[TowerTalk] RS-232 control of M2 Rotator

Mon Sep 27 13:50:32 PDT 2010

9600,8,N,1
>From PC to rotator:
A45<CR> (go to 45 deg AZ)
A<CR> (select azimut, position request)
>From rotator to PC:
A=45.1 S=4 M (Azimuth = 45.1 deg ...etc)
For elevation change A with E.

--- On Mon, 9/27/10, TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com> wrote:

From: TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] RS-232 control of M2 Rotator
To: yo3dmu at yahoo.com, n6kj.kelly at gmail.com
Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
Date: Monday, September 27, 2010, 3:35 PM

Heck, I am lazy! I hoped you would just tell me!

Thanks/73,
Gerald K5GW

In a message dated 9/27/2010 3:29:17 P.M. Central Daylight Time, yo3dmu at yahoo.com writes:

Hi Gerald,

You can find attached both two protocols used by M2 rotators.
Also you can use my PstRotator program and a free serial port monitor to see the messages to and from your rotator.

73, Codrut - YO3DMU

--- On Mon, 9/27/10, TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com> wrote:

From: TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] RS-232 control of M2 Rotator
To: yo3dmu at yahoo.com, n6kj.kelly at gmail.com
Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
Date: Monday, September 27, 2010, 3:13 PM

Hi Codrut, do you know the send and receive data format for the M2 rotator?

73,
Gerald K5GW

In a message dated 9/27/2010 3:06:58 P.M. Central Daylight Time, yo3dmu at yahoo.com writes:
Hi,

You can try this software:
http://www.qsl.net/yo3dmu/index_Page346.htm

73, Codrut - YO3DMU

--- On Mon, 9/27/10, TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com> wrote:

From: TexasRF at aol.com <TexasRF at aol.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] RS-232 control of M2 Rotator
To: n6kj.kelly at gmail.com, guy_molinari at hotmail.com
Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
Date: Monday, September 27, 2010, 2:39 PM

Would those unprintable characters perhaps be the data you are looking for? 
Many devices like this return ascii values that require further 
manipulation to  derive actual position data.

US Digital encoders for example return three characters, first is device  
address, second is most significant byte and finally the least significant 
byte.  The address is discarded or used for verification, the ascii value of 
the second  character is multiplied by 256 and added to the ascii value of 
the third  character to give position data. That number is further manipulated 
to allow for  the resolution of the sending device.

I don't have first hand experience with the M2 unit so all of this may well 
be irrelevant.

73,
Gerald K5GW

In a message dated 9/27/2010 2:29:45 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
n6kj.kelly at gmail.com writes:

As I  mentioned in the original e-mail: this port was known to work
properly with  other applications in the past.  I will double-check
when I get home  to make sure that is still the case.

I am not using a null modem  cable.  If I were, then I'd get no data
from the rotator controller  rather than a response that appears to be
sent at a different baud  rate.  Everytime I power cycle the rotator
controller, it outputs data  that I can see in hyperterm.
Unfortunately, the data is just a few  unprintable characters; the kind
of thing I usually expect to see when the  port configurations are not
correct.

On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at  12:05 PM, Guy Molinari <guy_molinari at hotmail.com> 
wrote:
> Have  you verified that the port on the computer works when connected  to
> another device?
>
> Also, another problem is proper  cabling.    Are you using a "null modem"
> cable  (pins 2 and 3 reversed at each end)?   Or is it a straight  through
> cable (not reversed).
>
>
>> Date: Mon,  27 Sep 2010 12:02:41 -0700
>> From: n6kj.kelly at gmail.com
>>  To: guy_molinari at hotmail.com
>> CC:  towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] RS-232 control  of M2 Rotator
>>
>> Yes, I'm aware of that. I have hyperterm  set up for 8-N-1. I've
>> tried that combination with nearly every  baud rate possible, but still
>> nothing.
>>
>> On  Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Guy Molinari  
<guy_molinari at hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>  >
>> > There are 3 parameters for RS-232  communication.
>> >
>> > 1)  Baud  rate
>> > 2)  Parity bit (0 or 1)
>> > 3)  Number of stop bits  (0, 1 or 2).
>> >
>> >  I believe the M2 rotator is expecting none for the parity bits (0) 
and  1
>> > stop bit.
>> >
>> > 73,
>>  > Guy, N7ZG
>> >
>> >> Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010  11:31:04 -0700
>> >> From: n6kj.kelly at gmail.com
>>  >> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>> >> Subject:  [TowerTalk] RS-232 control of M2 Rotator
>> >>
>>  >> I'm trying to remote my home station. The last piece of the  puzzle
>> >> for (non-QRO) operation is the rotator. I've tried  several things to
>> >> get RS-232 control of my M-Squared  rotator to work, but so far no
>> >> luck. The rotator control  box seems to be trying to communicate. I'm
>> >> using the  standard M-Squared control box. I see data coming back from
>>  >> the rotator, but it appears to be the wrong baud rate. I've  tried
>> >> every baud rate (including the one that the manual  claims should 
work)
>> >> so far with no luck. I've tried  controlling it with Hyperterm and
>> >> with DX4WIN. Neither  works. This serial port works fine for other
>> >> purposes.  This is a real RS-232 port; not a USB-to-serial converter.
>>  >> Anyone got any tips before I call M-Squared?
>> >>  _______________________________________________
>>  >>
>> >>
>> >>
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>>  >
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>> >
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