Sensors & Software Conquest Series Manual

© Copyright 2012 Sensors & Software Inc. Drawing Number: 2006-001 12-05

S

ENSORS

& S

OFTWARE INC

. P

RODUCT LICENCE

, C

OPYRIGHT

, L

IABILITY AND WARRANTY INFORMATION

Important

Please read this document ca refull y befo re remo ving t he
or assembling the

HARDWARE PRODUCT

. By removing the storage media or assembling the hardware, you are agreeing

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

storage media from th eir prot ectiv e cov er

to be bound by the terms of this agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of this agreement, promptly contact Sen­sors & Software, Inc. at the address indicated at the end of this document.

Definition

The word
of

PRODUCT

HARDWARE PRODUCT

as used herein defines any tangible item sold by Sensors & Software, Inc. and may be comprised

which consists of physical objects and

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

which means computer programs,

codes and related support materials.

Software Product Licence Agreement

In order to preserve a nd pro tec t i ts rights under t he ap pli ca ble l aws, Se nso rs & S of twa re, Inc. (hereafter S&S) do es n ot
sell any rights to its Software product. Rather, S&S grants the right to use its software, diskettes (or other storage
media) and documentation (hereafter collectively called

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

licence. You acknowledge and agree that S&S retains worldwide title and rights to all its software and that the

WARE PRODUCT

contains proprietary materials protected under copyright, trademark and trade secret laws.

) by means of a

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

SOFT-

Grant of Software Product Licence

In consideration of payment of the licence fee, which is the price you pay for the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

and your agree­ment to abide by the terms and conditions of this Licence Agreement, S&S grants to you, the Licencee, a non-exclu­sive right to use the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

under the following conditions:

You may:

•use the

• copy the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

on a single workstation owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by you

for backup purposes in support of your use of the product on a single workstation.

You may not:

• copy, distribute, or sell copies of the

merged

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

to others;

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

or accompanying written materials, including modified or

• sell, licence, sublic ence , assign , or o therwise tra nsfer t his licenc e to an yone withou t the p rior written c onsent of S&S;

• modify, adapt, translate, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works based on the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

.

Termination

This licence is effective until terminated. You may terminate the licence at any time by returning the

UCT

and all copies to S&S. The licence will automatically terminate without notice by S&S if you fail to comply with any

terms or conditions of this agreement. Upon termination, you agree to return all copies of the

SOFTWARE PROD

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

to

S&S.

Update Policy

S&S may create, from time to time, updated versions of its

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

. At its optio n, S&S will mak e such

updates available to licencees who have paid the update fee.

Product Warranty, Limited Remedy, and Limited Liability

S&S warrants the

PRODUCT

to be free from defect in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of one
year (365 days) from the date of shipment. Any third party computer systems or other items not manufactured directly
by S&S purchased with any

PRODUCT

or independently from S&S are subject to the original manufacturer's warranty

and not the responsibility of S&S.
S&S makes no other warranties including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a

particular purpose . If this product is defectiv e within the warranty period s tated above, your ex cl us iv e rem ed y s hal l b e,
at S&S’s option, to replace or repair the S&S product or refund the purchase price of the S&S product. Except where
prohibited by law, S&S will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from this S&S product, whether direct, indirect,
special, incidental, or consequential regardless of the legal theory asserted.

-

All statements, technical information, and recommendations related to S&S products are based on information
believed to be reliable, but the accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Before using this product, you must eval­uate it and determine if it is suitable for your intended application. You assume all risks and liability associated with
such use. Any statements related to the product which are not contained in S&S current publications, or any contrary
statements contained on your purchase order, shall have not force or effect unless expressly agreed upon, in writing,
by an authorized officer of S&S.

S&S warrants the diskettes or other storage media on which the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

is furnished to be free from
defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase as
evidenced by a copy of your invoice.

Except as specified above, any

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed
or implied, includi ng, but no t limite d to, the us e or resul t of use of th e produc t in terms of correc tness , accuracy, reliabil­ity, currentness, or otherwise. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the
the

PRODUCT

is defective or used improperly, you, and not S&S or its dealers, distributors, agents, or employees,

PRODUCT

is assumed by you. If

assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction.
S&S's entire liability and your exclusive remedy for

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

shall be, at S&S's option, either

• the replacement of any diskette or hardware components which do not meet S&S's Limited Warranty and which are

returned to S&S postage prepaid with a copy of the receipt,; or,

• if S&S is unable to deliver a replacement diskette which is free of defects in material or workmanship, Licencee may

terminate this agreement and have the licence fee refunded by returning all copies of the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

post-

age prepaid with a copy of the receipt.

If failure of any
the

SOFTWARE PRODUCT

PRODUCT

Do not tamper with any

resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication, S&S shall have no responsibility to replace

, refund the licence fee, or replace or repair the

PRODUCT

.

PRODUCT

contains no user serviceable parts. If tampering is evident, in S&S’s opin-

HARDWARE PRODUCT

.

ion, warranty is void and null.
No oral or written informati on or adv ice g iven by S&S, its deale rs, dis tributo rs, agent s, or e mploy ees s hall c reate a war-

ranty or in any way increase the scope of this warranty and you may not rely on any such information or advice.
Neither S&S nor anyone else who has been involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the

PRODUCT

shall be
liable for any direct, indir ect, spec ial, ex empla ry, incidental, or consequential da mages , claims, or ac tions inc ludin g lost
information, lost profits, or other damages arising out of the use or inability to use this

PRODUCT

even if S&S has been

advised of the possibility of such damages.
This warranty gives yo u specifi c righ ts. You may have other rights which v ary from pro vince to provin ce, terri tory to t er-

ritory, and certain limitations contained in this limited warranty may not apply to you.

General

®

pulseEKKO
right, licence, or interest to such trademarks is granted hereunder with the purchase of the

PRODUCT

, Noggin®, SpiView®, Conquest®, RoadMap® and SnowScan® are registered trademarks of S&S. No

PRODUCT

or the

licence.

SOFTWARE

Governing Law

In the event of any conflict between any provision in this licence agreement and limited warranty and any applicable
provincial legislation, the applicable provincial legislation takes precedence over the contravening provision. This
agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Serviceability

Should any term of this agreement be declared void or not enforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the
remaining terms shall remain in full effect.

Waiver

Failure of either p a r ty t o en forc e a ny of i ts rights in this agre em ent or t ake action against any oth er party in the event of
a breach of this agreement shall not be considered a waiver of the right to subsequent enforcement of its rights or
actions in the event of subsequent breaches by the other party.

Acknowledgement

Y o u ackn owl edge th at you have read thi s agre ement, unders tan d it, a nd agre e to be bou nd by its terms and c onditi ons.
You further agree that this agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of agreement between the parties and
supersedes all proposals or prior agreements, oral or written, between the parties relating to the subject matter of this
agreement.

Should you have any questions concerning this agreement, please contact in writing:

Sensors & Software Inc.

1040 Stacey Court

Mississauga, Ontario

Canada L4W 2X8

Tel:[phone]

Fax:[phone]

Web: www.sensoft.ca

E-mail: sales@sens o ft.ca

pulseEKKO, Noggin, SpiView, SnowScan, Conquest, SmartCart, SmartHandle, RoadMap, Conquest for Windows,

ConquestView, Win_EKKO, EKKO_Mapper, EKKO_3D and EKKO_P

WARE INC

OINTER ARE TRADEMARKS OF SENSORS

.

& S

OFT

-

Conquest Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1Overview

............................................................................................................1

2 Assembling Conquest

2.1 Basic Assembly

2.2 Attaching the Handle

2.3 Using the Compact Flash

3 Packing Up Conquest

............................................................................................3

...................................................................................5

................................................................................7

4 Principles of Operation

4.1 Line Scans Crossing Targets Perpendicularly

4.2 Concrete Type

4.3 Lines Scans Running Parallel to Targets

4.4 Grid Scan Collection

4.5 Limitations

4.5.1 New Concrete

4.5.2 Concrete Covered by Metal

4.5.3 Penetration Depth

...........................................................................................11

..................................................................................13

..................................................................................................14

................................................................................14

...............................................................................3

............................................................................6

.............................................................................9

..........................................10

..................................................12

...........................................................15

..........................................................................15

4.6 Power Cable Detection (PCD) Principles

5 Line Scans and Gr id S can s

5.1 Step 1: Define Area of Interest

5.2 Step 2: Use Line Scan mode to get main structure orientation

5.3 Step 3: Place grid mat

5.4 Step 4: Grid Scan Parameters

5.5 Step 5: Surveying on the Grid

5.6 Step 6: Calibrate the Concrete Type

5.7 Step 7: Depth Slice Image Computation

5.8 Step 8: Working with Depth Slice Images

5.9 Step 9: Interpretation of Results

5.10 Step 10: Marking the Site

5.11 Step 11: Transferring Data to a PC (Optional)

5.11.1 Compact Flash Drive Transfer

5.11.2 PC Software

5.11.3 Conquest Grid Parameter (.CV2) File Definition

...............................................................................23

..........................................................................28

...................................................................................29

..................................................16

..................................................................21

..................................................................21

................22

...................................................................24

...................................................................24

.........................................................25

...................................................25

.................................................25

................................................................27

..........................................28

.......................................................28

...........................29

i

Table of Contents Conquest

6Help

....................................................................................................................31

7 Examples & Interpretation
8 Helpful Hints

8.1 Scan Speed and Data Quality

8.2 Sensor Head Positioning

8.3 Collecting a Short Line or Partial Grid

8.4 Line Scan Data File Length

8.5 Extending the Depth after Collecting Data

8.6 Automatic Concrete Type Calibration

8.7 Image Enhancement Processing

8.8 System Test

8.9 Odometer Wheel Calibration

9 Troubleshooting

9.1 Restart the System

9.2 Power Supply

9.3 Warning Beep in Line Scan Mode

9.4 Warning Beep and Flashing in Grid Scan Mode

9.5 Sensor Head Key Pad Doesn't Respond

9.6 Remote Keypad Doesn't Work

9.7 System Does Not Start with the Sensor Head or Remote Keypads

9.8 Nothing Displayed on Monitor

9.9 Power Light on Monitor Keypad Not Illuminated

9.10 Export Menu Item Not Accessible

9.11 PCD Menu Item Not Accessible

9.12 Constant Prompt to Perform System Test

9.13 Creating a Test Line for Data Quality

9.14 Contacting Sensors & Software Inc.

..................................................................................................37

