Leica Nova (MS60, TM60, TS60) and Leica Viva (TS16)
This guide may be used for initial configuration, connection and basic operation of the Leica Nova and Viva Total Station within SA. For more details on instrument operation and configuration, please contact Leica Geosystems directly.
License Requirements
In order to gain full total station integration with SA additional licens- es must be purchased from Leica Geosystems and loaded on the in- strument. Optional licenses include:
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Virtual GeoCOM. Used for wireless communication and con- trol.
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GeoCOM Robotic. Which enables remote pointing and robot- ic control of the total station from SA.
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GeoCOM Imaging. Which enables image capture and display within SA.
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GeoCOM Video. Which enables live video display within SA.
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Scanning. Which enables the MS60’s scanning functionality
Hardware Setup
Leica total stations may be connected either with a USB cable, wire- less network adapter or Bluetooth connection. Ensure that you have the necessary cables, router or a Bluetooth adapter. Be sure the pow- er is turned on and the battery is charged.
Software Setup
Configuring the Instrument for Optimal Use with SA
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Navigate to Users > System Settings > Regional Settings.
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Check that the Hz angle display is set to North anti-clockwise and the V angle display is set to Zenith angle. This will ensure that the angles displayed on the instrument match those of the recorded points in SA.
To use the live remote video function available on this instrument, you will also need to install the VLC player application. Once installed, a Video button will appear on the Camera Interface dialog. In the 2020.12.01 version a 64-bit version of the T-Manager was introduced which also requires a 64-bit version of the VLC player (all prior ver- sions used a 32-bit VLC player). The tested VLC install can be down- loaded from our webpage here: https://www.kinematics.com/ftp/ SA/Install/Driver%20Downloads/TotalStations_Theodolites/Leica/ Leica%20Nova%20MS60%20Drivers/
Troubleshooting. If the video button does not appear in the camera win- dow, make sure that you connection is either using a TCP/IP cable connection or a WLAN connection. Bluetooth does not support video.
To verify that your VLC is installed correctly you can open a command prompt window and type the word “Set” and press enter. The string “VLC_PLUGIN_PATH=C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\” should ap- pear in the list.
Direct Cable Connection
Install the correct driver for your cable:
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GEV234. This cable is a USB to USB cable. It establishes the connection through a TCP/IP connection and should be used for scanning and video applications. It will establish a new net- work connection on your computer and you should be able to find the IP Address on the scope and connect using that IP ad- dress.
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GEV218. This cable is a USB to Serial converter cable. So that applications that require a serial connection are able to be used.
On the instrument select Settings > Connections > All Other Connections. Set the GeoCom connection to USB (to obtain the current IP address and port, press Cntrl..).
Connect the USB cable and continue to the section Running the Instrument.
Within the Theodolite Manager Select TCP for the port and enter the scopes IP address and then connect (see Figure 5-72 on page 266).
Wireless Connection
A connection can be established to the Nova by adding the device to a preexisting network or by building an Ad-hoc connection with your PC. For more detailed instructions, refer to the document “Connecting a Nova total station with a PC using a WLAN” on our download page. For a quick synopsis on a Windows 7 machine, follow these steps:
Building an Ad-hoc Connection on a Win7 PC (Win10 does not directly support Ad-hoc).
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Turn on the wireless adapter on your PC and go to Control Panel
> Network and Sharing Center.
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Select Setup a new connection or network > Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer to computer) network.
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When prompted, enter a network name (e.g. “Ad-hoc MS60) and a security type, if desired (no authentication, WEP and WPA-2 are supported).
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Select Save this network then Next to create the network.
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Set the IP address to be compatible with the instrument.
Setting the IP Address in the Adapter Properties for the Instrument
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Turn on the wireless adapter on your PC and go to Control Panel
> Network and Sharing Center.
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Select Manage wireless networks > Adapter properties for the net- work you wish to connect to and for editing the properties of your ad-hoc network.
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In the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog, select
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
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Select Properties and enter the IP address rather than obtaining one automatically. This address determines the computer’s IP address on the network.
