PhaseOne iX Controller MK 6 Operating instructions

iX Controller MK 6
Installation and Operation Guide
Version: 1.1
Date: November 13, 2023

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
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Legal Notice
The company disclaims all liability and warranties in relation to this manual, including warranty of
merchantability, fitness for particular purpose and accuracy, and may amend it without further notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contact Support
You can contact Phase One Technical Support directly by creating a support case at
https://support.phaseone.com/
Visit https://geospatial.phaseone.com/ for additional information.
Copyright © 2023 Phase One. All Rights Reserved.
Doc No. 80115000 Rev 1.1 iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide 13/11/2023

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
1Introduction....................................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Scope...................................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.2 Applicable Documents...............................................................................................................................................................5
2iX Controller MK 6 Hardware Overview..........................................................................................................................................6
2.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Front Panel Description .............................................................................................................................................................7
2.3 iX Controller MK 6 Power Overview ...................................................................................................................................7
2.4 Configuration Options ................................................................................................................................................................8
2.5 Software.............................................................................................................................................................................................8
2.5.1 iX Flight Pro....................................................................................................................................................................8
3Unboxing the iX Controller MK 6........................................................................................................................................................9
3.1 Product Identification .................................................................................................................................................................9
4Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6...........................................................................................................10
4.1 iX Controller MK 6 Power Cable (P/N 73286000)....................................................................................................10
4.2 Grounding Cable............................................................................................................................................................................11
4.3 Disassembling the USB Cable Bracket ..............................................................................................................................11
4.4 Connecting iX Controller MK 6 - iX Camera Cables ................................................................................................. 12
4.4.1 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera Power Cable (P/N 70364000) ............................................................ 12
4.4.2 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera I/O Cables (P/N 75010000) .................................................................. 13
4.4.3 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera Images/Data Cables................................................................................... 13
4.5 Connecting Monitor Cables ...................................................................................................................................................14
4.5.1 iX Controller MK 6 - Pilot Monitor Cable (P/N 75098490) ................................................................. 15
4.5.2 iX Controller MK 6 – Operator Monitor Cable (P/N 75098530)....................................................... 15
4.6 Keyboard and Mouse ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
4.7 Reassembling the USB Cable Bracket .............................................................................................................................16
4.8 iX Controller MK 6 - Mount COM Cable (P/N 73260000 / 73285000 / 73293000)............................. 16
4.9 External IMU................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
4.10 PPS Output..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
4.11 Antenna Cable (P/N 76014600) ......................................................................................................................................... 18
5Powering up the iX Controller MK 6 ...............................................................................................................................................19
6iX Controller MK 6 Storage.................................................................................................................................................................20
6.1 Disk Management.......................................................................................................................................................................20
6.2 Locking the Carrier....................................................................................................................................................................20
6.3 Removing the SSD Drive Carrier......................................................................................................................................... 21
6.4 Inserting the SSD Drive Carrier............................................................................................................................................ 21
7Operating the iX Controller MK 6.................................................................................................................................................... 22

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
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7.1 Powering Equipment................................................................................................................................................................ 22
7.2 Using iX Flight Pro..................................................................................................................................................................... 22
7.3 Using iX Capture......................................................................................................................................................................... 22
7.4 Controlling iX Controller MK 6 Power Ports ................................................................................................................ 22
7.4.1 Controlling iX Controller MK 6 Power Ports through iX Flight Pro................................................ 22
7.4.2 Controlling iX Controller MK 6 Power Ports through iX Capture.................................................... 22
8Shutting Down the iX Controller MK 6 ......................................................................................................................................... 23
9Troubleshooting........................................................................................................................................................................................24
10 Maintenance................................................................................................................................................................................................25
10.1 Replacing SSD Drives...............................................................................................................................................................25
Appendix A Technical Data ........................................................................................................................................................................26
A.1 Physical Dimensions .................................................................................................................................................................26
A.2 iX Controller MK 6 Weight ....................................................................................................................................................26
A.3 Power Specifications................................................................................................................................................................26
A.3.1 Power Requirements...............................................................................................................................................26
A.3.2 Power Consumption................................................................................................................................................26
Appendix B Connecting the iX Controller MK 6 – Operator Monitor Cable to the Monitor..................................... 27

