1. EXCAVATORS

2. Excavator Setup: Hardware
Body positioned using GPS.dll
Pitch and Roll compensated for precision RTK
Bucket Switch added for marking buckets in real time
Barge shape can also be display in plan view when using a second networked GPS with position and heading

3. Excavator.dll : General Settings
Contains:
Excavator Dimensions
System Override Values
Useful when a sensor fails
Sensor Adjustments.
Grapple Setup
Grapples can be fixed or have a sensor to detect thumb angle
Filter Setup
Auto Bucket Down
Used to mark bucket positions at certain depths
BKT Matrix Angles
Used to limit MTX updates to a range of angles of the bucket
Reach Adjustment
Used to correct for tilt error

4. Excavator.dll : Bucket Geometry
Contains:
Bucket Sensor location
When the sensor is attached directly to the bucket the sensor does not require any additional information

5. Excavator.dll : Dogbone Settings
Contains:
Bucket Dimensions
When the sensor is located on the “dogbone”, the measurements for each link must be entered.
The difference in the angle of the stick to the line between pins A and B must be computed.
The angle between the pins B and C versus the lint between pin B and the teeth must be computed and entered.

6. Excavator Calibration – RVG Example
When Using an RVG (U.S. Digital Sensor chain) the calibration position is with the bucket teeth on the deck with bucket pin plumb with the teeth

7. RTK on Excavator
On an Excavator that is using an RTK GPS for tide there are two different methods that can be employed.
The user can reference the GPS Vertical Offset from the Boom Pin remembering that up is negative in our offsets. The other method is to measure the GPS Vertical Offset to the Water Line of the Barge the excavator is sitting on. In the second method you will also have to enter the height of the Boom Pin Vertical Offset from the Water Line. This method is preferred when the height of the water surface can be independently verified because the bucket can then be set to the water and the tide/water surface can be compared to the bucket final elevation to ensure vertical calibration. If the tide/water surface is not independently referenced and is not of concern then the first method is sufficient.

8. RTK on Excavator cont…

9. Excavator.DLL: Profile/Shapes Tab
Contains:
Drawing Colors for various objects in the profile
The path to the shapes, every entry should be filled in.
The limits of the grid as it is displayed in the profile.
Pontoon Protection is used as a reach alarm, if the teeth are too close the alarm sounds in DREDGEPACK.

10. Excavator.DLL: Custom Setup
Contains:
This setup uses the standard HYPACK style configuration for generic parsing of a string.
Items can be repositioned in the parser by dragging them up or down in the list.

11. Excavator.dll: Runtime Display
Contains:
Volume Bar on the left
Cut / Fill bar on the right
Reach bar on the bottom
Numeric values for the Reach, Depth and Channel
Vertical Red line is the Pontoon Protection
Below the Reach Bar is a display that lists all three sensor angles. If a sensor fails it will be listed here as Faulty.

12. Excavator.dll: Runtime Display cont…

13. Excavator in Action
This is the display produced by excavator driver with bucket open, close and rotation.

14. Ancillary corrections
Angle Sensors for Pitch and Roll
Can use angle sensors for measuring pitch and roll to correct for water surface elevations as lever arms change
Example here are two A2TS sensors
A2Tsatt.dll