• Fill out all fields on both pages 1 and 2 (on screen) of the Intelsat Data screens
• Commit the changes to save them
The NGC-IDU, by default, will allow the Intelsat information to expire after 7.0 days. This can be configured
to meet the local site’s accuracy and data handling requirements.
As of the last update of this manual, Intelsat data is available for many satellites at the following URL:
http://www.intelsat.com/resources/satellitedata/ephemeris.asp
Select the “weekly” report for the satellite of interest. Please note ASC Signal cannot provide ephemeris
information above and beyond what is available from the satellite operators.
4.2 Step-Track (3pp) Configuration Setup and Optimization

All NGC-IDUs can track satellites using a compatible beacon signal receiver and a step-track algorithm.
The NGC-IDU implements a form of step-track called Three Point Peaking (3PP), which is the parabolic curve
fitting algorithm.
3PP will continuously adapt to any satellite but can be vulnerable to loss of the satellite during rain fades with
inclined orbit satellites. The 3PP algorithm is described in some detail in Appendix B, section B.5.1. A more
complete description may be found in US patent 6,657,588.

4.2.1 Configuration
This section assumes that the beacon receiver interface has been configured and is operating correctly.
3PP has three basic parameters that control its behavior:
• The Step Multiplier Factor,
• The Step Cycle Time, and
• The Step Cycle Threshold
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System performance in tracking is affected by all three settings. In general, smaller values for any or all of
the parameters will result in a more active antenna that moves more. Setting the step multiplier factor to a
low number (less than 0.08 or so) will tend to reduce maximum loss at the cost of slightly increasing the
RMS tracking error due to less distinct information from the beacon receiver.
In addition to these settings, there are several settings that affect signal processing in the IDU and, as a
consequence, will affect tracking performance:
• Beacon settle time
• Beacon soak time
• Scintillation detect Enabled
• Scintillation detect Thresh
The first two parameters control when beacon information is integrated, and for how long. The last two
parameters control how much noise the IDU will accept on the analog beacon input without discarding the
current second.

4.2.2 Optimization of 3PP
With a well-behaved pedestal with a well-tuned NGC-ODU, it is possible to configure the IDU to track with
normal maximum tracking losses limited of 0.2 to 0.3dB.
Here are some hints for getting the best results from 3PP Step-tracking:
• Make sure antenna points well & is responsive. You should have accuracy on position designate
commands that is less than half the calculated step size. Antenna will only track as well as it points.
• Make sure the resolvers are quiet. A properly installed antenna control system will not have noticeable
jitter in the resolvers when the motors are not moving. If you see constant changes in the angle reported,
it usually means there is too much electrical noise on the resolver lines and the installation needs to be
reviewed. Resolver jitter will affect tracking accuracy and stability. Resolver instability can cause the 3PP
algorithm to make poor decisions.
• Make sure signal strength settings are good. Be very careful when selecting low signal threshold and
clear sky. If the signal is below the low signal threshold, the antenna control system assumes that it may
be on a "side lobe." If tracking is attempted when antenna is on a side lobe, the peak may be false. If the
RF system is not properly configured and the signal threshold is too low, this result is actually quite likely.
• Make sure the beacon receiver is responsive and stable. In a clear sky situation the beacon signal
should be stable to within 0.1 dB. If it is not, it could be indicative of intermodulation distortion in the
beacon receiver's front end and the installation should be reviewed. Obviously during rain or heavy
clouds you may see variation, especially for bands that are susceptible to rain fade. Scintillation is
another effect, caused by the same physical phenomenon that causes starlight to appear to 'twinkle,'
although this tends to happen rapidly within a single second. Make sure that the beacon receiver does
not have any long-term averaging turned on, since this will combine with the NGC-IDU’s signal
processing to introduce significant delays.
The following table illustrates some common issues and the normal next step to solve them:
Table 4.2: Step Tracking Issues
Observation Actions
Antenna is moving too much, 1. Increase step cycle threshold
tracking too often 2. Increase step cycle time
Tracking is imprecise 1. Make sure antenna points accurately
2. Make sure beacon signal is stable in clear-sky
3. Make sure step size is appropriate for goals
Antenna seems to move the 1. Check resolver stability
wrong way during tracking 2. Lengthen beacon settle time
3. Check beacon receiver for “low video bandwidth”
Antenna doesn’t move during 1. Make sure step distance is more than twice deadbands in both
tracking and them jumps axes

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4.2.3 Finding inclined orbit satellites
Locating inclined satellites can be difficult, especially with large antennas with narrow beams.
• If the NGC-IDU is licensed for NORAD tracking, it can be useful for finding the predicted position of
the satellite.
• If not, offline tools such as SatMaster can be used to determine approximate look angles. Once the
antenna has been steered in the general location, the Scan function can be used to look for the
satellite.
In either case, the Scan function can be used to perform a squared-off spiral scan.
To initiate a scan, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track
• Select Scan
The antenna will perform the Scan until it locates a beacon signal and then peak up. It may do this for
hours since there is no limit on the scan size.

4.2.4 Interaction with other features
The technical user may wish to set a box limit for your step-tracking system. See Section 4.8 for details on
this. During Three-Point-Peaking (3PP), the NGC-IDU will keep internal records of its tracking. This
information can be used to pre-charge a SmarTrack® model if you wish to use that feature.

4.2.5 About the Adaptive Continuous Step Track (ACST) variant
The NGC-IDU also includes a form of step-track called Adaptive Continuous Step Track (ACST), which is a
slightly modified version of 3PP step-track. This version uses a linear forward projection algorithm to move
the antenna along the last known Azimuth and Elevation rate of change vectors between peaking intervals,
in order to improve the starting point for 3PP. It is slightly more able to deal with rain outages than step-
track, but is more vulnerable at the extreme ends of the orbit where the directions are changing than
SmarTrack®. Otherwise, it is configured just like 3PP.
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4.3 SmarTrack® Configuration Setup and Optimization
All NGC-IDUs which can track satellites using a compatible beacon signal receiver and a step-track algorithm
can also use the SmarTrack® algorithm. This algorithm is based on building a mathematical model of the
observed orbit of the satellite from the history of Az and El readings during tracking. Once sufficient data is
collected to build a reliable model, the APC400 switches automatically to a predictive mode and uses
occasional peaking to update the model. The quality of the model is given in dB by computing the RMS error
between the model’s predictions and actual peaking points.
SmarTrack® is subject to very stiff quality metrics. The algorithm will use the model to reverse-project the
peaking data collected and determine RMS error, which is computed first in degrees and then in estimated loss
in dB using the 3dB beamwidth. If that error is greater than 1/3 of the repeak trigger, the model is not
considered valid and the system will attempt to update it.

4.3.1 SmarTrack® Configuration
The following SmarTrack® parameters are configurable:
• Minimum Move
• SmarTrack® Cycle Time
• Repeak Trigger
NOTE: many of the step-track parameters also apply to SmarTrack® during the “model building” phase.

4.3.2 Functionality of SmarTrack®
SmarTrack® collects points using three-point peaking (3PP) step-track. It must have at least five points
collected over at least a six hour period, and these points must pass the quality check. SmarTrack® collects
these points using the same frequency and re-peak criteria configured for step track.
Once the model is valid, the NGC-IDU switches into a predictive mode. It will then update the model
periodically, whenever the SmarTrack® repeak trigger is exceeded, or whenever the SmarTrack® cycle
time has been exceeded.
Model sample data older than 48 hours is discarded, and points closer than 15 minutes to each other are
also condensed.

4.3.3 Optimization of SmarTrack®
Very little adjustment is required for SmarTrack® once the 3PP subsystem is configured to work well.
Note, however, that there are some basic tips:
• Don’t set the repeak trigger too small. This can keep the system from using the models it develops
• Don’t select a SmarTrack® cycle time longer than 240.0 minutes

4.3.4 Pre-charge feature
The SmarTrack® algorithm can use information collected while step-tracking to pre-charge a model.
To do this, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track
• Pause tracking
• Change the tracking type to SmarTrack®
• Select Pre-Charge

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4.3.5 SmarTrack® Model
The Model itself can be viewed.
To do so, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track Æ Status Æ SmarTrack® Mdls
• Select the satellite of interest
A text file is loaded on the screen. It consists of a number of lines like the following picture:

Figure 4-3: SmarTrack® model
The most interesting elements are the Model data and Quality metric lines.
The model data contains the estimated parameters of the satellite at the Epoch time listed (which is the
same as the file generated time for all practical purposes).
SmarTrack® tends to slightly overestimate inclination for tightly-station-kept geostationary satellites. This is
because any error at all is assigned by the algorithm to the inclination.
The totalLoss is the RMS error of the collected points in the position log compared to the predicted angle
from the model calculating backward. This is converted to dB using the 3dB beamwidth and a parabolic
approximation of the antenna pattern.
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4.4 Tracking Receivers
These sections will explain how to connect a tracking receiver to the IDU for Step-track, SmarTrack®, and
other functions.
The IDU supports one or more of three separate tracking receiver types:
• External Beacon Receiver
• Internal Spectrum Analyzer (OPTION)
• Internal DVB-S Receiver (OPTION)
The following figure shows these three options and the four ways the NGC can receive a tracking signal.
Figure 4-4: Tracking Receivers

Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ Beacon Rcvr, using Bcn Data Type field.
• An analog beacon receiver may be interfaced using the analog, serial, or both interfaces. The choice of
whether to use analog or serial (digital) data from the beacon receiver is configurable.
• The optional built-in spectrum analyzer may be used for some satellites.
• The optional DVB receiver may be used for some satellites.

4.4.1 Analog Beacon Receiver Interface
Many commercial beacon receivers (not supplied with the IDU) can be connected to ports J11 and J12 on
the rear panel of the IDU. The IDU can accept an analog voltage (0-10VDC, see A on the figure) as long as
the analog voltage is linearly proportional to the tracking signal’s received signal strength in dB.
This configuration is recommended for maximum performance because the IDU will over-sample and
process analog signal to detect scintillation and other effects and take measures to minimize their effect.
The IDU has sensitivity to roughly 10mV of signal change. The measured statistics are available through
the tracking status screen.
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ Beacon Rcvr, select a Bcn Data Type of “analog”
7581691_Rev B Page 117 of 179

The Bcn slope and Bcn offset should also be set to match the characteristics of the beacon receiver (IDU
cannot detect these parameters; generally, manufacturer’s defaults should be used).
• The Bcn Slope is in dB per volt, typically either 2.0 or 5.0.
• The Bcn Offset should be set to adjust the clear-sky to 0.0. Normally, if the offset is 0.0, then 0.0dB
clear-sky corresponds to 7.5V DC on the analog input.
Each satellite in the working table has a “local beacon offset” field which is always added to the signal
strength of the current satellite. This field cannot be interactively edited. The primary purpose of this field is
to support receivers that do not have programmable attenuators. User should not normally configure both
attenuation and local beacon offset to nonzero values.

4.4.2 Serial Beacon Receiver Interface
The IDU also has ability to interface to several models of beacon receiver over the serial port to tune,
adjust, monitor, & if required accept signal strength from those devices. Whenever a new satellite is
commanded—through either ‘GoTo’ or ‘ReTune’ command—the IDU will try to tune connected beacon
receiver to current frequency. It will also apply programmed attenuation and modulation if supported by
beacon receiver.
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ Beacon Rcvr

• User can select between several supported beacon receivers. This selection configures the serial
interface to implement the necessary protocol.
The IDU does not automatically configure the serial interface parameters for the selected beacon receiver.
It is necessary to know these and the set them using the TPU Interface. These parameters are found on
the same screen where the device type is selected. The user may configure baud rate, electrical level,
serial word length, serial parity, multi-drop addresses.
User may choose to leave this interface unconnected as well if an alternate means of controlling the
receiver is desired. In this case, the “none” option on the Device Type field of the Beacon Rcvr screen
should be selected to suppress the Beacon Comm. Fault alarm. In this case, the user should still program
beacon receiver frequencies into the Working Satellite Table so the IDU can calculate appropriate step
sizes based on the antenna’s estimated 3dB beamwidth.
The received signal strength from the beacon receiver cannot be adjusted; it is assumed that the beacon
receiver settings and the signal strength fed to the beacon receiver are correct.

4.4.3 Internal DVB-S Receiver Option
If DVB-S receiver is installed, it may be used as a tracking source.

• Select Bcn Data Type of “dvb rcvr”
Use of this receiver is primarily intended for acquisition. If properly programmed, it can tell satellites apart in
the sky that happen to have identical beacons. Use for tracking is possible, but not recommended. The
receiver uses carriers rather than beacons, which are usually generated from other Earth stations, so
signal strength may vary for reasons unrelated to tracking operations (like uplink fade).
User cannot configure DVB receiver interactively. This is because the parameters are part of a set of
interrelated and complex parameters. Configuration is made through Working Satellite Table for the current
satellite, through the DVB Descriptor on page 4 of satellite editor. Parameters are elaborate as the user
must know enough about the carrier in question to describe it to a miniature IRD. There is no adjustment
for amplitude needed because the receiver combines AGC with use of Eb/No to estimate signal strength.
Once the user has adjusted the parameters, a ReTune function will apply them to the receiver.
NOTE: DVB receiver is not powered on if there is no DVB Descriptor defined. This is normal. When the receiver is
powered on, or reprogrammed, it makes a faint chirping noise. This is also normal.
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4.5 Configuration of Built-in Spectrum Analyzer for Tracking
If optional Spectrum Analyzer is installed, it can be used as a beacon measurement device. In this mode,
spectrum analyzer measures total power within a tracking band around configured center frequency of beacon.

• Select a Bcn Data Type of “Spec An”
Beacon receiver’s measured signal strength for a carrier is typically a very low number, like -65dB. This value
has an arbitrary number of 60dB added to it, and then the Spec Analyzer Offset is added to that to get a raw
signal strength reading. This signal strength has the Beacon Attenuation value subtracted from it (same value
programmed into analog beacon receiver configuration above), and then local beacon offset is applied (also
same as analog beacon receiver above). Again, user should not normally configure local beacon offset to
nonzero values.
Use of Spectrum Analyzer as a beacon receiver may significantly reduce total system cost. It is not always as
accurate as a physical beacon receiver, which is specially designed for this function, but the results are usually
acceptable. Spectrum Analyzer is not recommended for applications where beacon is particularly weak
compared to total energy on satellite, since it may not be possible to satisfy dynamic range restrictions of
receiver while keeping RF front end out of saturation. For these applications, a receiver with a pre-select filter
is required. If there is any doubt, user should consult a qualified satellite system engineer on this issue.
4.6 Satellite Configuration & Updates

This section tells how to update a satellite table manually as well as how to configure the satellite for your
system.
NOTE: You can also do this with NORAD geo.txt files even if you have not licensed the NORAD tracking algorithm. See
Section 4.1.3 for details.

4.6.1 Updating Satellite Table
The procedure to do this can be somewhat complicated by various options, so read carefully.
Before you begin, you will need to collect the following information:
• Name of the satellite, its longitude in orbit, its NORAD ID (a five-digit number).
• If using linear Pol drive, determine the Pol of the satellite signals.
• For tracking, collect the beacon frequency in L-band and information about the block down converter.
• For certain acquisition and tracking modes, it may be necessary to collect even more information, see
below.
The easiest way to start is to find the satellite in the Global Satellite Table, if it is present. This table
provides a lot of basic data about the satellite, including the name, longitude, and NORAD ID.
• Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Global Sat Tbl
• Highlight the satellite and press the Set Working button on the left. Once this is complete, back up to the
Satellite Menu and select Working Sat Tbl to get to the entry. It will probably need further entry of data,
since the NORAD geo.txt file does not include all needed data.
If the satellite is not in the Global Satellite Table, it can be hand-entered from the working table.
• Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Working Sat Tbl
• Press the New button on the left side.
NOTE: the NGC-IDU will only edit a satellite once it is in the working table. Once the working satellite entry is opened, the
user can update almost any field.
The minimum data required is as follows:
1. Name. Choose the normal name by which the satellite is known. The user is restricted to 14 letters by
the user interface.
2. Longitude. This is the nominal orbital longitude, such as 96 degrees West.
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3. Orbital Pol, if linearly polarized. Normally 0.0 is horizontal, 90.0 is vertical. Note some satellites may
have skewed orientation so the user may have to account for this.
4. Beacon Frequency. This is usually expressed in the L-band value (that is, between 950.0 MHz and
2050.0 MHz). The system uses this to determine appropriate step sizes for tracking. If The user is not
step-tracking or SmarTrack®-ing, you can leave this value at 0.0.
5. NORAD ID. This is a five-digit number that the United States Air Force uses to identify orbiting objects.
The NGC system uses this number as the primary database key so it needs to be entered and should
be correct. The user can guess but be careful as it may conflict with actual NORAD IDs and cause
problems later.
Depending on hardware, and tracking and acquisition modes, the user may need to enter additional data.
• If using NGC system to control the beacon receiver using serial interface, you may need to fill out the
beacon attenuation field. This is the satellite-specific setting for signal attenuator in some beacon
receivers
• If using the optional built-in Spectrum Analyzer, the user may need to fill in the attenuation field as well. It
is used as a satellite-specific offset on the beacon strength
• If using the optional built-in DVB receiver, the user may need to fill in a descriptor to program it
• If electing to use box limits, or other features, the user may need to configure them as well
• If user is using NORAD or Intelsat Ephemeris tracking, the user may find it necessary to adjust the Az
and El offsets for those modes
• If user is using Intelsat Ephemeris tracking, the user may find it necessary to enter the 15 parameters
required
NOTE: once data is entered into the working satellite table and committed, it is also saved into the global table, although it
cannot be seen or edited there.

