User`s manual

Alcorn McBride Digital Video Machine HD User’s Manual Rev 1.0
35
Configuring the DVMHD for GPS Operation
The DVMHD is
compatible with any
serial GPS sensor
which outputs a
NMEA-0183 data
stream at 4800 baud.
The ‘Lock LED’ of the
DVMHD will pulse
Green every second
whenever an active
GPS input is detected.
Unless you are
launching a GPS
Playlist by other
means (i.e. Playlist,
Ethernet, etc.), make
sure that your GPS
playlist is named
“PLY00000.GPS”.
Now that you have created a GPS playlist file complete with the GPS coordinates,
you’re ready to use it in the DVMHD. Here’s how.
1. First, connect the GPS sensor to the mini DIN connector of the GPS
harness.
2. Mount the GPS sensor on the vehicle using the GPS sensor manufacturer’s
recommendations.
3. Connect the DVMHD A/V outputs to the onboard Audio and Video systems
of the vehicle.
4. Insert the Compact Flash card that contains the GPS playlist you prepared in
the previous section. Make sure that it also contains all of the videos
referenced in the playlist.
5. Connect the DVMHD to the 12VDC vehicle power using a captive barrel
power connector (like the one that ships with the DVMHD). The tip of this
connector is positive (+), and the shell is negative (-). These connectors can
be obtained from Alcorn McBride.
6. After applying power to the DVMHD, wait for it to finish its power up routine.
Shortly afterwards, the unit should indicate that it is receiving GPS data from
the GPS sensor. At first, the sensor is not likely to be locked on to any
satellites so the Lock LED of the DVMHD will pulse RED every second.
When the sensor acquires a lock, the LED will start to pulse GREEN every
second. At this point, you’re ready to go!
Now as you drive around to the programmed Longitude and Latitude points your
videos will automatically trigger.
Overlapping GPS Routes
GPS Playlists are not executed in linear fashion. In other words, the order in which
GPS Commands are listed within the GPS Playlist is of no importance. That means
that you can go through the first trigger in the GPS playlist, and then skip to the fifth
trigger for example. There is no need to go in any specific order.
There is only one catch to this mode of operation. What if you want to have the
DVMHD play a different video the second time passing through the same point, or
what if you only want it to play a video when traveling in one direction? For example,
say you want to play an “Arrival” video when passing through a point in one direction,
and then play a “Departure” video when passing the same point in the opposite
direction.
Fortunately for you, this is handled automatically in most circumstances. Along with
Longitude and Latitude, any GPS points you capture with GPS Builder will also record
the direction in which you were traveling. As long as you leave this direction
information in your GPS playlist, it is factored in when the DVMHD is analyzing the
GPS data and comparing it to the GPS playlist. So, if you created a trigger while you
were traveling west, the vehicle must be traveling west for the GPS trigger to occur on
the DVMHD.
In situations where you don’t want direction to be a factor for your GPS triggers, you
can delete the contents of the Direction field in GPS Builder. When you do this, the
GPS trigger becomes Omni-directional. If the vehicle enters the specified
coordinates, the trigger will occur no matter what direction the vehicle is traveling.