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AT-AUTO & AT-AUTOKL Operating Manual

1. 18 1 2 Will the AT AUTO work with my Collins KWM1 and others without 99 18 1 3 Why does the AT AUTO have an RS 232 port instead of a USB port 100 13 2 Memory Related Questions ssd ses aa Ad 18 2 1 How can I clear the AT AUTO memories 18 2 2 What happens when I select Erase Match Mem How do the mem ores WORK laa Ea ad a IO a eke 18 2 3 Can I manually edit the memory settings 18 2 4 How do I control which memory is recalled and used 18 3 Radio Interfacing Questions 4 6 ae as as a ari 18 4 18 3 1 Why doesn t the AT AUTO work in Smart and Handshake modes with ote radios Pistons pros Ae dos d ata 18 3 2 Will the AT AUTO automatically follow frequency changes in the IC A sce doo Saige She Ge Gee te AE RR E 18 3 8 How can I make the AT AUTO follow a specific Icom radio in a multi LE OPI MP dita EUER A en dea Eee 18 3 4 Why doesn t Fine Tune work with my Collins S Line General Usage Questions Wis oe dyin Se Bie a ara 18 4 1 How should I setup the Peak Hold metering for the AT AUTO to work automatically ottica oe a a que dur RS is ga 18 4 2 How does the AT AUTO differ from other automatic tuners available to the amateur radio community 2 22 2 24 4 RE a ee 100 102 103 18 4 3 Is this a Ham Band only tuner Will this work on the MARS frequencies 103 18 4 4 Why does the AT AUTO take up to 30 seconds to tune 103 18 45
2. e TIE O gt Mi A A TE 00 Mi Cr gt ae Pe d mo re Figure 2 2 Top View Cover Removed 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com Table 2 2 Internal Components as shown in Figure 2 2 Reference Description 1 RF input and RF directional coupler 2 RF bypass relay 3 RF output selection relay 4 Unbalanced Coax RF output 5 4 1 current balun 6 Balanced RF output T 340 14 340 pF split stator capacitor 8 26 uH roller inductor 9 Stepper motor 10 Master power switch 11 Cross needle power and SWR meter 12 AT AUTO processor and display 13 Split stator capacitor gap detector 14 Roller inductor gap detector 15 Roller inductor travel limit switch 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com Figure 2 3 Rear Panel View Table 2 3 Rear Panel Components as shown in Figure 2 3 Reference Description Balanced RF output Unbalanced Coax RF output RF input Auxiliary CI V jacks Transceiver Data Input Icom CI V and external tuner I O Kenwood external tuner I O RS 232 1 0 port For firmware upgrades and CAT radio interface 5mm X 20mm 4A 125VAC fast blow fuse 12 VDC input z 3 5 A peak while tuning QRO Keyline Input Output AT AUTO x y only oR WN CON Note Requires specific cable configuration See Table 10 1 page 69 for details 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com Stepper Motor 4
3. All circuitry used by the AT AUTO for manual automatic tuning is independent of the Peak Hold metering circuitry The Peak Hold circuitry and the SWR meter are included 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 103 as an operator convenience only during manual tuning operation and are not used by the AT AUTO during the process of automatic tuning 18 4 2 How does the AT AUTO differ from other automatic tuners available to the amateur radio community Answer This is the ONLY fully automatic antenna tuner purposefully designed and built to conservatively handle a continuous 1500 W CW carrier Most other automatic tuners are a mere collection of fixed inductors and capacitors that are switched in out by relay and as such are generally limited to 600W PEP or less The AT AUTO uses the same high quality roller inductor and split stator capacitor used in our highly acclaimed manual tuners but they now are adjusted by stepper motors under microprocessor control 18 4 3 Is this a Ham Band only tuner Will this work on the MARS frequencies Answer The AT AUTO will match antennas operating in the 1 8 54 MHz range There are match memories dedicated to the entire match range of the tuner Non volatile memories for MARS frequencies as well as other Federal Civil frequencies are incorporated into the AT AUTO firmware 18 4 4 Why does the AT AUTO take up to 30 seconds to tune Answer The actual tune time of the AT AUTO is very fast 1 3 second tun
4. Grounding this product is equipped with a ground terminal intended for use with a proper station ground Power Sources This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marketing label Lightning For added protection for this product during a lightning storm or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time disconnect it from the station antenna feedline Power Lines An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines other electric light or power circuits where it can fall into such power lines or circuits When installing an outside antenna system extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits as contact with them may be fatal Object and Liquid Entry Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock Never spill liquid of any kind on the product Servicing Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards Refer all servicing to Palstar service personnel Damage Requiring Service Disconnect this product completely and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com lv a When the power supply cord or plug is damaged b c d If liqui
5. s TUNER button or the pressing the AT AUTO Output button for 2 3 seconds If interfaced with an Icom radio with external tuner control pressing the AT AUTO Output button for 2 3 seconds will toggle the Icom radio s low power carrier On Off Table 5 2 page 38 lists the control function provided by each of these three controls when operating in Manual mode and Figure 5 3 on page 39 illustrates the AT AUTO Manual mode process 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 38 Table 5 2 Manual Mode Control Functions Mode Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Tune Select Knob Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Clockwise counter clockwise Rotation Output Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Duration Definition Short Medium Long 1 800 773 7931 Selects Bypass mode No effect No effect Toggles C L control If L Active Causes L to turn continuously If C Active Causes C to home to 000 If L Active Causes L to home to 000 If C Active No effect Increase Decrease relative C L position Toggles RF Output Coax Balanced Toggles 10 W carrier for manual tuning Icom Radios with Tuner I O only No effect lt 1 second 2 3 Seconds gt 10 seconds www Palstar com 39 Example S AT AUTO Display e Radios with External Tuner
6. Coax Supply Palstar Supplied Coax Icom Cable THP HL 1 5KFX CI V Cable Icom Transceiver C A ACC2 Remote Coax Figure 4 5 Icom Transceiver with Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX to AT AUTO Connection 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 26 4 3 5 Kenwood Rig Setup Recent generation Kenwood radios include a serial interface that the AT AUTO may uti lize to obtain frequency information from the radio This RS 232 interface is often la beled COM on Kenwood radios Additionally some newer Kenwood radios also include a provision for controlling an external tuner via a button on the radio s front panel la beled TUNER This interface connects to the external tuner the AT AUTO via a 6 pin Molex style connector labeled AT which is located on the radio s back panel Please note that if the Kenwood radio includes multiple antenna connections that any external tuner should be connected to the connector labeled Ant 1 Consult owner s manual for your specific radio A typical setup involving a Kenwood radio is shown in Figure 4 6 The following are suggested steps to setup the AT AUTO to interface with a Kenwood transceiver 1 Insert the Amphenol plug into the socket on the rear of the AT AUTO labeled TRANSCEIVER DATA INPUT and twist the attachment ring until finger tight 2 Insert the 6 pin white plastic plug into the corresponding receptacle labeled AT loca
7. To summarize and to answer to the original question of why this happens and why does it seem to vary with different feedline types one must understand that when tuning with very low power levels such as 10 W that the losses in the antenna system due to feedline and connector losses may easily be greater than the power levels required to initiate automatic tuning When using open wire line the losses are indeed minimal and observed and actual SWR are very closely correlated Why don t I see this same effect with my Icom AH 4 tuner OK I think I followed all of that However I don t see this same effect when I use my Icom AH 4 automatic tuner I tune it at low power using the Icom Tuner button but it does not automatically re tune when I switch to high power and the SWR is always around 1 5 1 Why Answer The AT AUTO and the AH 4 are very different tuners Among the significant differences is the fact that the AH 4 like the AH 3 AH 2 and most of the other mobile random wire tuners does not drive a feedline such as a coaxial cable or open wire line that in turn feeds an antenna It therefore is not affected by the match loss of the coaxial cable feeding the AH 4 Because the random wire the antenna attaches directly to the AH 4 it is able to sample the swr directly at the antennas feed point The AT AUTO samples SWR at some distance from the antenna feed point which is affected by the match loss of the feedline However using low l
8. s back panel Please note that if the Icom radio includes multiple antenna connections that any exter nal tuner should be connected to the connector labeled Ant 1 Consult owner s manual for your specific Icom radio A typical setup involving an Icom radio is shown in Figure 4 2 The Palstar supplied Icom cable includes a male 3 5 mm monaural plug CI V and a 4 pin male Molex style plug tuner control amp handshaking on one end and an Amphenol style 5 pin female plug 1 Insert the Amphenol plug into the socket on the rear of the AT AUTO labeled TRANSCEIVER DATA INPUT and twist the attachment ring until finger tight 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 20 AT AUTO Rear Panel INPUTCOAX QRO Keyline TRANSCEIVER To Balanced BALANCED OUTPUT COAX DATA INPUT Antenna AUX CIV PORTS Palstar Supplied o o DC Power Cable RS Neu T FUSE POWER IN To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply Palstar Supplied Icom Cable Icom Transceiver ACC2 Remote Icom External Tuner Interface Figure 4 2 Icom Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 2 Insert the male 3 5 mm plug into the jack on the back of the Icom radio labeled Remote 3 Insert the 4 pin white plastic plug into the corresponding receptacle located on the back of the Icom radio This plug is often not labeled on the radio and some radios may not include the 4 pin receptacle IC 7800 for example 4 Configure the radio t
9. 1850 2000 kHz The transmit receive window fre quency boundary may be changed by rotating the Tune Select knob and the transmit receive window may be swapped by momentarily pressing the Mode button Figure 8 3 shows a high transmit window from 1872 to 2000 kHz Figure 8 3 160m 1872 2000 kHz Transmit Window Setup Note Even if split frequency operation had been selected whenever the radio changes to a different band the AT AUTO will initially reposition L and C to settings appropriate to the new frequency regardless of whether that frequency is within the transmit or receive frequency window However subsequent frequency adjustments within the band but outside of the transmit window will be ignored 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 63 Chapter 9 Firmware Update Guide Your Palstar AT AUTO features field upgradeable firmware that can be updated from any where you have a PC with an Internet connection and an RS 232 serial port Follow these steps to update your AT AUTO with the latest firmware version if Ensure AT AUTO s internal hardware jumpers are configured correctly See Table 14 1 on page 86 Completely disconnect the Transceiver Data and any CI V connections at the rear of the AT AUTO Failure to due so WILL corrupt the uploaded firmware causing the process to fail and possibly corrupting the installed bootloader requiring that the AT AUTO processor be reprogrammed at the Palstar factory Downl
10. AUTO responds to frequency changes made on any Icom radio set for data transceive operation attached to the CI V bus If there are multiple Icom radios setup for data transceive operation and attached to the CI V bus the AT AUTO will respond by default to any frequency changes made on any of the radios It is possible to limit the AT AUTO response to just a single Icom radio in data transceive mode by setting the AT AUTO to follow CI V data from a specific radio address only The AT AUTO can also be setup to query a specific Icom radio based upon the radio s CI V address If the user turns the CI V transceive to OFF the AT AUTO will no longer listen or respond to any CI V frequency data generated from a CI V data transceive operation Instead the AT AUTO will query the specific radio based upon the radio CI V address at approximately 1 Hz intervals and only responds to frequency data addressed directly to the AT AUTO from the specific radio Valid Radio CI V addresses are in the range of 0x04 to 0x7F and the AT AUTO may be assigned an address in the range of 0x80 to 0xEF In order for the AT AUTO to transmit over the CI V bus the internal jumpers on the AT AUTO controller board must be configured correctly See Table 14 1 on page 86 for details 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 94 The immediate menu and sub menu options are shown in Figure 7 2 on page 50 Rotate the Tune Select knob to scroll to the desired menu option
11. Calibration 13 Operating Tips 13 1 QRO Operation 2 4 8 5 Lilla 13 2 CI V Passive Listening 13 3 CAT Passive Listening 14 Internal Jumper Settings 14 1 Reset Enable oe duree dut x 14 2 CI V Tx Bnableis ee eos memes 4 14 3 Jumper Access s a 15 Firmware Revision Summary of Changes 15 1 Version 2 00 Bug Corrections 15 2 Version 2 00 New Firmware Features 15 3 Version 2 01 Bug Corrections 15 4 Version 2 01 New Firmware Features 15 5 Version 2 02 Bug Corrections 15 6 Version 2 03 Bug Corrections 15 7 Version 2 04 New Firmware Features 15 8 Version 2 05 New Firmware Features 15 9 Version 2 06 Bug Corrections 15 10Version 2 07 Bug Corrections 15 11Version 2 07 New Firmware Features 15 12Version 2 08 New Firmware Features 15 13Version 2 09 Bug Corrections 15 14Version 2 10 Changes 15 15Version 2 11 Bug Corrections 15 16Version 2 11 New Firmware Features 16 Software License Agreement 17 Service and Warranty 17 1 Limited Warranty cina sa 17 2 Repair Policy x2 E Ede ea 17 3 Return Poliey 3 2 ida ade 1 800 773 7931 viii 78 Dik Sees Aes E eed heh E a 78 TEE EEE EEE 79 82 as able tes diat dee a id nd 82 A o y e pe ee ee i 82 ts He Sic the O A Co Ee do RA 83 84 bos idea aan de seeds oe cel Bap age se the a 84 IE ddp ue dde ux wet S 84 Aa i ee 85 www Palstar com 18 Frequently Asked Questions 18 1 Serial Port Related Questions ia seghe rea 18 1 1 Why is there a serial port on the AT AUTO
12. FLEX 5000 Kenwood CAT Only No Ext Tuner I O Icom IC 735 Icom CIV Only No Ext Tuner I O IC 706 IC 7000 etc Icom Normal CIV amp Ext Tuner I O IC 7700 7800 Icom CIV Only No Ext Tuner I O Kenwood TS 480 Kenwood Normal CAT amp Tuner I O TS 570 Kenwood Normal CAT amp Tuner I O TS 2000 Kenwood Normal CAT amp Tuner I O TenTec Omni VII TenTec Omni VII Jupiter Jupiter TenTec Omni VII Jupiter Yaesu FT 450 Yaesu FT 2000 No Ext Tuner I O FT 920 Yaesu FT 920 No Ext Tuner I O FT 950 Yaesu FT 2000 No Ext Tuner I O FT 980 Yaesu FT 2000 No Ext Tuner I O FT 990 Yaesu FT 990 No Ext Tuner I O FT 1000 etc Yaesu FT 1000 No Ext Tuner I O FT 2000 FT 9000 etc Yaesu FT 2000 No Ext Tuner I O 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 96 To configure the firmware for a particular make brand of radio from the Service menu follow these steps 1 Turn the front panel Tune Select knob until the display shows 2 Momentarily press the Tune Select knob The AT AUTO will then display the currently selected radio type The supported radio capabilities are shown in Table 7 3 Rotate the Tune Select knob until the appropriate setting for your particular radio is displayed Then momentarily press the Tune Select knob This will cause your particular selection to be stored into nonvolatile memory and the display will return to
13. Keyline Bronco A dei AA culi eu 23 Icom Transceiver with Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX to AT AUTO Connection 25 Kenwood Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 27 Omni VII Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 29 Yaesu Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 31 Automatic Mode Process o a dote a dante Soe ent a REI 36 Example Manual Mode Display 37 Manual Mode Process oia de Rec ad A 39 Example Bypass Mode Display Gs rar Betis e aaa ug 40 Bypass Mode Process x xii A A a i 42 COELO IS SU ra al Seeds at Gabe det oq te bestes 44 QRO Keyline Connections Other Connections Omitted for Clarity 45 Firmware Configuration of QRO Keyline 46 Automatic Mode with QRO Keyline Enabled 47 LCD Display Service Menu Exit Prompt 49 Setup Firmware Options and Flowchart 50 Automatic Tuning Menu arias Sera nya a de 51 Startup Mode Menu id tod ar pi Rara daa AA a 53 Setup Icom CE V Menu 523 gl Ma I ia Ea 54 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com xii 8 1 Transmit Receive Split Enable 160m 61 8 2 160m 1800 1850 kHz Transmit Window Setup 62 8 3 160m 1872 2000 kHz Transmit Window Setup 62 10 1 Interface Cable Diagrams 2 4p 2 eS aa ue gate ERES 70 10 2 Radio Computer Serial Data Y Interface Cable Diagrams 72 12 1 Meter Board Adjustme
14. Note Reset Enable jumper may be Closed if using the AT AUTO to CAT cable illus trated in Figure 10 1 on page 70 Note Reset Enable must be Open if hardware flow control line RTS is present in the CAT cable If unsure remove the jumper from Reset Enable 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 87 Chapter 15 Firmware Revision Summary of Changes The AT AUTO was first released with Firmware version 1 01 Firmware versions 1 02 through 1 10 consisted mainly of minor bug fixes and some other minor firmware enhance ments Firmware version 1 10 was the last firmware update prior to version 2 0 Version 2 0 is significantly different from versions 1 01 1 10 incorporating new operating features and refinements along with a considerable number of minor not so minor and semi critical bug fixes Palstar Inc encourages all AT AUTO owners to update their AT AUTOs with the latest firmware which as of this writing is version 2 10 15 1 Version 2 00 Bug Corrections The following is a partial summary of bugs found in previous firmware versions in no particular order of significance and corrected with AT AUTO firmware version 2 0 1 Configuration Data EEPROM write Bug forced configuration and data settings to be continuously written to EEPROM at a 1 Hz rate Data should only have been written to EEPROM if the data had changed This was a hidden bug now fixed and was not apparent to user 2 Non Initialized Fine Tunin
15. PC frequency following by the AT AUTO should still work as intended Figure 10 2 on page 72 is provided so that the user may implement the Y data cable interface and attempt to enable AT AUTO frequency following in those instances when the HF radio must be connected to the shack PC 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 72 AT AUTO DB9 Male PC e eu DB9 Female iot ep i o Radio Se 0 ee DB9 Female of mee o Figure 10 2 Radio Computer Serial Data Y Interface Cable Diagrams Note Although some users report success with the Y serial data cable Palstar makes no claim that it will work for your particular application Note Some radios do NOT provide data headers in their serial data strings which causes erratic frequency following whenever non frequency serial data is sent by the HF transceiver The Yaesu FT 990 and FT 1000 are known to cause erratic frequency following by the AT AUTO when using a Y serial data cable Users report success with the FT 2000 and Kenwood radios 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 73 Chapter 11 Remote Control 11 1 General Description The AT AUTO is remotely controllable from a computer serial port or via the Icom CI V bus and the AT AUTO command syntax has been designed to be compatible with the Icom protocols The AT AUTO has a specific CI V a
