Laser Scanning - RIEGL miniVUX-HA (With UTC) - 20

RIEGL miniVUX-HA (Network) (XML) 

Freebase/TCP/IP/UDP 

Freebase 

Yes

Input/Output 

DrvLaser.exe RIEGL_MINIVUX-HA

Connected

Select Yes to connect (using TCP/IP) to the so-called LRC Server of the Laser Scanner.

Under normal circumstances a successful connection will be established within a second. The driver will automatically disconnect when going offline, but you may also do this manually prior quitting.

Notice the long timeout when no network connection can be made: it may take up to 20 seconds before you can continue. This may happen for example when the laser unit is still switched off or when the used IP address is not correct.

After this timeout you will be informed in the Events list with a possible reason. So if it takes considerable more time, please check your network cable/setup/configuration.

Action

This is the only setting that does not require to press the Apply or OK button after a change: selected action will be sent immediately to the laser unit.

Note that you must be connected first in order to select an action.

Any selection will always revert back to [ None ] after each selected action.

It is recommended to wait a few moments after each action, until the status in the Events list is updated with a message, because it takes some time for the unit to handle each command (action).

• [ None ]
  This will be the selection after each action. Nothing will happen when you hit the Apply or OK button.

• Start
  Select this action in order to start scanning.
  Note that it may take a few seconds before the first data is received, so be patient for some seconds.

• Stop
  Select this action in order to stop scanning. Scanning will be stopped immediately.
  The laser will also stop scanning automatically when going offline with the Controller.

• [ View Daily Log File ]
  This will open the daily laser log file using the standard Windows text editor, e.g. Notepad.

• [ REBOOT ]
  Select this action to reboot the laser unit, which is comparable to the sequence of a shutdown followed by a power up. Please note that it takes several minutes before the unit is up and running, prior to re-connecting.

• [ SHUTDOWN ]
  This action will switch off the unit.
  Normally you select this action at the end of the day when your job has finished.

Scanner Mounting

This is an important setting and it informs the driver how the scanner is physically mounted on the vehicle, with respect to its heading.
This setting is used i.c.w. the mounting alignment corrections (roll, pitch and heading offset) from your database system setup. 
It means that when the selected scanner mounting is correct, your alignment corrections will be around zero.

• Forward (Cable Starboard)
  Select this when the scanner is mounted horizontally in a forward direction and the interface cable is pointing side ways to starboard. The led indicators are at port side.

• Backward (Cable Portside)
  Select this when the scanner is mounted horizontally in a backward direction. The interface cable is then at port side of the vehicle direction and the led indicators are then at starboard side.

Further when the scanner is not horizontal but a bit tilted with an angle then you should enter this angle in the template database setup as mounting correction angle offset.

Vertical Area Selection

Scanner head rotates 360 degrees every line at high speed.

Field of View: 0 degree means looking up, 180 degree means looking down, 90 degree looking left, 270 degree looking right.

Very useful setting to exclude data which is not meaningful for your survey.
For example if you are only interested in scanning the quaysides then you should consider selecting scheme Narrow / Wide Horizon.

• Visible
  All data will be accepted (entire FOV of 360°)

• Below Horizon
  Only data below the horizon field will be accepted

• Narrow Horizon
  Only data around the horizon field will be accepted with a FOV of 20° (-10° - 10°)

• Wide Horizon
  Only data around the horizon field will be accepted with a FOV of 50°
  (-25° - 25°)

• Starboard
  Only data at starboard side will be accepted

• Port
  Only data at port side will be accepted

• Starboard - Wide Horizon
  Only data at starboard side will be accepted with a FOV of 50°

• Port - Wide Horizon
  Only data at port side will be accepted with a FOV of 50°

Note that the above labels do assume a normal horizontal mounted scanner. If your scanner is mounted with a large roll or pitch correction angle then expected results may be different.

Excluded data d/t this setting will not be recorded

Scan Rate

Select the required scanner measurement rate, i.e number of points / sec.

