Polhemus MINUTEMAN User manual

MINUTEMAN™
MINUTEMAN
3D TRACKER
USER MANUAL
URM06PH191
REV. A – FEBRUARY 2008

MINUTEMAN MANUAL
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
REV. A i FEBRUARY 2008
Copyright© 2006 by Alken, Inc., dba Polhemus
Colchester, Vermont, U.S.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of Polhemus. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the
information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual,
Polhemus assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages
resulting from use of the information contained herein.
MINUTEMAN™ is a trademark of Polhemus.
Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
FCC Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
EC – Declaration of Incorporation
This Product Complies with the following European Community Directives:
89/336/EEC as amended by 92/31/EEC
The following standards were used to verify compliance with the directives:
EMC:
EN 61326-1:1997 / A1:1998 / A2:2001 / A3:2003 Emissions Requirements Class B, Radiated Emissions
EN 61326-1:1997 / A1:1998 / A2:2001 / A3:2003 Immunity Requirements
EN 61000-4-2:1995 (ESD 4kV CD, 8kV AD)
EN 61000-4-3:2002 / A1:2002 (3V/m 80% AM)

MINUTEMAN MANUAL
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
REV. A iii FEBRUARY 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF FIGURES................................................................................................................... iv
Welcome ......................................................................................................................................... 1
Components ................................................................................................................................ 1
Initial MINUTEMAN Setup and System Test................................................................................ 2
1. Install the MINUTEMAN Host Software........................................................................... 2
2. Connect sensors to the MINUTEMAN E-Pod.................................................................... 2
3. Connect MINUTEMAN E-Pod to Host USB..................................................................... 3
4. Verify MINUTEMAN Hardware. ...................................................................................... 5
5. Verify MINUTEMAN Function and Host Software. ......................................................... 5
Operational Installation................................................................................................................... 7
Location and Mounting............................................................................................................... 7
Coordinate Reference ................................................................................................................. 9
Multiple MINUTEMAN Systems Installation.............................................................................. 11
1. Operating Frequency......................................................................................................... 11
2. USB Power........................................................................................................................ 11
3. Coordinate System............................................................................................................ 11
MINUTEMAN Configuration ...................................................................................................... 12
Output Orientation Format........................................................................................................ 12
•Euler Angles (default)................................................................................................... 12
•Direction Cosines.......................................................................................................... 12
•Orientation Quaternion ................................................................................................. 12
Boresight................................................................................................................................... 14
Host Prediction ......................................................................................................................... 15
Filtering..................................................................................................................................... 16
Electronic Stabilization Process (ESP)..................................................................................... 17
Soft Reset.................................................................................................................................. 18
MINUTEMAN Host Software...................................................................................................... 19
PiMgr Tracker Management Application................................................................................. 19
Polhemus Developer Interface SDK......................................................................................... 19

MINUTEMAN MANUAL
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1 MINUTEMAN Components............................................................................................ 1
Figure 2 MINUTEMAN E-Pod ...................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3 “Found New Hardware” Screen ....................................................................................... 4
Figure 4 USB Serial Port “Found New Hardware” Screen ............................................................ 4
Figure 5 PI Tracker Config Screen ................................................................................................. 5
Figure 6 Sensor Orientation Data Collection Screen...................................................................... 6
Figure 7 E-Pod screw mount........................................................................................................... 7
Figure 8 E-Pod mounted on tripod.................................................................................................. 7
Figure 9 Sensor Mounting Flanges................................................................................................. 8
Figure 10 E-Pod Reference Diagram.............................................................................................. 9
Figure 11 Sensor Reference Diagram ............................................................................................. 9
Figure 12 “Right-Hand” Rule ......................................................................................................... 9
Figure 13 Coordinate Reference System ...................................................................................... 10
Figure 14 Sensor Aligned with E-Pod .......................................................................................... 10
Figure 15 Configure Output Orientation Format.......................................................................... 13
Figure 16 Configure Sensor Boresight ......................................................................................... 14
Figure 17 Configure Host Prediction............................................................................................ 15
Figure 18 Configure Filter ............................................................................................................ 16
Figure 19 Soft Reset...................................................................................................................... 18
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
REV. A 1 FEBRUARY 2008
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the highest performance, lowest cost, best value tracker on the planet!
The following will acquaint you with the components of the system, how to connect it, and how
to set it up for your application.