...........................................................................37

...............................................................................................39

..........................................................................................41

....................................................................................41

.............................................................................................41

.....................................................................33

...................................................................37

.......................................................38

.......................................................................38

................................................38

........................................................38

...............................................................39

.....................................................................40

.............................................................41

.......................................41

..................................................42

..................................................................42

.........42

...................................................................42

.......................................42

.............................................................43

................................................................43

................................................43

........................................................43

..........................................................44

10 Care and Maintenance

10.1 Cable Care

10.2 Conquest Sensor Head Wear Pad

10.3 Storage Cases

10.4 Spare Parts

.................................................................................................45

...........................................................................................45

................................................................................................45

.............................................................................45

............................................................45

ii

Conquest Table of Contents

Appendix A Health & Safety Certification.......................... ........... A-1

Appendix B GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations.......... B-1

B-1 FCC Regulations (USA)
B-2 ETSI Regulations for the EC (European Community)
B-3 Industry Canada Regulations

...........................................................................B-2

.............................B-6

..................................................................B-7

Appendix C Instrument Compatibility.............................................C-1

Appendix D Safety Around Explosive Devices ..............................D-1

Appendix E Conquest Glossary..................................................... E-1

iii

Table of Contents Conquest

iv

Conquest 1-Overview

1 Overview

Conquest is an integrated ground penetrating radar (GPR) data acquisition platform specifically
designed to meet the needs of the concrete inspection industry. The system consists of the
display unit with the monitor, sensor head, survey grids and AC power supply connections. The
Conquest Enhanced system also includes a remote keypad, handle for the sensor head, a
removable Compact Flash disk and PC software.

Conquest provides quick, easy surveying with integrated analysis and 3D imaging. Conquest
Enhanced provides extended capabi lit y of data transfer to a PC and Windows-based software for
further enhancement and image export for reports.

The PCD (Power Cable Detector) uses an additional sensor built inside the Conquest sensor
head to detect and image current-carrying cables inside or beneath the concrete. The PCD data
are collected at the same time as the GPR data so there is no additional effort required by the
operator.

Figure 1-1:Picture of the Conquest system in operation.

1

1-Overview Conquest

2

Conquest 2-Assembling Conquest

2 Assembling Conquest

2.1 Basic Assembly

Use the following steps to assemble the Conquest unit:

1. Undo t he 4 plas tic l atch es that secur e the lid of t he Conquest carr y case and op en the
lid.

Figure 2-1:The main components of a Conquest system.

2.The LCD monitor is held on a piston-hinged frame that can be raised and lowered to

hold the monitor at any angle for viewing. Gently pu ll up the edge of the monitor to the
desired angle.

3. The Conquest system will have 3 or 4 cables, depending on options. These cables

are stored in the deeper storage area under the monitor. Identify the following cables:

a) System power cable with AC plug
b) LCD power cable with AC plug

c) Yellow cabl e attached to the Sensor Head
d) Cable to the Remote Receiver (optional)

3

2-Assembling Conquest Conquest

Figure 2-2:Conquest cables.

4.Cables A and B must be plugged into a 110-240 volt AC power source. If the system is

powered properly, the green LED on the Monitor Keypad will illuminate. Cables C and
D should already be connected.

5.Figure 2-3 shows all the cables and connections in the back of Conquest system. All

these connections should already in be in place but check to make sure that they are
secure. Also check that the connection to the Sensor Head is tight.

Figure 2-3:Cable connections in the back of the Conquest system.

4

Conquest 2-Assembling Conquest

6. Turn on the system by pressing any button on the Monitor Keypad. Note that this

MUST be done on the Monitor Keypad and not the Sensor Keypad or the Remote
Keypad. After the system is powered on, the red LED on the Monitor Keypad will be
illuminated.

7. Once the main menu is displayed on the LCD monitor screen, you are ready to begin

scanning with Conquest!

8. Use the Help option (Section 6: P31) from the main menu to learn how to scan and

generate depth slice images.

9. In high dust environments, keep the carry case lid tilted down over the back of the

monitor to minimize the amount of dust settling in ventilation slots.

2.2 Attaching the Handle

Conquest Enhanced comes with a handle to allow the operator to stand up during data collection
on floors.

Retract the spring-loaded knobs on the end of the handle, align with the two holes at the back of
the Sensor Head and release them to lock into position.

Figure 2-4:Connecting the optional handle to the Sensor Head allows data collection to be performed from

a standing position.

There is an additional set of handle mounting holes which can be used under unique
circumstances like scanning a vertical surface or in confined spaces when pulling the sensor
head towards the user may be preferable to pushing it.

5

2-Assembling Conquest Conquest

Figure 2-5:The optional handle can also be attached to the Sensor Head using the holes in the front. This
mounting position can make it easier to scan walls or complete surveys in situations where pulling the Sen-

sor Head is preferable to pushing it.

2.3 Using the Compact Flash

To save data to the optional Compact Flash car d, make sure the system is powered down, tilt the
monitor down into it s storage position, tilt up t he Monitor Keypad and insert the card into the card
slot. Data are always saved to the internal memory but, when a removable card is present, the
data can be copied to the removable card using the Export function accessible from the Tools
menu.

Figure 2-6:The Compact Flash card slot is located under the Monitor Keypad. Conquest data can be

saved to a Compact Flash card and transferred to a PC for plotting and processing.

6

Conquest 3-Packing Up Conquest

3 Packing Up Conquest

1. After scanning is complete, power down the system with the Power Off option from
the main menu.

2. Unplug the system and LCD monitor power cables from the AC power supply and

carefully place these cables into the deeper storage area behind the monitor.

3. Place the Sensor Head back into its storage location in the Conquest carry case and

place the cable into the storage area behind the monitor. Ensure that the part of the
cable closest to the Sensor Head is set into the foam channel cut-out so it is not
damaged when the monitor is lowered into its storage position.

4. Ensure that the optional Remote Receiver Cable runs inside the foam channel cut-out

so it is not damaged when the monitor is lowered into its storage position.

5. Carefully lower the LCD monitor into its storage position and close the lid of the carry

case, securing the 4 plastic latches.

6. The carry case has wheels and an extendable handle so the Conquest system can be

easily transported.

The Conquest system comes in a strong, weatherproof plastic case with wheels and an
extendable handle for easy transportation. The Conquest system can be carried like a suitcase
using the large handle on the fro nt or pul led up right on the wheel s when the ext endabl e handle i s
employed. When pulled upright, you must move the tab to pull out or push in the handle.

7

3-Packing Up Conquest Conquest

8

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

4 Principles of Operation

The Conquest system uses ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology to image concrete and
other similar materials (soil, rock, asphalt, etc.). GPR systems emit a high frequency radio wave
pulse and detect the echoes that return from within the material. The concept is shown in Figure
4-1.

Figure 4-1:The Conquest sensor head transmits GPR signals into concrete and collects the signal that

reflects from rebar, conduits and other targets embedded inside.

The GPR display shows signal amplitude versus depth (time) and sensor position along a line.
This is called a “Line Scan”. The echo sounder and fish finder used on boats operate in an
analogous fashion as indicated in Figure 4-2.

GPR is just like a fish finder &

The fish finder record

echo sounder

• as the boat moves -

• sends out a ping

• signal scattered

back from fish

• signal scattered
back from bottom

• in this exa mple
single record has 2
blips at different
time s

Figure 4-2:GPR is conceptually similar to a fish finder.

collect recordings

• display the
recordings side by
side

• the result looks
like a cross section
through the water

9

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

4.1 Line Scans Crossing Targets Perpendicularly

Conquest detects rebar and conduits which are generally rod-like in shape. A line scan over a
localized feature such as a pipe or bar crossed perpendicularly generates a hyperbola (inverted
V) as sketched in Figure 4-4.

The sensor should cross perpendicular to the long axis of the feature, i.e. we must cross the
feature at 90

o

(Figure 4-3).

Figure 4-3:The arrow represents the path of the sensor, crossing the rebar or conduit at 90o.

When the sensor crosses a target, we get the typical “hyperbolic” or inverted “V” response from
the target, as shown in Figure 4-4. A real data image is shown in Figure 4-5.

Figure 4-4:Crossing a target perpendicularly produces an inverted “V” or hyperbola in the cross-section

image.

10

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

Figure 4-5:Data image of a hyperbola produced by crossing a rebar perpendicularly with the sensor.

The point (apex) of the V gives the position and depth of the feature (Figure 4-6).

Figure 4-6:The actual location of a target corresponds to the top or apex of the hyperbola.

4.2 Concrete Type

The shape of the hyperbola (Figure 4-4 and Figure 4-5) is controlled by the “Concrete Type”
property, which is a measure of the velocity the Conquest signals travel through the particular
concrete. For reliable depth estimates and accurate depth slice images, the user must calibrate
the unit on each site to extract the concrete type.

The Concrete Type can be extracted from the data by calibrating after collecting a cross section
data image like Figure 4-5. Crossing the target perpendicularly is important to ensure accurate
Concrete Type calibration.

11

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

4.3 Lines Scans Running Parallel to Targets

Moving parallel to (or directly on top of) the subsurface feature (Figure 4-7) results in a constant
flat line in the data image (Figure 4-9). Other features such as layers and the bottom of concrete
also appear as flat surfaces.

Figure 4-7:The arrow represents the path of the sensor, running on top of a rebar or conduit.

