Operation Manual LASER RANGE FINDER MODULE LRF MOD 4EC 105 Sparks Ave.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION Read prior to activation You have just purchased a sophisticated electro-optical device that emits invisible laser radiation. To operate it properly, please read this manual carefully. • NEVER direct laser beam at the eyes of people or animals • NEVER aim the unit at the Sun or bright sources of light • NEVER subject the unit to impacts • NEVER transport the unit without its case • NEVER disassemble the unit.
CONTENTS 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION............................................ 3 1.1 Principle of work ................................................. 4 1.2 Key Features ........................................................ 4 2. DEVICE APPEARANCE ........................................ 5 3. DELIVERY SET ...................................................... 7 3.1 Standard delivery set............................................ 7 3.2 Optional accessories ............................................ 7 4.
.14 Additional display information .......................... 22 6. BEST MEASURING TECHNIQUE...................... 23 7. Interconnectivity..................................................... 25 7.1 Connecting to computer..................................... 25 7.2 Data output protocol .......................................... 25 7.3 Additional communication features, for special orders only ..................................................................... 27 7.
CAREFULLY READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING! FAILURE TO OBEY THE INSTRUCTIONS WILL VOID THE WARRANTY AND MAY CAUSE INJURY! 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION The LRF Modules use the same electronics and optics as rangefinder monoculars and binoculars. These modules can add various range finding capabilities into host systems: distance & speed measurement, azimuth and elevation measurement.
Principle of work The Modules send invisible, eye safe laser pulses to the target. Pulses reflected from the target are captured and processed by the digital circuitry. The time-of-flight delay between the sent and received pulses allows calculating the distance to the target. A built-in digital compass/inclinometer of MOD 4EC measures target’s azimuth and elevation simultaneously with ranging.
2. DEVICE APPEARANCE 3 2 1 4 5 6 1 – Communication connector 3 – LRF cover 5 – Optical window 2 – Detachable eye-piece 4 – Desiccator 6 – Detachable camera Fig. 1.
6 7 8 1 9 5 2 3 4 Fig. 2.
3. DELIVERY SET Standard delivery set The unit is supplied in the following assembly: Qty 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 LRF MOD 4EC Eyepiece USB camera Compact disk with software Computer/power cable Operation manual Warranty card Hard case Connectors: Data/power connector LEMO Push-Pull Connector FGG.0B.309.CLAD52 Data and power connectors can be modified per individual order.
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Interface RS 232 interface. Power External power requirement 9V DC, 300 mA The unit is fully operational when voltage is higher than 7V. A ‘LOW BATTERY’ warning is displayed when voltage falls below 7.2V.
5. OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS Maximum distance Though maximum measurement distance depends on target reflectivity, weather conditions and other conditions, for most targets the unit will provide accurate ranging for up to 3,000 meters. In good conditions a highly reflective target can be measured up to 4,000 meters. Target reflectivity depends on its color, surface finish, size, shape, position in relation to the laser beam, etc. Bright target colors are more reflective than dark ones.
The correspondence between the pressing of the buttons and the signals sent via RS-232 is described in Interconnectivity, chapter 7. The rest of this manual describes measurement procedures and setting measurement parameters through pressing of the buttons. Measurement procedure When the Module is off the LCD is blank. To activate it press and hold for one second the Action (A) button. At start the module comes into the Ready to Measure mode indicated by the word ‘READY’ on the display.
Target selection logic On its way towards the target, laser beam may reflect from various objects, thus decreasing ranging accuracy. The smaller, the farther, and the less reflective is the target – the higher is the possibility of obtaining an incorrect measurement. To improve accuracy the unit has a built-in target selection logic, which allows choosing what target to range: the nearest (‘first’), the farthest (‘last’), or the most reflective (‘auto’).
To activate the Scanning regime press and hold the A button in Ready mode. The unit will work in the Scanning regime while the A button is pressed. Scanning or Individual Measurement regimes are available for any selected mode of measurement. When two parameters are measured in the Scanning regime though both will be quickly displayed, the second one may be difficult to register by eye. Nevertheless all data is recorded and may be recalled (see Data Recall mode for details.
