[Satnews] New from Hiltron Communications, SORBAS is a complete family of products designed to form the heart of customized satellite communication systems.
SORBAS include Hiltron's HMCS monitoring and control software, HCS universal control unit, HSACU satellite antenna control unit, HMAM three-axis motorized satellite antenna mount and HDCU de-icing control unit.
The HCS-Core element of SORBAS is available in 2U high full-rack-width and half-rack-width versions. The full-rack-width model can accommodate up to 16 modules and is Hiltron's largest and most versatile SATCOM controller to date.The current range of cards includes a monitor, control and power supply for fibre optic devices, a fiber-optic switch, LNB redundancy systems for C- and Ku-band, HPA redundancy control, redundancy for DVB MPEG encoders/modulators/IRDs and a generic monitoring and control module.
Some of the HILTRON SORBAS family of products.
The Hiltron HACU is designed to control three-axis motorized antennas. The antenna control unit and associated motor-control electronics are contained in an IP65-rated weatherproof outdoor housing with a hinged front access port secured by dual key screws. The HACU can be operated from a PC running a graphic user interface compatible with standard web browsers. The control GUI displays all the information required to set and maintain azimuth, elevation and polarisation, including current and target positions plus a database of potential accessible satellites.
Hiltron's HMAM is a high-precision motorized satellite antenna mount designed for two-way VSAT communication or receive-only downlink applications. It can be used for a wide range of applications including broadcast and telecommunication downlinks. An optional motorized feed changer allows the head to be moved quickly to a new position for switching between frequency bands. HMAM comes complete with professional-grade drives for azimuth and elevation plus a high-accuracy polarization drive. The combined head and drive form a three-axis motorised mount with 180 degrees of azimuth adjustment, 90 degrees of elevation adjustment range and fully adjustable polarisation.
The Hiltron HDCU-E is a combined ice-sensing and dish heating controller for use with large satellite antennas. It is capable of handling up to 450 kilowatts of power across multiple heating groups. Each group is divided into three independently-controlled heater arrays. Each array in turn feeds up to three antenna heater circuits. A four-group configuration, for example, allows control of 12 arrays addressing a total of 36 heating circuits. This modular control approach permits easy configuration of parameters such as antenna size, number of heater pads and the power requirement of each pad. Snow detection is via a reflective sensor with a polarizing filter. Each heater circuit is individually supervised and controlled via user-adjustable minimum and maximum thresholds. Sequential switch-on is performed within the controller to prevent rapid changes in current load when the antenna heating process is activated or deactivated. Sequence timing is user-configurable.
Executive Comment
"SORBAS brings together into one product series a range of devices we have developed in our twin roles of manufacturer and provider of completed customized systems," said Jan Molter, Hiltron's Managing Director. "Central to this product family is the HCS-Core which we announced at IBC2015. This is used as a control element for tasks such as switching downconverters, integrated receiver/decoders, digital video broadcast encoders, high-power amplifiers and waveguides. The other products in the series are field-proven and in successful operation at many locations around the world, forming elements of our own systems and those designed by systems integration partners in many countries."