4.6.2 Configuring Satellites
Do not begin satellite configuration until initial installation interview is completed.
Basic satellite configuration process:
1. Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Global Satellite Table (Global Sat Tbl)
2. Check to see if your satellite is listed in the GLOBAL
SATELLITE TABLE. If your satellite is listed, move on to
the WORKING SATELLITE TABLE. You may edit your
satellite values by selecting your satellite and pressing the
EDIT button on left of screen.
After you commit the satellite for your antenna,

EXCLAMATION POINT to left side of satellite name
should disappear. If it DOES NOT disappear, more data
is required. Refer back to the previous steps to make sure
that you have not missed/skipped anything

3. If satellite is NOT listed in Global Satellite Table, you will need to enter it from scratch by using the
following path: HOME (Main Menu) Æ Configuration Æ TRACKING CONFIG Æ BEACON RCVR and
moving on to Step 4.
4. Make sure the beacon frequency is correct (in L-band, not in C or Ku etc.). Typically, beacon frequency
will be between 950 and 2050 MHz. If you are using an analog beacon receiver, you want this to be
roughly 7.5 to 8 volts. Peak Up the antenna, as you may need to adjust the signal strength and/or add
Beacon Attenuation or Offset
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4.7 Box Limits
The box limit feature can be used to limit the range of travel for the NGC-IDU when it is tracking a satellite.
Actions taken on hitting a box limit depend on the tracking algorithm. Here are some examples of what is
meant by this:
• Step-track-like algorithms including SmarTrack®’s pause track and must be manually restarted. Hitting
a box limit here is considered a serious fault condition.
• Program track algorithms limit movement to the box limits but continue to track as best as they can.
Hitting a box limit here is not considered a serious condition since the angle is generated
mathematically.
• Position designate and jog commands are not affected by box limits.
To enable box limits, feature must be globally enabled, and individual satellite must have defined box limit set.
To enable box limits globally, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration ÆTracking Config Æ General
• Navigate to screen 2, select Box Limits, and change the setting to “enabled”
To enable and define box limits for the current satellite, use the following path and procedure:
• Select the satellite of interest and edit it
• Navigate to screen 2
• Set the Box Limits field to “enforced.” If no limits were defined, the IDU will fill in some limits allowing ±2
degrees El and ±1 degree of Az. Alter these to match the desired limits
At this time, the NGC-IDU does not attempt to calculate box limits using spacecraft data. It is often a good
idea to let the NGC-IDU track the satellite for a day and set the limits using the data collected.

Figure 4-5: Box Limits
Box limits are not recommended for TriFold® mobile antenna systems due to the complexity of maintaining
them, as these systems are designed to be moved from location to location on a regular basis.
7581691_Rev B Page 121 of 179
4.8 SNMP Parameters and Configuration
The NGC-IDU includes an implementation of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), versions 1
and 2c. It does not currently support SNMP version 3.
Prior to setting up SNMP parameters, you must have the following information:
• SNMP Manager Address
• SNMP Trap Address
• SNMP System Location
• SNMP System Contact
ASC Signal recommends you obtain the information listed above from your network administrator before
attempting to set up SNMP.
The ASC Signal specific enterprise management information base (MIB) is available to qualified customers.
Contact ASC Signal customer support for information.
SNMP v1 and v2c has limited security based on “community strings”. A community string is basically a per-
message password that the SNMP Agent in the NGC-IDU validates against a programmed value.
There are three community strings used:
Table 4.3: Community String Functions
Function Default
Read-only “public”
Read-write “private”
Trap “public”
Once the NGC-IDU is installed, these should be changed.
4.9 10 MHz System Accessory Configuration

PATH: HOMEÆ Configuration Æ System Setup Æ Accessories (right screen arrow) Æ 10 MHz Present
This option must be enabled from the accessories page.
This page also allows the user to select a preferred source for system UTC time. If this is left at “auto,” which is
the default setting, then any source available will be used. The system can use one or more of the following:
AS-1 accessory outside, the 10 MHz accessory, an IRIG-B card, a network time protocol server, or its own
internal battery-backed-up clock. The internal clock is used to ride through outages.

4.9.1 Using the 10MHz Reference Option
Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Platform Æ 10 MHz Ref (if option is present)
The 10MHz reference option for the NGC-IDU allows the IDU to furnish a high-accuracy, GPS-disciplined
frequency reference for other earth station equipment. This reference can be monitored at the front panel.
The GPS location and time provided through this interface can also be used by the NGC automatically. The
NGC-IDU 10MHz option provides a 10MHz reference output and a 1 pulse-per-second (PPS) output.
NOTE: Using this option requires Revision E software for the NGC-IDU’s SCP, TPU, & RPI-6 modules.
If you have the 10MHz option, the following three jacks will have been added to the NGC-IDU Back Panel:
1. Antenna input
2. 10MHz output
3. 1PPS output
7581691_Rev B Page 122 of 179

Figure 4-6: 10MHz Reference Screen 1
# Item Description
1 GPS Time Time received from GPS antenna by 10MHz reference
2 GPS Lat Latitude received from GPS antenna by 10MHz reference
3 GPS Lon Longitude received from GPS antenna by 10MHz reference
4 GPS Lock Stat Lock status of GPS. Should be ‘phase lock’ once signal is acquired.
5 GPS Signal strength Nominal GPS signal strength (C/N0) measured in dB-Hz
6 GPS Status Overall status of GPS. Should be ‘position’ once signal is acquired.
Figure 4-7: 10MHz Reference Screen 2

# Item Description
1 GPS Altitude Nominal altitude in meters.
2 GPS Sat Count Number of satellites.
3 GPS Status Time reference status. Should be ‘fine adj.’ once lock is acquired.
4 GPS Quality GPS quality on a scale of 0-9. Should be ‘9’.
5 Timing Mode System timing mode. Should be ‘static’ for all fixed antennas. ‘Dynamic’ should be used
only if platform is normally moving. Changing mode will cause time to unlock for a while.
6 User Time Bias Programmable time bias. Should be left at 0μs for all applications.
7581691_Rev B Page 123 of 179

5.0 Advanced Installation, Setup, and Operation
This section contains information on less-common features. The reader of this section should already be very
familiar with the info provided in sections 3.0 and 4.0 of this manual.
5.1 Acquisition Assist (OPTION, TriFold® only)

This section describes the configuration and operation of the Acquisition Assist function used with the TriFold®
variants of the NGC-ODU. Please note this feature set works only with the TriFold® antennas in the Mobile
operational configuration.

5.1.1 About the Acquisition Assist
The acquisition assist is a feature that allows TriFold® antennas to search for likely satellites that match the
configured parameters. It is necessarily limited by the fact that, for example, beacon frequencies tend to be
re-used from satellite to satellite, so unless the acquisition signal is truly unique, the antenna may find a
different satellite than the one intended.
General notes about acquisition assist:
• Acquisition assist will only function well if the positioner is functioning well. Unlike tracking, where the
NGC-IDU is very tolerant of timeouts and other errors, in acquisition assist it is not, because the
movements are large and human safety is potentially involved.
• Since timeouts and other issues may indicate loose resolver couplings, they should be investigated if
they occur. Loose resolver couplings can cause the antenna to stow improperly and do significant
damage to the positioned and/or trailer.
• The Az stow position must be 180.000 degrees. There is no programmable offset for this, as the
TriFold® positioners do not have center switches.

5.1.2 Configuring acquisition assist signals
The first step is to decide which signal source to use for acquisition and configure it.
Spectrum Analyzer—for each satellite in the working satellite table that will use the Spectrum Analyzer,
configure the following:
• Center frequency in L-band and (possibly) the attenuation on page 2 of 5, and
• Tracking and acquisition sources on page 5 of 5. (These are a selection menu).
Each system should have a configured Spectrum Analyzer offset on General Track Config page 4 of 4.
This is a general parameter used to convert spectrum analyzer power measurements (which are usually
around -70dBm to -90dBm or so but of course vary based on your IF configuration) to clear-sky-relative
values. The system takes the power measurement and adds 70.0 dBm automatically, then adds the
spectrum analyzer offset to that, then subtracts the per-satellite attenuation value. The result shows up as
the signal level on the top of the screen. The idea is to use the (global) offset to account for the loss/gain of
your receiver system and the per-satellite attenuation to account for signal differences between satellites. It
can be hard to set do this without being on a satellite…and very hard to do in the factory without the real
LNA, etc. Configure this carefully to avoid acquiring on side-lobes.
DVB-S Receiver—for each satellite in the working satellite table that will use the DVB-S receiver, configure
the following:
• center frequency in L-band and (possibly) the attenuation on page 2 of 5,
• DVB-S receiver program on page 4 of 5, and
• Tracking and acquisition sources on page 5 of 5. (Pages are on a selection menu).
If the DVB receiver is used, it uses the C/No measurement of the receiver, so fewer configurations are
required of the RF chain. However, there are a large number of parameters that all have to be right to
achieve lock, and unless you intimately know the transmitting enterprise, they can change the parameters
7581691_Rev B Page 124 of 179

and surprise your end users later. This is why we don’t recommend the DVB Rx as the primary acquisition
method for most customers).
General notes: It is not practical to expect to be able to enter the parameters the first time and acquire the
satellite. For this situation, it is usually best to acquire a known satellite, correct the heading, use the GoTo
command to acquire the new satellite, and then peak up and adjust the parameters.

5.1.3 Configuration of Acquisition Raster Scan
During acquire, the antenna will execute a “raster scan”.

Figure 5-1: Raster scan
There are two programmable parameters for the raster scan.
• Scan slew distance is the total width of the sector (default is 26 degrees). Set this higher if the
compass uncertainty is causing problems.
• Scan slew speed is the jog speed used for the Az scan. A value of 2 should work for all systems, but it
may be necessary to adjust it.
To edit these parameters, use the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ General
• Navigate to page 4 (on screen)

7581691_Rev B Page 125 of 179

5.1.4 Deploy & Acquire Sequence
For mobile systems, deploy and stow buttons are on the GoTo Satellite screen, quickly accessed from the
GOTO button.
Once things are set up to acquire, the recommended procedure is as follows:
• Press GOTO to get to the Goto Satellite screen
• Highlight the target satellite line on the screen
• Touch “Retune” button on left side of screen. System will ask to confirm
NOTE: the above is not strictly necessary unless changing satellites, but is best to do on every acquire to avoid forgetting
• Touch the Acquire button on the right side of the screen. The system should begin to acquire.
To understand the acquisition sequence, it is necessary to understand the “compass mode” parameter in
the NGC-ODU. During initial deploy and final stow, the NGC-ODU’s compass mode is “ignore”, which
causes that system to use platform coordinates.
The following table illustrates what occurs during the acquisition sequence:
Table 5.1: Acquisition Sequence
Actions Explanation
System moves the antenna up out of stow if necessary. Stow Antenna moved to position for definite reasons.
position is where the platform Az is 180.000 degrees and the First, it assures Az and El can freely turn. Next,
platform Elevation is approximately 90.000 degrees. The it assures structure is clear of usual mounting
antenna will not move if the El angle is already between positions of the compass. Last, it gives GPS
10.000 and 70.000 degrees. Compass mode is ‘ignore’ at this more time to lock if system has been recently
point. started.
When antenna reaches deploy angle (usually 68.000 degrees), The antenna is stopped for two reasons. First,
system stops and takes a compass fix & GPS fix. Process motor activity might set up magnetic fields that
takes about 5 seconds. Compass mode is ‘using’ at this point. affect the compass. Second, the antenna
System also measures the trailer attitude (roll and pitch). moving will affect the roll and pitch.
System locks the compass heading, roll, and pitch into the Once GPS and compass fix are made, they
system. The compass mode is ‘locked’ at this point and from have to be locked because ordinary jitter in
now on. these measurements (±0.1°) would result in
undesirable antenna movement.
System calculates a sector around estimated look Az. The The sector width is calculated to overcome 2σ to
width of this sector is called “Scan Slew Dist”; it is 3σ of compass variation.
configurable from General Track Config page 4 of 4 and
defaults to 26 degrees (+/- 13 degrees).
System raster scans within this sector starting at calculated The scan starts in the middle because the
El, then alternating between rows above and below original system assumes the El is nearly correct. The
row in ever increasing steps until it reaches +/- 2 degrees. scan is much wider than it is tall because the
Width of vertical scan steps is computed from 3dB beamwidth compass uncertainty dwarfs all other
of antenna. Scan starts at closest Az to the position at the uncertainties.
time of the GPS fix.
If it sees 3dB signal rise of any kind after signal falls off again, Any received signal at the intended El is
it will switch to a spiral-box scan to look for the real signal probably the satellite of interest.
with real thresholds. It does so to avoid acquiring a side-lobe.
If the signal the system is configured to recognize is not sufficiently unique, the acquisition assist function
may acquire the wrong satellite. This is why it is called “acquisition assist.” Operator should confirm the
satellite acquired is correct.

7581691_Rev B Page 126 of 179

5.1.5 Overriding the Compass
Magnetic compass modules are prone to errors caused by local magnetic fields.
If these are excessive, the best solution is to manually enter the compass heading by using the following
path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Platform screen
• Select Override Compass
• Enter the true compass heading, which is the direction the tongue of the trailer is pointing
• Save the heading
At this point, the antenna Az and El should be corrected.
NOTE: if the antenna is stowed, this information will be lost and must therefore be re-entered.

5.1.6 Correcting the Compass After Acquisition
Once the satellite has been acquired, the Az reading may be off due to compass error.
This can be corrected by the following path and procedure:
• Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Movement Æ Goto Sat
• Highlight the satellite at which the antenna is actually pointing
• Select Override Compass
At this point the compass heading is corrected so that the Az is approximately correct. The NGC-IDU does
not correct the Elevation, which should be close already.
At this point, the standard “Go To” sequences (to switch between satellites) will normally work.
NOTE: In previous versions of the NGC-IDU this button was labeled “Confirm Acq”

5.1.7 Correcting Elevation After Acquisition
If the Elevation is significantly off after this, positioner has not been completely calibrated. This command
causes the NGC-IDU to solve for one unknown—Az error—under the assumption that the El is well-known
and that current and reported Az are both known. It does this by a coordinate transform rotating around the
center axis of the trailer. It then orders the NGC-ODU to use a revised compass heading as the new
compass heading—essentially overriding the compass. Because it cannot solve for both Az and El from a
single vector error (this is mathematically impossible), and it should not need to since Elevation should be
very accurate. If it is not, positioner calibration probably needs to be completed or redone.
Procedure is as follows:
• Level the Positioner. You are trying to assure the axis of Az rotation is fairly precisely perpendicular to
the ground. The easiest way to do this is to set antenna to about 60 degrees El, and use a digital
inclinometer at a fixed point on hub while moving Az between three of the four cardinal points (e.g., 90,
180, 270 degrees). When inclinometer reads roughly the same value for all three readings (to within
0.1-0.2 degrees or so) the positioner is level.
NOTE: we don’t level the trailer, but the positioner
• Tell the ODU that the positioner is level. This is done once, through the handheld by entering diagnostic
code 25. What this does is record any current offsets in the inclination read by the instruments as
“vertical.” Verify that the roll and pitch on the handheld now read 0 (or +/- 0.1).
• Finally, verify bore sight alignment of El. This is most easily done by peaking on a well-kept
geostationary satellite and adjusting the El offset (while the positioner is kept level) until the both the El
and the platform El read true. The idea is if the positioner is level then the platform El and true El should
be identical and very correct.
At this point, carefully check the stow sequence to verify El is still acceptable.
7581691_Rev B Page 127 of 179

5.1.8 TriFold® operation notes
• Predictive track is not suitable or recommended for mobile TriFold® systems. Step-track recommended
• While it might be possible to use the SRT accessory with the TriFold®, the functionality of the
acquisition assist in this mode is not warranted or supported.

5.1.9 The Stow Sequence
During stow, the following sequences happen:
Table 5.2: Stow Sequences
Action Explanation
The compass mode is changed to “ignore” to return to Stow position is not relative to the system
platform coordinates. attitude.
Antenna Az is commanded to 180.000. If the El is The antenna is centered before being
outside the safe turning range, it is first moved to a raised into stow because the “el creep”
safe level (safe turning range is determined by ASC switch (El rate limit) disables the Az axis.
Signal trailer & antenna design).
El is then raised toward 90.000 degrees until stow The exact angle is not known.
switch is closed.
If the ODU will not change the compass mode to the desired state, the stow or deploy sequence will display
a fault.
7581691_Rev B Page 128 of 179

5.2 Configuration of DVB-S Carrier (OPTION)
If the DVB-S receiver is installed, each satellite can be configured with a receiver program to recognize and
receive a traffic carrier on that satellite. This receiver can be used for acquisition (TriFold® systems) or tracking
(all systems). There are definite limitations to this method, due to the nature of these signals. Most significantly,
traffic carriers are uplinked from earth, and so may be susceptible to both uplink and downlink fade conditions.
This section describes how to enter and test those configurations.
The information herein is largely duplicated from SatEdit v1.23 Editing Software from Horizon Global
Electronics, Ltd.

