Driller Display Options and Recommendations

Transcription

1 Driller Display Options and Recommendations Contents Introduction... 2 Vector Magnetics Recommends... 3 Quick view... 3 In the drill cab... 3 Outdoors... 3 A more detailed view... 4 In the drill cab... 4 Outdoor Use... 6 Broad Categories of Types of Displays : RivCross external monitor : Through the ParaTrack2 Interface : Using VM Display : On an Android Device : On an ios Device : On a Virtual Desktop/Monitor... 8 Notes on using these at the same time... 9 Wi Fi... 9 Bluetooth... 9 External/Virtual Monitors... 9 Combinations... 9 Comparison Table of Categories... 10

2 Introduction VM Driller Display is a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) tool that monitors crucial drilling information, such as the magnetic probe tool face angle, in real time. Compatible with RivCross, the HDD software suite released by Vector Magnetics. Vector Magnetics offers a variety of solutions for displaying real time data for the driller: In RivCross with an external monitor In RivCross with a display attached to the ParaTrack2 Interface On a second Windows computer, using VM Display On an Android device including Google Glass, using VM Driller Display On an Apple device, using DrillerDisplay

3 Vector Magnetics Recommends Quick view In the drill cab Android Tablet on BlueTooth like a Google Nexus 7 Apple Tablet on Wi Fi like an ipad2 External Monitor a 10 display that looks OK in sunlight Outdoors Ruggedized Android tablet on Wi Fi like a ToughPad FZ B2 Apple tablet in a case on Wi Fi an ipad2 in an appropriate case

4 A more detailed view In the drill cab Android Device Inexpensive consumer devices from tablets to smartphones are generally acceptable for use as drillers display inside a drill cab. Some can be outfitted with an outer protective case for taking outdoors. You must have Android 4.4 or greater on your device. You should then download and install the free driller display app. You can search Google Play to find it under the name VM Driller Display. Simplest setup: Use Bluetooth and RivCross 4 Moderately more difficult: Use Wi Fi and RivCross. You need to get Android device and RivCross computer on the same Wi Fi network. Maximum range: Use a Bluetooth Class 1 dongle on the RivCross computer. In theory that will work at 100m although you may need both a Class 1 dongle and a Class 1 device. Also possible: Set up a Wi Fi network with a router such that it can see both the device and RivCross computer and can have both of those on the same network. You will need a little extra hardware (the router) and some skills (network setup) to get this to work for you. Remote monitor: Using appropriate Android and Windows software the device can be made to act like an extended desktop of the RivCross computer. The setup requires skills (configuration) that we cannot help with. Vector Magnetics finds the Google Nexus 7 to be a nice option but in our testing we have not found any devices, running at least Android 4.4, that have not worked for us provided that the device has Wi Fi and/or Bluetooth and that the RivCross computer has the same. Apple Device As with Android devices, we have found Apple phones and tablets to work well as driller displays. They can be outfitted with an outer protective case for taking outdoors. Two devices

5 are optimal if run on batteries as one can be charging while the other is being used. If in a vehicle they can be run off the vehicle power and protected at the same time. You must have ios 7.0 or greater on your device. You should then download and install the free driller display app. You can search the Apple Store to find it under the name DrillerDisplay. Simplest setup: Use Wi Fi and RivCross. You need to get the Apple device and RivCross computer on the same Wi Fi network. Also possible: Set up a Wi Fi network with a router such that it can see both the device and RivCross computer and can have both of those on the same network. You will need a little extra hardware (the router) and some skills (network setup) to get this to work for you. Remote monitor: Using appropriate Android and Windows software the device can be made to act like an extended desktop of the RivCross computer. The setup requires skills (configuration) that we cannot help with. Not advised: You can use a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) dongle the BlueGiga BLED112 on the RivCross computer to set up your Apple device as a Bluetooth. We advise against doing this the Apple Bluetooth stack is not designed to be used in this fashion. Toolface updates will likely fall behind the RivCross computer and you may not have bidirectional communication. Vector Magnetics finds that iphones and ipads work fine in Wi Fi provided that the RivCross computer is on Wi Fi. External Monitor Any off the shelf monitor that can be hooked to the RivCross computer as an external monitor can then be used as a driller display. Simplest setup: Any monitor that the RivCross computer can use as a second monitor can be used as a driller display. Setup only requires convincing the computer that it has a second display.

6 Considerations: Any monitor is generally fragile and not intended for use in a construction environment. They are also not made to be viewed in sunlight which can present issues. They are, however, quite inexpensive and are among the easiest devices to set up. An option: The Vector Magnetics Color LCD has a few advantages over normal monitors in that it is ruggedized, sunlight readable and offers connection via 1 cable. However, it has a VGA cord (not all laptops do), some computers have difficulty recognizing it as a monitor and some installations of Windows do not allow setting the screen resolution low enough to allow for use. We do not have any specific recommendations for monitors and the Vector Magnetics Color LCD is no longer produced. VM Display A Windows computer running VM Display can be used as a driller display. Advised setup: The best way to use VM Display is via Wi Fi with the VM Display computer on the same network as the RivCross computer. Alternative: You can connect the ParaTrack2 Interface via a serial cable to a COM port (perhaps through a USB to Serial converter) on the VM Display computer. This is a good alternative if the driller already has a computer on the same network as the RivCross computer. Outdoor Use Android Device For outdoor use you will need a ruggedized unit or some other means of protecting your device. We do not have any particular recommendations for protective cases. Simplest setup: A Bluetooth Class 1 dongle and/or device as for indoor use, above, will probably work. With a USB extension cable for your RivCross side Class 1 dongle you can probably

