Configuration – Instrument

In this section you can set instrument you use and coordinates files formats that you use.

Configuration can be made for any type of instrument (total station, field book, PocketPC, etc). Also, you can choose any format for writing and reading coordinates files.

Note: To avoid confusions, in the following explanations, you will meet only the word “instrument” which will also mean "coordinates file with any format”.

In instrument list you can modify, delete unuseful instruments or introduce new ones.

An instrument can be described through: name, information line (description) and extension. Extension allocated for an instrument will be used to save coordinates in a file or for reading coordinates from a file.

Serial communication parameters on COM1, COM2, etc. are used both for receiving and for sending coordinates. For a proper functioning of data receiving and sending on serial port these parameters have to be identical with those from instrument. In case when in configuration menu of communication parameters from total station there are some parameters missing such as DataBits or FlowControl read total station handbook in order to find out their value.

Using data format you can establish the way to read and write points coordinates. So, using characters N, n, E, e, Z, z, P, C, s, [.], [,], [;], [:], [ ], [^], [/] you can build a model for writing and reading coordinates. These characters have to be positioned on the line with data format and represent:

- [N,n,E,e,Z,z] = integer and decimal values coordinates;

- [P,C] = point number and code;

- [s] = plus and minus sign;

- [.] = point used for decimals separation;

- [ ] = space character;

- [^] = CariageReturn;

- [/] = LineFeed;

Example no.1

For a data format as:

PPPPP sNNNNNN.nnn sEEEEEE.eee ZZZZZZ.zzz CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC^/

The following lines will be written and read:

00101 +555123.789 -333456.123 000101.555 Border ^/

For instruments that don’t accept alphanumeric characters in points name, in case of sending points which have names different from an integer number, program will request for these points changing names with integer numbers.

Example no.2

In case instrument accepts alphanumeric characters, data will be written in the following way:

A101 +555123.789 -333456.123 000101.555 Border ^/

Text with mask 1 is used for identification of data format when receiving coordinates and for overlapping over data format when sending coordinates to instrument.

Example no.3

If in example no.1 the following mask is used:

PNT X= Y= Z= ^/

then lines will be read only if they contain texts PNT, X=, Y=,Z= in position and they will be written in the following way:

PNT 00101 X=+555123.789 Y=-333456.123 Z=000101.555 Border ^/

Text with mask 2 will be used only for identification of data format when receiving coordinates from instrument in case there is another coordinates identification format.

Example no.4

If at coordinates receiving there are coordinates received in the following way:

PNT 00101 N=+555123.789 E=-333456.123 Z=000101.555 Border ^/

then these can be also read with a mask such as:

PNT N= E= Z= ^/

At data writing zeros from integer part of coordinates and from point number can be suppresed.

Example no.5

When suppressing zeros data will be written in the following way:

PNT 101 X=+555123.789 Y=-333456.123 Z= 101.555 Border ^/

In case informations about a point are in several lines, such as coordinates in a line and code in another, then data format and text with mask 1 and 2 have to be written as being gathered lines that contain characters CariageReturn and LineFeed twice or more times.

Example no.6 (multiple lines case)

for receiving data like:

PNT 101 123.789 456.123 101.555^/

COD Border ^/

data format have to be written like:

PPPPP NNN.nnn EEE.eee ZZZ.zzz^/ CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC^/

and text with mask 1 will be written like:

PNT ^/COD ^/

Text from the beginning of sending is text from the first line. Text from the end of sending is text from the last line. Certain instruments need these texts to know when starts and ends coordinates receiving.

Defined formats for instruments represent the way, through which you can read and write coordinates. All these formats can be used at receiving and sending coordinates and when you want to import or export a coordinates file with a certain format.

Receiving coordinates from an instrument can be made using command RxCoo.

Sending coordinates to an instrument can be made using command TxCoo.

Saving coordinates in instrument format can be also made using command TxCoo selecting mode to send in file.

Reading coordinates file in instrument format can be made using command RapPct choosing file with desired extension.