16. Palstar com 92 1 Continuous display of the selected RF output balanced coax while in Automatic mode 2 Elimination of the ability of the user to rotate the roller inductor past the 000 position thereby removing the likelihood that the roller inductor will be driven past the 000 position and strike the physical stop 15 8 Version 2 05 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 05 includes the following new feature 1 Kenwood and Yaesu serial data header decoding This improves the operation of the AT AUTO when used with a Y cable configuration when controlling the radio with a computer This only works with Yaesu radios that provide headers that identify the type of information contained in the serial data string The Yaesu FT 1000 for example does not provide this information and thus Y cable operation with the FT 1000 is still problematic 15 9 Version 2 06 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 06 includes this change correction 1 A bug was found that occasionally affected storage of match settings after fine tune had been commanded Under some very specific circumstances the revised match setting was either not updated in memory or else an incorrect setting was occasionally stored The fine tune bug affected all previous firmware versions Version 2 05 contains this bug fix but no other changes 15 10 Version 2 07 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 07 includes
17. QRO Keyline Set the radio type to either Icom Normal CI V amp Ext Tuner I O or set to Icom CIV Only No Ext Tuner I O as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 Setup the AT AUTO to CIV Transceive From Select Icom and also set the radio s CI V address to 0x5C as described in the Setup Icom CI V section on page 53 The default AT AUTO CI V address is 0xE0 which should require changing Configure the AT AUTO serial I O to 9600 baud as described in the Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface section on page 57 Most Icom radios use a default of 9600 baud and the AT AUTO is also set to 9600 baud by default from the factory Set the Icom radio to 9600 baud Consult the radio user s manual and set the Icom radio CI V address to 0x5C and CI V Transceive to On and CI V with IC 731 to Off Confirm that the AT AUTO and HL 1 5KFX are able to follow frequency changes on the Icom transceiver 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 25 Note If the HL 1 5KFX is connected to the CI V bus and the amplifier is turned Off all CI V communications will fail Therefore the HL 1 5KFX must be powered On in order for the Icom radio s frequency information to reach the AT AUTO AT AUTO Rear Panel INPUTCOAX QRO Keyline To Balanced OUTPUT COAX BALANCED 3 A Palstar Supplied ntenna OUT DC Power Cable RS 232 DATA INPUT POWER IN o GROUND To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VD
18. V bus and under software control from a PC I have an AT AUTO working perfectly with one of the PROIII radios However the AT AUTO follows all frequency commands sent from the PC to any of the other radios For example when I command the IC 7800 to QSY the AT AUTO which is actually connected to a PROIII changes to the frequency of the IC 7800 Answer What you are describing is selective CI V addressing by the AT AUTO and has been included in the AT AUTO firmware since Version 2 0 Please see the Icom CI V Configuration section on page 53 for specific instructions 18 3 4 Why doesn t Fine Tune work with my Collins S Line The AT AUTO was working just fine with my IC 7000 but there is a problem with the Fine Tune feature when I use the AT AUTO with my Collins S Line Basically when using it with the Collins station pressing the Mode Tune button when in Automatic Mode produces an error with the AT AUTO complaining about a no power abort Is this a problem with the AT AUTO Answer When using the AT AUTO with any radio that lacks CAT CI V capability the AT AUTO should be configured for Vintage Rig via the configuration menu Please reconfigure the AT AUTO for Vintage Rig and this will solve this problem 18 4 General Usage Questions 18 4 1 How should I setup the Peak Hold metering for the AT AUTO to work automatically Answer The AT AUTO control circuitry does not use any of the Peak Hold metering
19. Wait at least 2 seconds after the last movement of the Inductor or Capacitor before removing DC power or turning Off the AT AUTO Firmware version 2 01 and subsequent will automatically re home L and C if the memory write was interrupted 3 3 Bypass Mode 1 Follow steps 1 7 described above in Automatic mode 2 Select Bypass Mode by repeatedly depressing the Mode switch Note The display will show Bypass mode as well as indicate the position of the capacitor the currently selected antenna and the position of the inductor in 2nd line of the AT AUTO display 3 User may adjust Capacitor and Inductor but because RF bypasses the tuning network repositioning L or C will have NO effect on the SWR The respective C and L positions are shown on the LCD Switch between Capacitor and Inductor control by momentarily depressing the Tune Select knob Note Wait at least 2 seconds after the last movement of the Inductor or Capacitor before removing DC power or turning Off the AT AUTO Firmware version 2 01 and subsequent will automatically re home L and C if the memory write was interrupted 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 17 Chapter 4 Installation 4 1 Unpacking Carefully remove the AT AUTO from the shipping carton and inspect it for damage If any damage is apparent notify the transportation carrier or dealer immediately We recom mend keeping the packing carton for moving storing or reshipping the tuner to us for repai
20. Why does the AT AUTO retune at high power when it found a match a OW DOWEL Sia exeo cans pg rar cu hr Oe MN A brief de 103 18 4 6 The tuner sometimes retunes after autotuning using the radio s Tuner A NON PP E amp ANS et ae Sen AS NA 104 18 47 Why is tuning different depending upon whether using coax fed or balanced fed antennas uta ad e P aaa dd 104 18 5 Firmware Specific Questions ete a en dita adele eee e ode D ha 108 18 5 1 Does the latest version of the firmware only work with the AT AUTOs that have the QRO Keyline hardware 108 18 5 2 Where can I get a copy of the firmware source code 108 18 5 3 Why should I update to the newer AT AUTO firmware 109 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 19 User Notes 19 1 User Notes Continued 19 2 User Notes Continued 19 3 User Notes Continued 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com xi List of Figures 2 1 252 2 3 2 4 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 5 1 9 2 9 3 9 4 9 9 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 7 1 1 2 7 3 7 4 7 5 Fiont FPanel View a ore PERL o DE 4 Top View Cover Removed nnus dore a Gub n Sen dub b 3 48 dos 6 Rear Panel A A EM 8 Functional Block Diagram na A oot A Be 9 Vintage Transceiver Amplifier to AT AUTO Connection 19 Icom Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 20 Icom Transceiver with IC PW1 to AT AUTO Connection 22 Icom Transceiver with IC PW1 to AT AUTO Connection and QRO
21. and then select the desired option by momentarily pressing the Tune Select button To setup the Icom CI V options from the service menu rotate the Tune Select knob until the display matches Figure 7 5 Figure 7 5 Setup Icom CI V Menu 7 3 4 Configure RF Output The AT AUTO firmware is capable of controlling external Coaxial and Balanced antenna switches These antenna switches are controlled via CI V or RS 422 inputs The external an tenna switches are nearing completion and should be available starting Winter 2009 Details will be posted on the Palstar website The AT AUTO may be configured to automatically select based upon operating fre quency either tuner output coaxial or balanced and to route the RF through or to bypass the tuning network when connected to a radio with a compatible CAT CI V data port If the Palstar external Coaxial or Balanced antenna switches are attached the AT AUTO can also automatically select any 1 of 8 coaxial outputs or 1 of 4 balanced outputs During bandchanges the AT AUTO may also temporarily bypass the RF matching net work while the inductor and capacitor are being repositioned for the new operating band When this option is enabled the bypass relay will be energized RF bypasses the RF match ing network while changing from band to band and will automatically de energize when the inductor and capacitor are finished being repositioned for the new band If the user has selected a
22. display will advance to the section 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 92 Table 7 1 Supported SWR Tuning Thresholds Tune Start Tune Stop SWR gt 1 2 1 SWR lt 1 05 1 SWR gt 1 3 1 SWR lt 1 1 1 SWR gt 1 4 1 SWR lt 1 2 1 SWR gt 1 5 1 SWR lt 13 1 SWR gt 1 6 1 SWR lt 1 4 1 SWR gt 1 7 1 SWR lt 1 5 1 SWR gt 18 1 SWR lt 1 6 1 SWR gt 19 1 SWR lt 1 7 1 SWR gt 2 0 1 SWR lt 18 1 SWR gt 2 5 1 SWR lt 1 9 1 SWR 2 52 1 Now select the SWR level at which tuning is considered successful and automatic tuning should cease by rotating the Tune Select knob until the desired SWR level is displayed Then momentarily press the Tune Select knob This will save this setting in nonvolatile memory and the display will then advance to permit disabling enabling default autonomous tuning initiation The user may disable autonomous tuning initiation by selecting User Prompted When User Prompted is selected the AT AUTO will provide a warning to the user and will not start tuning without an input from the user Rotate the Tune Select knob until the desired tuning initiation option is displayed and then depress the Tune Select knob The selection will be saved and the display will return to the exit prompt as shown in Figure 7 1 7 3 2 Set Startup Mode When powered On the AT AUTO enters Automatic Mode by default The user may config ure the AT AUTO to instead enter either Manual or bypass Bypass or
23. faith attempting to provide a high quality effective QRO automatic antenna tuner We knew from the onset that while we invested considerable time and resources into the development of our firmware there would likely be improvements and enhanced features that we will want to make available to our customers Additionally if problems were later discovered and as improved algorithms are designed we wanted the customer to be able to take advantage of these improvements at no additional cost This is the reason we included the ability to upload the firmware to the AT AUTO The design of the AT AUTO permits us to continually improve the AT AUTO operation and add new firmware features We look upon the AT AUTO as an evolutionary product with sufficient firmware flexibility to permit continued product improvement Furthermore since introducing the AT AUTO our customers have requested several features that we simply did not anticipate but we are very happy that we were able to meet those requests through improvements in the firmware If building a QRO fully automatic tuner were simple others would have done so already 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com Chapter 19 User Notes 1 800 773 7931 110 www Palstar com 19 1 User Notes Continued 1 800 773 7931 111 www Palstar com 19 2 User Notes Continued 1 800 773 7931 112 www Palstar com 19 3 User Notes Continued 1 800 773 7931 113 www Palstar com
24. or alter the operation of the AT AUTO or AT AUTO x5 The user may configure the AT AUTOx to automatically prevent the amplifier from being keyed if the SWR exceeds a user selectable level or if the AT AUTO xz is tuning This may be particularly advantageous when using the AT AUTOx with HF amplifiers that feature SWR protection circuitry If the user neglected to unkey the amplifier while the AT AUTOx is tuning the amplifier s self protection circuitry would likely disable the amplifier necessitating a reset of the amplifier itself The QRO Keyline hardware enables the AT AUTO to unkey the amplifier if a pre determined SWR threshold is exceeded or prior to initiating automatic tuning and the re enable keying of the amplifier after automatic tuning is completed 6 1 Retrofitting to Older AT AUTOs The optional QRO Keyline hardware may be retrofitted to the AT AUTO at the owner s expense The retrofit involves replacement of the original processor board installation of an additional cable harness fitting two RCA phono connectors to the back panel and re calibration of the A D converters The retrofit is only available through the Palstar factory in Piqua Ohio Owners wishing to have the QRO Keyline retrofitted should contact Palstar directly for pricing and scheduling 6 2 Electrical Connection and Setup Figure 6 1 shows a simplified illustration of the QRO Keyline hardware The Keyline in terface consists of a normally open SPS
25. or maintenance in accordance with the operating specifi cation Palstar neither assumes nor authorizes any person to assume for it any obligation or liability other than herein stated 17 2 Repair Policy When sending in a product for service please double box it carefully and ship it insured for your protection Please include a note clearly describing the problem how you wish the item returned and how you wish to pay for the service Package your equipment properly Palstar Inc is not responsible for merchandise damaged in shipment Our service rate is 30 per hour 4 hour minimum 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 98 17 3 Return Policy All returns must receive prior authorization from Palstar Returned items must be received in original AS SHIPPED condition including the original box manuals accessories and copy of sales receipt Returns must be within 14 days of purchase Returned items are subject to a 25 restocking fee Shipping is not refundable 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 99 Chapter 18 Frequently Asked Questions This section covers the most frequently asked questions However we are also aware of a users group available on Yahoo that many AT AUTO users have found quite helpful While Palstar Inc is not affiliated with this group we are certainly aware of its existence and thankful for the very professional manner in which it is run The URL is http groups yahoo com group palstar_atauto 18
26. press the Tune Select knob The AT AUTO will display the currently selected data rate and type The supported data rates are shown in Table 7 5 and suggested data rates and types known to work are shown in Table 7 4 Rotate the Tune Select knob until the desired baud rate and number of stop bits is displayed Then momentarily press the Tune Select knob This will cause your particular selection to be stored into nonvolatile memory and the display will return to the exit menu as shown in Figure 7 1 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 58 Table 7 4 Suggested Serial I O Settings Radio Model Elecraft K2 K3 Flex Radio SDR 1000 Flex Radio FLEX 5000 Icom IC 735 Icom Most Models Kenwood Most Models TenTec Omni VII amp Jupiter Yaesu FT 450 Yaesu F T 920 Yaesu F T 950 Yaesu FT 980 Yaesu FT 990 Yaesu FT 1000 Yaesu FT 2000 Yaesu FT 9000 Baud 9600 9600 9600 1200 9600 9600 4800 57 600 9600 4800 4800 4800 4800 4800 4800 4800 Protocol 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 2 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 2 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 1 8 N 1 Notes Uses Kenwood Protocols Uses Kenwood Protocols Uses Kenwood Protocols Radio Hardwired to 1200 Baud See Note 1 Common Default Setting See Note 2 See Note 2 Radio Default is 4800 Baud Radio Default is 4800 Baud Radio Default is 4800 Baud Radio Default is 4800 Baud Note 1 Will work with any of the Ic
27. the AT AUTO display shows Manual Mode See Figure 5 2 During Manual mode operation the user provides control inputs via the Tune Select rotary knob pushbutton to the AT AUTO microprocessor which then actuates the stepper motors and repositions the inductor and capacitor The position of the capacitor inductor and the selected output are constantly displayed to the user such as shown in Figure 5 2 Figure 5 2 Example Manual Mode Display By observing the Forward and Reflected power on the AT AUTO cross needle display and by simple manipulation of the Tune Select knob the user is afforded the ability to readily effect manual tuning of the AT AUTO Furthermore when interfaced with a radio that also provides control of an external tuner such as an Icom AH 4 or Kenwood AT 300 the radio s external tuner control circuitry provides the AT AUTO with a means of radio hardware control and may be used to produce a low power RF carrier to facilitate tuning the AT AUTO The user may momentarily press the radio s TUNER button when initiating manual tuning The radio s TUNER button signals the AT AUTO that a steady low power carrier is requested The AT AUTO then forces the radio to generate a low level RF carrier typically 10 W FM The user then tunes the AT AUTO by repositioning the L and C and observing the variation in SWR on the cross needle meter When tuning is complete the carrier may be stopped by pressing the radio
28. the exit menu as shown in Figure 7 1 Table 7 3 Supported Radio Capabilities Type Capability Elecraft K2 K3 QSY Following Only Flex Radio SDR 1000 Flex 5000 QSY Following Only Icom Normal QSY Following amp External Tuner Control Icom CI V Only QSY Following Only Kenwood Normal QSY Following amp External Tuner Control Kenwood CAT Only QSY Following Only Ten Tec QSY Following Only Vintage Rig No QSY Following No External Tuner Control Yaesu QSY Following Only Note If you are using an older style radio without a compatible CAT CI V or external tuner interface you should configure the AT AUTO to operate with a Vintage Rig default Note Flex Radio SDR 1000 should be configured as Kenwood CAT Only 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 57 7 3 7 Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface This section only applies if using a CI V CAT equipped radio The AT AUTO serial port configuration must match the serial data rate and number of stop bits used by the radio The AT AUTO supports serial data rates from 1200 to 57 600 baud All serial data bytes are 8 bits long no parity and either one or two stop bits 8 N 1 or 8 N 2 The default settings are 9600 baud 8 N 1 Most radios use one stop bit but some Yaesu radios utilize 2 stop bits To configure the AT AUTO serial interface from the initial the Service menu follow these steps 1 Turn the front panel Tune Select knob until the display shows 2 Momentarily
29. this change correction 1 A bug was found that affected the initial recall of match settings when switching the RF outputs This problem only manifested when the AT AUTO had received frequency information via the CAT CI V interface and had subsequently recalled and set the L and C to the appropriate match settings for the selected output the coax output for example If the user then switched the AT AUTO to balanced output for example the AT AUTO would not recall and reposition L or C for the balanced output unless 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 93 either the frequency was subsequently changed or unless an RF carrier was produced and the AT AUTO subsequently detected a mismatch This bug has been corrected Now whenever the RF output is changed the AT AUTO will immediately reposition Land C for the active RF output 15 11 Version 2 07 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 07 includes the following new features 1 Yaesu FT 920 support The AT AUTO firmware now includes the ability to follow frequency changes in the FT 920 via the radio s CAT port 2 Revised tuning algorithm The AT AUTO firmware includes a minor change in the automatic tuning algorithm which improves the likelihood of finding a successful match as well as reduce the time needed to find the match 3 QRO keyline control The AT AUTO firmware now includes provision to enable disable the keying of an external HF RF power amplifier based upon user selecta
30. 1 Current Balun RF Coupler RF Input O L QO Balanced Output e o o a E se O O EI a Unbalanced Output 3 r9 Meter B 2 a gt 8 S 5 lz a E A gt S Stepper Motor 4 5 4 3 0000 5 Y Ter Controller Figure 2 4 Functional Block Diagram 2 2 Principal Of Operation 2 2 1 Automatic Mode The AT AUTO is a fully automatic QRO antenna tuner It is designed to operate completely without operator intervention but does provide status and user prompts if required Automatic mode is the default startup mode but Manual mode or Bypass mode can be made the default startup mode by appropriate configuration of the AT AUTO firmware See Firmware Configuration section page 48 While in Automatic mode the tuner continuously samples forward and reflected power When forward power exceeds a minimum threshold level of approximately 8 10W the AT AUTO calculates the corresponding SWR and initiates automatic tuning if required If the SWR is below the Tune Start SWR threshold default 1 2 1 the AT AUTO displays the detected good match along with the numerical capacitor and inductor positions and the selected RF output When if the SWR exceeds the Tune Start SWR default 1 2 1 the AT AUTO counts 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 10 the RF carrier frequency recalls match settings based upon the carrier frequency and the selected antenna an
