PNI TCM 2.6 User Manual

User Guide

TCM2.5 & TCM2.6

as allowed under copyright laws. Revised July 2013. For most recent version visit our website at www.pnicorp.com PNI Sensor Corporation

2331 Circadian Way Santa Rosa, CA 95407 USA Tel: (707) 566-2260 Fax: (707) 566-2261

Warranty and Limitation of Liability. PNI Sensor Corporation ("PNI") manufactures its TCM products (“Products”) from parts and components that are new or equivalent to new in performance. PNI warrants that each Product to be delivered hereunder, if properly used, will, for one year following the date of shipment unless a different warranty

time period for such Product is specified: (i) in PNI’s Price List in effect at time of order acceptance; or (ii) on PNI’s

web site (www.pnicorp.com) at time of order acceptance, be free from defects in material and workmanship and will

operate in accordance with PNI’s published specifications and documentation for the Product in effect at time of

order. PNI will make no changes to the specifications or manufacturing processes that affect form, fit, or function of the Product without written notice to the OEM, however, PNI may at any time, without such notice, make minor changes to specifications or manufacturing processes that do not affect the form, fit, or function of the Product. This warranty will be void if the Products’ serial number, or other identification marks have been defaced, damaged, or removed. This warranty does not cover wear and tear due to normal use, or damage to the Product as the result of improper usage, neglect of care, alteration, accident, or unauthorized repair.

THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR ANY WARRANTY OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF ANY PROPOSAL, SPECIFICATION, OR SAMPLE. PNI NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES ANY PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT ANY OTHER LIABILITY.

If any Product furnished hereunder fails to conform to the above warranty, OEM’s sole and exclusive remedy and PNI’s sole and exclusive liability will be, at PNI’s option, to repair, replace, or credit OEM’s account with an

amount equal to the price paid for any such Product which fails during the applicable warranty period provided that (i) OEM promptly notifies PNI in writing that such Product is defective and furnishes an explanation of the

deficiency; (ii) such Product is returned to PNI’s service facility at OEM’s risk and expense; and (iii) PNI is satisfied

that claimed deficiencies exist and were not caused by accident, misuse, neglect, alteration, repair, improper installation, or improper testing. If a Product is defective, transportation charges for the return of the Product to OEM within the United States and Canada will be paid by PNI. For all other locations, the warranty excludes all costs of shipping, customs clearance, and other related charges. PNI will have a reasonable time to make repairs or

to replace the Product or to credit OEM’s account. PNI warrants any such repaired or replacement Product to be

free from defects in material and workmanship on the same terms as the Product originally purchased. Except for the breach of warranty remedies set forth herein, or for personal injury, PNI shall have no liability for any

indirect or speculative damages (including, but not limited to, consequential, incidental, punitive and special damages) relating to the use of or inability to use this Product, whether arising out of contract, negligence, tort, or under any warranty theory, or for infringement of any other party’s intellectual property rights, irrespective of whether PNI had advance notice of the possibility of any such damages, including, but not limited to, loss of use, revenue or profit. In no event shall PNI’s total liability for all claims regarding a Product exceed the price paid for the Product. PNI neither assumes nor authorizes any person to assume for it any other liabilities.

Some states and provinces do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights that vary by state or province.

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About the TCM2.5/2.6

Thank you for purchasing the TCM2.5/2.6. The TCM2.5 has been designed as a drop-in

replacement for PNI Corporation’s TCM2 family of products. The TCM2.5 uses the same board size,

interface connector, and RS-232 protocol as the TCM2 modules to allow for ease of integration with existing systems. The TCM2.6 has all the features of the TCM2.5, but is about half the size and weight and has an extended temperature range.

The TCM2.5/2.6 are the choice for existing applications that require compatibility with PNI Corporation’s TCM2 family of products.

The TCM2.5/2.6 integrates 3-axis magnetic field sensing, 2-axis tilt sensing, and compass heading into a single module. Advantages include compatibility with existing systems, low power consumption, large signal noise immunity under all conditions, and a large magnetic field measurement range.