• Normal (100 kHz)
  The theoretical maximum number of points/ sec will be 100 thousand.

• Medium (200 kHz)
  The theoretical maximum number of points / sec will be 200 thousand.

• High (300 kHz)
  The theoretical maximum number of points / sec will be 300 thousand.

Note that some combinations with Scan Resolution may not be possible but if that’s the case you will be informed in the events list.

Scan Resolution

Select the required vertical angle resolution.

• Highest (0.036 deg)

• Higher (0.048 deg)

• High (0.084 deg) - Default

• Medium High (0.108 deg)

• Medium (0.156 deg)

• Medium Low (0.204 deg)

• Low (0.252 deg)

• Ultra Low (0.300 deg)

The resulting speed of the scans (scans / sec) depends on a combination of the scan rate and the scan resolution.

Use the following table to see what the results will be for all the possible Scan Rate / Scan Resolution combinations:

Note that some combinations with Scan Rate may not be possible but if that’s the case you will be informed in the events list.

Minimum Range

Set the minimum required range in meters. Valid Values: 1 to 270 meters.

Using this setting is recommended, but be careful: Blocked data due to this setting (i.e. all pixels less than this range) will not be recorded!

Maximum Range

Set the maximum allowed range in meters. Valid Values: 1 to 270 meters.

Using this setting is recommended, but be careful: Blocked data due to this setting (i.e. all pixels more than this range) will not be recorded!

Multi Target Measurement

One emitted laser pulse may hit one or several targets, causing one or several echo pulses.
For example the first return is from a tree-leaf, an interior return type comes from another leaf, and a possible last return type because of hitting the wall.

Select here the type of echo pulse you want to decode.

Notice that blocked data due to this setting will not be recorded.

Modify Intensity Echo types

When enabled, the original reported intensity and quality value for interior and last echo types will be modified.

Note that the value for first and single echo types are never modified.

Store Laser Location

If enabled, an additional pixel with a zero co-ordinate (relative) will be added to each line scan, in order to indicate the exact laser scanner location in the resulting point cloud.

This extra pixel will always have beam number 1 and its intensity/quality value will be zero.

Use PPS

Note that this setting is only available when laser driver '...(With UTC)' has been selected in your template setup.

When enabled, the scanner needs a valid NMEA message and PPS pulse from an external GNSS receiver.

The exact I/O parameters from this external GNSS need to be defined using the following settings below.

PPS Trigger Edge

Select the used trigger edge of the external GNSS PPS pulse.

• Positive

• Negative

It depends on the external GNSS receiver being used and you should therefore consult the receiver manual.

This setting is only available when using Time Synchronization from an External GPS.

GPS Baudrate

Select the baud rate of the external GNSS receiver connected to the scanner

This setting is only available when using Time Synchronization from an External GPS.

GPS Format

Select the format of the external Time message that goes to the scanner:

This setting is only available when using Time Synchronization from an External GPS.

• NMEA GGA

• NMEA ZDA

• IGI ($TOPAL)
  For this format it is important to set the correct 'UTC to GPS Correction' (leap-second) in your template setup (As of Jan 1, 2017, this value is 18 sec.)

PPS Pulse/Data Sequence

Select if the external Time Synchronization pulse comes before the GPS data string, or vice versa.

• PPS Pulse First

• GPS Data First

This setting is only available when using Time Synchronization from an External GNSS.

Session Storage Format Specifier

This format specifier can be used in combination with the Controller Session Storage Format Specifier #E.

The following specifiers are supported (plus your own free text):

#N: Name of the system (as defined in the template database setup)
#V: Vertical Area Selection
#E: Scan Rate
#F: Scan Resolution
#R: Range limits
#T: Multi Target Measurement
#P: Using PPS

The format specifiers are case-sensitive. If you use lower-case then only a value or index number will be displayed.

So if you use #E in the Session Storage Setup the filename of the new recorded databases will automatically contain the scanner settings that you were using.