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How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?

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OZ1SEJ
2024-07-08
2024-07-09
  • OZ1SEJ

    OZ1SEJ - 2024-07-08

    I have a Yaesu G-5500 rotator and a "COM-232B" controller from BH4TDV. When I run rotctl, everything works perfectly - that is, rotctl communicates clearly, immediately and stable with the controller.

    However, the angles are off, and I need to adjust the controller accordingly. I've managed to find out that I need to establish a serial connection to the controller, however, I'm not getting any response. At all. With CR, LF or CRLF. 9600 8N1. When rotctl connects to the controller, it's also 9600 8N1. So by using the exact same connection properties as rotctl, I'm at a loss to figure out why I can't get any response, at all, when rotctl five seconds later has no trouble reading values.

    So - how does rotctl communicate with the rotator controller? Are there any special characters being sent in order for the controller to "wake up", unseen to the casual hamlib user? What am I doing wrong? If rotctl can communicate with the controller, so should I - but how?

     
    • Michael Black

      Michael Black - 2024-07-08

      Somebody else also wanted to adjust the az/el angles.

      Sounds like we need a slope/offset parameter so one can do a linear fit to the "real" angles.

      Do you have a list of the reported angles and real angles that I can for testing?

      Mike W9MDB

      On Monday, July 8, 2024 at 05:02:31 PM CDT, Steen oz1sej@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

      I have a Yaesu G-5500 rotator and a "COM-232B" controller from BH4TDV. When I run rotctl, everything works perfectly - that is, rotctl communicates clearly, immediately and stable with the controller.

      However, the angles are off, and I need to adjust the controller accordingly. I've managed to find out that I need to establish a serial connection to the controller, however, I'm not getting any response. At all. With CR, LF or CRLF. 9600 8N1. When rotctl connects to the controller, it's also 9600 8N1. So by using the exact same connection properties as rotctl, I'm at a loss to figure out why I can't get any response, at all, when rotctl five seconds later has no trouble reading values.

      So - how does rotctl communicate with the rotator controller? Are there any special characters being sent in order for the controller to "wake up", unseen to the casual hamlib user? What am I doing wrong? If rotctl can communicate with the controller, so should I - but how?


      How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?


      Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

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  • OZ1SEJ

    OZ1SEJ - 2024-07-09
    1. Being able to convert these angles in rotctl would be nice; however, the manual mentions that some calibration is possible using a serial interface and the commands O, F, O2 and F2 - which is why I'm asking how to establish serial communications with the controller.

    2. Yes, I've manually turned the rotor using the analog meters, and measured what values rotctl gives; the values are in the attached csv file, and I'm also attaching a graph of the actual angles vs. the angles as reported by rotctl.

     

    Last edit: OZ1SEJ 2024-07-09
    • Michael Black

      Michael Black - 2024-07-09

      What manual for the O,F,O2,F2?  Perhaps we just implement that calibration which would then "fix" the controller.

      On Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 03:25:13 AM CDT, OZ1SEJ oz1sej@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

      1.  
      Being able to convert these angles in rotctl would be nice; however, the manual mentions that some calibration is possible using a serial interface and the commands O, F, O2 and F2 - which is why I'm asking how to establish serial communications with the controller.

      2.  
      Yes, I've manually turned the rotor using the analog meters, and measured what values rotctl gives; the values are in the attached csv file, and I'm also attaching a graph of the actual angles vs. the angles as reported by rotctl.

      Attachments:

      * yaesu.png (28.4 kB; image/png)


      How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?


      Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

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      • OZ1SEJ

        OZ1SEJ - 2024-07-09

        I've attached a screenshot from the manual for the Yaesu GS-232B, which
        mentions the calibration procedure.

        I've also attached my measurements, which I don't think made it through
        last time. As you can see, when my azimuth angle is 450°, rotctl reports it
        at 296°, and when my elevation angle is 180°, rotctl reports it as 79°.

        Den tirs. 9. jul. 2024 kl. 15.59 skrev Michael Black mdblack98@users.sourceforge.net:

        What manual for the O,F,O2,F2? Perhaps we just implement that calibration
        which would then "fix" the controller.

        On Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 03:25:13 AM CDT, OZ1SEJ
        oz1sej@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

        1.
        Being able to convert these angles in rotctl would be nice; however, the
        manual mentions that some calibration is possible using a serial interface
        and the commands O, F, O2 and F2 - which is why I'm asking how to establish
        serial communications with the controller.

        2.
        Yes, I've manually turned the rotor using the analog meters, and measured
        what values rotctl gives; the values are in the attached csv file, and I'm
        also attaching a graph of the actual angles vs. the angles as reported by
        rotctl.

        Attachments:

        * yaesu.png (28.4 kB; image/png)

        How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?

        Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in
        https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

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        How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?
        https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/thread/e074005664/?limit=25#078f/5596


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        https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

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        • Michael Black

          Michael Black - 2024-07-09

          You should be able to use this rotctl command to send the calibration commands for az and el....

          Rotator command: w O
          Rotator command: w O2
          Rotator command: w F
          Rotator command: w F2

          The numbers you gave show a non-linear response so hopefully the F command calibration is a non-linear system.

          I had started adding a correction factor+offset -- had never finished it...but that wouldn't solve your problem as it's a linear correction.

          Your plot looked linear but the numbers you gave are nonlinear....
          450    296    1.52027
          180    79    2.278481

          Mike W9MDB

          On Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 11:27:24 AM CDT, OZ1SEJ oz1sej@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

          I've attached a screenshot from the manual for the Yaesu GS-232B, which
          mentions the calibration procedure.

          I've also attached my measurements, which I don't think made it through
          last time. As you can see, when my azimuth angle is 450°, rotctl reports it
          at 296°, and when my elevation angle is 180°, rotctl reports it as 79°.

          Den tirs. 9. jul. 2024 kl. 15.59 skrev Michael Black  mdblack98@users.sourceforge.net:

          What manual for the O,F,O2,F2? Perhaps we just implement that calibration
          which would then "fix" the controller.

          On Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 03:25:13 AM CDT, OZ1SEJ
          oz1sej@users.sourceforge.net wrote:

          1.
          Being able to convert these angles in rotctl would be nice; however, the
          manual mentions that some calibration is possible using a serial interface
          and the commands O, F, O2 and F2 - which is why I'm asking how to establish
          serial communications with the controller.

          2.
          Yes, I've manually turned the rotor using the analog meters, and measured
          what values rotctl gives; the values are in the attached csv file, and I'm
          also attaching a graph of the actual angles vs. the angles as reported by
          rotctl.

          Attachments:

          • yaesu.png (28.4 kB; image/png)

          How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?

          Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in
          https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

          To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit
          https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/


          How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?
          https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/thread/e074005664/?limit=25#078f/5596


          Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in
          https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

          To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit
          https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/


          How does Hamlib communicate with my rotator controller?


          Sent from sourceforge.net because you indicated interest in https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/discussion/25919/

          To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/

           

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