Components
The following components (see Figure 1) make up a MINUTEMAN system.
-MINUTEMAN E-Pod
-Sensor with two nylon mounting screws
-6 foot (2 meter) sensor cable with 6 pin modular connectors
-17 foot (5 meter) USB cable
-MINUTEMAN Host Software CD containing:
oThis manual
oPiMgr graphical user interface
oSDK
oUSB drivers
USB Cable
17 foot (5 meter) length
E-Po
d
Sensor Cable
6 foot (2 meter) length
Hos
t
Software CD
Sensor
with nylon screws and
mounting flanges
Figure 1 MINUTEMAN Components

MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Initial MINUTEMAN Setup and System Test
Follow these set-up and connection steps to demonstrate basic operation of your MINUTEMAN
system.
Caution: Do not connect the USB cable until instructed.
1. Install the MINUTEMAN Host Software.
i. Insert the MINUTEMAN Host Software CD into your computer’s CD-ROM
drive. If your system is configured for CD auto-launch, the MINUTEMAN Host
Software installation panel will launch automatically. If it does not, launch the
panel manually by navigating to the CD-ROM drive using Windows Explorer.
Run “Setup.exe”.
ii. Click on the area labeled “Install Host Software.” The installation wizard will
walk you through the installation.
iii. Leave the CD in the CD-ROM drive for USB device installation.
NOTE: The MINUTEMAN Host Software is intended to be installed on a computer running
Windows®XP, 2000 and Vista only.
2. Connect sensors to the MINUTEMAN E-Pod.
One or more sensors must be connected to the MINUTEMAN E-Pod (see Figure 2) prior
to connecting the USB cable. Connect sensor(s) with the six-pin modular connectors on
the black 2 M cable.
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Figure 2 MINUTEMAN E-Pod
NOTE: The six-pin modular sensor cable is readily available in the marketplace should more
length be required. However, a substitute sensor cable must not exceed 14 ft (4.25 m) and must
be wired straight through both connectors, male-male.
3. Connect MINUTEMAN E-Pod to Host USB.
NOTE: MINUTEMAN gets its operating power through the USB connection. If you are
using a USB hub that does not provide the full USB power allotment, the E-Pod will not
operate!
When the USB cable is connected to the host PC for the first time, Windows will detect
the new hardware and launch the device driver installation wizard. The MINUTEMAN
driver installation is slightly more complex than most USB devices because the drivers
are installed in two steps:
i. First Windows will detect and install the MINUTEMAN drivers. The “Found
New Hardware” bubble will appear in the Windows taskbar:
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Windows will automatically launch the Found New Hardware Wizard (see Figure
3), which will walk you through the driver installation procedure. If your
MINUTEMAN Host Software CD is not in the CD-ROM drive, insert it now.
Select “Install the software automatically” and click “Next”:
Figure 3 “Found New Hardware” Screen
Click on the “Finish” button when the driver installation is complete.
ii. Next, Windows will detect the USB-Serial Port emulation device:
Again, the Found New Hardware Wizard will launch automatically. Leave the CD
in the CD-ROM drive, select “Install the software automatically” (see Figure 4)
and click “Next”:
Figure 4 USB Serial Port “Found New Hardware” Screen
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
At this phase of the driver installation, Windows XP may warn you that the driver
being installed “Has not passed Windows Logo testing,” or is a digitally unsigned
driver. Click “Continue Anyway” to proceed with the installation.
Click on the “Finish” button when the driver installation is complete.
NOTE: The “unsigned driver” warning indicates that the driver has not been submitted to
Microsoft's "Designed for Microsoft Windows XP" logo testing program. It does not mean
that the driver is incompatible with Windows XP. This driver has been thoroughly tested and
approved by Polhemus Quality Assurance.
4. Verify MINUTEMAN Hardware.
When the E-Pod receives power from the USB connection, note that the red power LED
indicator is illuminated. It blinks three times during initialization and then stays
illuminated. To verify this, disconnect and then reconnect the USB connector now.
