PPM MarkIV project progress report

[Leon...]

Hi.
A test in real time [by Mark-iv] to iron mass to 4.40 meters deep! With surface 1.5m x 0.70m.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR_WgOQcv7E

Regards-Leon.

[Willy Bayot]

video PPM-MarkIV with GUI

Hi,

This is a first video of the MarkIV system with the GUI option.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a7Ev...feature=digest
It shows several aspects of it:
1. Its very good stability in static mode. It makes one reading per second with the sensor at a static position and no external disturbance. This demonstrates its high Signal/Noise Ratio. The field variations it measures are just the natural variations not exceeding one nT (see the bargraph and the G value on the screen).
2. The setup of its various parameters.
3. A review of existing grid files with a 1D (bargraph) and color 2D plotting on the instrument's screen. The two grids have been captured on a test ground described in our web site in the benchmark testing report document.

The next video to be published will show a phase of a real survey session.

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

Tell me How can i Buy this product?

Look at our web site here for details : http://users.skynet.be/fa352591/index.htm

The price structure document is here: http://users.skynet.be/fa352591/PPM%...arkIV%20V1.htm

Note that the MarkIV system pictured on the previous post has been packaged by one of our clients based on the KIT of electronic boards + GUI option + Sensor option.
The MarkIV system as delivered in its fully assembled package mode + GUI option is packaged in a watertight NEMA box as shown below.
The standard sensor packaging is as shown below.

Willy

[syed ayub basha]

I want to BUY this PPM Mark IV.

Tell me How can i Buy this product?

[Willy Bayot]

PPM MarkIV custom packaging

Hi,

These are a few pictures of the customized packaging of the MarkIV with GUI option built by one of our clients.
Note the simplicity of the front-panel due to the fact that the GUI module has a touch screen.

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

remote firmware upgrade/update process

Hi all,

This post to announce the availability of our improved remote firmware upgrade/update process integrated in our MarkIV systems.

The MarkIV application code now allows to distribute new firmware versions through the Web and allows the end-users to decrypt and install this firmware binary code on their own system.
The new firmware is made available to the selected users through encrypted binary files and distributed through file attachments on E'Mail messages directly from the factory or from other distributors.
The distributed files are copied on the SD Card of the PPM by the user. He then triggers the firmware update which will decrypt the file and burn the flash of the PPM controller or the GUI module with it.

New MarkIV clients will directly get this feature available in their MarkIV system.

Our existing clients can buy a firmware upgrade to the MarkIV version from their MarkII and MarkIII systems by sending us their controller board. We shall then load this MarkIV version with its remote upgrade feature and send the board back. From then on, the only thing to do for the future firmware upgrades/updates on their system is the delivery of a couple of files over the web.
The first upgrade from MarkII and MarkIII systems to MarkIV version costs 125 Euro, including shipping.

Note that the MarkIV version gives a large number of user interface improvements and new functional features over all the old versions even when running on the old board versions.

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

New forum about our PPM Markxx

Hi,

I have created a discussion forum about our PPM.
It is here:
http://groups.google.com/group/ppm-markxx

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

KML generation

Hi all,
I have still improved the grid review function by allowing the PPM operator to generate a KML file (Google Earth) with the full GPS track and any specific waypoint selected by the operator during the review.
The GPS track is traced as a red line by Google Earth and each generated waypoint shows its location as a pushpin and the field gradient value there.
Thus, it is now possible to study a GPS-based survey track and select the potential target locations without using any PC.
The generated KML file is then displayed in-situ by the Google Earth program and any comment can be added by the user using the Google Earth program itself.

I have attached a JPG file to show the effect of a small example of a GPS-based PPM track and a few potential target indications generated by this function.
I also have attached a ZIP file containing the actual KML file which you can use in Google Earth if you have installed it.

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

Hi again,

This is an experiment I have made to demonstrate the potential precision of a single commercial-grade GPS engine used to locate a PPM survey and the capabilities of our MarkIV system to support very large field gradients.
I made this test on a dirt road in the countryside. I went up and down the same road and I crossed the path of a large gas pipeline running under the road. Thus, I went twice over it. See the large field gradient and still, I only got a single bad reading. The other large gradients are due to my car parked along the road. I passed at three or four meters aside of it.