Figure 4-8:

Top of Rebar

Bottom of
Concrete

Figure 4-9:Data image of a hyperbolas produced by a line scan crossing a rebar perpendicularly. The

image also shows flat lines generated by running the sensor parallel along the top of a rebar and the bot-

tom of concrete. Ensure that the Filter option is OFF or flat-lying features are removed from the image.

Be aware that Conquest has the option of applying a background subtraction filter to the data to
remove flat-lying features in the data image. The filter option is available on the Color button in
Line Scan, Grid Scan (see Figure 5-3
from targets like rebar so if your interest is a flat-lying feature like the bottom of concrete, make
sure that the Filter is OFF.

) or Slice View. The filter is used to enhance the hyperbolas

12

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

4.4 Grid Scan Collection

A Conquest grid scan consists of collecting a series of parallel line scans in two directions
perpendicular to one another (Figure 4-10).

Figure 4-10:Grid Scans are based on collecting multiple line scans in two directions on a grid.

Together, these line scans sample a 3D volume or cube of concrete. This is shown conceptually
in Figure 4-11a. Processing the data results in a solid data volume, again, conceptually shown in
Figure 4-11b.

a

b

Figure 4-11:(a) A series of lines scans on a grid cover a volume. (b) Processing interpolates data into the

gaps between lines to produce a solid volume.

13

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

The data volume can then be visualized as a number of “slabs” or depth slices. Conquest
displays a series of 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick depth slice images moving through the data volume
from top to bottom (Figure 4-12).

Figure 4-12:The concept of grid scanning with Conquest. Collecting a grid of data results in a data cube or

3D volume that is visualized as a series of 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick depth slices.

4.5 Limitations

Before using the Conquest system, keep in mind that Conquest won’t solve every problem that
you will face.

4.5.1 New Concrete

Most importantly, Conquest will not work effectively on very new concrete. When concrete is very
fresh, it absorbs the signals that the Conquest system emits and does not allow penetration to
substantial depths. Depending on the concrete mix and local conditions, curing can take days to
weeks. As a result, the use of Conquest in the early stages of concrete construction has to be
considered experimental until the concrete is adequately cured.

14

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

4.5.2 Concrete Covered by Metal

In some situations, concrete may be covered by metal or contain a very fine screen mesh. This
can happen in a plastered wall or in a terrazzo floor. In these cases the metal screen acts like a
perfect mirror for the radio signals emitted by the Conquest sensor. All the signals are reflected
back and nothing will penetrate into the subsurface. At such sites, Conquest will not be effective
for subsurface imaging.

4.5.3 Penetration Depth

GPR uses radio waves to image the subsurface. These waves are strongly absorbed by the
material being scanned. The material type and pore water salinity dictate how deep signals will
penetrate. Concrete can be highly variable depending on the original mix and state of wetting.
Figure 4-13 shows how the depth of penetration can vary with concrete type.

Figure 4-13:Concrete absorbs GPR signals and generally limits penetration to about 18” (0.5 m).

There is a finite limit on the conc rete thickness that can be probed. Experience indicates 18” (0.5
m) concrete is the limit of explorati on. In some situat ions where concr ete is very dr y and optima lly
mixed to hydrate all cement, penet rat ion can reac h 24” t o 36” (0 .6 to 1 m) b ut t his i s not common .

15

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

4.6 Power Cable Detection (PCD) Principles

The PCD sensor maps the location of current-carrying cables by detecting the magnetic field
created by AC current flowing at 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

Figure 4-14:Depiction of the magnetic field created by a current flowing in a wire.

Figure 4-15:The Conquest detects the current-carrying cable best when crossing it perpendicularly.

16

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

Figure 4-16:In Line Scan mode, the PCD profile appears under the GPR cross-section image.

profile also appears after collecting each line in a Grid Scan.

The PCD

Figure 4-17:After Grid Scan data have been processed into depth slice images, the PCD image can also

be displayed.

The magnetic field generated by current flowing in wires can be simple or highly contorted
depending on how the wires are oriented. Examples of simple and twisted wires are shown in
Figure 4-18.

17

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

Figure 4-18:The shape of the magnetic field generated can be simple or complex depending on whether

the wires are straight, vertically or horizontally oriented, their spacing and the dgree of twist.

18

Conquest 4-Principles of Operation

The amplitude of the PCD responses depends on the amount of current, cable depth, wire
separation distance and degree of twist. The PCD response can vary over a wide range,
typically from double digits to 10,000 or more (Figure 4-19).

Figure 4-19:The strength of the magnetic field generated depends on the nature of the wire: single wire,

pair or twisted pair and the spacing. It also depends on the depth of the wire and amount of current flowing

in the wire. PCD values can vary over a wide range depending on these factors.

19

4-Principles of Operation Conquest

20

Conquest 5-Line Scans and Grid Scans

5 Line Scans and Grid Scans

Your Conquest system is designed to make images of concrete structures at various depths.
Embedded features are revealed as layers (or depth slices) of concrete are stripped away.

Given the limitations mentioned in Section 4.5: P14, most sites are quite amenable to Conquest
measurements. The following is a simplified step-by-step approach that one should use to
investigate a site using your Conquest system.

5.1 Step 1: Define Area of Interest

The area of interest is defined to be one where you need to drill, cut or gain information for a
variety of purposes. In order to make images, Conquest must acquire data over an area that is
predefined in geometry. The standard procedure is to collect data on a grid which is a fixed size.
The standard grids can be either metri c or imperial units.

The five grid sizes available are:

1. 24” x 24” or 600mm x 600mm

2. 48” x 48” or 1200mm x 1200mm

3. 24” x 48” or 600mm x 1200mm

4. 96” x 96” or 2400mm x 2400mm

5. 24” x 96” or 600mm x 2400mm

Details on setting the parameters for Grid Scans are described in Help > Grid Scan > Define
Parameters.

Your specific site will dictate what is practical and where you can operate. Obviously in tight
corners and spaces you may not be able to lay out a grid and this could limit the utility of
Conquest in very confined spaces. In this case you may have to collect a partial grid or use Line
Scan mode only, which is discussed in the next section (Section 5.2: P22).

Before starting any work, you should obtain information about any construction practice that can
help in your evaluations of the Conquest results. Remember that construction plans and
drawings are just that; design plans! In construction, the implementation can deviate from plan.
Don’t be surprised when your Conquest results show some differences from your expectations.
This is a common occurrence.

21

5-Line Scans and Grid Scans Conquest

5.2 Step 2: Use Line Scan mode to get main structure orientation

Line Scan mode is used to help get a relative idea of what lies beneath before you start your
survey. The Conquest system allows you to acquire data along a straight line and examine the
information. From the principles of operation section (Section 4: P9), you will have a sense of the
information that you will see on the screen. Flat boundaries such as the bottom of the concrete
will appear as flat bands (Figure 4-9) whereas localized features such as rebar and conduits will
appear as inverted V’s (Fi gure 4-5).

Details on Line Scan mode are described in Help > Line Scan.
Push the sensor along a straight line and you will see the concrete response scrolling on the

screen as you move. The data will scroll as fast as you move. It is best to go at a uniform slow
speed rather than going fast and jerky because irregular motion may reduce data quality.

Line Scan data are saved to a maximum line length of approximately 6.4m (21 feet). If a Line
Scan is longer than this length only the last 6.4m (21 feet) is saved.

Backup Indicator: Line Scan mode incorporates a unique backup feature. Move the sensor
backwards and an arrow on the screen will appear over the collected data and keep moving to
the left of the screen as long as you are moving backward (see Figure 5-1).

Figure 5-1:Line Scan mode data display. Stopping and backing up displays a Rollback arrow that can be

used to pinpoint the location of a target.

Move forward and the arrow moves forward. New data will not be collected until you reach the
point where you stopped and backed up. For example, if you pass a feature in the concrete,
simply roll the sensor back until the arrow appears exactly over it. The feature is located at the
center of the sensor. You can mark it off and continue data collection.

22

Conquest 5-Line Scans and Grid Scans

In Line Scan mode the objectives are:

a) to confirm if the system is “seeing” into the concrete;
b) to obtain a sense of the site structure;

c) to assess the orientation of the rebar mats;
d) to get an idea of the depth of exploration.

In Line Scan mode you should identify the feature’s alignments. The purpose is to select the
optimum orientation for posi tioning the survey grid mat for imaging.

Simple Line Scans don’t always provide a good sense of the spatial dist ribution of the features in
complex sites. Grid Scans permit you to create images to clearly define where objects are in
relation to one another, allowing for more efficient planning of cutting and drilling sites.

5.3 Step 3: Place grid mat

Use Line Scan to determine the optimum orientation for grids. For the best resolution of targets,
the survey grid should be aligned perpendicul ar to any embedded object s in the concr ete. If ther e
are features which run at oblique angles, you should select the predominant orientation for
aligning the grid.

When positioning the grid mat, you should pick a reference point and then place the grid mat
registration point on that mark. The best way to do that is to put a chalk mark or pin or other
indicator on the surface and then place the transparent grid mat over top of it. This reference
point should be such that you can go back to the site after you have removed the grid mat.

The transparent grid mat should be taped on to the structure with duct tape. During grid scan
collection, the Conquest sensor will be moved along the survey guide lines on the mat grid to
acquire the data.

Conquest comes with a standard 24” x 24” grid mats or the metric equivalent of 600mm x
600mm. This is the usual survey size for local area investigations. Larger areas can be surveyed
by taping multiple grid mats together to produce 24” x 48” grid (600mm x 1200mm), 48” x 48”
(1200mm x 1200mm) or 24” x 96” (600mm x 2400mm) grids. The 96” x 96” grid (2400mm x
2400mm) grids can also be done but the user must measure and mark this grid out.

Details on setting the parameters for Grid Scans are described in Help > Grid Scan > Define
Parameters.

