LPS: Controlling the total station with 3D-MC

How to control the LPS total station remotely with 3D-MC on the machine's display.

Log in or sign up for myTopcon to view this page:

LPS: Controlling the total station with 3D-MC

Controlling the instrument

  • When grading with LPS, it is common to lose tracking lock on the machine prism.
  • It is possible to re-lock the instrument to the prism without ever leaving the cab.

 

  • To lock onto the prism, tap on the Elevation tab, then the TS Info... button.

 

  • Under the Search tab, you can see if the instrument is currently tracking a prism and move the instrument accordingly.
  • If the instrument IS NOT tracking the prism, you will see an orange Stop tracking button at the bottom left of the screen and a message of "LPS searching..."
  • If the instrument IS tracking the prism, you will see a green Stop tracking button at the bottom left of the screen and a message of "LPS tracking" in the map view.
  • You can control the instrument from the cab on this screen as well.
  • The Set home and Go home buttons can be used to establish a "home" position for the instrument. 
  • For example, the "home" position may be at the beginning of grading.  Tapping the Set home button will establish this as the instrument's home location.  Tapping the Go home button will spin the instrument back to the "home" position that was defined earlier.
  • The Go Last button will turn the instrument to the last position it was locked onto a prism.
  • The arrow and fan buttons can be used to manually move the instrument.  The top set of icons controls the turning functions of the instrument.  The bottom set of icons controls the instrument's collimator (vertical) functions.
    • Tapping any of the arrow buttons will move the instrument a small amount.
    • Tapping the fan buttons changes the instrument's search window
  • There is a slight latency with the buttons, so tapping them several times may result in a large movement.

 

  • At long distances, it can be difficult to see where an instrument is pointed.  A common practice is to enable the guide light on the instrument.  This guide light will show different colors depending on if the instrument is looking to the left (red) or right (green) of the user.
  • Once the instrument is pointed in the general direction of the machine, tap the Stop tracking... button to start searching for the prism.  Once it has locked on, the button will turn green.

Searching for the prism

  • You can also tell the instrument to search for the prism in a certain area on the plan view of 3D-MC.
  • Tap and hold on the screen where you want to search and you will see an option to Search for prism here.  This will turn the instrument to that location and immediately begin searching for the prism.