2. In what units result of distance measurement is displayed: meters or yards, degrees or mils, km/h or mph, 3. What reticle shape is visible: rectangular or crosshair, and 4. Which target is selected: first, last or most reflective (see the Target selection logic (5.4) for more details). The Setup mode is described in more detail below.
Quick link to the Standard1 set of measurement parameters (display name: Std1), Quick link to Standard2 set of measurement parameters (display name: Std2), Setup mode (display name: COdE), Gating mode (display name: GAt), Data Recall mode (display name: rEc), Memory Clearance mode (display name: cLr), Interface selection mode (display name: -PC- or PLGr). Flashing display name indicates the mode which can be selected by pressing the A button.
Note: On a special request a menu of a particular unit can be simplified to show only required modes. Setup mode To modify the Ready to Measure mode parameters: Enter the Setup mode. With word Ready on the display press the M button till display name COdE is displayed and press the A button. Ready to Measure Standard1 Standard2 Ready Std 1 Std 2 Target selection logic Reticle Elevation Azimuth Speed Distance Mode Display name Select the desired parameter modification (see table below).
Setup COdE Cd1 M Cd2 Y Cd3 - ◦ Target selection logic Reticle Elevation Entrance into the Setup mode m NC yd NC Cd4 - Cd5 - ◦ Cd6 Cd7 Cd8 Cd9 -¦Cd 10 Cd 11 Cd 12 Cd 13 Cd 14KMH Cd 15MPH Azimuth Speed Distance Display name Mode yd Deg NC Mils NC Deg Deg NC Mils NC m NC Deg -¦- Auto NC -¦- NC NC NC NC Last NC First NC Auto NC kmh NC NC mph NC 17
Cd 16 Cd 17 Target selection logic Reticle Elevation Azimuth Speed Distance Display name Mode Display test Compass calibration Gating GAt Entrance into gating mode Data Recall Data Clearance Interface format rEc Recalls last 10 measurement sets cLr Clears all recorded data -PCPLGr or Selects PC or PLGR data format for output port Empty field means the parameter is not measured in this mode, NC means ‘no change’ to the measurement parameter setting.
Compass calibration If the Module was exposed to a strong magnetic field or was not in use for a long time, the compass accuracy may diminish. To bring the compass into working condition: Select Cd 17 in the Setup mode Keeping the unit horizontally, perform one full rotation around vertical axis within half a minute and then one full rotation around vertical axis with device upside down during half a minute. If one rotation does not restore calibration – perform two rotations.
Pressing the A button will activate shown on the LCD communication format. Gating mode In this mode the gating function is activated: user can set the minimal distance to the target; reflection from any object closer than the gating distance will be ignored. The Gating feature helps measuring remote targets in adverse atmospheric and environmental conditions by eliminating reflections from snowflakes, raindrops, industrial wires, branches, etc.
Data Recall mode In the Data Recall mode results of the last 10 measurements can be displayed. Measurement results are saved in on-board memory in sets depending on the parameters set for measuring, for instance, if only distance is measured - the set will consist of one number, if distance and azimuth are measured – the set will consist of two numbers. To enter the Data Recall mode press the M button in the Ready to Measure mode until rEc is displayed and then press the A button.
Display test mode Selecting Code 16 in the Setup mode will cause all display segments and indicators to flash for 8 seconds.
6. BEST MEASURING TECHNIQUE Laser range finder module measures distance by catching a laser beam reflected from the target. Everything that improves reflection increases the measurement reliability and maximum range. 1. Aim at a surface on the target that is closest to the perpendicular to the laser beam. The closer you get – the stronger will be the reflection. 2. The unit deploys sophisticated software that tries to understand which target you are aiming at.
distance estimation to cut off all objects closer than the chosen one. Note: the Gating setting is remembered by the System until altered. Therefore, if you forget to turn the gating off, the next time you start measuring it can ignore the desired object, if it is closer than the gating distance. The unit will display four dashes instead of the measurement results. “Over 100 meters” display indicator shows active gating.
