CenterLine User Guide 98-05054
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine v2.00 Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................2 About CenterLine ..........................................................................................................2 Straight or Curved Guidance ...................................................................................2 Wireless Remote Control Unit...........................................
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 1 Hz Msg................................................................................................................24 Lightbar Setup..............................................................................................................25 Spacing...................................................................................................................25 Mode ..................................................................................................
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Swath Manager 5 Operation...........................................................................................57 Starting Swath Manager 5............................................................................................57 Installation .............................................................................................................57 Swath Manager 5 Auto Boom Engage: ................................................................
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 4 CenterLine v2.
CenterLine A lightbar guidance system with wireless remote control. Software Version 2.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Introduction About CenterLine CenterLine is a low-cost lightbar guidance system, controlled by a wireless remote. CenterLine provides accurate straight-line and curved guidance, for use in spraying, seeding, and other related jobs at a cost that rivals foam markers. The CenterLine product comes with a combination Beacon/WAAS or WAAS only DGPS receiver, providing sub-meter, pass to pass, positioning accuracy.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 What’s new in Version 2.00 • “A +” feature to Straight and Curved AB guidance modes. • Swath Manager 5 support • Larger Christmas tree for Headland and Curved AB guidance.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Menu Items and Pick List Text Throughout this user’s guide, menu item text is displayed between the <> characters, For example, . Keys on the remote (See Figure 4 on page 6) are denoted in bold italics, such as Enter. Most of the figures in this user’s guide are of menu items that are displayed in the text window of the lightbar (See Figure 5 on page 7). This text represents either a menu item, such as or a pick-list item, such as .
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Menu Items Next and To Start There are two additional menu items that are found in almost every menu; and . Figure 3 shows the and menu items in the System Setup menu list. Pressing Enter at brings up the next menu heading. As an example, pressing Enter at , while in Lightbar setup, brings up . In the same example, pressing ESC at brings up the menu Item.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Wireless Remote Control General Operation Operation of CenterLine software is via remote keypad input and menu items displayed in the text display area (See Figure 5) of the CenterLine lightbar. The Up and Down arrow keys are used to scroll through menus, sub-menus, and pick lists. The Enter key is used to enter menus and submenus, and accept a desired pick-list entry. The ESC key acts as cancel.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Lightbar CenterLine TM Figure 5: The CenterLine Lightbar Lightbar Specifications Housing Material: ABS/Poly carbonate alloy construction. Dimensions: 3.70”H x 9.40”W x 3.80”D (95 mm x 240 mm x 100 mm) Weight: 0.8 lbs (0.36 kg) Processor: Intel StrongARM MEMORY: 16 MB Ram, 2 MB Flash LEDs: High-lumen red, yellow, and green radial light pattern and 10 character LED alpha-numeric text display. Full brightness control adjustment using wireless remote.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Quick Start-up The following section assumes that your CenterLine hardware has been properly set up. See “CenterLine Product Kits” on page 9 - 12 for information on how to configure the system. General Start-up Sequence • Apply power to CenterLine. • Lightbar performs a start-up sequence. • Lightbar displays current software version. • Lightbar displays .
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Product Kits CenterLine Kit without DGPS Receiver CenterLine Lightbar CenterLine A GPS data cable is required but not provided in kit.
CenterLine Software Version 2.
CenterLine Software Version 2.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine with RX 400p DGPS Receiver CenterLine Lightbar CenterLine Cen ter Lin e UP ME N ES U C DO CenterLine WN BR IGH T ne rLi DIM nte Ce CenterLine Wireless Remote RX 400p High Accuracy MID-TECH Boom Sense +12V when booms are ON Differential GPS Receiver Lat 5100.120 N+ Lon 11202.250 WH Power lead not used CenterLine Power Cable 12' Sen se RX 400p GPS Receiver & Antenna ENTER Midwest Technologies, Inc.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Setup CenterLine Setup allows the configuring of the CenterLine product to best suit the current guidance and mapping needs. For the complete overview of the Setup process see the "CenterLine Setup Flow Diagram,” on page 32. CenterLine Setup has three sub-menus: , , and . Each is described in detail below. Figure 10 shows the Setup flow. The top level of CenterLine software has three menus to choose from: , , and .