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
1. Introduction
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1Introduction
1.1 Scope
This manual describes how to install the iX Controller MK 6 as follows:
•Section 2 - What’s in the Box
•Section 3 - Overview
•Section 4 - Connecting Cables and Peripherals
•Section 5 - Powering up the iX Controller MK 5
•Section 6 - iX Controller MK 5 Storage
•Section 7 - Operating the iX Controller MK 5
•Section 8 - Shutting Down the iX Controller MK 5
•Section 9 - Troubleshooting
•Section 10 - Maintenance
•Appendix A - Technical Data
•Appendix B - Connecting the iX Controller MK 6 – Operator Monitor Cable to the Monitor
1.2 Applicable Documents
Item
Manual
Applanix AP+
APX-15 User Guide
Phase One/Applanix
GNSS Configuration Guide for PAS Systems
Phase One iX Controller MK 6
Connecting to the iX Controller Using Remote Desktop Connection
Phase One iX Flight Pro
iX Flight Pro Operation Guide
Phase One iX Process
iX Process Operation Guide
Phase One iXM Cameras
Refer to your camera operation guide for your specific camera.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
2. iX Controller MK 6 Hardware Overview
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2iX Controller MK 6 Hardware Overview
2.1 General
The iX Controller MK 6 is a new generation of aerial controller. This robust command center onboard the
aircraft is designed for smooth performance of geospatial project missions. A preconfigured precision GNSS
AP+ card is integrated inside the controller.
The controller has the following main ports:
•ports for transferring data between the iX Controller MK 6 and cameras, external IMU and an antenna
•standard aircraft power in port.
•2 DP and 1 HDMI ports for connecting monitors.
•three Ethernet ports
•antenna port
A high-capacity data storage SSD tray (factory provided with two 2 TB or 4 TB SSD drives) can be easily
accessed or removed for rapid transfer of images and telemetry data.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
2. iX Controller MK 6 Hardware Overview
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2.2 Front Panel Description
The following figure and table show the iX Controller MK 6 front panel items:
iX Controller MK6 - Front Panel
1. Antenna port
2. AUX port (PPS Output)
3. GNSS LED
4. SSD carrier eject button
5. SSD carrier keylock
6. SSD drive activity LEDs
7. SSD drive carrier
8. COM port
9. On/Off pushbutton
10. Auxiliary circuit breaker (power ports)
11. GNSS AP+ (internal) Power LED
12. Main circuit breaker
13. Main power LED
14. 28 VDC port (power in)
15. IMU port
16. 10GbE SFP+ ports (x4)
17. I/O port
18. DP ports (x2)
19. Power ports (x3)
20.HDMI port
21. USB 3 ports (x6)
22. USB cable bracket
23. Ethernet ports (x3)
24.Power ports (x3)
25. SSD carrier key
2.3 iX Controller MK 6 Power Overview
The Auxiliary power circuit breaker controls power to the six power ports. The output voltage from all six
power ports is the same as the incoming voltage from the iX Controller MK 6 power source.
Each set of power ports can be software-controlled using iX Capture and iX Flight Pro.
See Appendix A.3 - Power Specifications for more information.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
2. iX Controller MK 6 Hardware Overview
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2.4 Configuration Options
The iX Controller MK 6 with its internal GNSS supports connection to the following IMUs for a range of
orientation accuracies:
•Applanix IMU 79 - internal
•Applanix IMU 69 - external
•Applanix IMU 82 - external
•Applanix IMU 91 – external
•Applanix IMU 57 - external
2.5 Software
2.5.1 iX Flight Pro
