Northern Digital Passive Polaris Vega User manual

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
Revision 6, Part # IL-1070257
November 2017

Copyright 2016-2017 Northern Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Revision Status
Revision
Number Date Description
1 24-Aug-2016 First release
2 30-Sept-2016 Updated volume diagram in section 1.1
Minor edits made based on initial customer feedback
Added active wireless tool specification in section 4.6
Removed position sensor chirp signal specification from
section 4.6
Added section 2.6: Connecting to a system
3 19-Oct-2016 Revised section 2.6: Connecting to a system
4 03-Nov-2016 Updated ToolBox installation instructions for Linux
5 11-July-2017 Updated to include the video camera
6 27-Nov-2017 Changed the warning that the system should not be connected
to any host computer that is not IEC 60950 and/or IEC 60601
approved to include the same requirement for the network
connection
Part #: IL-1070257

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
Published by:
Northern Digital Inc.
103 Randall Dr.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2V 1C5
Telephone: + [phone]
Toll Free: + [phone]
Global: + (800) 634 634 00
Facsimile: + [phone]
Website: www.ndigital.com
Copyright 2016-2017 Northern Digital Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, distributed, modi-
fied, merged or translated into any language in any form by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
including but not limited to photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems - with-
outthe priorwritten consent of NorthernDigital Inc. Certain copying of the software included herein is unlawful.
Refer to your software license agreement for information respecting permitted copying.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITIES
Northern Digital Inc. has taken due care in preparing this document and the programs and data on the elec-
tronic media accompanying this document including research, development, and testing.
This document describes the state of Northern Digital Inc.’s knowledge respectingthe subject matter herein at
the time of its publication, and may not reflect its state of knowledge at all times in the future. Northern Digital
Inc. has carefully reviewed this document for technical accuracy. If errors are suspected, the user should con-
sultwith NorthernDigital Inc. prior to proceeding. NorthernDigitalInc.makesno expressedor implied warranty
of any kind with regard to this document or the programs and data on the electronic media accompanying this
document.
Northern Digital Inc. makes no representation, condition or warranty to the user or any other party with respect
to the adequacy of this document or accompanying media for any particular purpose or with respectto its ade-
quacy to produce a particular result. The user’s right to recover damages caused by fault or negligence on the
part of Northern Digital Inc. shall be limited to the amount paid by the user to Northern Digital Inc. for the provi-
sion of this document. In no event shall Northern Digital Inc. be liable for special, collateral, incidental, direct,
indirectorconsequentialdamages,losses,costs,charges,claims, demands, or claimforlostprofits, data, fees
or expenses of any nature or kind.
Productnames listed aretrademarks of theirrespective manufacturers.Company nameslistedare trademarks
or trade names of their respective companies.
The Passive Polaris Vega System includes software that is distributed under the GPL v2 licence. NDI will pro-
vide, on request, and for a nominal fee, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code.
For details on the GPL v2 licence refer to http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html.

