Northern Digital Polaris Vicra User manual

Polaris Vicra User Guide
Revision 2
October 2005
IMPORTANT
Please read this entire document
before attempting to operate
the Polaris Vicra System

Copyright 2005 Northern Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.
p Printed in Canada.
Revision Status
Revision Number Date (DD/MM/YY) Description
Revision 1 27/09/05 Initial release
Revision 2 19/10/05 minor updates
Part Number: IL-1070100

Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
Published by:
Northern Digital Inc.
103 Randall Dr.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2V 1C5
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Refer to your software license agreement for information respecting permitted copying.
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Northern Digital Inc. has taken due care in preparing this document and the programs and data on the elec-
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This document describes the state of Northern Digital Inc.’s knowledge respecting the 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-
sultwithNorthern DigitalInc.priortoproceeding.NorthernDigitalInc.makesnoexpressedorimpliedwarranty
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Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2

Table of Contents
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 i
Table of Contents
Read Me First! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Disclaimers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Organization of Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1 Polaris Vicra System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3 Host USB Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4 Power Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.5 Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.6 Polaris Vicra Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.7 Polaris Vicra System Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.8 Component Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2 Setting Up the Polaris Vicra System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2.1 Unpacking the Polaris Vicra System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 Polaris Vicra System Operating Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.3 Mounting the Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.4 Mounting the Host USB Converter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.5 Connecting the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.6 Installing the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.7 Installing the USB Drivers (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.8 Linux Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.9 Keyed Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Table of Contents
ii Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
3 How the Polaris Vicra System Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
3.2 Information Returned by the Polaris Vicra System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.3 Global Coordinate System and Measurement Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.4 Marker Detection and Tool Tracking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.5 Polaris Vicra System Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.6 Tool Definition File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.7 Tool Tracking Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.8 Tool Tip Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.9 Reference Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.10 Stray Marker Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.11 Phantom Markers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.12 Passive Sphere Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.13 Active Markers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.14 Filter Spectral Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.15 Data Transmission Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.16 Serial Port Emulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4 Using the Polaris Vicra System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.1 Getting Started: Tracking Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2 Information and Error Flags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.3 Setting a Tool as Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.4 Determining the Tool Tip Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5 Error Flags and Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.1 Missing and Disabled Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5.2 Tracking Errors and Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.3 Polaris Vicra System LEDs and Audio Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.1 Position Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.2 Cables and Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Table of Contents
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 iii
7 Setting the Infrared Light Sensitivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.1 IR Light Sensitivity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.2 Changing the Sensitivity Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
8 Calibration and Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
8.1 Checking the Calibration of the Polaris Vicra System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
8.2 Updating the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
9 Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
9.1 Optical Radiation Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
10 Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
11 Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
11.1 Position Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
11.2 Host USB Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
11.3 Power Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
12 Electromagnetic Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
12.1 Electrostatic Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
12.2 Cables and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
12.3 Guidance and Manufacturer's Declaration - Electromagnetic Emissions . . . . . . . . 65
12.4 Guidance and Manufacturer’s Declaration - Electromagnetic Immunity . . . . . . . . 65
12.5 Recommended Separation Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
12.6 RF Emissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
13 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
13.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
13.2 System Indications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
13.3 NDI ToolBox Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13.4 Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Table of Contents
iv Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
14 Return Procedure and Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
14.1 Return Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
14.2 Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
15 Abbreviations and Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
16 Equipment Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
17 Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
18 Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Appendix A Polaris Vicra Calibration Performance and Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
A.1 Polaris Vicra Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
A.2 Calibration Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

List of Figures
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 v
List of Figures
Figure 1-1 Polaris Vicra Measurement Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure 1-2 Polaris Vicra System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Figure 1-3 Position Sensor - Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Figure 1-4 Position Sensor - Rear View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Figure 1-5 Position Sensor - Serial Number Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 1-6 Host USB Converter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 1-7 Host USB Converter Serial Number label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 1-8 Sample Passive Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 2-1 Position Sensor Mounting Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 2-2 Host USB Converter Mounting Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 2-3 Connecting Cables to the Host USB Converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 3-1 Position Sensor Global Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 3-2 Characterized Measurement Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 3-3 Determining a Marker Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Figure 3-4 Marker With Marker Normal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 3-5 Maximum Marker Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 3-6 Flowchart of Tool Tracking Parameters Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Figure 3-7 Sample Calibrator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Figure 3-8 Phantom Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 3-9 Filter Spectral Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 4-1 Tool Tracking Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 4-2 Partially Out of Volume Flag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 4-3 Markers Information Pane - Missing Marker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 4-4 Transformation Pane - Too Few Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

List of Figures
vi Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
Figure 4-5 Markers Information Pane - Exceeded Max Marker Angle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Figure 4-6 Selecting a Reference Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Figure 4-7 Selecting a Tool to Pivot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Figure 4-8 Pivoting Technique. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Figure 4-9 Pivot Result Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Figure 6-1 How to Avoid Stressed Cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 7-1 Infrared Light Sensitivity Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 13-1 Host USB Converter - Error LED Fault Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Figure 18-1 EC Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

