FIELD OF VIEW GeoSnap Pro User Manual

GeoSnap Pro

User Manual

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Date

Revision

3/17/14

Manual created

4/1/14

Added VN-200 INS state error code table

4/3/14

Added GPS antenna installation instructions

5/26/14

Added Garmin trigger mode description

9/26/14

Updated voltage range

9/26/14

Added instructions for using a new microSD card

2/19/15

Updated CONFIG file section to include new image file names

6/8/15

Adjusted GeoSnap Pro naming convention

12/14/15

Added Troubleshooting section

2/11/16

Updated to match 2.3.x firmware

3/28/16

Added File synchronization procedure

5/23/16

Updated to match 2.4.x firmware

6/29/16

Updated

7/18/17

Added camera cycle time section

11/30/17

Clarified antenna offset

8/17/18

Updated and reworked entire manual

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CONTENTS

OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................4

GeoSnap Pro Components ..................................................................................................4

Control Unit................................................................................................................................................... 4

Hotshoe Module ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Accessories .................................................................................................................................................... 4

GETTING STARTED................................................................................................................5

Installing the GeoSnap Pro on a DSLR-style Camera .............................................................5

Mounting the GPS Antenna ......................................................................................................................... 6

Pigtail Trigger Cable ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Using the GeoSnap Pro .......................................................................................................7

GeoSnap Files................................................................................................................................................ 7

Synchronizing Image Names ........................................................................................................................ 9

Configuring for Mapping Flights .................................................................................................................. 9

Powering On the GeoSnap ........................................................................................................................... 9

LED Codes .................................................................................................................................................... 10

CONFIGURATION FILE ........................................................................................................11

AUXILIARY I/O CONNECTIONS ...........................................................................................24

External Trigger Input ....................................................................................................... 24

UPDATING FIRMWARE .......................................................................................................25

OPERATIONS CHECKLIST ....................................................................................................26

CAMERA SETTINGS .............................................................................................................27

Required and Recommended Settings ............................................................................... 27

Image numbering ............................................................................................................. 28

Camera cycle time considerations ..................................................................................... 28

TROUBLESHOOTING ...........................................................................................................30

GPS signal quality test ...................................................................................................... 30

Basic test ..................................................................................................................................................... 30

Identification test ....................................................................................................................................... 31

INS_stat code lookup tables.............................................................................................. 32

SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................33

Physical specifications ...................................................................................................... 33

Power specifications......................................................................................................... 34

MicroSD card specifications .............................................................................................. 34

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OVERVIEW

GeoSnap Pro Components

The Field of View GeoSnap Pro was developed to streamline DSLR-style camera payload integration, facilitate intelligent triggering, and produce a valuable log of position/attitude conditions at the moment of image capture.

CONTROL UNIT

HOTSHOE MODULE

ACCESSORIES

Power input

MicroSD card slot

Onboard button

Auxiliary I/O port

Wired trigger port

Control unit port

IR LED port

GPS antenna port

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GETTING STARTED

Installing the GeoSnap Pro on a DSLR-style Camera

Slide the hotshoe module onto the hotshoe of the camera and twist the lock ring clockwise to tighten down the lock.

Pull back on the GPS antenna strain relief and swivel the GPS antenna cable into place.

Plug the GPS antenna’s MMCX

connector into the antenna port on the VN-200 (press until it clicks into place).

Plug the trigger cable into the hotshoe module and the camera trigger port.

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MOUNTING THE GPS ANTENNA

Make sure you mount the GPS antenna with the top facing up and with a clear view of the sky. Also make sure that you do not mount the antenna near transmitters on the aircraft that could cause interference and degrade the performance of the GPS.

Ground plane (optional)

To improve your GPS accuracy, it is recommended that you place a 10 cm diameter round or 10 cm x 10 cm square ground plane under the GPS antenna. This could be as simple as placing some aluminum tape (that you can buy from a hardware store) around a piece of wood or cardboard, sticking the antenna to the center of the plate, and attaching that whole assembly to the top of your aircraft.