The TCM2.5/2.6 combines PNI Corporation’s patented Magneto-Inductive (MI) sensors and measurement circuit technology with a MEMS accelerometer for unparalleled cost effectiveness and performance. The MI sensor changes inductance by 100% over its field measurement range. This variable inductance property is used in a cost and space efficient ASIC (PNI 11096) which incorporates a temperature and noise stabilized oscillator/counter circuit which is inherently free from offset drift.

The TCM2.5/2.6’s advantages make it suitable for many applications, including:

Remote terrestrial antenna direction indicators

Side-scan sonar

ROV, AUV control

Survey equipment Robotics systems Vehicle detection

With its many potential applications, the TCM2.5/2.6 provides a command set designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind. Many parameters are user-programmable, including reporting units, a wide range of sampling configurations, output damping, and more. We hope the TCM2.5/2.6 will help you to achieve the greatest performance from your target system. Thank you for selecting the TCM2.5/2.6.

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Installation

Wire Color

TCM2.5 PIN Description

Wire Color

TCM2.6 PIN Description

Orange

Vsupply (5 V regulated)

Black

Power Ground

Red

Vsupply (6 to 18 V unregulated)

Gray

Black

Power Ground

Green

RS232 Ground

Blue

RxD (RS-232) -5 to 5V

Orange

NC 5 Yellow

TxD (RS-232) -5 to 5V or -12 to 12V

Violet

NC 6 White

RTS, Wake from Sleep

Brown

Green

Data Ground

Yellow

TxD

Brown

NC 8

Blue

RxD

Purple

NC 9

Red

5 VDC

Gray

Data Ground

Parameter

Model

Minimum

Maximum

Units

Supply Voltage – 5V Regulated

TCM2.5

-0.3

+10

VDC

TCM2.6

-0.3

+10

VDC

Supply Voltage – 6 to 18 V Unregulated

TCM2.5

-30

+30

VDC

This section describes how to configure, program, and control the TCM2.5/2.6 in your host system. To install the TCM2.5/2.6 into your system, follow these steps:

Make electrical connections to the TCM2.5/2.6 Evaluate the TCM2.5/2.6 using the included TCM Studio Program Choose a mounting location Mechanically mount the TCM2.5/2.6 Perform user calibration

Electrical Connections

Included with the TCM2.5/2.6 Interface Kit is a cable to allow for the unit to be connected to your host system. On one end of the cable is the connector needed to mate with the TCM2.5/2.6. The cable’s wires are color coded as indicated below.

PNI also has a 6-foot cable with a DB9 connector attached. Contact PNI for purchasing information.

Table 1: TCM2.5/2.6 PIN Descriptions

CAUTION: Stresses beyond those listed above may cause permanent damage to the device. These are

stress ratings only. Operation of the device at these or other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied.

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Absolute Maximum Ratings

RS-232 Serial Communication Interface

Parameters 8 data bits, 1 start bit, 1 stop bit, no parity, flow control none Baud Rate 300 to 115200

Communicating with the TCM2.5/2.6

Once the TCM2.5/2.6 is powered up and the RS232 connection is made with one of the PC’s COM ports, you may begin exchanging ASCII serial data with the TCM2.5/2.6. The most direct means is to run any modem or terminal emulation software. Specify the COM port that you have the TCM2.5/2.6 connected to and set the baud rate to the same baud rate of the TCM2.5/2.6. The default baud rate for the TCM2.5/2.6 is 9600. Remember that the TCM2.5/2.6 does not echo characters by default, so you may wish to select the echo output option in your terminal emulation program or press <Ctrl> e on the keyboard.

TCM Studio – Evaluation Program

The TCM2.5/2.6 evaluation software communicates with the TCM2.5/2.6 through the COM port of your PC. It provides an easy to use interface, so that instead of issuing command codes manually, you can use buttons, check boxes, and dialog boxes. It reads the Binary responses of the TCM2.5/2.6 output strings and formats its sensor data into labeled and easy-to-read data fields. The program also includes the ability to log and save the outputs of the TCM2.5/2.6 to a file. All of this is so that you may begin to learn the capabilities of the TCM2.5/2.6 while using the TCM Studio program’s more friendly interface.