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On the instrument select Settings > Connections > All Other Connec- tions. Set the GeoCom connection to WLAN (to obtain the cur- rent IP address and port, press Cntrl..).
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Continue to the section Running the Instrument.
Connecting to an Existing Wireless Network
You can connect the Total Station directly to an existing wireless net- work using the following Steps.
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Select > >
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Select WLAN and connect to an available network.
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On the instrument select Settings > Connections >
. Set the GeoCom connection to Port WLAN (to obtain the current IP address and port, press Control).
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Open the GSI output settings and make sure that the Output GSI data to device option is checked.
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Continue to the section Running the Instrument.
In some cases, you may need to set the IP address manually. You can also manually control the internet connection and check the adapter status as follows:
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Open the Windows CE control panel by selecting Fn + Windows Key.
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Click on WLAN Settings in the taskbar and select the network you wish to connect to from the network list and click Connect.
Figure 5-64. Wireless Con- nection through TIWLNAPI1
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Once connected restart the LeicaCaptivate application.
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Select Start > Settings > Network and Dial-Up Connections TIWLNAPI1 (or OWL221A1).
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Select Enable, and then Properties.
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Choose Specify an IP address, and enter the IP address for the total station on the network. The first three numbers of the IP ad- dress need to match the first three numbers entered for the PC. The last number must be unique from the PC.
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Return to the Windows CE desktop, click on WLAN settings in the taskbar. In the Wireless Information tab, select the ad-hoc net- work that you created and select Connect.
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On the instrument select Settings > Connections > All Other Connec- tions. Set the GeoCom connection to WLAN (to obtain the cur- rent IP address and port, press Cntrl..).
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Open the GSI output settings and make sure that the Output GSI data to device option is checked.
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Continue to the section Running the Instrument. A youtube video demonstration can be found here: https://youtu.be/pl_6_p8mqG0
Connecting to Bluetooth
A Bluetooth connection is fast an convenient but will limit scan and video operations available for the MS60 that need a faster TCP/IP con- nection.
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Select > >
to get to the Connection Settings(Figure 5-65).
Figure 5-65. GeoCOM Con- nections Dialog
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Set the GeoCom connection to TS Bluetooth 1 and also enable GSI output to allow operation of the scope to trigger mea- surements . You will also want to verify that the GSI Format is GSI16 Polar 2 (Figure 5-66).
Figure 5-66. GSI Configura- tion
Figure 5-67. COM Port Designations in the Bluetooth Settings
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On your PC, go to your Bluetooth adapter and select Add a De- vice. Select the device from the available Bluetooth connec- tions and select next.
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When prompted, enter the pairing code: 0000. Once connect- ed, a pair of COM ports number will be assigned. You can use the More Bluetooth Options option to see which COM ports were assigned for the connection. You will enter the “Outgo- ing” port number in SA to connect(Figure 5-67).
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Continue on to the section Running the Instrument.
No additional configuration of the Baud rate should be necessary for a bluetooth connection, but if you cannot connect you might check the settings. To do so, go to the GeoCOM Connection panel and press Device. The defaults are 115200, None, 8, 1, None (Figure 5-68). Older scopes with eariler versions of GeoCOM will suggest a slower rate of 19200.
Figure 5-68. Default Blue- tooth communication settings
Triggering Measurements from the Instru- ment
Also be sure to enable GSI Output from the scope in order to get the red trigger button on the scope to send measurements to SA. Mea- surements from the scope will use the Collection and Group name set within the Theodolite Manager not the instrument Control Pad. For more information see “Measurement Modes” on page 226.
Adding an Instrument to SA
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Select Instrument > Add and choose your Leica Total Station from the Add Instrument to SA dialog (Figure 5-69).
Figure 5-69. Adding the Leica Nova MS60 Total Station to a job.
The instrument model you add defines the instrument plant in your
job file. Add additional instrument models each time you perform an instrument move. You can also use the right-click open Jump Instrument to New Location option for this purpose.
