Advice Needed Amiko DM2400 (DG240) motor would not turn to western positions

[pbasista]

Hi,

I would like to ask for advice regarding satellite antenna motor branded as Amiko DG240. It looks very similar to Amiko DM2400 motor. I have this motor, it is at least 5 years old and until recently it worked well. I have now noticed that it would not turn to western positions past roughly zero degrees angle.

I can use USALS and navigate via local latitude and longitude. Or I can use GoTo function to navigate directly to a certain angle. Or I can use the buttons on the motor. It all works well with eastern positions, i.e. roughly from zero to the maximum of roughly 80 degrees east which the motor supports. But it would not work with any western positions. Not even with 1 degree west. It actually stops working at around 1.5 degrees east.

When I try to position the motor manually by pressing the buttons on it, it would stop at roughly zero degrees and it would not turn further west. If I issue an USALS or GoTo command, it would start turning but it would also stop at roughly zero degrees and it would not continue turning further west.

I have disassembled and examined the motor but I have not noticed any apparent damage or irregularity.

I would therefore like to ask whether someone could perhaps give me some advice on what could potentially cause this kind of issue. It seems like some kind of software limitation is in place directly in the motor device and it would not allow it to turn past roughly zero degrees to western positions. But I am unaware of any way to set such limits directly on the motor device. And I have no limits in place in the software that I use to operate the motor from the receiver.

The only hardware limits this motor has are from roughly 80 degrees east to roughly 80 degrees west. But those are not user-configurable.

I have also tried to look for some way to reset the motor device but I was unable to find any. There is no reset button and I am unaware of any way to perform a reset via some DiSEqC command.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Regards
Peter Bašista

 

[Lazarus]

Reset on many motors is achieved by inserting a thin wire (straightened out paper clip) into a c. 1mm hole in the base of the motor. There are generally more than one such holes as some act as ventilation/drainage (anti-condensation). The required one is usually close too, or even under, the Rubber surrounding one of the manual operation buttons.

 

[Manikm909]

probably just a nackered motor (if reset dont work) - just get a cheap replacement from a local phaceb00k marketplace

"in for a penny"

 

[deeptho]

probably just a nackered motor (if reset dont work) - just get a cheap replacement from a local phaceb00k marketplace

"in for a penny"

Did you try the following, which is for DM3800?

1. completely unpower the motor (remove the cable to the receiver or power off all receivers as that is the only sure way)
2. simultaneously press east and west buttons during 5 seconds
3. Reconnect the cable

 

[Channel Hopper]

Satellite and full reset on Page 6

http://www.zora.com.mk/documents/DG240_User_Manual.pdf

 

[jeallen01]

Did you try the following, which is for DM3800?

1. completely unpower the motor (remove the cable to the receiver or power off all receivers as that is the only sure way)
2. simultaneously press east and west buttons during 5 seconds
3. Reconnect the cable

That's what also works with (some?) Dark Motors. It certainly works with the Superior Dark Motor under my 1.2M Gibby - which now needs it doing again as it won't go West past about 22/24W but, nowadays, I can't do that because of a severe spinal problem.

 

[deeptho]

That's what also works with (some?) Dark Motors. It certainly works with the Superior Dark Motor under my 1.2M Gibby - which now needs it doing again as it won't go West past about 22/24W but, nowadays, I can't do that because of a severe spinal problem.

I have always been wondering what the pressing of the two buttons actually achieves. It could be a way to just drain the device
of any remaining power (stored in the capacitors). In that case, waiting a long time before repowering could also reset the device.

The manual also describes a procedure using a receiver that allows sending commands
1. goto reference (or goto 0)
2. cut power by disconnecting coax (can be done at receiver side)
3. reconnect cable
4. execute command "shift 0". Not sure what this one is, but may be a diseqc1.2 command

 

[jeallen01]

I have always been wondering what the pressing of the two buttons actually achieves. It could be a way to just drain the device
of any remaining power (stored in the capacitors). In that case, waiting a long time before repowering could also reset the device.