iX Flight Pro uses iX Plan data to manage and guide the precise execution of aero-photography flight. Using
the pilot and operator monitors, the pilot can easily maintain precise trajectory by following altitude and
localizer instructions, while the operator manages the flight, controls the order of passes, tags images and
start/stops image collection.
For detailed information on using iX Flight Pro, see the iX Flight Pro Operation Guide.
Note
•iX Flight Pro and license is available from Phase One.
• To process images captured with iX Flight Pro, use iX Process available from Phase One.
Note
•Each of the above configurations requires a license.
•All GNSS-enabled configurations are provided with the Trimble AV39 FAA certified GNSS antenna.
•All GNSS-enabled configurations are provided with an interface cable between the
iX Controller MK 6 and the external IMU.
•If you will be using an external IMU, it should be mounted on the pod plate as follows:
X axis - towards flight direction
Y axis - towards the right wing
If you cannot mount the IMU in these directions, you will need to configure the rotation around the
Z axis accordingly as described in the GNSS Configuration Guide for PAS Systems.
•You can also use the following external GNSS solutions:
Applanix POS AVX 210
Applanix POS AV V6
For more information, refer to the GNSS Configuration Guide for PAS Systems.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
3. Unboxing the iX Controller MK 6
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3Unboxing the iX Controller MK 6
Verify that all parts were supplied according to the specific packing list for your iX Controller MK 6.
3.1 Product Identification
To enable support for your iX Controller MK 6, you must identify and record the serial number located on
the left panel.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
This section describes how to connect the power and various system components to the iX Controller MK 6.
Warning
The power ports support only equipment approved Phase One, such as cameras, external GNSS and
monitors. Other equipment must not be connected to the iX Controller MK 6.
4.1 iX Controller MK 6 Power Cable (P/N 73286000)
Warning
•The iX Controller MK 6 has been tested and certified for connection to a 28 VDC power supply.
Installation on aircraft with other power supplies is not recommended unless special measures are
taken to provide the iX Controller MK 6 with a 28 VDC supply.
• On the aircraft side, a 15 A circuit breaker must be installed on the 28 VDC power supply.
To connect the iX Controller MK6 power cable tothe iX Controller MK6:
1. Connect the open end of the power cable to the aircraft power supply as follows:
Caution
Before connecting the power cable to the aircraft power supply, verify voltage polarity.
PAS Power Cable Polarity
Wire
Polarity
Red
+
Black
GND
2. Connect the power cable with the
LEMO connector to the iX Controller
MK 6 28 VDC port.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.2 Grounding Cable
Connect a grounding cable (not supplied by Phase One)asfollows:
1. Connect one end of the grounding cable to the uncoated underside of one of the attachment panels.
2. Connect the other end to the aircraft frame.
4.3 Disassembling the USB Cable Bracket
The USB cable bracket secures the USB cable hoods to the iX Controller MK 6.
Before connecting or removing any USB cables, you must disassemble the cable bracket front plate, and in
some cases reposition the cable bracket bottom plate, as described in this section.
Note
It is recommended to connect all required USB cables (camera, pilot monitor, operator monitor,
keyboard/mouse) to the iX Controller MK 6 before reassembling the USB cable bracket.
Mounting Brackets