31. 1 Serial Port Related Questions 18 1 1 Why is there a serial port on the AT AUTO Does this mean that I can remotely control it What is the control protocol Answer Remote control operation has been included since Version 2 0 and subsequent firmware versions See Remote Control section on page 73 for details 18 1 2 Will the AT AUTO work with my Collins KWM1 and oth ers without a computer interface Answer Yes The AT AUTO is a fully automatic antenna tuner It works fine with all HF radios It includes the CI V CAT and external tuner interface circuitry merely as an operating convenience but they are NOT necessary for automatic tuner operation 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 100 18 1 3 Why does the AT AUTO have an RS 232 port instead of a USB port Answer The AT AUTO interfaces with an HF radio and with your computer via a conven tional RS 232 port Most modern HF radios that have CAT capability do so via an RS 232 serial port an exception Icom uses a simple single line bidirectional open collector serial interface Using an USB port instead of an RS 232 port in the AT AUTO would have meant that our customers would need to purchase a USB RS232 converter in order to achieve the CAT interface capability that the AT AUTO already provides The CAT RS 232 interface is only used to provide low data rate frequency information and remote control commands to the AT AUTO Depending upon the radio this data stream may be l
32. 10 1 Radio Tuner Handshake The AT AUTO is capable of controlling the low power constant carrier generation capabil ity built into some Icom and Kenwood radios This Handshake mode of operation requires connection of the AT AUTO with either the Icom s tuner interface or the Kenwood s AT interface Do NOT attempt AT AUTO radio interfacing via the Data Handshake con nector with non Icom or non Kenwood radios Kenwood radios require additional external circuitry built into the Palstar supplied interface cable in order for the handshake feature to operate Figure 10 1 on page 70 illustrates the handshaking cables used for Icom and Kenwood radios 10 2 Radio Computer Serial Data Interface The AT AUTO interfaces with a computer s serial port in order upload new firmware and in order to enable PC remote control of the AT AUTO The AT AUTO also incorporates unique operating enhancements that are only available when properly interfaced to a firmware supported CI V CAT capable transceiver The AT AUTO is directly compatible with most popular transceivers via it s CI V Icom interface and RS 232 interface Kenwood Yaesu TenTec amp Elecraft rigs The AT AUTO is NOT directly compatible with CAT radios that use TTL data levels In this case the owner will need to supply an RS 232 to TTL level converter Connecting the AT AUTO s RS 232 serial output to a radio that expects TTL voltage levels will very likely damage t
33. 8 and 41 lists the control function provided by each of these three controls when operating in Automatic Manual or Bypass mode respectively 5 2 Automatic Mode When first turned on the AT AUTO momentarily displays the firmware version in the LCD Approximately two seconds later the AT AUTO will enter Automatic mode unless the default firmware configuration was changed and will begin sampling Forward power 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 33 For normal Automatic mode operation no operator intervention is intended required other than selection of the intended RF output Balanced or Coaxial Merely apply RF power and observe follow the prompts shown in the Liquid Crystal Display LCD The automatic tuning process is shown in flow chart style in Figure 5 1 on page 36 The AT AUTO remembers and automatically selects the RF output that had been in use when the AT AUTO was last switched off While in Automatic Mode the AT AUTO continuously monitors Forward power Whenever approximately 10 W of Forward power has been detected the AT AUTO calculates the corresponding SWR and responds appropriately If the SWR is determined to be less than the Tune Start SWR threshold default 1 2 1 or better the AT AUTO displays Good Match on the LCD display as well as the relative C and L positions and the selected RF output Should the SWR exceed the Tune Start SWR threshold default 1 2 1 the AT AUTO will attempt to improve t
34. AT AUTO amp AT AUTO x Operating Manual Firmware Version 2 11 HF STEPPER ANTENNA TUNER Multi Part Owners Manual Consisting of Quickstart Guide Principals of Operation Firmware Update Guide Frequently Asked Questions Palstar Inc 9676 N Looney Road P O Box 1136 Piqua Ohio 45356 25 September 2009 Copyright PALSTAR Inc Piqua Ohio 2007 111 Chapter 1 Important Safeguards WARNING To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this device to rain or moisture Do not open the cabinet while operating Refer serving to qualified personnel only 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12 13 14 Read Instructions All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the tuner is operated Retain Instructions The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference Heed Warnings All warnings on the tuner and in the instruction manual should be adhered to Follow Instructions All operating and use instructions should be followed Water and Moisture Do not use this product near water Accessories Do not place this product on an unstable cart stand tripod bracket or table The product may fall causing serious personal injury and serious damage to the tuner Ventilation Any slots or openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation To ensure reliable operation and to protect it from overheating these openings must not be blocked or covered
35. AUTO Pin 4 No Connection Pin 5 Signal Ground Pin 6 No Connection Pin 7 AT AUTO Processor Reset Pin 8 No Connection Pin 9 No Connection Note Some Palstar supplied Icom interface cables include a wire which is connected be tween Pin 3 of the Transceiver Data Input and Pin 3 of Icom Tuner plug However within the AT AUTO there is no internal connection to Pin 3 of the Transceiver Data Input Note Voltages are RS 232 compliant and are NOT TTL compatible If the intended radio uses TTL signal levels a Level Converter is required Consult your owner s manual prior to connecting to this port 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 70 Icom Tuner Plug Transceiver AT AUTO DC Power Input Auxiliary Data Input 1 ME p CI V Jacks e AN Os 1 03 N C ag 4 o e EE Icom to AT AUTO Ground a AO alle L Icom CI V AT AUTO Remote Jack Kenwood Transceiver AT Plu Data Input bes oe i gt o ee J9 le f DB9 Male poe lt m e Kenwood to AT AUTO Radio CAT Port Circuitry built into one i UD Kenwood handshake
36. Generate a 10 100 W CW FM carrier on the intended operating frequency Note The AT AUTO will measure the SWR and if necessary preset the inductor and capacitor to positions appropriate for the band of operation and then will begin tuning The presetting operation may take up to 30 seconds when switching from very low to very high or from very high to very low frequency bands such as QSYing from 160m to 10m Follow the prompts on the AT AUTO display Note When the tuner displays PLS TX 10 W CW you should continuously transmit the FM CW carrier until tuning is completed Once tuning is complete stop transmitting the carrier The position of the inductor and capacitor are automatically stored for future retrieval when returning to the same operating frequency 3 2 Manual Mode 1 2 Follow steps 1 7 described above in Automatic mode Select Manual Mode by momentarily depressing the Mode switch Note The display will show Manual mode as well as indicate the position of the capacitor the currently selected antenna and the position of the inductor in 2nd line of the AT AUTO display 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 16 3 Generate a 10 100 W CW FM carrier 4 Adjust Capacitor and Inductor while observing the SWR on the meter by turning Tune Select knob The respective C and L positions are shown on the LCD Switch between Capacitor and Inductor control by momentarily depressing the Tune Select knob Note
37. I O Control Only Note 1 Able to repeatedly toggle Icom transmitter On Off Kenwood Radios do not support transmiter turn On from remote tuner Figure 5 3 Manual Mode Process 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 40 5 4 Bypass Mode Bypass mode in selected by momentarily pressing the Mode pushbutton until the AT AUTO display shows Bypass Mode See Figure 5 4 The AT AUTO Bypass mode enables the user to completely bypass RF power around the AT AUTO RF matching network while permitting the user to manipulate L and C Bypass mode operation is nearly identical to Manual mode operation except that the AT AUTO does not utilize external tuner control provided by some Icom and Kenwood radios During Bypass mode operation the user provides control inputs to the AT AUTO micro processor via the Tune Select rotary knob pushbutton which then actuates the stepper motors and repositions the inductor and capacitor The position of the capacitor inductor and the selected output are constantly displayed to the user such as shown in Figure 5 4 Figure 5 4 Example Bypass Mode Display While in Bypass mode repositioning L or C will have NO effect on observed SWR Table 5 3 page 41 lists the control function provided by each of these three controls when operating in Bypass mode and Figure 5 5 illustrates the AT AUTO Bypass mode function Note Bypass mode and bypass capability are only possible if the RF bypass hardware is install
38. Peak Peak Hold power and frequency compensated coupler 2X16 LCD alpha numeric display Variable 340pF 14pF 340pF 5K V Differential 26 uH 12 ga wire wound on steatite ceramic core silver plated shaft amp hardware 2 Position 300 3000 W manually switched S0239 Teflon connector S0239 Teflon connector Dual high voltage Nylon66 terminal posts 3 Pin Amphenol connector Standard 3 mm mono jacks 5 Pin Amphenol connector DB 9 Female 5mm X 20mm 4A 125VAC fast blo 2 RCA Phono Jacks AT AUTO xy only 1 8 54 MHz 1800 W PEP SSB 1500 W single tone continuous 15 1500 0 160 6m 41 current balun amp 1 30 seconds Microprocessor controlled stepper motor driven differential T impedance matching network 12 5 Wide 6 25 High 17 Deep including terminals 17 Lbs Chassis and top cover are 090 ga aluminum gold iridite Front panel powder coated and epoxy screened www Palstar com Chapter 2 Introduction 2 1 General Description Palstar is pleased to bring you the AT AUTO An American made fully automatic impedance matching network designed to tune antenna systems from 1 8 MHz to 54 MHz Featuring a robust precision roller inductor with silver plated hardware and a high voltage differen tial variable capacitor in a classic T Match circuit configuration the AT AUTO provides a very broad impedance matching range and includes both unbalanced coaxial and bal anced RF outputs The AT AUTO xy includ
39. S Palstar Supplied OUT o o o DC Power Cable To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply RS 232 Serial Cable RX ANTI ANT2 Yaesu Transceiver Figure 4 8 Yaesu Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 32 Chapter 5 Detailed Operation Note Always consult your transceiver manufacturer s instruction manual prior to attempt ing to interface operate your radio with the AT AUTO Kenwood Owners The following information is taken from the Kenwood TS 570S instruction manual 1 Page 48 Note Connect an external antenna tuner to the ANT 1 connector only After connecting this tuner correctly and selecting ANT 1 the internal tuner will always be bypassed 2 Page 61 Note While using an external antenna tuner with the TS 5705 you cannot use the 6m band to transmit Connect your 6 m band antenna to the ANT 2 connector 5 1 General Description The AT AUTO has three primary controls the Mode and Output pushbuttons and the Tune Select rotary encoder pushbutton respectively Depending upon the mode of operation the action currently taking place user selected firmware options and the type of radio attached interfaced with the AT AUTO these buttons provide various AT AUTO control features Generally each button will provide a different function depending upon the length of time that the particular button is depressed Tables 5 1 5 2 and 5 3 on pages 35 3
40. SWR and detected by the AT AUTO This is most often manifested when the AT AUTO is coupled to an radio that is configured to utilize the radios external tuner interface and rely upon the radio to produce a steady 10W carrier From experience it turns out that this power level may vary from radio to radio with some radios producing a stronger carrier fine 15 W while others less 6 7W problematic 18 4 6 The tuner sometimes retunes after autotuning using the radios Tuner button Why My AT AUTO seems to work fine if I tune in high power and then operate However if I tune using the Tuner button on the Icom radio the AT AUTO quite often wants to re tune once I switch to high power operation It does this about 30 of the time when using the coax fed loop but rarely does this when using a similar loop which is fed directly with ladder line Why does it do that Is there something wrong with my AT AUTO Answer Tuning at low power has a couple of advantages It reduces QRM and it places less stress on the transmitter while a match is being sought It is also convenient when using an Icom or Kenwood radio you merely press the rigs Tuner button and it all happens automatically However if there are losses in the antenna system greater than the resolution of the Forward Reflected power sampling then tuning might need to be re accomplished when subsequently operating at higher power output levels 18 4 7 Why is tuning different
41. T AUTO Serial Interface section on page 57 Most Icom radios use a default of 9600 baud and the AT AUTO is also set to 9600 baud by factory default 8 Set the Icom radio to 9600 baud 9 Set the Icom radio to CI V Transceive On 10 Confirm that the AT AUTO and IC PWI1 are able to follow frequency changes on the Icom transceiver AT AUTO Rear Panel INPUTCOAX QRO Keyline O TRANSCEIVER To Balanced OUTPUT COAX DATA INPUT BALANCED Antenna AUX CIV PORTS Palstar Supplied 9 O DC Power Cable POWER IN GROUND To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply Palstar Supplied Icom Cable Icom Supplied Remote Cable Icom Transceiver Ant2 Antl C2 Remote Icom Supplied Cable Figure 4 3 Icom Transceiver with IC PW1 to AT AUTO Connection 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 23 AT AUTO Rear Panel On INPUTCOAX QRO Keyli e e 7 E TRANSCEWER OUTPUT COAX DATAANPUT BALANCED Sur 2 AUX CIV PORTS qu To Balanced Antenna Palstar Supplied DC Power Cable FUSE POWER IN SIME NN GROUND To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply Palstar Supplied Icom Cable Icom Supplied Remote Cable ACC Remote Icom Transceiver Ant2 Antl O O C2 Remote Icom Supplied Cable Modified Break Pin3 amp Route Through GRO Keyline Figure 4 4 Icom Transceiver with IC PW1 to AT AUTO Con
42. T relay which is controlled by the AT AUTO gps 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 44 Keyline In Out Keyline In Out microprocessor E O C e Microprocessor 109 Figure 6 1 QRO Keyline 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 45 The QRO Keyline relay contacts connect directly to two phono jacks located on the rear panel of the AT AUTO xy labeled QRO Keyline The transmitter s amplifier control keying line is connected to either one of the AT AUTOxz QRO Keyline jacks The HF amplifier s transmit control line is then connected to the remaining AT AUTO x 7 QRO Keyline jack as shown in Figure 6 2 The QRO Keyline relay is always Open whenever the AT AUTO xy is Off and as determined by QRO Keyline firmware configuration selected by the user AT AUTO Rear Panel QRO Keyline TRANSCEIVER DATA INPUT O OUTPUT COAX BALANCED DUE O AUX CIV PORTS O RS eU T FUSE POWER IN o GROUND O O RF Input RF Output ch Ground to TX Amp Control O Vintage Generic Transceiver Generic HF Amplifier Figure 6 2 QRO Keyline Connections Other Connections Omitted for Clarity 6 3 Firmware Configuration The QRO Keyline is disabled by default Configuration changes made to the QRO Keyline have absolutely No affect on overall tuner operation If the optional QRO Keyline hardware is not installed leave QRO Keyline disabled in the firmware Access to the QRO Keyline configuration is ma
43. TO is capable of following frequency information provided by the radio s CAT CI V port Under normal circumstances the AT AUTO will follow ALL frequency changes and reposition L and C accordingly However when utilizing separate and distinct transmit and receive frequency windows it is impractical and undesired for the AT AUTO to reposi tion L or C whenever the radio switches from transmit to receive The AT AUTO can be user configured to ignore any frequency changes in the receive frequency window yet to automatically call up match settings whenever the radio s transmit frequency changes See page 61 for detailed description and configuration 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 61 Chapter 8 Split Frequency Operation The AT AUTO normally responds to all frequency information provided by the radio s CAT CI V serial interface Split frequency setup permits the AT AUTO to respond selec tively only to serial data pertaining to frequency changes made within a specific frequency range while ignoring frequency changes made outside of the intended transmit frequency window Split operation is popular when working DX on 40m for example European sta tions may be transmitting voice at the bottom of the 40m band but listening to North American stations transmitting on the middle to upper end of the 40m band Once the AT AUTO has found a good match on the transmit frequency it would be inconvenient for the AT AUTO to then automatica
44. Yaesu radios this is generally an RS 232 interface but some Yaesu radios have serial I O ports that are TTL and require a level converter to work with the AT AUTO This RS 232 interface is often labeled CAT on Yaesu radios Check your radio owner s manual to determine the specifics of the radio s serial port Please note that if the Yaesu radio includes multiple antenna connections that any external tuner should be connected to the connector labeled either Ant 1 or Ant A Consult owner s manual for your specific radio A typical setup involving a Yaesu radio outfitted with an RS 232 serial port is shown in Figure 4 8 The following are suggested steps to setup the AT AUTO to interface with a Yaesu transceiver 1 Set the radio type to either Yaesu FT 2000 No Ext Tuner I O Yaesu FT 990 No Ext Tuner I O or to Yaesu FT 1000 No Ext Tuner I O as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 2 Configure the AT AUTO serial I O as described in the Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface section on page 57 The AT AUTO and the Yaesu radio must both be set to the same baud rate Some Yaesu radios use 2 Stop bits while others use 1 Stop bit 3 Confirm that the AT AUTO is able to follow frequency changes on the Yaesu transceiver 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 31 AT AUTO Rear Panel O INPUT COAX QRO Keyline O TRANSCEIVER To Balanced BALANCED OUTPUT COAX DATA INPUT f Antenna AUX CIV PORT