5.2.1 Required Information
There are 15 required pieces of information to program the DVB-S receiver. 13 of them are important.
These are the information elements required by the DVB-S receiver, the choice of elements was not made
by ASC Signal Corporation.
Table 5.3: DVB-S Receiver Info
Field Name Description Other Information
Satellite Display name This name is only used by the receiver to display on the LCD display inside the unit.
Name The working satellite name can be used here.
Carrier Downlink carrier Received frequency entered according to desired Band. For example, 11876 for Ku-
Frequency frequency Band (in Mhz). You can also just enter L-Band frequency and select a LNB
Frequency of 0GHz (zero) if that seems easier.
NOTE: For C-Band, receiver cannot invert spectrum, so you need to swap your local oscillator
and frequency values. Otherwise, you end up with a negative resultant L-Band frequency,
which would result in the meter not locking on to desired carrier.
LNB Local oscillator of Here you can set local oscillator value of the LNB that you will be using. In most
Frequency the LNA/LNB. cases of European satellite installations for TVRO type Universal LNB’s we have a
choice of two local oscillators 9.75GHz and 10.6GHz. These values should be
entered in MHz so 9.75GHz would become 9750 and 10.6GHz would become
10600. For United States of America it is more common to have 10.75GHz local
oscillators.
Search AFC capture Search Range feature is preset to 3000 kHz, but can be adjusted in the event of
Range range when multiple SCPC carriers that are very close to each other on a transponder. However
searching for in most cases you would never need to adjust this value. Search range defines how
frequencies far the AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) will search.
Sym Symbol rate or Symbol Rate is defined by the service broadcaster. Your meter will operate from
Frequency frequency. 1000 to 45000 kS. Lower symbol rates (less than 4000 kS) will take slightly longer to
# of kilo-symbols acquire a lock.
per second (kS). NOTE: When symbol rates lower than 10000kS are used, ensure that SCPC is ticked (Single
Carrier Per Channel).
Roll Off Roll off of filter Roll Off determines the percentage of carrier roll off. Select 0.35 for QPSK, and 0.2
for DSS modulated carriers or where circular Pol is required.
Sym Rate Symbol rate filter This should be set to match the symbol rate. It is independently configured for
Code historical reasons.
Modulation Modulation type The modulation type should always be set to QPSK2 as QPSK1 and BPSK are no
longer used for commercial permanent DVB modulated services
Modulation2 Modulation set or The FEC Mode drop-down enables the selection of DVB(QPSK) or DVB (DSS) the
FEC mode QPSK modulation is found worldwide and DSS modulation can be found in the
United States and Japan
FEC Forward Error The receiver can handle the following FEC rates 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. There is
Correction also an option to select unknown where the meter will step through the available
setting FEC’s to attempt to acquire a lock when the FEC is unknown. Note: Although 6/7 is
not available from the FEC drop-down menu it can be applied by selecting DSS on
the modulation mode drop-down menu and selecting a Code rate of 7/8. This is only
really relevant where DSS services are available (in the United States and Japan).
7581691_Rev B Page 129 of 179

LPF Low pass filter Low Pass Filter is set to discard all signals above a certain frequency relative to the
setting symbol rate (occupied bandwidth). For example, if desired carrier has a symbol rate
of 27500 then the Low Pass Filter can be set at 30.0. Although 27.5 is available from
the drop down menu, it is preferable to set a slightly higher value. For carriers with a
symbol rate below 10000 check the SCPC box and set the Low Pass Filter to 10.0
IQ Swapped Quadrature Occasionally some carriers are transmitted with IQ Swap applied (more common on
phase SCPC and C-Band services). This is set by trial-and-error. It is usually false.
22kHz Tone Setting is not critical. This generates the 22kHz tone used to switch frequencies for
Universal LNBs commonly used by TVRO and VSAT systems in some countries.
Horizontal Polarization Setting is not critical unless DC block has been removed from IDU system. If it has,
control this can generate the voltage level used to switch Polarizations. Note that when
using the meter for VSAT installation the Pol should be set to Horizontal to provide
18 volts to the LNB even if receive frequency is vertically down-linked. Most typical
block type LNB’s operate best between 15 and 22 volts and the Pol of the LNB is
mechanically set to receive one polarity.
Options Options Set to 1 if symbol rate is less than 10000kS/s.

5.2.2 Collecting Info for TriFold® with Acquisition Assist
In most instances, the user would like to have a single unique setting for the entire sky to be sure that the
desired satellite has been correctly found at the installation site. The following tips will guide you on making
effective settings.
Here are the most important elements to acquire a lock with this receiver once the satellite has been
located and the antenna is pointed. This information can be found in various publications, web sites or
directly from the service provider or satellite operator.
• Frequency
• Symbol rate
• Polarization
• FEC
• IQ Swap
NOTE: If any one of the above is incorrect then a matching lock will not be obtained.
Example: At one point, the carrier information below was unique to Horizontal downlink from Astra-1 at 19.2° east:
• Frequency: 12515
• Symbol rate: 22000
• FEC: 5/6
• IQ Swap Off
So, if the user at the adjacent satellites from 45° east to 45° west with this selection, the user would only find a lock at
19.2° east as this combination is unique to that satellite.
Ideally there should be as many unique values as possible and the most useful is the Symbol rate. It is
quite common to find symbol rates of 22000, 27500 and 30000 as these are the rates that most
commercial satellite broadcasters use. More unusual symbol rates are most likely to be unique carriers.
There are other useful tools, such as the following: unusual FEC’s like 7/8 or 1/2, for example, as well as
where IQ Swap is found, can also be helpful in creating unique selections.
Where possible it is essential to find permanent commercial services rather than temporary feeds as it will
most likely be a carrier that is continually broadcast 24 hours and can be relied upon in the future.
7581691_Rev B Page 130 of 179

5.3 Inclined Orbit Polarization Compensation
Inclined orbit satellites with linear Pol will show Pol shifts. This can be modeled two ways depending on your
required accuracy.
One way, used on the ASC Signal APC300, and continued in this product, is to follow the formula:
A+t
P = P0 + I cos( )
D
Where P is the Polarization, P0 the default polarization angle from the satellite table, I the maximum inclination
angle, A the time of max inclination, and t the current time. D is the constant that maps time into the circle for a
sidereal day. Note that any value in the satellite table for this parameter will override the current setting when
the satellite is changed.
To enter this for a satellite, use the following path and procedure:
1. Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Satellite Æ Working Tbl
2. Select satellite and edit. Go to screen 4
3. Enter Pol Inc field (I in formula) and Pol Inc Peak Time (A)
When a satellite is selected (ReTune or Goto), these values are copied into the current operation.
To enter this for tracking directly, use the following path and procedure:
1. Path: HOME Æ Configuration Æ Tracking Config Æ General
2. Go to page 4 (on screen)
3. Enter Pol Inc field (I in formula) and Pol Inc Peak Time (A).
Future versions of the NGC-IDU will include the ability to calculate Pol skew offset from Ephemeris data.

7581691_Rev B Page 131 of 179

6.0 IDU System & Parts Troubleshooting
The following sections will provide you with convenient flowcharts and tables for the purpose of troubleshooting
potentially encountered issues with the NGC-IDU.
6.1 General Problems

NGC-IDU will not turn on
Problem
resolved
Is 1/0 Press the 1/0 POWER button YES

Does unit
POWER LED YES on the front panel. This should
turn on?
flashing? turn the unit on
NO
Ensure IDU is Ensure coaxial NO

plugged into power connector
suitable power is screwed down Have a QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN
supply firmly open the NGC-IDU to check the
LEDs on the RPI-6 PWA, KBCPU
PWA. & all connectors.
Try a different NOTE: highest voltage level within
power supply the NGC-IDU is 15VDC, which is not
dangerous. The NGC-IDU is a
“safety extra low voltage product”

Figure 6-1: General Troubleshooting Flowchart #1
NGC-IDU Touch Panel

does not respond to
touches
Try using the BACK

of your
Ensure panel is Has it stopped responding FINGERNAIL.
clean and free of ALL to ALL touches, or does it respond SOME The surface of your
metallic dust to SOME? finger may be too
large for screen to
read accurately.
It is possible to recalibrate the touch screen, but this is NOT recommended. An

unresponsive touch screen is usually an indicator that a more serious problem is
occurring. There are no software limits that affect the operation of the touch screen, as it
is controlled by a dedicated hardware circuit.


7581691_Rev B Page 132 of 179

6.2 Communications Issues

NGC-IDU is not communicating with
NGC-ODU and/or screen is
displaying “ODU?”
Note that
connection should
be direct between
Check IFL between IDU & ODU. If the the IDU & ODU,
Ensure NGC- IFL is not supplied by ASC Signal, you use of repeaters is
ODU is powered may need to test it for compliance with possible, if
& functional 100Base-FX standard. The maximum compliant with
length is 2000m. 100Base-FX
standard, but this
is not supported by
the manufacturer.
Figure 6-4: Communications Troubleshooting Flowchart #1

NGC-IDU screen is displaying “SRT”
If an SRT SHOULD be
If an SRT should NOT be
present, then the problem will
present, check to ensure that
need to be fixed out at the
no SRT is configured.
NGC-ODU.

Front Panel of NGC -IDU does NOT
appear to be connected to the SCP
You will need to have a QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN

open the NGC-IDU and check all connections of the
internal CAT-5e connectors.
7581691_Rev B Page 133 of 179

6.3 Alarms & Faults
Refer to the following table if the NGC-IDU is displaying an unusual alarm or condition. For FAULT SEVERITY
TABLE, refer to Appendix B.
Table 6.1: Unusual Alarms & Conditions of NGC-IDU
Displayed Alarm/Condition Description
Storage purge requested Internal storage of SCP is filling up with logged data. Usually takes many months if not
years for this to occur. Flush archives to make fault go away.
NOTE: it may take a few seconds for the system to complete this operation
Tracking fault Last tracking mode paused due to some condition other than user action. Generally,
IDU does not stop tracking due to movement faults. This can mean data set was bad (in
which case, satellite data alarm will also occur), predicting software generated an illegal
value (unusual), or a disabling fault exists (such as resolver alarm)
Satellite data alarms Issues were detected with program track data. NORAD data set or Intelsat data set is
faulty. Obtain up-to-date parameters, and if data manually entered, check data entry
carefully for transcription errors. Fault self-clears when data is corrected or another
tracking mode selected.
Rain detected The rain detector algorithm has measured signature of rain presence. No action required
Beacon comm. flt IDU is configured to expect a serial connection to a beacon receiver for tuning and
monitoring purposes, but it is not working.
If no beacon receiver is serially connected, change beacon receiver Device Type to
“none” to clear alarm
For Atlantic ASC3xx series of receivers, ensure receiver is in Remote mode
If beacon receiver is serially connected, ensure Device Type and serial cable are
correct, and serial parameters are set up correctly
Cabinet comm. Connection to ODU not working. Ensure ODU powered & functional. Check IFL between
IDU & ODU to make sure it is intact, fibers are not swapped, & no dirt appears on
connections.
NOTE: IFL is multimode fiber using LEDs, not lasers, with no danger of eye injury
GPS/Att sense fault This usually means system is configured in mobile operational configuration. See NGC-
ODU troubleshooting instructions to correct this if antenna is not a TriFold®
Az1 VFD fault reported Any of these faults mean there is a problem in ODU. See NGC-ODU Manual (7580368)
Az2 VFD fault reported troubleshooting guide.
El VFD fault reported
Az1 VFD overload fault Any of these faults mean there is a problem in ODU. See NGC-ODU Manual (7580368)
Az2 VFD overload fault troubleshooting guide.
El VFD overload fault
Cabinet temp high fault Both of these faults mean the NGC-ODU is outside its normal temperature range.
Cabinet temp low fault Movement may be inhibited.
Cabinet setup There is a parameter conflict in the ODU. Refer to the NGC-ODU Manual (7580368)
troubleshooting guide.
Uncmd move detected Antenna moved without being commanded. This can be spuriously reported if user is
changing resolver parameters, or during maintenance.
SRT Az HW Event Any of these faults mean SRT had to readjust feedback path. This can happen
SRT El HW Event occasionally and only a cause for concert if seen more than once a day or so.
SRT Z reading adj
Strut Interlock These usually mean the NGC-ODU has been wrongly configured as a TriFold®. Refer to
El creep activated (on a fixed the NGC-ODU Manual (7580368) troubleshooting guide.
antenna)
SRT comm. SRT is not communicating. Refer to the NGC-ODU Manual (7580368) troubleshooting
guide.
7581691_Rev B Page 134 of 179

Figure 6-7: Alarms/Faults Troubleshooting Flowchart #1

7581691_Rev B Page 135 of 179



7581691_Rev B Page 136 of 179

NGC-IDU tracks well, but there
are excessive losses during step
cycles
Check the 3dB Please note that if

Ensure the
beamwidth and Ensure antenna the antenna is
beacon RF
stepsize against the pointing is crisp & tracking a signal it is
signal &
data sheet for accurate. Check the transmitting, the
beacon
antenna. If stepsizes Overshoot in small focus of the combination of the
analog
too large, you may movements will antenna. uplink de-pointing &
signal are
need to adjust result in extra loss downlink de-pointing
not near
settings for better in receive signal. may be very
saturation.
performance significant.


7581691_Rev B Page 137 of 179




7581691_Rev B Page 138 of 179

7.0 Inspections & Maintenance
High temperature or humidity can deteriorate the performance of the system so good environmental control is
advised. Also, temperature below 10°C can affect the display quality of the LCD.
7.1 Cleaning the unit

To clean the surface of the unit including the LCD modules use a soft dry cloth without chemicals or water. Be
careful, the surface of the LCD polarizer is very soft and easily scratched. Never allow any type of fluid to
contact the LCD as it can penetrate into the module and damage or destroy it.
Operator maintenance consists of cleaning the surface of the unit including the LCD module and performing
key test to check the functionality of the IDU Front Panel Keypad to the right of the TPU or to a keyboard
plugged into the unit.
WARNING: if liquid crystal material leaks from the TPU screen DO NOT allow it to come into contact with your eyes
or mouth. In case of contact with hands, skin, or clothing, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
7.2 Checking redundant power supplies

The IDU does not have any automatic way to check the status of both redundant power supplies, so this needs
to be checked periodically. The simplest way to check this is to check the LED on the external power brick. If
this LED is on, and the connector is still firmly screwed into J1 or J2, the power supply is functional.
Figure 7-1: Location of Power Indicator LED on Power Brick
7581691_Rev B Page 139 of 179

8.0 NGC-IDU Upgrade Kits
In order to ensure that your product continues to operate at the highest possible level of functionality
and efficiency, new upgrade kits for the NGC-IDU are constantly in design and production. If you
would like to order an Upgrade Kit for your NGC-IDU, please contact ASC Signal Corporation.
Though not yet available at the time of this manual’s writing, the first of these kits will become
available in the near future.
When Upgrade Kits do become available for the NGC-IDU system, you will need to consult the
written instructions that will come provided with the specific kit that you have ordered. Future versions
of this NGC-IDU manual may include a specific product list of NGC-IDU Upgrade Kits available from
ASC Signal Corporation.
7581691_Rev B Page 140 of 179

APPENDIX A: ADJUSTING FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
STOP! This section applies only to FIXED EARTH STATION ANTENNAS that are located in the
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. This DOES NOT APPLY TO MOBILE ANTENNAS, which make such
adjustments automatically, or to antennas in the NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.
If you are using a Fixed Antenna and are located in the Southern Hemisphere, you will need to make a setup
adjustment in order to avoid having the NGC read your Az values as “Impossible Angle.”
The NGC antenna control system moves in reference to a set of directional defaults (which are set for the
Northern Hemisphere, with Due North at 0 degrees). Due to this, the IDU will read these defaults in the
Southern Hemisphere as pointing the antenna into the ground, causing an “Impossible” Angle alert to come up.
The process for adjusting values for a FIXED ANTENNA in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE is as follows:
1. For location in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, setup the system so that DUE NORTH is 180
DEGREES (the opposite of the usual 0 DEGREES, as is normal for locations in the NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE)
2. Set the Az Limits in NORTHERN HEMISPHERE mode

Path: Home Æ Configuration Æ System Setup Æ Installation. Select Az High and Low Limit
Screens and enter values normally. Note that system will TEMPORARILY be 180 DEGREES
OFF, until the next step (Step 3) has been completed
3. Once Az LIMITS have been set, change the HEADING ANGLE to 180 DEGREES by doing one of
the following:
Path 1: Home Æ Status Æ Heading, and enter 180 Degrees
Or
Path 2: Home Æ Configuration Æ Platform Æ Heading, and enter 180 Degrees
4. System should now be properly adjusted for Southern Hemisphere operation
7581691_Rev B Page 141 of 179

APPENDIX B: Theory of Operation
RJ4 Modem Modem Modem
RJ3 External Ethernet LAN External Ethernet LAN
RJ9 Legacy Serial M&C Port Legacy Serial M&C Port
SCP
System Control Processor
Serial I/F Serial I/F to DVB Receiver
Optional DVB
J13
Receiver
Power Power
Internal Ethernet LAN
RJ11 Beacon Analog Interface
serial
RJ12 Beacon Serial Interface RPI-6
Rear Panel Interface
Power/Standby KBCPU-1 KB-3
Internal Ethernet LAN

Optional Spectrum
USB
J15
Analyzer
Power
Power
RJ6 Internal Ethernet LAN

Fiber Optic Port to NGC-ODU
TPU
RJ5
Touch Panel Unit
RJ7 External NGC Bus
USB
RJ2 +15VDC
RJ1 +15VDC USB USB
Figure B-1: NGC-IDU Block Diagram

B.1 System Role of the NGC-IDU
The division of responsibilities between the ODU and IDU is fairly simple. The ODU is fundamentally
responsible for pointing the antenna. The IDU is responsible for determining where the antenna should be
pointing.
To accomplish this split, the ODU hosts electronics and software to implement the following:
• All interfaces to the drive electronics and feedback mechanisms, including all coordinate
transformations
• All platform-specific accessory electrical interfaces
• The outside handheld terminal maintenance interface
7581691_Rev B Page 142 of 179

Figure B-2: NGC Antenna Control System Block Diagram
B.2 Basic Structure of the NGC-IDU Control Electronics
The IDU control electronics consists of:
• The Touch Panel Unit (TPU), which provides the user interface.
• The System Control Processor (SCP), which provides control and storage.
• The Rear Panel Interface-6 (RPI-6) PWA, which includes an internal network switch for interconnecting
the components, the beacon receiver analog interface, power circuitry, and other functions
• The Keyboard CPU PWA and an attached Keyboard PWA
• Optional spectrum analyzer
Together with the ODU’s MC-7 board, the TPU, SCP, RPI-6, and (optional) Spectrum Analyzer modules are
interconnected using an internal TCP/IP network over 100BaseT. The network addresses are fixed for these
functions and require no configuration.

B.2.1 Touch Panel Interface PWA
The TPU PWA is an ARM9-based embedded Linux system running an open-source GUI program based
on the Nokia Qt/Embedded development environment. Source code to the TPU GUI program will be
supplied to all customers free of charge on request, as per the license for this environment, but this
software is provided as-in with no warranty. The TPU has an integral 800x480 pixel WVGA color graphics
display with 15-bit color (32787 colors) and an integral touch screen interface. It connects via 100BaseT
Ethernet to the network switch on the RPI-6 PWA, which allows it to communicate with the SCP PWA.
The TPU is to be a Technologic Systems TS-7395 single board computer with WVGA display. This is a
200MHZ ARM9 CPU (Cirrus EP9301) running Debian Linux 2.6. This board 128 MB of RAM and 512MB
of NAND-Flash memory, which is used to host the OS and application.
Very little information is stored on the TPU PWA persistently, just some user interface functions. Most
information is stored on the SCP and supplied to the TPU in real time.

