3M Dynatel M User Manual

INTRODUCTION TO GPS

WITH 3M™ DYNATEL™

M-SERIES LOCATORS

Track & Trace Solutions November 2007 78-8135-3403-5 Rev C

Table of Contents

What is GPS? ......................................................................................................3

How does GPS Work? ........................................................................................3

Mapping with GPS ..............................................................................................3

GPS Technology............................................................................................................. 3

Mapping of 3M™ Electronic Markers ........................................................................... 3

Activating GPS Modes........................................................................................4

Getting the Activation Code ...........................................................................................4

Inputting the Activation Code......................................................................................... 4

3M™ Dynatel™ GPS Modes...............................................................................4

Mode 1 Operation – NMEA mode.................................................................................. 5

Mode 2 Operation – GIS mode....................................................................................... 5

Interface to ESRI™ ArcPad™:....................................................................................... 7

Interface to Thales™ MobileMapper™ PRO:................................................................ 7

Mode 3 Operation – PDA – mode ..................................................................................7

3M™ Dynatel™ Locator Setup...................................................................................... 8

GPS/3M™ Dynatel™ Locator Hookup.......................................................................... 8

GPS/3M™ Dynatel™ Locator Operation....................................................................... 9

Installing and running 3M™ ArcPad™ application scripts ...........................11

Using Trimble™ GeoXT™ and Thales™ MobileMapper™ CE.NET........................ 11

Installation of 3M™ ArcPad™ application scripts....................................................... 11

Running 3M™ ArcPad™ application scripts............................................................... 12

Using Thales™ MobileMapper™ PRO.............................................................17

Thales™ MobileMapper™ PRO Setup........................................................................ 17

Thales™ MobileMapper™ / Dynatel™ Hookup ......................................................... 18

Thales™ MobileMapper™ / 3M™ Dynatel™ Locator Operation .............................. 18

Uploading the Job to MobileMapper Office™............................................................. 19

Using an Unspecified GPS Device ..................................................................20

GPS Device Setup......................................................................................................... 20

Using Trimble™ GeoXT™ with Terrasync™ ..................................................20

Trimble™ GeoXT™ / 3M™ Dynatel™ Mode 1......................................................... 20

Trimble™ GeoXT™ / 3M™ Dynatel™ Mode 2 (GIS)............................................... 21

What is GPS?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. A GPS receiver uses these satellites as reference points to calculate positions accurately.

How does GPS Work?

The basis of GPS is "triangulation" from satellites. To "triangulate," a GPS receiver measures distance using the travel time of radio signals. To measure travel time, GPS needs very accurate timing. Along with distance, you need to know exactly where the satellites are in space. High orbits and careful monitoring are the key. Finally you must correct for any delays the signal experiences as it travels through the atmosphere.

Mapping with GPS

Historically, utility company maps have been mostly schematic in nature. Hand drawn maps were often based on sketches completed by engineers or installation crews. They portrayed the components of the system but their positioning was not accurate enough. The on-map relationships of key components such as valves, transformers, and regulators were approximate. Global positioning system (GPS) technology allows utility companies to increase the accuracy of their electronic maps to provide more effective facility management, planning and design.

GPS Technology

Some GPS devices fall into the general class of GPS receivers referred to as "sub-meter" or "mapping grade." They are capable of a final resolution of positions within a meter (approx. 40 inches) of their true locations. Note that the total error will be twice that number between two measurement times. Furthermore, the worst-case accuracy depends on many factors such as: number of satellites in view, the position of the satellites, atmospheric conditions, foliage, buildings etc.

Mapping of 3M™ Electronic Markers

3M™ Dynatel™ M-series Marker Locators can be configured to send iD marker data directly to some GPS devices. When a marker is located and read, feature and attribute data is sent to the GPS device and is stamped with latitude, longitude and date/time data. The data acquired during this logging process can be uploaded to mapping software, and your markers with all the data read from them, are on the map!

Activating GPS Modes

Getting the Activation Code

The GPS interface feature is available for no cost. The software upgrade and activation key can be obtained from the website http://www.3m.com/dynatel. Upgrade the software in your unit using PC Tools, then input the activation code.

Inputting the Activation Code

1. Press the Menu key, then Setup, then >>More until COM softkey is visible.

2. Press the COM key and then select GIS mode. You will be prompted to input the activation key that you have obtained from the website. This will have to be performed only one time to enable the GPS interface.

3M™ Dynatel™ GPS Modes

The Locator can interface with wide variety of GPS receivers for example: Thales™ MobileMapper™, Trimble™ GeoXT™, Garmin™ eTrex™ etc.

The Locator sends out the record with the information from the iD marker or Trace template (from Cable Locate/Path mode) to GPS unit so that it can save the Data in GIS format.