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Guidance Setup Guidance setup allows the setup of several parameters that pertain to guidance functionality. Currently there are four guidance settings (see Figure 11). To access Guidance setup from the Setup menu, scroll until the text window displays , and press Enter. Menu item should be displayed in the text window. Use Up or Down to scroll through the list of Guidance setup menu items.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Swath Manager 5 The Guidance setup parameter Swath Man is only an option when a Swath Manager 5 is connected to the system. If a Swath Manager 5 is not being used ignore this section and continue to “Width” on page 18. To adjust the Swath Man setting, go to , scroll with Up or Down until is displayed, and press Enter. Within the Swath Man menu there are four parameters, %Overlap, Sections, Width 1-5, and Delay.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 % Overlap Set the % overlaps to best fit your application 100% overlap will eliminate all skips. Figure 14: %Overlap Settings Figure 15: %Overlap Illustration Sections Enter the number of sections 1-5. Figure 16: Number of Sections Width 1-5 Enter the Width in ft for Boom section 1 and repeat for the remainder of the sections. NOTE: The total width of all boom sections is NOT the width that will be used for guidance.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Delay Set a delay in seconds. This will act as a look ahead to turn booms off and on when entering and exiting an applied zone. Entering Applied Zone When entering an applied zone the boom width based on the %overlap must be in the applied zone the seconds entered in the Delay setup before the boom will be shut off.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Width The Guidance setup parameter Width is the distance between guidelines. This width is typically the vehicle implement width or spread width. Setting this width slightly smaller than the actual width reduces skips. Setting this width slightly larger than the actual width reduces overlap. To adjust the Width setting, go to , scroll with Up or Down until is displayed, and press Enter. To increase the width press Up; to decrease the width press Down.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Antenna The Antenna sub-menu defines the spatial relationship between the GPS antenna and the vehicle implement or delivery point. The GPS antenna should always be mounted along the vehicle center line (See Figure 24). The two Antenna menu settings are Direction and Distance. To enter the Antenna sub-menu, go to , scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Distance The Distance setting is the distance from the GPS antenna to the swath or delivery location (See Figure 24). To adjust the Distance setting, go to the Antenna sub-menu of Guidance setup and press Enter. Scroll until is displayed in the text window and press Enter. To increase the distance press Up; to decrease the distance press Down. Press Enter when the desired distance is displayed.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Status If using a Swath Manager 5 the setting will be removed from the menu setup. The setting is used to auto detect implement status. When the status detect is properly implemented, the CenterLine detects whether product delivery is on or off, based on the vehicles product on/off switch. See “CenterLine Product Kits” on page 9 -12 for location of status connect (boom sense) wiring.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Alarm The setting, when set to ON, notifies the operator when entering a previously applied area. The text window displays when the implement swath is in a previously applied area of the field. To adjust the Alarm setting, go to Guidance setup, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press enter. Using Up or Down, scroll between the and settings until the desired setting is displayed in the text window.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 GPS Type GPS Type indicates to the CenterLine system whether the GPS receiver is differentially corrected or not. To adjust the GPS Type, go to Guidance setup, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press enter. Using Up or Down, scroll between the and settings until the desired setting is displayed in the text window. Press Enter to save the setting and return to the Guidance setup menu.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 1 Hz Msg A 1 Hz data rate is not recommended for vehicle guidance, so a “GPS Slow” message is sent to the lightbar to notify the operator if the GPS receiver is set to a 1 Hz data rate. However, there are some areas where the 1 Hz rate is used. For those areas, we provide the ability to disable the “GPS Slow” message. To turn the “GPS Slow” message on or off, go to Guidance setup, scroll until <1 Hz Msg> is displayed in the text window, and press enter.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Lightbar Setup Lightbar setup allows the selection of several parameters related to the lightbar. There are five lightbar settings: Drive Sensitivity , Display Mode , two selectable messages: and , and (See Figure 30 and Table 8). Figure 30: The Lightbar Setup Flow Setting Name Default Value Change at 1st Time Start up Spacing 1.5 ft.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Figure 31: Setting the LED Spacing Mode The Mode setting defines how the row of LEDs are interpreted. The center stack of Green LEDs can represent either the current guideline or the vehicle (See Table 9). To change the Mode setting, go to Lightbar setup, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter. Using Up or Down, scroll through the Mode pick list until the desired setting is displayed in the text window.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Text 1 To select the Text 1 setting, go to Lightbar setup, scroll using Up or Down until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter. Using Up or Down scroll through the Text 1 pick list until the desired message is displayed in the text window. Press Enter to save the setting and advance to the menu item.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Text 2 To select the Text 2 setting, go Lightbar setup, scroll using Up or Down until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter. Using Up or Down scroll through the Text 2 pick list until the desired message is displayed in the text window. Press Enter to save the setting and advance to the STEER BAR? menu item.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Steer Bar The Steer Bar setting determines how the LED steering display appears. The LEDs, representing the vehicle track in relation to the current guideline, can be shown as a single LED or a solid bar (See Table 12). To change the Steer Bar setting, go to Lightbar setup, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter. Using Up or Down, scroll through the Steer Bar pick list until the desired setting is displayed in the text window.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 System Setup System setup allows the selection of settings that effect the entire CenterLine product. There are only two settings: Units and Language (See Table 13). Figure 36: System Setup Setting Name Default Value Change at 1st Time Start Up Unit US Optional Language English Optional Table 13: System Menu Item Default Settings Units System Units allows the selection of either US and Metric units (See Table 14).