45. ade and new features are added the user may update the AT AUTO firmware directly from the Palstar website See page 63 for more detail 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com HF STEPPER ANTENNA TUNER 109 8 J 6 5 4 Figure 2 1 Front Panel View 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com Reference NOD oR amp 8 9 10 Table 2 1 Front Panel Controls as shown in Figure 2 1 Control Name or Function Master Power Switch Controls power to AT AUTO processor peak hold meter circuitry and the meter lamp Power SWR Meter Dual needle meter displays forward and reflected power in Watts The SWR is displayed on a line beneath the intersection of forward and reflected power needles Main Display provides AT AUTO status and user prompts Output toggles between Coax or Balanced outputs Tune Select Tuning network settings and configuration options Mode user selection of operating mode and setup menu access Lamp controls power to the Peak and Peak Hold meter circuitry and illumination of the Power SWR meter Range selection of 3000 Watt in or 300 W out meter scale Peak displays peak forward power in or average forward power out Peak Hold holds and displays the highest peak forward power in Note Operating mode determines the actual control function See the respective operating mode descriptions for actual control function and usage 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com vo _ E OC ue X
46. alstar com 95 15 16 Version 2 11 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 11 includes the following new features 1 Split frequency operation The AT AUTO is capable of following frequency information via the radio s CAT CI V port and automatically positioning the L and C However during split frequency operation it is impractical if the AT AUTO re positions L and C whenever switching from the transmit to receive frequency The firmware is now configurable to enable the AT AUTO to ignore serial frequency data for the receive frequency window while responding to frequency changes in the transmit window 2 Remote control Fine Tune command Fine Tune command re initiates tuning but uses the present L and C settings Commanding Fine Tune while in Automatic mode will cause the established L and C match settings to be stored in non volatile memory This feature may also be utilized to store user derived match settings 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 96 Chapter 16 Software License Agreement IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY Notice to user To download or read the entire Software End User License Agreement visit http www palstar com at auto php The End User License Agreement Software License Agreement is a legal agreement between you the User and Palstar By powering on the AT AUTO and or installing future updates to the AT AUTO firmware via the Palstar website www palstar com you agree t
47. arding CI V sometimes referred to as Remote operation Then read through the AT AUTO manual The following are suggested steps to setup the AT AUTO IC PWI and Icom transceiver 1 Insert the Amphenol plug into the socket to the rear of the AT AUTO labeled TRANSCEIVER DATA INPUT and twist the attachment ring until finger tight 2 Insert the male 3 5 mm plug into the jack on the back of the Icom radio labeled Remote 3 Insert the 4 pin white Molex plug into the corresponding receptacle located on the back of the Icom radio Some radios may not include the 4 pin receptacle IC 7800 for example 4 If using the optional QRO Keyline the Icom supplied cable must be modified The transmit control line ACC1 Pin3 must be routed through the QRO Keyline connectors on the back of the AT AUTO See QRO Keyline section on page 43 to configure the QRO Keyline 5 Set the radio type to either Icom Normal CI V amp Ext Tuner I O or set to Icom CIV Only No Ext Tuner I O as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 6 Setup the AT AUTO to CIV Transceive From Select Icom and set the radio s CI V address as described in the Setup Icom CI V section on page 53 The IC PW1 default CI V address is 0x55 and the AT AUTO s default CI V address is OxEO neither of which should require changing 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 22 7 Configure the AT AUTO serial I O to 9600 baud as described in the Configure A
48. are Memo2 13 Click on the Log tab to switch from Options view to see the current status of the download 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 65 ric Palstar firmware uploader TE Check newwersion Update Firmware device on com2 y Download of new version complete You can now update the firmware COTA Log Options Terminal Code sent by PC for activation ci h Reset List of codes eg 128 80h to send first V Reset PIC using RTS line and RTS remains active L SearchDelay 5 Timeout ms 300 Search for COMs TT Switch to Terminal after Write 14 Click on the Update Firmware button to upload the newly downloaded firmware to your AT AUTO 15 Select the Log tab to display the status of the firmware update process 16 After the update is complete Success will be displayed Check new version Update Firmware device on COM2 C i o Success 9500 y SSS Log Options Terminal Code sent by PC for activation ci h Reset List of codes eg 128 80h to send first v Reset PIC using ATS line and ATS remains active SearchDelay 5 zi Timeout ms 300 Search for COMs Switch to Terminal after Write 17 The AT AUTO should then automatically reset itself re home L and C and then momentarily display the firmware version that is now installed 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 66 18 Your firmware is
49. ass during Band Change AT AUTO may be configured to automatically bypass the tuner while the AT AUTO is changing bands When enabled if QSYing from one band to another 40m to 160m for example the AT AUTO will route the antenna directly to the radio RF does not pass through the tuning network until the Land C have been repositioned to the band of operation 160m in this example This feature requires a supported CAT CI V equipped radio 7 Enhanced Icom CI V transceive operation The normal default AT AUTO CI V data transceive scheme is to constantly follow all frequency data sent via the CI V bus from any CI V equipped Icom radio The user may however configure the AT AUTO to follow only CI V transceive frequency data from a specific radio based upon the radio s CI V address Furthermore the AT AUTO can be configured to completely ignore CI V transceive data and to poll a specific Icom radio 8 Remote Control Operation The AT AUTO may be remotely controlled via the Icom CI V bus The AT AUTO CI V address is user selectable and remote control operation permits the user to a Set specific L and C positions b Position L amp C by sending frequency data to the AT AUTO c Select tuner output Coax Balanced d Select operating mode Automatic Manual Bypass e Read L amp C positions as well as forward and reflected power f Home L amp C 9 Autonomous Non Autonomous Tuning Initiation T
50. atic tuning the AT AUTO always presets the L and C for positions appropriate to the frequency band of operation Note When recalling the end users previously stored match settings it is very likely indeed expected that the subsequent SWR will be very low and subsequent tuning will rarely be required Smart Mode The AT AUTO is designed to operate in a Smart mode with those transceivers so equipped with a CI V or CAT serial I O interface When operating in Smart mode the AT AUTO continuously determines the transceiver operating frequency via the serial I O interface and then recalls L and C match settings from memory and rapidly presets L and C as appropriate As the transceiver changes from frequency to frequency or from band to band the AT AUTO automatically follows along and presets L and C without the need for the an RF carrier or other operator intervention This is presently implemented for Icom radios with CI V interface and for Elecraft K 2 K 3 Flex Radio SDR 1000 FLEX 5000 Kenwood TS 570 TS 2000 etc TenTec Omni VII Jupiter and Yaesu FT 920 FT 990 FT 1000 FT 2000 FT 9000 radios with CAT interfaces Handshake Mode For those radios that provide for control of external tuners the AT AUTO is designed to utilize the transceiver s tuner interface This is normally via a button on the transceiver la beled TUNER During Automatic mode operation whenever the radio s TUNER but ton is depres
51. ation d A driven rod may be used as the grounding electrode where other types of electrode systems do not exist Refer to the National Electric Code ANSI NFPA 70 1990 for information e Use jumper wire not smaller than No 6 AWG copper or equivalent when a separate antenna grounding electrode is used 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com WARNING RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT REMOVE COVER OR BACK NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL Copyright PALSTAR Inc Piqua Ohio 2007 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com Contents Important Safeguards Introduction 2 1 General Description 2 2 Principal Of Operation 2 2 1 Automatic Mode 2 2 2 Manual Mode ite exa 2 2 3 Bypass Mode v s ux 3 Quickstart Guide 3 1 Automatic Mode 3 2 Manual Mode 3 3 Bypass Mode autres 4 Installation 4 1 A ea L O eme im frei 4 3 Electrical Connection and Setup 4 3 1 DC Power 4 3 2 Vintage Rig Setup 4 3 3 Icom Rig Setup 4 3 4 Icom Rig With HF Amplifier Setup 4 3 5 Kenwood Rig Setup 4 3 6 TenTec Omni VII Jupiter Setup 4 3 7 Yaesu Rig Setup 5 Detailed Operation 5 1 General Description 5 2 Automatic Mode 5 2 1 Automatic Frequency Following 5 2 2 Radio External Tuner Control 1 800 773 7931 vi www Palstar com 5 3 Manual Mode tics Lata a Bis 54 Bypass Mode lia A Ae 6 AT AUTO QRO Keyline 6 1 Re
52. because the Icom interfaces are well documented and standardized across the entire Icom transceiver product line However we now also support an increasing variety of radios including Elecraft Flex newer Kenwood several TenTec and many Yaesu radios etc 18 3 2 Will the AT AUTO automatically follow frequency changes in the IC 735 Q I want to use my Icom IC 735 with the AT AUTO I know that the IC 735 uses a 4 byte CI V frequency protocol whereas newer Icom radios use a 5 byte CI V frequency protocol Will the AT AUTO automatically follow frequency changes in the IC 735 Do I need change the firmware setup Answer You are correct the earlier Icom radios used 4 byte frequency data but newer Icom radios pass 5 bytes of frequency data over the CI V bus The AT AUTO works just 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 102 fine with both the 4 and 5 byte frequency protocols However the IC 735 is hardware configured to operate at 1200 baud whereas most newer Icom radios support a broad range of data rates To make the AT AUTO automatically follow IC 735 QSY operations the AT AUTO must be configured for 1200 baud and should be setup for Icom CI V Only operation See the Configuration section on page 53 for details 18 3 3 How can I make the AT AUTO follow a specific Icom radio in a multi radio setup I have a contest station consisting of multiple Icom IC 756PROIII and IC 7800 radios These radios are networked via the Icom CI
53. ble SWR levels The AT AUTO xz includes additional hardware necessary to implement QRO keyline control Additionally the external amplifier can be prevented from being keyed while the AT AUTO xy is tuning Automatic or Manual mode Retrofitting this capa bility to existing AT AUTOs is possible but requires hardware replacement modification by Palstar Contact Palstar for pricing and availability 15 12 Version 2 08 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 08 includes the following new features 1 TenTec Omni VII and Jupiter CAT support The AT AUTO firmware now includes the ability to follow frequency changes in the Onmi VII and Jupiter radios via the radio s CAT port 2 Control of external Coaxial and Balanced antenna switches The AT AUTO will permit selection of any one of eight Coaxial outputs as well any one of four Balanced antenna outputs The external Coaxial switch and external Balanced switch are recent AT AUTO accessories Contact Palstar for pricing and availability 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 94 15 13 Version 2 09 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 09 includes these changes corrections 1 QRO keyline was sometimes unpredictable when in automatic mode if the firmware was configured with QRO Enable Yes and QRO While Tuning No Version 2 09 corrected this 2 When configured to automatically bypass a specific band if several band changes were made in rapid succession automatic band b
54. cable AT AUTO AT AUTO to CAT Cable AT AUTO for Elecraft K2 K3 ucl AT AUTO e e 6 del O se e e e6 O DB9 Male DB9 Male DB9 Male DB9 Female DB9 Female 2 si do DB9 Male 31 Gi e ee e net ee A o 60 e e o O 2 e Jo Radio CAT Port Radio CAT Port PC Serial Port AT AUTO to CAT Cable AT AUTO to CAT Cable Firmware Upload Cable for Kenwood amp Yaesu for TenTec Omni VII etc Figure 10 1 Interface Cable Diagrams 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 71 10 3 Radio Computer Serial Data Y Interface The RS 232 protocol used by many CAT transceivers is only designed to connect two serial data devices together One master device the AT AUTO and one slave device the HF transceiver Each device has a dedicated data transmit line which is connected to the other devices data receive line Each serial data line can only have one data transmitting device The AT AUTO and HF transceivers work well together via the RS 232 serial interface However logging and control software have become very popular and in many shacks the HF transceiver simply must be connected to the PC via the RS 232 serial interface The Y serial data cable should enable the AT AUTO to listen only to the serial data sent from an HF transceiver to the PC So long as the PC sends the appropriate frequency query command to the HF transceiver and the AT AUTO is able to receive and decode the frequency data information sent by the HF receiver back to the
55. controlling RF carrier generation whenever fine tune is commanded 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 39 Table 5 1 Automatic Mode Control Functions Mode Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Tune Select Knob Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Turn CW or CCW Output Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Duration Definition Short Medium Long 1 800 773 7931 If Tuning In Progress Aborts automatic tuning attempt If Tuner Idle Selects Manual mode No effect Selects AT AUTO Configuration Menu If Tuner Idle Commands Fine Tune If Prompted Give user consent to attempt automatic tuning No effect No effect No Effect If band was auto bypassed Routes RF through AT AUTO If not auto bypassed Toggles output to COAX Balanced No effect No effect lt 1 second 2 3 Seconds gt 10 seconds www Palstar com 36 Icom Only Example Y Example gt ee M Ar AUTO Display _ Radios with External Tuner I O Control Only C CI V and Supported CAT Radios Only Figure 5 1 Automatic Mode Process 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 37 5 3 Manual Mode The AT AUTO is world class manual tuner Manual mode in selected by momentarily pressing the Mode pushbutton until
56. d has been spilled or objects have fallen into the tuner If the tuner has been exposed to rain or water If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions An improper adjustment may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the tuner to its normal operation e If the tuner has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged f When the tuner exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for service 15 Antenna Grounding Before attempting to install this tuner be sure the antenna and feedline are properly grounded so as to provide protection against voltage surges and built up static charges EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE GROUND CLAMP Tee ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT NEC SECTION 810 20 ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT GROUNDING CONDUCTORS NEC SECTION 810 21 GROUND CLAMPS POWER SERVICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM NEC ART 250 PART H NEC NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE a Use No 10 AWG copper No 8 AWG aluminum No 17 AWG copper clad steel or bronze wire or larger as ground wire b Secure antenna lead in and ground wires to house with stand off insulators spaced from 4 feet to 6 feet apart c Mount lightning arrestors and antenna discharge units as close as possible to where the lead in enters the st
57. d then repositions pre positions the inductor and capacitor to those recalled settings There are over 500 such memories in the AT AUTO for storing antenna L and C positions These memories have been pre populated with nominal settings at the Palstar facility Half of these memories are for the balanced output port and the other half of the memory is for the coaxial output port The AT AUTO uses a roller inductor for tuning and the initial positioning process may take up to 30 seconds for example when repositioning from a setting appropriate for the low end of the 160m band to something appropriate for the 10m band During this L and C positioning process the RF carrier is not required and in order to minimize potential QRM the AT AUTO indicates that the carrier is not required by displaying Prepositioning L amp C Please QRT Once the capacitor and inductor are repositioned within the operating band the SWR is sampled again In order to do this the AT AUTO requires a steady RF carrier to tune against and therefore prompts the user by displaying PLS TX 10 W CW The AT AUTO will wait in this state indefinitely until it senses a carrier If the SWR is still above the Tune Start SWR threshold then tuning will begin by adjusting the capacitor and inductor for minimum SWR The tuning process continues until it either times out or an SWR at or below the Tune Stop SWR default 1 05 1 is obtained If the resulting match is at or belo
58. ddress default 0xE0 hexadecimal The AT AUTO will ignore any commands not addressed specifically to it Additionally all commands should originate from a specific CI V address that is different from the AT AUTO CI V address Any of the AT AUTO s commands may be sent to the AT AUTO regardless of its current operating mode Automatic Manual or Bypass In order to enable remote control operation the AT AUTO must be configured to operate with either an Icom Normal CI V amp Tuner I O or Icom CI V Only If the radio that the AT AUTO is connected to is NOT an Icom model select Icom CI V Only Additionally ensure that the AT AUTO s internal hardware jumpers are configured appropriately See Table 14 1 on page 86 All commands are preceded by two identical header bytes 0xFE and then followed by one trailer end of command byte which is always 0xFD All commands are therefore of this format commas added for clarity only OxFE 0xFE To Address From Address Command Command Sub Byte s 0xFD The AT AUTO command set is shown in Table 11 1 on page 75 Note When controlling the AT AUTO the CI V From Address MUST NOT be iden tical to the radio s CI V The AT AUTO WILL ignore any commands sent to it from the radio anytime the From Address matches the radio s CI V address 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 74 11 1 1 Example Command Strings The controlling PC may be assigned any CI V address For these
59. de through the Service Menu To enter the Service Menu follow the procedure described on page 48 and select the Configure QRO option A secondary menu tree will open See Figure 6 3 The user may configure the AT AUTO QRO Keyline to 1 Always Enable Disable QRO 2 Enable QRO Only if SWR lt User Threshold Automatic and Manual modes only 3 Enable Disable QRO when tuning Automatic and Manual modes only 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 46 No Yes When SWR lt 1 5 1 1 6 1 1 7 1 1 8 1 1 9 1 2 0 1 Yes No No Yes When SWR lt 1 5 1 1 6 1 1 7 1 1 8 1 1 9 1 2 0 1 Yes No Figure 6 3 Firmware Configuration of QRO Keyline 6 4 Operation The QRO Keyline control automatically enables or disables keying of an HF amplifier based upon user selectable criteria Whenever the QRO Keyline is enabled an asterisk will be displayed in the upper right corner of the LCD as shown in Figure 6 4 The asterisk provides confirmation to the user that the QRO Keyline is enabled asterisk displayed or disabled no asterisk displayed Whenever QRO Enable is set to No the QRO Keyline is continuously disabled Whenever QRO Enable is set to Yes the QRO Keyline is enabled regardless of SWR Whenever an SWR threshold is selected such as SWR lt 1 5 1 the AT AUTO will disable the QRO Keyline whenever the SWR exceeds 1 5 1 and the QRO Keyline will not be re enabled until after the carrier has dro