To install the TCM Studio program onto a Windows system:

1. Drag the “TCM Studio.exe” to the working directory of your computer.

2. Move the Quesa plug-in (Quesa.dll) into either the Windows System or System32 folder. Quesa is the OpenGL rendering engine and the 3D Model of the TCMStudio will not run without it.

For Windows 2000/NT copy to: /WinNT/System32 folder For Windows XP copy to: /Windows/System32 folder

To Install the TCM Studio program onto a Mac OSX system:

1. Drag the “TCM Studio” to the working directory of your computer.

2. Move the Quesa plug-in (Quesa) to: /Library/CFMSupport

Hardware Setup:

1. Connect the unit to a serial port of the PC via the included cable. (A USB to Serial Adapter can be used; Keyspan USA-19QW was tested.)

2. Supply power

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[Connection Tab]

Initial Connection:

1. Select the serial port the unit is plugged into.

2. Select 9600 as the baud rate (default).

3. Click on the <Connect> button.

4. Once a connection is made the “Connected” light will turn green.

Change Baud Rate:

1. Select new baud rate for the module.

2. Select same baud rate for the computer.

3. Click on the <Connect> button.

Change Modules:

Once connection has been made, the TCM Studio will remember the last settings. Any time a module is switched out, clicking on the <Connect> button once the new module is attached will reestablish a connection as long as the module baud rate is the same as the previous unit.

[Configuration Tab]

North Reference:

Magnetic: When the “Magnetic” radio button is selected, heading will be relative to Magnetic

North.

True: When the “True” radio button is selected, heading will be relative to True North. To use North Heading in “True” mode, the declination needs to be set in the “Declination” window.

Options:

Use to select halting continuous output by sending a single “h” command.

Damping:

Enabled: Use to select if the filter (damping) is to be used Time Const: Use to select 4, 8, 16, or 32 samples and apply the values to a filter prior to

calculating the heading. These filters allow for a much more stable reading, but can make the acquisition of the data by the program slower. The default setting is 8.

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Reading Units:

 Compass: Use to select either Degrees or Mils as the unit of measure.  Inclinometer: Use to select either Degrees or Mils as the unit of measure.  Temperature: Use to select either Celsius or Fahrenheit as the unit of measure.

Default:

This button will set the TCM2.5/2.6 module back to the factory default settings for the parameters shown on the screen.

Note: This is similar, but with less parameters, to the factory command.

[Calibration Tab]

Start (stop)

Toggle button to begin and end calibration

Calibration Procedure:

1. Click on the <Start> button to begin.

2. Begin rotating the TCM2.5/2.6 in a circle while applying pitch and roll to the unit. The unit will have the appearance of a “wobbling top” as it is moved through the calibration routine.

3. Turn the TCM2.5/2.6 around at least twice changing the pitch and roll as much as possible.

4. Each turn should take longer than 30 seconds. The turn does not need to be a perfect circle. In the calibration mode, the TCM2.5/2.6 is trying to take as many different data points as possible to determine the magnetic anomalies. The more pitch and roll points you give it, the better it is able to determine the vertical magnetic fields. If possible, apply

as close to a ± 90˚ pitch and ± 90˚ roll. Doing so will improve the quality of the calibration.

Do not worry about exceeding the tilt range of the unit.

5. Once two complete rotations have been completed, click on the <Stop> button to finish the calibration.

Score

The TCM2.5/2.6 provides feedback on calibration through the calibration score, which has

the following format: “...HnVnMn.n....”

The first two numbers in the calibration score, HnVn, respectively describe the quality of the

calibration for the horizontal component and vertical component of the host system’s local

magnetic field. Higher numbers reflect higher quality. The highest possible score is a “9”. The factors that contribute to a good score for Hn and Vn are as follows:

 a good, magnetically quiet location was chosen for the user calibration

procedure.

 the magnetic environment is stable; there are no large sources of changing

fields.

 the calibration data points included changes in system heading and inclination

to allow for proper measurement of the horizontal and vertical field vectors.

 there are no significant soft-iron distortion effects.