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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To disassemble theUSBCable Bracket:
1. Using a 2.5 mm hex key, remove both
screws securing the USB cable bracket
front plate to the cable bracket bottom
plate.
2. Remove the cable bracket front plate, the screws and washers and set them aside in a safe place.
4.4 Connecting iX Controller MK 6 - iX Camera Cables
4.4.1 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera Power Cable (P/N 70364000)
The iX Controller MK 6 - Camera power cable provides power to the iX camera.
To connect iX Controller MK 6 - Camera power cables:
1. Connect one end of the iX Controller
MK 6 - Camera power cable to an iX
Controller MK 6 power port.
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the iX camera power port.
3. Repeat for additional cameras.
Screws Securing
Front Plate to
Bottom Plate
Cable
bracket
front plate
Cable
bracket
bottom plate

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.4.2 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera I/O Cables (P/N 75010000)
The iX Controller MK 6 - Camera I/O cable transfers trigger, camera ready, black reference and MEP signals
between the iX Controller MK 6 and the iX camera. In addition, it provides metadata to the camera.
To connect the iX Controller MK6 - Camera I/O cables:
1. Connect one end of the iX Controller
MK 6 - Camera I/O cable to the iX
Controller MK 6 I/O port.
2. Connect the other end to the camera
left I/O port.
Note
For I/O connections on additional cameras, use a Phase One camera to camera multisync cable (PN
75007000) ordered separately.
4.4.3 iX Controller MK 6 - Camera Images/Data Cables
You can transfer the images and associated data between iX Controller MK 6 and the iX cameras for storage
on the SSD using either of the following methods:
•SFP+ cables (not supplied by Phase One) - up to 4 cameras can be connected.
•USB cables
Note
Only use one method for transferring images – either SFP+ or USB. Do not use both methods
simultaneously.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.4.3.1 Connecting SFP+ Cables
To connect the iX Controller MK6 - Camera SFP+ cables:
1. Connect one end of the iX Controller
MK 6 - Camera SFP+ cable to the iX
Controller MK 6 SFP+ port.
2. Connect the other end to the camera SFP+ port.
4.4.3.2 Connecting USB Cables (P/N 73234000)
The iX Controller MK 6 - Camera USB cable (supplied with each camera) transfers control data from the iX
Controller MK 6 and the camera, and images from the camera for storage in the iX Controller MK 6.
To connect iX Controller MK 6 - Camera USB 3 cables:
1. Connect up to four USB 3 camera
cables as required to the USB 3 ports.
2. Connect the other end of each USB 3 cable to a Phase One aerial camera.
4.5 Connecting Monitor Cables
Phase One recommends ordering and using the pilot and operator monitors available from Phase One. The
monitors are supplied with the following cables for connection to the iX Controller MK 6:
•iX Controller MK 6 - Pilot Monitor cable
•iX Controller MK 6 - Operator Monitor cable
The following figure shows power and communication connections for the pilot and operator monitors.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.5.1 iX Controller MK 6 - Pilot Monitor Cable (P/N 75098490)
To connect the iX Controller MK6 – Pilot Monitor cable:
1. Connect the cable end with 2 connectors to the pilot monitor power and video ports (video cable
includes USB signal).
2. Connect the cable end with 3
connectors to an iX Controller MK 6
power port, the HDMI port and a USB 3
port.
4.5.2 iX Controller MK 6 – Operator Monitor Cable (P/N 75098530)
Note
If the operator monitor cable is not connected to the operator monitor, see Appendix B - Connecting
the iX Controller MK 6 – Operator Monitor Cable to the Monitor.
1. Connect the cable end with 3
connectors to an iX Controller MK 6
power port, DP port and one of the
USB 3 ports.
4.6 Keyboard and Mouse
A Bluetooth keyboard with touchpad is provided with the iX Controller MK 6.
To connect the keyboard to theiX Controller MK 6:
1. On the iX Controller MK 6, connect the
keyboard’s Bluetooth dongle to a USB
port.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.7 Reassembling the USB Cable Bracket
To reassemble the USB Cable Bracket:
1. Use a 2.5 mm hex key to reattach the cable bracket front plate to the cable bracket bottom plate using
the screws and washers you set aside in Step 2. The front plate should secure the cable hoods.
Note
If the length of the cable hoods prevents you from securing the cable bracket front plate to the cable
bracket bottom plate, you can increase the distance between the front plate and the iX Controller MK 6
as follows:
1. Gently place the iX Controller MK 6 on its upper plate.
2. Remove both screws securing the cable bracket bottom plate to the iX Controller MK 6.
3. Mount the cable bracket bottom plate to the iX Controller MK 6 using the holes near the bottom plate
edge.
4.8 iX Controller MK 6 - Mount COM Cable (P/N 73260000 / 73285000 /
73293000)
The iX Controller MK 6 – Mount COM I/O cable transfers SOMAG V2 protocol commands and data between
the mount and iX Flight Pro running on the iX Controller MK 6.
To connect the iX Controller MK6 - Mount COM cable:
1. Connect one end of the iX Controller
MK 6 – Mount COM cable to the iX
Controller MK 6 COM port.
2. Connect the other end to the mount
INTERFACE port.
For USB cables
with
short
hoods
For USB cables
with
long
hoods