60. depending upon whether using coax fed or balanced fed antennas OK But Why And why does it seem to be different depending upon whether it is a coax fed or balanced fed antenna Answer Several factors contribute to this behavior including the power losses within the feed line and feed line connectors the linearity of the RF sampling network and the bit resolution of the analog to digital converters used to quantify the Forward and Reflected power samples 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 105 The AT AUTO firmware includes an SWR hysteresis feature That is it measures the Forward and Reflected power and if the SWR is less than 1 2 1 default then it does not automatically tune However if the SWR is determined to be greater than 1 2 1 then automatic tuning is initiated During the automatic tuning process the AT AUTO attempts to improve the SWR to 1 05 1 As soon as an SWR of 1 05 1 or better is achieved the tuning is halted and the match settings are stored If 1 05 1 or better is NOT achieved the tuning process continues until it times out At that time if the SWR is still greater than 1 05 1 but less than 1 20 1 the automatic tuning process is deemed successful and the match settings are stored The AT AUTO provides the user with an visual indication of which criterion was met by displaying either SWR lt 1 05 1 default or SWR lt 1 2 1 default or Match Not Found The SWR is calculated using the fo
61. e 2 4 on page 9 AT AUTO hardware 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com specifications are shown in Table 1 1 on page 1 The primary tuner controls are the Mode Output and Tune Select momentary pushbuttons The Tune Select is also a rotary encoder used for selection of menu items and control of the inductor and capacitor while in Manual or Bypass mode When switched On the AT AUTO switches to the antenna that had been selected when it was last switched Off and then default starts up in the Automatic mode Here the AT AUTO constantly monitors SWR and will commence tuning when appropriate Manual mode is selected by momentarily depressing the Mode pushbutton A subse quent activation of the Mode pushbutton selects Bypass mode whereby the RF bypasses the tuning network and is passed directly to either the coaxial or the balanced output While in Bypass mode momentarily pressing the Mode switch again returns the AT AUTO to Automatic mode In any operating mode momentarily depressing the Output button enables selection of either the coaxial or the balanced outputs To change RF output momentarily depress the Qutput button and then at the prompt rotate the Tune Select knob until the desired output is displayed and then momentarily depress the Tune Select knob to select the displayed output COAX or BAL The AT AUTO firmware is subject to periodic updates As improvements are m
62. e AT AUTO to step past good match points Occasionally the AT AUTO would then be unable to find a successful match although subsequent matching attempts manual or automatic would find suitable matches Addressed in revised tuning algorithms 15 2 Version 2 00 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 00 includes the following new features 1 Kenwood CAT support Provides QSY following of Kenwood CAT enabled radios by polling frequency information via the Kenwood CAT serial data port Tested with TS 570D 2 Yaesu CAT support Provides QSY following of the FT 2000 as described above for Kenwood Tested with FT 990 and FT 2000 3 Kenwood Tuner Interface Enables automatic tuning initiation via the TUNER button and AT interface present on some Kenwood HF radios Tested with TS 570D 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 89 4 User Selectable Startup Mode of Operation User may select via firmware config uration menu the startup mode that the AT AUTO enters upon initial power up User may opt to have the AT AUTO always startup in either the Automatic Manual Bypass or the mode last in use when the AT AUTO was turned off 5 Automatic Antenna amp Bypass Selection User may specify which output to automati cally select Coax Balanced based upon band of operation as well as whether the RF is to pass through or bypass the tuning network This feature requires a supported CAT CI V equipped radio 6 Byp
63. ections We recom mend that the AT AUTO be connected to ANT 1 A typical setup involving a Omni VII is shown in Figure 4 7 Jupiter setup will be very similar The following are suggested steps to setup the AT AUTO to interface with a TenTec Omni VII or Jupiter transceiver 1 Set the radio type to TenTec Omni VII Jupiter as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 2 Configure the AT AUTO serial I O port to 57600 baud 8 data bits no parity 1 stop bit 57600 8 N 1 as described in the Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface section on page 57 The TenTec radios are setup for 57600 baud serial data and the AT AUTO must be set to match the radio s data rate and number of stop bits 3 Confirm that the AT AUTO is able to follow frequency changes on the TenTec transceiver 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 29 AT AUTO Rear Panel To Amplifier PTT INPUTCOAX QRO Keyline To Balanced OUTPUT COAX BALANCED Antenna dui Palstar Supplied DC Power Cable To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Coax Supply RS 232 Serial Cable TX EN TX OUT O SPARE SPARE DC OUT SERIAL Omni VII Transceiver Figure 4 7 Omni VII Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 30 4 3 7 Yaesu Rig Setup Most Yaesu radios even older models include a serial interface that the AT AUTO may utilize to obtain frequency information from the radio On most newer generation
64. ed in the AT AUTO 1st generation AT AUTOs lacked bypass capability All current production AT AUTOs support Bypass mode 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 41 Table 5 3 Bypass Mode Control Functions Mode Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Tune Select Knob Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Clockwise counter clockwise Rotation Output Pushbutton Short Duration Press Medium Duration Press Long Duration Press Duration Definition Short Medium Long 1 800 773 7931 Selects Automatic mode No effect No effect Toggles C L control If L Active Causes L to turn continuously If C Active Causes C to home to 000 If L Active Causes L to home to 000 If C Active No effect Increase decrease capacitance or inductance Toggles RF Output Coax Balanced No effect No effect lt 1 second 2 3 Seconds gt 10 seconds www Palstar com Example 42 En AT AUTO Display 1 800 773 7931 Figure 5 5 Bypass Mode Process www Palstar com 43 Chapter 6 AT AUTO gr QRO Keyline The Palstar AT AUTO xz is identical to the AT AUTO except for additional hardware that enables the AT AUTOx to automatically permit inhibit keying of an HF amplifier Use of the QRO Keyline hardware is entirely optional and completely independent of the auto matic tuning process It does not otherwise change
65. educe the likelihood of CI V data bus collisions by preventing the AT AUTO from querying the radio and preventing the radio from autonomously placing uncommanded data on the CI V bus set data transceive to Off The AT AUTO will now follow frequency information sent as a result of a query generated by the computer logging program In this case the user should set the AT AUTO CI V address to match the CI V address of the computer running the logging program and CI V transceive to Off With the AT AUTO s CI V query enable jumper removed the AT AUTO s query attempt will never reach the CI V bus It will only be able to listen for CI V data but will not transmit on the CI V bus The Icom radio should then also be set to data transceive Off Conversely if the computer logging software can be configured to listen only the the AT AUTO may be setup to provide the radio frequency queries Alternatively if using an Icom CI V equipped radio configured for data transceive On the radio will automatically send frequency data anytime its frequency changes All of the other controllers AT AUTO computer etc should be configured to receive only In this manner data collisions are prevented because the radio is the only device placing data on the serial databus All other devices are passive listeners 13 3 CAT Passive Listening In order for the AT AUTO to follow frequency changes in CAT equipped radios it must re ceive frequency data fro
66. em accord ingly Then if the SWR is still excessive and if subsequent tuning occurs and a successful match is found that memory s default settings are overwritten with the actual match set tings 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 101 18 2 3 Can I manually edit the memory settings Answer Short answer No Long answer Yes but only indirectly The manner in which this may be done is to operate the tuner in manual mode and manually adjust the tuner for a suitable match Then switch the tuner to automatic mode and command a fine tune by momentarily pressing the Mode Tune rotary knob The tuner will attempt to fine tune but finding the good match will instead store your match settings 18 2 4 How do I control which memory is recalled and used Answer You really can t The AT AUTO manages all of the memories automatically based upon operating frequency and which output is selected 18 3 Radio Interfacing Questions 18 3 1 Why doesn t the AT AUTO work in Smart and Handshake modes with other radios Answer We designed the AT AUTO to interface with ALL radios that incorporated a CAT CI V interface and or included an external tuner interface Version 2 0 firmware pro vided Icom Kenwood and limited Yaesu support Support for other radios continues to be expanded and included in newer firmware versions The AT AUTO hardware should be capable of supporting most radios The decision to support Icom radios first was made
67. er De pressing the front panel PEAK button will activate the active peak power circuitry and the meter will display PEP and exhibit fast attack and approximately 1 5 second delay time The displayed PEP will be approximately 95 100 of the SSB signal PEP but may vary depending upon the tonal and inflection characteristics of the user s voice displayed power may be greater If the PEAK HOLD button is depressed the maximum PEP measured will be held on the meter display for approximately two seconds This feature is provided to make it easier to observe the actual peak output power For CW signals the peak power is synonymous with average power Therefore a trans mitter s single tone CW signal should yield the same displayed power level regardless of whether the meter is set to display the average or peak power switch selection set to AVG or PEAK respectively Note The PEAK AVG switch must be depressed in order for the PEAK HOLD feature to function properly 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 79 12 2 Calibration The meter was calibrated at the Palstar factory However it may be calibrated with the following procedure 1 Connect the AT AUTO coaxial output to another calibrated Wattmeter of known accuracy 2 Terminate the output of the calibrated Wattmeter into a 50 dummy load 3 Set the AT AUTO to Bypass mode 4 Deselect the PEAK HOLD feature 5 Turn On the meter LAMP to supply DC power to the meter circuit
68. es additional hardware to enable disable the transmit keying line of an external HF power amplifier but the AT AUTO xy is otherwise completely identical to the AT AUTO All portions of this manual apply universally to both the AT AUTO and the AT AUTO except where specifically noted Designed to handle a 1500 W continuous carrier and with no gaps in frequency coverage the AT AUTO is well suited for Amateur Radio CAP MARS Military and Government HF radio applications Under microprocessor control the AT AUTO continuously monitors forward and reflected power and when appropriate automatically adjusts the T Match circuit for optimum performance without requiring operator intervention Although designed for fully automatic operation the AT AUTO also enables the user to manually tune or adjust match settings if desired via the uncluttered front panel controls The meter circuitry features Average Peak and Peak amp Hold display of forward and reflected power along with SWR The meter power range 300 W 3000 W is selected by a front panel pushbutton The AT AUTO controls are illustrated in Figure 2 1 and are described in Table 2 1 page 5 An internal view of the AT AUTO and component descriptions are shown in Figure 2 2 page 6 and Table 2 2 page 7 respectively while the rear panel features are shown and described in Figure 2 3 page 8 and Table 2 3 page 8 respectively A functional block diagram of the AT AUTO is shown in Figur
69. ess than 20 bytes Clearly the expense and complexity of USB is unwarranted 18 2 Memory Related Questions 18 2 1 How can I clear the AT AUTO memories Our local club was conducting an emergency communications drill I brought my AT AUTO to the simulated emergency location and want to use the clubs G5RV antenna but a lot of the memories contain match settings for my 160m dipole at home Answer The AT AUTO firmware includes over 500 non volatile memories The memory is split evenly with 250 memories each for the balanced and coaxial outputs The memory can be reset to the factory defaults by entering the configuration menu and then scrolling to the Erase Match Mem option and pressing the Tune Select rotary knob 18 2 2 What happens when I select Erase Match Mem How do the memories work Answer Selecting Erase Match Mem erases all of the users match settings that were stored in the AT AUTO s non volatile memory and restores all 500 memories to original factory defaults The factory defaults are mere starting points for tuning operation based upon operating frequency Each memory default when coax output is selected is for a nominal 50 Q load Likewise the balanced output default is for a nominal 200 2 load Based upon frequency and selected output if the SWR exceeds an approximate 1 2 1 threshold the AT AUTO recalls from memory the respective inductor and capacitor settings and presets th
70. examples assume that the controlling PC in assigned a CI V address of 0x3A To command the AT AUTO to switch to Manual mode the PC must send the following command string OxFE OxFE OxEO 0x3A 0x07 0x01 OxFD The AT AUTO will switch to Manual mode and acknowledge the command by sending OxFE OxFE 0x3A OxEO OxFB OxFD Likewise to remotely select the Balanced RF output the command from the PC would be OxFE OxFE OxEO 0x3A 0x08 0x10 OxFD The AT AUTO will immediately switch to the Balanced RF output and acknowledge the command by sending OxFE OxFE 0x3A OxEO OxFB OxFD 11 1 2 Sub Command Structure and Data Syntax Generally most commands include sub command data bytes For example when command ing a Capacitor position the position is encoded into the command string Sub command bytes are always encoded as Binary Coded Decimal BCD Failure to encode them in BCD format will corrupt the command decoding and the command will fail The sub command data frequency C or L position etc encoded in BCD format is transmitted LSB least significant byte first For example to command C to position of 274 the position sub command bytes would be 0x74 and 0x02 The command string would therefore be OxFE OxFE 0xE0 0x3A 0x09 0x74 0x02 OxFD The QSY command involves sending frequency information to the AT AUTO The AT AUTO will recall match settings for that frequency and automatically position C and L to their correspondin
71. fter the AT AUTO has successfully completed the automatic tuning attempt 13 2 CI V Passive Listening When the AT AUTO is configured to support Icom CI V radios but is also set to CI V Transceive Off it will periodically send frequency query commands to the Icom transceiver The Icom transceiver will then respond by sending its frequency data back to the AT AUTO Whenever multiple controllers attempt to control query the same transceiver data collisions are much more likely to occur These data collisions may corrupt the frequency data that was sent over the CI V bus and could sometimes result in erratic erroneous AT AUTO frequency following Although this was an infrequent problem with early generation AT AUTO firmware the AT AUTO firmware has since been greatly improved to better detect and ignore data collisions In the very unlikely event that data collisions are causing erratic AT AUTO frequency following errors you may try the following The solution is to ensure that only one device AT AUTO or computer logging soft ware etc is permitted to query the radio for frequency information while the AT AUTO computer software and any other controller on the data bus merely listen for the radio s 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 83 response to the singular frequency queries For example if the user has a computer logging program which accesses the CI V bus and queries the radio at regular intervals the user may r
72. g Bug manifested whenever fine tune commanded with out prior automatic tuning in the band of operation Under these conditions the AT AUTO would motor the inductor to the maximum inductance and stop 3 Runaway Inductor Occasionally during automatic tuning the Inductor would motor to maximum L and stop 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 88 4 Runaway Capacitor Occasionally during automatic tuning the Capacitor would re peatedly turn to position 397 then continue to approximately 004 and repeat sequence indefinitely 5 LCD Blanking LCD would momentarily blank during auto tune initiation 6 Uncommanded Unintentional retuning while in SSB mode During SWR Power sam pling AT AUTO would detect reflected power prior to detection of forward power causing AT AUTO to interpret this as excessive SWR and initiate retuning 7 Failure to recognize excessive SWR Under some circumstances with very excessive SWR AT AUTO would report Good Match and fail to initiate automatic tuning despite the very obvious via the analog meter antenna mismatch 8 Frequency Error Under conditions of very high SWR AT AUTO would occasionally be unable to discern the operating frequency from the RF sample Firmware and hardware changes have considerably improved this problem Problems might still occur albeit rarely 9 Autotuning Past Low SWR Points During automatic tuning the positioning of L or C was too coarse causing th
73. g match positions For example to QSY the AT AUTO to 28 725 168 MHz the command string would be 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 75 Table 11 1 Remote Control Command Set Command Command String Header the following string Trailer QSY 0x05 BCD0 BCD1 BCD2 BCD3 BCD4 Read Status 0x06 0x05 Read Power 0x06 0x06 Set Automatic Mode 0x07 0x00 Set Manual Mode 0x07 0x01 Set Bypass Mode 0x07 0x02 Select Coax 0x08 0x00 Select Balanced 0x08 0x10 Home L amp C 0x0B Set C 0 397 0x09 BCD Lo BCD Hi Set L 0 13 120 0x0A BCD Lo BCD Hi Fine Tune 0x0C Note The position displayed in the LCD is the actual inductor position divided by 16 Valid range of inductor position is 0 13 120 Shown on the LCD as 0 820 OxFE OxFE OxEO 0x3A 0x05 0x68 0x51 0x72 0x28 0x00 OxFD The AT AUTO will respond to a Read Status command with the following string OxFE OxFE 0x3A OxEO 0x06 0x05 Output Mode Motor L Position C Position Status 0xFD Definitions of the information returned after a Read Status command are contained in Table 11 2 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 76 Table 11 2 AT AUTO Response to Read Status Command Byte Value Bit Definitions Output 0x00 Through to Coax Selected Output 0x10 Through to Balanced 0x80 Bypass to Coax 0x90 Bypass to Balanced Mode 0x00 Automatic Mode Active Mode 0x01 Manual Mode 0x02 Bypass Mode Motor Bit 7 Set if Cis commanded to a specific position Steppe
74. hat match to the Tune Stop SWR threshold default 1 05 1 or better First the AT AUTO counts the RF frequency and then recalls the L and C match settings It then automatically repositions L and C to the recalled match settings and indicates to the user that this is taking place If the recalled L setting is far removed from its present setting the AT AUTO will prompt the user to temporarily drop the carrier Once the inductor and capacitor have been repositioned the AT AUTO prompts the user to provide a steady carrier and will wait indefinitely until either a carrier is applied or the user aborts the automatic tuning The user should apply a steady 10 W minimum carrier FM or CW SSB or modulated AM are NOT appropriate If the recalled L and C settings were for a previously derived match it is indeed very likely that the preset L and C settings will provide a good match and the SWR will be less than the Tune Start threshold default 1 2 1 and no tuning will be required However if the resultant SWR exceeds the 1 2 1 threshold the AT AUTO will commence automatic tuning While automatic tuning is proceeding the AT AUTO displays the changing C and L positions and indicates that automatic tuning is taking place Upon finding a good match the AT AUTO displays the matched SWR and immediately stores the match settings in non volatile memory Note Wait until the AT AUTO has finished saving the new match settings and the LCD is again di
