Quick Start Guide

4/30/2018 PhidgetSpatial 3/3/3 Basic - 1042_0B at Phidgets
https://www.phidgets.com/?tier=3&catid=10&pcid=8&prodid=1025 8/9
Navigate to the Phidgets installation folder on your computer. Open the 'examples' folder and find the Compass Calibrator program.
Start the program and find the link in the Settings/Status text box. Go to the website listed. (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag-
web/#igrfwmm)
Select your country and city. Click 'Get Location' and then 'Compute'. A table of values will show up in an overlaid window. The
value you will need is the 'Total Field' value in nT.
Enter the magnetic field value into the calibration program. Note that it wants the field strength in Gauss, not nT like the website
gives you. 1T = 10000 Gauss so you can divide by 1x10^5 to convert to Gauss.
Depending on what your application is this step as well as the next step might be a bit different. If you are intending on mounting
the 1042 onto a large vehicle such as a car then you should mount the 1056 securely to the vehicle in its final intended position
then check the 2-axis bubble, click the 'Start' button.
If you are using a smaller, more easily handled vehicle such as a small robot (something you could physically pick up) you will
mount the 1042 and use the 3-axis calibration instead. Click 'Start'.
Rotate the compass around (including whatever equipment you have mounted it to) such that the red dots being generated on
screen outline as much of a full sphere (in 3-axis) as possible. This will take several minutes. Being perfect is not necessary but try
to be as thorough as time permits. Once done, click stop.
If you are in a large vehicle, you will be aiming to fill out a disc instead of a sphere. This can be done by simply driving around for a
few minutes making sure to do complete turns in the process.