Dublin Core
Title
Void Pointer: Motorized Radio Satellite Tracker Solution
Abstract
There are many existing programs to receive and decode radio signals, others to process them (e.g. signals received from a weather satellite into an actual image), and other programs to control and manage necessary accessories (e.g. an antenna rotator). They are all typically unrelated, and function separately. There are some specialised programs, but they do not meet certain criteria and are not useful for general operation.
This project aims to design and implement an automated antenna rotator system capable of tracking satellites and facilitating radio communication. The system integrates a custom-built hardware platform with a software interface to: (1) automatically adjust the antennas direction based on the position of the ground station and a chosen satellite, (2) set the appropriate radio frequency and configure other parameters based on selected satellite, and (3) provide a user-friendly interface for satellite selection and real-time control. The project targets Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, such as weather satellites (e.g. NOAA, MetOp, etc.), with the potential to receive and decode signals like weather images. The system is intended to be modular; if certain features are not needed they do not break the rest of the system (e.g. for tracking celestial objects other than satellites, where decoding is not necessary).
The main purpose of this project is not to develop another universal weather satellite decoder with extra features, but a more specific and simplified system for amateur use.
This project aims to design and implement an automated antenna rotator system capable of tracking satellites and facilitating radio communication. The system integrates a custom-built hardware platform with a software interface to: (1) automatically adjust the antennas direction based on the position of the ground station and a chosen satellite, (2) set the appropriate radio frequency and configure other parameters based on selected satellite, and (3) provide a user-friendly interface for satellite selection and real-time control. The project targets Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, such as weather satellites (e.g. NOAA, MetOp, etc.), with the potential to receive and decode signals like weather images. The system is intended to be modular; if certain features are not needed they do not break the rest of the system (e.g. for tracking celestial objects other than satellites, where decoding is not necessary).
The main purpose of this project is not to develop another universal weather satellite decoder with extra features, but a more specific and simplified system for amateur use.
Keywords
senior design project, SDR, antenna, rotator, tracker, weather satellite, HRPT, NOAA, POES, C++, Qt