B.2.2 System Control Processor PWA
The System Control Processor (SCP) is the central controlling entity. It implements data storage and
tracking functions.
The SCP is a Technologic Systems TS-7300 single board computer. This is a 200MHZ ARM9 CPU (Cirrus
EP9301) running Linux (a specialized distribution from the board vendor) 2.4. This board has 32MB of
7581691_Rev B Page 143 of 179
RAM, a real-time clock module, USB support, two network adapters (one internal and one external), and
two SD card slots.
This system will use the following peripherals from the TS-7300, as described below:
• SD card slot 0 is used to host the operating system. The SD card is formatted in Linux format and
cannot be read with a standard PC.
• Ethernet 0 is connected through the RPI-6 to the outside world
• Ethernet 1 is connected through the RPI-6 to the internal network switch
• UART 0 is the Linux console
• UART 2 (COM3) is used to implement the legacy serial interfaces
• UART 3 (COM4) is used to interface to the DVB receiver
• UART 4 (COM5) is used to control the LEDs on the front panel
The following peripherals are not used: USB interface, remaining serial ports, I/O ports.
The SCP PWA includes an installed analog telephone modem for remote diagnostics. The use of this is
reserved to ASC Signal Corporation.

B.2.3 Real Panel Interface PWA
The RPI-6 PWA is the central glue that connects the other modules in IDU. Functionally, it provides an
internal network switch, optical interface, beacon receiver interface with signal processing functions, power
supplies and management, and other glue functions. It also provides connectorization for the real panel,
which is the basis of the name of the board.
RPI-6 is connected by 100BaseT Ethernet jumpers to the TPU, SCP, and Spec Analyzer.
Electric power in IDU is all at or below +15VDC. The AC-to-DC adapter is an external “brick” device. This
makes the IDU itself a Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) device.
RPI-6 is based on a 32-bit NXP LPC2388 microcontroller. This ARM7TDMI embedded processor includes
networking, serial, Ethernet, flash memory, & RAM on a single chip with a 64 MDhrystone CPU core.
The RPI-6 software program uses a multitasking real-time kernel to balance a local network interface,
managing the serial beacon receiver, managing the analog interface, and other functions. RPI-6 also
programs the on-board internal network switch on power up and monitors the switch for failure conditions.
The RPI-6 also can run in a mode where it implements the USB mass storage device class. This
functionality is used to provide a quick software update facility in the field by connecting the USB port to a
host PC, which sees it as a “jump drive”.
The RPI-6 and the SCP exchange data continuously about every 100ms. The SCP sends down
configuration information, and the RPI-6 sends up status information and measured samples from the
beacon interface. All communication between the RPI-6 and SCP is carried over the internal network.

B.2.4 Keyboard CPU and Keyboard PWAs
The KBCPU-2 implements a basic USB Human Interface Device (HID) which looks exactly like an ordinary
keyboard to the TPU, which it is connected to. The KBCPU’s LED functions are interfaced through a
dedicated serial link to the SCP, because USB does not provide an extensible LED interface for keyboard
devices. The KBCPU also implements the soft power switch for the NGC-IDU. The keyboard itself is a
separate PWA which uses capacitive touch technology to implement a keyboard without moving parts. The
keyboard PWA is overlaid with a legend sheet to finish the front panel.
If a standard personal computer external keyboard is plugged into the front panel, it should be recognized,
and can be used for data entry or other tasks. ASC Signal does not recommend leaving a keyboard
connected to the NGC-IDU. Note that no mouse support is provided due to restrictions in the graphics
package.
The KBCPU-2 is based on a 32-bit NXP LPC2388 microcontroller. This ARM7TDMI embedded processor
includes networking, serial, Ethernet, flash memory, and RAM on a single chip with a 64 MDhrystone CPU
core. The Ethernet networking function is not used.
7581691_Rev B Page 144 of 179
The KBCPU-2 software program implements the USB keyboard function and interfaces via serial port to
the SCP to allow for controlling the front panel LEDs color and intensity. Because the USB HID protocol
supports too few LEDs, a serial link is used.
The KBCPU-2 also can run in a mode where it implements the USB mass storage device class; this
functionality is used to provide a quick software update facility in the field by connecting the USB port to a
host PC, which sees it as a “jump drive”.
The KBCPU-2 and the SCP only exchange data as needed. The SCP sends down information to control
the LEDs on the front panel. The KBCPU-2 sends all information to the TPU through the USB channel in
the form of keyboard scan codes.

B.2.5 (Option) Spectrum Analyzer Module
When ordered, an embedded spectrum analyzer module is installed in the chassis at the factory.
This analyzer can be used for several purposes:
• First, it can be used as a general tool for looking at received signals.
• Second, it can be used as a tracking receiver in some configurations.
• Third, it can be used as an acquisition receiver in TriFold® mobile systems in some configurations.
The "in some configurations" caveat has to do with the RF system engineering of the system. If the
broadband IF power on the L-band is much higher than the beacon power, it is possible that the spectrum
analyzer's RF front end will not have enough dynamic range to find a setting that can successfully measure
the beacon. There may be inter-modulation products in the signal as a result. This can be corrected in
many cases by notch filters or other system engineering techniques beyond the scope of this note.
When configured as a tracking or acquisition source, the spectrum analyzer measures the total power of
the beacon on a narrowband sweep. The center frequency used is the frequency programmed for the
current satellite in the Working Satellite Table. The span is 100kHz, the resolution bandwidth is 10kHz (this
resolution bandwidth is wide for the typical beacon and makes the trace look squashed on the screen, but it
gives the best mathematical results). The system integrates the total power for 50kHz around the peak,
adds an arbitrary offset to get this in the clear-sky range (0.0 dB), adds another offset.
Please note that the system is not necessarily designed to support tracking by Spectrum Analyzer and
tracking by Beacon Receiver for the same satellite with all beacon receivers. Because the per-satellite
attenuation field is re-used, it may be difficult to select parameters that work for all situations.
The Spectrum Analyzer software program is supplied by the vendor. The Spectrum Analyzer uses a built-
in LANtronix serial-to-Ethernet converter. The SCP program established a TCP/IP connection with the
Spectrum Analyzer to control and monitor it. The Spectrum Analyzer has a fixed internal network address
assigned at the factory.

B.2.6 Internal Networking
The internal network is implemented as a peer-to-peer mesh of TCP/IP hosts using the 100baseT switch
on the RPI-6 as a central element. Except for the Spectrum Analyzer interface, to simplify protocol design,
all data is sent from processor to processor in one-way isochronous streams called “umbilical data”. Each
stream consists of self-timed messages sent 5 to 10 times per second with lists of data items. Any
processor, restarted, will have a complete set of every data item in a matter of seconds. When data items
change, the sender simply sends out the updated value, and receiver is responsible for noticing changes.
All data exchanged between processors in the system is tagged with universal data indentifiers, and
expressed in “big-endian” byte order. The “endianism” is a slight handicap given than all processors in the
NGC are actually little-endian, but following network byte order is safest given the big-endian application
ancestry and the large base of existing code to handle this orientation. The tagging assures consistent
handling of data throughout the system.
7581691_Rev B Page 145 of 179

B.3 Operational Configurations
The NGC Antenna Control System is equipped with several basic “operational configurations.” An “operational
configuration” is the fundamental geometry of the antenna and control equipment. It is used as a key for the
system to use of suppress information and algorithms. This simplifies the user interface and avoids errors.
Operational configuration is controlled by the ODU. Generally, in the IDU, this setting enables and disabled
operation of certain user interface functions, but does not alter the actual operation of the system or software.

B.3.1 Fixed Operational Configuration
“Fixed” Operational Configuration (1) is the “standard” configuration where the IDU is interfaced to a
normal, El-over-Az pedestal.
"Fixed antenna" does not mean "non-motorized," we mean a configuration that is not mobile and not
expected to be moved in its lifetime without re-installation. This is true of the vast majority of installations.
In operation, the IDU generates pointing angles and the ODU attempts to achieve them. All timeouts, limits,
and other errors associated with movement are generated by the ODU.

B.3.2 Mobile Operational Configuration
“Mobile” Operational Configuration (2) is used with ASC Signal Standard Profile and Low Profile
Positioners. It differs from the Fixed (1) configuration as follows:
• Functionality associated with automatic determination of system compass heading, etc., is enabled by
this mode.
• Manual entry of some fields (e.g., site latitude) is inhibited.
• Some features are disabled, e.g., automatic tracking resume.
• Some features are added, e.g., acquisition assist
Operational Configuration has broader impact on ODU than on IDU. The IDU mostly affects user interface.

B.3.3 SRT-Only Operational Configurations
“SRT Only” Operational Configuration (4) is used with non-motorized main dishes with motorized SRTs.
An SRT-only antenna system is a kind of "fixed antenna" where only the SRT can move. This is a
configuration that is not mobile and not expected to be moved in its lifetime without re-installation.
Normally this is used in tandem with an NGC-ODU-SRT, an outdoor box that contains the power supplies
and interfaces between the indoor unit and the SRT.
The key difference between the SRT-only system and the usual fixed system is the SRT-only system
cannot move from satellite to satellite without manually moving the antenna. Since it does not include
resolvers or other measurements, the user has to tell it what the center boresight angle is by entering this
as the "Fixed Az" and "Fixed El".
This configuration differs from the Fixed (1) configuration as follows:
• Parameters associated with command of the Az and El main dish are removed. The main dish bore-
sight angle is configured by the user. The Az and El axes appear to be locked.
• Alarms associated with main dish movement are removed from the system.
• The inclinometer and compass, if present, are ignored.
“SRT Only Slave Mode” Operational Configuration (5) is a variant of the SRT Only mode where the system
can be connected by serial link to a master controlling system to command pointing angles. The only
difference between this mode and (4) is the provision of a fourth state for the Local-Remote variable called
“slave”, in which the commanded position comes in through a serial port to the NGC-ODU-SRT.
7581691_Rev B Page 146 of 179

B.4 Movement Control and Monitoring
IDU commands movement to implement position designate, jogging, and tracking functions. The tracking
algorithms all work using true reported positions rather than commanded positions. This means, for example,
that if the reported position is noisy enough, the IDU can appear to track in the wrong way. IDU assumes the
ODU is properly installed and working well.
In general, IDU is extremely tolerant of ODU-reported errors. For example, if ODU is reporting axis timeouts,
the IDU will continue to try “as best it can” to track the satellite. The reason for this is many installations are
unmanned, and ASC Signal wished to avoid sporadic errors of any kind to cause tracking to pause.
For each position move, the IDU commands the move in “global” coordinates. It is the responsibility of the
ODU to adjust for any platform orientation. The IDU makes an independent estimation of when movements are
complete for purposes of sequencing tracking steps and similar functions, based on expected parameters of
the ODU. This allows tracking to function marginally even if the ODU is not properly tuned to the mount.
B.5 Tracking
Tracking can be necessary for one or more of several reasons:
• Satellites whose orbit is not nearly perfectly circular and equatorial will move in the sky. Tracking allows the
antenna to follow even satellites with large movements.
• Large antennas, and antennas receiving high frequencies, can have narrow 3dB beamwidth, which means
that they must be positioned accurately even if the satellite motion is small.
• Satellite operators can require active tracking as a condition of permitting the earth station to transmit. They
do this in order to assure that the antenna is correctly 'peaked' on the satellite.
• In some cases, temperature and solar energy effects can slightly distort the antenna's shape, affecting the
"optics", and causing the antenna to slightly mis-point.
An active tracking system can alleviate some or all of these issues.
The IDU is designed to track geosynchronous satellites, including geostationary satellites and satellites with
inclined orbits up to 10 degrees, using a variety of algorithms.

B.5.1 Three-Point Peaking (Step-track)
The IDU uses an algorithm called Three Point Peaking to step-track a satellite. It uses the same algorithm
for all configurations, main dish motors or SRTs. This algorithm is covered by a US Patent.
The algorithm is quite simple. The antenna is deliberately de-pointed by a fraction of the beamwidth and
the signal strength is measured. If the signal strength improves, the antenna is de-pointed again by the
same distance. If the signal strength drops, the antenna is de-pointed in the opposite direction by twice that
value. The system collects data until it sees three points with a peak in the geometric center, at which point
it fits the measured values to a parabolic curve with the equation and calculates the mathematical
maximum point (where x=0). It then moves there and repeats the algorithm on the opposite axis.
If the SRT is provisioned with a Z axis, a third cycle is added to focus the antenna. In practice this achieves
excellent pointing accuracy with a minimum number of movements.
There are several programmable parameters that affect the algorithm. The antenna size, LNB local
oscillator, and the beacon frequency are used to compute the nominal 3dB beamwidth of the antenna using
a generic formula that tends to be reasonably accurate.

Where f is the downlink frequency is GHz and A is the antenna diameter in meters. This value is multiplied
by the step multi factor to get a step distance. The selection of the antenna size and LNB local oscillator
frequencies is obvious and comes from the system equipment design.
7581691_Rev B Page 147 of 179
Selecting the step multiplier factor requires decisions because a trade-off is involved. If the step multiplier
factor is large, the temporary loss during de-pointing may be larger than desired. However, because the
loss is more "defined" than a smaller jump relative to the noise present in the beacon level, the
mathematics will get a better solution. If there is a need to constrain maximum loss, the installer should
pick a smaller step size. However, this will mean slightly less overall accuracy since the noise power in the
signal is more significant, and will probably mean more steps to find the maximum. Also, if the step size is
smaller than the minimum pointing capability of the antenna, the tracking algorithm may be handicapper.
ASC Signal cannot advise as to what value is most appropriate for a situation and the user may have to
find it by analysis of results.
The algorithm, like all tracking algorithms, is only as good as the pointing performance of the antenna.
Because of the functional decomposition of the NGC system, this performance is completely controlled by
the ODU and its interface.
The performance factors of the antenna that can affect step-tracking performance include, but are not
limited to, the following:
• Repeatability and stability of resolver or encoder feedback, including hysteresis
• Suitable tuning of axis control variables for the ODU’s PID control loops
• Stiffness and repeatability of the antenna structure itself
Step-tracking is not particularly sensitive to antenna calibration beyond finding the satellite in the first place.
It is not particularly sensitive to physical distortion of the antenna due to heat, droop, or the notional ‘steady
state wind.’ It is not particularly sensitive to the absolute accuracy of the resolver or encoder.
This mode requires a beacon receiver or other receiving system to serve as a feedback mechanism. The
signal strength must be a reasonable proxy for the pointing accuracy of the system.

B.5.2 (Software option) Orbital Prediction Tracking (SmarTrack®)
SmarTrack® is a patented algorithm that uses step-track information to estimate the orbital parameters of
the vehicle (the satellite "model") and predict its trajectory through the sky. It is only designed to work with
geosynchronous satellites.
It takes roughly six hours for the algorithm to collect enough data to create a solution. During this interval
the operation of the system will be exactly the same as step track.
Once the model is created and the solution is reliable, the predictions are used as long as the signal
strength is maintained. If the signal drops unexpectedly, or whenever the cycle times out, the algorithm
collects a new data point and updates the model. If the signal drops below the low signal threshold, the
algorithm becomes purely predictive and attempts to follow the satellite's motion until it returns.
There are several parameters to tune this interface. The repeak trigger tells how much loss is acceptable
before the algorithm attempts to repeak. The cycle time is the maximum interval between model updates
for the sake of time. The minimum move is the amount of total movement between the projected angle and
the actual angle before the algorithm will actually move the antenna.
Path: HOME Æ Operations Æ Track Æ Status Æ SmarTrack® Mdls screen
The model is very technical, but at the end of the file there is some information that may be of general use:
• Inclination is the estimated inclination of the satellite. This tends to be slightly more than the true
inclination because of hysteresis (wind up) in the axes.
• Eccentricity is the estimated eccentricity. Again, this can be slightly exaggerated for the same reasons
as inclination.
• East longitude is the "east longitude of the mean anomaly".
• argPerigee is the argument of perigee
• phi0 should be roughly 0. If it is not, it indicates some small error in the setup.
• totalLoss is a metric of the accuracy of the model. It is the RMS error, in dB, of the difference between
retrospectively-predicted positions and actual peaks in the measurement cycles, converted to dB using
the beamwidth of the antenna.
7581691_Rev B Page 148 of 179

If the totalLoss metric is greater than 1/3 of the repeak trigger level, the model is not considered valid and
the system will attempt to update it.
NOTE: very small step sizes (in step-track setup) can cause RMS error in peaking which will cause small increases in
totalLoss metric. This can cause the SmarTrack® model to be invalidated more often than it would be otherwise.
This mode requires a beacon receiver or other receiving system, and a license key with the appropriate
feature enabled. The feature can be enabled in the field by entering a new license key.
Because of the functional decomposition of the NGC system, this performance is completely controlled by
the ODU and its interface. It also has other factors that affect it.
The performance factors of the antenna that can affect SmarTrack® performance include, but are not
limited to:
• Suitable tuning of axis control variables for the ODU’s PID control loops
• Stiffness and repeatability of the antenna structure itself
• When in predictive mode, the algorithm is dependent on physical distortion of the antenna due to heat,
droop, or the notional ‘steady state wind’. If these factors create losses within the step RePeak trigger,
the IDU will tolerate them and lose accuracy
SmarTrack® is not particularly sensitive to antenna calibration beyond finding the satellite in the first place.
It is not particularly sensitive to the absolute accuracy of the resolver or encoder.
This mode requires a beacon receiver or other receiving system to serve as a feedback mechanism. The
signal strength must be a reasonable proxy for the pointing accuracy of the system.

