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Carlson Telescope Software |
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Telescope is Carlson Software's office monitoring product that allows for
viewing heavy equipment for the entire site in real-time, as well as,
enabling two-way real-time file transfer. Furthermore, Telescope provides
the radio link between the office and the rover if Carlson's SiteNet
system is not in place, along with a connection to the database used by
Carlson's Productivity Tools, which is the product that facilitates
process and equipment performance analysis.
Telescope can gather
logging information from one or more rovers via radio communications or
directly from the database that has been fed the information. The file
gathering process removes data from the rover machine once it has been
successfully uploaded to the database. This process can run automatically
or manually.
Moreover, additional files, such as design files, can
be sent to the rovers from your office. You’ve networked your office—now
network the mine!
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Telescope has two main functions:
to monitor vehicle positions and
transfer files. Telescope
maintains the telemetry link
between the office and the gps
equipped machines. The program
downloads information into a
database and simultaneously
provides a real-time visual
representation of the vehicles.
Telescope runs on an office
computer, communicating with
computers running Leica's Dozer
2000 or Carlson's AutoGrade, Dig,
or DrillStar on vehicles in the
field.
Previously to
complete file transfers, an
engineer would have to drive out
to a vehicle and take it out of
production while the files were
transferred via PCMCIA card. With
Telescope, the same files can be
transferred without leaving the
office and more importantly
without stopping production. The
transfer takes place in the
background while the rover
software continues to guide the
operator. This functionality also
provides a safer way for engineers
and surveyors to interact with the
heavy equipment. They are no
longer "on the ground" next to the
equipment or under highwalls with
minimal protection.
Telescope can be set to
automatically download logging
files from the vehicles. These
contain recorded position data
used to study productivity with
Carlson Software’s Productivity
Tools. The data is automatically
parsed into a database for use by
Productivity Tools.
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Benefits |
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Real-time access to data |
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Necessary information available in the
office for planning purposes |
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Does not stop production to retrieve or
provide files |
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Safer then putting a surveyor "on the
ground" next to heavy machinery or under
highwalls |
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Immediate dispatch of response team in
emergency situation |
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Full 3D rendering of site information |
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Equipment
Monitoring |
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Telescope can
be loaded on a
computer with
wireless
network access
and be used in
a mine vehicle
to allow a
foreman,
supervisor,
engineer, or
surveyor to
monitor
equipment
locations for
the site from
the comfort of
their climate
controlled
cab. No more
driving to the
wrong bench to
find the
loader or
other
equipment has
moved. In
emergencies,
response teams
can be quickly
dispatched to
the correct
locations.
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From the main screen, the File Transfer and Monitor Rover Position options are used the most. These are detailed more in the following sections.
Other links from this main screen include: Setup Project File, Configuration, and Productivity Tools. |
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File
Transfer |
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| The Telescope File Transfer is easy to use and understand. For transferring files to a rover, files are added to a queue and sent one after another with integrity checking. Viewing and deleting remote files is also available. During transfers, the file names and types are displayed and the RoverID is indicated at the screen bottom. The Transfer Progress screen, displayed on top right, gives an estimate on completion time.
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| Monitor Rover Position |
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| In the Telescope main screen, the plan view is displayed on the left where the current positions of all vehicles are drawn. Additionally, vehicle positions are shown numerically to the right. The Latency value indicates how long it has been since the position was last updated. The engineer can use this main screen to make sure all vehicles are communicating and see where they are. At the top right, plan view and vehicle icon file selections are available. |
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| If an operator is having trouble with their GPS, the engineer can download detailed GPS information from that rover using the “Status” button. The problem can be diagnosed without leaving the office (e.g. too few satellites). |
| Radio Link |
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Telescope needs a wireless link from the computer in the office to the computers on the field vehicles. Two basic solutions exist. One uses the existing radio link that the RTK GPS base receiver uses to send GPS corrections to the rover receivers. The other uses a separate radio link.
To use the RTK GPS radio link, the base and rover receivers need to be Leica MC500’s with the appropriate firmware loaded. Communication messages leave the serial port on the office computer and enter the base MC500. If the base receiver is located in the same building, their connection can be a serial cable. Otherwise, a dedicated set of point-to-point radios is required to connect the office to the base. Once the office-base connection is established, no additional equipment is necessary; the rest of the trip for the communication messages is over the same radio link that the GPS corrections use.
If the GPS receivers being used are not Leica MC500’s, a separate radio link needs to be established. A two-way radio system needs to link the serial port of the office computer with the rover vehicles. The computers on the vehicles need two serial COM ports: one connected to the GPS and one connected to the separate radio network. |
| Productivity Tools |
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When Productivity Tools is combined with AutoGrade, a whole wealth of information is available for analysis, which can lead to increased productivity and optimal performance from your dozer, loader, motorgrader, scraper, compactor, or other related equipment in need of grade control. Telescope is responsible for retrieving the data from the rover machines.
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Productivity Tools feature real-time remote viewing and full 3D playback of earthmoving equipment. In addition, user-defined reports on any aspect including push lengths and slopes, rehandle and volumes per hour are included in the arsenal.
Operator actions can be assessed to bring all operators' performance to the same level. It is a software package that aides in "best practice" evaluations. |
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