There are now two separate ways to run a Leica Total Station in SA. You can use our classic Theodolite Manager or our newer Leica Total Station Interface which is recommended for single instrument operations and current instruments.
Connecting Using the Leica Total Station Interface
Figure 5-70. Leica Total Sta- tion Connection Dialog.
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Now run the instrument interface module under Instrument > Connect> and choose Lieca Total Station.
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Select the instrument model you want to connect to in your SA job from the network list and press OK to move to the con- nection dialog (Figure 5-70).
Instrument Specific Operations
For more information on instrument controls in the Leica Theodolite Manager, refer to “Total Stations Interface” on page 284.
Connecting Using the Theodolite Manager
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Now run the instrument interface module under Instrument > Run Interface Module and choose Theodolite Manager.
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Select New Setup and then Add (Figure 5-71).
Figure 5-71. The Theodolite Manager dialog.
Figure 5-72. Adding a new
v setup using an IP address.
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Select the instrument type and the COM Port. Set the COM Port to TCP if you are connecting with either a cable or wire- less; or enter the port number for Bluetooth. Then select the instrument in the available SpatialAnalyzer list and click Con- nect (Figure 5-72).
To obtain the current Instrument IP navigate to Settings>
Note: If connecting with a cable or wireless, enter the instrument’s IP address in the
Server Address box.
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Select the instrument in the available SpatialAnalyzer list and click Connect.
A youtube video demonstration can be found here: https://youtu.be/W4O61akKCo4
Instrument Specific Operations
Tracking with the Leica Nova and Viva
Total stations can track a reflector much like a Laser Tracker.
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In the Tracking section, Choose a reflector target from the Tar- gets and Reflectors database (ensure that ATR is turned on for that target)
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Choose the tracking type (Track only, Send Updates, Measure, Stable Point)
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Press the Track (F7) button to begin tracking the target
Edge Point Measurement
The Leica scopes has a built in Edge Point Measure Mode designed to allow precise measurements to be made on the edge of parts.
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Precisely sight on the edge you wish to measure, then in the Two Step Edge Point section, Press Measure. This will take an angles only measurement of the edge
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Using an edge nest or other reference target measure the pre- cise distance to that edge point. The true edge point will then be calculated automatically from these shots and the result- ing point passed to SA.
Imaging and Video Control
Both the Leica Nova and Viva total stations provide image capture and live video display options. To access the image control press the Camera button
in the Auto Measure SA Geometry section of the interface. This icon will bring up a Camera Capture window like this(Figure 5-73):
Figure 5-73. Camera Capture window Controls
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Take Picture. This button will request a new image from the scope and refresh the current image displayed.
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Send Picture. This button will capture the current image and send it as a picture to SA for use in reporting, using the name entered in the filed next to the button.
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Tip: To Display video the VLC media play must be installed.
Be sure to install the 32bit version of VLC play. This is required for both 32bit and 64bit SA versions.
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Start Video. This button starts live streaming of video within the camera capture window. This requires a 32bit version of the VLC media player to be installed. While live video is active an operator can click in the view to point the instrument at that location. This provides the means to actively drive the instru- ment by using the video screen.
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In the Auto Measure SA Geometry section of the instrument in- terface, ensure that the Revert
button is not depressed. This button changes between scanning modes (Figure 5-74). This Revert button switches the scan operation and Settings func- tion from a scan to a precise point scan grid scan (see “Precise Point Scan within a Perimeter (both Nova and Viva Total Sta-
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Click Settings to change the parameters of the scan. The density of the scan is defined as the Horizontal and Vertical resolution of the grid at the specified Distance. Once satisfied with the set- tings click OK (Figure 5-75).
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Resolution of Scan. This section allows you to define the den- sity of the scan data returned with the scan by identifying the distance between returned scan points.