B.5.3 (Software option) Program Tracking (NORAD and Intelsat)
NORAD and Intelsat are predictive tracking modes that use different algorithms to predict the look angle of
a satellite using measured orbital parameters. They are different algorithms using different data sets but
they product similar results. They are very useful for tracking satellites where no beacon receiver
equipment is present.
Periodically, the algorithm computed the estimated position of the satellite and projects the look angle. The
NGC adapts to the predicted motion of the satellite in determining how often to re-compute the estimated
position. If the estimated position is more than the minimum move, the IDU will move the antenna to match
the new position.
This mode requires a license key with the appropriate feature enabled. A beacon receiver can be helpful
but is not required. The feature can be enabled in the field by entering a new license key.
Because of the functional decomposition of the NGC, this performance is completely controlled by the
NGC-ODU and its interface.
The performance factors of the antenna that can affect program tracking performance include, but are not
limited to:
• Suitable tuning of axis control variables for the NGC-ODU’s PID control loops
• Stiffness and repeatability of the antenna structure itself.
• The algorithm is dependent on physical distortion of the antenna due to heat, droop, or the notional
‘steady state wind’.
• The algorithm is highly sensitive to antenna calibration.
Once the appropriate offsets have been determined and configured, it is not particularly sensitive to the
absolute accuracy of the resolver or encoder over large distances, but it is highly sensitive to nonlinearity
over the range of travel for the current satellite.
7581691_Rev B Page 149 of 179

B.6 Management Interfaces

B.6.1 SNMP
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Agent is the main interface between the IDU server
and all client software.
The SNMP agent is based on off-the-shelf software, specifically Net-SNMP 5.2. Net-SNMP is an open
source package of various tools relating to SNMP distributed under a Berkeley-UNIX like license. This
package was originally based on the Carnegie Mellon University SNMP implementation (version 2.1.2.1).
The terms of source license allow ASC Signal Corporation to distribute and modify source free of charge
(and without publishing the changes) as long as original copyright notices are left intact. The SNMP Agent
will maintain all visible parameters in MIBs. Device Driver processes and other processes in the system will
send data value update messages to the SNMP Agent using the Inter-Process Communication Framework.
NetSNMP Agent was extended to provide MIB handlers for NGC-specific MIB elements. Please note the
IDU’s MIB implementation is largely common with the APC400, a previous product.
Due to limitations in the off-the-shelf product used to implement SNMP, certain configurations may require
ASC Signal to make small modifications to the configuration of the SNMP Agent. Specifically, permanent
trap destinations that survive system power cycle cannot be altered from any supported interface.
When the system is in “Local” or “Local Handheld” mode, almost all “read-write” object IDs (OIDs) in the
MIB are presented as “read-only.” The management station can override this by forcing the item
acs4000LocalRemote.1 to “remote.”

B.6.2 Serial Interface
The NGC Antenna Control System includes a serial port interface to implement subsets of certain legacy
M&C protocols for APC100, APC300, and APC400.
This interface is highly limited. It is not recommended for new designs, and not recommended for control of
the system regardless of settings, although it can be used for minimum monitoring.
The basic problem is the legacy protocols are device-specific and emulation is somewhat limited. Another
problem is the IDU simply has more data than the earlier systems and the M&C protocol cannot express all
of the necessary items.
ASC Signal strongly recommends the use of SNMP to monitor and control the system. Alternately,
advanced users can use the open-source TPU software package as a basis for a control system, although
ASC Signal cannot support this effort as that code is supplied for that purpose without warranty.
NOTE: For APC100 mode, when the system is in “Local” or “Local Handheld” mode, almost all set commands are
rejected. The management station can override this through an NGC-specific extension to the APC100 protocol.
B.7 Special Modes for Certain Systems

B.7.1 TriFold® Acquisition Assist
Acquisition assist can use the spectrum analyzer, beacon receiver, or DVB receiver.
What happens during acquire is a preprogrammed sequence of steps:
• The system moves the antenna up out of stow if necessary.
• The system takes a compass fix and calculates a sector around the estimated look Az. The width of this
sector is called “Scan Slew Dist”; it is configurable from General Track Config page 4 of 4 and defaults
to 26 degrees (+/- 13 degrees).
• The system raster scans within this sector starting at the calculated El, then alternating between rows
above and below the original row in ever increasing steps until it reaches +/- 2 degrees. The width of
the vertical scan steps is computed from the 3dB beamwidth of the antenna.
• If it sees a 3dB signal rise of any kind, after the signal falls off again, it will switch to a spiral-box scan
looking for the real signal with the real thresholds. It does this to avoid acquiring a side-lobe.
7581691_Rev B Page 150 of 179

B.8 Customer-Furnished Components
B.8.1 Analog Beacon Receiver
The IDU can be configured to track satellites using an external beacon receiver.
There are two interfaces between the IDU and beacon receiver, an analog interface and serial interface.
The system can use either one or both. Generally, ASC Signal recommends the use of at least the analog
interface for reasons explained below.
The analog interface is a 0 to 10V DC signal from the beacon receiver to the IDU. The voltage is
proportional to the measured signal strength, usually (but not always) at a ratio of 2.0 dB per volt. Ideally
the peak voltage of the beacon receiver should be about 7.5 to 8.0 volts; this provides adequate dynamic
range for rain fades and tracking but also avoids hitting the high limit.
The serial (aka "digital") interface is an RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 interface to the beacon receiver which
can be used for configuration and control of the beacon receiver. The use of this interface is not required; it
is, however, mandatory if the IDU is required to be able to re-tune the beacon receiver when moving
between satellites.
Different beacon receivers have different configuration requirements due to different capabilities. For
example, an Atlantic Satellite ASC300-L requires only the frequency and attenuation level to be set; this
receiver can be completely controlled from the IDU. The Miteq BR-L has far more parameters and while the
NGC can control it to some extent, it is better to interface to this with an M&C system (not supplied).
The IDU can use signal strength readings reported serially from the beacon receiver if desired. ASC Signal
recommends the analog interface because the IDU can over-sample this signal and measure not just the
signal levels but the scintillation in the signal levels. Generally, the serial interface does not provide this
information. However, it may be desirable in some systems, especially if the installer is trying to re-use a
legacy beacon receiver that is not configured for 0-10VDC operation.
B.9 Options and Accessories

B.9.1 Emergency Stop Switch
An Emergency Stop Switch can be installed in the front of the chassis.
7581691_Rev B Page 151 of 179

APPENDIX C: Glossary Tables
This section lists all NGC-IDU parameters in alphabetical order. Each parameter is accompanied by a
description of the function, and the range (or a cross-reference to a table for the range), whether or not it is a
configurable parameter and the associated privilege level required, and which screen area it is located in.
Table C.1: List of Handheld Terminal Parameters

Name Function Units & Range Config Screen
ACO Alarms currently reported by NGC that have List (see Table No Status Æ Faults
been cut-off (acknowledged) by the user. C.30)
Active Faults Alarms reported by NGC List (see Table No Status Æ Faults
C.30)
Altitude Site altitude, in meters Meters, Yes Status Æ or
-100 to 10000 Configuration Æ
Platform Æ Location
Antenna Size Antenna size. Primarily used to guess 3dB Meters No Configuration Æ
beamwidth. Platform Æ or
Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
Auto Track Whether to resume tracking on IDU restart True/false Yes Configuration Æ
Resume Tracking Config Æ
General
Az 1 DC Volts Main DC bus voltage of AZ1 VFD Volts No Status Æ
Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 Freq Ref Frequency ref of AZ1 VFD Hz No Status Æ
Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 Motor Amperage being delivered to the AZ1 motor. Amperes No Status Æ
Current Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 Output Current true frequency commanded of the AZ1 Hertz No Status Æ
Freq motor. Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 Reported temperature of AZ1 VFD heatsink. Degrees, C No Status Æ
Temperature Note not all VFDs have this ability. Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 VFD Link Modbus link status for AZ1 VFD See Table C.29 No Status Æ
Status Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 1 VFD VFD make and model for AZ1 axis. G7 or V1000 No Status Æ
Product ID Automatically detected from VFD over modbus. Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 2 DC Volts Main DC bus voltage of AZ2 VFD. (Not used in Volts No Status Æ
single Az motor configurations) Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 2 Freq Ref Frequency ref of AZ2 VFD. (Not used in single Hz No Status Æ
Az motor configurations) Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 2 Motor Amperage being delivered to the AZ2 motor. Amperes No Status Æ
Current (Not used in single Az motor configurations.) Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Az 2 Output Current true frequency commanded of the AZ2 Hertz No Status Æ
Freq motor. (Not used in single Az motor Diagnostics Æ VF
configurations) Drives
Az 2 Reported temperature of AZ2 VFD heatsink. Degrees, C No Status Æ
Temperature Note not all VFDs have this ability. (Not used in Diagnostics Æ VF
single Az motor configurations.) Drives
Az 2 VFD Link Modbus link status for AZ2 VFD. (Not used in See Table C.29 No Status Æ
Status single Az motor configurations) Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
7581691_Rev B Page 152 of 179
Az 2 VFD VFD make and model for AZ2 axis. (Not used in G7 No Status Æ
Product ID single Az motor configurations). Automatically Diagnostics Æ VF
detected from VFD over modbus. Drives
Az Brake Delay Time delay between actuating Az brake release Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
and turning on drive signal to Az motor. When 0 to 2.0 Motorization
set to 0.0, brake release function is disabled.
Az ccw Plat SW Software limit, min legal value of Current Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Limit Platform Az. If Target Platform Az lower than -360 to 360 Platform
this, impossible angle will be declared.
Az cw Plat SW Software limit, max legal value of Current Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Limit Platform Az. If Target Platform Az greater than -360 to 360 Platform
this, impossible angle will be declared.
Az Deadband Az drive error tolerance. When difference Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
between target platform Az & current platform Az 0 to 1.0 Motorization
is less than this, Az command is completed.
Note that system will allow slightly larger error
without declaring timeout in order to prevent
resolver jitter from causing spurious errors.
Az Drv Time Distance between samples in Integration buffer 0 to 5 Yes Configuration Æ
in Az axis PID to use as derivative difference Motorization
signal
Az Encoder Offset added to raw resolver offset to get to Degrees, Yes, Configuration Æ
Offset current platform Az -180 to 360 Platform
Az Encoder Az axis angle feedback device type and See Yes Configuration Æ
Type architecture, selected from list of predefined Platform
types.
Az Fault Summary of Az fault conditions. System shows See Table C.30 No Status Æ
highest priority fault Diagnostics
Az Int Depth Az Axis PID integrator depth in samples 0 to 100 Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
Az IntTime Number of seconds of samples to integrate in 0 to 5 Yes Configuration Æ
the Az PID control block Motorization
Az Invert Indication of whether Az resolver/encoder is Normal/invert Yes Configuration Æ
mounted so it counts backward from the true Motorization
angle
Az Kd Az axis PID controller derivative gain coefficient Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
Az Ki Az axis PID controller integration gain coefficient Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
Az Kp Az axis PID controller proportional gain Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
coefficient Motorization
Az Limit Summary of Az limit conditions. System shows See Table C.3 No Status
highest priority limit.
Az Max Rate Az maximum rate (usually 1000) 10 to 1000 Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
Az Min Rate Min. drive rate to Az VFD. Motors will lose torque 10 to 1000 Yes Configuration Æ
in a non-linear fashion below a certain Motorization
frequency, so parameter is used in combo with
deadband to produce appropriate response.
Az Overcurrent VFD parameter indicating max sustained current Amperes, Yes Configuration Æ
Trip that should be generated for Az motor. Consult 0 to 20.0 Motorization
installation drawing for motor kit for correct
value.
Az Ratio Az encoder turns ratio. Number of times resolver Usually 1/1 Yes Configuration Æ
or encoder turns per turn of the main axis. Motorization
Az Rsp Timeout Number of seconds with no discernable Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
movement tolerated by Az axis control loop 0 to 10 Motorization
when position loop is enabled
7581691_Rev B Page 153 of 179

Azimuth Current global Az calculated from platform Degrees, No Status Æ or
angles, attitude, and SRT position 0 to 360 Configuration Æ
Platform
Bcn Atten Attenuation in dB to tell beacon receiver to apply dB Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcvr
Bcn Data Type Input selection for tracking Spec an, Yes Configuration Æ
analog, digital Tracking Config Æ
(serial), dvb Beacon Rcver
rcvr
Bcn Frequency1 Beacon frequency, usually in L-band MHz Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcvr
Bcn Inversion Indicates which sideband is selected by the BDC True/false Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
Bcn Lvl Sigma Standard deviation of latest second of beacon dB No Status Æ Tracking
samples Æ Beacon Display
Bcn Modulation Demodulator to tell beacon receiver to apply Continuous/ Yes Configuration Æ
bpsk Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Bcn Offset Offset used to adjust clear-sky dB Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Bcn Rain Detect Standard deviation in long-term buffer that dB Yes Configuration Æ
Thresh triggers rain Tracking Config Æ
General
Bcn Rain Controls whether the system looks for rain event On off Yes Configuration Æ
Detector signatures Tracking Config Æ
General
Bcn Relay Control over the FormC contact on J11 Normal/invert Yes Configuration Æ
Control Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Bcn Settle Time Number of seconds to wait after moving before Seconds Yes Configuration Æ
sampling beacon. Used to ensure system has Tracking Config Æ
stopped moving. General
Bcn Slope Slope of the beacon receiver analog output dB/Volt Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Bcn Soak Time Number of seconds to average the beacon Seconds Yes Configuration Æ
before summarizing the current point in 3PP Tracking Config Æ
General
Beamwidth Calculated 3dB BW. Can’t be directly entered, it degrees No Configuration Æ
is computed using 21/fA formula. Tracking Config Æ
General
Box Limits Global enable/disable for box limit enforcement True/false Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
Cabinet Temp Approximate temperature inside NGC-ODU Degrees C No Status Æ
Diagnostics
CCW Coast Distance from target platform Pol that NGC cuts Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
power to Pol motor in the CCW direction. 0 to 1.0 Motorization
Compass Cal Compass setting for AS-1. Not used in fixed See Table No Status
system
Compass Flt AS-1 compass error indicator. See Table C.10 No Status
Compass Mode Controls how compass and inclinometer are See Table C.11 Yes Status
used to process coordinate transforms. Can be
selected from a list of predefined modes.
Current Sat ID Current satellite in NGC-IDU 0 to 63 No Status bar
7581691_Rev B Page 154 of 179

CW Coast Distance from target platform Pol that NGC cuts Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
power to Pol motor in the CW direction 0 to 1 Motorization
Device Type What type of beacon receiver is attached by Enumerated list Yes Configuration Æ
[Beacon RX] serial port to J12 Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcvr
El Brake Delay Time delay between actuating El brake release Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
and turning on drive signal to El motor. When set 0 to 2.0 Motorization
to 0.0 the brake release function is disabled.
El DC Volts Main DC bus voltage of El VFD Volts No Status Æ
Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
El Deadband El drive error tolerance. When difference Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
between target platform El & current platform El 0 to 1 Motorization
as is less than this value, El command is
completed. Note that system allows slightly
larger error without declaring timeout in order to
prevent resolver jitter from causing spurious
errors.
El Dn Plat SW Software limit, which is the minimum legal value Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Lmt of Current Platform El. If the Target Platform El -180 to 180 Platform
is lower than this, an impossible angle will be
declared.
El Drv Time Distance between samples in Integration buffer 0 to 5 Yes Configuration Æ
in El axis PID to use as derivative difference Motorization
signal
El Encoder Offset added to raw resolver offset to get to Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Offset current platform El. -180 to 360 Platform
El Encoder Type El axis angle feedback device type and See Table C.2 Yes Configuration Æ
architecture, selected from a list of predefined Platform
types.
El Fault Summary of El fault conditions. System shows See Table C.30 No Status Æ
El Freq Ref Frequency ref of El VFD Hz No Status Æ
Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
El Int Depth El Axis PID integrator depth in samples 0 to 100 Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
El Int Time Number of seconds of samples to integrate in 0 to 5 Yes Configuration Æ
the El PID control block Motorization
El Invert Indication of whether El resolver/encoder is Normal/invert Yes Configuration Æ
angle
El Kd El axis PID controller derivative gain coefficient Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
El Ki El axis PID controller integration gain coefficient Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
El Kp El axis PID controller proportional gain Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
coefficient Motorization
El Limit Summary of Az limit conditions. System shows See Table C.4 No Status
highest priority limit
El Max Rate El maximum rate (usually 1000) 10 to 1000 Yes Configuration Æ
Motorization
El Min Rate Minimum drive rate to El VFD. Motors will lose 10 to 1000 Yes Configuration Æ
torque in a non-linear fashion below a certain Motorization
frequency, so parameter is used in combination
with deadband to produce appropriate response.
El Output Amperage being delivered to the El motor. Amperes No Status Æ
Current Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
7581691_Rev B Page 155 of 179

El Output Freq Current true frequency commanded of El motor. Hertz No Status Æ
Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
El Overcurrent VFD parameter indicating max sustained current Amperes, Yes Configuration Æ
Trip that should be generated for El motor. Consult 0 to 20.0 Motorization
installation drawing for motor kit for correct
value.
El Ratio El encoder turns ratio. Number of times resolver Usually 1/1 Yes Configuration Æ
or encoder turns per turn of the main axis. Motorization
El Rsp TO Number of seconds with no discernable Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
movement tolerated by El axis control loop when 0 to 10 Motorization
position loop is enabled
El Temperature Reported temperature of El VFD heatsink. Note Degrees, C No Status Æ
not all VFDs have this ability. Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
El Up Plat SW Software limit, which is the maximum legal value Degrees, Yes, Configuration Æ
Lmt of Current Platform El. If Target Platform El is -180 to 180 mandat Platform
greater than this, an impossible angle will be ory
declared.
El VFD Link Modbus link status for El VFD See Table C.29 No Status Æ
Status Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
El VFD Product VFD make and model for el axis. Automatically V1000 No Status Æ
ID detected from VFD over modbus. Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
Elevation Current global El calculated from platform Degrees, No Status Æ or
angles, attitude, and SRT position -90 to 90 Configuration Æ
Platform
Filter Depth Number of samples in the beacon averaging Number No Status Æ Tracking
filter Æ Beacon Display
Gateway Network address of local gateway router IP address Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
GPS Quality AS-1 quality reported (not used in fixed See Table C.13 No Status
antennas)
GPS Sat Count GPS satellite count reported (not used in fixed 0 to 12 No Status
antennas)
GPS Status AS-1 fault reported (not used in fixed antennas) See Table C.12 No Status
Heading True heading that corresponds to 0 degrees for Degrees, Yes, Status Æ or
platform Az 0 to 359.999 typicall Configuration Æ
y0 Platform
HW Address MAC Address of Ethernet MAC address Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
Intelsat Life Expiration criterion for Intelsat data sets Days Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
IP Address Network address of external ethernet port IP address Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
IP Mask Network mask of external Ethernet port IP address Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
J9 Emulation Configures which protocol to emulate on J9 on APC100 Yes Configuration Æ
the rear panel System Setup
Jog Speed Jog speed for Az and El axes 0 to 9 No Operations Æ
MovementÆ Move
Ant.
Latched Faults Alarms reported by NGC since last time latch List (see No Status Æ Faults
was cleared including ones that have gone away Appendix D &
Table C.30)
7581691_Rev B Page 156 of 179