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide

Table of Contents
Passive Polaris Vega User Guide i
Table of Contents
Read Me First! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Disclaimers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
1 Passive Polaris Vega System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 System Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 System Configuration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Host Computer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.5 Ethernet Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.6 Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.7 Cables and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.8 Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.9 NDI Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2 Setting Up the Passive Polaris Vega System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.1 Unpacking the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 Operating Environment Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 Mounting the Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4 Connecting the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.5 Application Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.6 Connecting to a System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3 Tutorial: Learning to Use the Passive Polaris Vega System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
3.1 Getting Started: Tracking Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2 Triggering Information and Error Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.3 Setting a Tool as Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.4 Determining the Tool Tip Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Table of Contents
ii Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
4 How the Passive Polaris Vega System Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.1 Communicating with the Passive Polaris Vega System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2 Information Returned by the Passive Polaris Vega System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.3 Global Coordinate System and Measurement Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.4 Marker Detection and Tool Tracking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.5 Sampling Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.6 Passive Polaris Vega System Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.7 Tool Definition File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.8 Tool Tracking Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.9 Tool Tip Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4.10 Reference Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.11 Stray Marker Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.12 Phantom Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.13 System Spectral Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.14 Data Transmission Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5 Additional System Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.1 Bump Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.2 Positioning Laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5.3 Keyed Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
6 Video Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.1 Video Streaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.2 Lighting Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
6.3 Resolution Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
6.4 Other Image Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
6.5 Configuring the video camera using NDI ToolBox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
7 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.1 Cleaning the Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.2 Disposal of Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
8 Setting the Infrared Light Sensitivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.1 Infrared Light Sensitivity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Table of Contents
Passive Polaris Vega User Guide iii
8.2 Changing the Sensitivity Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
9 Calibration and Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
9.1 Checking the Calibration of the Passive Polaris Vega System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
9.2 Updating the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
10 Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
10.1 Electrical Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
10.2 Optical Radiation Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
10.3 IEC 60601-1 recommendations for the Passive Polaris Vega System . . . . . . . . . . 68
11 Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
12 Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12.1 Operating Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12.2 Transportation and Storage Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
12.3 Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
13 Electromagnetic Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13.1 Cables and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13.2 Guidance and Manufacturer's Declaration: Electromagnetic Emissions. . . . . . . . . 72
13.3 Guidance and Manufacturer’s Declaration: Electromagnetic Immunity. . . . . . . . . 73
13.4 Recommended Separation Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
13.5 Radio Frequency Emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
14 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
14.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
14.2 LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
14.3 Audio Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
14.4 Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Table of Contents
iv Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
15 Return Procedure and Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
15.1 Return Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
15.2 Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
16 Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
17 Abbreviations and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
18 Equipment Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
19 Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Appendix A Passive Polaris Vega Calibration Performance
and Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
A.1 Passive Polaris Vega Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
A.2 Calibration Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Appendix B Video Camera Field of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Appendix C White Balance Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

List of Figures
Passive Polaris Vega User Guide v
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 Polaris Vega Measurement Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Figure 1-2 Polaris Vega Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Figure 1-3 Typical System Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Figure 1-4 Positioning Laser and Video Camera Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 1-5 Position Sensor (with Laser and Video Camera Options) Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 1-6 Position Sensor Rear View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Figure 1-7 Position Sensor Laser Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Figure 1-8 Position Sensor Serial Number Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 1-9 Passive Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 2-1 Position Sensor Mounting Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 3-1 Tutorial: NDI ToolBox Tool Tracking Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 3-2 Tutorial: “Partially Out of Volume” Flag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 3-3 Tutorial: Detected Markers Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3-4 Tutorial: “Too Few Markers” Flag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3-5 Tutorial: “Exceeded Max Marker Angle” Indicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3-6 Tutorial: Selecting a Reference Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 3-7 Tutorial: Selecting a Tool to Pivot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Figure 3-8 Tutorial: Pivoting Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 3-9 NDI ToolBox Software: Pivot Result Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 4-1 Global Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 4-2 Pyramid Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Figure 4-3 Extended Pyramid Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 4-4 Determining a Marker Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 4-5 Active Wireless Tool Timing Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

List of Figures
vi Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
Figure 4-6 Markers Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 4-7 Actual Range of Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 4-8 Flowchart of Tool Tracking Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 4-9 Sample Calibrator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Figure 4-10 Phantom Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Figure 5-1 Position Sensor Laser Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Figure 6-1 Video Camera Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Figure 6-2 Enabling video streaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Figure 6-3 Streaming with VLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Figure 6-4 VLC configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 6-5 Video camera configuration options in ToolBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Figure 8-1 Vega Linear Sensitivity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Figure B-1 Vega Video Camera Field of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

List of Tables
Passive Polaris Vega User Guide vii
List of Tables
Table 1-1 Position Sensor Indicator LEDs Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 4-1 Actual Range of Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Table 11-1 Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Table 12-1 Operating Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Table 12-2 Transportation and Storage Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Table 12-3 Position Sensor Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Table 12-4 Video Camera Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Table 13-1 Manufacturer’s Declaration for Electromagnetic Emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Table 13-2 Electromagnetic Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Table 13-3 Electromagnetic Immunity—Not Life Supporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Table 13-4 Recommended Separation Distances between Portable and
Mobile RF Communications Equipment and the
Vega System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Table 14-1 Position Sensor Indicator LEDs Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Table 14-2 Audio Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Table 18-1 Equipment Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Table C-1 Video appearance presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Table C-2 Adjusting RGB gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

