R&S®RD127 Antenna Control Unit
The Rotator Control Unit R&S® RD127 has been designed as an outdoor unit for mounting on top of masts close to receiving antennas and antenna rotators. The length of the RF cables and antenna rotator cables can be minimized, and only one RF cable and one control cable need to be routed to the equipment inside the station.
The following standard models of the R&S® RD127 are available:
- R&S® RD127 Model 05 with 1-out-of-4 switch, DC to 3 GHz
- R&S® RD127 Model 08 with 1-out-of-8 switch, DC to 3 GHz
The R&S® RD127 comprises a motor control board for driving a rotator with a DC motor (e.g. Yaesu G2800) and a rotator with an AC motor (e.g. Yaesu G550), a switch, one DC feed and lightning protection. As an option, the unit may also be equipped with 2 additional DC feeds (option R&S® ZS129F1) to supply power to more than one active antenna.
As an option, the R&S® RD127 can be equipped with a different type of motor control board instead of the standard board. This makes it possible to drive other types of antenna rotators. Information about the rotator types supported is available from Rohde & Schwarz on request.
Further R&S® RD127 options include a wide range of switches for antenna selection. Depending on the options installed, the R&S® RD127 can have up to eight RF inputs for connecting receiving antennas and two RF outputs each with a lightning protection option.
The R&S® RD127 is controlled from the Antenna Control Unit R&S® GB127S.
The R&S® RD127 is operated via the I²C bus control interface. A single control cable is used, incorporating an I²C bus interface, a +28 V DC supply and GND. The control cables supplied by Rohde & Schwarz for connecting the control unit and the R&S® RD127 have been tested for lengths up to 120 m. (For ranges in excess of 30 m, the control cable for the I²C bus interface and the +28 V DC supply is split). The connection between the two units requires additional lightning protection at the point of entry into the building.