PIGTAIL TRIGGER CABLE

If you are not using a camera with a Sony multiport trigger connection, you will have been provided with a 3-wire (green, white, black) pigtail trigger cable. When the GeoSnap system sends a trigger command to the camera, it simply shorts the focus (white) and shutter release (green) lines to ground (black). To make a trigger cable for your camera with this pigtail it is recommended that you follow these steps:

1. Purchase a stock wired remote for your particular camera model.

2. Cut the stock remote cable 1-5” from the connector depending on the location of the

wired remote port relative to the GeoSnap hotshoe module.

3. Strip the ends of the stock remote cable wires.

4. Identify which cables in the stock cable relate to Ground, Focus, and Shutter Release.

5. Connect the wires to the provided pigtail trigger cable as follows: Ground -> Black, Focus

-> White, and Shutter Release -> Green.

6. Plug the cable into the camera and the GeoSnap hotshoe module as shown in steps 6

and 7 of the GeoSnap installation procedure above.

TOP

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Using the GeoSnap Pro

GEOSNAP FILES

There are various text files stored and/or logged on the microSD card. These files, and their purposes, are described in this section.

Configuration File (CONFIG.txt)

The CONFIG file is where you can adjust all of the settings of the GeoSnap. Each time the GeoSnap is powered, it searches for the configuration file and reads the settings. If this file is not present, the GeoSnap creates a new configuration file with default options. For full descriptions of all the settings in the CONFIG file, see the Configuration File section of this manual.

Image Log File (001-IMG.txt)

The IMG log file is a log of the image name and position/attitude of the camera at the moment of image capture. Information is logged as plain, ASCII text in space-separated columns; each column is 14 characters wide.

Image Log File Columns

Label

Units

Description

image

name

Image name/counter

gpsdate

YYYY-MM-DD

Date as reported by the VN-200

gpstime

HH:MM:SS.SSS

Time as reported by the VN-200

lat(deg)

degrees

Latitude as reported by the VN-200

lon(deg)

degrees

Longitude as reported by the VN-200

hght(wgs84-m)

meters

Height above WGS84 ellipsoid

roll(deg)

degrees

Roll as reported by the VN-200 (positive roll is a roll to the right)

pitch(deg)

degrees

Pitch as reported by the VN-200 (positive pitch is a pitch up)

yaw(deg)

degrees

Yaw as reported by the VN-200

gstime(ms)

milliseconds

GeoSnap time since power on

AttUncrt(deg)

degrees

Attitude uncertainty of the VN-200

PosUncrt(m)

meters

Position uncertainty of the VN-200

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Pix4D Log File (001-P4D.txt)

The Pix4D log file is a Pix4D compatible log of the image name and position of the camera at the moment of image capture. Information is logged as plain, ASCII text in comma-separated columns.

Pix4D Log File Columns

Label

Units

Description

imagename

name

Image name/counter

latitude

degrees

Latitude as reported by the VN-200

longitude

degrees

Longitude as reported by the VN-200

altitude

meters

Height above WGS84 ellipsoid

Flight Log File (001-FLT.txt)

The FLT log file is a 25Hz log of the position/attitude of the camera throughout the flight. If the log reaches 3 million lines a new FLT file is created with a letter appended to it using the following convention: 001-FLT.txt, 001- FLTA.txt, 001-FLTB.txt, etc. Information is logged as plain, ASCII text in space-separated columns; each column is 14 characters wide.

Flight Log File Columns

Label

Units

Description

gpsdate

YYYY-MM-DD

Date as reported by the VN-200

gpstime

HH:MM:SS.SSS

Time as reported by the VN-200

lat(deg)

degrees

Latitude as reported by the VN-200

lon(deg)

degrees

Longitude as reported by the VN-200

hght(wgs84-m)

meters

Height above WGS84 ellipsoid

roll(deg)

degrees

Roll as reported by the VN-200 (positive roll is a roll to the right)

pitch(deg)

degrees

Pitch as reported by the VN-200 (positive pitch is a pitch up)

yaw(deg)

degrees

Yaw as reported by the VN-200

gstime(ms)

milliseconds

GeoSnap time since power on

AttUncrt(deg)

degrees

Attitude uncertainty of the VN-200

PosUncrt(m)

meters

Position uncertainty of the VN-200

INS_stat

Status of the INS as reported by VN-200

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Imagenum File (IMAGENUM.txt)

This file keeps track of the numbering of the images in the IMG and Pix4D log files. To restart the numbering at 1, simply delete the IMAGENUM file from the GeoSnap microSD card.

