Contents
The OxTS development team have been working on a new device configuration tool. Customers and users told us that they wanted a more straightforward software tool for configuring devices prior to data collection.
NAVconfig beta is installed if you have the latest version of NAVsuite (NAVsuite 2.2).
The older version of NAVconfig is also still included in the installer for NAVsuite 2.2 if you have become used to using this. We know you will need time to move over to the new version. Most users will not require any training on using the NAVconfig beta application.
Note - The UI and the options presented to you in the application will differ according to the device you are configuring and the type of vehicle you are mounting the device in.
New-look design for NAVconfig complete with step-by-step configuration wizard.
New features
- Online devices connect to NAVconfig beta automatically
- New configuration wizard reduces errors
- Save draft configurations to your PC and come back to them later
- Review device and feature code information (including firmware version) in the app
- Change measurement units based on your local preferences
- New UI layout to improve user experience and simplify choices
- New Improved Settings wizard for devices after a warm-up
- Configuration options restricted to device capability (only see the features relevant to you)
New configuration screens explained
The new application is separated into seven sections, each contains a set of options for you to work through during the configuration process. Each section is detailed later in this article.
In addition you will find two additional sections at the bottom of the screen. They contain device information and app settings.
Section 1: New / Modify / Improve configuration
When you open NAVconfig beta you are presented with three options to choose from. These will dictate a specific workflow for your configuration tasks.
New - Takes you through all the setup tasks you need to ensure your device is configured accurately for a brand new configuration. In this mode you must follow the steps in the correct order.
Modify - If you have an existing configuration that you would like to make a change to, this mode will allow you to do that without needing to start from scratch. You can move through the options freely.
Improve - This mode is only applicable if you have a pre-configured device that you have warmed-up. In this mode you are able to apply improved orientation settings to the device and improve overall system accuracies.
Choose whether you are creating a new configuration, modifying an existing one or improving accuracies following after warm-up.
When you have chosen a device to configure from fresh, or are connected to one via Ethernet, the product type will be displayed at the top of the window. This is also true if you are in Modify mode and you have selected a configuration to change.
If the device is online, you should see a green light indicating an Online status at the top right of the window. If you do not have a device connected the status will display as offline.
If you make changes to a configuration and wish to save those changes, you can save a copy to your PC, and modify it later. To do this, click the Save icon at the top right hand side of the screen. You can give it a name and a description (see below).
Save your progress if you need to come back to a configuration later.
Section 2: Read Configuration (for new configurations)
In this section you need to tell the application where to read the initial settings from. If you are looking to create a new configuration then 'Use default settings' is the recommended option.
- Choose either to use default settings, load a configuration from a folder on your PC, read settings from a previous RD file or read settings directly from a device that has previously been configured.
- Select the correct product type from the drop-down menu (this is labelled on the device). You do not have to select the product if you choose 'read from device' and one is connected to your laptop.
- Select the type of vehicle that you are mounting the device in. This will tailor the configuration options later in the configuration process to suit your needs. For not selecting a land vehicle will automatically remove measurements such as non-steered axle to IMU distance.
- Click Next to move onto the next section.
Read configuration allows you to choose where you load the initial configuration settings from.
Section 3: Hardware Setup
In this section you are required to input the IMU and antenna position and orientation measurements in relation to your vehicle and configure differential corrections options.
- Specify how the device is mounted in the vehicle with regards to the Y and Z directions (labelled on the device). You have the option to specify the precise angle measurements for orientation (if you know them).
- Specify where the primary antenna is mounted in relation to the IMU. Note - The default accuracy for this measurement is set to 0.1m. If you would like to reduce this value then you can do so in the Advanced Tools section accessed via the bottom left of the screen. Accuracies will be reached at the end of the configuration process (for new configs)
- Lateral No-slip will help to improve heading and slip-angle measurements and reduce drift. This setting is enabled by default. Enter the measurements and the surface type that your vehicle will be driving on.
- Vertical No-slip is another constraint that we can apply to reduce drift. This setting tells the system that your vehicle will not be moving vertically. We would advise that you add in this value by measuring the IMU to non-steered angle distance.
- The final stage in the Hardware Setup section is the configuration of GNSS Differential Corrections. If you are using a Base-station to achieve RTK position mode then this is where you set this option. There are also options to enable NTRIP here.
The Hardware setup section displays your device position and orientation measurements as
they are entered.
The lateral No-slip tab in the Hardware Setup section shows how the IMU position relates to the position of the vehicle's non-steered axle.
Configure GNSS Differential Corrections settings in one place.
Section 4: Interfaces
In the Interfaces section you can configure the settings for a number of interface options on your device, including Ethernet and CAN Output and CAN Acquisition. It is also in this section where you set the IP address for a Driving Robot.
Simply navigate through the interface options to configure your interfaces.
Ethernet options including trigger setting and data rate are configured here
CAN Output is disabled by default. Configure the navigation and status messages you want to output from your device and export a DBC file.
Section 5: Environment
This section contains all of the environmental factors that the systems needs to understand in order to achieve maximum accuracies.
- Choose how the system will initialise. We recommend a dynamic initialisation if possible. This can improve heading values in the early moments of your test period.
- GNSS environment is an important setting. If you are testing in good open sky conditions with no or very little trees or buildings, then the default setting 'Open skies (no trees of buildings) is suffice. If you are driving in urban environments or expect frequent GNSS obstructions from trees, bridges etc. during data collection, then it is recommended to set the 'Frequent obstructions (many trees or buildings). In this case the device will trust the IMU sensor more than the GNSS receivers to calculate a reliable position.
- When the vibration levels are set to normal the system will expect driving to take place on a normal road surface.
