Position Sense - Dawn CONTROL-1500A Manual

CONTROL-1500A Single Axis Antenna Controller
Wire Size →
Motor Current ↓
6 amps
8 amps
A typical 36 volt actuator will draw 2 to 4 amps and will run at voltages down to about 12 volts.

3.2.2 Position Sense

Shielded cable with a bare drain wire MUST be used to minimize noise pickup. The
conductors that interface the controller to the sensor are often incorporated into a cable that
includes the motor drive conductors. If discreet sensor cable is required, Belden 8772
(consisting of three 20 AWG conductors enclosed in a foil shield with a bare drain wire) can be
employed.
Position count errors resulting from improper shielding is the most frequent problem that
occurs during the installation of the CONTROL-1500. Please observe the following precautions:
• A shielded cable equipped with a bare drain wire must be used to interface the controller to
the position sensor.
• The drain wire that provides an electrical connection to the shield must be connected to the
J1-6 terminal labeled Sensor AZ -. The Sensor AZ – terminal is at ground potential. The
shield must not be allowed to come in contact with earth potential at any other location.
• At the sensor the shield must be left open. A short piece of heat shrink tubing can be
employed to insulate a frayed foil shielding from any metal objects at the sensor. If the
shield is allowed to come in contact with earth ground at the antenna ground currents could
flow in the shield which could induce noise in the sensor input circuitry.
• If the sensor cable is spliced or is routed through a connector, the drain wire should be
spliced and not allowed to come in contact with earth ground.
• See the Operation Troubleshooting Tips section of Chapter xx for more information on
count problems.
The CONTROL-1500 supports two different pulse type position sensor – Hall effect and reed
switch. Both types of sensors employ one or more rotating magnets.
For a Hall effect sensor, the magnetic field causes a Hall effect transistor to alternately switch
on and off to create the pulse waveform. A Hall effect sensor has three connections to the
controller. 5.7 volts DC (J1-11 labeled 5.7V), ground (J1-6 labeled Sensor AZ -), and the pulse
output (J1-7 labeled Sensor AZ +). The drain wire must also be connected to the J1-6 terminal
labeled Sensor AZ -.
Some Hall effect sensor modules employed by Thomson Saginaw in their actuators employ an
unusual color scheme. The red lead is connected to 5.7 VDC, the black lead is the pulse
DAWNco • 3340 S. Lapeer Rd • Orion, MI 48359-1320 • Ph (248) 391-9200 • Fax (248) 391-9207 • sales@DAWNco.com
16 AWG 14 AWG
220 340
120 190
Chapter 3 Installation/Setup
12 AWG 10 AWG
550 880
310 500
14