Precision-Drive Antenna Systems

Quasonix Precision Drive 6-foot antennas (PD450)

Flexibility, Durability, and Innovation

Quasonix offers a series of Precision Drive (PD) pedestals utilizing reflectors from 3 feet to 20 feet in diameter, which can be easily integrated with RF and optical payloads for a wide range of telemetry tracking applications.  The PD series of positioners and the ACU1000 antenna control unit (ACU) are designed and manufactured to operate in extreme environments, incorporating modular designs and industrial grade products, conceived with long service life, minimal maintenance and robust performance in mind.

Innovations include advanced L/S/C-band E-scan feeds, improved Cassegrain design with vertex positioned feed, HyperTrack™ accurate digital tracking, advantageous use of new SEGR and IRIG DQM and DQE, new interference filtering and mitigation, advanced Target Simulation, new Ground Station Analyzer, iNet compatibility, EVTM (Ethernet Via Telemetry), TDD (Time Division Duplex uplink), and more.

Key Features

  • Complete Tracking Antenna Systems 
    Quasonix offers the entire system: pedestals, reflectors, feeds, motors, servos, slip rings, acquisition aids, and the industry’s most full-featured antenna control unit—all backed by the legendary Quasonix technical support 
  • Modular Pedestal Design 
    Robust tracking systems are available to support reflectors from 3 feet to 20 feet in diameter; Quasonix has right-sized antennas for fixed, mobile, or portable applications 
  • Plano-Centric Drive Systems 
    Advanced design delivers positioning accuracy and repeatability to 0.01 degrees; sealed gearbox housings require no adjustments and have provided flawless operation for 20 years—and still counting 
  • Simultaneous Transmit and Receive 
    Quasonix offers simultaneous tracking on downlink signals with uplink transmission to the target vehicle; user has independent selection of antenna polarization, as well as the RF transmit/receive bands 
  • Antenna Control Unit (ACU) 
    Accepts pointing data from remote customer slave sources; server based local ACU allows for slaving of one PD series to another and enables tracking from user provided files of predicted or projected data 
  • Conical Scanning or Electronic Scanning 
    Bulletproof conical scanning provides the lowest cost and highest possible C/T, while electronic scanning mitigates tracking jitter due to signal modulation induced by motion of the target vehicle 
  • Seamless Multi-band Operation 
    Covers Lower L, Upper L, S, and C bands all in one unit; no feed swapping

Related Literature

TypeTitleUpdatedDescription

HyperTrack™ Antenna CatalogNov-2022

Features of the HyperTrack™ line of telemetry antennas and the accompanying HyperTrack™ Antenna Control Unit (HTAC), plus available feeds and specifications.

Antenna Control Unit ManualFeb-2021

Installation, setup, and use of the Antenna Control Unit (ACU) Graphical User Interface (GUI), for controlling Quasonix pedestal and portable telemetry antennas. Software Version 0.10.38

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