DiSEqC

DiSEqC, or Digital Satellite Equipment Control, is a family of electrical signaling standards used to control devices on a satellite installation. It enables a satellite receiver to switch and control peripheral equipment such as LNBs, band-pass filters, multiswitches, and rotor motors, from a single coaxial cable that also carries the RF signal. The goal is to provide a simple, interoperable method for selecting among multiple satellites, polarizations, bands, and other options without separate remote controls or signal lines.

DiSEqC was developed to standardize the communication between a DVB set-top box and peripheral equipment and has since been released in several versions. The 1.x family provides basic one-way command sets for device selection and simple switching scenarios, such as multiswitches and LNB power/band switching. The 2.x family introduces bidirectional communication and supports more capable devices and higher data rates, enabling more advanced installations and diagnostics. The standard is designed to operate over the same 75-ohm coaxial cable used to carry the satellite signal, with commands embedded in the carrier or as out-of-band signaling depending on the version.

Because DiSEqC is not mandatory for all devices and because multiple manufacturers implement different subsets of features, compatibility is best ensured by using devices and receivers that explicitly advertise support for the same DiSEqC version.

Common uses include selecting among multiple satellites by switching between LNBs, controlling a motorized dish, and routing signals through multiswitches. In practice, many installations combine DiSEqC with other standards such as USALS for rotor control and DVB-S/S2 for signaling.