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The last number in the score, Mn.n, describes the magnitude of local field. Larger numbers denote strong local fields. Small local fields are preferable, since less correction will be necessary, and they utilize less of the magnetometers’ dynamic range. A magnitude score greater than 30 indicates strong magnetic fields at the TCM2.5/2.6 location; you should consider alternative mounting locations. Any score less than 10 is very good.

Note: The calibration score values mostly provide a qualitative estimation. For example, a good score would be H9V9Mn.n. A poor score as anything less than H9V9Mn.n. A poor V score generally indicates that you need to tilt more during the calibration. A poor H score indicates you did not turn two full circles or that you

6. If the calibration is not sufficient then click on the <Start> button and begin the calibration again.

Clear:

This button will clear the user calibration in the unit. Once selected, the unit will revert back to its factory calibration.

turned too quickly.

[Test Tab]

Current Reading:

Once the <GO> button is selected the unit will begin outputting Heading, Pitch and Roll information. Selecting the <Stop> button or changing tabs will halt the output of the unit.

3D Model:

The helicopter will follow the movement of the attached module and give a clear representation of the module’s orientation.

[Data Logger Tab]

1. Select the data to log in the “Data” window.

2. Use Shift-Ctrl-Click and Ctrl-Click to select multiple items.

3. Click on the <GO> button to start logging; click the <STOP> button to stop logging.

4. Click on the <Export> button to save the data to a file.

5. Click on the <Clear> button to clear the data from the window.

[System Log Tab]

Export:

Select the <Export> button to save the system log to a file.

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Where to install the TCM2.5/2.6

The TCM2.5/2.6’s magnetometers’ wide dynamic range and its sophisticated calibration algorithms

allow it to operate in many environments. For optimal performance however, you should mount the TCM2.5/2.6 with the following considerations in mind:

The TCM2.5/2.6’s magnetometers should not saturate

The TCM2.5/2.6 can be calibrated for large static magnetic fields. However, each axis of

the TCM2.5/2.6’s magnetometers has a maximum dynamic range of ±80 µT (this can be

read using the TCM Studio with by going to the datalogger and selecting “Magnetometer

Output); if the total field exceeds this value for any axis, the TCM2.5/2.6 will not give accurate heading information. When mounting the TCM2.5/2.6, consider the effect of any

sources of magnetic fields in the local environment that when added to the earth’s field may saturate the TCM2.5/2.6’s sensors. For example, large masses of ferrous metals such as

transformers and vehicle chassis, large electric currents, permanent magnets such as electric motors, and so on.

Locate the TCM2.5/2.6 away from local sources of changing magnetic fields

It is not possible to calibrate for changing magnetic anomalies. Thus, for greatest accuracy, keep the TCM2.5/2.6 away from sources of local magnetic anomalies that will change with time; for instance, electric equipment that will be turned on and off or nearby ferrous bodies that will be changing positions. Make sure the TCM2.5/2.6 is not mounted close to cargo or payload areas that may be loaded with large sources of local magnetic fields.

The TCM2.5/2.6 should be mounted in a physically stable location

Choose a location that is isolated from excessive shock, oscillation, and vibration.

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Mechanically mounting the TCM2.5/2.6

Refer to the TCM2.5/2.6 Dimensional Specification later in this manual for the TCM2.5/2.6 board dimensions and the orientation of the reference frame.

The TCM2.5/2.6 is factory calibrated with respect to the mounting holes, as shown below, thus it must be aligned within the host system with respect to these mounting holes, not the board edges.