- Heading lock is a useful setting. When a vehicle is stationary, heading drift is common. The system can detect when the vehicle is stationary and lock the heading value down (assuming the vehicle heading does not change during a stationary period). You can choose how tight you wish to apply this lock.
- Garage mode is an optional setting. If your vehicle will be driven into a GNSS deprived environment for some time, and GNSS signals are lost, then the system will stabilise it's outputs during that period, reducing drift and error.
- If you are looking to output measurements from the device in a local coordinate frame, you can use this section to set the origin points. This can also be done in NAVdisplay.
Ensure you have reviewed all of the environmental settings in this section before clicking Next. These will have an impact on data quality.
Section 6: Advanced Tools
The Advanced Tools section contains a wide variety of optional settings for experienced users configuring their device in a non-standard (advanced) way. We recommend that users review the options in this section before committing their configuration.
For detailed explanations on each of the Advanced Tools options it is recommended that you take a look at your Product Manual.
- GNSS Control is a setting that dictates how the algorithms on the device will process raw GNSS data to calculate it's position a mode. The default mode is set to use the device's receiver calculations (apart from Ublox-based systems) - this is recommended for RTK stability in good GNSS conditions (open skies). If you are driving in dense urban environments, we recommended OxTS gx/ix™ raw data processing which performs best in poor GPS conditions (gx/ix currently uses GPS satellites only).
- You can configure the coordinate frame to use when outputting positional information. The default is set to WGS84.
- If you have a wheel speed sensor then you need to input the distance measurements between the odometer and the IMU.
- Acceleration Filters can be applied for angular and linear acceleration outputs.
- Output Smoothing determines how fast the Kalman filter corrections are applied to the outputs from the device. When the Kalman filter determines that there is an error to correct, this error is applied smoothly rather than as a jump. This option is particularly useful for autonomous vehicles or path-following robots as a rapid change in position can lead to a large change in the steering angle.
- GNSS Recovery controls how long the INS will ignore unexpected GNSS measurements before being forced to use them.
- Displace Output allows you to displace the output measurements from the INS to another location on your vehicle e.g. the front bumper. You should measure the distances precisely.
- Slip Points is a feature that allows you to output the RT slip angle measurements at additional points (maximum of eight points) on the CAN bus.
- Accuracies for measurements used in hardware setup can be changed here. You must change each one specifically.
- Once you have reviewed each of the Advanced Tools, click Next to move onto Write Configuration.
GNSS control allows you to set which GNSS processing algorithm the system will uses to update the Kalman filter. Read more about gx/ix here.
Enter the measurement point of an odometer in relation to the INS to configure wheel speed input.
Specify the accuracy of your measurements used in hardware setup. Some of these measurements will be improved during warm-up.
Section 7: Write configuration
Now that you have entered your configuration settings you are ready to commit the settings to the device. This can be done via an Ethernet connetion from your PC, or over Wi-Fi if you are using the RT-XLAN Wi-Fi network.
- Select the device you want to commit the configuration to from the drop-down list.
- In order for the configuration changes to be made on the device the device needs to be reset. You can choose to do this immediately, or save the configuration for later.
- If you wish to begin data collection immediately, reset the device and choose to automatically launch NAVdisplay with the warm-up template and NAVassist. THIS IS APPLICABLE TO AUTOMOTIVE TESTING CUSTOMERS ONLY.
Once you click 'Finish' (bottom right), the configuration changes will be made to the device. NAVdisplay will automatically load (if the checkbox is ticked) and you can begin initialisation and warm-up procedures.
The Warm-upNAVassist utility in NAVdisplay allows you to warm-up your system in a specified way
Device information (i)
This section displays information about the device that is connected to the application, including the feature codes that are enabled and the hardware and firmware device status.
The Features Codes table shows the features that are enabled on your device
System Information shows: Product Information (product type), Hardware Configuration and Firmware Information.
Application settings
This section contains global settings for the application, including Language, measurement units and the folder where configurations are saved to your PC.
Application settings include Language and Measurement unit type. You can also change where configuration files are saved on your PC.
Symbols
Improve settings after a warm-up
For users who have warmed-up the device in order to improve settings there is a specific section of NAVconfig beta through which to commit those settings to the device. Doing this will improve accuracies - find out how here.
- On the NAVconfig beta home page click 'Improve'
- Read settings from the device if you have one connected via ethernet
- Alternatively you can load improved settings from an RD file or folder on your PC
- Select the type of vehicle the device is/was mounted in
- From the options, select the settings you wish to view, and improve (IMU orientation, Primary/Secondary antenna position and wheel speed sensor position).
- The settings will be displayed underneath
- The settings will be displayed underneath
- To commit the improved settings from the warm-up click Finish. Choose to automatically reset the device or wait until later. Improved settings will only be applied once the device has been reset.
Read improved settings from a device, an RD file or folder on your PC
Confirm the device or file you wish to read improved settings from
Select the settings you wish to improve from the options available
The improved settings will be displayed in each section
Commit the improved settings by clicking Finish. You can choose to reset the device automatically or wait until later.
Modify an existing configuration
If you are not creating a brand new configuration and you would like to modify a previous one, you should select 'Modify' from the Home section.
Modify an existing configuration rather than starting fresh each time
In Modify mode you need to firstly choose where the application should read your configuration from. You can read from a folder, an RD file or from a device (if you have one connected). Specify the type of vehicle you created the configuration for.
In Modify mode, choose where the configuration should be read from.
In Modify mode you can move freely through the configuration sections.
Beta user feedback
If you are using this application for the first time and would like to provide feedback on the experience please email ideas@oxts.com
What's next?
Coming later this year:
- Configuration help centre for new users
- Built-in search tool linked to help centre
- 'Apply feature' code tool
- Translation to other languages (German, Korean, Chinese (simplified) Japanese).
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