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| ##content goes here PiRotator |
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| RaspberryPi controlled antenna rotator | = PiRotator = == RaspberryPi controlled antenna rotator == |
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| Summary: Current commercial az/el antenna rotators are really expensive(easily over 1500€ with controllers), and moreover technically most are from 90s (analog potentiometer sensors/control, no network, rs/lpt controllable, no web, no rest api, etc). |
=== Summary: === Current commercial az/el antenna rotators are really expensive(easily over 1500€ with controllers), and moreover technically most are from 90s (analog potentiometer sensors/control, no network, rs/lpt controllable, no web, no rest api, etc). |
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| I tried to take little bit different approach.. | I tried to take little bit different approach.. |
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| Goals: 1. Cheap common hardware (wormgears, nema steppers, rasberrypi, etc) 2. Intelligence on mast (controlbox includes rasberrypi, this enables many things, like SDR on mast) 3. All digital (digital rotary sensors, steppers, tcp/ip, etc) 4. network (only IO is network, controlling thru different apis(REST, legacy RS emulation api)) 5. backward compatibility to legacy software, via software RS (ham radio deluxe, pstrotator, etc) 6. project is only for fun, and learning new stuff! |
=== Goals: === * Cheap common hardware (wormgears, nema steppers, rasberrypi, etc) * Intelligence on mast (controlbox includes rasberrypi, this enables many things, like SDR on mast) * All digital (digital rotary sensors, steppers, tcp/ip, etc) * network (only IO is network, controlling thru different apis(REST, legacy RS emulation api)) * backward compatibility to legacy software, via software RS (ham radio deluxe, pstrotator, etc) * project is only for fun, and learning new stuff! === Project status: === * hardware & software are in quite good shape * most important missing things: * horizontial aluminium boom for antennas 20x3 (ordered, not yet received) * cables for UHF antenna/sma connectors for control box (which connects to SDRPlay) * weather "shield" for rotator (some ideas, not tested) * testing testing testing === Hardware: === |
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| Hardware: | *Steppers: *Common 4-lead NEMA 23 *one full step 1.8 degrees *cheap (from 10$/each) *easy to control *Worm gears: *90 degree Gearbox WormGear Speed Reducer 1:60 ratio *most important is WormGear, because of that we do not need any brake system! *relatively sheap (about 50$ / each) *with 1:60 reduction we do not need that much power and precision is 1.8 (from step) / 60 -> 0.03angle /step *Absolute rotary encoders: *Cheapest used 10bit absolute rotary sensors what i could find (KOYO TRD-3A1024) *precision is more than enough (10bit -> 1024 -> 360/1024= 0.35 degrees) *price about 15€/each *10bit means in this case that there are 10pin for data + 2 power pins *Slip rings: *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slip_ring *Capsule slip ring OD22MM 18Wires *stepper control cables and rotary sensors data cables to upper module go thru axle, with slip ring we dont have to worry about these cables and rotation. *about 15€ *Stepper control: *https://www.piborg.org/picoborgrev *PicoBorg Reverse *easy, cheap, efficient, |
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| *Controller: *Raspberrypi 2 or B+ *full OS *enough gpio ports for encoders and stepper control *network port *could run as "SDR streamer" with rtl_tcp or similar *full python |
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| Steppers: Common 4-lead NEMA 23 - one full step 1.8 degrees - cheap (from 10$/each) - easy to control Worm gears: 90 degree Gearbox WormGear Speed Reducer 1:60 ratio -most important is WormGear, because of that we do not need any brake system! -relatively sheap (about 50$ / each) -with 1:60 reduction we do not need that much power and precision is 1.8 (from step) / 60 -> 0.03angle /step Absolute rotary encoders: Cheapest used 10bit absolute rotary sensors what i could find (KOYO TRD-3A1024) -precision is more than enough (10bit -> 1024 -> 360/1024= 0.35 degrees) -price about 15€/each -10bit means on this case that there are 10pin for data + 2 power pins Slip rings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slip_ring Capsule slip ring OD22MM 18Wires - stepper control cables and rotary sensors data cables to upper module go thru axle, with slip ring we dont have to worry about these cables and rotation. - about 15€ Stepper control: https://www.piborg.org/picoborgrev PicoBorg Reverse -easy, cheap, efficient, Controller: Raspberrypi 2 or B+ - full OS - enough gpio ports for encoders and stepper control - network port - could run as "SDR streamer" with rtl_tcp or similar - full python Connectors/box/cables/gears/belts/bolts/etc: |
*Connectors/box/cables/gears/belts/bolts/etc: |