List of Tables
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 vii
List of Tables
Table 1-1 Component Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Table 9-1 Electrical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Table 9-2 Electromagnetic Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Table 10-1 Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Table 11-1 Position Sensor - Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Table 11-2 Position Sensor - Operating Environmental Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Table 11-3 Position Sensor - Transportation and Storage Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . 62
Table 11-4 Host USB Converter - Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Table 11-5 Host USB Converter - Operating Environmental Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Table 11-6 Host USB Converter - Transportation and Storage Environmental Conditions . . . . 62
Table 11-7 Power Adapter - Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Table 11-8 Power Adapter - Operating Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Table 11-9 Power Adapter - Transportation and Storage Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . 63
Table 12-1 Cables and Accessories That Maintain Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Table 12-2 Manufacturer’s Declaration for Electromagnetic Emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Table 12-3 Electromagnetic Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Table 12-4 Electromagnetic Immunity - Not Life Supporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Table 12-5 Recommended Separation Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Table 13-1 System Visual and Audio Indications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Table 13-2 NDI ToolBox Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

List of Tables
viii Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2

Read Me First!
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 1
Read Me First!
This guide provides detailed information about using the Polaris®VicraTM 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 Vicra 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 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.
3. Do not protect or shield either the Position Sensor or tools with methods not approved by NDI.
Non-approved methods 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. If your application involves personal safety, inaccurate
conclusions increase the possibility of personal injury.
4. Radio frequency communications equipment, including portable and mobile devices, may affect
the Polaris Vicra System and result in personal injury.
5. 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 Vicra
System and may result in personal injury.
6. Do not incorporate non-NDI components with the Polaris Vicra System. The accuracy of results
produced by applications that incorporate non-NDI components with the Polaris Vicra System is
unknown. If your application involves personal safety, reliance on these results may increase
the possibility of personal injury.
7. All user maintenance must be done by appropriately trained personnel. Individual components
of the Polaris Vicra System contain no user-serviceable parts. Maintenance by untrained
personnel may present an electric shock hazard.
8. 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.
9. Do not immerse any part of the Polaris Vicra 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.
Warning!

Read Me First!
2Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
10. Do not sterilize the Polaris Vicra 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. If your application involves personal safety, these inaccurate conclusions increase
the possibility of personal injury.
11. Do not use the Position Sensor without inspecting it for cleanliness and damage both before and
during a procedure. Reliance on data provided by an unclean or damaged Position Sensor may
lead to inaccurate conclusions. If your application involves personal safety, inaccurate
conclusions increase the possibility of personal injury.
12. Do not use the Polaris Vicra System for absolute measurements; the system is designed for
relative measurements only. Treating measurements as absolute may result in an incorrect
interpretation of results. If your application involves personal safety, these incorrect
interpretations increase the possibility of personal injury.
13. Do not use a wireless tool whose design does not conform to the Polaris Vicra System's unique
geometry constraints. When a Polaris Vicra 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. Reliance on data produced by two indistinguishable tools can
lead to inaccurate conclusions. If your application involves personal safety, these inaccurate
conclusions increase the possibility of personal injury.
14. Do not use a tool with a tip without first performing a pivot procedure to verify the tip offset.
Reliance on data produced by a tool with an inaccurate tip offset may lead to inaccurate
conclusions. If your application involves personal safety, these inaccurate conclusions increase
the possibility of personal injury.
15. 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. If your application involves personal safety, inaccurate conclusions increase the
possibility of personal injury.
16. 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
Position Sensor that is outside of recommended thresholds may lead to inaccurate conclusions.
If your application involves personal safety, inaccurate conclusions increase the possibility of
personal injury.
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 Vicra System, repack it in the original containers with all protective
packaging. The provided packaging is designed to prevent damage to the equipment.
2. Make sure that the mains power is disconnected before connecting or disconnecting cables.
Failure to do so may cause damage to the equipment.

Read Me First!
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 3
3. Always place the Position Sensor on a rigid support system. If not supported, the Position
Sensor may fall which will affect the calibration and damage the Position Sensor.
4. Use only 70% isopropanol and a lens cleaning solution formulated for multi-coated lenses (for
example, AR66) to clean the Position Sensor. 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.
Disclaimers
1. Read the entire “Polaris Vicra User Guide” before attempting to operate the Polaris Vicra
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 Section 12.6 on page 68 for further information.
3. The user must determine the suitability of the Polaris Vicra System for their own application.
4. The Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) recognition of the Polaris Vicra System includes only
the Polaris Vicra Position Sensor, Host USB Converter and the APS APS49ES-24021/Hitron
HES49ES-24021 power adapter. This investigation does not include the use of any other power
adapter or source with the Polaris Vicra System. Any such configuration will require further
investigation. If the Polaris Vicra System is used in a medical application, the final end-use
configuration must be independently investigated to the IEC 60601 family of standards and all
applicable national differences.
5. This equipment has been investigated with regard to safety from electrical shock and fire
hazard. The inspection authority has not investigated other physiological effects.
6. The Polaris Vicra Position Sensor requires a thermal stabilization period in order to provide
reliable measurements. Up to 10 minutes are required for the optical components to reach
operating temperature from a cold-start at normal room temperature. Testing should be
conducted to determine the thermal stabilization time necessary specific to your application
requirements. NDI recommends that a reference tool be used with its systems whenever
possible, to ensure there is no drift in the measurement caused by time, settling and/or
temperature.
7. Northern Digital Inc. has not investigated the implications of incorporating the Polaris Vicra
Position Sensor with an automatic position device, or any other automated closed loop systems.
Using the Polaris Vicra System in such an application is solely the responsibility of the user.
8. Northern Digital Inc. has not fully validated the Polaris Vicra Position Sensor in an MRI
environment. If the Polaris Vicra Position Sensor is used in an MRI environment, the user is
responsible for determining the performance of the system, including accuracy, in an MRI
environment.