Figure 1. 3M™ Dynatel™ Locator with GPS

The Locator supports three modes – NMEA, GIS, PDA. The mode can be set from within the Locator menu. Please refer to the section named “Dynatel setup”.

Mode 1 Operation – NMEA mode

Most GPS devices with a serial output can be configured to output the latitude and longitude data according to the NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) standard. When an iD marker is read, the GPS data is stored with the marker's data in the Read or Program History memory on the 3M™ Dynatel™ Locator. All of this data can be uploaded into the 3M™ Dynatel™ PC Locator Tools and can be stored in your database.

Mode 2 Operation – GIS mode

In the GIS mode, the Locator sends out the iD marker record template data to the external device through the serial port, there by allowing different GIS mapping capabilities.

Figure 2. 3M™ Dynatel™ Locator in GIS mode

The data that is sent out from the Locator can be used to interface to a custom application on a smart GPS/GIS device to attach the data to the GPS Log point. This information is in standard GIS shape file format.

Logging is supported from different modes within the Locator. Data is logged when an iD marker is read or programmed and when exiting the Cable / Sonde depth mode. If a non-RFID marker is attempted to be read, the data is also processed and saved by the GPS device.

In GIS mode, whether you use the 3M™ ArcPad™ scripts, or Thales™ MobileMapper™ Pro, the data records sent from the Locator are used to create different layers on the map based on the record type “description.”

This unique feature of the interface with the 3M™ Dynatel™ M-series Locator enables the GPS devices to log iD marker record or Trace path records with the feature points and to group according to the description into different layers.

For example - Five iD markers have exactly the same information programmed into them. All five contain the information, “Descrptn: Abandoned”.

• The GPS device will identify all five with a feature name: ‘Abandoned’. As a result, all of these markers will be grouped together as one layer.

• If the information contained in the marker does not include the label ‘Descrptn’, or if the information varies from marker to marker, the GPS device will identify each iD marker as “Marker” and uses a subscript number (sequentially incremented) for each map feature, thereafter.

• Passive markers will also have a feature name of "Marker", but will be noted in the GPS device as “Not an iD marker”.

• For the Trace path, or cable locate mode, if the label “Descrptn” is not included, it will be identified as “Trace”.

When the map, or the shape files are exported, all the layers in the Job and the feature point data records are used by the GIS system.

In the GPS map, all markers will be grouped into separate layers. Each layer may be turned on or off for viewing, which makes it easier to see separate groups.

Note: If markers are not programmed with user data in the same order or have different number of lines of user data, subgroups of feature names may occur.

For example - One marker has 2 user data lines and another has 3. Both markers have the same "Descrptn": "Conduit",

• The feature name "Conduit" would be assigned for the first iD marker. The second marker would have the feature name "Conduit1", indicating that different information is available on each marker, even though both indicate a ‘conduit’ location.

• A third marker with a "Descrptn": "Conduit", with user data programmed in yet, a different order would have the feature name "Conduit2", etc., etc..

Therefore, if this feature is to be of the greatest value, care should be taken in the development of user data templates (Templates can be created and edited using the 3M™ Dynatel™ PC Tools software application), and distributed to iD marker programmers.

Interface to ESRI™ ArcPad™:

Many GPS devices support the Arcpad™ application for mapping. 3M™ has developed application scripts that runs in Arcpad™ providing a seamless interface with the 3M™ Dynatel™ M-series Locators for automatically logging marker and/or location data in standard GIS shape file format with the push of a button. Trimble

™ GeoXT™ and Thales™ MobileMapper™ CE.NET are some

examples of the GPS devices that support Arcpad application. Please refer to the section on “Installing and running Arcpad scripts” for more

details.

Interface to Thales™ MobileMapper™ PRO:

3M™ Dynatel™ M-series Locators can interface with the Thales™ MobileMapper™ PRO directly (In addition to the support of 3M™ ArcPad™ scripts on MobileMapper™ CE.Net). The data sent out from the Locator is used to log the “Point” features in MobileMapper™ Pro. The data is also used to dynamically grow the feature library (set of attributes for a feature) on the MobileMapper™ Pro, reducing the manual steps needed for mapping.

For each Log point, data is sent to the GPS device and is stamped with latitude, longitude, elevation and date/time data. The data acquired during this logging process can then be uploaded to mapping software.

Please refer to the section on “Thales™ MobileMapper™ Setup” for more details.

Mode 3 Operation – PDA – mode

PDA mode is similar to the GIS mode except for one difference. When the Locator is in the PDA mode, it does not validate the GPS co-ordinates. In the GIS and NMEA mode, the GPS co-ordinates that the Locator receives are validated for data integrity. In the PDA mode, the Locator sends the data to the external device and it is the responsibility of the receiving application to store the data. The communication protocol is same as for the GIS mode. Please refer to the section “Data format” for a sample record and explanation of the record.

+ 16 hidden pages