DRAKE 100-2365, SCT860 Installation & Operation Manual

INSTALLATION IN THE SCT860

Looking at the SCT860 from the front panel, observe the right side of the unit.
Remove the three top screws as shown, three side screws, and three bottom screws holding the
right side of the case.

Remove the right side and then lay the transcoder on a flat surface laying on its left side.
Locate the 36 pin interface connector and remove the 11 jumpers that are in place. Keep these
jumpers for future use in case the 100-2365 board is ever removed.

Remove the original screw at location A.
Screw the standoff spacer, that is included with the option board, into the hole at location A.
Carefully remove the 100-2369 board from its static protection package.
Position the board as indicated and plug it into the 36 pin connector.

Reinstall the screw to fasten the Option Board to the spacer. Replace the right side cover and
screws.

FIRMWARE UPDATE REQUIRED

Install the "Fixed" version of the SCT860 operating firmware. This is provided on the included floppy
disk. Download via the RS-232 interface on the PS100. This firmware is also available on the CD­ROM included with the PS100.

OPERATION

Follow the instructions in the SCT860 instruction manual. Now that the 100-2365 board is installed,
the FIXED clock option may be selected and the output BD RATE (baud rate which is the symbol
rate) may be set. The original AUTO clock mode is still selectable, if desired.

Installation / Operation 2

INTRODUCTION

The 100-2365 board is used to add a fixed,
programmable, clock option to the SCT860
transcoder. Why is this needed? When the
standard SCT860 demodulates the satellite
signal and recovers the MPEG2 transport
stream, the data rate of this stream has been
determined at the satellite uplink. This data
rate, the FEC mode, required guard bands,
etc. have all been carefully selected to
optimize the use of a 27 MHz wide satellite
transponder and a 6 MHz wide 64 QAM
CATV channel. The resulting design
provides a transport stream bit rate of around
27 Mb/s. This bit rate results in a 64 QAM
symbol or baud rate of 5.057 MS/s. This rate
completely fills the 6 MHz channel. The
standard SCT860 does not modify the
transport stream and thus performs the
desired translation from the satellite channel
to the terrestrial QAM channel producing the
output rate as described above. Drake labels
this mode the ‘Auto Clock’ mode as the
output rate is automatically determined by
the received input signal data rate.

Sometimes there are reasons for the satellite
uplink to use a different data rate than that
which produces the 5.057 MS/sec, 64 QAM
data rate. For example, if 36 MHz wide
transponders are used, not all of the satellite
bandwidth is being utilized with only a
27 Mbps bit rate - a higher satellite rate is
possible to make maximum use of the
satellite bandwidth. If the satellite rate is
increased to make optimum use of the wider
satellite transponder, after transcoding, the
resulting output signal would exceed the
maximum 6 MHz CATV channel bandwidth. If
priority is given to utilizing all of the satellite
bandwidth then a higher order of CATV
modulation, such as 256 QAM, must be used
to accommodate the additional data rate on
the QAM output side OR some of the excess
data must either be deleted or split so as to
deliver it in two CATV channels.

3 TOP SCREWS

1

TM

Model 100-2365 Fixed Clock/Null Packet Stuffing Option Board (SCT860)

When it is not desirable to go to 256 QAM
modulation, one possibility, if some of the
information is not needed at any one receiver, is
to encode the uplinked signal such that all bits
from any one program source are coded to only
bits of the Q channel or the I channel. Then it is
possible to demodulate the satellite signal at the
transcoder and use only the I or Q side (SCT860
Split-I or Split-Q mode). The resulting data rate is
then below the available maximum capacity with
64 QAM modulation. The standard SCT860, in
auto clock mode, would output the resulting
reduced symbol rate signal at a symbol rate below
the 5.057 MS/s maximum rate but, unfortunately,
many set top boxes will only sync to the 5.057
maximum rate. This is where the 100-2365 board
is used. This option allows the user to select a
‘Fixed Clock’ mode. The desired output symbol
rate (such as 5.057 MS/s) can be programmed.
The 100-2365 option will then add MPEG2 null
packets to the transport stream (sometimes called
‘null packet stuffing’) as needed to increase the
symbol rate to the one programmed. The set top
box will just ignore the extra null packets.

By using two SCT860 transcoders with the
100-2365 option to receive the same satellite
transcoder (using split mode) and setting one for
the ‘Split-I’ mode and one for the ‘Split-Q’ mode,
the entire satellite payload can be split between
two different CATV 64 QAM channels thus
transcoding all of the satellite program services. It
is necessary for the signal to be uplinked in the
split mode in order for this process to work.

REMOVE 11 JUMPERS FROM THE 36 PIN CONNECTOR

LOCATION A

PLUG INTERFA CE
HEADER INTO 36 PIN
CONNECTOR

TIGHTEN SCREW
INTO SPACER

Warranty 4

3 Service

THREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTYTHREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

THREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTYTHREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

THREE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

R.L. DRAKE COMPANY warrants to the original purchaser this product shall be free from defects in material or workmanship for three (3)
years from the date of original purchase.

During the warranty period the R.L. DRAKE COMPANY or an authorized Drake service facility will provide, free of charge, both parts and
labor necessary to correct defects in material and workmanship. At its option, R.L. DRAKE COMPANY may replace a defective unit.

