Applied Instruments AI Turbo S2 Operation Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Applied Instruments Manuals
  4. Measuring Instruments
  5. AI Turbo S2
  6. Operation manual

Applied Instruments AI Turbo S2 Operation Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
AI Turbo S2
Operation Manual
Revision 1.02
Date 01/17/2012

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the AI Turbo S2 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Subscribe to Our Youtube Channel

Related Manuals for Applied Instruments AI Turbo S2

Summary of Contents for Applied Instruments AI Turbo S2

  • Page 1 AI Turbo S2 Operation Manual Revision 1.02 Date 01/17/2012...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 INTRODUCTION ..........................5 ............................. 5 ONNECTIONS DC C ............................6 HARGE PC C ............................6 ONNECTION RUN SCREEN ............................6 ............................7 ISPLAYED ..............................7 ..........................8 HANGING ATELLITES ........................8 HANGING RANSPONDERS ..............................8...
  • Page 3 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 ™ C ..................22 UGHES ROSS HECK ROCEDURE ..........................22 ONITORING BIT ERROR RATE ........................23 PROOF OF PERFORMANCE TESTING ................... 26 PC S ..........................26 NSTALL OFTWARE ..........................26 OLLECT ............................27 AVING PC ........................29...
  • Page 4 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 This manual covers the basic operations and functions of the meter. For more detailed instructions on how to use the meter to install particular systems, see the Application Notes available on our website: www.appliedin.com Page 4 of 69...

  • Page 5: Introduction

    S2 holds all of the compatible satellite transponder information for the entire continent. You just tell it where you are, and what type of system you are connected to, and the AI Turbo S2 accesses all compatible satellite transponders visible to that system. The basic operation becomes extremely simple: Left arrow –...

  • Page 6: Dc Charge Port

    12VDC adapter in a vehicle only to charge its battery. PC Connection The AI Turbo S2 can be connected to a USB port of a PC via the supplied cable. PC software is available on our website (www.appliedin.com) for updating the instrument with the latest Field Guides (satellite data) and firmware.

  • Page 7: Displayed Data

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Displayed Data 1) Selected satellite a) Change satellite with left and right arrow keys for single LNB systems (or with the LNB soft key when connected to multi-LNB systems, see Multi-LNB Systems below) b) Satellite name is on the top line...

  • Page 8: Changing Satellites

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Changing Satellites The left and right arrow keys switch to the next east or west satellite visible to the selected LNB. If the LNB polarity can be switched (dual polarity LNBF), the first priority id transponder will be used and the polarity may switch if needed.

  • Page 9: Satellite Identification

    ID Verification Unlike other meters, the AI Turbo S2 has the ability to check one or more transponders looking for a match on a combination that is unique to each satellite. This is what we call the “ID Verification”...

  • Page 10: Field Guide Updates

    The Hardware version and installed versions of Field Guide, Software, and Postal Codes are displayed on the LCD screen during the 5 second initialization count-down when you first power on the AI Turbo S2 meter, Page 10 of 69...

  • Page 11: Main Menu

    AI Turbo S2 3. Main Menu The MENU button takes you to a menu of all of the AI Turbo S2 screens. Some of these screens are also available via soft keys from the Run Screen. All of the functions are available on the central menu using the up/down and Enter keys. Some functions are also available via soft keys as a shortcut.

  • Page 12: Regions

    When the unit is shipped from the factory, it will have the latest information for all of North America loaded into it. If you are using the AI Turbo S2 outside of North America, you must download a different Field Guide from our website. See the Updating chapter for details.

  • Page 13: Services

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Services The service selection groups the LNB/antenna systems into small sets of choices. The available services may change with Field Guide updates. Systems The system selection lets you pick the type of system within the selected service. In some cases this is the final LNB model selection.

  • Page 14: Lnb Model

    When you connect the AI Turbo S2 to an external switch rather than directly to the LNB, or when you connect to a multi-LNB head, the AI Turbo S2 must know what switch type is connected so it can send the proper type of command to control that switch.

  • Page 15: Options

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 5. Options There are several options you may select to personalize the operation of your meter. To use this screen, highlight the option you want to change with the up/down arrows and select the value you want with the left/right arrows. Press EXIT when done.

