Mode Access; Expert Access; Autopol - RESEARCH CONCEPTS RC2000C Manual

8 RC2000C Polar Tracking Antenna Controller
More detailed information is available concerning each of the modes described above in Chapter 5 of this
manual.
2.4

Mode Access

Access to some modes is restricted in some circumstances. Here are the conditions which can restrict
access to certain modes:
1. TRACK mode can only be entered via the AUTO or SETUP modes - it cannot be entered via the
MODE key. When TRACK mode is active it is treated as if it were in the operational mode group. If
TRACK mode is active and the user presses the MODE key, control will transfer to the MANUAL
mode. If TRACK mode is active and the user holds the MODE key in for five seconds, control will
transfer to SETUP mode.
2. REMOTE mode is only accessible when the Remote Mode Enable CONFIG mode item is set to 1.
When enabled, REMOTE mode can be activated either via the MODE key or by the receipt of a
command on the serial port. Note that most commands received via the serial port may be
processed while TRACK mode is active.
3. The expert access system can restrict access to certain modes. The intent is to avoid corruption of
the operating parameters by inexperienced personnel. The expert access system is described in the
next section.
2.5

Expert Access

An Expert Access flag is maintained by the controller. The user can inspect and change the state of this
flag via the CONFIG mode Expert Access item. When the flag is set (1) the user has access to all
controller modes (subject to the state of the Remote Mode Enable and Rotating Feed Present flags
described in the preceding paragraph). When the Expert Access flag is reset (0), the user only has
access to the MANUAL, AUTO, REMOTE, RESET, and CONFIG modes.
The Expert Access flag also controls access to CONFIG mode items. When the flag is reset (0), the user
only has access to the Autopol Enable, Simultaneous Az/El Enable, and Expert Access CONFIG mode
items. The user can toggle the state of the Expert Access flag by entering a 5 digit code at the CONFIG
mode 'EXPERT ACCESS' item. This 5 digit code is contained in a removable appendix B at the end of
this manual, to safeguard from any accidental corruption of operating parameters by inexperienced
personnel. Note that the Expert Access flag is set whenever the controller's memory is cleared via the
Reset System Data CONFIG mode item.
2.6

AutoPol

The AutoPol feature slaves the RC2000C polarization control to an output derived from a satellite
receiver. The RC2000C has an AutoPol input accessible via connector J1 on the back of the unit. When
the controller is operating in MANUAL or REMOTE modes, this input is monitored and the polarotor is
controlled according to a digital level present at this input.
To configure the controller for AutoPol operation, the user must have:
1. a suitable output available on the satellite receiver which is connected properly to the AutoPol input of
the RC2000C,
2. the polarity of the AutoPol input must be specified (from CONFIG mode), and
3. the AutoPol feature must be enabled (also from CONFIG mode).
When the polarity of the AutoPol input is specified, the user is informing the controller that a given
AutoPol input level (high or low) corresponds to vertical polarization. Configuring the AutoPol system
during installation is covered in more detail in chapter 3, and the CONFIG mode prompts which enable
and specify the polarity of the AutoPol input are described in Chapter 4 in the CONFIG mode section.
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Chapter 2 Basic Function