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Pick List Description US All units are entered and displayed in Feet, Miles, and Acres. This is the default setting. Metric All units are entered and displayed in Meters, Kilometers, and Hectares. Table 14: The Unit Menu Item Settings Language CenterLine comes pre-loaded with several languages. To change the system language, enter System Setup, scroll through the sub-menu list until appears in the text window, and press Enter.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Setup Flow Diagram START SETUP GUIDANCE TOOLS WIDTH 30.0 (Default) AHEAD 1.5 (Default) ANTENNA DIRECTION FORWARD DISTANCE 0.0 (Default) HEIGHT 9.8 (Default) BACK NEXT STATUS OFF ON ALARM OFF GPS TYPE DGPS ON GPS 1 Hz MSG YES NO NEXT TO START LIGHTBAR SPACING 1.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Tools The Tools menu contains several functions to provide some basic system diagnostics (See Table 15). To access Tools from the Setup menu, scroll until the text window displays , and press Enter. should be displayed in the text window. Use Up or Down to scroll through the Tools menu. Figure 40: The Tools Menu Flow Menu Item Description Receiver Checks the status of a connected GPS receiver.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Receiver The Receiver diagnostic test queries the attached GPS receiver and returns its current configuration and status. This information is displayed in the text window on the lightbar. To start the Receiver check, go to the Tools menu, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter. The lightbar displays the diagnostic messages shown in Table 16.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 e-Dif Info The “e-Dif Info” function only appears when the CenterLine system detects that an e-Dif GPS receiver is present and calibrated. This receiver diagnostic test queries the attached e-Dif GPS receiver and displays current position information being generated. This information is displayed in the text window on the lightbar. To start the e-Dif diagnostic test, go to the Tools menu, scroll until is displayed in the text window, and press Enter.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 CenterLine Real-Time Operation Starting Real-time Operation This section assumes that the setup section (See “CenterLine Setup” on page 13) has been read and the CenterLine lightbar properly set up. Start real-time operation by pressing Enter when is displayed in the text window. The menu item is at the highest menu level. can be easily reached from most menu levels by scrolling to and pressing Enter.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Real-time Operation Real-time guidance begins when or is selected. At this point, the GPS receiver should be properly connected to the CenterLine lightbar and running. See Figures 7-9 for diagrams showing how the DGPS receiver should be connected. The default guidance mode is Straight-Line Guidance and the current guidance mode is displayed in reverse video.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Marking A and B Locations The Straight-line and Curve AB guidance modes require a reference guideline to guide the vehicle along. Establishing a guideline involves marking two points along the reference guideline. To establish this reference guideline using the real-time menu, use Up or Down to scroll in the menu until is displayed on the lightbar (See Figure 42), and press Enter. The menu item is displayed.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 A+ Feature At any time after a guideline is created, the guidance line can be shifted to the current position by activating the “A+” feature. The heading (and shape, if in curved mode) of the original guideline is maintained, but the A/B line is shifted to the vehicle location. Scroll the real-time menu until is displayed and Press Enter to activate the shift.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Return to Point CenterLine allows the operator to mark a point in the field to return to later in time. Typically the Return to Point feature is used to mark a location when stopping guidance and wanting to start in the same location and in the same direction at a later time. This Return to Point location is stored with the field’s trajectory data, is lost when is selected, and retained when is selected.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Headland Guidance Operation This section describes how to operate CenterLine in the Headland guidance mode. The Headland mode is used when the operator wants to drive several circuits around the field boundary and be guided around all circuits that occur after the first. When several headland circuits have been completed, the operator has the option of switching to the Straight-line mode.