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| Software: | === Software: === |
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| REST api for controlling (done) - you could control your rotator via simple http posts - enables many kind of solutions |
*REST api for controlling (done) *you could control your rotator via simple http posts *enables many kind of solutions |
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| Legacy rotator emulation for legacy software via virtual RS (done) - emulates yeasu GS-232B protocol (only control and feedback commands implemented) - client OS sees SerialPort via virtual serial port software (eg. hw-groups HW virtual serial port -HW VSP3) - Tested with HRD rotator and PSTrotator |
*Legacy rotator emulation for legacy software via virtual RS (done) *emulates yeasu GS-232B protocol (only control and feedback commands implemented) *client OS sees SerialPort via virtual serial port software (eg. hw-groups HW virtual serial port -HW VSP3) *Tested with HRD rotator and PSTrotator |
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| Simpple CLI UI (70%) - mainly for debugging purposes |
*Simpple CLI UI (70%) *mainly for debugging purposes |
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| Multithreaded structure, and locks/aborts (90%) - could use all of those apis/interfaces at same time |
*Multithreaded structure, and locks/aborts (90%) *could use all of those apis/interfaces at same time |
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| Neat WEB/JavaScript UI top of REST api (15%) - Graphical javascipt / angular UI |
*Neat WEB/JavaScript UI top of REST api (15%) *Graphical javascipt / angular UI === Videos === https://www.youtube.com/embed/0F_P8_iJNqI === Pictures === [[attachment:pirotator1.jpg|{{attachment:pirotator1.jpg||width=200}}]] [[attachment:pirotator2.jpg|{{attachment:pirotator2.jpg||width=200}}]] [[attachment:slip_ring_encoder_gear.jpg|{{attachment:slip_ring_encoder_gear.jpg||width=200}}]] [[attachment:controlbox.jpg|{{attachment:controlbox.jpg||width=200}}]] [[attachment:controlbox2.jpg|{{attachment:controlbox2.jpg||width=200}}]] |
- hacker
PiRotator
RaspberryPi controlled antenna rotator
Summary:
Current commercial az/el antenna rotators are really expensive(easily over 1500€ with controllers), and moreover technically most are from 90s (analog potentiometer sensors/control, no network, rs/lpt controllable, no web, no rest api, etc).
I tried to take little bit different approach..
Goals:
- Cheap common hardware (wormgears, nema steppers, rasberrypi, etc)
- Intelligence on mast (controlbox includes rasberrypi, this enables many things, like SDR on mast)
- All digital (digital rotary sensors, steppers, tcp/ip, etc)
- network (only IO is network, controlling thru different apis(REST, legacy RS emulation api))
- backward compatibility to legacy software, via software RS (ham radio deluxe, pstrotator, etc)
- project is only for fun, and learning new stuff!
Project status:
hardware & software are in quite good shape
- most important missing things:
- horizontial aluminium boom for antennas 20x3 (ordered, not yet received)
- cables for UHF antenna/sma connectors for control box (which connects to SDRPlay)
- weather "shield" for rotator (some ideas, not tested)
- testing testing testing
Hardware:
- Steppers:
- Common 4-lead NEMA 23
- one full step 1.8 degrees
- cheap (from 10$/each)
- easy to control
- Worm gears:
- Absolute rotary encoders:
- Cheapest used 10bit absolute rotary sensors what i could find (KOYO TRD-3A1024)
precision is more than enough (10bit -> 1024 -> 360/1024= 0.35 degrees)
- price about 15€/each
- 10bit means in this case that there are 10pin for data + 2 power pins
- Slip rings:
- Capsule slip ring OD22MM 18Wires
- stepper control cables and rotary sensors data cables to upper module go thru axle, with slip ring we dont have to worry about these cables and rotation.
- about 15€
- Stepper control:
?PicoBorg Reverse
- easy, cheap, efficient,
- Controller:
- Raspberrypi 2 or B+
- full OS
- enough gpio ports for encoders and stepper control
- network port
- could run as "SDR streamer" with rtl_tcp or similar
- full python
- Connectors/box/cables/gears/belts/bolts/etc:
Software:
Plan / specs for pirotator server:
- REST api for controlling (done)
- you could control your rotator via simple http posts
- enables many kind of solutions
- Legacy rotator emulation for legacy software via virtual RS (done)
- emulates yeasu GS-232B protocol (only control and feedback commands implemented)
client OS sees ?SerialPort via virtual serial port software (eg. hw-groups HW virtual serial port -HW VSP3)
- Tested with HRD rotator and PSTrotator
- Simpple CLI UI (70%)
- mainly for debugging purposes
- Multithreaded structure, and locks/aborts (90%)
- could use all of those apis/interfaces at same time
- Neat WEB/JavaScript UI top of REST api (15%)
- Graphical javascipt / angular UI
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0F_P8_iJNqI
Pictures
