5.3 Target Memory

The page ‘Targets’ gives access to the ACU’s target memory. The ACU is capable to remember the pointing (and tracking parameters, if the ACU has the tracking module installed) of up to 199 satellites. Managing these memories is done with the ‘Targets’ page. Target memories are organized in 10 pages with 20 memory places each, you may click to the numbers shown above the table to select a certain page. Additionally, the target memories may be sorted either by target number, by azimuth angle or by name. Click to the sort modes above the table to select the appropriate sort mode.

Below the target table the ACU shows the actually selected target, the initial pointing mode to be used with the next Go command anf the save mode.

• Actually selected: This displays the name and number of the actually tracked satellite as well as the currently active tracking mode. If the antenna is tracking, a STOP_TRACKING label is shown, permitting to stop tracking before moving to another satellite without leaving this page. The Actually selected: field may be empty if the Antenna has been moved since a target has been selected.
• Initial pointing mode: With this selection you may overwrite the initial pointing mode stored with a target. With the next Go command the selected initial pointing is executed unless you have made the selection ‘use initial pointing as stored with target’.
• Save mode: The selection in this field affects the next Save command.
  • save all — Saves all actual tracking settings and the content of the tracking memory to the selected target number. This includes the actual pointing angles as the angles stored with the target.
  • exclude pointing angles — Saves the actual tracking settings and the content of the tracking memory to the selected target number as well, but leaves the pointing angles stored with the target unchanged. You may want to use this option to update a target memory without replacing the center of box position by the actual pointing angles.

The target table itself displays 20 of the stored target memories. By clicking the icons in the table, settings may be stored, recalled or deleted:

• Go — If a memory location has stored a pointing, the table shows a blue arrow in the ‘Go’ column of the table. Clicking to this arrow recalls the settings stored for that target as well as the stored tracking data for this satellite and moves the antenna to position according to the selected initial pointing mode. After the antenna has reached this position, the tracking mode stored with the target gets activated. The ACU displays a confirmation dialog before it actually recalls the target memory. Only if you click to ‘Submit’ in this dialog, the antenna moves to the stored location. With ADAPTIVE tracking, the ACU uses the stored tracking data to calculate a model as soon as tracking ist started as long as the stored tracking data is not outdated.
• Save — For each memory location the table shows a floppy disk icon in the ‘Save’ column. Clicking to this icon saves the actual tracking parameters, the tracking memory and - if at the bottom of the page Save mode is set to save all - also the actual antenna pointing to the selected memory location. Again, there is a confirmation dialog page before the data actually is saved.
• Edit — For each memory location the table shows a document edit icon in the ‘Edit’ column. Clicking to this icon opens the target editor page for this target memory. With this editor you can edit the stored parmeters in a target memory without actually applying them. Chapter 5.8 Target Editor describes this function more detailled.
• Delete — Analogous to the ‘Save’ icon, the table shows an eraser icon in the ‘Delete’ column. The icons only are shown for the memory locations which are in use. Clicking to the eraser icon clears the selected memory location after a confirmation inquiry.
• Numeric orbit position — The table contains an additional row at the bottom labeled ‘Numeric orbit position’. Clicking to the blue arrow icon in this row opens a dialog where you are requested to enter the orbit position of a satellite you want the antenna to point to. After you pressed ‘Submit’ in this dialog, the ACU computes the antenna pointing for the orbit position you entered and immediately moves the antenna to the calculated position. To make this function work satisfactory, it is necessary to have the geodetic location of the antenna entered at the Setup page with a sufficient accuracy.