CenterLine Software Version 2.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Figure 48: Continuing Around the Second Circuit. Switching from Headland to Straight-line Mode When the operator has completed the desired number of headland circuits, two circuits in our current example, the system is switched to Straight-line Guidance mode to apply the remainder of the field in a straight back and forth fashion. To switch from the Headland Pattern to another pattern, see “Switching between Guidance Modes” on page 38.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Figure 49: Switched from Headland Mode to Straight-line Mode. Figure 50: Completed Field Application Figure 50 shows the completed field. Notice that there are several areas of the field where the operator turned spray off to avoid double application on previously applied areas.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Headland Mode Lightbar Graphics CenterLine’s Headland mode guidance technique employs a lightbar text display graphic that aids the operator when navigating parallel to a curved swath. The X-Track LED functionality that is employed in Straight-line and Curve AB modes is also employed when driving in Headland mode. A projected swath-path graphic is displayed in the text display area of the lightbar (See Figure 51). This projected path is made up of four horizontal bars.
CenterLine Software Version 2.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Straight-line Guidance Operation The Straight-line guidance mode provides vehicle guidance along straight lines, based on a reference guideline. The first step is to establish the reference guideline. This reference guideline is used to calculate all other parallel guidelines. See “Marking A and B Locations” on page 38 for more detail on how to establish a reference guideline. To mark the initial point A, begin driving along the first swath path.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 When making a turn at the end of the field, the lightbar displays the distance to the next swath (see Figure 55). CenterLine 30.0 FT CenterLine 27.2 FT CenterLine 14.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Curve AB Guidance Operation The Curve AB guidance mode works similar to Straight-Line mode except it provides vehicle guidance along curved lines, based on a curved reference guideline. The first step is to establish the reference guideline. This reference guideline is used to calculate all other parallel guidelines. See See “Marking A and B Locations” on page 38 for more detail on how to establish a reference guideline.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 The lightbar now displays . The next step is to establish guideline point B. To do this, press Enter as the vehicle passes over the desired B location. This establishes the reference guideline. The lightbar starts displaying X-Track guidance information as well as any user selected messages defined in Lightbar setup (See “Lightbar Setup” on page 25).
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Applied Area Detection CenterLine allows the detection of a previously applied area. To use applied area detection, the Lightbar Setup - Alarm menu field must be set up prior to starting guidance. See “Alarm” on page 22 of this User Guide for more details on how to set up this menu field. Detecting A Previously Applied Area Figure 59 shows how previously applied area detection works.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Detecting Neighboring Swath Applied area detection notifies the user when the vehicle crosses into a previously applied neighboring swath. Figure 60 shows an Applied Area Overlap example. The vehicle can overlap up to 25% of the Swath Width without being notified. Once the edge of the vehicle swath overlaps 25% or more into a neighboring swath, the lightbar displays .
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Lightbar Index The CenterLine lightbar is capable of displaying a considerable amount of information to the user. This information can be represented as text in the display window, illuminated cross track LEDs, or a combination of text and lights. Information displayed on the lightbar depends on both user defined settings and system warnings not controlled by the user. Table 18 describes each possible lightbar state and possible information that could be displayed.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Lightbar State Description Ground Speed: A user defined lightbar message indicating the vehicle speed in Miles per Hour (MPH). System Units is set to US. Ground Speed: A user defined lightbar message indicating the vehicle speed in Kilometers per Hour (KPH). System is Units set to Metric. Course on Ground (COG): A user defined lightbar message indicating the vehicles heading in degrees 0 to 359.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Lightbar State Description Curved guidance information graphics. The four horizontal bars in the text display represent a perspective view of the swath ahead of the vehicle. The bars skew left or right to represent the curved path ahead. Curved guidance information graphics. The path in the text display represents a perspective view of the swath ahead of the vehicle.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Lightbar State Description Lightbar Version Message: This message is displayed when the user starts up CenterLine or runs the Lightbar Test. This number varies and is based on lightbar version and model. CenterLine Ver 1.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Swath Manager 5 Operation Starting Swath Manager 5 This section assumes that the setup section (See “Swath Manager 5” on page 15) has been read and the CenterLine lightbar is properly set up. Start by reviewing the installation diagrams below to make sure the system is properly connected. Make sure the controller and Swath Manager 5 switches are all in the proper location See “Swath Manager 5 Auto Boom Engage:” on page 58. Create a boundary to lock the area of application.
CenterLine Software Version 2.00 Swath Manager 5 Auto Boom Engage: • • • • • • Rate Controller section switches must be OFF. Rate Controller section switches in the ON position override the Swath Manager 5. Rate Controller master switch must be in the ON position. Rate Controller master switch in the OFF position overrides the Swath Manager 5. Swath Manager 5 master switch and section switches must be in the ON position. Swath manager 5 auto boom switch must be set to engage.
Midwest Technologies 2864 Old Rochester Road Springfield, IL 62703