With an HDOP of average 0.8 and 11 satellites in view, the GPS tracking is perfect. On one leg of the path, I walked exactly on the same side of the road and on the other leg, I walked on the other side. This is perfectly clear on the XY plot. Finally, I walked back to my car along the road but at 3meters aside of it.
- The first picture shows a KML file as displayed by Google Earth with some of my annotations. You can clearly see that the precision of the GPS fixes is more than sufficient to locate any potential target within a radius of one meter.
- The second file is the survey file itself loaded as a zipped Excel file with the plottings of its main data.
- The third file is a screen dump of a Wndows program I have written to review such a GPS-based survey file. The field gradients are displayed as a time-based barchart and as a XYZ plot using dots of varying colours and radius.
Both plots are responding to mouse clicks by giving the corresponding lat/long and B field values.



Willy

[Willy Bayot]

automatic tuning

Hi,

In the MarkIV system, there is now an operational procedure which measures the local precession frequency without tuning and using a full FFT algorithm.
This frequency + the inductance of the sensor are used to calculate the total tuning capacitor and display it on the LCD.
Each capacitor on the DIP switch has a known and precise (2%) value. That easily gives the set of DIP switch positions to be set to get the total tuning capacitance. These positions are displayed on the LCD by the FFT procedure.
Note that the precise tuning of the sensor is now much less critical as before since we have inserted a stage of bandpass digital filter in the path of the amplified signal.

We are currently experimenting a daughter board (inserted on pin headers of the front-end board) with the necessary circuits to make all this procedure fully automatic. It uses a I2C-controlled port expander of 8 ports to control as many analog switches which put in or out of circuit the individual tuning capacitors.
On the next board production series, we'll integrate these circuits in the front-end board itself.

WIlly

[Hubert Dong]

Hi all,

We are now working on the new features we want to implement on our PPM instrument, it will be identified as 'PPM-MarkIV'.

The following add-ons will be available:
1. Automatic sensor tuning based on the local precession frequency.
On the MkII and MkIII, the tuning capacitors were put in operation through a manual DIP switch. On the MkIII, we had added an automatic procedure to measure the local frequency but the operator had still to setup the DIP switch at installation time.
On the MkIV, there will be a fully controlled tuning capacitor sub-system. Before starting a survey in a new region of the world, the operator will just have to push a menu key to execute the tuning procedure which will be entirely automatic.

2. GUI option module
This is a Graphical User Interface with Touch Pad based on an intelligent 3.5" QVGA module (see picture attached) replacing and upgrading the functions of the character-based LCD and five-key keyboard of the base unit.
Apart from its neater aspect on the control box (see picture attached), what can you expect from this option to add-on to the existing features of the MkIII or the base MkIV units?

• Easier Menu navigation
• Simpler system parameter setup
• Real-time graphical plot of the measured field gradients
• Review on screen of a captured survey grid uploaded from its SD Card file
• Integrated post-processing of a captured survey grid without any need to upload to a PC
• local 2D plotting of a post-processed survey grid with zooming and panning operations

This module will be an option on the base MkIV unit. Thus, the MkIV units will also exist in their base version using the LCD and Keyboard.
The already shipped units will be upgradable with this module.
This upgrade will be user-installable for MkIV units but will need a factory upgrade for MkII and MkIII units.

Willy

Would you please tell me the detail of "Automatic sensor tuning based on the local precession frequency", my email: [email protected]

Thanks.

[Willy Bayot]

Hi all,

We have the pleasure to report that our tests of the internal GPS option are now successful.
This option is then now available.

Willy

We have written a new operator command to enable the operator to review a stored grid file and locate the GPS fixes of potential targets without the use of a PC on the survey location in the field.

Willy

[Willy Bayot]

Hi,
Thank you for the info.
After having succeeded to make the internal GPS chip working with the PPM, I did not have much more motivation to go on with experimenting with Bluetooth anyway.
I had the intention to possibly use it on top of a fish for underwater surveys but this would require to use Class 1 Bluetooth which covers a longer distance than the more usual Class 2 modems.
I have indeed found modems supporting Class 1 but most of the GPS based on Bluetooth are still Class 2.
Thus, this has finished my last motivation to go on in that way.

Willy

[willemite]

I have found a number of Bluetooth modems at www.SparkFun.com and I bought one to experiment with it.

Willy

I for one am wary of bluetooth applications like this due to past experiences. Perhaps they are better now, but I always preferred a cable--cheaper and more reliable. I had an instrument that would only take GPS input as bluetooth connection, and it drove me so crazy due to lost connections and having to reboot everything to restart the searches that I ended up using a separate Garmin GPS and merging the data together at night in Excel.

[Willy Bayot]

Gps option for PPM MarkIV

Hi all,

We have the pleasure to report that our tests of the internal GPS option are now successful.
This option is then now available.

Willy