75. he radio Palstar is not liable for damage caused by improper tuner to radio interfacing 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 68 Palstar supplies an interface cable that is suitable for use with either Icom transceivers most Kenwood some Yaesu several TenTec and Elecraft transceivers The information supplied in this section is provided to enable the AT AUTO owner to construct interface cables suitable for his particular model of radio Rear panel connector pinouts are provided in Table 10 1 on page 69 and Figure 10 1 page 70 provides illustrations of the serial date interfacing cabling Note When interfacing the AT AUTO with CAT capable radios via the RS 232 port Pin 7 AT AUTO processor reset must remain unconnected or the Reset Enable jumper must be Open See Figure 14 1 on page 85 Note When interfacing the AT AUTO with an Elecraft radio via the radio s I O port Pins 7 amp 8 must on the remain unconnected or internal damage to the radio may occur 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 69 Table 10 1 Rear Panel Connector Descriptions Outline Name Pinout E Power Pin 1 No Connection Pin 2 12 VDC amp 3 5 A max while tuning Pin 3 DC Ground e Transceiver Data Pin 1 TTL I O Pin 2 TTL 1 0 Pin 3 No Internal Connection Pin 4 Signal Ground Pin 5 Icom CI V Bus I O Open Collector RS 232 CAT Pin 1 No Connection Pin 2 Serial Data Output From AT AUTO Pin 3 Serial Data Input To AT
76. he AT AUTO s normal default behavior while in Automatic mode is to constantly monitor Forward and Reflected 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 90 power calculate and monitor SWR Then whenever SWR exceeds a set threshold default 1 2 1 SWR the AT AUTO autonomously initiates tuning The user may now configure the AT AUTO for Non Autonomous tuning initiation When so configured the AT AUTO continues to monitor Forward amp Reflected power and to calculate and monitor the SWR However whenever the SWR exceeds a preset threshold default 1 2 1 SWR instead of initiating automatic tuning the AT AUTO displays a warning to the user Whenever this warning is displayed the user may consent to automatic tuning initiation by momentarily press the rotary Tune Select knob Momentarily pressing the Tune Select knob signals the user s consent to initiate automatic tuning This feature was added to provide a means to completely prevent automatic re tuning especially when using an HF amplifier 10 Selectable SWR Tuning Thresholds While in Automatic mode the AT AUTO initi ates automatic tuning whenever the SWR exceeds 1 2 1 default Automatic tuning continues until the SWR is at below 1 05 1 default The user may configure the AT AUTO to use other SWR thresholds to indicate when tuning should be initiated and at what SWR level automatic tuning should be considered successful The AT AUTO s SWR defaults are quite stringent es
77. he Kenwood TS 830 Drake TRA everything Collins and anything Heathkit Setup of the AT AUTO for vintage rig operation is quite simple Make the electrical connections as shown in Figure 4 1 and then set the radio type to Vintage Rig as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 Note If using the AT AUTO xz QRO Keyline the transmit control line must be routed through the QRO Keyline connectors on the back of the AT AUTO See AT AUTO kg QRO Keyline section on page 43 to configure the QRO Keyline 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 19 AT AUTO Rear Panel QRO Keyline TRANSCEIVER To Balanced BALANCED OUTPUT COAX DATA INPUT Antenna AUX CIV PORTS Palstar Supplied o o O DC Power Cable RS 232 DATA FUSE POWER IN o GROUND To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply RF Output Ground to TX D Amp Control Vintage Generic Transceiver Generic HF Amplifier Figure 4 1 Vintage Transceiver Amplifier to AT AUTO Connection 4 3 3 Icom Rig Setup Newer Icom radios include a CI V serial interface that the AT AUTO may utilize to obtain frequency information from the radio This interface is often labeled Remote on Icom radios Most newer Icom radios except IC 7800 also include a provision for controlling an external tuner via a button on the radio s front panel labeled TUNER This interface connects to the external tuner the AT AUTO via a 4 pin Molex style connector located on the radio
78. ibrated Wattmeter Reverse the AT AUTO coaxial input and output connect transmitter output to AT AUTO coaxial output connect AT AUTO coaxial input to calibrated Wattmeter which terminates into a 50 dummy load Calibrate the high range reflected power display a Apply an approximate 20 50 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO b Adjust the REV HI potentiometer Figure 12 1 so that the AT AUTO s re flected power indication matches the forward power displayed on the calibrated Wattmeter Calibrate the low range reflected power display a Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to the 300 W power range b Apply an approximate 10 20 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO c Adjust the REV LO potentiometer Figure 12 1 so that the AT AUTO s re flected power indication matches the forward power displayed on the calibrated Wattmeter 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 81 REV Lo REV HI FORLO FORHI PEAK HOLD PEAK POWER RANGE ON OFF Figure 12 1 Meter Board Adjustment Locations 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 82 Chapter 13 Operating Tips 13 1 QRO Operation When using a high power amplifier with the AT AUTO the AT AUTO would occasionally attempt to retune during SSB transmissions This problem was addressed in firmware version 2 0 and testing shows that the problem is greatly mitigated However to prevent this from happening the user may disable Autonomous automatic tuning See Configuration Section or else select Manual mode a
79. ing time is very typical The 30 seconds quoted is due to the transit time it takes for the AT AUTO to reposition the roller inductor from one extreme to another such as QSYing from 160m to 10m The actual tuning starts once the inductor and capacitor have been pre positioned for the frequency band of operation When operating in Smart mode the AT AUTO automatically recalls its matched settings from non volatile memory and subsequent tuning is likely not necessary 18 4 5 Why does the AT AUTO retune at high power when it found a match at low power After I QSY if the SWR is bad the AT AUTO gets a low power carrier from my Icom radio to tune against The tuning process seems to work fine but occasionally when I subsequently 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 104 transmit the AT AUTO starts re tuning Why does it do this if it found a match at low power Answer The output of the RF bridge rolls off non linearly at very low power levels This is the reason that the AT AUTO sometimes retunes upon application of QRO although a good match was previously found at QRP levels The tuning algorithm is intentionally extremely conservative attempting to match to 1 05 1 or better At 10 W input to a load matched to 1 2 1 or better SWR the reflected power levels are indeed very low and approach the hardware s limit to detect these power levels However when QRO is applied the reflective power may be sufficiently increased even at extremely good
80. ion commanding Fine Tune will likely result in inability of the AT AUTO to find a suitable match 2 2 2 Manual Mode The AT AUTO is also a world class manual tuner providing the user with precise manual control of the matching network via the front panel controls and the cross needle SWR meter The primary control is the Tune Select knob Turning this knob will force the microprocessor to move L or C depending upon which one was selected Momentarily pressing the Tune Select knob toggles between control of the capacitor or inductor The operator manipulates the Tune Select rotary encoder pushbutton to provide po sitioning commands to the AT AUTO microprocessor which then drives the stepper motors and positions the inductor and capacitor There is no heavy lifting on the part of the operator The microprocessor monitors the position of the roller inductor and automatically 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 13 limits the inductor travel and will prevent the roller inductor wheel from striking the hard stops at the ends of the roller inductor coil Handshake Mode The AT AUTO is able to signal some Icom and Kenwood transceivers to produce a CW carrier for tuning When the operator presses the TUNER button on the transceiver this action is conveyed via the tuner handshaking lines to the AT AUTO which then controls the transceiver forcing it to produce a low power nominal 10W FM carrier that the operator may then u
81. ive and not absolute If specific power calibration is required this may also be accomplished with custom user application software The AT AUTO Read Power command returns the conversion results for all four A D converters in the following format OxFE OxFE 0x3A 0xE0 0x06 0x06 Forward High Reflected High Forward Low Reflected Low 0xFD Definitions of the individual bytes returned from a Read Power command are contained in Table 11 3 Table 11 3 AT AUTO Response to Read Power Command Power 2 Bytes Each Value Forward Power High 0 1024 Example 374 0x74 0x03 Reflected Power High 0 1024 Example 12 0x12 0x00 Forward Power Low 0 1024 Example 927 0x27 0x09 Reflected Power Low 0 1024 Example 36 0x36 0x00 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 78 Chapter 12 Analog Power Meter The AT AUTO cross needle Power SWR meter is derived from the popular Palstar PM2000A and is capable of reading peak envelope power PEP in SSB mode The Wattmeter is provided as an operator convenience and the AT AUTO controller circuitry is completely independent from the Wattmeter circuitry The Wattmeter also has an operator selectable dual range power level switch 300 W or 3000 W Wattmeter switch settings have no effect on operation of the AT AUTO 12 1 Reading Peak Power The LAMP button controls both the SWR meter illumination as well as power to the PEAK and PEAK HOLD circuitry It must be On in order to read peak pow
82. llowing equation Prwa Pref SWR Prwa lt Pref Given a Forward power of 10W as provided when using the Tuner button on the radio an SWR of 1 20 1 is observed if 0 90W of Reflected power is sensed at the SWR bridge If the Reflected power sensed is 0 95W the observed SWR is 1 21 1 which now exceeds the hysteresis threshold needed for automatic tuning initiation Conversely if the Reflected power sensed is only 0 85W the observed SWR is 1 19 1 Therefore a variation in Reflected power of 0 05W is all that is required to vary the observed SWR and may initiate automatic tuning Losses in cables or connectors will easily exceed this threshold If a 100W carrier is used for tuning instead 9W of observed Reflected power will result in a 1 20 1 SWR Likewise 9 5W of observed Reflected power yields an observed SWR of 1 21 1 The difference now is that it requires an approximate Watt increase in Reflected power to achieve an SWR that exceeds the automatic tuning threshold Therefore when tuning at 10W a 0 05W change in observed Reflected power may be all that is required to vary the observed SWR from 1 20 1 to 1 21 1 exceeding threshold and triggering automatic tuning However when tuning at 100W a IW change in observed Reflected power may be required to vary the SWR around the hysteresis threshold level The AT AUTO is capable of quantifying observed power levels ranging from approxi mately 5 1500W with a resolution of approximate
83. lly re adjust the L and C away from the transmit frequency match settings whenever the transceiver switches from transmit to receive on a different frequency After the Tx Rx Freq Split menu has been selected from the setup menus the user will then be prompted to enable or disable split frequency operation to selectively ignore receive frequencies for the 160 80 40 30 20 15 10 and 6m bands Figure 8 1 shows the 160m split enable disable selection window Rotate the mode select knob to enable Yes or disable No then momentarily depress the mode select knob to select that option The selection process will cycle through all of the available bands Figure 8 1 Transmit Receive Split Enable 160m 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 62 The user will be prompted to enable disable split frequency operation for each of the bands 160 80 40 30 20 15 10 and 6m If the user enabled 160m split operation for example the AT AUTO will then prompt the user to select the boundary between the desired 160m transmit and receive frequency define the transmit window as shown in Figure 8 2 Figure 8 2 160m 1800 1850 kHz Transmit Window Setup As depicted in Figure 8 2 the transmit frequency on 160m will be from 1800 1850 kHz low transmit window The AT AUTO will only follow CAT CI V frequency changes within the transmit window range of 1800 1850 kHz but will not reposition L or C for any changes made in the receive window
84. ly 0 1W When tuning with a 10W carrier this resolution is slightly coarse for differentiating 0 05W variations in observed Reflected power but is well suited for resolving iW variations in observed Reflected power when tun ing with a 100 W carrier While the AT AUTO power resolution at low power may seem limited the most detrimental factor is the overall feedline loss and the actual SWR at the antenna feed point From the ARRL Handbook the matched losses for several feed lines are Table 18 1 The matched loss is the expected power loss due to the resistive and dielectric losses with the feedline when the feedline is terminated in its characteristic impedance For 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 106 Table 18 1 Feedline Match Losses Feeder Type Loss per 100 RG 58 2 25 dB RG 8 1 25 dB Open Wire 0 1 dB an RG 58 type coaxial cable if that cable is terminated into a perfect 50 load then for every 100 of feedline 2 25dB of power loss is expected These losses increase significantly if there exists a significant mismatch between the feed line and the intended load The matched loss in dB is Prod Loss 10Log p For a 100 length RG 58 coaxial cable terminated into a 50 2 load the expected loss is approximately 4096 when operating at 30 MHz If the input power is 10W only 5 9W will be supplied to the 50 Q load Conversely for a 100 length of Ladder Line when terminated in its characteristic impedance the e
85. ly home L and C when the AT AUTO is next turned On After completion of the homing operation C will automatically be repositioned to 250 15 5 Version 2 02 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 02 includes these changes corrections 1 Delayed CI V command execution bug in version 2 01 In version 2 01 CI V bus collision detection was incorporated by providing a fixed delay between decoding of the command and execution of the command After the delay if the CI V bus jamming sequence 0xFC had not detected then the command was executed However the very last command was not being executed until the subsequent data string had decoded causing the the AT AUTO to be one frequency change behind This was particularly noticeable when changing bands using the Icom radio s band buttons and was not observed when turning the VFO knob CI V data decoding and frequency following is now corrected This problem did not affect CAT operation with non Icom radios 15 6 Version 2 03 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 03 includes this change correction 1 A bug introduced in version 2 02 effectively disabled frequency following via the CAT port of Kenwood and some Yaesu radios Version 2 03 fixed this bug restoring normal CAT operation with the affected radio types No other changes were made in version 2 03 15 7 Version 2 04 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 04 includes the following new features 1 800 773 7931 www
86. m the radio normally in direct response to the AT AUTO s querying of the radio s frequency The radio s response may also be generated as a result of computer logging software generating the radio query command The user may fabricate a serial Y cable whereby the AT AUTO s serial data transmit line is omitted but where the serial data line from the radio is shared between the computer and the AT AUTO The AT AUTO and the computer will both be able to receive the radio s frequency data transmitted as a result of the computer generated query command 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 84 Chapter 14 Internal Jumper Settings The AT AUTO has two user selectable hardware jumpers The default jumper settings are appropriate for most AT AUTO applications Some circumstances may require alternate jumper settings The jumpers are located on the AT AUTO controller circuit board and their relative locations are indicated in Figure 14 1 on page 85 Jumper settings are listed in Table 14 1 on page 86 14 1 Reset Enable The AT AUTO incorporates a microprocessor reset via RTS signal from a computer serial port The software used by the computer to upload firmware to the AT AUTO micropro cessor requires the ability to reset the AT AUTO microprocessor 142 CI V Tx Enable In it s default jumper configuration the AT AUTO is able to transmit and receive data over the RS 232 port and receive data from the CI V bus but is unable to trans
87. mit data over the CI V bus This is generally immaterial because when an Icom radio is setup for CI V data transceive operation it will automatically send frequency data over the CI V bus and does not require the AT AUTO to transmit data over the CI V bus or otherwise query the Icom radio However if the Icom radio is configured with CI V data transceive Off then the AT AUTO must actively query the radio and the CI V Tx Enable jumper must be Closed 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 89 14 3 Jumper Access Remove DC power from the AT AUTO Then remove the screws along the left and right sides of the AT AUTO to remove the top cover The controller circuit board is located immediately behind the Liquid Crystal Display LCD Observe anti static precautions when working on near the controller circuit board D D D ANA CI V Tx ra o H O O n o H eset e m m Enable o H Ol L E o H O O O O O o H o H o H O Figure 14 1 Jumper Locations 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com Table 14 1 Jumper Settings Operation Reset Enable CI V Transceive from Any Icom Don t Care CI V Transceive from Specific Icom Don t Care Smart with CI V Transceive OFF Open Smart via CAT Closed Smart Via CAT Open Firmware Update Closed Remote Control via CAT Open Remote Control via CI V Open Default Closed 86 CI V Tx Enable Don t Care Don t Care Closed Open Open Open Open Closed Open
88. nection and QRO Keyline Control 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 24 Icom Rig amp Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX with AT AUTO Connections for using an Icom radio with a Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX and an AT AUTO are shown in Figure 4 5 The HL 1 5KFX and the AT AUTO will receive frequency in formation from the CI V equipped Icom transceiver automatically whenever the radio s fre quency changes via the CI V bus The radio should be set to CI V Transceive mode see your owner s manual Thoroughly read through the Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX manual as well as the Icom radio manual particularly the sections regarding CI V sometimes referred to as Remote operation Then read through the AT AUTO manual The following are suggested steps to setup the AT AUTO HL 1 5KFX and Icom transceiver 1 10 Insert the Amphenol plug into the socket to the rear of the AT AUTO labeled TRANSCEIVER DATA INPUT and twist the attachment ring until finger tight Insert the male 3 5 mm plug into the jack on the back of the Icom radio labeled Remote Insert the 4 pin white Molex plug into the corresponding receptacle located on the back of the Icom radio Some radios may not include the 4 pin receptacle IC 7800 for example If using the optional QRO Keyline the transmit control line must be routed through the QRO Keyline connectors on the back of the AT AUTO See AT AUTOK QRO Keyline section on page 43 to configure the