To obtain such warranty service, the original purchaser must:

(1)(1)

(1)(1)

(1) Retain invoice or original proof of purchase to establish the start of the warranty period.
(2)(2)

(2)(2)

(2) Notify the R.L. DRAKE COMPANY or the nearest authorized service facility, as soon as possible after discovery of a possible defect,

of:
(a) the model and serial number,
(b) the identity of the seller and the approximate date of purchase; and
(c) A detailed description of the problem, including details on the electrical connection to associated equipment and the list of such
equipment.

(3)(3)

(3)(3)

(3) Deliver the product to the R.L. DRAKE COMPANY or the nearest authorized service facility, or ship the same in its original container

or equivalent, fully insured and shipping charges prepaid.
Correct maintenance, repair, and use are necessary to obtain proper performance from this product. Therefore carefully read the Instruction

Manual. This warranty does not apply to any defect that R.L. DRAKE COMPANY determines is due to:

(1)(1)

(1)(1)

(1) Improper maintenance or repair, including the installation of parts or accessories that do not conform to the quality and specifications

of the original parts.

(2)(2)

(2)(2)

(2) Misuse, abuse, neglect or improper installation.
(3)(3)

(3)(3)

(3) Accidental or intentional damage.

All implied warranties, if any, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, terminate three (3) years from the
date of the original purchase.

The foregoing constitutes R.L. DRAKE COMPANY’S entire obligation with respect to this product, and the original purchaser shall have no
other remedy and no claim for incidental or consequential damages, losses or expenses. Some states do not allow limitations on how long
an implied warranty lasts or do not allow the exclusions or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation and
exclusion may not apply to you.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. This warranty shall be
construed under the laws of Ohio.

R.L. DRAKE COMPANY

230 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE

FRANKLIN, OHIO 45005 U.S.A.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PARTS TELEPHONE: [phone]

TELEFAX: [phone]

WORLD WIDE WEB SITE: http://www.rldrake.com

TM is a trademark of the R.L. Drake Company

® is a registered trademark of the R.L. Drake Company

© Copyright 2003 R.L. Drake Company P/N: 3852365B-12-2003 Printed in the U.S.A.

SERVICE INFORMATION

You may contact the R.L. DRAKE Service Department
for additional information or assistance by calling
[phone], Monday through Friday, between
8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time, except on
holidays.

You may also contact the R.L. DRAKE Service Depart­ment by E-mail at the following address:
[e-mail]
or by Telefax:
[phone].

IF YOU NEED TO CALL FOR HELP

Call our Customer Service/Technical Support line at
[phone] between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.
Eastern Time, weekdays. Please hav e the unit’ s serial
number available. We will also need to know the
specifics of any other equipment connected to the unit.
When calling, please have the unit up and running, near
the phone if possible. Our technician(s) will likely ask
certain questions to aid in diagnosis of the problem.
Also, have a voltmeter handy, if possible.

R.L. DRAKE also provides technical assistance by
e-mail: T [e-mail]
or by Telefax: [phone].

Many of the products that are sent to us for repair are in
perfect working order when we receive them. For these
units, there is a standard checkout fee that you will be
charged. Please perform whatever steps are applicable
from the installation sections of the Owner's Manual
before calling or writing—this could save unnecessary
phone charges. Please do not return the unit without
contacting R.L. DRAKE first: it is pref erred to help
troubleshoot the problem over the phone (or by mail)
first, saving you both time and money.

Inside the carton, enclose a note with your name,
address, daytime phone number, and a description of
the unit’s problem.
The unit must be sent to the following address:

Service Department
R.L. DRAKE COMP ANY
230 Industrial Drive
Franklin, Ohio 45005 U.S.A.

Be sure to include your street address which will be
needed for UPS return. UPS Surface (Brown Label)
takes 7-10 days to reach us depending on your
location, Blue takes 2-3 days.

Should you want to return your unit for service,
package the unit carefully using the original carton or
other suitable container.

Write your return address clearly on the shipping carton
and on an enclosed cover letter describing the service
required, symptoms or problems. Also include your
daytime telephone number and a copy of your proof of
purchase.

The unit will be serviced under the terms of the
R.L. DRAKE COMPANY Limited Warranty and
returned to you.

Red is an overnight service. Send the unit in a way that
it can be traced if we can’t verify receipt of shipment.
We suggest UPS or insured postal shipment.

If the unit is still under the original owner’s warranty,
R.L. DRAKE will pay the cost of the return shipment to
you. Our return shipping policy is that we will return it
UPS Brown if received Brown or by US Mail, it will be
returned Blue if received Blue or Red—or it will be
returned however you prefer if you furnish the return
cost for the method you select.
If the unit is out of warranty, use one of the f ollo wing
methods for return shipment:

1) You designate billing to American ExPress, VISA,
MasterCard or Discover card;

2) You prepay the service charges with a personal
check, or

3) You specify some other method of return and
payment.

When calling, the technician can estimate the repair
charges for you over the phone. This is another good
reason to call before sending a unit in for repair.
Typically, equipment is repaired in five to ten working
days after it arrives at R.L. DRAKE if we have all the
facts. If we must call you, it ma y tak e longer . R.L.
DRAKE is not responsible for damage caused by
lightning, nonprofessional alterations, “acts of God”,
shipping damage, poor storage/handling, etc. R.L.
DRAKE will make note of any shipping damage upon
receipt.

Y ou will need to send proof of purchase to receiv e
warranty service. Typically , a cop y of the invoice from an
R.L. DRAKE dealer will suffice. The warranty is for the
original owner only and is not transferable.