Latitude Latitude, in degrees north. If an AS-1 is Degrees, Yes Status Æ or
installed, the value cannot be edited. -90 to 90 Configuration Æ
LNB Local LNA/LNB/BDC local oscillator frequency Display only No Configuration Æ
Oscillator Tracking Config Æ
General
Local Remote Commanding presence indication See Table C.15 No Status bar
Longitude Longitude, in degrees WEST. If an AS-1 is Degrees, Yes Status Æ or
installed, the value cannot be edited. -180 to 180 Configuration Æ
Low Signal Current low signal alarm Boolean No Status bar
Alarm
Low Signal Low signal level, where unit stops tracking dB No Configuration Æ
Level Tracking Config Æ
General
Main Dish For SRT-only operational configurations, this is Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Motorless Az the true Az when SRT is centered. (Not used in 0..359.999 Platform
other configurations)
Main Dish For SRT-only operational configurations, this is Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Motorless El the true El when the SRT is centered. (Not used -90..90 Platform
in other configurations)
MFB1 Version Not used in this system
Minimum Move Minimum distance before SmarTrack®, NORAD, degrees Yes Configuration Æ
etc., order a move Tracking Config Æ
SmarTrack®
Movement CMD Various commands useful in some See Table C.17 No Operations Æ
configurations, such as SRT lock, Pol self test Movement
(future use), selected from a list.
Norad Life Expiration criterion for NORAD TLEs Days Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
NTP Server IP Network address of an NTP server to IP address Yes Configuration Æ
synchronize time System Setup
Operational Basic setup parameters used to tell the NGC- See Table C.19 Yes, Configuration Æ
Config ODU what kind of pedestal and equipment it is critical System Setup
running on. Be very careful to get this right.
Path Loss Loss target for SRT before both SRT and main dB, Yes Configuration Æ
Allowance dish are moved 0 to 12 Tracking Config Æ
SRT
Path Preposition Loss target for SRT when both SRT and main dB, Yes Configuration Æ
Tol dish are moved 0 to 12 Tracking Config Æ
SRT
Pitch Angle of the kingpost side-to-side; that is, around Degrees, Yes, Status Æ or
a vector pointing straight out toward 90 degrees, -10 to 10 typicall Configuration Æ
typically. y0 Platform
Pol Brake Delay Time delay between actuating Pol brake release Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
and turning on drive signal to Pol motor. When 0 to 2.0 Motorization
set to 0.0 the brake release function is disabled.
Pol CCW Plat Software limit, which is the minimum legal value Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
SW Lmt of Current Platform Pol. If the Target Platform -360 to 360 Platform
Pol is lower than this, an impossible angle will be
declared.
Pol CW Plat SW Software limit, the max legal value of Current Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Lmt Platform Pol. If Target Platform Pol is greater -360 to 360 Platform
than this, impossible angle will be declared.
Pol Encoder Offset added to raw resolver offset to get to Degrees, Yes Configuration Æ
Offset current platform Pol -180 to 360 Platform
Pol Encoder Pol axis angle feedback device type and See Table C.2 Yes Configuration Æ
Type architecture, selected from list of predefined Platform
types.
7581691_Rev B Page 157 of 179
Pol Fault Summary of Pol fault conditions. System shows See Table C.30 No Status Æ
Pol Inc Estimated inclination adjustment for Pol. A value Degrees Yes Configuration Æ
of 0.0 turns this feature off. Tracking Config Æ
General
Pol Inc Peak Time of max El for Pol inclination adjustment. Time Yes Configuration Æ
Time Tracking Config Æ
General
Pol Invert Indication of whether Pol resolver/encoder is Normal/invert Yes Configuration Æ
angle
Pol Motor Type Not presently used. In future systems this will See Table C.20 No Configuration Æ
allow selecting a DC motor type from a list of Motorization
predefined types.
Pol Present Indicates whether or not a Pol drive is present, See Table C.21 Yes Configuration Æ
selected from a list of predefined options. Motorization
Pol Ratio Pol encoder turns ratio. Number of times Usually 1/1 or Yes Configuration Æ
resolver or encoder turns per turn of the main 2/1 Motorization
axis.
Pol Resp TO Number of seconds with no discernable Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
movement tolerated by Pol axis control loop 0 to 10 Motorization
when position loop is enabled
Polarization Current global Pol calculated from platform Degrees, No Status
angles, attitude, and SRT position. -180 to 360
Premove Alm How long to wait before moving is alarm is Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
Timer installed 0..20 Platform
Product Key Software license key string Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
Product Serial Serial number string No Configuration Æ
Number System Setup
Rain Detected Indication of rain. The system does nothing with True/false No Configuration Æ
this, except mark an event in the log. Tracking Config Æ
General
RainBuf Depth Number of one-minute sample intervals in the number No Status Æ Tracking
rain buffer Æ Beacon Display
RainBuf Mean Average signal strength in rain buffer dB No Status Æ Tracking
Æ Beacon Display
RainBuf Sigma Standard deviation of the rain sample buffer. dB No Status Æ Tracking
Used to mark likely rain events in the event Æ Beacon Display
history log.
Read Security string for SNMPv1 and v2c String Yes Configuration Æ
Community System Setup Æ
SNMP
RePeak Trigger Low signal threshold for the SmarTrack®, before dB Yes Configuration Æ
re-peaking to update the model is ordered. Tracking Config Æ
SmarTrack®
Roll Angle of the kingpost side-to-side; that is, around Degrees, Yes StatusÆ or
a vector pointing straight out from 180 degrees, -10 to 10 Configuration Æ
typically. Usually set to 0.0. Platform
Scan El Offset Distance between raster scans during acquisition Degrees No Status
assist. This parameter is only used by TriFold®.
Automatically calculated from 3dB beamwidth
Scan Pass Max # of raster scans during acquisition assist. Number No Status
Count Parameter is only used by TriFold®.
Automatically calculated from 3dB beamwidth.
Scan Slew Dist Size of sector to search during TriFold® Degrees Yes Configuration Æ
acquisition assist Tracking Config Æ
General
7581691_Rev B Page 158 of 179

Scan Slew Spd. Jog speed 1-9 to use during acquisition assist Number Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
General
Scint Detect Tells system whether to pay attention to detected True/false Yes Configuration Æ
Enabled scintillation in tracking Tracking Config Æ
General
Scint Detect Standard deviation of samples within one second dB Yes Configuration Æ
Thresh that constitutes scintillation Tracking Config Æ
General
Scintillation System’s evaluation of the level of scintillation in No Status Æ Tracking
the atmosphere Æ Beacon Display
TPU Version NGC-IDU TPU software version reported String No Administration
SCP Version NGC-IDU SCP software version reported String No Administration
Screen Saver Setting for LCD idle behavior On/off Yes Administration Æ
Settings
Serial Baud Rate Beacon receiver serial baud rate Selection from Yes Configuration Æ
[Beacon RX] list Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Serial Control Beacon receiver serial levels and word size Enumeration Yes Configuration Æ
[Beacon RX] Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Serial multi-addr Beacon receiver multidrop address if applicable Number Yes Configuration Æ
[Beacon RX] Tracking Config Æ
Beacon Rcver
Signal Strength NGC-IDU signal strength dB No Status bar
Site ID Name of site Configuration Æ
Platform
SmarTrack® NGC-IDU SmarTrack® tracking cycle time Display only No Configuration Æ
Cycle Time Tracking Config Æ
SmarTrack®
SNMP Off Turn SNMP agent on/off On/off Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup Æ
SNMP
SNMP Port Num UDP port. Do not change UDP port Yes Configuration Æ
number System Setup Æ
SNMP
SNMP Sys MIB-2 string String Yes Configuration Æ
Contact System Setup Æ
SNMP
SNMP Sys MIB-2 string String Yes Configuration Æ
Location System Setup Æ
SNMP
SNMP Sys Name MIB-2 string String Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup Æ
SNMP
Soft Limit Used in calibration of X and Y to ascertain Degrees No Configuration Æ
Margin position for soft limits versus detected hard limits SRT
Spec An Offset General offset applied to beacon power dB Yes Configuration Æ
measurements to account for cable losses and Tracking Config Æ
amplifier gains General
Spec An Stat Summary status of Spectrum Analyzer Option See Section No Status Æ
2.7.3 Diagnostics
SRT 3dB BW Estimate of number of degrees offset before Degrees Yes Configuration Æ
SRT degrades signal by 3dB SRT
SRT Axis TO Timeout value for all SRT axes. Minimum time Seconds, Yes Configuration Æ
to drive motors without seeing any feedback 0.0 to 5.0 SRT
change.
SRT Current X Current side-to-side offset of SRT Degrees No Operations Æ
Delta MovementÆ Move
Ant. Æ SRT Pos
7581691_Rev B Page 159 of 179
SRT Current Y Current up-and-down offset of SRT Degrees No Operations Æ
Ant. Æ SRT Pos
SRT Current Z Current in-and-out offset of SRT Inches No Operations Æ
Ant. Æ SRT Pos
SRT Num Axes SRT master configuration field, selected from a See Table C.22 Yes Configuration Æ
list of predefined options. SRT
SRT Status Overall summary of SRT’s current state See Table C.24 No Status
SRT X Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the X See Table C.20 Yes Configuration Æ
Motor Type SRT axis, selected from a list of predefined SRT
motors. This controls the amount of current
delivered to the motor and the holding torque.
SRT X Limit Summary of current limit states of the X axis See Table C.3 No Status
SRT X Range Calibrated side-to-side range of SRT Degrees No Configuration Æ
SRT
SRT X Scale Relationship between X offset and cross-el beam Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
displacement SRT
SRT Y Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the Y See Table C.20 Yes Configuration Æ
SRT Y Limit Summary of current limit states of the Y axis See Table C.4 No Status
SRT Y Range Calibrated up-and-down range of SRT Degrees No Configuration Æ
SRT
SRT Y Scale Relationship between Y offset and El beam Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
displacement SRT
SRT Z Axis Motor type for attached stepper motor to the Z See Table C.20 Yes Configuration Æ
SRT Z Limit Summary of current limit states of the Z axis. See Table C.26 No Configuration Æ
Status SRT
SRT Z Range Calibrated in and out range of SRT Inches No Configuration Æ
SRT
SRT Z Scale Relationship between Z offset and stepsize of Fraction Yes Configuration Æ
motors SRT
SRT Z Soft Lim Used in calibration of X and Y to ascertain Inches No Configuration Æ
Marg position for soft limits versus detected hard limits SRT
SRT Z Step Size Step size during peaking for Z axis. If set to 0 Z Inches Yes Configuration Æ
axis peaking is disabled. SRT
Step Cycle NGC-IDU step cycle threshold Display only Yes Configuration Æ
Thresh Tracking Config Æ
Steptrack
Step Cycle Time NGC-IDU tracking cycle time Display only Yes Configuration Æ
Tracking Config Æ
Steptrack
Step Distance Distance to move during 3PP. Calculated by Degrees No Configuration Æ
tracking software Tracking Config Æ
Steptrack
Step Multi Percentage of 3dB BW to make step distance Number Yes Configuration Æ
Factor Tracking Config Æ
Steptrack
Stop Cmd Summary of EStop conditions See Appendix No Status Æ
D Diagnostics
System Name Name of the system within the site Display only Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup
Target Az Commanded Az for entire antenna subsystem Degrees, No Operations Æ
(main dish plus subreflector if included) in the 0 to 360 MovementÆ Move
global coordinate system Ant.
7581691_Rev B Page 160 of 179

Target El Commanded El for entire antenna subsystem Degrees, No Operations Æ
(main dish plus subreflector if included) in the -90 to 90 MovementÆ Move
global (horizon) coordinate system Ant.
Target Pol Commanded Pol for entire antenna subsystem Degrees, No Operations Æ
(main dish plus subreflector if included) in the -180 to 360 MovementÆ Move
global (horizon) coordinate system Ant.
Time Current UTC time from GPS or NGC-IDU No StatusÆ or
Configuration Æ
Track Mode Current kind of tracking See Table C.27 No StatusÆ or
Operations Æ Track
Track State Current tracking state See Table C.28 No StatusÆ or
Operations Æ Track
Trap Community Security string for SNMPv1 and v2c string Yes Configuration Æ
System Setup Æ
SNMP
VFD Count Number of VFDs 2 (Az, El) No Status Æ
3 (Az1, Az2, El) Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives
VFD Drive Summary of drive status for VFDs See VFD No Status Æ
Status manual Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives Æ Drives
VFD Fault Summary of VFD’s fault status report See VFD No Status Æ
Contents manual Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives Æ Faults
VFD Input Summary of input status for VFDs See VFD No Status Æ
manual Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives Æ Input
VFD Inverter Summary of VFD’s inverter status reports See VFD No Status Æ
Status Manual Diagnostics Æ VF
Drives Æ Inverter
Write Security string for SNMPv1 and v2c string yes Configuration Æ
Community System Setup Æ
SNMP
X Axis Fault Summary of side-to-side (X axis) fault conditions. See Table C.16 No Status Æ
System shows highest priority fault Diagnostics
Y Axis Fault Summary of up-and-down (Y axis) fault See Table C.16 No Status Æ
conditions. System shows highest priority fault Diagnostics
Z Axis Fault Summary of in-and-out (Z axis) fault conditions. See Table C.16 No Status Æ
System shows highest priority fault if more than Diagnostics
one applies.
7581691_Rev B Page 161 of 179

Table C.2: Encoder/Resolver Types
The NGC-ODU typically only allows the use of standard resolvers unless EWI-2 is installed.
Value Meaning Comment
---- No device present, option not selected
Dynapar 17 Dynapar 17-bit SSI encoder (requires EWI-2) For future use.
Heidenhain Heidenhain 26-bit SSI encoder (requires specialized wiring). This is Contact ASC Signal.
26 the standard setting for the 8.1m mount.
potentiometer Analog potentiometer (not supported in current release of software) For future use only
Renishaw Renishaw SSI encoder (requires specialized wiring) Contact ASCI Signal.
Resolver Standard sin/cos resolvers. This is the normal setting for almost all Almost always correct setting
antennas. unless system is different
Resolver ASC Signal assembly 7543381 (not supported in current release of For future use only
18-to-1 software)
Table C.3: Axis Limit Conditions, Azimuth, Polarization, and SRT X axes
These are the limit conditions commonly reported by the NGC-ODU for axes with clockwise and
counterclockwise directions.
CCW limit Counterclockwise hardware limit Takes precedence over soft CCW limit
CW limit Clockwise hardware limit Takes precedence over soft CW limit
Limit fault Usually means both hardware limits are active at same Repair required
time
off No limit active
Soft CCW limit Clockwise software limit Configurable limit
Soft CCW limit Counterclockwise software limit Configurable limit
Table C.4: Axis Limit Conditions, Elevation and SRT Y axes

These are the limit conditions commonly reported by the NGC-ODU for axes with up and down directions.
Down limit Down hardware limit This takes precedence over the soft down limit
Limit fault Usually means both hardware limits are active at Repair required
same time
off No limit active
Soft Down limit Down software limit Configurable limit
Up limit Up hardware limit This takes precedence over the soft up limit
Up limit Up software limit Configurable limit
Table C.5: Supplementary azimuth axis inputs

These are extra inputs to the Az axis that can be used with customized installations of the NGC-ODU. For a
typical fixed antenna, none of these are used.
Axis Interlock Axis interlock input is active. Not used in this system presently. Not used
CCW Sector Counterclockwise sector switch active. Not used in this system presently. Not used
Center active Center switch active. Not used in this system presently. Not used
CW Sector Clockwise sector switch active. Not used in this system presently. Not used
Strut Interlock Strut interlock input is present. Not used in this system presently. Not used
7581691_Rev B Page 162 of 179

Table C.6: Supplementary elevation axis inputs
These are extra inputs to the El axis that can be used with customized installations of the NGC-ODU. For a
typical fixed antenna, none of these are used except the low El input.
Axis Interlock Axis interlock input is active. Not presently used in this system Not used
Creep Active Antenna El in “up” direction is severely rate-limited. Normal Trifold® positioner is only normal
during stow cycles. application
Low El Alarm Low El input switch is active Usually wired in parallel with a
transmit mute function
Lower Sector Lower sector switch active. Not presently used in this system Not used
Stow Limit Antenna is stowed. Trifold® positioner is only normal
application
Strut Strut interlock present. When enabled, this disabled El axis to Standard profile Trifold® positioned
Interlock prevent damage. is the only normal application
Upper Sector Upper sector switch active. Not presently used in this system Not used
Table C.7: Cabinet power status fields

This is a summary field for cabinet power.
??? Not reported or out of range Indicates trouble in sensor circuits or power configuration
High voltage An overvoltage has been detected Check power
Low voltage An under-voltage has been detected Check power
Normal Power is all in range None
Table C.8: NGC Communications Bus Entities

These are the PWAs that may be installed on the NGC Bus.
Az ASU Az axis sending unit
Az CCW ACU Counterclockwise Az axis control unit for dual-VFD az systems
Az CW ACU Clockwise Az axis control unit for dual-VFD az systems
El ACU El axis control unit
El ASU El axis sending unit
MC-7 Board Master control board for NGC-ODU
Pol ACU Pol axis control unit Optional
Pol ASU Pol axis sending unit Optional
Single Az ACU Az axis control unit for single-VFD az systems
SRT X Axis SRT side-to-size axis control board Optional
SRT Y Axis SRT up-and-down axis control board Optional
SRT Z Axis SRT in-and-out axis control board Optional
Table C.9: Compass Calibration Statuses

These are the legal values for the compass calibration field.
??? Value out of range or compass not provisioned This is the normal state if no AS-1 is installed
Calibrated Normal operation This is the normal state if an AS-1 is installed
Calibrating Compass is in calibration cycle Optional
Uncalibrated Compass has not been calibrated Optional. Only used if AS-1 is present
7581691_Rev B Page 163 of 179

Table C.10: Compass Faults
These are the compass faults that may be reported.
??? Compass not provisioned Normal state is no AS-1 is installed.
data from compass Compass is normal. Optional. Data received from compass
no data from comp Compass is not responding. Optional. No data from compass received
Table C.11: Compass Mode