  • Page 16: Shutdown Timer

    If you select Freq Dev = YES, the bottom line of the Run Screen display will be replaced with an estimate of the frequency deviation or drift of the LNB. The AI Turbo S2 is capable of locking onto a signal up to ± 10 MHz from the frequency defined for the transponder. A frequency deviation of more than 2 MHz (2000 kHz) may indicate a problem with the LNB.
  • Page 17 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Key Beep By default, key beep is on and user will hear an audible “beep” when any buttons on the meter are pressed. User may turn off the key beep if desired. Version Pressing the VERS soft-key will lead the user to a new screen that will display the versions of software that are loaded in the meter and its hardware version.

  • Page 18: Azimuth / Elevation Lookup

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 6. Azimuth / Elevation Lookup Enter any zip code in the United States and this screen will look up the latitude and longitude for that location and calculate the azimuth and elevation angles for the selected satellite. The azimuth is given in true north (Azimuth) and in magnetic north (Magnetic) degrees.

  • Page 19: Wild Blue Data

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Wild Blue Data Note: if the Wild Blue system is selected, some additional information pertaining to Wild Blue installations is displayed at the bottom of this screen. See the Application Note “How to install Wild Blue with a AI Turbo S2”...

  • Page 20: Modulation

    WildBlue signals & more) DTV-S2** for DIRECTV proprietary DVB-S2 signals *AI Turbo S2 meter has limited compatibility with Turbo ACM signals and users may experience a slight delay before signal locks. **AI Turbo S2 meter has limited compatibility with DIRECTV DVB-S2 signals and locks are not supported, but an estimated carrier to noise ratio is displayed.

  • Page 21: Voltage / Current

    4) EXIT - returns to the Main Menu Screen For the voltage, the AI Turbo S2 can output 13V, 18V, 21V for DIRECTV SWiM LNBs, or 29V for the WildBlue TRIAs. Note: In the screenshot shown above, approximately 18 volts is being output by the meter to the LNB.

  • Page 22: Hughesnet™ Cross-Pol Check Procedure

    PC to generate the display shown on the meter. 4) Return to the dish and connect the AI Turbo S2 into the receiver cable. The AI Turbo S2’s ODU / LNB port should be connected to the LNB and the IDU / IRD port to the modem’s Rx port.

  • Page 23: Bit Error Rate

    10. Bit Error Rate The Bit Error Rate Screen (BER on the main menu) displays the bit error rate of the signal as detected by the demodulator within the AI Turbo S2. Pre-FEC The errors that are corrected by the first stage in the decode process, the Viturbi decoder, are displayed for DVB-S, DSS / DIRECTV Legacy, and Digicipher 2 signals.
  • Page 24 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 The BER Screen accumulates errors as long as the screen is active. To reset the counters, exit and restart the screen. This test can only be performed when a signal lock is obtained. If the lock is lost, the rates are not shown and will be restarted when lock is re-obtained.
  • Page 25 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Pressing the MORE soft-key again yields more information: 4) Symbol rate in kilo-symbols/second 5) Symbol rate error 6) Modulation type (i.e. DVB-S, DSS, DC2, Turbo, DVB-S2) 7) Code rate or bit puncture rate 8) Data rate – calculated rate of payload kilo-bits per second (post-FEC data rate)

  • Page 26: Proof Of Performance Testing

    The SatTransfer program is required to transfer the data from the instrument to the PC and to print reports. This software is available from the Applied Instruments website along with the FlashUpdate software used to upgrade the instrument. (See Updating section.) Collect Test Data Perform your satellite dish alignment as usual.

  • Page 27: Saving Data

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 The meter will scan through all transponders on the satellite collecting the measurement data. You may press STOP to abort the scan, otherwise, wait until the scan completes. When the scan completes, the following screen displays a summary of the data: You press “EXIT”...
  • Page 28 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Again, press “NEXT” to continue and the next screen lets you enter a file name: The file name must be unique. An error message will appear if you enter a name that has already been used. To determine which names have been used, the user can run the SatTransfer program on a PC or can select ‘File Utility’...

  • Page 29: Transfer Data File To Pc

    2) Start SatTransfer after the meter has completed its 5 second boot-up countdown. An icon that looks like the AI Turbo S2 should be installed on your desktop for this purpose. 3) The File Transfer window appears somewhat like the following example.

  • Page 30: Erasing Files

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Select the files on the left that you want to transfer by clicking on them. Selected files are highlighted. You may select more than one by pressing and holding Ctrl. Then click on ‘Transfer Selected’ to have the chosen files copied to the PC folder or you can click on ‘Transfer All’ button to copy all stored files from the meter to the PC.
  • Page 31 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 The report itself may not fit entirely on the screen but you may scroll down to see the rest. It is recommended to select File/Properties/Results only before printing Proof of Performance Scans to reduce the number of columns printed. Most field technicians do not need to or want to see the transponder parameters (modulation type, code rate, baud rate).
  • Page 32 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Page 32 of 69...