The manual also describes a procedure using a receiver that allows sending commands
1. goto reference (or goto 0)
2. cut power by disconnecting coax (can be done at receiver side)
3. reconnect cable
4. execute command "shift 0". Not sure what this one is, but may be a diseqc1.2 command

I tried to do that some years ago but couldn't figure out how to do the "shift" command with the SX88/ SX88+ remotes.

If anyone can tell me how to do that then I (and probably quite a few other people!) will be very grateful !

 

[pbasista]

Hi, thank you everyone for all the suggestions. The motor now works correctly. TL;DR: All that was necessary to do was to reset it.

As I have mentioned earlier, there is no dedicated reset button on this motor device. I have examined it in detail while it was disassembled and apart from the two buttons for navigating east and west, it contains no other externally accessible microswitches.

BTW, it has three more internal microswitches to control the positioning limits of the main gear. One is indicating the westmost angle, the second is indicating zero angle and the third is indicating the eastmost angle. The motor itself or some of its transmission gears probably uses some hall sensors for precise monitoring of its movement.

As @deeptho has suggested and as the manual linked to by @Channel Hopper mentions, this motor device indeed does have the capability to perform a hardware reset by pressing both navigation buttons simultaneously. I have done that and afterwards the motor started to work correctly again. It can now navigate to any position between roughly 80 degrees west and 80 degrees east, using either USALS, GoTo function or manual movement by pressing the buttons on the motor device.

The linked manual also mentions that this motor device is supposed to have some kind of "Programmable Software Limit" feature. It seems like incorrect value of this limit might have been the root cause of this issue. I am unsure how those limits are supposed to be configured. I do not recall doing it explicitly. Perhaps the software which I typically use to control the motor device (i.e. Tvheadend) does this implicitly in some circumstances. I do not know.

In any case, thank you for all help.

 

[deeptho]

I tried to do that some years ago but couldn't figure out how to do the "shift" command with the SX88/ SX88+ remotes.

If anyone can tell me how to do that then I (and probably quite a few other people!) will be very grateful !

If only we even knew what "shift 0" means.
However there is a diseqc command called "reset microcontroller".
That means the following bytes are sent:

E0 00 00

You could try to send it with a pc card and an application like ebspro

It could also mean "select diseqc1.1 position 0" or something else.

 

[Manikm909]

Hi, thank you everyone for all the suggestions. The motor now works correctly. TL;DR: All that was necessary to do was to reset it.

As I have mentioned earlier, there is no dedicated reset button on this motor device. I have examined it in detail while it was disassembled and apart from the two buttons for navigating east and west, it contains no other externally accessible microswitches.

BTW, it has three more internal microswitches to control the positioning limits of the main gear. One is indicating the westmost angle, the second is indicating zero angle and the third is indicating the eastmost angle. The motor itself or some of its transmission gears probably uses some hall sensors for precise monitoring of its movement.

As @deeptho has suggested and as the manual linked to by @Channel Hopper mentions, this motor device indeed does have the capability to perform a hardware reset by pressing both navigation buttons simultaneously. I have done that and afterwards the motor started to work correctly again. It can now navigate to any position between roughly 80 degrees west and 80 degrees east, using either USALS, GoTo function or manual movement by pressing the buttons on the motor device.

The linked manual also mentions that this motor device is supposed to have some kind of "Programmable Software Limit" feature. It seems like incorrect value of this limit might have been the root cause of this issue. I am unsure how those limits are supposed to be configured. I do not recall doing it explicitly. Perhaps the software which I typically use to control the motor device (i.e. Tvheadend) does this implicitly in some circumstances. I do not know.

In any case, thank you for all help.

Well done. Good work. No new motor needed.