On the Conquest transparent sheet grids, the line numbers which go on beyond the edge of the
first grid are indicated on the sheets in brackets. When joining multiple sheets, make the sheets
overlap them such that the sheet edges won’t catch the bott om of the sensor (see Figure 5-2)

23

5-Line Scans and Grid Scans Conquest

Figure 5-2:Example of 4 Conquest Sheets taped down to make a layered grid.

The grids are labelled with numbers and letters. Survey lines which run up and down the sheet
are labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, whereas lines which run horizontally on the sheet are labelled
A, B, C, D, etc. These solid lines are spaced 4 inches or 100 mm apart and are used for normal
resolution surveys. Dotted lines are shown halfway between these lines and are used in addition
to the solid lines in high resolution surveys.

The lettering (alpha lines) and numberi ng (numeric l ine s) provid es a grid coor dinate sys tem. Thi s
same coordinate system shows up on the images created by Conquest for easy reference back
to the grid.

5.4 Step 4: Grid Scan Parameters

Once you have your grid mat in place, you are now ready to acquire Conquest data. To do this
you need to set up some parameters.

Details on setting the parameters for Grid Scans are described in Help > Grid Scan > Define
Parameters.

Make sure that the PCD option is set t o the frequency a ppropriate f or the geog raphic locat ion, i.e .
60 Hz for North America and 50 Hz for Europe and Australia.

5.5 Step 5: Surveying on the Grid

Once you have established the parameters for the Grid Scan, you are ready to acquire data on
the survey grid mat.

Details on Grid Scans are described in Help > Grid Scan > Scan the Grid.

24

Conquest 5-Line Scans and Grid Scans

5.6 Step 6: Calibrate the Concrete Type

The Concrete Type must be calibrated after Grid Scan collection to obtain clear depth slice
images and accurate depth estimates. Processing the data without determining the Concrete
may give a fuzzy image. It is instructive to try several values for the Concrete Type to see the
impact of not calibrating properly.

Details on determining the Concrete Type are described in Help > Grid Scan > Scan the Grid.

5.7 Step 7: Depth Slice Image Computation

A key feature of Conquest is its ability to transform the raw sensor information into a series of
sliced images versus depth in the material. In general, depth slice images are generated after all
the lines in the grid have been collected, but images can also be generated when a partial grid
has been collected. This is useful when the grid area is smaller than the grid mat or when part of
the grid is obstructed so not all the lines can be collect ed.

Small grids can usually be processed in less than one minute. Larger grids may take several
minutes.

Details on generating Depth Slice images are described in Help > Grid Scan > View the
Results.

It is not necessary to reprocess data every time you want to view it. Once a grid has been
processed, the images are always immediately available by selecting Slice View from the main
menu or from the Grid Scan menu.

Any time the Concrete Type changes, the grid scan data should be reprocessed as this value
affects imag e clarity and depth estimates.

While the GPR Depth Slice images are generated, the PCD data are processed to generate a
PCD image that is displayed in the Slice View menu.

5.8 Step 8: Work ing with Depth Slice Images

Working with the maps generated by your Conquest system will help to increase your expertise,
knowledge base and proficiency. You may find it somewhat difficult initially to understand the
display if you are not used to viewing 3-D information. The display is designed to let you slice
through the concrete volume in 3 directions.

25

5-Line Scans and Grid Scans Conquest

Figure 5-3:3D image of concrete as displayed by Conquest. The depth slice image is displayed in the

upper left corner and represents the plan map view looking down on the grid scan area (see Figure 5-4).

The images to the right and below the depth slice image are the Numeric and Alpha cross sectional views

through the concrete defined by the cross-hairs on the depth slice. Conceptually, the cross-section views

are like looking at the sides of the cube (see Figure 5-4).

The best way to think of the depth slice images are as photograph-like views from above. The
rectangular regions to the bottom and the right should be thought of as cross sections through
the concrete in each direction at the positions of the cross-hairs (Figure 5-4).

Figure 5-4:A conceptual Conquest Grid Scan image to understand the relationship between depth slice

images, Alpha cross section images and Numeric cross section images.

26

Conquest 5-Line Scans and Grid Scans

One of the first things to note is the resolution of Conquest. Features will show up with a
minimum size of about 30 mm (1.5 inches). This is a fundamental limit of the transducer
response characteristics. You should not interpret a Con quest feature to be ful ly represent ativ e of
the dimension in the Depth Slice image. The object may be 1 inch in diameter or 1/8 of an inch in
diameter but it still will result in a 1.5 inch wide event on the depth slice image. You must be
careful about assigning size to features.

Step down through the depth slices and look for patterns. Normally regular patterns of rebar will
appear at different depths. Sometimes when a bar or conduit has a dip or a tilt, it will show up
partially at one depth and then show up at another depth more clearly as the bar or conduit cuts
down through the selected depth range.

The display allows you to view any pa ir of cross section images on the sides of the 3D view. This
is very instructive because you can see both the lateral position and the depth as you learn how
to use the three views.

Hyperbolic (inverted “V”) respons es fr om crossing r ebar per pendicul arly ar e enhanced by t urning
the Filter ON. The filter removes flat-lying reflectors in the cross section images. If your target is
flat-lying, like the bottom of concrete, make sure that the Filter is OFF.

The PCD image can also be displayed in the Slice View menu. The menu makes it easy to
toggle between the GPR Depth Slice images and the PCD image. Unlike depth sli ce images, the
PCD image is a single image that is NOT associated with a specific depth range.

Notice that, similar to GPR responses from rebar and other objects described above, the PCD
response are broad compared to the actual size of the cable so the width of the PCD response
has no relation on the size of the cable.

Details on displaying Depth Slice image s are described in Help > Slice View.

5.9 Step 9: Interpretation of Results

You interpret the Conquest map results by looking for the dark areas on a light background or
light features on a dark background depending on the colour table. These areas indicate the
presence of an object in the subsurface at a particular depth.

In general, you will find that bars, pipes and conduits make straight lines across the depth slice
whereas layers and horizons such as the bottom of concrete show up as uniform coloring which
is somewhat marbled across the area.

Experience is required in understanding the images that you obtain. It is fairly straightforward to
get a first order sense of a site by stepping Up and Down through the depth slices to understand
the observations. You can see what depth you are at by looking at the slider bars on the side of
the vertical cross sections . By looking at the cross sections you can get a sense of wh at features
are occurring at different depths whereas the depth slice gives you the spatial location of these
features.

See Section 7: P33 for some examples and interpretation.

27

5-Line Scans and Grid Scans Conquest

5.10 Step 10: Marking the Site

You will need to view the depth slices up and down through the total depth range in order to mark
the site. The normal process is to step down through each depth and look for linear features
which usually indicate pipes and conduits. At each depth, mark the location of the feature on the
surface using the grid as a guide. You can mark directly onto the sheet with erasable marker.
Sensors & Software also have paper gri ds that can be placed on the site. (Call for availability).

Each linear feature or feature where there is a dark spot on the screen should be marked on to
the surface of the area. Marking the site will obviously be dictated by the site conditions. In an
open concrete structure at a construction area site you can use chalk or a crayon to mark the
surface. In finished floor areas one may want to use a washable marker or some other type of
easily removable indicator. You will no doubt need to adapt for your specific site condition.

5.11 Step 11: Transferring Data to a PC (Optional)

The Conquest systems offer the option of transferring data to a PC for further analysis. This is
available if you selected the enhanced sy stem opt ion or pu rchas ed the enhanced u pgrade o ption
after buying the base system.

Details on Exporting data are described in Help > Tools.

5.11.1 Compact Flash Drive Transfer

Files collected with the Conquest system are saved to an internal drive but the Export feature
copies data to an optional removable Compact Flash card. To transfer data copied to the
removable drive to a PC, ensure that Conquest is powered off. Then eject the compact flash
drive from the card slot under the Monitor Keypad (See Figure 2-6 on page 6) and insert it into a
user-supplied card reader connected to a PC. Use the Windows Explorer program to make a
new folder on the PC, read the removable drive and copy the data files to the new folder.

Each time Conquest data are exported t o a compact fl ash disk, a new fol der with an incr ementing
number is created, i.e. EXPRT001, EXPRT002, etc. Grid Scan data are copied to the GRIDS
sub-folder, i.e. \EXPRT001\GRIDS and Line Scan data are copied to the LINES sub-folder, i.e.
\EXPRT001\LINES.

Since Conquest can collect up to 99 Grid Scans, each one is saved t o a sub-folder wit h a number
corresponding to the grid number, i.e. CONQ001, CONQ002, etc. Therefore, grid scan data will
be found in folders with names like: \EXPRT001\ GRID S\CONQ001.

28

Conquest 5-Line Scans and Grid Scans

5.11.2 PC Software

The Conquest Enhanced package has software for viewing and processing Conquest data on a
PC. The ConquestView software gives the same display as on the Conquest monitor. With
ConquestView, you can perform all of the display and process functions discussed here but have
the added benefit printing or exporting images to other software (for more details, see the
ConquestView User’s Guide).

ConquestView exports Conquest data into a 3D format that can be viewed with 3D visualization
software like Voxler (available from Sensors & Software).

5.11.3 Conquest Grid Parameter (.CV2) File Definition

To display a Conquest grid scan in ConquestView, the user must open the Conquest Grid
Parameter file. This file is saved in the same folder as the grid scan data and has a .CV2
extension. The name of the file is based on the following format:

MMDD_NNG.CV2

where MM is the month 01 – 12

DD is day 00 – 31

NN is grid number. Currently 01 – 99, and 00 for demo

G is the Grid size indicated by the following letters:

A = 2x2ft or 600x600mm
B = 4x4ft or 1200x1200mm
C = 8x8ft or 2400x2400mm
D = 2x4ft or 600x1200mm
E = 2x8ft or 600x2400mm

For example, a 4x4 foot grid scan numbered 17 and collected on October 7 will have a Conquest
Grid Parameter file called 1007_17B.CV2

29

5-Line Scans and Grid Scans Conquest

30

Conquest 6-Help

6Help

Conquest has an extensive Help fil e built r ight into t he system. Step-by-step details on all aspect s
of Conquest including menu navigation, grid scans, slice views, line scans and system tools are
all available by selecting the Help menu option from the main menu Figure 6-1.