List of Figures
viii Passive Polaris Vega User Guide

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide ix
Read Me First!
This guide provides detailed information about using the Passive Polaris Vega®Optical Tracking
System. Read this section before continuing with the rest of the guide.
Warnings
In all NDI documentation, warnings are marked by this symbol. Follow the information in the accompanying
paragraph to avoid personal injury.
1. Do not use the Polaris Vega System in the presence of flammable materials such as anaesthetics,
solvents, cleaning agents, and endogenous gases. Flammable materials may ignite, causing
personal injury or death.
2. Do not connect the Polaris Vega System to a host computer or network that is not IEC 60950
and/or IEC 60601 approved. If you connect the system to a non-approved host computer or
network you may increase leakage currents beyond safe limits and cause personal injury.
3. Do not transport or store the Position Sensor outside the recommended storage temperature
range, as this may cause the system to go out of calibration. Reliance on data provided by an out
of calibration Position Sensor may lead to inaccurate conclusions and may cause personal
injury. A calibration procedure must be performed before using the Position Sensor after it has
been transported or stored outside the recommended storage temperature range.
4. Do not protect or shield either the Position Sensor or tools with methods not approved by NDI.
Non-approved methods, such as drapes or covers, will interrupt the optical path and degrade the
performance of the system. Reliance on data provided by a Position Sensor without an
uninterrupted optical path may lead to inaccurate conclusions. Inaccurate conclusions may
result in personal injury.
5. The Polaris Vega System requires special precautions regarding EMC. It must be installed and
put into service in accordance with the EMC information detailed in “Electromagnetic
Compatibility” on page 72. Failure to do so may result in personal injury.
6. Radio frequency communications equipment, including portable and mobile devices, may affect
the Polaris Vega System and result in personal injury.
7. Do not use the Polaris Vega System either adjacent to, or stacked with, other equipment as this
may cause the equipment to over heat. Check that the Polaris Vega System is operating normally
if it is used either adjacent to, or stacked with, other equipment. Failure to do so may result in
personal injury.
8. Do not use cables or accessories other than those listed in this guide. The use of other cables or
accessories may result in increased emissions and/or decreased immunity of the Polaris Vega
System and may result in personal injury.
9. Do not incorporate non-NDI sensors with the Polaris Vega System. The accuracy of results
produced by applications that incorporate non-NDI sensors with the Polaris Vega System is
unknown. Reliance on these results may result in personal injury.
Warning!

xPassive Polaris Vega User Guide
10. All user maintenance must be done by appropriately trained personnel. Individual components
of the Polaris Vega System contain no user-serviceable parts. Maintenance by untrained
personnel may present an electric shock hazard.
11. Do not attempt to bypass the grounding prong on the power cord by using a three-prong to two-
prong adapter. The system must be properly grounded to ensure safe operation. Failure to do so
presents an electric shock hazard.
12. Do not immerse any part of the Polaris Vega System or allow fluid to enter the equipment. If
fluids enter any part of the system they may damage it and present a risk of personal injury.
13. Do not sterilize the Polaris Vega Position Sensor as this may cause irreversible damage to its
components. Reliance on data provided by a damaged Position Sensor may lead to inaccurate
conclusions. These inaccurate conclusions may result in personal injury.
14. Do not use the Position Sensor without inspecting it for cleanliness and damage before a
procedure. The Position Sensor should also be monitored during the procedure. Reliance on data
provided by an unclean or damaged Position Sensor may lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Inaccurate conclusions may result in personal injury.
15. Do not use the Polaris Vega System for absolute measurements; the system is designed for
relative measurements only. Treating measurements as absolute may result in an incorrect
interpretation of results. These incorrect interpretations may result in personal injury.
16. Do not rely on unqualified 3D results for stray markers. There are no built-in checks to
determine if the 3D results for stray markers represent real markers, phantom markers or IR
interference, so the host application must identify and qualify the reported 3D results for stray
markers. Reliance on unqualified 3D data may lead to inaccurate conclusions. Inaccurate
conclusions may result in personal injury.
17. Do not use a wireless tool whose design does not conform to the Polaris Vega System's unique
geometry constraints. When a Polaris Vega System attempts to track more than one wireless tool
in the measurement volume, these unique geometry constraints ensure that they are
distinguishable from each other. When two indistinguishable tools are being used, the first tool
that is detected will be tracked. If that tool moves out of the measurement volume, the second
tool will be tracked. If this is repeated, the tracking data will appear to jump between the two
tools. Reliance on data produced by two indistinguishable tools can lead to inaccurate
conclusions. These inaccurate conclusions increase the possibility of personal injury.
18. Do not use a tool with a tip without first verifying the tip offset. Any application that uses a tool
with a tip must provide a means to determine the location of the tip. Reliance on data produced
by a tool with an inaccurate tip offset may lead to inaccurate conclusions. These inaccurate
conclusions may result in personal injury.
19. Do not use markers without inspecting them for cleanliness and damage both before and during
a procedure. Reliance on data produced by unclean or damaged markers may lead to inaccurate
conclusions. Inaccurate conclusions may result in personal injury.
20. Do not obstruct the normal flow of air around the Position Sensor (for example, draping or
bagging the Position Sensor). Doing so will affect the Position Sensor's operational
environment, possibly beyond its recommended thresholds. Reliance on data provided by a

