The antenna rotator project uses a three-phase conveyor motor with a 200 W power rating and a 0.75 kW frequency converter. The gear reduction ratio is 720:1, providing a resolution of 0.5 degrees per motor revolution. The system is designed for a 360-degree rotation range with limit switches serving as emergency stops.
For the locking mechanism, the author utilized a rear axle assembly from a VAZ-2107 vehicle combined with a standard parking brake. A 12V linear actuator with a worm gear mechanism, capable of exerting up to 70 kg of force, was sourced from China to operate the handbrake cable.
The control system is based on an Atmega128 microcontroller. While the frequency converter supports the MODBUS protocol via RS-485, the author opted for discrete input/output control to improve reliability and simplify diagnostics. The system includes a digital display for azimuth indication and supports both manual and automated control.
Integration with the UR5EQF_Log software is achieved by intercepting UDP packets sent to port 1234. The software transmits azimuth data in XML format, allowing the controller to automatically position the antenna toward a correspondent's location. The author verified this data stream using a smartphone-based UDP receiver application.