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.9 External IMU
If you are using an external IMU (see Section 3.2 - Configuration Options), you must connect it to the iX
Controller MK 6 using the cable supplied with the external IMU.
To connect an external IMU to the iX Controller MK 6:
1. Connect one end of the IMU cable to
the IMU.
2. Connect the other end of the IMU cable to the iX Controller MK 6 IMU port.
4.10 PPS Output
The internal GNSS provides a pulse-per-second (PPS) time synchronization output mark.
To usethis signal:
1. Connect the iX Controller MK 6 PPS
output cable (73263000) to the iX
Controller MK 6 AUX port.
The following table shows the pinout for the iX Controller MK 6 PPS output cable.
iX Controller MK6 PPS Output Cable
Wire
Pin
Voltage
Description
Orange
1
PPS_OUT
PPS (Pulse Per Second) output is the signal that indicates the integer
epoch of UTC/GPS time. It is a 1 msec wide, active low 5 V pulse with a
5 µsec fall time, from buffer that can drive 8 mA.
Green
2
GND
Ground
Blue
5
AUX_Event
AUX_Event is the time marker of external pulses. It captures the exact
time of the external event initiated by a sensor. Event inputs are 3.3 V
LVTTL inputs, but 5 V tolerant.
Gray
8
GND
Ground
Black
9
GND
Ground

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
4. Connecting System Cables to the iX Controller MK 6
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4.11 Antenna Cable (P/N 76014600)
To connect theantenna to theiX Controller MK6:
1. Connect the antenna cable (supplied
with antenna) to the Antenna port.

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
5. Powering up the iX Controller MK 6
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5Powering up the iX Controller MK 6
To power uptheiX Controller MK 6:
1. Push the MAIN circuit breaker. The MAIN power LED turns on.
2. Press the On/Off pushbutton. The iX Controller MK 6 powers up.
3. When the Windows login window appears, log in using the following credentials:
User name: user
No password required.
Note
To remotely login to the iX Controller MK 6, see
Connecting to theiXController Using Remote
Desktop Connection
available for download at https://www.phaseone.com/download-categories/geo-
guides-documentation/

iX Controller MK 6 Installation and Operation Guide
6. iX Controller MK 6 Storage
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6iX Controller MK 6 Storage
6.1 Disk Management
The iX Controller MK 6 storage consists of a built-in frame with a removable carrier containing two SSD
drives. The drives store the images captured by cameras connected to the iX Controller MK 6.
The carrier front panel contains the following LEDs:
LED
Color
State
Description
Drive power
Green
Solid
The drive is powered on.
Drive activity
Amber
Blinking
The drive is being accessed by the iX Controller MK 6.
The drives are assigned the following drive letters:
•D - top drive
•E - bottom drive
Note
For information on transferring data from the SSDs to the processing computer, see the iX Process
Operations Guide.
6.2 Locking the Carrier
Note
The carrier must be locked with the SSD carrier key for the iX Controller MK 6 to recognize the drives.
To lock thecarrier in the SSD drive bay frame:
Note
The SSD carrier key is stored on the
left side of the iX Controller MK 6
front panel.