The Help screens are also available in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) and Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT)
format on the Conquest Software CD for easy reference.

Figure 6-1:Accessing Help.

31

6-Help Conquest

32

Conquest 7-Examples & Interpretation

7 Examples & Interpretation

Due to space considerations, only the depth slices with discernible features are displayed for
each case study.

Case #1

This grid scan was conducted on the 5th floor of a medical building that was undergoing some
renovations. The grid size was 600x600mm, normal resolut ion.

In Figure 7-1a, we see rebar located between 60-90mm depth. If we go deeper to 240-270mm
(Figure 7-1b), there are two conduits running obliquely across the grid area. In the slice
immediately below that (Figure 7-1c), there are some features at numeric lines 4 & 6.

a) b)

c)

Figure 7-1:

33

7-Examples & Interpretatio n Conquest

Case #2

The scan was conducted at a test pad outdoors (Figure 7-2a & Figure 7-2b). The grid size was
1200x1200mm, normal resolution.

The main feature of this grid scan is the overlapping wire mesh, seen prominently at adjacent
depths. The reason that it shows at 2 different depths is that the mesh dips in certain areas, a
result of the weight of the concrete as it was being poured. From the pictures, it can be seen that
the mesh has a spacing of 200mm.

a)

b)

Figure 7-2:

34

Conquest 7-Examples & Interpretation

Case #3

In Figure 7-3a) we see wire mesh again, with two conduits running at oblique angles to and
directly beneath the mesh. Figure 7-3b) shows the bottom of concrete between 9.6 to 10.8
inches deep. In this case, it is sl ab on pan which is a metal support sheet on which concrete was
poured during construction. The radar waves can not penetra te metal , and hence, the signal s are
reflected entirely.

a)

b)

Figure 7-3:

35

7-Examples & Interpretatio n Conquest

Case #4

In Figure 7-4a) we see a typi cal rebar p atte rn a t a depth of 5-6 inc hes. The PCD i mage (F igure 7 ­4b) reveals a strong magnetic field response that may be associated with the leftmost vertical
rebar. The interpretation is that a current-carrying cable has been tied to the rebar.

a)

b)

Figure 7-4:

36

Conquest 8-Helpful Hints

8 Helpful Hi nts

8.1 Scan Speed and Data Quality

Conquest uses DynaQ, an advanced patented technology that adjusts data quality as the sensor
head movement speed varies. In most situations, moving the sensor head at a comfortable
speed generates data of good quality. In situations where target resolution or maximum
penetration depth is critical, moving slower increases data quality.

During Grid Scanning, the progress bar moves across the screen as the Conquest sensor head
is pushed along a grid l in e to i ndicate tha t d ata ar e being c oll ect ed. Wit h Dyna Q, the c olour of t he
progress bar indicates the qualit y of the data at that point along the line:

Yellow = normal quality
Light blue = better quality
Dark Blue = highest quality

Figure 8-1:With DynaQ, the colour of the progress bar indicates the quality of the data being collected.

Dark blue, indicating the highest quality of data, is achieved by moving the sensor head more slowly com-

In general, avoid collecting data at extremely high rates of speed. The microcomputers are
programmed to sense if the sensor head is moved too quickly. There are limits on the speed of
movement to ensure data quality. The system will “beep” to indicate if a data quality issue has
been detected. If this occurs, the operator is prompted to recollect the line.

pared to the speed for the light blue or yellow colors.

8.2 Senso r H e ad Position ing

Proper positioning of the Sensor Head is very important for generating accurate depth slice
images. Before starting a line, use the arrows to ensure that the center of the Sensor Head is
correctly aligned on the start line on the grid mat.

37

8-Helpful Hints Conquest

When collecting a grid scan, the sensor head has to be pushed slightly beyond (1-2cm) the end
line on the far edge of the grid mat before the survey line stops.

If lines collected during Grid Scans seem to end before the end line on the far edge of grid mat is
reached, or they end more than 1 or 2 centimetres (1 inch) after the end line, recalibrate the
wheel odometer. An inaccurate odometer calibration value may result in poor data positioning
resulting in lines which are too long or too short.

Ver ify th at the gr i d siz e and measu rement uni t s sel ected in the Tools menu match the vinyl p aper
grid mat being used. For example, Conquest comes with 24 inch imper ial gri ds or 600 mm metric
grids that differ sl ightly in size.

8.3 Collecting a Short Line or Partial Grid

To stop a Grid Scan line early, press the Enter button.

8.4 Line Scan Data File Length

Line Scan data are saved to a maximum line lengt h of approxi matel y 6.4 m (21 fee t) . The system
will beep to indicate the maximum length has been reached. If a Line Scan is longer than this
length only the last 6.4 m (21 feet) is saved.

8.5 Extending the Depth after Collecting Data

The system always scans to a depth of approximately 3 feet or 1 meter, regardless of the depth
setting the user has selected on the system. The user depth setting only controls the depth of
data displayed on the screen. The user can change the "Depth" menu item in Line Scan to see
deeper data. To see deeper in Grid Scan mode, the user has to change the "Depth" setting for
the grid on the Grid Scan parameters menu.

8.6 Automatic Concrete Type Calibration

For the clearest images and most accurate depth estimates, it is important that the correct
Concrete Type value be used. In Grid Scan mode, Conquest automatically determines the
Concrete Type for Grid Scan by processing a combination of both the Alpha and Numeric lines.
However, lines should NOT be used for the Concrete Type calculation if they have any of the
following features:

1. Very shallow targets.

2. Targets that are not crossed at a 90% angle; crossing at an angle will result in a
calibration value that is too high.

3. Data with no targets.

4. Complex data with multiple targets close together.

In these cases the user can force the system to determine the Concrete Type using only the
Alpha lines or the Numeric lines or even one specific, user-defined line.

38

Conquest 8-Helpful Hints

To only use the Alpha Lines, move to the Slice View button and change Combo to Alpha and
then select the Slice View button to process the grid data and generate Depth Slice images.

To only use the Numeric Lines, move to the Slice View button and change Combo to Num and
then select the Slice View button to process the grid data and generate Depth Slice images.

To use the Concrete Type from a specific line display the line in Grid Scan mode and select the
Concr Type button to determine the Concrete Type for that line. The concrete type value will
appear in the bottom right corner of t he Concr Type button. Then, move to the Slice V iew button
and change Combo to User. Finally, select the Slice View button to process the grid data and
generate Depth Slice images.

Another way is to collect a Line Scan first to find a clean target, ensuring that the t arget has been
crossed perpendicularly, and determine the Concrete Type. Collect a grid scan in the usual way
and then use the user-defined Concrete Type option to adjust concrete type before generating
the depth slice images.

8.7 Image Enhancement Processing

The IEP feature automatically and continuously tests the system for proper calibration during
operation. If the syst em is ever f ound to be out o f ca libr ation, th e user i s i mmediatel y prompted t o
run the System Test and re-calibrate. The IEP option ensures that Conquest always collects the
highest quality data and displ ays the most accurate images.

The IEP option is found in the Tools menu and is automatically enabled when Conquest is turned
on and is normally left on. In fact, if the IEP is turned off, the user is informed on all Line Scan,
Grid Scan and Depth Slice screens. As wel l, the next time that Conques t is tu rned on, the IEP wi ll
be enabled.

There may be situations when the operator is constantly prompted to run the System Test
resulting in the inability to collect data (see System Test
temporarily turned off. If the IEP is disabled, allow the system to warm up for 5 minutes before
starting data collection. Even if data are collected without IEP, it can still be applied in the
ConquestView soft ware after the data are transferred to a PC.

). In these cases, the IEP can be

8.8 System Test

The System Test, accessed through the Tools menu, is run to ensure that all Conquest functions
are working properly and the system is properly calibrated.

If the IEP option is enabled, as it usually is, the user is prompted to run the System Test if the
system detects that it is out of cal ibration.

There are several reasons why system requires the System Test:

1. Replacing hardware components like the sensor head or cable,

2. Large changes in the surface materials in the scan area, for example a grid scan
partially collect ed on a metal plate on the surface.

3. Working in extremely variable temperature conditions.

39

8-Helpful Hints Conquest

4. Operating in a temperature very different from the temperature that the System Test
was last performed in.

To perform the system test, follow the simple, on-screen instructions.
If constantly prompte d to run th e Syst em Test, it may be necessar y to turn th e IEP f eature off and

collect the data without it (see Image Enhancement Processing

).

8.9 Odometer Wheel Calibration

The odometer wheel calibration is done under Wheel Cal in Tools. The odometer wheel should
be periodically calibrated, perhaps once a week or once a month. It should also be re-calibrated
if you are collecting data on a different surface than usual, for example, on a textured floor rather
than smooth concrete. Calibrating on long lines ensures the highest accuracy.

40

Conquest 9-Troubleshooting

9 T roubleshooting

Conquest systems are designed to minimize user problems; however, all electronic devices are
subject to possible failure. The following are troubleshooting hints if your Conquest fails to
operate or something wrong occurs:

9.1 Restart the System

The vast majority of problems can fixed by powering down the system, checking that all
connections are tightly secured (use a screwdriver, if necessary) and not damaged and then
powering back up again.

Sometimes vibrations cause the cable connections to l oosen j ust a bit and br eak cont act and this
can cause errors. Disconnecting cables and reconnecting them may provide a better contact
and solve the problem. Turn the system back on and try running again.

If the power supply and cables are OK, the problem is likely a failure of the internal electronics.
Contact Sensors & Software Inc. (see Section 9.14: P44).

9.2 Power Supply

The most common problem that can occur while trying t o run a sys tem is insufficient power. If the
system is being run from AC, there may be a problem with the AC power supply or adapter. If
using a DC power source with an AC inverter, the battery may be dead or have a low voltage.

