SA supports the user of API’s 6D peripheral probes and scanners including the V-probe2 and iScan3D.
Please refer to the current API user’s manual for setup and calibration instructions.
The basic requirements for connecting and using any of the API probes are as follows.
Before connecting, ensure the probe has been fully unpacked, configured to communicate with the controller, and calibrated within API’s software.
A *.prm file will be available with the probe and will have its serial number. It should be placed in the C:\Analyzer Data\Persistence directory.
Place a 1.5” inch reflector in the nest.
Run a virtual level measurement (Check/Cal> Virtual Level). This will align the instrument with gravity, allowing the probe’s integrated pendulum measurements to be correctly interpreted.
With the API Radian trackers the PRM file specific to the probe you are using needs to be manually copied to the C:\Analyzer Data\Persistence folder. This is not allway's the case with the API iLT, which can now stores the PRM file for the probe on the tracker controller. If a probe is new or for some other reason the PRM file cannot be found a prompt will be displayed to load it manually.
A Virtual level operation is required in order to use any of API’s peripheral devices. This is more than a level measurement, it is a level compensation. It adjusts the measurements returned by the instrument to correspond with the gravity axis which does change their XYZ positions. The current status of the compensator is displayed at the top of the instrument interface and does serve as a button to turn on and off the compensation status if needed. Under Check/Cal> Virtual Level is an option to re-run the virtual level compensation.
Its important to realize that a Virtual Level operation is a system calibration and will change the way in which measured points are recorded and sent to SA. Comparing measurements before and after a level compensation would be similar to comparing different instruments to each other.
This means two things:
A level compensation should be performed after each instrument station move, prior to any point measurements.
If measurements have already been taken at an instrument plant, a jump instrument operation must be performed prior to performing a level compensation and taking additional measurements.
For more information see LevelCompensation.htm
The Virtual Level status (in use, applied, succeeded, failed, etc.) is logged to the Instrument History in SA.
If a Virtual Level has been run, SA persists the transform. This allows you to reconnect if for some reason the interface is closed and you wish to reconnect. If the option to show this is set, you are asked if you’d like to use that transform. If you elect not to use it, you are also asked if you’d like to perform a new Virtual Level operation.
This option is off by default, as any time a tracker is physically move the saved level compensation is invalid and a and new Virtual Level operation is required.
In order to measure with the probe the following steps are necessary.
Set up the probe tip and perform calibrations as necessary (Check/Cal>Probe Offset )
The Probe target should be detected and assigned automatically.
Specific measurement profiles have been added for use with a probe and must be used to take data from the device. Start the measurement profile so that it is running in the background and then use the probe to trigger measurements.
Probe Discrete Pts To SA. This profile offers an option to record a single measured point with each button press.
Probe Spatial Scan Pts to SA. Offers the ability to perform a spatial scan with the probe by holding down the measure button on the probe.
Probe Inspection Pts to SA. This performs a time based measurement (temporal scan) and sends point measurements to SA. This operation runs continually.
Probe Inspection Updates to SA. This performs a time based measurement (temporal scan) and sends only updates to SA. This operation runs continually.
I-Scan Cloud Pts To SA. This profiles is used with the iScan3D for cloud measurement.
When working with the V-probe you are currently restricted to the V-probe specific measurement profiles only, but we do offer both options:
The trick to using these is to first select the Measurement Profile you want to use and then edit it’s parameters to fit your needs. For example here I have a 6D spatial scan the will return points when the probe moves more than .5inch :
If you want to perform a “Temporal scan” then you would use the Probe inspection Pts to SA profile. The Sample Rate then is really the only parameter that matters all that much. This is the number of samples per second (up to a max of 100Hz):
The 6D probing information is saved as part of the point but if you want a more graphical representation you can also change the Operation at the bottom of either profile to “Send Frames to SA”. This also opens up the option to define an offset frame if desired:
One other thing to be aware of in SA is that measuring a lot of points and particularly a lot of frames can cause some problems with the tree and tree performance because each entry is saved separately. If you plan to do a lot of scanning I would suggest using Point Sets or Frame Sets which can be enabled through the instruments right click menu:
Starting in 2023.2 button events are now triggered using the probe. This means that, as long as the beam is NOT LOCKED ON to the probe/ scanner you can use the probe’s button to trigger different actions within SA. These actions are configurable for single press, double click and long hold:
One option that can help quite a bit is the Start/Stop Meas mode which allows you to start a probe measurement from the probe. Again this must be done prior to catching the beam. The mode will start in a paused mode until the beam is caught.
Follow the prior probe setup instructions including running a Virtual Level operation.
If an iScan3D is detected at startup, 3 Measure Profiles will be set to the Quick Select Measurement Profiles:
I-Scan Cloud Pts To SA. Used to scan with the iScan Scanner.
Probe Discrete Pts To SA. Used to probe isolated point locations.
Probe Spatial Scan Pts To SA. Used to scan using the probe in a stream of spatially separated points.
Probe detection is automatic. You should NEVER need to manually select the iScan3D as the active Target. It is automatically recognized upon locking the beam on to it.
The measurement operation will automatically be switched to “Probe
[M] L[L] T[D]” (M = H or V mount, L = probe length, D = probe dia.) upon initiating a probe measurement. It will automatically switch back to “iScan3D” when scanning cloud points.
Upon locking back on to an SMR after using the iScan3D, the active target will switch back to the last used SMR.
Several cloud thinning options are available also through the API Device Specific settings. These include the ability to define a basic thinning factor and apply a scan line curve filter where more points are saved on tighter curves.