Input Devices

Note: both polhemus and flockOfBirds are capable of quite a bit. What is described below is the neattools modules that deal with them. The actual devices can send out more or less data at different baud rates. Neattools modules for these only lists position and angle information.

Note: both the polhemus and flock of birds modules require external configuration files "polhemus.profile" and "flockOfBirds.profile". The values these send out could have been hard-coded, however, this kind of setup is part of the currently (8/3/99) work to create a single module capable of handling different input devices.

Polhemus module: JPolhemusObj.dll, also requires file polhemus.profile

FlockOfBirds module: JFlockOfBirdsObj.dll, also requires file flockOfBirds.profile

Both modules operate in two modes: continuous vs. polled. Continuous mode means the device sends data continually to neattools. Polled mode means the device sends data only when asked. Polled mode is activated when a timer module is attached to the device module. See Aflock.ntl for an example, it operates by default at one value per second. To change this to continuous mode, disconnect the timer, then enable the module.

Polhemus, 3d position and orientation information, up to 4 trackers supported per box

Did not include serial cable, which has to be a null modem serial cable

Decent documentation, tech support good.

How to tell if it is working:

1. Buy cable for PC connection, including null-modem adapter
2. try terminal program

How to get another program to read data from it:

• COM port must be 9600, N, 8, 1
• continuous data mode, 'C' starts continuous data stream, 'c' stops it
• polled data mode, 'P' requests next data record
• data coming back is formatted ASCII text, records delimited by cr/lf
• default format is fixed size text fields for x/y/z/azimuth/elevation/roll, using spaces to right justify all fields (so adjacent fields my not have space between them in some cases)

FlockOfBirds, 3d position and orientation information, 1 tracker per box.

Terrible documentation, tech support good.

How to tell if it is working:

1. Buy cable for PC connection.
2. try flock232/c/cbird.exe (included on one of 2 disks)

How to get another program to read data from it:

• Neattools COM modules must be set at 9600 baud, N, 8, 1, DTR enable/CTS disable. This is with the serial cable I had. Gary at ascension says cable only needs connection between pins 2-2,3-3,5-5.
• JFlockOfBirdsObj.dll requires the file "flockOfBirds.profile" (which just lists the characters '@', 'B', 'B' one per line)
• continuous data mode, send '@' to start, send 'B' to stop
• polled data mode, send 'B' to request record
• data coming back is bit shifted bytes, data sets delimited by high bit set on first byte in record, with no other byte in record having this bit set.
• default behavior is 12 bytes of data, 2 each for x/y/z/azimuth/elevation/roll