Read Me First!
4Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
9. The Polaris Vicra System emits IR light that may interfere with IR controlled devices, such as
operating room tables. It is recommended that you test the Polaris Vicra System if you intend to
use it in an environment where other IR controlled devices are in use.
10. The Polaris Vicra Position Sensor is designed to ingress protection level IP54, but this
evaluation was not included in the UL investigation.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the content of this guide or the operation of this product, please
contact us:
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:
http://support.ndigital.com

About This Guide
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 5
About This Guide
Organization of Content
These sections explain how the system works and how to set it up for use. Read these sections
before using the Polaris Vicra System:
• Polaris Vicra System Overview
• Setting up the Polaris Vicra System
• How the Polaris Vicra System works
• Using the Polaris Vicra System
These sections provide information that may be useful during the operation of the system:
• Error Flags and Codes
• Setting the Infrared Light Sensitivity
• Maintenance
These sections may be needed for occasional reference; typically, you will not need to refer to them
during the day-to-day operation of the Polaris Vicra System:
• Calibration and Firmware
• Approvals and Classifications
• Technical Specifications
• Electromagnetic Compatibility
• Troubleshooting
• Return Procedure and Warranty
• Appendix A: Polaris Vicra Calibration Performance and Methodology

Polaris Vicra System Overview
6Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
1 Polaris Vicra System Overview
1.1 Introduction
The Polaris Vicra System is an optical measurement system that measures the 3D positions of either
active or passive markers affixed to application-specific tools. Using this information, the Polaris
Vicra System is able to determine the position and orientation of tools within a specific
measurement volume. A 3D representation of the measurement volume is shown below in
Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1 Polaris Vicra Measurement Volume
The system has applications in a range of industries, including:
• medical
•dental
• research
The system consists of a Position Sensor, a Host USB Converter, a power adapter, and cables, see
Figure 1-2. A host computer is also required to operate the system. The host computer must be
approved to IEC60950 or IEC60601 standard and meet the following minimum specifications:
• Pentium Processor (>1GHz recommended)
• 256Mb Random Access Memory (RAM)
887 mm
557 mm
1336 mm
491 mm 938 mm
392 mm

Polaris Vicra System Overview
Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2 7
• 75Mb free disc space
• Windows 200/XP or Linux 2.6.8 or greater
• Screen resolution 1024x768 (1280x1024 recommended)
Figure 1-2 Polaris Vicra System Setup
1.2 Position Sensor
The Position Sensor is the main component of the Polaris Vicra System. An overview of its
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
sphere markers (passive mode) or triggers markers to activate and emit IR light (active wireless
mode).
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.
Note For a more detailed description of how the Position Sensor detects markers, see “Marker Detection and Tool
Tracking” on page 28.
The Position Sensor can operate in two modes; passive mode and active wireless mode. The mode is
automatically selected, controlled by settings in the tool definition file. (A tool definition file stores
information about a tool.)
Host USB Converter
To Computer
USB Cable
Power Adapter
Position Sensor Cable
Position Sensor
Power Adapter Cable

Polaris Vicra System Overview
8Polaris Vicra User Guide - Revision 2
Front View
Figure 1-3 Position Sensor - Front View
The front of the Position Sensor incorporates the following components:
Illuminator Two arrays of infrared Light Emitting Diodes (IREDs) that provide IR light for the
passive sphere markers or a “chirp” activation trigger for active markers.
Sensor Two sensors that each comprise a lens and CCD. They collect IR light that is reflected from
passive sphere markers (passive mode) or emitted from active markers (active wireless mode).
Indicator LED Three LEDs that provide the following indications (left to right):
•Power LED :
Flashes green during system warm-up.
Steady green when system is ready for use.
•Status LED :
Steady green when the communications connection is available.
•Error LED :
Lights steady amber if a critical error is detected (Position Sensor must be returned to NDI).
Flashes amber if a non-critical error is detected (for example, a firmware update is not
completed).
Note If a non-critical error is detected (error LED is flashing), refer to the NDI ToolBox application to further diagnose
the fault. (The nature of the error is described on the NDI ToolBox initial page.) If you are using your own
applications, use the GET command to read the “Info.StatusAlert” parameter to check the alert status. Refer to
the “Polaris Application Program Interface Guide” for further information.
Sensor
Sensor
Illuminator Illuminator
Indicator LEDs (3)