Antenna tracking systems for satellite communication terminals · Beacon, carrier, DVB and program tracking, tracking receivers and antenna control units, stabilised VSAT and satcom-on-the-move pedestals, azimuth and elevation range, ship motion, gyro and GNSS input, drive-away deploy and stow, pointing accuracy and modem interfaces
A satellite antenna tracking system keeps a ground, vehicle or ship antenna pointed at a satellite: a tracking receiver measures the strength or quality of a satellite signal, an antenna control unit (ACU) drives the azimuth, elevation and polarisation axes of the pedestal toward the peak, and on moving platforms gyro and GNSS sensors stabilise the beam against vehicle motion. Ask three things first: whether the terminal is fixed, transportable (drive-away or flyaway) or used on the move, which tracking method and signal the system will lock to, and what motion, pointing accuracy and modem interfaces the link requires.
Tracking and pointing systems for satellite communication antennas: tracking receivers, antenna control units, motorised and stabilised pedestals for VSAT, earth-station and satcom-on-the-move terminals, and automatic deploy, acquire and stow mechanisms of drive-away antennas. Solar trackers, GPS vehicle trackers, optical and motion-capture trackers, radar tracking, spacecraft deployment mechanisms and the satellite modems themselves are outside this page except where compared.
01
Antesky, a Chinese maker of earth-station, VSAT, flyaway and drive-away antennas and their control and tracking systems, lists five pointing modes for satellite terminal antennas: beacon tracking, carrier tracking, reference-satellite tracking, program tracking and manual tracking. In beacon tracking the terminal detects the power of a narrowband, fixed-frequency beacon that the satellite transmits continuously. In DVB tracking a DVB tracking receiver or demodulator estimates the carrier-to-noise ratio of the service carrier and passes it to the ACU over RS-232/485 or Ethernet; the ACU scans a small range in azimuth and elevation, records C/N at each angle, takes the maximum as the aligned position and keeps making fine adjustments. Antesky says this reflects signal quality more accurately than power detection. [1]
Its beacon tracking receiver accepts 950–1600 MHz L-band input at −80 to −40 dBm (50 Ω, VSWR ≤1.5:1), captures within ±200 kHz in 50 kHz steps in 1 s or less, outputs a 0–10 V DC level with a slope of 0.16 V/dB, uses PLL frequency synthesis and digital step attenuation, can tell the beacon from a co-frequency carrier, offers RS-232 monitoring, operates at −20 to +60 °C and comes in a 19-inch 1U chassis on 220 V/50 Hz. [2]
Antesky's ATSK-805 antenna controller is described as an ACU that points the antenna manually or automatically at the satellite, built on an ARM9 microprocessor with an RJ45 interface, and its beacon receiver panel takes setup by keyboard, LCD or a DB9 serial port, with parameters customisable for different satellites. [3]
Editorial note: beacon tracking needs a satellite beacon in the receive band; carrier or DVB tracking uses the traffic carrier; program tracking follows computed satellite positions without a signal. Ask which modes the controller supports and which the satellite operator recommends.
Give the supplier the antenna size and band, satellite(s) and whether they carry a beacon, tracking modes wanted, tracking receiver input (L-band level and frequency) and the modem or demodulator that can report C/N, controller interfaces, and the site or platform.
02
Cobham's SAILOR 900 VSAT Ku product sheet describes a maritime terminal with a 103 cm ring-focus reflector on a 3-axis (plus auto skew) stabilised tracking pedestal with integrated GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou). It lists azimuth range unlimited through a rotary joint, elevation −25° to +125°, ship motion of roll ±30°, pitch ±15° and yaw ±10°, ship turning rate and acceleration of 15°/s and 15°/s², linear accelerations up to ±2.5 g, automatic satellite acquisition with gyro/GPS compass input (gyro-free operation supported), eight programmable no-transmit zones, and a tracking receiver covering all bands and modulation types plus modem RSSI. [5]
Its 1U 19-inch ACU (4.2 kg) connects to the above-deck unit by a single 50 Ω coax carrying Rx, Tx and DC power, and offers Ethernet, RS-422 and RS-232 modem control, NMEA 0183 gyro/GPS input and OpenAMIP, ROSS ROAM and other modem protocols; two antennas can share one modem with switch-over in 20 ms. The above-deck unit is IP56, operates in 80 kt wind (110 kt survival) at −25 to +55 °C, weighs 126.5–137 kg and the system draws 320 W typical and 480 W peak from 100–240 VAC. [5]
For transportable terminals, Antesky lists drive-away antennas from 1.2 m to 7.3 m in C and Ku band with manual or motorised drive, including vehicle-mounted and trailer-mounted deployable kit earth terminals. [4]
Editorial calculation: at 11.7 GHz the wavelength is about 25.6 mm, so a 1.03 m dish has a half-power beamwidth of roughly 70 × 0.0256 ÷ 1.03 ≈ 1.7° (rule-of-thumb 70λ/D). Using the approximation loss ≈ 12 × (error ÷ beamwidth)² dB, a 0.2° pointing error costs about 0.16 dB; the loss rises with frequency and dish size, so ask for the system's pointing accuracy at your band and motion. [5]
03
The manufacturer card below states what the reviewed source shows.