5. Verify MINUTEMAN Function and Host Software.
i. With the MINUTEMAN still connected via USB, launch the PiMgr tracker
management application from the Windows desktop shortcut .
ii. With the MINUTEMAN already attached via USB, PiMgr will automatically
discover it (see Figure 5) and query its configuration:
Figure 5 PI Tracker Config Screen
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
iii. Collect MINUTEMAN sensor orientation data (see Figure 6) by clicking on the
single frame toolbar button . Note the orientation of the sensor displayed by
PiMgr:
Figure 6 Sensor Orientation Data Collection Screen
iv. Initiate continuous data collection by clicking on the continuous mode toolbar
button . Move the sensor to note that orientation data changes as expected.
Click again to suspend continuous data collection.
NOTE: For detailed instruction on the use of the PiMgr, refer to the PiMgr online help,
accessible by pressing F1 anywhere on the PiMgr window.
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Operational Installation
Location and Mounting
Set up MINUTEMAN close to your host computer and away from large metal objects like file
cabinets, metal desks, etc., and away from the floor and walls. Also, it is important to position
the system so that the working area for your application is centered in the 36 inch/90 cm radial
range of the MINUTEMAN. A standard tripod screw mount (see Figure 7) is provided on the
underside of the E-Pod. Polhemus recommends the use of a non-metal tripod mount (see Figure
8).
CAUTION: To avoid damage to the electronics, do not force the tripod screw after it has
been firmly seated in the mount.
Figure 7 E-Pod screw mount
Operating Frequency
Indicator
(see Operating Frequency
on page 11)
Tripod
Screw
Mount
Figure 8 E-Pod mounted on tripod
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
MINUTEMAN sensors can be screwed down with the provided nylon screws through slots in the
sensor mounting flanges (see Figure 9). The slotted flanges allow sensors to be installed into pre-
existing fixtures. If a smaller footprint is needed, the mounting flanges can be clipped off and the
sensor can be mounted with adhesive.
Figure 9 Sensor Mounting Flanges
NOTE: Nylon hardware is only required when the hardware will be in direct contact with
the E-Pod or sensor. A testing surface where the devices will be used (a table, for example,
could have small metal hardware like screws, nuts, and bolts, which probably would not affect
the accuracy of the MINUTEMAN..
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Coordinate Reference
Reference diagrams are printed on the top of the E-Pod (see Figure 10) and on the sides of the
sensor (see Figure 11). MINUTEMAN orientation tracking occurs according to the “right-hand”
rule (see Figure 12) with reference to these markings. To demonstrate the “right-hand” rule point
the index finger of your right hand along the desired reference frame Y-axis with your palm
facing the Z-axis; your thumb will point to the X-axis
Figure 10 E-Pod Reference Diagram
Figure 11 Sensor Reference Diagram
Figure 12 “Right-Hand” Rule
The sensor’s Azimuth, Elevation, and Roll (AER) angles are based on this orientation. Both the
sensor and the E-Pod (source) have these orientation coordinates. By default, the E-Pod is the
reference, with an orientation of (0, 0, 0) AER. The measured AER of each sensor is relative to
the E-Pod. In a typical installation, the E-Pod is installed in alignment with the natural
coordinates of the environment (see Figure 13), and the sensors are then referenced to those
coordinates.
NOTE: Euler angles Azimuth, Elevation, and Roll (AER), are also known as “Yaw,”
“Pitch” and “Roll.” This is the default form in which MINUTEMAN reports sensor orientation.
See the section entitled “Output Orientation Format” for more information.
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
X
Y
Z
P
R
y
x
z
ρ
ψ
θ
Z Y
Sensor
Coord. Ref.
Source
X
Sensor
Orientation
ρ
ψ
θ
Legend:
ψazimuth, in the horizontal X-Y
plane
θelevation, from the X-Y plane
ρroll, about the vector from the
source to the sensor being
tracked
Figure 13 Coordinate Reference System
Should you wish to start your application at a (0,0,0) AER orientation, the sensor should be
brought in line with the E-Pod X-axis indicated (see Figure 14) and then rotated to achieve
approximately that orientation. MINUTEMAN components should be mounted to fix this
mechanical alignment.
Figure 14 Sensor Aligned with E-Pod
Refer to Boresight on page 14 for details on setting the relative AER to (0,0,0).
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Multiple MINUTEMAN Systems Installation
Wherever multiple MINUTEMAN E-Pods are to be employed it is important to note the
following:
1. Operating Frequency
Four different operating frequencies allow up to four E-Pods to operate in the same
environment without interfering with each other. The operating frequency of each
MINUTEMAN is denoted by a colored dot on the E-Pod (see Figure 7). The colors and
frequencies are:
30 KHz – Yellow (Standard)
33 KHz – Black
28.5 KHz – Red
31.5 KHz - Blue
CAUTION: If multiple E-Pods are to be used together, care must be taken to ensure that
when ordering the second, third and fourth MINUTEMAN E-Pods, each operates at a different
frequency.