9.3 Warning Beep in Line Scan Mode

When collecting Line Scan data, if the system starts to ‘beep”, there are 2 possible causes:

1. The sensor head is being pushed too fast. This happens most often when the Stretch

Factor is large. A high stretch value uses more computer res ources for the screen
display, slowing data acquisition. Reduce the Stretch value or simply slow down the
speed of the Sensor Head to eliminate the warning.

If the beeping keeps occurring and you don’t think that you are moving too fast, check
the odometer calibration value and recalibrate if necessary. An inaccurate odometer
calibration value may result in poor data positioning and/or acquisition of too much
data.

2. The sensor head has reached the maximum saved line length of about 6.4 metres (21
feet). Continuing the Line Scan will result in the data overwriting the previously saved
data so that only the last 6.4 m (21 feet) of any Line Scan is saved.

9.4 Warning Beep and Flashing in Grid Scan Mode

When collecting Grid Scan data, if the system ‘beeps” and the current line number or letter
flashes, this means that the sensor head is being push ed too fast. When this occ urs, the operato r
is prompted to recollect the same line. To assure data quality, simply slow down the speed of the
sensor head.

If this error keeps occurring and you don’t think that you are moving too fast, check the wheel
odometer calibration value and recalibrate if necessary. An inaccurate wheel odometer
calibration value may result in poor data positioning and/or acquisition of too much data.

41

9-Troubleshooting Conquest

9.5 Sensor Head Key Pad Doesn't Respond

If the Sensor Head keypad does not respond, the usual cause is the sensor head being
unplugged from the cable during operation. When the Sensor Head is reconnected, it will beep
and some of the keypad functions will st art to work , but other functio ns wil l not. The onl y soluti on
is to power down the system and restart it.

9.6 Remote Keypad Doesn't Work

If the remote keypad does not work:

1. Check the AAA batteries in the remote; they may be dead.

2. Check that the front of the remote keypad receiver is not obstructed by anything that
may interfere with signal from the remote keypad.

3. Check both ends of the cable connecting the remote keypad receiver to the control
module.

9.7 System Does Not Start with the Sensor Head or Remote Keypads

The system doesn't recognize the presence of the remote or sensor head keypads unit after it
has been initialized. The user must press any key on the monitor keypad to start the system.

9.8 Nothing Displayed on Monitor

Sensor head beeps at start up but nothing appears on the display monitor:

1. Check the connections on the video cable on the control module.

2. Check both ends of the power cable that connects to the monitor; the plug on the
monitor end is removable and can occasionally pull out during transportation of the
system.

9.9 Power Light on Monitor Keypad Not Illuminated

The system is plugged in, the monitor is on but there is no light on the monitor keypad:

1. Check both ends of the power cable that connects to the small AC/DC inverter; the

plug on the inverter end is removable and can occasionally disconnect during
transportation of the system.

2. Check the connections between the AC/DC inverter and the control module at the
back of the Conquest system.

3. Flip up the monitor keypad panel and check that the multi-wire cable connection
between the control module and the monitor keypad is properly seated.

4. The LED may be faulty; press any keypad button to attempt to power up the system.

42

Conquest 9-Troubleshooting

9.10 Export Menu Item Not Accessible

The Export menu item under Tools will be greyed out and not accessible if:

1. No compact flash card is installed in the system when it starts up. The system should

be powered down, the card in st all ed a nd th e system power ed up again. Be aware that
inserting a Compact Flash card with the system powered up can damage the card.

2. The card is not recognized by the system. Sensors & Software recommends the
Sandisk Extreme professional grade series Compact Flash cards. These cards are
widely available at consumer electronics stores.

3. The card is improperly formatted and is not recognized by the system. Try reformatting
the card and restarting the system. The flash card can only be formatted as FAT or
FAT16. Users running Windows 2000 or XP will have the additional options to format
as FAT32 and NTFS, both of which will not work with Conquest. If, after reformatting,
the card is still not recognized, a new card of the type recommended above should be
used.

4. The compact flash card does not have enough free memory space to accept all the
data in the Export folder. The system should be powered down, the card ejected, all
files removed from the card, the card re-installed, the system powered up, and Export
attempted again.

9.11 PCD Menu Item Not Accessible

The PCD menu item under Tools will be greyed out and not accessible if the Conquest sensor
head does not contain the PCD sensor.

9.12 Constant Prompt to Perform System Test

If the operator is constantly prompted to run the System Test resulting in the inability to collect
data, turn off the IEP (Image Enhancement Processing
disabled, allow the system to warm up for 5 minutes before starting data collection.

) in the Tools menu. If the IEP is

9.13 Creating a Test Line for Data Quality

One of the best ways of detecting problems with the Conquest system is compare data with data
collected previously along the same line.

Soon after receiving the syst em and getting comfort able wit h its oper ation, coll ect a line of dat a at
a convenient, easily accessible location. The line does not have to be too long but 1-2 metres (3­6 feet) is a good guide. This data line should be saved electronically and perhaps plotted out on
paper and dated. The test line could be collected say, every 6 months and, by reviewing the
previous data, system problems can be detected early. As well, if there is a suspected problem
with the system, this test line could be collected and compared with earlier tests.

43

9-Troubleshooting Conquest

9.14 Contacting Sensors & Software Inc.

If you develop problems with your Conquest system, contact your agent or Sensors & Software
Inc.

Sensors & Software Inc.’s hours of operation are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Monday to Friday. You can contact Sensors & Software Inc. at:

Sensors & Software Inc.

1040 Stacey Court

Mississauga, Ontario

Canada L4W 2X8

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

When contacting Sensors & Software Inc., please have the following information available:

1. System Serial Number. This is found by til ting up the Monitor Keypad.

2.)Versi on nu mbe r of the data acquisition software.

3.The error number or message appearing.

4.A brief description of when the error is happening and the operating conditions
(temperature, humidity, sunshine, system and survey setup, etc.).

44

Conquest 10-Care and Maintenance

10 Care and Maintenance

10.1 Cable Care

Cables are designed to be as tough as practical.
Careless use of cables by making them carry loads for which they are not designed for can

cause internal damage.
Connectors are weak points in any system. With the use of this product in rough, dusty and

outdoor environments, users can minimize potential down time if they care for cables and treat
connectors with respect.

Cables and connectors are not designed to suspend, tow or otherwise carry the weight of
systems. They are part of the electric al cir cuit and shoul d be tr eated accord ingly. When not in use
they should be placed in their storage box.

10.2 Conquest Sensor Head Wear Pad

The bottom of the Sensor Head is covered with a wear-resistant skid pad. The skid pad is
designed to take the majority of the abrasive wear. If the pad wears down enough, the less­resistant plastic housing may start to wear. If this occurs, it is best to replace the skid pad. It is
easily removed and a new one can be purchased from Sensors & Software Inc.

10.3 Storage Cases

Equipment that is transported and stored loosely is more susceptible to damage. All equipment
should be stored in its shipping case or a storage box. Sensors & Software has shipping cases
available as options for all systems.

10.4 Spare Parts

Customers working in remote areas or if downtime in the field is unacceptable, should consider
buying spare parts like extra cables.

45

10-Care and Maintenance Conquest

46

Conquest Appendix A: Health & Safety Certification

Appendix A: Health & Safety Certification

Radio frequency electr omagnetic fields may pose a heal th hazard when the fields are intense . Normal
fields have been studied exte nsiv el y ov er the past 30 yea rs with no co nc lusi ve epid emi ol ogy re lat ing ele c­tromagnetic fields to health problems. Detailed discussions on the subject are contained in the references
and the web sites listed below.

The USA Federal Communi cation Commis sion (FCC) and Occ upational S afety an d Health Adm inist ration
(OSHA) both specify acceptabl e levels for electromagnetic fields. Simil ar power levels are mandated by
corresponding age ncies in other countries. Ma ximum permissible e xposures and time dur ation specified
by the FCC and OSHA vary with exci tation frequency. The lowest threshold plane wave equ ivalent po wer

cited is 0.2 mW/cm
and frequencies have higher tolerances as shown in graphically in Figure A-A-1.

2

for general population over the 30 to 30 0 MHz freq uency ban d. All o ther ap plicati ons

Figure A-1: FCC limits for maximum permissible exposure (MPE) pla ne- wave equivalent power density mW/cm2.

All Sensors & Software Inc. puls eEKKO, Noggin and Con quest produc ts are normally operated at least 1
m from the user and as suc h a r e clas s ified a s “m o bile” de vic es a ccor di ng to th e FCC. Typical power d en-

-3

sity levels at a distance of 1 m or greater from any Sensors & Software Inc. product are less than 10

2

which are 200 to 10,000 times lower than mandated limits. As such, Sensors & Software Inc. products

cm
pose no health and safety risk when operated in the normal manner of intended use.

A-1

mW/

Appendix A: Health & Safety Certification Conquest

References

1. Ques tions and answers abou t biological effects and potential haz ards of radio- frequency e lectromag­netic field

USA Federal Communications Commission, Office of Engineering & Technology
OET Bulletin 56

(Contains many references and web sites)

2. Evaluation Compliance with FCC G uidelines for Human Exposure t o Radio Frequency Electromag­netic Fields.

USA Federal Communications Commission, Office of Engineering & Technology
OET Bulletin 56

(Contains many references and web sites)

3. USA Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations paragraph 1910.67 and 1910.263.

Web Sites

www.fcc.gov/Bureau/EngineeringTechnlogy/Documents/bulletin
www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC

(see radio frequency)

A-2

Conquest Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

All governments hav e regulations on the leve l of electromagnetic em issions that an ele ctronic apparatus
can emit. The objective is to assure that one apparatus or device does not interfere with any other appara­tus or device in such a way as to make the other apparatus non-functional.

Sensors & Software Inc. extensively test their pulseEKKO, Noggin and Conquest subsurface imaging
products using independen t professional testing houses and comply with latest regulations of the USA,
Canada, European Community, and other major jurisdictions on the matter of emissions.