89. now updated 19 To check for future firmware updates click on Check new version or visit Palstar com 9 1 Hardware Requirements for Firmware Updating The AT AUTO must be directly connected to a PC s RS 232 serial port Due to the stringent timing requirements between the firmware uploading program and the AT AUTO micropro cessor only a genuine RS 232 serial port will work USB to Serial converters have generally proven to be unsuitable for uploading AT AUTO firmware The PC serial port is often labled COM1 COM2 etc Some newer computers no longer come with RS 232 serial ports included but add on cards are available that plug directly into the computer s PCI bus and provide one two or more RS 232 serial port s If your computer does not have a serial port these cards can be purchased relatively inex pensively from your local computer hardware supplier The serial cable used for the firmware update must include the RTS Request to Send handshake line The Palstar supplied serial cable is intended for this purpose For further details see Figure 10 1 Note The computer printer port often labled LPT or Printer is a NOT a serial port and is absolutely NOT compatible with the RS 232 protocol Make NO attempt to use the printer port to update the AT AUTO firmware damage to your computer may result 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 67 Chapter 10 Rear Panel Pinouts and Interface Cables
90. nt Locations 81 14 1 Jumper Locations ls ra Ere REEL O HA os 89 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com List of Tables 1 1 Specifications o y o ets 2 1 Front Panel Controls as shown in Figure 2 1 2 2 Internal Components as shown in Figure 2 2 2 3 Rear Panel Components as shown in Figure 2 3 5 1 Automatic Mode Control Functions 5 2 Manual Mode Control Functions 5 3 Bypass Mode Control Functions 7 1 Supported SWR Tuning Thresholds 7 2 AT AUTO Compatible CAT CI V Radios 7 3 Supported Radio Capabilities 7 4 Suggested Serial I O Settings 7 5 Serial Data Configuration Options 10 1 Rear Panel Connector Descriptions 11 1 Remote Control Command Set 11 2 AT AUTO Response to Read Status Command 11 3 AT AUTO Response to Read Power Command 14 1 Jumper Settings 18 1 Feedline Match Losses 18 2 100 Feedline Match Loss for 1 0 1 SWR 18 3 100 Feedline Match Loss for various SWR 1 800 773 7931 xiii www Palstar com Metering Display Front Panel Controls Capacitor Inductor Power Range Switch Real Panel Connectors Input Coax Output Coax Balanced Out 12 VDC Input Aux CIV Ports Transceiver Data Input RS 232 Data Input Fuse Holder QRO Keyline Input Output General Specifications Frequency Range Power Handling Impedance Range Balanced Output Tuning Time Tuning Method Dimensions Weight Materials 1 800 773 7931 Table 1 1 Specifications Dual movement cross needle with
91. o be bound by the terms of the Palstar AT AUTO Software License Agreement including without limitation the warranty disclaimers and limitation of liability You agree that this agreement is enforceable like any written agreement negotiated and signed by you If you do not agree you are not licensed to use the Software and must destroy any downloaded copies of the Software in your posession or control 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 97 Chapter 17 Service and Warranty 17 1 Limited Warranty Palstar Inc warrants products manufactured by it to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal user and service for a period of one 1 year for the AT AUTO the Warranty Period Palstar Inc s obligation under this warranty is limited to repair or replacement of the product at it s option at the Palstar factory in Piqua Ohio Effective only when the product is returned to the factory with all transportation charges prepaid and examination of the produce discloses in Palstar s judgment to have been defec tive during the Warranty Period The Warranty Period shall not extend beyond its original term with respect to interim in warranty repairs by Palstar This Warranty Period shall not apply to any product which has been repaired or altered by anyone other than Palstar without prior written authoriza tion Warranty does not extend to any products which have been subject to damage from improper installation application
92. oad Palstar Firmware Uploader software from our website at http www palstar com at auto php Place the downloaded software into a folder on you PC desktop or hard drive Unzip the software It is now ready to use Connect your AT AUTO to your PC s RS 232 serial port with the Palstar supplied Firmware Upload Cable See Figure 10 1 on page 70 Turn On your Palstar AT AUTO Locate the Firmware Uploader software and double click on the Palstar Firmware Uploader icon to start the software PIC tinybldWin exe 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 64 9 Switch to the Options tab and set Options as follows 10 11 12 a Comm 9600 a b Code sent by PC for activation C1h c d SearchDelay 5 Timeout ms 300 Reset PIC using RTS line checked Make sure your PC is connected to the Internet Set device on COM2 or as applicable on your PC Check new version Reset Log Options Terminal Code sent by PC for activation ci h List of codes eg 128 80h to send first iw Reset PIC using ATS line and ATS remains active SearchDelay 5 si l Fimeout ms 800 s j Search for COMs F Switch to Terminal after Write The software Options settings should be identical to those pictured below and then click on the Check new version button to access the Palstar website and download the latest version of the AT AUTO firmw
93. om radio s Baud rates Radio and AT AUTO Baud must be set to same speed 9600 Baud is a good compromise especially if sharing the CI V bus with multiple data devices Note 2 Various Baud and number of stop bit settings are available on several radio models via user menus Radio and Tuner Baud and number of stop bits must match 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 1 800 773 7931 99 Table 7 5 Serial Data Configuration Options Baud Protocol 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 1 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 2 8 N 2 www Palstar com 60 7 3 8 Erase Match Memory This option will erase all user match settings and restore the memories to factory defaults Select this option and momentarily depress the Tune Select knob 7 3 9 Adjust A D Inputs Factory use only Momentarily press the Mode knob to return to the configuration menus 7 3 10 Display SWR Factory use only Momentarily press the Mode knob to return to the configuration menus 7 3 11 Configure QRO This is only applicable for the AT AUTO xy an AT AUTO with the optional QRO Keyline hardware installed AT AUTO owners should leave set to default settings QRO Enable NO for Automatic Manual and Bypass modes See page 43 for detailed description and configuration with AT AUTO xp 7 3 12 Tx Rx Freq Split The AT AU
94. oss feeders will mitigate this effect The AH 4 is also 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 108 NOT an autonomous antenna tuner the AT AUTO is The AT AUTO constantly monitors SWR and automatically re tunes if necessary The AH 4 only tunes when commanded and then only tunes to reduce SWR to 1 5 1 The AT AUTO strives for a much better match of 1 05 1 but a match of 1 2 1 or better is automatically considered a success The 1 05 1 SWR criteria is much more challenging to achieve but is readily achievable with the AT AUTO firmware and variable capacitor and roller inductor The AH 4 uses lumped capacitance and inductor values which often do not yield sufficiently fine resolution of capacitance and inductance necessary to provide the precise tuning match achieved with the AT AUTO 18 5 Firmware Specific Questions 18 5 1 Does the latest version of the firmware only work with the AT AUTOs that have the QRO Keyline hardware Someone posted a message on one of the user reflectors saying that earlier versions of the AT AUTO are not upgradeable Is this true Answer No By design ALL versions of AT AUTO firmware work with ALL versions of the AT AUTO All AT AUTOs are indeed firmware upgradeable by the user free of charge Firmware version 2 07 and subsequent merely include an ability to control some optional hardware to disable enable keying of an external HF power amplifier This and all subsequent firmware versions remain fully compatible with e
95. particular band for automatic bypassing either to the Coax or Balanced outputs the inductor and capacitor will not be repositioned while operating in this band Automatic antenna and RF bypass through selection is only possible if your radio has a compatible CAT CI V data port 7 3 5 Configure Bypass All recent production AT AUTOs have RF bypass capability Unless you own an older version of the AT AUTO which lacks bypass capability leave this option set to the factory 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 99 default bypass circuitry installed AT AUTOs without bypass hardware should be set to No bypass circuitry not installed 7 3 6 Configure Radio If the AT AUTO is properly interfaced to a compatible CAT CI V equipped radio the AT AUTO may be setup to follow any frequency changes in the radio and automatically preset C amp L based upon match settings for the new frequency The AT AUTO can also be controlled by radios with supported external tuner I O control In order to enable either of these features the AT AUTO must know what type of radio it is connected to as well as the CAT CI V serial data rate Table 7 2 lists CAT CI V radios currently supported by the AT AUTO firmware This is not all inclusive Table 7 2 AT AUTO Compatible CAT CI V Radios Make Model Select Elecraft K2 Kenwood CAT Only No Ext Tuner I O K3 Kenwood CAT Only No Ext Tuner I O Flex Radio SDR 1000 Kenwood CAT Only No Ext Tuner I O
96. pecially since most other auto tuners cease tuning when SWR is less than 1 5 1 By setting higher thresholds a user may opt to mini mize retuning when operating with antennas experiencing frequent resonance changes Example a long dipole antenna blowing around in a strong wind 15 3 Version 2 01 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 01 includes these changes corrections 1 Change to the remote control C positioning command Correct operation required a third position byte 0x00 or else the command failed Positioning command is now in accordance with the description provided in the operating manual See Table 11 1 2 CI V bus collision detection In earlier firmware releases the AT AUTO would some times spontaneously QSY based upon collision corrupted CI V bus data which man ifested as an illogical erroneous QSY frequency Likewise other bus collisions would occasionally cause erroneous unintended AT AUTO remote control command execu tion 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 91 15 4 Version 2 01 New Firmware Features AT AUTO firmware version 2 01 includes the following new features 1 Automatic L and C homing During installation of firmware version 2 01 and newer the AT AUTO will home L and C and then preset C to 250 2 Land C synchronization tracking If the user switched the AT AUTO Off before L or C position information was successfully written to non volatile memory then the AT AUTO will automatical
97. pped and the SWR is below a hysteresis value of approximately 1 2 1 Whenever QRO Enable When Tuning is set to No the AT AUTO will disable the QRO Keyline immediately prior to positioning the L or C and it will remain disabled until approximately 2 seconds after the last movement of the L or C Regardless of the particular configuration operation of the QRO Keyline neither the Automatic Manual or Bypass mode operation is affected by the action of the QRO Keyline 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 47 HF STEPPER ANTENNA TUNER Figure 6 4 Automatic Mode with QRO Keyline Enabled 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 48 Chapter 7 Firmware Configuration 7 1 General Description The AT AUTO firmware permits tailoring the AT AUTO s behavior to better suit the users specific requirements The user may configure the AT AUTO firmware via the AT AUTO s service menu which is accessed from the AT AUTO front panel controls This section of the users manual provides detailed descriptions of the available firmware features as well as instructions for customizing the AT AUTO behavior 7 2 Default AT AUTO Settings When leaving the Palstar factory and whenever the user uploads new firmware the AT AUTO firmware will be reset the default settings shown in Figure 7 2 on page 50 and listed here 1 Initiate Tuning Autonomously Autotune Start SWR 1 2 1 Autotune Stop SWR 1 05 1 2 Radio Icom Normal CI V amp Ext Tuner I O 3 S
98. r Motors Bit 6 Set if C is turning Bit 5 Always Clear No Meaning Bit 4 Set if L is commanded to a specific position Bit 3 Set if Lis turning Bit 2 Always Clear No Meaning Bit 1 Set if C movement was is Clockwise Bit 0 Set if L movement was is Clockwise Inductor Position 3 Bytes in BCD format Example 8 926 0x26 0x89 0x00 Capacitor Position 2 Bytes in BCD format Example 257 0x57 0x02 Status 0x00 Stepper motors commanded to stop 0x01 Automatic mode idle 0x02 Automatic tuning in progress 0x03 Match not found 0x04 Match found SWR lt Tune Stop SWR saving match settings 0x05 Match found SWR lt Tune Start SWR saving match settings 0x06 Automatic mode QSY in progress 0x07 Automatic tuning aborted timed out Note The position displayed in the LCD is the actual inductor position divided by 16 Valid range of inductor position is 0 13 120 Shown on the LCD as 0 820 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com TE The AT AUTO uses four 10 bit hardware analog to digital converters Two of the A D converters are used to provide high SWR resolution when operating at low RF input power levels Likewise the remaining two A D converters are used when using high RF input power levels when the low power A D converters would likely be saturated If specific SWR information is required the user s particular computer application may calculate SWR from the A D converters The output of the A D converters is relat
99. r if needed 4 2 Location Select a location for the AT AUTO that allows the connectors to be free from any possible contact during operation and with unrestricted airflow for cooling WARNING Balanced antennas will produce high RF voltages at the output post connectors RF burns may result if they are touched during transmission WARNING Do not use more than 1500 Watts average single tone through the tuner Do not use high power with the tuner until it has been tuned at the frequency of operation with a low power 10 100 Watt carrier 4 3 Electrical Connection and Setup The AT AUTO should always be connected between the antenna system and the station transmitter For installations that also include an HF amplifier the AT AUTO should be connected between the HF amplifier and the antenna system 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 18 4 3 1 DC Power Palstar supplies a DC power cable for use with the AT AUTO The DC power supply used should be capable of supplying 4 Amps at 12VDC The AT AUTO consumes 3 5 A whenever the stepper motors are in motion This is anytime during Automatic tuning or while the user is repositioning L or C during Manual or Bypass operation When the motors are stationary the AT AUTO current consumption is amp 350 mA 4 3 2 Vintage Rig Setup Transceivers lacking the capability to control an external tuner and also lacking CAT CI V capability are considered Vintage rigs and include such classics t
100. rly if the antenna is subject to significant variations in resonance such as might be encountered with a long wire antenna being blown around in a strong wind The SWR tuning thresholds are user selectable The user may set the Tuning Start SWR from between 1 1 1 to 2 5 1 and the Tuning Stop SWR from between 1 05 1 to 2 0 1 The firmware prevent selection of a tuning stop SWR that exceeds the tuning start SWR The user may also disable autonomous tuning initiation by configuring the AT AUTO to require operator concurrence before commencing automatic tuning This is particularly useful is the user wishes to prevent autonomous tuning commencement when using an RF linear amplifier To configure the automatic tuning SWR thresholds as well as enable disable autonomous tuning initiation from the Service menu follow these steps 1 Turn the front panel Tune Select knob until Figure 7 3 is displayed Figure 7 3 Automatic Tuning Menu 2 Momentarily press the Tune Select knob The AT AUTO will then display the currently selected SWR level necessary to initiate autonomous tuning The available user selectable SWR thresholds are shown in Table 7 1 Rotate the Tune Select knob in a clock wise direction until the desired SWR level to initiate automatic tuning is displayed Then momentarily press the Tune Select knob This will cause your particular selection to be stored into nonvolatile memory and the
101. rupted Note Always consult your transceiver manufacturer s instruction manual prior to at tempting to interface operate the radio with the AT AUTO Kenwood Owners The following information is taken from the Kenwood TS 570S instruction manual 1 Page 48 Note Connect an external antenna tuner to the ANT 1 connector only After connecting this tuner correctly and selecting ANT 1 the internal tuner will always be bypassed 2 Page 61 Note While using an external antenna tuner with the TS 5705 you cannot use the 6m band to transmit Connect your 6 m band antenna to the AN T 2 connector 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 15 3 1 Automatic Mode For operation in the Automatic mode please follow these steps 1 2 8 Connect the tuner input to the transceiver with a 50 2 coaxial cable Connect the antenna to the tuner output Coax or Ladder Line Connect the supplied DC Power Cable to a 12 VDC power source capable of supplying 4 A to the AT AUTO Turn On the AT AUTO The AT AUTO will display the installed firmware version for 2 seconds and then enter the Automatic default mode Select the desired tuner output balanced coax by momentarily pressing the Output button rotate the Tune Select knob until the desired output is displayed With the desired output displayed momentarily depress the Tune Select knob Set the transceiver to the intended operating frequency
102. ry 6 Calibrate the low range AVG forward power display Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to the 300 W power range b a b c Connect the output of an HF transmitter to the AT AUTO RF input Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to read AVG power d Apply an approximate 100 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO e Adjust the FOR LO potentiometer Figure 12 1 page 81 so that the AT AUTO s forward power indication matches that shown on the calibrated Wattmeter 7 Calibrate the low range PEAK forward power display a Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to read PEAK power b Apply an approximate 100 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO c Adjust the PEAK LO potentiometer Figure 12 1 so that the AT AUTO s for ward power indication matches that shown on the calibrated Wattmeter 8 Calibrate the high range PEAK forward power display a Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to the 3000 W power range b Apply an approximate 500 1000 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO c Adjust the PEAK HI potentiometer Figure 12 1 so that the AT AUTO s for ward power indication matches that shown on the calibrated Wattmeter 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 10 11 12 80 Calibrate the high range AVG forward power display a Set the AT AUTO Wattmeter to read AVG power b Apply an approximate 500 1000 W CW carrier to the AT AUTO c Adjust the FOR HI potentiometer Figure 12 1 so that the AT AUTO s forward power indication matches that shown on the cal
103. se to manually tune with Once the operator has completed manual tuning he may then force the transceiver to drop the carrier by either pushing the radio s TUNER button again or by pressing the Output knob on the AT AUTO for approximately 2 seconds Icom radios may also be commanded to produce a constant carrier by pressing the AT AUTO s Output knob for 2 seconds The transceiver TUNER button or the AT AUTO Output button may be used to toggle the steady carrier on or off as needed 2 2 3 Bypass Mode Bypass mode is provided for those circumstances when the RF should not be routed through the AT AUTO s matching network such as when using a StepIR type of antenna or other resonant antenna systems Bypass mode operation of the AT AUTO is nearly identical with the Manual mode described previously While in Bypass mode the RF matching network may be adjusted via the Tune Select knob but will have absolutely no effect on the apparent SWR until RF is routed through the AT AUTO by switching to Automatic or Manual mode Handshaking operation is not available when in Bypass mode The primary control is the Tune Select knob Turning this knob will force the micro processor to move L or C depending upon which one was selected The operator manipulates the Tune Select rotary encoder pushbutton to provide positioning commands to the AT AUTO microprocessor which then drives the stepper motors and positions the ind