  • Page 33: Noise Scan

    This step is required before scanning a system to normalize the readings to the noise source. 1) Connect the noise source (NS-1) directly to the ODU / LNB port of the AI Turbo S2 meter using a short jumper cable.
  • Page 34 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 2) Power on NS-1 3) Press MENU soft-key 4) Choose Spectrum from Main Menu Page 34 of 69...
  • Page 35 Turbo S2 will then scan through a standard set of 128 frequencies and store the signal level at each frequency. This reference scan is stored in the AI Turbo S2 and is used in subsequent Noise Scans. You should save a new spectrum scan (run a new normalization scan) whenever you use a different noise source or suspect the noise source has changed output level.
  • Page 36 9) Press SAVE soft-key. Meter then displays: 10) Now connect NS-1 to one end of a long coax cable and power on the NS-1. 11) Connect the other end of the long coax cable to the ODU / LNB port of the AI Turbo S2 meter.
  • Page 37 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 16) Choose “Add ref” 17) Select your source reference file and press Enter. 18) You can choose to view both your un-normalized reference source and the scan of the long cable on the screen at the same time by choosing:...
  • Page 38 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Or, you can choose to view your normalized reference source and the scan of the long cable on the screen at the same time: Page 38 of 69...

  • Page 39: Limit Scan

    AI Turbo S2 13. Limit Scan The AI Turbo S2 Signal Level Meter includes a Limit Scan feature that performs a quick scan of up to 5 transponders on a satellite, checks the values against pre-determined limits, and provides a pass/fail indication. Use this test to quickly verify your installation against recommended quality values.

  • Page 40: Scanning

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Scanning The menu option will start the Limit Scan screen. If limits are already defined for the presently selected satellite, the scanning will start immediately. Note: The Limit Scan is only useful if the LNB is being powered by the meter. Press the LNB soft-key to power the LNB.

  • Page 41: Editing

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 The following keys are active while scanning: EDIT – lets you edit the transponder list and limits (see below) SAVE – collects and stores a complete limit scan for upload to a PC LNB ON/OFF – also selects different LNBs in a multi-LNB system EXIT - returns to the main Run screen Left / Right Arrow keys –...
  • Page 42 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 correct field, use the numeric keypad to begin typing the desired value to define the transponders you want to scan. Press the Enter key to move cursor to next field after typing in each desired value.

  • Page 43: Preset Limits

    IRD values and minimum Signal Level Limits (dBm) for each zip code to Applied Instruments. When there are preset minimum IRD and Signal Level values available for the satellite, pressing the USE ZIP soft key will auto-populate the fields with minimum values specified by the service provider.

  • Page 44: Limitations

    To accomplish this, you may save the Limit Scan to the flash memory of the AI Turbo S2 while out in the field. Then you can upload it to a PC when back at the office to store the documentation on your hard drive or forward it on to upper management if required.
  • Page 45 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Page 45 of 69...
  • Page 46 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 After the Limit Scan is complete, a screen will appear that allows you to type in the date, location, technician name or ID number, and any notes. Use the numeric keypad to fill in these fields and then press the NEXT soft-key.

  • Page 47: Install Pc Software & Transferring Data Files To Pc

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Install PC Software & Transferring Data Files to PC The process for transferring the saved Limit Scans to your PC is identical to the process for transferring saved Proof of Performance scans. Please see the Proof of Performance Testing section of the operation manual for instructions of how to transfer the saved files to your PC using the SatTransfer application.
  • Page 48 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Page 48 of 69...

  • Page 49: Spectrum Screen

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 14. Spectrum Screen The spectrum screen may be used to: • Look for the presence of carriers • Look at a carrier with an incompatible modulation type or encryption • Optimize your polarity adjustment (null out the opposite polarity) This feature imitates a spectrum analyzer screen although it has less resolution and a much slower sweep rate than an actual spectrum analyzer.
  • Page 50 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Cursor Position Press Up/Down arrow keys to move cursor vertically to different amplitude levels on the y-axis. The level (Level) at the cursor position is shown in the bottom center area of the screen. Note: Signal Level displayed will depend on whether you have selected dBm, dBmV, or dBµV in the Options menu.