GPR instruments are consider ed to be UW B (ult ra wideban d) devic es. The re gulatory regimes worldwid e
are devising new rules for UWB devices. Sensors & Software Inc. maintains close contact with the regula­tors to help guide s tandard development and assure that all products conform. You should continually
monitor the "News" link on our website (www.sensoft.ca) for updates on standards.

Electronic devices hav e not always been designed for pr oper immunity. If a GPR instrument is plac ed in
close proximity t o an electronic de vice, interferen ce may occur. While there have been no subs tantiated
reports of interference to date, if any unusual behavior is observed on nearby devices, test if the distur­bance starts and stops when the GPR instru ment is turned on and off. If interference i s confirmed, stop
using the GPR.

Where specific jurisdictions have specific GPR guidelines, these are described below.

B-1

Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations Conquest

B-1 FCC Regulations (USA)

This device complies with Part 15 of the USA Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules. Opera­tion in the USA is subject to the following two conditions:

(1) this device may not cause harmful interference and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired

operation.

Part 15 – User Information

This equipment ha s been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital devi ce, where
applicable, and for an ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) device where applicable, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are des igned to provide reas onable protectio n against harmful i nterference when th e
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interferenc e to r adio commu nicati ons. Op erati on of th is equ ipmen t in a r esi dential area is likel y to
cause harmful interf erence in which case the user wil l be required to correct the in terference at his own
expense.

WARNING

Changes or Modifications not expressly approved by Sensors & Software Inc. could void the user’s author­ity to operate the equipment.

Certification of this equipment has been carried out using app roved cables and pe ripheral devices. T he
use of non-approved or m odified cabl es and perip heral devi ces constitute s a Chan ge or Modific ation out­lined in the warning above.

Operating Restrictions

Operation of this devic e is limited to purposes as sociated with law enfo rcement, fire fightin g, emergency
rescue, scientific r esearch, comm ercial mining, or construction . Parties opera ting this equipme nt must be
eligible for licensing under the provisions of Part 90 of this chapter.

FCC Interpretation of Operation Restrictions issued July 12, 2002

(FCC Order DA02-1658, paragraph 9)

The regulations contain restrictions on the parties that are eligible to operate imaging systems. 1 Under the
new regulations, GP Rs and wall imaging sys tems may be used only by law enforcement, fir e and emer­gency rescue organiza tions, by scientific research institutes, by commercial mining companies, and by
construction com panies. Since the adoption of the Order, we have received sev eral inquiries from the
operators of GPRs and wall imaging systems noting that these devices often are not operated by the users
listed in the regulations but are operated under contract by personnel specifically trained in the operation of
these devices. We do not believe that the recent a doption of the UWB rules should disrupt the critical
safety services that can be performed effectively only through the use of GPRs and wall imaging systems.
We viewed these operat ing restr ictions in the broad est of te rms. Fo r example , we be lieve that the limita­tion on the use of GPRs and wal l imaging systems by con struction companies encompas ses the inspec­tion of buildings , roadways, brid ges and runways e ven if the insp ection finds no da mage to the stru cture

1. See 47 C.F.R. §§15.509(b), 15.511(b), and 15.513(b)

B-2

Conquest Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

and construction does not actua lly res ult from the i nspecti on; the inte nded purpo se of the op eration of th e
UWB device is t o determine if construc tion is re quired. We als o believe that the GPRs and wall imaging
systems may be o perated for one of the purp oses describe d in the regul ations but need not be op erated
directly by one of the described partie s. For example, a GPR may be operated by a private company
investigating forensic evidence for a local police department.

FCC Permitted Mode of Usage

The GPR antenna mus t be kept on the surface to be in compliance with FCC regulations. Use of the
antenna is not permitted if it is lifted off the surface. Use as a through-the-wall imaging dev ice is prohib­ited.

GPR Use Coordination

FCC regulation 15.52 5(c) (up dated i n Fe bruary 20 07) req uire s user s of G PR equip men t to coor dinat e the
use of their GPR equipment as described below:

TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
PART 15_RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES
Subpart F_Ultra-Wideband Operation Sec.

15.525 Coordination requirements.
(a) UWB im aging systems requi re coordination thr ough the FCC before the equipment may be used.

The operator shall comply with any constraints on equipment usage resulting from this coordination.
(b) The users of UWB imag ing dev ices sh all su pply op erationa l areas to th e FCC Office of Engine erin g

and Technology, which shall coordinate this information with the Federal Government through the National
Telecom municati ons and Inf ormation Adm inistr ation. The inf ormation provided by the UWB ope rator sh all
include the name, address and other pertinent contact information of the user, the desired geographic al
area(s) of operation, an d the FCC ID number and ot her nomenclature of the U WB device. If the ima ging
device is intended to be use d for mobile applications, the ge ographical area(s) of operation may be the
state(s) or county(ies) in which the equipme nt will be operate d. The operator of an im aging system u sed
for fixed operatio n s ha ll s upp ly a s pec ific g eog ra phi ca l loc ation or the address a t w hic h the eq uip m en t will
be operated. This material shall be submitted to:

Frequency Coordination Branch, OET
Federal Communications Commission

445 12
20554

th

Attn: UWB Coordination

Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

(Sensors & Software Inc. Note: The fo rm given on the fol lo win g page is a sugges ted form at for pe rfo rmin g
the coordination.)

(c) The manufac tur ers , or thei r aut hor ized sales agents, mu st in form pur c haser s an d user s of the ir s y s­tems of the requirement to undertake detailed coo rdination of o perational are as with the FCC prior to the
equipment being operated.

(d) Users of authorized, coordinated UWB systems may transfer them to other qualified users and to dif-

B-3

Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations Conquest

ferent locations up on coordination of change of ownership or locatio n to the FCC and coordination with
existing authorized operations.

(e) The FCC/NTIA coordination report shall identify those geographical areas within which the operation
of an imaging system requires additiona l coordina tion or withi n which the ope ration o f an imagin g system
is prohibited. I f addition al coor dination is requir ed for oper ation wi thin speci fic geogr aphica l areas, a local
coordination contact will be prov ided. Except for oper ation within these design ated areas, once the infor ­mation requested on the UWB im aging s yst em is subm itt ed to the FCC no addi tion al coord inatio n w ith the
FCC is required provided the r eporte d ar eas of o perati on d o not cha nge. If the area of op erati on c han ges,
updated information shall be submitted to the FCC following the procedure in paragraph (b) of this section.

(f) The coordination of routine UWB operation s shall not take longer than 1 5 business days from th e
receipt of the coordinati on request by NT IA. Special temporary operati ons may be handle d with an expe­dited turn-around time when c ircumstances warrant . The operation of UWB s ystems in emergency situa­tions involving the safety of life or property may occur without coordination provided a notification
procedure, similar to that contained in S ec. 2.405(a) throug h (e) of this ch apter, is followed by the UWB
equipment user.[67 FR 34856, May 16, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 19751, Apr. 22, 2003]

Effective Date Note: At 68 FR 19751, Apr. 22, 2003, Sec. 15.525 was a mended by revising[[Page
925]]paragraphs (b) and (e ). This amendmen t contains informati on collection an d recordkeeping require­ments and will not become effective unti l appro val has bee n given by the Office of Manage ment and Bud­get.

The form given on the following page is a suggested format for performing the coordination.

B-4

Conquest Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

FCC GROUND PENETRATING RADAR COORDINATION NOTICE

NAME:

ADDRESS:

CONTAC T INFORMATION [

AREA OF OPERATION [

E.G

FCC ID: [

. QJQ-CONQ-DE1]

CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER

COUNTIES, STATES OR LARGER AREAS

EQUIPMENT NOMENCLATURE: [

Send the information to:
Frequency Coordination Branch., OET

Federal Communications Commission
445 12

Washington, D.C. 20554
ATTN: UWB Coordination
Fax: [phone]

th

Street, SW

E.G

. C

ONQUEST

]:

]:

DE]

INFORMATION PROVIDED IS DEEMED CONFIDENTIAL

B-5

Conquest Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

B-2 ETSI Regulations for the EC (European Community)

In the European Community (EC), GPR instruments must conform to ETSI (European Technical S t andards
Institute) standard EN 302 066- 1 v1.2. 1. Details on ind ividu al countr y requi remen ts for licens i ng are c oor­dinated with this standard. For more information, contact Sensors & Software’s technical staff.

All Sensors & Software grou nd p ene tr ati ng rad ar (G PR) p ro duc ts offered for s al e in E ur op ean Com mun ity
countries or countries adhering to ETSI standards are tested to comply with EN 302 066 v1.2.1.

For those who wish to get more detailed informatio n, they should acquire copies o f the following docu­ments available from ETSI.

ETSI EN 302 066- 1 V1.2.1 (February 2008) Electr omagnetic compatibility and Radio s pectrum Matters
(ERM); Ground and Wall- Probing Radar applications (GPR/WPR) imaging systems; Part 1: Technical
characteristics and test methods

ETSI EN 302 066- 2 V1.2.1 (February 2008) Electr omagnetic compatibility and Radio s pectrum Matters
(ERM); Ground and Wall- Probing Radar applications (GP R/WPR) imaging systems; Part 2: Harm onized
EN covering essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive

ETSI TR 101 994-2 V1.1.2 (March 2008) Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters
(ERM); Short Range Devices (SRD ); Technical charac teristics for SRD eq uipment us ing Ultra W ide Band
technology (UWB); Part 2: Ground- and Wall- Probing Radar applications; System Reference Document

B-6

Conquest Appendix B: GPR Emissions, Interference and Regulations

B-3 Industry Canada Regulations

Industry Canada published it regulations for ground penetrating radar (GPR) on Mar 29 2009 as part of the
RSS-220 titled 'Devices Using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology'.

Industry Canada has made a unique excepti on for GPR by not requiring user licensing. The us er does
have to comply with the following directives:

(1) This Ground Penetrati ng Radar De vice shall be operated only when in contact with or within

1 m of the ground.