These are the compass modes that may be selected in the TriFold® configuration. For a fixed antenna this is
almost always set to “ignore”.
??? Value out of range
Fixed Compass has been overridden by the IDU by automatic calculation. Optional
Ignore Compass and inclinometer functions disabled. Normal state for a fixed antenna.
Locked Compass reading has been locked into memory. Optional
Override Compass has been overridden by the IDU by direct manual entry. Optional
Using System using compass. Not normally left in this state for very long, as compass may be noisy Optional
Table C.12 GPS Faults

This is a list of GPS faults that may be reported by an AS-1 module.
No data from dev Device is supposed to be present but Optional
No satellite fix GPS is attempting to lock Optional
Satellite fixed GPS is completely locked Optional
Table C.13 GPS Quality

This is the GPS quality returned by the AS-1.
??? No GPS installed or not working
Good GPS quality is good Optional
Marginal GPS quality is marginal Optional
None GPS is not locked Optional
7581691_Rev B Page 164 of 179

Table C.14: Limit Switch Mask Fields
These fields allow the user to disable unused limit inputs.
Axis Interlock Axis interlock input is active. Not presently used in system Not used
CCW Sector CCW sector switch active. Not presently used in system Not used
Center active Center switch active. Not presently used in system Not used
Creep Active Antenna El in “up” direction severely rate-limited. Normal Trifold® positioner is only normal
in stow cycles application
CW Sector CW sector switch active. Not presently used in system Not used
Low El Alarm Low El input switch is active Usually wired in parallel with a transmit
mute function
Lower Sector Lower sector switch active. Not presently used in system Not used
Stow Limit Antenna is stowed. Trifold® positioner is only normal
application
Strut Strut interlock is present. When enabled, disables the El Standard profile Trifold® positioner is only
Interlock axis to prevent damage. normal application
Upper Sector Upper sector switch active. Not presently used in system Not used
Table C.15: Local Remote settings

These are the values for local/remote.
Local TPU or Remote TPU has control
Remote SNMP Agent or M&C port has control
Local handheld Handheld terminal has control
---- Field not updated
Table C.16: Axis Movement Faults

These are the axis movement faults that can be reported. Not all axes report all faults.
Cleared No fault Normal
commBus fault Issues detected with serial bus
Feedback failure Connection to resolver, encoder, or potentiometer has
completely failed
High temp Component is too hot. Not all axes report
Impossible angle Target angle for this axis is out of software limits.
Correct angle to clear fault.
In calibration Axis being calibrated. Factory or as-directed use only. Only SRT & some Pol axes support this
In confidence test Axis is being self-tested. Factory use only Only SRT & some Pol axes support this
In self test Axis is being self-tested. Factory use only. Only SRT & some Pol axes support this
Interlock Interlock signal present Usually means ESTOP
Low temp Component is too cold. Not all axes report
Maintenance Factory use only.
mode
Not calibrated Axis needs to be calibrated. Only SRT & some Pol axes support this
Overcurrent Motor overcurrent alarm Only SRT & some Pol axes support this
Parameter conflict Parameters do not make sense. Correct the parameters
Reading lost Connection to resolver, encoder, or potentiometer has Not all axes report
given an unexpected result. Happens from time to time,
& is only a problem if frequent.
Software lock Axis was locked by software command
Timeout Movement timeout was detected.
Uncommanded Movement detected for no reason. Can happen if
move resolver settings are changed, in which case it should
be ignored.
Under-voltage Voltage is too low for motor to run. Not all axes report
VFD fault VFD reports serious error. Az or El axes only
7581691_Rev B Page 165 of 179

Table C.17: Movement command enumerations
These are some commanded functions that can be entered.
??? No value
confidence test (Pol) Confidence-test Pol. Factory use only. Do not use
cont's confidence test (Pol)" Confidence-test Pol. Factory use only. Do not use
Lock Lock SRT
no operation Normal reading
recalibrate (Pol) Recalibrate Pol
Resume automatic Unlock SRT
self test (Pol) Self-test Pol
Table C.18: Voltage Monitor Mask values

Since there are several possible power supply configurations, the NGC-ODU has a configuration field to deal
with variations without generating spurious alarms.
Minus 12V A Ignore -12VDC monitoring (recommended if no resolvers
are present in system)
Minus 12V B Not used Future redundant power supply option
Motor Voltage A Ignore motor voltage monitoring (not recommended if SRT
or DC Pol drive present)
Motor Voltage B Not used Future redundant power supply option
Plus 12V A Ignore +12VDC monitoring (not recommended) Do not mask
Plus 12V B Not used Future redundant power supply option
Table C.19: Operational Configurations

This field gives the NGC-ODU system information about the kind of antenna it is controlling.
Fixed System whose geographic location is not normally assumed to Normal for non-TriFold®
change positioners
Fixed equat mount For future use only Do not use
Mobile ant paused Location changes, including frequently, & includes an AS-1 to TriFold® packages ONLY
determine location and attitude automatically
Slave SRT only For future use only NGC-ODU-SRT only
SRT only Main reflector is not motorized & cannot move, but SRT is installed. NGC-ODU-SRT only
Table C.20: Stepper Motor types

This field allows the SRT controller to be told what specific DC motors are installed in the SRT.
---- Not provisioned ---
??? Value of of range Optional
NEMA 23 HIS NEMA 23 motor. Normal for 3.5m SRT Optional
NEMA 34 HIS NEMA 34 motor. Normal for 8.1m SRT Optional
Unknown Not configured Optional
7581691_Rev B Page 166 of 179

Table C.21: Polarization Axis Setup
This field configures the expected geometry of the polarization subsystem.
---- Value not valid Should be fixed
??? Value out of range Should be fixed
Main no Pol Motorized main dish system with no May automatically correct itself to match operational config
Pol drive
Main use Pol Motorized main dish system with Pol May automatically correct itself to match operational config
drive
No main no Pol SRT-only system with no Pol drive May automatically correct itself to match operational config
No main use Pol SRT-only system with Pol drive May automatically correct itself to match operational config
Table C.22: SRT Axes Present field

This field configures the expected geometry of the SRT.
??? Value out of range Correct this, it may lead to problems
Not present No SRT should be present
XY present A two-axis SRT is present Optional
XYZ present A three-axis SRT is present Optional
Table C.23: SRT Movement Command

This field gives access to the SRT diagnostic and maintenance commands.
No operation Default state Optional
Lock XYZ Lock all SRT axes Optional
Resume automatic Unlock all locked axes Optional
Recalibrate Recalibrate SRT. Warning: this moves SRT to all limits of operation. Optional
Self test Check SRT for functionality without disturbing position more than a slight amount Optional
Lock XY Lock XY axes but not Z axis (if present) Optional
Confidence test Confidence-test of SRT. Factory use only. Optional
Con’s confidence Continuous confidence-test of SRT. Factory use only. Optional
test
??? Value out of range Optional
--- No value reported Optional
Table C.24: SRT Overall Status

This field gives a summary of the SRT. The SRT is a plug-and-play accessory to the NGC-ODU.
Absent No SRT is detected
Present & disabled SRT detected but not provisioned Optional
Present but faulted SRT detected but in fault state Optional
Operational SRT detected and online Optional
Locked SRT present but movement frozen Optional
LockedXY unlockZ SRT present but movement frozen in XY. Optional
---- No value reported
Table C.25: SRT Temperature Status

This field gives a summary of the SRT temperature.
Ok Temperature available and in range Optional
Low temp Temperature too low Optional
High temp Temperature too high Optional
Sensor fault Temperature sensor offline Optional
Temp not available No temp sensor on board(s) Optional
---- No value reported
7581691_Rev B Page 167 of 179
Table C.26: SRT Z Limit status field
This field tells if the Z axis of an XYZ SRT has a limit fault.
---- Not provisioned
In limit Not used SRTs do not have hardware limits
Off Not in limit Optional
Out limit Not used SRTs do not have hardware limits
Soft in limit At software “in” limit Optional
Soft out limit At software”out” limit Optional
Table C.27: Track Mode enumeration

These are merely reported by the NGC-ODU from data supplied by the NGC-IDU.
---- No data from NGC-IDU
Adaptive cont step NGC-IDU reports interpolative tracking is selected
Intelsat NGC-IDU reports Intelsat tracking is selected
Intelsat adaptive NGC-IDU reports Intelsat tracking with peak optimization is selected
No track supported NGC-IDU reports no tracking is enabled Unusual
NORAD NGC-IDU reports NORAD tracking is selected
NORAD adaptive NGC-IDU reports NORAD tracking with peak optimization is selected
Smart first order Not used
Smart orbital NGC-IDU reports SmarTrack® is selected
Step NGC-IDU reports 3PP step tracking is selected
Stop NGC-IDU reports no tracking is configured
Table C.28: Track State field meanings

These are merely reported by the NGC-ODU from data supplied by the NGC-IDU.
---- No data from NGC-IDU
faulted NGC-IDU reports track fault Usually means data error, not antenna problem
Not present No tracking enabled
Not tracking NGC-IDU reports it is not tracking
Paused NGC-IDU reports track paused
Predictive NGC-IDU reports it is in prediction mode Optional
track
Step tracking NGC-IDU reports it is in beacon tracking mode
Table C.29: VFD DataLink Status

These are the statuses of the modbus for each control unit.
---- No data from ACU Transient
??? Value out of range Transient
Down Modbus link is down
Impaired Modbus link is working but with errors
Unknown ACU is not sure Transient
Working Modbus link is OK
7581691_Rev B Page 168 of 179

Table C.30: Fault Severity Table
Screen Fault/Event Name Severity Source Description
AC voltage error Major NGC-ODU ODU reports problem with mains power supply. (In fault history,
this may read “Outdoor AC problem”).
Az ACU 1 Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ACU
module. ODU needs service.
Az ACU 2 Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ACU
Az ASU fault Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ASU module.
ODU may need service. (In fault history, may read “Az sending unit
fault”).
Az axis timeout Minor NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports main dish Az axis motor timeout
Az CCW HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch closed. Note corresponding software limit may also be
asserted.
Az CCW soft limit Minor NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports main dish Az CCW software limit reached or
exceeded
Az CW HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch is closed. Note corresponding software limit may also
be asserted.
Az CW soft Limit Minor NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports main dish Az CW software limit reached or
exceeded
Az interlock Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
Az resolver fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a Pol resolver/encoder error. Note not all
encoder/resolver errors create this alarm.
Az1 VFD fault reported Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a problem from Azimuth VFD.
Az1 VFD overload fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a problem from Azimuth VFD.
Az2 VFD fault reported Major NGC-ODU Dual-drive systems only. ODU reports a problem from Az VFD.
Az2 VFD overload fault Major NGC-ODU Dual-drive systems only. ODU reports a problem from Az VFD.
Beacon comm. flt Major NGC-IDU Serial interface to beacon receiver is not working. Check
configuration. For ASC3xx receivers, this could mean receiver is in
LOCAL mode. (In fault history, may read “Beacon Comm”).
Beacon saturate Minor NGC-IDU Beacon analog input is saturated (approximately +10.25V). Adjust
beacon receiver to get margin. (In fault history, this may read
“Beacon analog overvolt”).
Box limit Minor NGC-IDU NGC-IDU encountered a box limit. Can only happen in tracking
modes, as box limits do not limit position commands or jogging
Cabinet bus volt Error Major NGC-ODU One or more power supply is out of spec
ODU P/S Fault Major NGC-ODU One or more DC power supplies failed. ODU needs service
Cabinet comm. Major NGC-IDU No data link to ODU. Check fiber connection, power at ODU
Cabinet open fault Minor NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
Cabinet setup Major NGC-ODU Parameter conflict in NGC-ODU. Check settings.
Cabinet temp high fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU is too hot. Check solar load and consider shielding.
Cabinet temp low fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU is too cold. Check heater system option.
Compass calibr. fault Minor NGC-ODU AS-1 compass is not calibrated. This will disable auto acquisition
assist function in TriFold® controllers.
El ACU 1 Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ACU
El ASU fault Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ASU module.
ODU may need service. (In fault history, may read “El sending unit
fault”)
El axis timeout Minor NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports main dish El axis motor timeout
El creep activated Info NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
El down HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch closed. Note corresponding software limit may also be
asserted.
El down soft limit Minor NGC-ODU ODU reports main dish El down software limit reached/exceeded.
El Interlock Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
El Resolver Fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a Pol resolver/encoder error. Note not all
El up HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch closed. Note corresponding software limit may also be
asserted.
El up soft limit Minor NGC-ODU ODU reports main dish El up software limit reached or exceeded
El VFD fault reported Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a problem from El VFD.
7581691_Rev B Page 169 of 179

El VFD overload Fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports a problem from El VFD.
ESTOP fault Major NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports ESTOP.
External Interlock Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
GPS/Att sense Fault Minor NGC-ODU ODU cannot communicate with AS-1 module. If alarm appears on
any non-TriFold® system, operational configuration is incorrect (in
fault history, may read “Outdoor GPS error”).
Handheld malfunction Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
IDU overtemp Major NGC-IDU Internal temp of IDU is out of specification. IDU needs cooling.
IDU undertemp Major NGC-IDU Internal temp of IDU is out of specification. IDU needs heating.
Low Elevation Minor NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
Low signal alarm Minor NGC-IDU Tracking source input is below the low signal threshold.
Maint-only settings Minor NGC-IDU IDU is in developmental support mode. Not used in production
systems.
MC-7 BIT failed Critical NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports major problem. Cabinet needs service.
Pol ACU Major NGC-ODU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ACU
Pol ASU fault Major NGC-IDU ODU reports communications problems with indicated ASU module.
ODU may need service. (In fault history, may read “Pol sending unit
fault”)
Pol axis timeout Minor NGC-ODU NGC-ODU reports main dish Pol axis motor timeout
Pol CCW HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch is closed. Note that corresponding software limit may
also be asserted.
Pol CCW soft limit Minor NGC-ODU ODU reports main dish Pol CCW software limit reached or
exceeded
Pol CW HW lim Minor NGC-ODU Limit switch closed. Note that corresponding software limit may also
be asserted.
Pol CW soft limit Minor NGC-ODU ODU reports main dish Pol CW software limit reached or exceeded
Pol Interlock Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See NGC-ODU manual
Pol resolver fault Major NGC-ODU ODU reports a Pol resolver/encoder error. Note not all
Rain detected Minor NGC-IDU Tracking subsystem measured beacon variation that appears to
match the signature of rain. This is not definitive and no action is
specifically taken. (In fault history, this may just read “Rain”).
Resolver subsys alarm Major NGC-ODU System dependent. See ODU manual (in fault history, this may
read “Resolver to digital comm. fault”).
RPI-6 Fault Major NGC-IDU RPI-6 module reports a major error. IDU needs service.
SA fault Major NGC-IDU Analyzer module reports a major error. IDU needs service.
Satellite data alarms Minor NGC-IDU Predictive data is bad, e.g., NORAD TLEs
SCP fault Critical NGC-IDU SCP module reports a major error. IDU needs service.
SRT Az CCW lim Major NGC-ODU SRT is at min X cross-Elevation (Az) software limit. (SRT does not
have hardware limits.)
SRT Az CW lim Major NGC-ODU SRT is at max X cross-Elevation (Az) software limit. (SRT does not
have hardware limits.)
SRT comm. Major NGC-ODU ODU has lost communication with one or more SRT axis
controllers. Check configuration. SRT may need service.
SRT el down lim Major NGC-ODU SRT at min Y El software limit (SRT has no hardware limits)
SRT el up lim Major NGC-ODU SRT at max Y El software limit (SRT has no hardware limits)
SRT in limit Minor NGC-ODU SRT Z at max software limit (SRT has no hardware limits)
SRT out limit Minor NGC-ODU SRT Z at max software limit (SRT has no hardware limits)
SRT temperature Major NGC-ODU SRT temperature is outside operational limits
SRT temp override Minor NGC-ODU SRT temperature interlocks are disabled by handheld.
SRT X HW event Minor NGC-ODU SRT X (Az) asserted a hardware fault.
SRT X reading adj Minor NGC-ODU SRT X axis adjusted its reading.
SRT X timeout Major NGC-ODU SRT X axis reported a timeout.
SRT Y HW event Major NGC-ODU SRT Y (El) asserted a hardware fault.
SRT Y reading adj Minor NGC-ODU SRT Y axis adjusted its reading.
SRT Y timeout Major NGC-ODU SRT Y axis reported a timeout.
SRT Z HW event Major NGC-ODU SRT Z axis asserted a hardware fault.
SRT Z reading adj Minor NGC-ODU SRT Z axis adjusted its reading.
SRT Z TO Major NGC-ODU SRT Z axis reported a timeout.
Storage purge Critical NGC-IDU Internal storage starting to fill up, and manual purge should be
requested performed (In fault history, may read “Storage is nearly full”).
7581691_Rev B Page 170 of 179
Strut interlock Major NGC-ODU See NGC-ODU manual.
System interlock Major NGC-ODU See NGC-ODU manual.
Tracking fault Minor NGC-IDU Tracking could not resume for some reason that is algorithm-
dependent. Not usually asserted alone; check other alarms.
Uncmd move detected Major NGC-ODU See NGC-ODU manual.
7581691_Rev B Page 171 of 179

APPENDIX D: Screen Status Messages
The following Table D.1 lists virtually all of the messages that may appear on the TPU in pop-up dialog boxes.
Table D.1: Screen Status Messages

