Rotator - Link - microHAM ARCO Manual

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Rotator - Link

Rotator - Link tab serves to setup ARCO for multi-controller environment by specifying various
ID numbers setting up identification, assignment to the towers and synchronization groups. If
you have only one ARCO controller or not going to link them, you can skip this chapter.
LINK is an unique ARCO feature using two wire CAN bus allowing ARCO to digitally
communicate to another ARCOs present on a bus and exchange data. Thanks to Link feature
ARCO can control rotator connected to the other ARCO, control synchronization and direction
tracking on several ARCOs in parallel or using two ARCOs make a combo rotator controller for
rotators installed on rotary towers or AZ/EL rotators.
LINK bus connector is located at
the rear panel LINK jack, 3.5mm
stereo receptacle.
Maximal distance for the bus
wiring is 1km but for a such
distance is necessary to use
shielded, twisted pair cable. For
connections under 10m, standard,
shielded stereo audio cable works
just fine. If there is necessary to
connect more than two controllers to the bus, connect them in parallel using stereo Y adapters.
LINK ENABLE: Enables local remote control of the ARCO controller from another ARCO
controller present on the LINK bus. Each ARCO MUST have unique ROTATOR ID number.
ROTATOR ID: Specifies unique rotator identification number for addressing on the LINK bus
network.
SYNC GROUP: Assigns membership to the synchronization group for ARCO controllers
required synchronized positioning, in general to stacks or antennas for multidirectional beaming
within same band.
Rule is: Only rotators in the same SYNC GROUP can be synchronized together. Position
change can be initiated by any, same SYNC GROUP member.
TOWER ID: Specifies rotators installed on the same tower (usually rings) where simultaneous
turning is not permitted in order to avoid tower structural overload. All these rotators should
have the same TOWER ID number.
Rule is: Rotators with the same TOWER ID never turn simultaneously, always waiting first to
finish its rotation including the HOLD DELAY. Than follows in ascending order by the
ROTATOR ID.
SYNC ENABLE: Enables heading synchronization for other ARCO controllers present on the
LINK bus for either parallel heading tracking for antenna stacks or counter-rotation. There is no
unnecessary master-slave structure for the operation, each controller is recognized by its ID
number and can be individually and dynamically enabled or aligned by SYNC switch and ALIGN
button on the main screen.
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