P r i m a L u c e L a b i S r l
S p i d e r 2 3 0 u s e r m a n u a l
When power is on (green LED turns on) the receiver performs a calibration procedure and the initialization of the
operating parameters, during which the red LED flashes. After this stage, the red LED turns off and turns on the
YELLOW LED indicating the internal heater activity, if the ambient temperature has a value less than about 44°C.
When the internal temperature of the radiometer is stabilized (an event signaled by a flashing yellow LED), the in-
strument is ready for the observing session.
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The operating parameters critical to the proper use of the receiver are as follows:
1)
Post-detection amplification factors:
gain of the receiver must be chosen in function of the intensity of radio-
source observed. For example, for the observation of the Sun just set a gain equal to 1 while for the Moon is re-
commended a gain of 4. For all other fainter objects (such as Cassiopeia A and Taurus A) is necessary to set the
gain to 10.
2)
Offser parameter:
it is necessary to position the reference value of the base line on a suitable point of the mea-
suring scale and it is between 0 and 50000. This is an indication that represents the signal used to "erase" the con-
tribution of instrumental noise, fixing an appropriate scale value for the basic radiometric line. “Base line” is defined
as the level of the output signal of reference, considered as a "zero" on the scale, relative to the situation in which
the antenna receives only the radiation of the "cold sky" in the absence of radio sources. This parameter does not
change the gain of the system and is set automatically whenever the user changes the gain of the receiver.
Both parameters can be modified using RadioUniverse control software, as we shall see in the following paragra-
phs.
Inside the receiver, there is a special electronic control unit that allows to control all components of the radio tele-
scope (including the mount) over a single Ethernet network cable. In order to allow for proper operation, before
installing and use RadioUniverse, you need to install the drivers and software to configure the Ethernet port of the
PC. The drivers for various operating systems (that emulate one or more COM ports) and installation instructions
are available for download at the website:
http://www.moxa.com/support/sarch_result.aspx?type=soft&prod_id=51&type_id=9
Choose your operating system (in the " Operating System" ) and download Nport Administration Suite. Turn on the
receiver (there’s not an on-off button, just connect the power plug ) and wait for the completion of the initial set-
ting of internal parameters (a few seconds after power up, you will hear a faint beep that confirms the start of the
receiver). Then connect the ethernet cable from the receiver RAL10PL to the Ethernet port of the PC and wait for
Windows to detect the limited or no connectivity. Unzip the file you downloaded ( in a folder of your choice) and run
the file Npadm_Setup_(version).exe file to launch the installation process. Follow the instructions on the screen, at
the end of the installation , leave the check mark on "Launch Nport Administrator" and press Finish to complete the
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p a g e
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