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide xi
Position Sensor that is outside of recommended thresholds may lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Inaccurate conclusions may result in personal injury.
21. Do not use the Position Sensor in an MRI environment without first determining the
performance, including accuracy, of the Position Sensor in an MRI environment. The Polaris
Vega System is conditionally MRI safe, but NDI has not fully validated the Position Sensor in
an MRI environment. It is unknown whether reliance on data provided by a Position Sensor in
an MRI environment may lead to inaccurate conclusions. Reliance on inaccurate conclusions
may result in personal injury.
22. Do not look directly into the laser-emitting aperture. The Class 2 laser module on the Position
Sensor emits radiation that is visible and may be harmful to the human eye. Direct viewing of
the laser diode emission at close range may cause eye damage.
23. Do not use controls, adjustments, or performance of procedures other than specified in this
guide as it may result in hazardous light exposure.
24. Ensure that people with restricted movement or reflexes (for example, patients undergoing
medical procedures) do not look directly into the laser-emitting aperture. Patients undergoing
medical procedures may be restricted in the availability of adverse-effects reflexes (turning
away eyes and/or head, closing eyes) due to pharmaceutical influences and/or mechanical
restraints. The Class 2 laser module on the Position Sensor emits radiation that is visible and
may be harmful to the human eye. Direct viewing of the laser diode emission at close range may
cause eye damage.
25. Position the system components so that they can be easily disconnected from mains power.
Failure to do so may result in an electric shock hazard and possible personal injury.
26. The Vega system is classified as Medical Electrical Equipment, intended for use in health care
facilities outside of the patient environment. The Vega system can be used in the patient
environment as long as it is tested in the final end user configuration.
Cautions
Caution! In all NDI documentation, cautions are marked with the word “Caution!”. Follow the information in the
accompanying paragraph to avoid damage to equipment.
1. To ship the Polaris Vega System, repack it in the original containers with all protective
packaging. The provided packaging is designed to prevent damage to the equipment.
2. Always place the Position Sensor on a rigid support system. If not supported, the Position
Sensor may fall, which may affect the calibration and damage the Position Sensor.
3. Use only 70% isopropanol solution and a soft lint-free cloth to remove handling smudges from
the enclosure or illuminator covers. Accel TBWipes and Meliseptol can also be used. Other
fluids may cause damage to the illuminator filters. Do not use any paper products for cleaning.
Paper products may cause scratches on the illuminator filters.

