Leica AT9x0 User Manual

Prerequisites

All Leica trackers are shipped with 192.168.0.1 as the IP address by default. The Leica AT960/930 also offer a wireless connection option.

The current version of Tracker Pilot can be downloaded directly from the Laser Tracker Controller. To do so, open a web browser and type http://192.168.0.1 in the search bar. This will open a link to the tools saved on the tracker controller. To learn more about configuring IP addresses, see the IP Address Basics section.

Compensation

The AT960/930 trackers and accessories can be compensated within Tracker Pilot. If you need the current Tracker Pilot, you can browse directly to http://192.168.0.1 (or the tracker's IP) and download Tracker Pilot from the controller.

• Compensation Password: Expert (for Full and Intermediate, ADM, Reflector Definition, Camera Compensation, etc.)
• Server Settings Password: Administrator (for TCP/IP address, Time/Date, etc.)

Starting the Interface

1. Select Instrument > Add and choose the respective Leica Tracker from the Add Instrument to SA dialog.

   Image depicting the 'Add Instrument to SA' dialog box, listing various measurement devices including the Leica AT960/930 tracker.

2. Run the instrument interface module under Instrument > Run Interface Module and choose Laser Trackers.
3. Enter the tracker's IP address and use the Ping button to test the connection. Once satisfied, press OK. The next time the interface is started, you can simply click the Run Interface and Connect icon. This will use the last saved settings and automatically connect the instrument. The AT960/930 also offers an IP discover utility.

   Image of the 'Leica LMF Connection' window, showing fields for IP address, a 'Ping' button, and options to 'Connect To Tracker' and 'Initialize Tracker'.

4. The interface is now connected and ready for use. Refer to the Laser Tracker section for details on the laser tracker interface ("Laser Tracker Interface" on page 10). To access custom settings, use Settings > Tracker > General Settings or press the [Settings Button] icon. Then press the tracker-specific button at the bottom.

6D Shank Measurements

With a calibrated shank tip attached to a T-probe (calibration performed within Tracker Pilot), shank measurements can be taken for sheet metal applications, providing an edge measurement solution.

Shank Points is a new Operation usable with any measurement acquisition mode (discrete, stable, or scan). Two new measurement profiles support this application:

• Discrete Shank Point: The standard measurement of a point on an edge.
• Discrete Bottom Shank Point: Provides the same shank measurement option with a specified shift relative to the reference plane, designed to account for material thickness.

Image showing 'Shank Measurement Profile Operations' with two tables detailing parameters for 'Shank Points' and 'Shank Points Bottom', including 'Shank Plane', 'Override Radius', 'Radius', and 'Thickness'.

Shank Plane: Measurements require a projection plane to be defined. This plane definition is used to determine the intersection point of the shank axis and the plane. The probe's tilt relative to the plane determines the point's offset, combined with the probe diameter. For the cleanest offset, hold the probe perpendicular to the edge. Tilting is acceptable, but leaning it to trail along the edge (into or out of the paper) should be avoided as it could cause an overestimate of the offset.

Override Radius: The shank probe's radius is set during calibration but can be changed within the measurement profile if needed.

For a demonstration, see: youtu.be/hXnoj4ov1GA

Proximity Measurements with a Shank Probe

Shank measurements can also be used with proximity triggers, making edge measurements easier by allowing points to be triggered along an edge as a shank probe is slid along it.

To perform these measurements:

1. Build a vector group for the proximity trigger process. Each vector in this group acts as a trigger; a point is triggered when the probe's axis crosses the vector.
2. Navigate to Instrument > Automatic Measurement > Auto-Correspond with Proximity Triggers > Vectors. Specify a tolerance zone and a resulting group name, then begin the operation. Ensure the option to measure each point more than once within the proximity dialog is Enabled. If not, only the first point within the proximity tolerance will be taken, not necessarily the closest point to the vector intersection.
3. Slide the shank probe along the edge of the part to trigger measurements at each reference vector location. The recorded point is the closest point on the shank to the vector origin. Good alignment is crucial; significant deviations from the nominal measure feature can affect compensation.

Image illustrating correct and incorrect probe orientation for shank measurements, marked with a green checkmark [✓] for correct and a red cross [✗] for incorrect.

External Trigger Configuration

External trigger settings are defined within a "Custom Triggers" measurement profile. These settings are shown conceptually in Figure 3-100 and in the measurement profile settings dialog in Figure 3-101.

Conceptual diagram of 'External Trigger Configuration', outlining 'Internal Trigger' and 'External Realtime Triggers' including 'Event Trigger', 'Internal Clock with Start/Stop', and 'Ext. Clock with Start/Stop'.

Screenshot of the 'Meas Profile Parameters' dialog, showing 'Custom Profile' settings for enabling external triggering, including 'Clock Source', 'Start/Stop Active Level', and 'Clock Transmission'.

Measurement Profile Settings

External Trigger measurements can be performed using two basic methods:

1. Set the Clock Source to "Internal" and use the external trigger to control the start and stop of a scan at a given rate.
2. Set the Clock Source to "External" and trigger measurements exclusively with the external trigger.

Clock Source:

• Internal: (Internal Clock with External Start/Stop Signal). Measurements are triggered by the external start/stop signal on the trigger board. The measurement rate is based on internal settings and is not synchronized to an external signal.
• External: (External Clock with Start/Stop Signal). Measurement is controlled by a start/stop signal on the trigger board. One transition of the clock signal (positive or negative, depending on configuration) triggers a measurement if the Start/Stop signal is active.

Start/Stop Active Level:

• Low/High: The start/stop signal can be set as low or high active (e.g., low active means events are generated as long as the start/stop signal remains low).

Start/Stop Source:

• Ignored/Active: Controls the response to the external trigger after a measurement operation has started. If Ignored, the measurement continues regardless of other triggers until stopped. If Active, subsequent trigger changes will start/stop the measurement.

Clock Transmission:

• Negative/Positive: Defines the clock signal change used for the trigger (negative or positive transition).

Minimal Time Delay:

• Delay Value: Defines the maximum rate at which measurements can be taken (minimal delay between consecutive measurements). Additional trigger signals sent faster than this preset delay will be ignored.

Running the Tracker Interface Separately

One of SpatialAnalyzer's unique features is that the instrument interface can run separately from SA. This allows multiple trackers to run independently on different machines while connecting to a single SA for data storage. It also enables separating persistence files for individual trackers, as the persistence file is saved in the directory where the tracker interface is launched, rather than the default C:\Analyzer Data\Persistence folder.

To run the SA Laser Tracker process separately, additional support files are required. These include the files shown in Figure 3-102.

Image displaying a file explorer view titled 'Required Files to run the SA Laser Tracker process independently from SA', listing various .dll and .exe files such as SALaserTrackersuvc19.exe.

Additional Connections

The AT960 can be used with a number of peripheral devices. For more information, refer to the following quickstart guides:

• "Hexagon AS1 Scanner" on page 121
• "Leica Absolute Scanner (LAS) 20-8" on page 128
• "Leica T-Scan Interface" on page 131