7 Also possible: position that dongle such that it has a clearer line of site to the Android device. RivCross side setup is generally simple enough. Setting up a Wi Fi network with a router such that it can see both the device and RivCross computer and can have both of those on the same network will probably work best. You will need a little extra hardware (the router) and some skills (network setup) to get this to work for you. Any of the methods used in the drill cab, with the exception of normal Bluetooth, can be made to work outdoors. As stated here, additional hardware and configuration may be necessary to get things to work. Vector Magnetics has tested and used the Panasonic Toughpad FZ B2 tablet and finds it to be a nice option for use in these conditions. Apple Device As with Android devices, we have found Apple phones and tablets can be outfitted with protective cases for work outdoors. Two devices are optimal if run on batteries as one can be charging while the other is being used. If in a vehicle they can be run off the vehicle power and protected at the same time. You must have ios 7.0 or greater on your device. You should then download and install the free driller display app. You can search the Apple Store to find it under the name DrillerDisplay. Simplest setup: Use Wi Fi and RivCross. You need to get the Apple device and RivCross computer on the same Wi Fi network and they must be able to talk to one another. It is likely that you will need extra hardware (the router) and some skills (network setup) to get this to work for you. We recommend using our app in this configuration. We do not have specific recommendations on protective cases but highly recommend having one. Consider, as well, that you will likely need external batteries or other power source.

8 Broad Categories of Types of Displays 1: RivCross external monitor RivCross offers many options for displaying a driller display on an external monitor. In the day Vector Magnetics sold dedicated single cable monitors for use in this fashion. These days, surveyors can use any external monitor. 2: Through the ParaTrack2 Interface Old style Driller Display cubes can display the data that comes from a ParaTrack2 Interface (TF, Azim, Incl). VM Display (below) can also read and display this data. 3: Using VM Display Vector Magnetics offers a simple program that can run on a Windows computer for displaying drilling data from RivCross. VM Display receives data either via COM directly from the ParaTrack2 Interface or via a Wi Fi connection with the computer running RivCross. 4: On an Android Device Driller display apps will run on Android devices with version 4.4 or higher OS. Data are sent to the Android device via Bluetooth or Wi Fi. Bluetooth requires that the RivCross computer also have Bluetooth. Wi Fi requires that the Android device and RivCross be on the same Wi Fi network. The apps are bi directional the driller can send messages to RivCross and can also, under certain circumstances, take shots. 5: On an ios Device The driller display app will run on Apple devices with version 7 or higher OS. Data are sent to the Apple device via Wi Fi. Wi Fi requires that the Apple device and RivCross be on the same Wi Fi network. Bluetooth requires that the RivCross computer have a very specific hardware dongle attached and is not recommended. The app is bi directional the driller can send messages to RivCross and can also, under certain circumstances, take shots. 6: On a Virtual Desktop/Monitor It is possible to run a virtual monitor on almost any device. You would then run one of the RivCross remote displays on this virtual monitor. The connection is via Wi Fi.

9 Notes on using these at the same time Wi Fi In Wi Fi you can use as many display devices as you like provided that RivCross is setup to broadcast to all Ethernet addresses and that all of the devices are on the same network. Thus you can use Android and ios devices as well as VM Display all at the same time. Bluetooth You can only use one Bluetooth device at a time. External/Virtual Monitors Technically there is no limit to the number of external/virtual monitors that you can use at the same time. You would need to do some configuration to make most of them display as mirrors of the first external monitor but that should not be exceedingly difficult. Combinations You can combine any of the methods listed above together. The limitations should be fairly obvious: you can only connect one device at a time to the output of the ParaTrack2 Interface as there is only one display output. And, again, you can only use one Bluetooth device, regardless of what it may be, at once.

10 Comparison Table of Categories Category from Above External monitor Surveyor Location => Distance to display => VM Color Monitor Off the shelf monitor in drill cab Outdoors Cost < 10' 10' 50' > > 20' < 50' 20' 100' 100' Ease of setup 1 $$$ *** o X X X $ *** Through Interface LCD Cube o 1 o 1 $$$ *** Interface/VM VM Display o Display COM/Interface o 1,3 o 1,3 $ $$ *** VM Display Wi VM Display Fi o 3 o 3 o 3 $ $$ * Android Android BT X X X X $ $$ ** Google Glass BT o X X X X $$ $$$ * Google Glass Wi Fi $$ $$$ * Android BT Class o X $ $$ ** Android Wi Fi $ $$ * ios ios Wi Fi $ $$ * ios ios BT 2 o o X X X X $ * External monitor Remote on ios on ios Wi Fi $$ * External monitor Remote on on Android Android Wi Fi $$ * o X Best performance Great option Good option $ < $500 Possible. Maybe with special gear at added cost Not recommended $$ $500 $1500 $$$ > $1500 *** Almost trivial ** Easy enough * Requires some special knowledge 1 Requires an optional long cable 2 Requires a special Bluetooth dongle 3 Requires a ruggedized device or case

11 This page left blank because Microsoft products are difficult to use.