  • Page 51: File Utility

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 15. File Utility The File Utility feature allows the user to see the filenames that he/she has used for saved PoP Scans, Limit Scans, and Spectrum Scans. The user can also delete a single file or format the flash drive and therefore erase all saved files from the flash memory of the meter.
  • Page 52 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 To delete a single file, highlight the file using the up/down arrow keys and then press the Delete soft-key. To format the flash memory and erase all saved files, press More soft-key and the Format soft-key.

  • Page 53: Updating Your Meter

    3) Go to the Applied Instruments website www.appliedin.com. With your mouse, move your cursor over Service and Support and click on it, then click Software Updates, then click on AI Turbo S2 satellite meter.
  • Page 54 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 You may receive a warning message. Press Run to continue to open the file. 5) When you open this self-extracting archive file, the WinZip Self-Extractor program will appear. It is recommended that you press the Unzip button to unzip the files to the default location (c:\FlashUpdate\).
  • Page 55 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 6) It will unzip several files onto your PC to the location you indicated. Press OK. 7) A Command Prompt screen will appear. Using your computer’s keyboard, type the number next to the question mark at the flashing cursor that corresponds to your computer’s operating system.

  • Page 56: Updating

    1) Ensure you have an active internet connection. 2) Plug your AI Turbo S2 into an AC outlet to prevent any problems due to a low battery. 3) Connect the AI Turbo S2 to your PC using the supplied USB data transfer cable and turn the meter on.
  • Page 57 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 6) If the connection is not working, you will get an error message after a delay. In this case, check to be sure the instrument is on and the USB data transfer cable is fully seated.
  • Page 58 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 Page 58 of 69...
  • Page 59 Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 If you see that your Communications Port is set to something other than COM ports 1 through 12, you will need to reassign the COM port. To reassign the COM port, right click with your mouse on the desired COM port and select Properties.
  • Page 60 The download process can take up to approximately 2 minutes to complete, depending on the number of components that need to be updated. The word “REMOTE” should appear on the LCD screen of the AI Turbo S2 satellite meter to indicate that the instrument is being programmed and controlled remotely. Standby while the...

  • Page 61: Field Guides

    Operation Manual AI Turbo S2 instrument is updated. Do NOT press any buttons on the AI Turbo S2 meter while the update is in progress. Do NOT bump or unplug the USB data transfer cable from the meter while the update is in progress.
  • Page 62 Future Updates You may check for an update by connecting your AI Turbo S2 to your computer and performing the step in the section “Checking for Updates”. Make sure your Internet connection is active (if you have a dial up connection to the Internet.) It is recommended you check for updates...

  • Page 63: Power

    During cold weather keep the AI Turbo S2 indoors in a warm environment while charging. The battery charge temperature range is 41°F to 100°F or 5°C to 38°C.

  • Page 64: Ac Power

    Ensure that you have the latest available version of Field Guide and Software loaded. If you don't, you must update meter's software using the FlashUpdate program. iii) If issue still remains, contact Applied Instruments' Tech Support department and request a RMA# to send the instrument to the factory for inspection and repair.
  • Page 65 AI Turbo S2 satellite meter. g) Can I hook the IRD power to the IDU / IRD port of the AI Turbo S2 to power the meter if the meter has a dead battery? No.
  • Page 66 There is a chance that only the even transponders are active on the satellite for your beam footprint area. My serial number is missing off the back of my AI Turbo S2 meter. How can I obtain my serial number to know its history and to check if it’s still under warranty? Connect your AI Turbo S2 meter to the PC, power it on, and open the FlashUpdate or SatTransfer program.

  • Page 67: Replacement Parts & Accessories

    Optional Accessories Part Item Description Number Hard Shell Protective Carrying Case 978-00008 Desktop kickstand for model AI Turbo S2 satellite meter 976-08430 NS-1 Handheld Broadband RF Noise Generator (5-2150 MHz) NS-1 18. Maintenance and Repairs Repair Services In the event that a unit is damaged or otherwise not performing as specified, repair and maintenance service is available.

  • Page 68: Specifications

    After the repair is completed, we will contact you for payment. If payment is not received within 60 days after contact is made, then the repaired equipment will become the property of Applied Instruments. Version Updating As our product lines are refined and features and performance are enhanced, we will upgrade older units at a nominal cost when possible.
  • Page 69 AI Turbo S2 WARRANTY The Applied Instruments AI Turbo S2 is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of twelve months. Applied Instruments agrees to repair or replace any assembly or component found to be defective under normal use during this period. Our obligation under this warranty is limited solely to repairing the instrument proven to be defective within the scope of the warranty when returned to the factory.

Table of Contents