04
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking receiver | Measures beacon or carrier level or C/N. [2] [1] | Input band, level range, capture. |
| Antenna control unit (ACU) | Computes and commands pointing. [3] [5] | Modes, interfaces, modem protocols. |
| Pedestal and drives | Move azimuth, elevation and polarisation axes. [5] [4] | Axis ranges, motorised or manual. |
| Stabilisation sensors | Gyro and GNSS input against motion. [5] | Gyro, GNSS, motion envelope. |
| Rotary joint and cabling | Pass RF and power through rotating axes. [5] | Unlimited azimuth, cable type. |
| Deploy and stow mechanism | Raise and stow a vehicle antenna. [4] | Drive, stow position, vehicle mount. |
| Radome | Protects the moving antenna. [5] | IP rating, wind rating. |
05
A tracking system quotation needs values for your antenna, platform and link. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Azimuth range (°) | Unlimited via rotary joint on one maritime terminal. [5] | Azimuth travel and cable wrap. |
| Elevation range (°) | −25° to +125° on one maritime terminal. [5] | Elevation travel. |
| Pointing accuracy (°) | Ask: not stated in the reviewed sources; about 0.16 dB loss at 0.2° on a 1 m Ku dish by editorial calculation. [5] | Pointing and tracking accuracy. |
| Tracking speed (°/s) | Ship turning 15°/s and 15°/s² handled by one terminal. [5] | Axis rates and accelerations. |
| Platform motion | Roll ±30°, pitch ±15°, yaw ±10°, ±2.5 g. [5] | Motion envelope for your vehicle or ship. |
| Tracking method | Beacon, carrier, DVB C/N, reference-satellite, program, manual. [1] | Modes supported. |
| Tracking receiver input | 950–1600 MHz, −80 to −40 dBm, ±200 kHz capture ≤1 s. [2] | Band, level and capture range. |
| Controller interfaces | RS-232/485, Ethernet; NMEA 0183; OpenAMIP. [1] [5] | Modem and sensor interfaces. |
| Operating temperature (°C) | −20 to +60 °C receiver; −25 to +55 °C antenna. [2] [5] | Ranges for indoor and outdoor units. |
| Power supply | 220 V/50 Hz receiver; 100–240 VAC, 320 W typical system. [2] [5] | Supply and consumption. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Antenna: [size; band; fixed, drive-away, flyaway or on-the-move] Satellite: [orbit; beacon frequency or carrier; polarisation] Tracking: [modes; receiver input; accuracy] Platform: [vehicle or ship; motion; gyro and GNSS] Interfaces: [modem; protocol; remote control] Supply: [power; environment; quantity]
The manufacturer below lists satcom-on-the-move antenna systems on its own website; each card links to the page reviewed. Confirm ratings, materials and approvals for your order.
Lists vehicle-, ship- and airborne satcom-on-the-move terminals and portable communication stations under satellite communication.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
Beacon tracking peaks on the power of a satellite beacon; DVB tracking uses the carrier-to-noise ratio of the service carrier reported by a DVB receiver. [1]
One 1 m Ku terminal lists unlimited azimuth, −25° to +125° elevation and ship roll ±30°, pitch ±15° and yaw ±10° with gyro and GNSS input. [5]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. The archived Antesky pages describe one maker's tracking products and methods and the Cobham sheet one maritime terminal; performance for your terminal must come from the system offered.
Ask for use case, specification boundaries, supplier type, and RFQ preparation information for this product.
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