MS60 GeoCOM tests

[squowse]

Thanks for this - will be looking at this over the next few weeks. Look forward to communicating with my Leica MS60 instrument, and hopefully using the imaging facilities. I have a software application I wish to develop.

I have some previous experience programming BASIC in a Psion Workabout handheld device to communicate with Leica TS16 over GeoCOM. I also have a bit of experience using Python for various data processing tasks.

I am a civil engineer, programming is just a hobby - although it's very useful to my work.

[MrClock8163]

Hello!
Glad to hear someone might find it useful.
I had the opportunity about 2 weeks ago to do some testing on a TS60, but I did not have time to really test the imaging and file transfer commands, so any feedback is welcome. I have access to TCA1800, TCRP1201+ and TS15i instruments for testing and development, sadly those don't (/not fully) support camera and file transfer, so those commands (especially file transfer) might not work correctly (I have no way to really test it at this time).

Sadly the newest GeoCom Reference Manual I have is for the TS30/TM30, so there are probably commands missing from the implementation, that your MS60 does have.

Beware, that the package is still in development. The API might still change (hopefully not drastically) until the v1.0 release. (It's probably not far away, I just have to iron out a few things. I'm currently working on some CLI applications as examples.)

[squowse]

Does the TS15i not have the correct licence for GeoCom imaging? I did't think the the TS30/TM30 had cameras at all.
Those are the manuals I had I think. I have some contacts in Leica, I'll see if they can let me have anything newer. Leica used to be a lot more "open source" than they are now.

[MrClock8163]

Leica used to be a lot more "open source" than they are now.

Yeah, they are pretty closed now unfortunately. I only have GeoCom reference manuals, that I could find online.

Does the TS15i not have the correct licence for GeoCom imaging? I did't think the the TS30/TM30 had cameras at all.

The TS15i has an overview camera, it doesn't have a coaxial telescopic camera. The OVC camera uses the IMG and a limited version CAM subsystem of GeoCom, while imaging stations with telescopic cameras (TS30/TM30, TS60/TM60) use an extended CAM subsystem. The bigger problem is, that the FTR (file transfer) commands seem to work in weird ways on the TS15i and TCRP1201+, and I couldn't fully figure it out yet.

[squowse]

I have tried the example code - "morse" and does not appear to be working. Do you think this is because my serial connection cannot be established? The instrument has GeoCom settings but no licence. I think it should respond to the more basic commands though? There is also a GeoCom trial licence "unactivated".

[MrClock8163]

I don't think it's a protocol issue. I've run measurement programs like this on a TS60 (that's the high precision sister of your instrument), and it worked without problems. I suspect it's some setting on your instrument, that prevents the simple distance measurement from completing.
Make sure, that the measurement mode is set to standard single measurement (not averaging or continuous).

[squowse]

EDM mode = (%R1P,0,5:0,5)
resp_measure.response = (%R1P,0,6:30)
resp_angles.response = (%R1P,0,7:1285,2.787563904162177,1.375560031487666,0)

from the 1200 Geocom manual EDM_SINGLE_SRANGE = 5, // RL Standard which is what it's set to

I tried the position command yesterday and got GeoCOM error 27 which is "no robotics licence". But change face also list possibility of this error but works without error.

[MrClock8163]

Well that's a bummer.
Then it looks like the GeoCom licensing checks are not exactly consistent accross the board.
I guess I'll have to work more on that little license testing script.
And you'll somehow have to get a GeoCom license, if you want to use it on your MS60. It's a shame, that Leica refuses to sell those licenses now.

I don't really understand their double standards in the matter either. The LS15 digital level responds to GeoCom and GSI Online commands without any software licenses (and that's a relatively new product).

[squowse]

geocom error code 27 is listed as NA in the appendix. Under some of the functions it's listed as "no robotic licence"

I am hopefully getting a GeoCOM licence but I think I will have to sign an NDA.

[MrClock8163]

NA simply means Not Available. Imaging commands can return NA as well to indicate, that you have no license.