7. Interconnectivity The unit supports RS-232 interface. Physical connection is performed through a connector specific to each order. The default connectors are described in Specifications. Connecting to computer The communication port must be initiated prior to connecting the unit. Data is transmitted as a hex string code with fixed baud rate of 9600 bit/sec, 8 bits, one stop bit, and no parity. If the port is connected and not initiated, the module will be activated immediately in scan mode.
The data string has the following structure (in Hex): b1 b2 b3 E4h b5 E4h 0Dh 0Ah, where: b1 – type of measurement; b2 – sign of measurement (1 – minus, 2 – plus); b3 – LSB of result; b5 – MSB of result Result of measurement = MSB * 256 + LSB In both standard modes, when three parameters are measured, the module will generate three data sequences in one block, where the first one presents results of distance measurement, the second – results of azimuth measurement, the third – result of inclination measurem
b11 – MSB of the result for the second type of measurement b15 – LSB of the result for the third type of measurement b17 – MSB of the result for the third type of measurement Marker E4h is used to separate numbers, 0Dh 0Ah – to separate data sets.
S1 – first symbol of the status menu S2 – second symbol of the status menu S3 – third symbol of the status menu or 21h S4 – 21h or 00h Examples of the LRF menu output: Output, Hex Output, ASCII 53h 54h 31h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 43h 4Fh 44h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 47h 41h 54h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 52h 45h 43h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 43h 4Ch 52h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 52h 44h 59h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 43h 31h 21h 00h 0Ah 0Dh 47h 31h 21h 00h 0Ah 0Dh ST1! LRF menu position Standard 1 COD! Code GAT! Gating REC! Recall CLR!
Output, Hex Output, ASCII 43h 31h 32h 21h 0Ah 0Dh 47h 32h 34h 21h 0Ah 0Dh C12! G24! LRF menu position Code 12 Gating over 2400 m Output connector pin layout and cable diagram By default for the output connector the module uses the connector as described in Specifications. This connector withstands high environmental loads and is designed for outdoor usage.
Figure 4. Cable diagram Connector and cable layout can be modified for specific customer needs. GPS interconnectivity The Modules can transmit the acquired data to a GPS receiver using the same output connector and the PLGR/DAGR protocol.
Another cable is required and can be supplied as an option. To work with GPS, perform the following steps: Switch to PLGr mode; Choose either Std1 or Std2 measuring mode; Connect the unit to and the GPS unit with the cable. For each measurement the GPS unit will display the absolute coordinates of your target. Note: If the module is not set initially to the Std1or Std2 modes, GPS connection will not operate properly.
8. STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE The unit is a sophisticated precision optical instrument equipped with laser and electronics. Therefore, it should be handled with due care. • Keep away from direct sunlight. • Avoid impacts, jolts, dust, moisture, and sharp changes of temperature. • Do not use the device at temperatures higher than 50oC (122oF). • Do not touch optical surfaces by hands. Doing so may damage the anti-reflection coating.
9. TROUBLESHOOTING Ranging does not work. Display is transparent. Check the power supply. Ranging does not work. Display indicates results of the last measurement. Wait for 8 seconds until the display becomes transparent, and press the Action button again. Black dots are visible on LCD. Liquid Crystal Display may have small black dots, scratches and other blemishes inherited from the manufacturing process.
10. WARRANTY NEWCON warrants this product against defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of the original purchase, but no more than 18 months from the date of manufacturing. Longer warranty is available, subject to the terms of the specific sales contract.
11. CUSTOMER SUPPORT Should you experience any difficulties with your NEWCON OPTIK product, consult the enclosed manual. If the problem remains unresolved, contact our customer support department at (416) 663-6963 or toll free at 1-877-368-6666. Our operating hours are 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday, Eastern Standard Time. At no time should equipment be sent back to Newcon without following the instructions of our technical support department. NEWCON OPTIK accepts no responsibility for unauthorized returns.
12. QUALITY CERTIFICATE MOD 4EC The unit has passed the quality inspection.
NEWCON OPTIK™ 2010