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Filter Points. This Minimum and Maximum defines distance ex- clusion thresholds allowing to you to set up a distance filter so that you only record points at a particular distance from the
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Define Region. This section allows you to define a square pe- rimeter based upon angle shots only without defining a pe- rimeter in SA. You can point the instrument to the upper left corner of what you want to measure and then press the Read & Set buttons to record the angles and then do the same at the lower right to define a box. The distance value is then used to determine the resolution of the scan within that perimeter. As long as the Region Enabled check box is checked this perimeter will be used. When enabled the measure button will be avail- able without perimeter selection.
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If not measuring a region defined in the settings, change the Auto Measure SA Geometry to Active by selecting the radio but- ton. When you do so, a note will be shown at the bottom of the interface that states: “Awaiting SA Perimeter Selection.”
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Click on the desired perimeter by clicking on double-clicking on it in the tree. When selected, the perimeter Collection::Name will be displayed.
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To begin the scan, click Measure. An example of this type of pe- rimeter scan is pictured in Figure 5-76. -
Add an instrument to your SA job file to which you wish to import the scan data. Data will be imported into SA relative to this instrument.
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Either connect to the live instrument using a cable or connect using the simulation mode.
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Locate and move the *.SDB files to your local machine. If you are connected using the cable, you can use Windows Mobile Device Center to navigate to the SD card directly.
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In Theodolite Manager, select your instrument and click Import.
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Select the *.SDB data type, navigate to your data, and click
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In the Auto Measure SA Geometry section of the instrument interface, ensure that the Revert
button is depressed. This button changed between scanning modes.
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Click the Settings button to change the parameters of the scan based on the line and point spacing in the Auto Scan Proper- ties dialog (Figure 5-77). -
Change the Auto Measure SA Geometry to Active by selecting the ra-
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Click on the desired perimeter by clicking on double-clicking on it in the tree. When selected, the perimeter Collection::Name will be displayed.
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To begin the scan, click Measure. An example of this type of pe- rimeter scan is pictured in Figure 5-78. -
Importing points directly through Theodolite Manager. This option provides the ability to link points directly to an instru- ment model and can be done by connecting in simulation as well as with live instruments (Figure 5-63).
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Importing through the File > Import options. In addition to ascii files there are a number of useful formats available through File > Import > Custom Formats including:-
Leica GSI8 / GSI16 File. Which provides import of GSI data containing Name, Hz Angle, Vert Angle, Distance OR Name, Easting, Northing, Elevation.
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Leica ADF (.adf). Which provide the ability to import nominal and measured points as separate point groups.
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Room or Perimeter Scanning
The MS60 can quickly scan a perimeter and generate a point cloud within SA. This is ideal for quick large volume measurement.
Figure 5-74. Auto measure SA Geometry section of the Interface.
Figure 5-75. Auto measure SA geometry profile param- eters.
tions):” on page 271).
The Scan settings now provides the ability to greatly refine your scan. It provides the following options:
Figure 5-76. Perimeter scan using the Auto Measure SA Geometry measurement
v mode.
instrument.
If a scan fails to transfer to SA for any reason it is not lost. The scan is saved internally either to memory or on the SD card and will only be clear if the scan transfer to SA is completed successfully. If this process fails the scan can be imported afterword.
Importing Nova Scan Files into SA
If you choose to scan while not connected to a computer, you may
import these files into SA at a later time. The Nova Scans are saved as
*.SDB files on the SD Card or the internal memory. To do so, follow these steps:
Import.
Precise Point Scan within a Perimeter (both Nova and Viva Total Stations):
While the scanning function is ideal for covering a large region quick- ly it can be helpful to do a more precise grid measurement using re- flectorless measurements. There is still an option to do so:
Figure 5-77. Auto Scan Prop- erties dialog.
Figure 5-78. A point to point auto measure scan.
dio button. When you do so, a note will be shown at the bot- tom of the interface that states: “Awaiting SA Perimeter Selec- tion.”
Point Import Options and Formats
SA provides a number of import options to order to import points measured without SA and then use those points for analysis. There are two ways to import points:
Figure 5-79. Import ascii files through theodolite manager