xii Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
4. Do not handle the passive markers with bare hands as this will leave residue from skin that
affects the marker's reflectivity. Take care not to drop or scuff the markers, as this also affects
the reflectivity of the markers.
5. If using a USB-to-ethernet adapter when connecting the computer to the midspan, always
connect the adapter to the “in” port of the midspan (the port that does not provide power).
Connecting to the “out port” could cause damage to the adapter.
Disclaimers
1. Read the entire Passive Polaris Vega User Guide before attempting to operate the Polaris Vega
System.
2. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
a) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
b) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
See “Radio Frequency Emissions” on page 77 for further information.
3. The user must determine the suitability of the Polaris Vega System for their own application.
4. This equipment has been investigated with regard to safety from electrical shock and fire
hazard. The inspection authority has not investigated other physiological effects.
5. The Polaris Vega Position Sensor requires a thermal stabilization period in order to provide
reliable measurements. When the Position Sensor is powered on, the power light will flash to
indicate that the system is warming up. When the light stops flashing, the system is ready for
use.
6. Northern Digital Inc. has not investigated the implications of incorporating the Polaris Vega
Position Sensor with an automatic position device, or any other automated closed loop systems.
Using the Polaris Vega System in such an application is solely the responsibility of the user.
7. The Polaris Vega System emits IR light that may interfere with IR-controlled devices, such as
operating room tables. It is recommended that you test the Polaris Vega System if you intend to
use it in an environment where other IR-controlled devices are in use.
8. Northern Digital Inc. has not validated the Polaris Vega System in the presence of x-ray, gamma
ray, proton radiation or other types of radiation. If the Polaris Vega System is used in such an
environment, the user is responsible for determining the performance of the system.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the content of this guide or the operation of this product, please
contact us:

Passive Polaris Vega User Guide xiii
Updates
NDI is committed to continuous improvements in the quality and versatility of its software and
hardware. To obtain the best results with your NDI system, check the NDI Support Site regularly for
update information: https://support.ndigital.com

xiv Passive Polaris Vega User Guide

Passive Polaris Vega System Overview
Passive Polaris Vega User Guide 1
1 Passive Polaris Vega System Overview
1.1 Introduction
This user guide provides information on the Polaris Vega System. The Polaris Vega System is an
optical measurement system that uses advanced optical measurement technology to track the 3D
position and orientation of markers attached to application-specific tools. The tools are tracked
within a specific measurement volume, see Figure 1-1.
This section provides an overview of the system, its components, and how it works. NDI
recommends that you read the guide completely before using the system.
Figure 1-1 Polaris Vega Measurement Volume
Note The back section of the measurement volume, 2400 mm to 3000 mm from the Position Sensor, is only available in
the optional extended pyramid volume.
The Polaris Vega System is typically used in research applications, or can be integrated by OEM
partners into image guided surgery suites for use in procedures such as neurosurgery, orthopaedics
or radiotherapy. The main system component is the Position Sensor, (page 4). The Position Sensor
connects to a host computer via ethernet (page 2).
An overview of system operation is as follows:
1. The Position Sensor emits infrared (IR) light from its illuminators, similar to the flash on a
conventional camera.
2. The IR light floods the surrounding area and reflects back to the Position Sensor off passive
markers (on passive tools) or triggers markers to activate and emit IR light (on active wireless
tools).
1856 mm
1566 mm
1312 mm
1470 mm
2400 mm 3000 mm
950 mm
480 mm
448 mm
1144 mm
796 mm
1532 mm
Measurement Volume
Position Sensor

Passive Polaris Vega System Overview
2Passive Polaris Vega User Guide
3. The Position Sensor then measures the positions of the markers, and calculates the
transformations (the positions and orientations) of the tools to which the markers are attached.
4. The Position Sensor transmits the transformation data, along with status information, to the host
computer for collection, display, or further manipulation.
Figure 1-2 Polaris Vega Position Sensor
1.2 System Connection
The ethernet connection allows multiple Position Sensors to be synchronized and controlled by one
host computer. Power for the Position Sensor(s) is supplied via Power over Ethernet (PoE). A block
diagram is shown below and for detailed information, see “Connecting the Hardware” on page 13.
Figure 1-3 Typical System Connection
Note The Vega system is classified as Medical Electrical Equipment, intended for use in health care facilities outsideof
the patient environment. The Vega system can be used in the patient environment as long as it is tested in the
final end user configuration.
Ethernet and PoE
Ethernet
Network switch or
router (customer
supplied)
To host computer
(customer supplied)
Multiple Position
Sensors can be
connected