9.4 Logical Devices Overview

The sat-nms software contains a set so called logical devices, which in fact are software solution to solve different task in an M&C system.

The following list provides an overview about all these devices and the link to a detailed description.

• Antenna-Pointing --- A 'high level' driver for motor driven antennas. It is used together with a driver for the type of antenna controller used.
• Antenna-TrackingA 'high level' driver for motor driven antennas combined with step track software.
• Band-Pol-4-To-1 --- Controls a 4-to-1 switch which typically selects a receiver input signal from two polarization panes and two frequency bands.
• Channel-Select --- Channel Database
• Choice-Translator --- Provides a 2-way translation table for choice parameters.
• Device-CopyLets the operator copy the settings from one device to another with a single mouse click.
• Device-Mirror --- Ties two 1:1 redundant devices together. Any time a setting is changed at the primary device, the Device-Mirror copies this setting to the spare device.
• Dual-Translator --- Translates a set of user definable choices into the position settings of two switches (or equivalent). It may be used to combine two switches to a single function in the user interface.
• Fault-Array --- Combines fault messages or other state parameters of arbitrary devices in a flexible way to one common fault state.
• File-Recorder --- Provides a simple facility to write measurement or state values in regular intervals to a file.
• Frequency-Split --- Splits up a frequency value in a coarse part (1 MHz resolution) and a fine part.
• Gate-Array --- Provides 8 logical gates with 8 inputs each. May be used to generate changing colors of user user interface elements due to state changes.
• IRD-Chain --- Controls the basic parameters of an IRD and an input switch for the IRD which selects frequency band and polarization
• Level-Control --- Provides a gain setting linearizer for TWT amplifiers as well as a level control loop mode.
• Level-Set --- Provides a simple mechanism to set (and monitor) transmit power values in EIRP
• Link --- Connects the equipment used in a VLC for one end point of a satellite link to the link management of the NMS software. It controls the timing when links are going up or down and does all equipment settings necessary for the satellite link.
• Logger --- Watches an arbitrary parameter and, writes a message to the event log every time the parameter value changes.
• Logical-Gate-3 --- Provides a 3-input logical gate which can be used to merge status variables in a user programmed way.
• Logical-Gate --- Provides a simple 2-input logical gate which can be used to merge status variables in a user programmed way.
• Macro-Player --- Plays a macro if the value of a watched parameter changes in a certain way.
• Modcod-Splitter --- Makes a combined MODCOD parameter controllable through individual DVB-mode, modulation-type and FEC parameters.
• Parameter-Mirror --- Ties a single parameter of two 1:1 redundant devices together. Any time the parameter is changed at the primary device, the Parameter-Mirror copies this setting to the spare device.
• Pointing-Lock --- Checks the lock state of up to twenty IRD-Chain devices and controls the enable state of one Antenna-Pointing device.
• Protection-Switch-1-To-1 --- Provides a completely software based solution for a 1:1 redundancy switch. The logical device monitors the fault states of a couple of devices, deriving from this the information whether to switch the (usually transmit-) chain.
• Protection-Switch-2-To-1 --- Provides a completely software based solution for a 1:1 redundancy switch. The logical device monitors the fault states of a couple of devices, deriving from this the information whether to switch the (usually transmit-) chain. This device is contained for compatibility to existing sat-nms installations. For new installations the N:1 redundancy switch described below should be used.
• Protection-Switch-N-To-1 --- Provides a completely software based solution for a N:1 redundancy switch for transmit chains. Supersedes the Protection-Switch-2-To-1 device.
• Proxy-Device --- Maps a device from a remote sat-nms M&C onto the local system.
• Remote-Alarm --- The Remote-Alarm logical device is part of the remote alarm client feature of the software which reports failures of a M&C system to a remote site through a ('on demand') dial up connection.
• Replicator --- Replicates a parameter setting from one device to another.
• RX-ChannelSelect --- Applies tuning parameters and input signal selection from a common channel database to an IRD, including LO frequency calculations for multiple antennas.
• RX-ChannelSelect-CDB --- Similar to RX-ChannelSelect, but for usage in an NMS environment, using a central database (CDB) located in the NMS server for the channel lists.
• SNG-Pointing --- Adds some useful functions to the basic control of car mounted antennas.
• Site-Switch --- Implements a site diversity switch control and is mostly used to backup up-link facilities at different sites.
• Switch-Cross-Link --- Translates a ON/OFF command into a set of arbitrary messages / commands.
• Sync-Switch --- Couples two switches located at two different site to one single switch.
• Transmit-Chain-Preset --- Manages to store / retrieve the settings of a complete transmit chain in one preset. The device collects the setting of a polarization switch, the frequency and the EIRP of the transmission and the device presets of two arbitrary devices (e.g. modulator and encoder) into one DevicePreset.
• TX-ChannelSelect --- Applies tuning parameters from a common channel database to an encoder / modulator.
• TX-ChannelSelect-CDB --- Similar to TX-ChannelSelect, but for usage in an NMS environment, using a central database (CDB) located in the NMS server for the channel lists.