 

[jeallen01]

....The linked manual also mentions that this motor device is supposed to have some kind of "Programmable Software Limit" feature. It seems like incorrect value of this limit might have been the root cause of this issue. I am unsure how those limits are supposed to be configured. I do not recall doing it explicitly. Perhaps the software which I typically use to control the motor device (i.e. Tvheadend) does this implicitly in some circumstances. I do not know.

In any case, thank you for all help.

FWIW I've had the problem happen (at least!) 3 times with the DM under the Gibby and with several different receivers, and I don't ever remember setting either hardware or software limits - no need to as the dish isn't anywhere near anything it could hit before the motor gets to the ends of its physically possible arc, and I never tried to drive it past about 56E or 44E.

Personally, I suspect that either some receivers occasionally generate spurious signals that cause the problem, or maybe even that the motor is susceptible to "misreading" some genuine signals?

Also, I forgot to mention that my motor seems prone to the problem if it has been left unused for some time - so maybe there's a memory retention/corruption problem in the microcontroller if left unpowered for long periods?

 

[jeallen01]

If only we even knew what "shift 0" means.
However there is a diseqc command called "reset microcontroller".
That means the following bytes are sent:

E0 00 00

You could try to send it with a pc card and an application like ebspro

It could also mean "select diseqc1.1 position 0" or something else.

Wish I could try that but it'd be pushing my "mental capacity" rather too far to try ATM, as well as the fact that I haven't used the only device (a PC card in one of my desktops) that could possibly do that in over a year because firstly of "family" issues and now due to health problems of a much higher priority.

OTOH, I'd guess that someone else could possibly try out that solution?

 

[Channel Hopper]

I recall something about shift registers from college days, but it's all flip-flops now.

 

[Lazarus]

 

[Channel Hopper]

A project and a half.

more in the youtube channel.

 

[jeallen01]

A project and a half.

more in the youtube channel.

I don't think one of those shift registers would fit inside a DiSEqC motor casing.......................

 

[deeptho]

FWIW I've had the problem happen (at least!) 3 times with the DM under the Gibby and with several different receivers, and I don't ever remember setting either hardware or software limits - no need to as the dish isn't anywhere near anything it could hit before the motor gets to the ends of its physically possible arc, and I never tried to drive it past about 56E or 44E.

Personally, I suspect that either some receivers occasionally generate spurious signals that cause the problem, or maybe even that the motor is susceptible to "misreading" some genuine signals?

Also, I forgot to mention that my motor seems prone to the problem if it has been left unused for some time - so maybe there's a memory retention/corruption problem in the microcontroller if left unpowered for long periods?

I had a similar problem on my DM-3800. It could have been due to an accidental setting of a software limit (neumoDVB
can set them as well), or some bug in the firmware. At least the solution is cheaper than buying a new one...

 

[jeallen01]

I had a similar problem on my DM-3800. It could have been due to an accidental setting of a software limit (neumoDVB
can set them as well), or some bug in the firmware. At least the solution is cheaper than buying a new one...

Seems to me that quite a few DiSEqC motors (many of which are actually clones of one basic design under new names) appear to have used the same/similar microcontrollers, and thus with the same f/w bugs! Might be useful to build up a list of those motors so that other posters experiencing the same problem can rapidly understand and deal with it!

Thus, starting that list with :
- Alsat/Any other brand "Superior Dark Motor"
- Amiko DM2400
- ???

 

[pbasista]

Hi, FYI, I have created a Python tool called diseqc-tool for experimenting with custom DiSEqC commands. It should be possible to easily run it on any Linux-based receiver, notably on an Enigma2 receiver, without the need to install additional dependencies.

I have then performed a few experiments with the Amiko DM2400 positioner via this tool. The behavior that I have observed is the following:

1. This positioner indeed supports setting of the software limits via the standard DiSEqC commands 0xe03166 and 0xe03167.
2. It also supports clearing those limits via the standard DiSEqC command 0xe03163.
3. The DiSEqC commands which reset the microcontroller do not clear the limits.