2. USB Power
Use the native USB port or a powered hub to operate the MINUTEMAN E-Pod. A USB
expansion hub typically does not provide such power.
3. Coordinate System
In most multi-E-Pod environments, all E-Pods will be aligned to the same coordinate
system.
To accomplish this, E-Pods could be placed side-by-side on a tripod extension bar and
pointed in the same direction. Sensor mountings for each E-Pod system should also be
identical to achieve the same orientation reference. Each E-Pod defines the reference
system for the sensor(s) connected to it. If multiple E-Pods are in use, be aware of the
possible need to harmonize or align the E-Pod reference frames, either mechanically or
mathematically.
NOTE: When mounting E-Pods side-by-side, keep them spaced at least 6 inches (16 cm)
apart.
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
MINUTEMAN Configuration
MINUTEMAN has a simplified command structure with a small set of commands to control and
to configure the E-Pod. Commands include output orientation data format, filtering, boresight,
and soft reset. MINUTEMAN can be managed entirely through the PiMgr tracker management
application that is included on the MINUTEMAN Host Software CD. For custom applications,
MINUTEMAN can be driven with the Polhemus Developer Interface SDK, also included on the
CD.
NOTE: MINUTEMAN configuration settings do not persist through any soft- or hard- reset
of the E-Pod. Settings must be re-applied each time MINUTEMAN is reset.
Output Orientation Format
MINUTEMAN can be configured to output orientation data in three different formats:
•Euler Angles (default)
Euler angles define the current orientation of the sensor coordinate frame with respect to
the designated reference frame, commonly known as Azimuth, Elevation, and Roll
(AER), or in the aerospace context, Yaw, Pitch and Roll. Euler angles are expressed as
floating-point numbers.
They refer to the three angles used to describe a general rotation in three-dimensional
Euclidean space by three successive rotations, once about the z-axis (Azimuth/Yaw),
once about the y-axis (Elevation/Pitch), and once about the x-axis (Roll).
•Direction Cosines
Direction cosines are a 3x3 floating-point matrix representing the cosines of the angles
between the sensor’s x-, y-, z-axes and the X-, Y-, Z-axes of the reference (E-Pod or
source) frame.
•Orientation Quaternion
A quaternion is an ordered four-parameter quantity of floating-point numbers
representing a vector and a scalar. The first coordinate is the 'scalar' part, and the
remaining three make up the 'vector' part. Quaternions are often used in computer
graphics and associated geometric analysis to represent rotations and orientations of
objects in three-dimensional space. They are smaller than other representations, and
operations on them can be computed more efficiently. Quaternion algebra is also more
numerically stable for this purpose (see below).
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Euler angles are the most straightforward method of expressing orientation. However, at high
elevation, calculated Euler angles are subject to “gimbal lock.” That is, as elevation approaches
+90º or -90º, the axes about which azimuth and roll are computed become a single axis and the
third angle of rotation describing the orientation is lost. Direction cosines and quaternions are
provided to overcome this problem. Although direction cosines and quaternions are more
mathematically complex, they are not subject to these axis singularities.
Output orientation format is configured per sensor in the “Sensor Configuration” dialog (see
Figure 15) of the PiMgr tracker management application:
Figure 15 Configure Output Orientation Format
NOTE: For detailed instruction on the use of the PiMgr, refer to the PiMgr online help,
accessible by pressing F1 anywhere on the PiMgr window.
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MINUTEMAN MANUAL
Boresight
MINUTEMAN can be instructed to enable or disable boresight rotation of individual sensors at
any time. When instructed to enable boresight, the orientation of the sensor is rotated so as to
align the sensor with the E-Pod reference frame of AER (0,0,0). The orientation received from
the affected sensor will be effectively reset to AER (0,0,0), regardless of its actual physical
orientation.
By default, MINUTEMAN boresight is disabled. Boresight is applied per sensor in the “Sensor
Configuration” dialog (see Figure 16) of the PiMgr tracker management application:
Figure 16 Configure Sensor Boresight
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