DiSEqC relies only upon a coaxial cable to transmit both bidirectional data/signals and power. DiSEqC is commonly used to control switches and motors, and is more flexible than 13/18 volt and 22 kHz tone or ToneBurst/MiniDiSEqC techniques. DiSEqC is also compatible with the actuators used to rotate large C band dishes if used with a DiSEqC positioner. DiSEqC uses a pulsed (tone-burst) 22 kHz sine-wave at 0.65 V (± 0.25 V)[2]peak to peak.

The "Di" (digital) part of the name refers to the digital nature of the signals used by the protocol and does not imply anything about the transmission that the dish is used to receive; DiSEqC may be used with both digital or analogue satellite systems.