Figure 1: TCM2.5 Mounting Diagram

Figure 2: TCM2.6 Mounting Diagram

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Using the TCM2.5/2.6

RS232 Data Output Word

The TCM2.5/2.6 sends an “output word” in ASCII across the RS232 serial link when issued the s? (Single Output Word) command, or when in go (Continuous Sampling) mode. This data output word may be configured by the user for the desired format and configuration. You may select either NMEA 0183, or TCM2 standard output word formats, with the sdo= (Set RS-232 Output Word) command.

NMEA 0183 Format

The TCM2.5/2.6 can be configured to conform to the NMEA (National Maritime Electronics Association) 0183 specification, which describes a standard RS232 bus format for exchange of a variety of navigation information (GPS, radar, compass, and so on). In the NMEA output format, only compass heading information is available. Inclinometer, magnetometer, thermometer data and the distortion detection warning are all unavailable.

$HCHDM,<compass>,M*checksum<cr><lf> !for magnetic heading

For example, $HCHDM,182.3,M*checksum<cr><lf> !for magnetic heading = 182.3 °

The checksum value is the result of XOR’ing the ASCII bytes between the ‘$’ and ‘*’ characters. This one byte value is reported in the output word by two ASCII characters representing two hex digits, with the most significant nibble first. For example, “...*A3<cr><lf>” indicates that the output word has a decimal checksum value of 163.

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TCM2.5/2.6 Standard Output

The TCM2.5/2.6 standard output format may be configured to provide all of the sensor data parameters available, or only those parameters required.

$C<compass>P<pitch>R<roll>X<Bx>Y<By>Z<Bz>T<temp>E<error code>*checksum<cr><lf>

View the sections covering the commands: c? (Compass Update), m? (Magnetometer Update), i? (Inclinometer Update), t? (Temperature Update) for detailed information regarding the character formatting and resolution of the values for each of the data parameters in the output word.

Example

The TCM2.5/2.6 will return the following:

$C328.3P28.4R-12.4X55.11Y12.33Z-18.43T22.3E001*checksum<cr><lf>

under the following conditions:

compass heading = 328.3 ° (true or magnetic, depending on configuration) pitch = 28.4 ° roll = -12.4 ° Bx = 55.11µT (x-component of magnetic field) By = 12.33 µT (y-component of magnetic field) Bz = -18.43 µT (z-component of magnetic field) Temperature = 22.3 ° (F/C depending on configuration) E001 = Distortion flag is raised–magnetic anomaly nearby

Any parameters not enabled are not included in the output word. For example:

$C328.3T22.3*checksum<cr><lf> !for compass and thermometer information only.

The checksum value is computed and reported identically to that for the NMEA output format.

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Command Syntax

Input Command

TCM2.5/2.6 Response

Valid parameter-setting commands

:<cr><lf>

Valid action command

varies according to command

Valid Parameter query commands

:<parameter>=<value><cr><lf>

Invalid, or unrecognized command

:E<code><cr><lf>

Valid sensor query command

varies according to command

The ‘:’ character signifies a successfully identified and executed command.

There are three types of commands you may issue to the TCM2.5/2.6:

User Configuration Parameter commands which set user-definable parameters. Request for Data commands which query the TCM2.5/2.6 for data or for the stored value of

user-definable parameters.

Action commands which prompt the TCM2.5/2.6 to perform a specific action.

All commands must be followed with a <cr>, or <cr><lf>. The <lf> characters are ignored by the TCM2.5/2.6, but are supported to allow compatibility with a variety of terminals.

Commands are case sensitive.

Programming Conventions

Set TCM2.5/2.6 user parameters: <parameter>=<value><cr> Query TCM2.5/2.6 data (parameter or sensor values): <parameter>?<cr> Action command: <command><cr> Detailed descriptions of all commands are in the “Command List” and a command summary is

shown in “Command List Quick Reference”

Data Transmission

The TCM2.5/2.6 will transmit data across the RS-232 interface in response to input commands, and will also transmit data output words automatically when placed in continuous output mode. The response to the various commands is as follows:

Table 2: Input Command Responses

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Error Codes

1st ASCII Character

Bit 3 (MSB)

EEPROM1 error

Bit 2

EEPROM2 error

Bit 1