104. sed the radio signals the AT AUTO which is then able to signal the transceiver to produce a CW carrier for tuning The net effect is that the amount of time that the transceiver is required to produce a carrier for tuning is greatly reduced thereby minimizing potential for QRM Here is how it works When the operator presses the TUNER button on the transceiver the transceiver signals the AT AUTO that tuning is requested The AT AUTO then signals the transceiver to produce a 10W CW FM carrier at which time the AT AUTO samples the SWR and counts the frequency This process takes approximately gt second If the SWR exceeds the Tune Start SWR threshold the AT AUTO then recalls from memory the appropriate settings for the Capacitor and Inductor and positions them accordingly Once the positioning of Land C are complete the AT AUTO again signals the transceiver to produce the 10W CW carrier If the SWR is still excessive automatic tuning begins The moment a good match is found the AT AUTO signals the transceiver to cease transmitting and the AT AUTO automatically stores the match settings When using Smart and Handshake modes together the entire automatic tuning process 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 12 is greatly streamlined As the user returns to previously matched frequency antenna com binations the AT AUTO precisely recalls and returns to those matched settings without requiring an RF carrier and often without requiring sub
105. sequent re tuning Currently Handshake mode is implemented for Icom and Kenwood radios only Support for Yaesu and others may follow thereafter Fine Tuning There will be occasions when the SWR is well below the Tune Start SWR threshold but the operator may wish to improve the match This may occur when the operator decides to QSY away from the previously matched frequency but remain in the same band Rather than repositioning L and C positions from memory all that is required is for the AT AUTO to perform fine adjustments of L and C from their present positions Fine Tuning is commanded by momentarily pressing the Tune Select rotary knob when in Automatic mode If the AT AUTO has been configured for Handshake mode with the transceiver the entire fine tune process will complete automatically without further intervention presently only Icom radios support this feature and the new match settings will be stored in the AT AUTO memory If Handshake mode is not established the AT AUTO will prompt the operator to produce a steady carrier as explained above and the fine tuning process will proceed Note Fine Tune should only be initiated if the AT AUTO has already performed an automatic tune in the present operating band When Fine Tune is commanded the AT AUTO will use the present L and C positions as the starting point for the fine tuning process If L and C are at grossly inappropriate positions for the current band of operat
106. splaying Automatic Mode before removing DC power or turning Off the AT AUTO The new match settings are permanently stored by overwriting sections of the AT AUTO firmware If this process is interrupted or otherwise not permitted to complete the firmware may become corrupted requiring reloading the firmware and or completely reprogramming the microprocessor at the Palstar facilities 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 34 5 2 1 Automatic Frequency Following When interfaced with a CI V or CAT supported radio the AT AUTO will also automati cally follow the radio s frequency changes by immediately recalling the corresponding match settings and presetting the inductor and capacitor accordingly 5 2 2 Radio External Tuner Control When interfaced with a radio that also provides control of an external tuner such as an Icom AH 4 or Kenwood AT 300 the radio s external tuner control circuitry provides hardware handshaking between the radio and the AT AUTO The user may then momentarily press the radio s TUNER button to initiate automatic tuning The AT AUTO causes the radio to generate a low level RF carrier typically 10 W FM Once the AT AUTO senses the RF carrier it calculates SWR and follows the automatic tuning process previously described Once the RF carrier is no longer required the AT AUTO causes the radio to drop the RF carrier When interfaced with an Icom radio with external tuner I O control the AT AUTO is likewise capable of
107. t knob will exit that particular menu Some sub menus will exit automatically after running through all of the user options 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 80m 40m 30m 20m Tx gt Tx lt 1 800 773 7931 15m 10m 6m Adjustable Freq 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 Autonomous User Prompted 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 5 NONE pc 2 1 MACON 90 Yes No Through Bypass COAX BAL Icom Normal CIV amp External Tuner I O Icom CIV Only No External Tuner I O Kenwood Normal Cat amp Tuner I O Kenwood Cat Only No External Tuner I O Yaesu FT 2000 No External Tuner I O Yaesu FT 990 No External Tuner I O Yaesu FT 1000 No External Tuner I O 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 8 N 1 8 N 2 Factory Use Onl Press Mode to Escape Factory Use nly Press Mode to Escape Figure 7 2 Setup Firmware Options and Flowchart www Palstar com 51 7 3 1 Setup Auto Tune The AT AUTO autonomously commences tuning whenever the SWR exceeds the Tune Start SWR default 1 2 1 and halts tuning whenever the SWR falls below the Tune Stop SWR default 1 05 1 The default thresholds are very aggressive as the AT AUTO will attempt to tune whenever the SWR exceeds 1 2 1 and will not stop tuning until the SWR is less than 1 05 1 The user may prefer other tune starting and stopping thresholds particula
108. tartup Mode Automatic 4 Icom CI V Transceive from Any Icom AT AUTO CI V Address 0xE0 Rig CI V Address 0x64 5 Auto Antenna Select No Bypass During Bandchange Yes Auto Select 160m 80m etc Through to Coax 6 Bypass Circuitry Installed Yes 7 Serial I O 9600 Baud 8 Bit No Parity 1 Stop Bit 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 49 7 3 Accessing the Service Menu User selectable firmware options are accessed through the AT AUTO firmware service menus These menus and sub menus are fairly self explanatory but are described in this and sub sequent sections The various settings are all selected and controlled from the front panel Tune Select knob Different menus are accessed by turning the rotary Tune Select knob and options are selected or enabled disabled by momentarily pressing the Tune Select knob Follow these steps to access the service menu 1 Turn ON the AT AUTO 2 Place the AT AUTO in Automatic mode 3 Press and hold the Mode button for 10 seconds and then release The AT AUTO will display Figure 7 1 LCD Display Service Menu Exit Prompt The service menu configuration options are shown in Figure 7 2 page 50 To access the various sub menus merely rotate the Tune Select knob in either direction When the desired sub menu item is displayed momentarily depress the Tune Select knob Whenever Exit is displayed momentarily pressing the Tune Selec
109. ted on the back of the Kenwood radio Some Kenwood radios may not include the AT connector 3 Set the radio type to either Kenwood Normal CAT amp Tuner I O or set to Kenwood CAT Only No Ext Tuner I O as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 4 Configure the AT AUTO serial I O as described in the Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface section on page 57 The AT AUTO and the Kenwood must both be set to the same baud rate and the same number of stop bits 5 Confirm that the AT AUTO is able to follow frequency changes on the Kenwood transceiver 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 27 AT AUTO Rear Panel O INPUT COAX QRO Keyline O TRANSCEIVER To Balanced GONG OUTPUT COAX DATA INPUT f Antenna AUX CIV PORTS Palstar Supplied OUT o o DC Power Cable POWER IN GROUND To Coax Fed Antenna To 12VDC Supply Palstar Supplied Serial Cable Palstar Supplied Interface Cable A ANT2 ANTI Kenwood Transceiver Figure 4 6 Kenwood Transceiver to AT AUTO Connection 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 28 4 3 6 TenTec Omni VII Jupiter Setup The AT AUTO is able to receive frequency information available via the CAT RS 232 interface when interfaced with either a TenTec Omni VII or TenTec Jupiter radio The RS 232 port is labled Serial on the lower rear panel on the Omni VII Please note that the Omni Vii radio includes multiple antenna conn
110. the mode last in use when the AT AUTO was turned Off To set the startup mode from the service menu rotate the Tune Select knob until the display matches Figure 7 4 and then momentarily press the Tune Select knob The startup mode submenu will open and display the current startup mode setting Rotate the Tune Select knob until the desired startup mode is displayed When the desired startup mode is displayed momentarily press the Tune Select knob and that setting will be saved The user is then returned to the service menu exit prompt as shown in Figure 7 1 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 93 Figure 7 4 Startup Mode Menu 7 3 3 Setup Icom CI V This submenu is only applicable if the AT AUTO is connected to a CI V equipped Icom radio or if intending to remotely control the AT AUTO If not then this section should be ignored The AT AUTO default mode of operation with Icom radios is to receive and decode CI V frequency broadcast data from any CI V equipped Icom radios operating in the data transceive mode The AT AUTO listens for frequency information sent over the CI V serial data bus and then positions the inductor and capacitor to settings appropriate to the operating frequency The CI V data transceive operation is completely passive on the part of the AT AUTO Refer to your applicable Icom radio manual for further details on CI V data transceive operation When connected to the CI V bus the AT
111. trofitting to Older AT AUTOS 6 2 Electrical Connection and Setup 6 3 Firmware Configuration oa Crue aida 64 Operations Livia Lite tendo e 7 Firmware Configuration 7 1 General Description ouo le e Bs be 7 2 Default AT AUTO Settings 7 3 Accessing the Service Menu 7 3 1 Setup Auto Tune aaa AR 7 3 2 Set Startup Mode s Las nas a 7 3 3 Setup Icom CEV yos RR 7 3 4 Configure RF Outpub 7 3 5 Configure Bypass vox ba Mare the RE es 7 3 6 Configure Radio hs sape e 7 3 7 Configure AT AUTO Serial Interface 7 3 8 Erase Match Memory 7 3 9 Adjust A D Inputs Fot Display SWR S cou o is aia 7 3 11 Configure QRO x ras dept pr in eee Etes 7 3 12 Tx Rx Freq Split SA b uus 8 Split Frequency Operation 9 Firmware Update Guide 9 1 Hardware Requirements for Firmware Updating 10 Rear Panel Pinouts and Interface Cables 10 1 Radio Tuner Handshake 10 2 Radio Computer Serial Data Interface 10 3 Radio Computer Serial Data Y Interface 11 Remote Control 11 1 General Description x 50 mes a 11 1 1 Example Command Strings 11 1 2 Sub Command Structure and Data Syntax 1 800 773 7931 vii 61 63 9 pur ea ie o e Ug 66 67 po leale pd dd 67 pug gogo Sq adr NE qs 67 idi aids d ds a O ed 71 www Palstar com 12 Analog Power Meter 12 1 Reading Peak Power 12 2
112. uctor and capacitor Momentarily pressing the Tune Select knob toggles between control of the capacitor or inductor 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 14 Chapter 3 Quickstart Guide Note The AT AUTO default behavior is to always enter the automatic mode when power is applied The antenna last selected as well as the positions of the roller inductor and capacitor are automatically stored and subsequently recalled when the AT AUTO is turned on The AT AUTO default behavior is user configurable See the Firmware Configuration section on page 48 for more details In Automatic mode the AT AUTO autonomously controls when tuning should start and stop prompting the user if necessary During Manual mode operation the user controls the tuning network via the Tune Select rotary knob Bypass mode is similar to Manual mode except that RF never flows through the RF matching network Note Wait at least 2 seconds after the last movement of the Inductor or Capacitor before removing DC power or turning Off the AT AUTO The AT AUTO saves the Induc tor and Capacitor positions in non volatile EEPROM If this process is interrupted or otherwise not permitted to complete synchronization of the inductor and ca pacitor will be lost and any subsequent automatic tuning attempt will likely fail If this happens re home the inductor and capacitor Firmware version 2 01 and subsequent will automatically re home L and C if the memory write was inter
113. very hardware version of the AT AUTO If your AT AUTO does not include the optional QRO Keyline hardware you should merely leave QRO Keyline disabled in the firmware 18 5 2 Where can I get a copy of the firmware source code I am a software engineer and have experience with the Atmel type processor used in the AT AUTO I would like to add some of my own refinements to the AT AUTO Where can I get a copy of the source code Answer The license agreement you accepted when you purchased the AT AUTO pre vents you from accessing revising reverse engineering sharing etc the AT AUTO firmware The AT AUTO firmware is wholly owned Palstar Inc intellectual property We are protect ing it accordingly Our legal department is poised to take whatever legal action if necessary to do so You should realize that considerable time and expense has gone into its develop ment Some of our competitors may very likely attempt to bring similar products to the market and in so doing attempt to circumvent much of the development costs by coping or otherwise reverse engineering our firmware We therefore regret that we are unable to divulge any of the firmware specifics 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 109 18 5 3 Why should I update to the newer AT AUTO firmware Answer You might not need to but you will probably want to When we started design on the AT AUTO we understood that the firmware would likely be an evolutionary process We are in good
114. w the Tune Stop SWR the AT AUTO displays Good Match SWR lt 1 05 1 However if the tuning times out because it was not able to find a match at or below the Tune Stop SWR but the resulting match was below the Tune Start SWR the AT AUTO will display Good Match SWR lt 1 2 1 Whenever a successful match is found the precise L and C settings are stored into memory and the AT AUTO indicates that it is storing the match settings If the CW carrier is interrupted before tuning is complete the AT AU TO will immediately cease tuning and provide an error message indicating that the carrier was lost and that tuning was aborted The user may also terminate the tuning process by momentarily pressing the Mode button The automatic tuning is an iterative process which alternates adjustment of the L or C until the SWR is below the Tune Stop SWR or until no further improvement in the SWR is made and the tuning process times out less than 20 seconds In order for the tuning process to be successful as L and C positions are adjusted the corresponding variations in SWR must be discernable by the AT AUTO controller circuitry If the AT AUTO is profoundly mistuned such as attempting to tune on 10m while L and C are set for 160m operation there may be NO discernable variation in SWR as L and C 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 11 are manipulated and automatic tuning will very likely fail Therefore before commencing autom
115. xpected loss is only 2 396 A similar length of RG 8 coaxial cable driving a 50 Q load will dissipate as heat approximately 24 of the transmitter power Table 18 2 100 Feedline Match Loss for 1 0 1 SWR Feeder Type Loss dB Power Loss Power at Antenna RG 58 2 25 dB 40 496 59 696 RG 8 1 25 dB 25 0 75 0 Open Wire 0 1 dB 2 3 97 7 When the feedline is NOT terminated in its characteristic impedance some power will be reflected back from the load toward the transmitter increasing the feedline losses The following table serves to illustrate the observed SWR that would be observed by the AT AUTO when coupled to various feed lines and when those feedline terminations produce reflections SWR gt 1 0 1 This table assumes 100 feedline length and operation at 30 1 800 773 7931 www Palstar com 107 MHz with 100 W drive power See the ARRL Handbook for a more detailed explanation and associated equations Table 18 3 100 Feedline Match Loss for various SWR Feeder SWR at Ant SWR at AT AUTO Feeder Loss Power at Antenna RG 58 1 36 1 1 20 1 41 3 W 58 7 W RG 58 10 0 1 2 90 1 74 2 W 25 8 W RG 8 1 27 1 1 20 1 25 5 W 74 5 W RG 8 10 0 1 4 18 1 39 8 W 60 2 W Open Wire 1 20 1 1 20 1 2 3 W 97 7 W Open Wire 10 0 1 8 98 1 10 4 W 89 6 W Table 18 3 is intended to illustrate that coaxial cables while very convenient are extremely lossy when operated at high SWR and serve to very effectively mask the magnitude of the actual load SWR
116. ypassing was sometimes erratic and unpredictable This problem has been corrected in version 2 09 15 14 Version 2 10 Changes AT AUTO firmware version 2 10 includes these changes 1 Corrections to the operation of the QRO Keyline a The QRO keyline required many SWR samples before the keyline would be re enabled Version 2 10 improves the responsiveness of the QRO keyline b The QRO keyline would open for frequency changes within a particular band but would erroneously remain enabled when changing from band to band This problem has been corrected in version 2 10 2 Changed the Remote Control data returned by the AT AUTO during Read Status and Read Power commands to include the Command and Sub Command identifiers 15 15 Version 2 11 Bug Corrections AT AUTO firmware version 2 11 includes these changes corrections 1 QRO keyline Relay chatter During Bypass mode operation while adjusting the L or C the QRO Keyline would momentarily open and close at a very high rate This is now corrected 2 QRO keyline erratic operation During Manual mode with the QRO keyline configured to be permanently enabled QRO keyline Enable Yes the keyline would open whenever high SWR was encountered This problem is now fixed 3 When remotely controlling the AT AUTO the LCD did not always display correct information The LCD operation during remote control operation has been corrected 1 800 773 7931 www P
117. ype as described in the Configure Radio section on page 55 The radio type should be set to Icom Normal CI V amp Ext Tuner I O or set to Icom CIV Only No Ext Tuner I O if using a radio without external tuner control such as an IC 7800 5 Configure the desired CI V operation as described in the Setup Icom CI V section on page 53 6 Configure the serial I O baud rate as described in the Configure AT AUTO Serial 1 800 7 73 7931 www Palstar com 21 Interface section on page 57 Most Icom radios use a default of 9600 baud and the AT AUTO is also set to 9600 baud by default from the factory 4 3 4 Icom Rig With HF Amplifier Setup Some amplifiers such as the Icom IC PW1 and the Tokyo Hy Power HL 1 5KFX amplifiers are designed to automatically obtain band frequency information from CAT CI V equipped radios Consult the respective owners manuals for your respective amplifier Icom Rig amp IC PW1 with AT AUTO Connections for using an Icom radio and Icom IC PW1 with the AT AUTO are shown in Figure 4 3 See Figure 4 4 if intending to use the AT AUTO xy QRO Keyline feature The IC PW1 and the AT AUTO will receive frequency information from the CI V equipped Icom transceiver automatically whenever the radio s frequency changes via the CI V bus The radio should be set to CI V Transceive mode see your owner s manual Thoroughly read through the Icom IC PW1 manual as well as the Icom radio manual particularly the sections reg

AT-AUTO & AT-AUTOKL Operating Manual

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AT-AUTO &amp; AT-AUTOKL Operating Manual

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AT-AUTO & AT-AUTOKL Operating Manual