Online-spectrum analyser

Equipment used was:

SunSPARC10 server computer.   Ethernet to/from internet.   Serial port A to PC for console control.  Serial port B to antenna controller chip. SUN SBUS GPIB board from National Instruments.  IEEE488 interface bus cable to HP spectrum analyser (to program analyser, initiate single sweep and readout results.)  Solaris 9 software. National Instruments software. gd and cgic software.  C program to control everything including conversion of 601 measurements into gif file output.

Domestic satellite TV antenna with universal LNB and polar motor drive. Modified with 10k potentiometer and three wires for antenna pointing feedback.

ByVac BV4113 chip: Serial port input.   Motor drive outputs: left, right and stop.  Analogue input from dish position resolver, output of angle to serial port.  TTL logic output to relay for 13/19 volts.

HP8560A connected to antenna via DC block.  Connected to SunSPARC10 via fat IEEE488 GPIB bus cable.

Sorry and sadly, I burned out the serial port B on my SUN SPARC 10 server plus the antenna motor drive/polarisation selection chip (ByVac BV4113).  I bought a new ByVac BV4113 chip and then found the more serious problem with the serial port B on the SUN SPARC 10 mother board - it seems unrepairable.

I will look at it again and see if I can think of anything.

I must say that since its been powered off my room has been lot quieter with the fans off, cooler in summer and electricity used lower.

There is a write up of the project here: https://www.satsig.net/spectrums/spectrum-analyser-project.htm

Best regards, Eric.