(2) This Ground Penetrating Radar Device shall b e operated only by law enforcement agencies,

scientific research institutes, commercial mining companies, construction companies, and
emergency rescue or firefighting organizations.

Should the ground penetrating radar be used in a wall-penetrating mode then the following restriction
should be noted by the user:

(1) This In-wall Radar Imaging Devic e shal l be operated where the dev ice is di rec ted at the wall

and in contact with or within 20 cm of the wall surface.

(2) This In-wall Radar Imaging Device shall be operated only by law enforcement agencies, sci-

entific research institutes , commercial minin g companies , constructi on companies, and emer­gency rescue or firefighting organizations.

Since operation of GPR is on a licence-exempt basis, the user must accept the following:

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.

B-7

Conquest Appendix C: Instrument Compatibility

Appendix C: Instrument Compatibility

Immunity regulations plac e the onus on instrument/ apparatus/device manufactu rers to assure that extra­neous interference will not un duly cause an in strument /apparatus/devic e to stop function ing or to functio n
in a faulty manner.

Based on independe nt testing hou se measure ments, Sensors & Software Inc. sy stems comply with such
regulations in Canada, USA, Europea n Community and most other jurisd ictions. GPR d evices can se nse
electromagnetic fiel ds. External so urces of ele ctromag netic fields su ch as TV station s, radio statio ns and
cell phones, can cause signals detectable by a GPR which may degrade the quality of the data that a GPR
device records and displ ay s.

Such additive sig nal is unavoidable but se nsible survey practice and operation by an exper ienced GPR
practitioner can min imiz e su ch pro ble ms . In some geogr a phi c areas emissions from exte rn al sou rc es may
be so large as to preclu de u se ful mea sure men ts. Suc h cond iti ons are r ea di ly re co gni ze d an d acc epte d by
the professional geophysical community as a fund ame ntal l imitation of g eop hy sica l s ur vey pr acti ce. S uc h
interference being present in the GPR recordings is not considered as an equipment fault or as a failure to
comply with immunity regulations.

C-1

Appendix C: Instrument Compatibility Conquest

C-2

Conquest Appendix D: Safety Around Explosive Devices

Appendix D: Safety Around Explosive Devices

Concerns are expresse d from ti me to time on th e hazard of GPR p roducts being u sed near blas ting caps
and unexploded ordnance (UX O). Experience with blasting caps indicates that the power of Sensors &
Software Inc.’s GPR products are n ot suffici ent to trig ger bl asti ng c aps. Bas ed o n a c on se rvati ve in dep en­dent testing house anal ysis, we reco mmend keeping th e GPR transmi tters at l east 5 f eet (2m) from blas t­ing cap leads as a precaution. Some customers do experimental trials with their particular blasting devices
to confirm with s afety. We strongly recommend that GPR u sers routinel y working wi th explosiv e devices
develop a systematic safety methodology in their work areas.

The UXO issue is mor e complex and standards on fuses do not exist for obvious reaso ns. To date, no
problems have been reported with any geophysical instrument used for UXO. Since proximity and vibration
are also critical for UXO, the best advice is to be cautious and understand the risks.

D-1

Appendix D: Safety Around Explosive Devices Conquest

D-2

Conquest Appendix E: Conquest Glossary

Appendix E: Conquest Glossary

Conquest is used to scan concrete. There are two types of scans - grid scans and line scans.

Scan:
Grid Scan:

Line Scan:

Grid:

Line:

Scan Depth:

Depth Slice:

the act of acquiring Conquest data.
is the word to desc ribe the proc es s of a cq ui ring Conq ues t d ata on a gri d over an

area with the end goal being to create depth slice images

is the term to describe collecti ng data along on e or more li nes for imm ediate site
assessment using cr oss-s ectio n imag es
conditioning prior to a grid scan

is the term describin g a square or recti linear set of st raight lines which co ver an
area. Acquiring data on a grid means acq uiring Conquest data along each line
forming the grid. Acqui ring data on a grid is a pre-requisite for creating depth
slice images. Often the grid is pre-marked on a grid mat which is also referred to
as a grid.

is the term used to ident ify the position for Conques t data acquisition. A line is
normally straight and Con quest records position from the start to the end of the
line using its odometer wheel.

is the term whic h describes the user sel ected maximu m depth for the Conques t
display.

is the term to describe the Conques t data acquired between two depths - top of
depth slice and bottom of depth slice. Most often a grid scan has the scan depth
subdivided into a number of depth slices.

.

. A series of line scan s hel ps define s ite

.

Slice or Depth
Slice Image: is the term used to describe the Conquest data in a depth slice when the data are

displayed as a compu ter ge nerate d image . Thi s term wil l normal ly be shortene d
to slice.

MultiSlice or
MultiSlice View: is the term used when displaying a number of contiguous depth slice images

which, when viewed together, enable the user to view a complete volume

Grid Size:

Grid Resolution:

Concrete type:

Color Palette:

described by the grid

term used to depth area ex tend of a grid (i.e . 24" x 24" , 600 mm x 600 m m, 600
mm x 2400 mm, etc.).

is the term used to de scribe the spatial de finition attained in a depth s lice im age
and is controlled by the line spacing is a grid. Conquest grids have normal and
high resolution

is the term used to chara cterize the speed that Conquest signals trav el in the
concrete. Concrete type is automatically estimated by the Conquest system.
Concrete type is a crit ical parameter whe n creating depth slice imag es
mating depths of targets in concrete.

is the term used to refer t o the col or palette or col or table us ed in the c reation o f
depth slice images

area and the scan depth.

options.

and esti-

or Conquest cross-section views.

E-1

Appendix E: Conquest Glossary Conquest

Grid Scan Number:

Line Scan Number:
Gain:

Drill Locator:

Section or
Cross-Section Image: the term used when Conquest line scan data are displayed as a computer gener-

Horizontal Stretch:

Slice Type:

is the identifier for the data and images a ssociated with a gr id scan. Conques t
stores scanned data and identifies each scanned data set by its scan number.

is the identifier for data saved when carrying out a line scan.

Since Conquest signals are strong for shallow targets and weaker for deeper tar­gets, when displaying Con quest cross sections, a control is needed so sha llow
targets can be viewed at th e same strengt h as d eeper targe ts. Gain a cts like a n
audio volume control.

is a device used to select an area in a Conquest image volum e that is clear of
any embedded structures. The dynamic drill locator allows the user to select
areas with the leas t likelihood of hittin g an embedded structur e when drilling or
cutting.

ated image (showing depth v ersus position al ong the line). Quite often the term
is shortened to cross-section

is the term used to d escribe stretching the h orizontal (position) axis of a cross­section image.

standard Conquest grid s have nume rical line n ames in one d irection and a lpha­betical line names in the other direction. Conq uest depth slice images
formed from numeric
slices are the standard but sometimes ad vanced users can benefit from v iewing
alternate slice types.

, alpha, or combine d numeric and alpha (combo). Combo

or section.

can be

Numeric Slice:
Alpha Slice:

Combo Slice:

Self-Test:

Wheel Odometer
Calibration: the processing of calibrati ng the odometer wh eel sensor to assure ac curate dis-

Sensor or
Sensor Head: the unit moved over the surface used for sensing the subsurface.

Display Unit:

Keypad:

depth slice image created from numerically named lines in a Conquest grid scan.

depth slice image created from alphabetically named lines in a Conquest grid
scan.

depth slice image created from combining both numerically and alphabetically
named lines in a Conquest grid scan

refers to the action of the Conques t unit carrying out a series of tes ts automati­cally which determin es the proper operation of the unit. Actions such as power
level checks, timi ng check s, indica tor ch ecks , etc. are taken and diag nosti cs dis­played or archived. Current C onquest p erforms sel f-tests referred as Shor t Test
and Long Test.

tance measurement. Sometimes shortened to Wheel Cal

the shipping and s torage box wh ich con tains the displa y monitor and the contr ol
electronics module, distributes power and provides sensor storage.

the units used to control Conquest operation using up, down, left, right, enter and
star keys.

.

or Odometer Cal.

E-2

Conquest Appendix E: Conquest Glossary

Monitor:
Control Electronics

Module: module mounted inside the display unit which holds electronic control circu its,

Remote Keypad:
Remote Keypad

Receiver: the infrared receiver that detects commands from the remote keypad.
Sensor Keypad:
Monitor Keypad:
Grid Mat:

Selector:
Slide:
Slide Show:

Color Bar:

the display panel mounted inside the display unit.

distributes signals and hous es the remov ab le flas h mem ory.

the wireless keypad which enables operation of Conquest from a distance.

keypad mounted on the sensor.

keypad mounted below the display monitor in the display unit.

plastic or paper shee t w ith gr id line s pr e-ma rk ed to en able g ri d scans. Often the
name is shortened to just grid or mat.

the highlight box that appears around the current selected menu item.

name of an image in the Conquest "Help" section.

term applied to th e process of automatically display ing Conquest "Help" slides
with a timed delay.

the bar of colors which di splay the colour palette on the Conquest "Colo r" menu
items. Colors to the left repr esent s trong , negativ e sig nals and colo rs to the righ t
indicate strong, positive signals. Colors in the middle represent weak signals.

3D View:

PCD - Power
Cable Detector: device within the Co nquest sensor head for measuring t he magnetic field int en-

PCD Image:
PCD Profile:
PCD Amplitude:
PCD Frequency:

DynaQ:

the term used in Conque st where depth s lices and c ross-sec tions are displa yed
simultaneously to show a 3D display on flat display.

sity produced by power lines carrying electric current at the power line frequency.

plan view display of PCD amplitude.

plot of PCD amplitude variation along a line.

intensity of magnetic field detected.

power cable detec tor fundamental frequency selectable by user (e.g. 60 Hz in
North America, 50 Hz in Europe/Australia)

a technology that adjusts Conquest data qualit y as the sensor head movement
speed varies.

E-3

Conquest Appendix E: Conquest Glossary

E-4