Message Text Message type Meaning
Acquisition prevents jog Warning Current mode of system is one where a jog command is
inappropriate, so command was ignored.
Adding entry to working table, Informational NGC-IDU is adding an entry to the working satellite table
please wait database.
Analyzer is being used for Warning Current mode of system is using spectrum analyzer for tracking,
tracking so last user request cannot be honored.
Antenna not level enough to Error Antenna’s roll and/or pitch is 10 degrees or more so the
deploy acquisition assist is disabled.
Automatic Acquire Failed Error Acquisition assist failed to find a suitable signal within the
parameters.
Automatic track resume Informational System has resumed tracking after power outage as configured.
Axis movement fault? Error ODU reported significant error on one or more axes during the last
attempted move.
Az and El disabled because Warning One or more VFDs in ODU are below min operating temp. Consult
ODU temperature too low ODU manual.
Az calibration mode reported Warning SRT X axis not calibrated. Consult ODU manual
Az comm bus fault reported Warning Az axis (or SRT X axis) reported communication bus error
condition. Check Fault screen. Consult ODU manual.
Az commanded to invalid Warning Az command cannot be physically reached without violating a
angle limit.
Az direction fault reported Error Az axis (or SRT X axis) reported direction error condition. Check
Fault screen. Consult ODU manual.
Az disabled because ODU Error Az VFD too hot for safe operation. Consult ODU manual.
temperature too high
Az interlock fault reported Error Az axis (or SRT X axis) reported an interlock condition. Check
Az is software locked Warning ODU reports the axis is locked
Az maintenance mode Warning Az axis (or SRT X axis) in maintenance mode. Consult ODU
reported manual.
Az movement fault? Error NGC-ODU reported a significant Az movement fault
Az parameter conflict Error Parameters in ODU for Az do not make sense to ODU.
Az timeout fault reported Warning Az axis (or SRT X axis) timed out. Check Fault screen.
Box Limit Informational Box limit has been encountered and tracking is being adjusted to
account for it. Normal in predictive tracking algorithms.
Box Limit, tracking paused Informational A box limit has been encountered and the tracking is being halted.
Normal in step-track-based algorithms.
Cannot delete active satellite Warning Current satellite cannot be removed from working satellite table.
Cannot deploy/acquire, not a Error The command required is not supported by the current operational
mobile system configuration.
Cannot stow, not a mobile Warning Requested command is not normal for this type of system so it is
system denied.
Can't change jog speed during Warning Jog speed changes are disallowed during acquisition assist
acquire function.
Compass mode fault? Error Compass is not in right state for command. Only reported by
TriFold® NGC-ODUs. Usually indicates a problem with ODU.
Compass mode not set Error Compass is not in right state for command. Only reported by
correctly TriFold® NGC-ODUs. Usually indicates a problem with ODU.
Compass not calibrated Error ODU’s compass in AS-1 is not calibrated, impeding acquisition
assist
Could not precharge Warning Algorithm precharge did not have enough quality data to work.
Distill visible, please wait Informational User requested only visible satellites be left in Global Satellite
Table.
Done with distill Informational The action has completed successfully.
Done with purge Informational The action has completed successfully.
El calibration mode reported Warning SRT Y axis is not calibrated. Consult ODU manual.
7581691_Rev B Page 172 of 179

El comm bus fault reported Warning El axis (or SRT Y axis) reported communication bus error
condition. Check Fault screen. Consult ODU manual.
El commanded to invalid angle Warning El command cannot be physically reached without violating limit.
El direction fault reported Error El axis (or SRT Y axis) reported direction error condition. Check
El disabled because ODU Warning El VFD is too hot for safe operation. Consult NGC-ODU manual.
El interlock fault reported Error El axis (or SRT Y axis) reported interlock condition. Check Fault
screen. Consult ODU manual.
El is software locked Warning The ODU reports the axis is locked
El maintenance mode reported Warning The El axis (or SRT Y axis) is in maintenance mode. Consult
NGC-ODU manual.
El parameter conflict Error Parameters in ODU for El do not make sense to the ODU
El timeout fault reported Warning El axis (or SRT Y axis) timed out. Check Fault screen
End scan: receiver lock Informational The acquisition assist has found a likely signal.
Entry added to working Informational Entry successfully added.
satellite table
ESTOP disallows resume Warning After a power cycle, IDU determined that automatic track resume
tracking is enabled
ESTOP disallows scan Warning Command cannot be completed because of an ESTOP condition
ESTOP is preventing Error Command cannot be completed because of an ESTOP condition
movement
ESTOP prevents jog Warning Command cannot be completed because of an ESTOP condition
Faults disallow resume Error Current fault state doesn’t allow tracking. Check Faults and Fault
tracking History to determine the issue.
Faults disallow tracking Error Current fault state doesn’t allow tracking. Check Faults and Fault
History to determine the issue.
HW Fault: See Fault History Error ODU reported highly unusual fault code to IDU, one the IDU does
not recognize or is not expecting in current configuration.
IDU EMERGENCY STOP! Informational IDU ESTOP has been engaged
Importing NORAD database, Informational User has requested database load from geo.txt file.
please wait
Intelsat parameter check failed Warning Parameters for current satellite are not consistent or up-to-date.
Jog speed is 0, cannot jog Informational
Key is not valid Error Product license key is not valid for this system.
Loaded geo.txt Informational NORAD database is loaded.
Missing data to compute Warning GPS is not valid at critical step in sequence. Try again, this may
be transient.
Motorization parameters may Warning ODU having trouble closing control loop adequately. IDU will
need tuning continue attempting to track but performance is probably
somewhat impaired.
Must lock SRT to do pattern Warning Pattern testing feature cannot use SRT.
No GPS fix, cannot deploy Error Acquisition assist cannot complete, no GPS fix
No pol drive template? Warning System is configured to automatically program the Pol axis to
match current satellite, but nothing has been saved that matches
frequency band & Pol drive configuration.
No resume, box off Informational After a power cycle, IDU determined that automatic track resume
is enabled
No resume, mobile system Informational After a power cycle, IDU determined that automatic track resume
is enabled
No resume, no sat box Informational After a power cycle, IDU determined that automatic track resume
is enabled
No resume, not active Informational After a power cycle, IDU determined that automatic track resume
is enabled
No spectrum to clear Warning Clear spectrum was requested but no spectrum is saved for the
current satellite.
No SRT Present Error No SRT hardware is detected so a command cannot be
completed.
NORAD database installed Informational The operation requested is complete.
NORAD database updated Informational The operation requested is complete.
NORAD param check failed Error Parameters for current satellite are not consistent or up-to-date.
NORAD unable to initialize Error Unlikely internal error in SGP4/SDP4 algorithm,
7581691_Rev B Page 173 of 179
Not licensed for extended SA Warning No license key bit is set for the requested operation.
features
Not licensed for Intelsat Warning No license key bit is set for the requested operation.
Not licensed for NORAD Warning No license key bit is set for the requested operation.
Not licensed for SmarTrack® Warning No license key bit is set for the requested operation.
ODU EMERGENCY STOP! Warning ODU is reporting engagement of an ESTOP
Pattern test prevents jog Warning Jog is not allowed in current system mode.
Peaking complete Informational Initial peak was successful.
Peaking DVB carrier Informational DVB-S receiver is being used to peak
Pol calibration mode reported Warning The Pol drive not calibrated. Consult ODU manual.
Pol comm bus fault reported Warning Pol axis reported communication bus error condition. Check Fault
screen. Consult ODU manual.
Pol commanded to invalid Warning Pol command cannot be physically reached without violating limit.
angle
Pol direction fault reported Error Pol axis reported direction error condition. Check Fault screen.
Consult ODU manual.
Pol disabled because ODU Error Pol PWA too hot for safe operation. Consult ODU manual.
Pol disabled because of low Error Insufficient power exists to run Pol motor. Only applies to certain
voltage drive electronics, see ODU manual.
Pol in calibration Informational Pol drive is being calibrated. Only applies to certain drive
electronics, see ODU manual.
Pol in self test Informational Pol drive is being self-tested. Only applies to certain drive
electronics, see ODU manual.
Pol overcurrent fault reported Error Pol motor tripped electronic circuit breaker. Only applies to certain
drive electronics, see ODU manual.
Pol timeout fault reported Error The Az axis (or SRT X axis) timed out. Check Fault screen.
Purge global table to Informational The requested action is in progress.
geostationary set only, please
wait
Purge global table to visible Informational The requested action is in progress.
sats only, please wait
Purge global table to working Informational The requested action is in progress.
set only, please wait
Purge working table to visible Informational The requested action is in progress.
sats only, please wait
Removed entry from working Informational The requested action is in progress.
table
Requested NORAD ID already Informational There is already a global satellite entry with this number. Use it,
exists in global table delete it, or check number you entered for accuracy.
Returned to last good peak Informational Step-tracking was abandoned due to sudden signal loss, and
antenna returned to last good value. Often means sudden rain
fade.
Satellite is already inactive Informational Satellite is already not in the working table.
Scan acquisition, goto peaking Informational Acquisition assist has determined that the signal level is sufficient
to use step-track to finish.
Signal too low to peak system Warning Signal is below the low signal level.
Signal too low to resume Warning Signal is below the low signal level.
tracking
Simulating ref level below Informational Spec analyzer hardware capabilities are exceeded so system is
-30dB simulating this ability. Quality of readings may be affected.
Sorry, system is not licensed Warning No license key bit is set for the requested operation.
for that mode
Spectrum Analyzer leaving Informational Spectrum analyzer mode change.
user control
Spectrum Analyzer now under Informational Spectrum analyzer mode change.
user control
Spectrum Analyzer user Informational Spectrum analyzer mode change.
control mode timed out
Spectrum file cleared Informational Saved spectral mask for this satellite has been deleted.
SRT Disabled Warning SRT is disabled so a command cannot be completed.
7581691_Rev B Page 174 of 179

SRT Faulted Error SRT is faulted so a command cannot be completed.
SRT Locked Informational SRT locked. Unlock it through Operations Æ Movement screen
SRT Z peak at limits Warning Z axis has reached a limit. Usually indicates SRT was not installed
with sufficient range of movement.
Starting spiral scan to look for Informational System is using a box-spiral to look for the satellite.
signal
Stow complete Informational System is stowed.
Stow sequence started Informational System is starting to stow.
Try to peak antenna Informational System is peaking for the first time.
Updating NORAD database, Informational User has requested database load from geo.txt file.
please wait
User defined SA mode Informational System needs the spectrum analyzer
terminated
Using analyzer to acquire Informational System is using the indicated tracking source now.
Using beacon to acquire Informational System is using the indicated tracking source now.
Using DVB to acquire Informational System is using the indicated tracking source now.
Z Movement timeout? Error SRT Z axis did not move within the programmed timeout.
7581691_Rev B Page 175 of 179

APPENDIX E: Limitations & Restrictions to J9 APC100 Emulation
This is an emulation, as best as the NGC-IDU can implement it. The NGC-IDU, however, is not an APC100,
and does not derive software source code or other functionality directly from the APC100, so differences in
behavior and likely to exist. Differences are documented within this manual wherever possible.
ASC Signal Corporation has made every effort to make the NGC-IDU transparently emulate the APC100 as
much as possible, but M&C programs should still be retested to ensure compatibility.
• A general rule is that the NGC-IDU will report the actual value it is using rather than reporting an
emulation of the value that the APC100 would have used. This can mean small differences between
values uploaded from the values downloaded where units are different.
• Status information from the NGC-IDU to the M&C system is supported. The other direction except for
movement commands is implemented but may have unexpected results, because the APC100 had far
less information than the NGC-IDU does.
• The NGC-IDU is more liberal in accepting commands from the serial port than the APC100 was, and
many commands and data operations will work when the unit is in LOCAL mode. This is because the
data design of the NGC-IDU can more accurately deal with multiple command sources. It is
recommended, but not necessary, that the control system examine the LOCAL/REMOTE bit in the
status field and not issue commands if the unit is in LOCAL mode.
• The NGC-IDU has more configuration settings, in general, than the APC100, so the UP and DP
commands cannot and should not be used to attempt to restore the state of a system.
• Note also that this is a legacy protocol so improvements to it cannot be made without impacting existing
installations.
• The NGC-IDU does not allow for emulation of this protocol over the TCP/IP network in the current
software system.
• Do not attempt to export parameters from the NGC-IDU and upload to an APC100, this is not
supported.
• New working table satellites uploaded through the APC100 interface will be very incomplete. This is not
recommended or supported.
NOTE: configuration of the NGC-IDU over this interface should be attempted only with extreme caution.

7581691_Rev B Page 176 of 179

APPENDIX F: NGC-IDU Mobile TriFold® Coordinate Systems
For the TriFold® mobile antenna systems, both the IDU and ODU coordinate system is as follows:
• 0 degrees platform Az must be aligned with the tongue of the trailer. 180 degrees platform Az must be
the center of travel and the normal stow position.
• 90 degrees platform El must be the stow position.
• Roll and pitch should read zero when the antenna is level. Level is defined as when the Az axis is
perpendicular to ground.
• Compass (platform) heading should read approximately 0 degrees when the tongue of the trailer is
pointed due North.
• Positive pitch is defined when the tongue of the trailer is raised.
• Positive roll is defined when the left side of the trailer, looking forward toward the tongue, is higher than
the right side of the trailer.
Figure F-1: TriFold® Orientation
7581691_Rev B Page 177 of 179

APPENDIX G: Equipment Issues & Tech Support
REPORTING EQUIPMENT LOSS OR DAMAGE
If you find equipment was damaged during the shipping process, file a claim with the carrier. Follow the “Reporting Visible
Loss or Damage” or “Reporting Concealed Damage” procedures to file a claim with a carrier.
REPORTING VISIBLE LOSS OR DAMAGE
Make a note of any loss or evidence of external damage on the freight bill or receipt, and have it signed by the carrier’s
agent. Failure to adequately describe such external evidence of loss or damage may result in the carrier refusing to honor
a damage claim. The form required to file such a claim will be supplied by the carrier.
REPORTING CONCEALED DAMAGE
Concealed damage means damage which does not become apparent until the unit has been unpacked. The contents
may be damaged in transit due to rough handling, even though the carton may not show external damage. If you discover
damage after unpacking the unit, make a written request for an inspection by the carrier’s agent, then file a claim with the
carrier since such damage is most likely the carrier’s responsibility.
INVENTORY EQUIPMENT RECEIVED
After opening your shipment, you should take inventory of the parts immediately. Check each item received in your
shipment against the packing slip included with the shipment. If any items are missing, please notify ASC Signal
Corporation immediately by contacting Customer Service.
RETURNING DAMAGED/DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT

ASC Signal strives to ensure all items arrive safe and in working order. Despite these efforts, equipment is at times
received with damage or faults. When this occurs, it may be necessary to return some items to ASC Signal for either
repair or replacement. Returns can be expedited using the following procedure:
Step 1: Call the ASC Signal Technical Support and request a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number, as well as the
address to which you should forward the material(s)
Step 2: Tag or identify the defective equipment, noting the defect or circumstances. Also, be sure to write the RMA
number on the outside of the carton. It would be helpful to reference the ASC Signal sales order and purchase order
number, as well as the date the equipment was received
Step 3: Pack the equipment in the original container with protective packing material. If the original container and packing
material are no longer available, pack the equipment in a sturdy corrugated box and cushion it with appropriate packing
material
Step 4: Be sure to include the following information when returning the equipment:
• Company Name, Address (City, State and Zip Code), and Telephone Number
• RMA Number*
• Problem/Damage Description**
• Contact Name
* Absence of the RMA number will cause a delay in processing your equipment for repair. Be sure to include the RMA
number on all correspondence.
** All installation, adjustment and operational information must be strictly adhered to in order to achieve warranted
performance specifications.
Step 5: Ship the equipment to ASC Signal Corporation using UPS, U.S. Postal Service, or other appropriate carrier,
freight prepaid and insured. The material should be forwarded to the address given by the ASC Signal Customer Service
contact
TECH SUPPORT CONTACT INFO

For technical support, contact information, and/or technical documentation:

ASC Signal Corporate Website: www.ascsignal.com

ASC Tech Support Phone: (214) 291-7659
ASC Tech Support Email: [email protected]

ASC Signal Corporation

1120 N Jupiter Road, Suite 102
Plano TX 75074
7581691_Rev B Page 178 of 179

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NGC-IDU

ASC Signal Corporation

7581691_Rev B Page 0 of 179

Open Source Software Notice

©ASC Signal Corporation

7581691_Rev B Page 1 of 179

3.0 Basic Installation & Setup Tasks 88

7581691_Rev B Page 3 of 179

5.0 Advanced Installation, Setup, & Operation 124

6.0 IDU System & Parts Troubleshooting 132

Table 2.1: Touch Screen Icons & Buttons 38

Table 3.1: Common Slash-to-Decimal Forms 103

Table 4.1: Summary of Some Tracking Techniques 109

Table 5.1: Acquisition Sequence 126

Table 6.1: Unusual Alarms & Conditions of NGC-IDU 134

Table C.1: List of Handheld Terminal Parameters 152

Table D.1: Screen Status Messages 172

7581691_Rev B Page 8 of 179

7581691_Rev B Page 9 of 179

WARNING! RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!

WARNING! REFER TO MANUAL

7581691_Rev B Page 10 of 179

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK!

I.VI Summary of Safety Precautions

ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PRECAUTION

ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENT

7581691_Rev B Page 11 of 179

I.VIII Parts Verification

STOP! READ BEFORE BEGINNING ASSEMBLY OR INSTALLATION!

7581691_Rev B Page 12 of 179

1.1 NGC-IDU Standard and Optional Features

Table 1.2: NGC-IDU Optional Hardware Elements

Table 1.5: System Performance Specs

7581691_Rev B Page 14 of 179

7581691_Rev B Page 15 of 179

The following table gives the steady-state meanings of each LED:

Table 1.6: Front Panel LEDs

7581691_Rev B Page 16 of 179

Figure 1-4: NGC Back Panel

7581691_Rev B Page 17 of 179

Table 1.7: NGC Back Panel Connectors

7581691_Rev B Page 18 of 179

Figure 1-8: NGC-IDU with Numbered Parts (Internal)

7581691_Rev B Page 19 of 179

Figure 1-9: NGC-IDU SCP

Table 1.9: SCP Main Board Jacks & Plugs

Table 1.10: SCP Modem Jacks & Plugs

Table 1.11: SCP Main Board Jumpers

Table 1.12: SCP Modem Jumpers

7581691_Rev B Page 21 of 179

Figure 1-11: Rear Panel Interface (RPI-6) Board

Table 1.17: RPI-6 Jacks & Plugs

7581691_Rev B Page 24 of 179

Table 1.18: RPI-6 Switches

Table 1.19: RPI-6 Jumpers

Table 1.20: RPI-6 Test Points

7581691_Rev B Page 25 of 179

Table 1.21: KBCPU-1 LEDs

Figure 1-13: KB-3 Module