Ultrasonic Location Logger

The HX17Link program This program makes data from the HX17BAB controllers available on DDE (dynamic data exchange). If the (Hx17Link program) is running under windows, then other programs can monitor transmitter locations through DDE or the current whereabouts of the transmitters (real time). The Hx17Link also allows the user to set a few parameters in the HX17BAB controller. The number of points for running average can be selected up to 32, this is good for slow moving objects. The Scan Step determines how finely the HX17BAB controller scans for the whereabouts of the transmitter, fine scans take longer and coarse scans may be good for increased update rates. In case the signal wasn't picked up by all the receivers, if recovery (see General frame) is set then the device tries to assemble the coordinates using older data portions. The user selects the transmitter ID the HX17BAB tracks see (tag). Under the Parameters frame the fixed Z value can be set, this value should be as close as possible to the distance from the receiver grid to the transmitter plane. For 3d operation this value should be set 0 and the receiver should be mapped into different z positions, i.e. not all at z=0 see map.txt file. The number of receivers can be selected, if 4 receivers are selected, then the HX17BAB will not compute position unless at leas 4 receivers picked up the transmitter signal. Four receivers can give position with accuracies under 9 mm, five receiver will do even better, but at the cost of the update rate.

The configure button sends the set parameters to the designated HX17BAB in this case number 0, and the Burn button stores these parameters in the HX17BAB controller's EEPROM so next time it is powered on, these parameters are loaded into memory. The Map button sends the file map.txt to the controller. The Map.txt file must contain the position of all the receivers in your grid, the HX17BAB needs these positions to compute the whereabouts of the transmitters. The whereabouts are always relative to the grid positions, therefore temperature variations are normally not a problem. Before anything can be transmitted to the HX17BAB, it must be stopped so it isn't transmitting positions while it is being configured. This is done by clicking the Stop button, and the HX17link program should start receiving data automatically after each operation, but in case it doesn't the user can click on the Start button.
As well as making the serial data streaming from the HX17BAB devices available to other programs running under windows real time, the HX17Link also logs and stores the data on file. The name of the file becomes the date and time it was created, and the file has the extension xyz. On the right is a cut from one such file, each line contains the ascii data from the HX17BAB devices as it appears on the serial lines, i.e. this is the exact format or tagID, Xpos(mm), Ypos(mm), Zpos(mm), time (10mS). The last data the 7 digit time increments once every 10 milliseconds. So time between the first two lines is 30 milliseconds. This file shows two tags or transmitters, transmitter 3 and transmitter 4 spaced very close together.	File: Feb 16 09 20 52 51.xyz 0003,01321,01679,02666,0000009 0004,01338,01691,02400,0000012 0003,01312,01683,02666,0000039 0003,01323,01680,02666,0000069 0004,01337,01690,02400,0000101 0003,01330,01679,02666,0000148 0004,01335,01690,02400,0000125 0003,01333,01677,02666,0000177