Quick Start Guide-slider

To begin with, down load the latest   I/O Tool Kit software and install it on your Windows PC.

You will be sent a TRACKERvxxx.6PJ project file and a registration file by email. Save them in an accessible folder on your PC. The best location would be C:/Program Files/SixnetTools/Projects

Run I/O Tool Kit

File / Import / Registration Info… Go to the folder where you placed the registration file. Select the file then Open / OK / Close pop-up

Open Project

File / Open Project Go to the folder where you placed the project file. Select the file then Open

Select the radio button “use com port”. The only change you may need to make may be the COM number. See the drop down for all detected ports
OK

Tracker IPms are generally shipped with the Ethernet port configured t\for DHCP. If your local network requires a static IP address, then you will not be able to connect. For the initial configuration, you should determine the IP address assigned by your router by using the auto connect tool.

To discover the IP address: Operations/Auto Detect EtherTRAK Stations

If you are unable to easily connect to the Tracker IPm then it is highly recommended to connect by serial cable as previously described.

To continue: Device/Select

Select the radio button “use Ethernet”

Ok

Operations/ Test  I/O
The pop-up is represented in this slide. At the bottom, the TD & RD LEDs are represented. If they are not indicating communications, then you are not communicating with the Tracker IPm and this will time out with an error.
There are a number of Tabs at the bottom which this document will have you select to view or set parameters.

Select Tab L IN

Unless your Tracker IPm came from the factory pre-configured you must do the following:

ALT01_PPR and AZI01_PPR represents the number of pulses over a 360 degree rotation for Altitude and Azimuth respectively. some drivers provide this number. The tracking hardware does not need to rotate 360 degrees, it is a theoretical number.

Example- A Kinematic 3″ Slew with a brush motor has the following specifications:

Motor pulses per full rotation: 2:1
Planetary Gear ratio: 236:1
Worm Gear: 62:1

Total Pulses Per Rotation = 2 x 236 x 62 = 29,264

Highlight the I/O value you wish to change, type in the new number. Enter

Also shown is ALTITUDE & AZIMUTH Latency. Leave these at the default 100 for now. These are used to tune large trackers to prevent overshooting the desired position.

Arrows indicate “Required Information”
Select Tab F IN

• SPA_ELEV Elevation in meters (zero for sea level)
• SPA_LATITUDE Latitude in decimals
• SPA_LONGITUDE Longitude in decimals
• SPA_PAVG Average local pressure in millibars (ie 1013 at sea level)
• SPA_REFRACT Atmospheric refraction at sunrise and sunset (usually 1)

(continued)

• SPA_ROTATION Surface azimuth rotation (usually zero)
• SPA_Slope Surface slope measured from horizontal (usually zero)
• SPA_TAVG Average local temperature (ie 30 deg C)
• SPA_TD Not required
• SPA_TZ Not required

High light the I/O Value you wish to change, type in the new number. Enter

Continue on Tab F IN
Arrows indicate “Required Information”
Soft Limits
Soft limits will limit the tracker’s travel through software. If the calibration is incorrect then the soft limits will be off by the same amount. You should always use mechanical limit stops to prevent over travel and damage to the tracker. 

• ALT_MAX_DEG default 90 deg. sets maximum upward travel limit
• ALT_MIN_DEG default is zero, sets minimum upward travel limit (can be a negative number)
• ALT_DB default is 0.2, sets the difference between the sun’s AL location and the tracker in degrees before a movement is made (smaller is more accurate but runs the motor more often)

• AZI_MAX_DEG default 360 deg. sets maximum Westward travel limit
• AZI_MIN_DEG default is zero, sets minimum Eastward travel limit
• AZI_DB default is 0.2, sets the difference between the sun’s AZ location and the tracker in degrees before a movement is made (smaller is more accurate but runs the motor more often)
• If you wish to utilize Auto Calibration do not enter a value for soft limits that would prevent the Tracker from contacting the minimum travel limit switches.

The present position of the drive can be determined from a pulse input (e.g., a Hall sensor) or from an analog input. If you are .using an analog feed back to position one or both of your motors enter the Scale Factor.

• ALT_SCALE
• ALT_OFFSET
• AZI_SCALE
• AZI_OFFSET

The analog inputs are 4-20 mA channels with a raw range of 0-32767

Example: a 90 deg inclinometer which is 4mA at Zero degrees and 20mA at 90 degrees would be 0.0027467 (90/32767).
If you have 4mA at Zero degrees and 20mA at 360 degrees then your Scale Factor would be 0.0109866 (36/32767).
SCALE determines the span of travel based on the signal. OFFSET is a constant in degrees which allows the user to adjust the starting point or the Zero Position.

PV = SCALE * RAW_INPUT + OFFSET

Note: using analog inputs must be enabled by turning ON this option on Tab D I. The controller will accommodate one Axis being analog and the other pulse DI.

• ALT_ANALOG
• AZI_ANALOG

If you wish to have the Tracker go to a predefined position at sunset, enter the position in degrees. Enter -1 to say in last position at sunset. If you wish to utilize Auto Calibration at each sunrise do not enter a value that would prevent the Tracker from making the minimum travel limit switches.

• ALT01_STOW
• AZI01_STOW

Select Tab D OUT
The Tracker IPm is shipped in the manual mode for both the Azimuth and Altitude. In order to calibrate, the following registers should read:

• ALT01_AUTO MAN
• ALT01_CALIBRATE ON
• AZI01_AUTO MAN
• AZI01_CALIBRATE ON

To adjust the position the tracker is pointing, toggle the OFF-ON at the top left of the pop-up for these registers.

• ALT01_UP Moves the altitude drive towards the horizon 90 degrees*
• ALT01_DN Moves the altitude drive towards the zenith 0 degrees*
• AZI01_UP Moves the azimuth drive towards the west (in the northern hemisphere)*
• AZI01_DN Moves the azimuth drive towards the east (in the northern hemisphere)*

*(The UP & DN nomenclature is based on degrees)

It is recommended that once you have calibrated one axis, you put it into service before calibrating the other axis. To start tracking, the registers should read:

• ALT01_CALIBRATE OFF
• ALT01_AUTO AUTO

• AZI01_CALIBRATE OFF
• AZI01_AUTO AUTO

TRK01_TRACK Track – This enable the SPA calculation and would not need to be turned off for calibration

Close the tool kit. The values are retained in non-volatile memory in case of a power loss. You should be tracking!