SYNCHRONIZING IMAGE NAMES

The GeoSnap does not get the actual image names from the camera but uses a sequential numbering scheme in the specified image name format. Because of this, it is important that the camera and the GeoSnap be set up so that they both start image numbering at 1 and remain synchronized through use.

It is recommended to set the camera’s file numbering setting to Reset (for more information on

this, see the Camera Settings section of this manual). Then, before you start a new mission, clear

all images off the camera’s SD card and delete the IMAGENUM.txt file off the GeoSnap card. This

will reset both systems to start image numbering at 1.

CONFIGURING FOR MAPPING FLIGHTS

For mapping missions, we recommend setting up the GeoSnap to trigger the camera using the distance interval option. The appropriate distance interval can be obtained from your flight planning software, or from Field of View’s flight planning calculator, available at fieldofviewllc.com/downloads. To configure the GeoSnap for distance interval triggering:

1. Insert the GeoSnap microSD card into a computer

2. Open the CONFIG.txt file using a text editor (e.g. Notepad)

3. Edit the following CONFIG file options to the specified settings, then save and replace

microSD card in the GeoSnap

@2: File_name = camera dependent (select the correct option for your camera) @3: Trigger mode = 2 @5: Trigger_dist_m = your desired trigger distance interval in meters @20: Antenna_offset_m = installation dependent (see the Configuration File section of this manual for more information on how to properly use this option)

POWERING ON THE GEOSNAP

To power on the GeoSnap, simply plug in the provided USB power cable, or the power pigtail cable connected to an appropriate power source (see the Specifications section of this manual for power specifications). Before powering down the system, press and hold the onboard button for approximately 3 seconds until all LED shine solid. This ends logging, making it safe to remove power from the system.

Dynamic Motion

The VN-200 requires dynamic motion to reach full heading accuracy. Because of this, if you are using the GeoSnap Pro on a multirotor, we highly recommend performing a few S-turns in manual flight mode at the start of the flight before sending it on its autonomous mission.

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LED CODES

The meanings of the LEDs on the GeoSnap board are explained in this section.

• Blue LED – This LED indicates when the board is powered. When power is sent to the

board, this LED shines solid.

• Red LED & Green LED – These LEDs indicate the status of the GeoSnap, including startup

status, GPS status, triggering, and camera capture indications.

Startup Sequence

LED Code

Meaning

Board is checking for access to the microSD card and writing a default CONFIG file to the card if a CONFIG file does not already exist. *Note: this is also the LED code for an SD card error (see below) so if this pattern persists, check the SD card.

No GPS lock but system is ready to start operating. If the GeoSnap is configured for fast as possible or time triggering, the first trigger command will be sent at this point

GPS lock. If the GeoSnap is configured for distance triggering, the first trigger command will be sent at this point.

Capturing Images

LED Code

Meaning

Trigger command sent.

Capture confirmation received from camera.

Shutdown

LED Code

Meaning

All data logging has stopped and it is safe to power down the system. This occurs after pressing and holding the trigger button for approximately 3 seconds.

Errors

LED Code

Meaning

MicroSD card error. Occurs when there is no card, the card is not seated properly, the card is full, or if the log file number exceeds 999.

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CONFIGURATION FILE

The CONFIG.txt file on the GeoSnap’s microSD card is where you can adjust all of the settings of the GeoSnap. Each time the GeoSnap is powered, it searches for the configuration file and reads the settings. If this file is not present, the GeoSnap creates a new configuration file with default options.

The file consists of human-readable ASCII text and can be edited using many types of text editors. On Windows, either Notepad or Wordpad may be used. On OSX, TextEdit may be used. On GNU/Linux or Unix, EMACS, Vim, Nano, Pico, or other graphical equivalents may be used. Note: word processing software such as Microsoft Word should not be used to edit the configuration file.

The sections below describe in detail the various settings and how their options/values affect the behavior of the GeoSnap.

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FIELD OF VIEW GeoSnap Pro User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual