Hello
I bought a new Sokkia SET 3C about 20 years ago. This instrument hasn't been used much and is in "like new" condition. It came with a magnetic data card (64Kb !), that no longer works, even after changing the battery in the card. I want to connect the SET 3C to a laptop computer via the RS232 port. I want to use the laptop as a data collector. My problem is, how do I tell the SET 3C to output measured data, (co-ordinates) to the Comm port on the instrument, instead of the data card? I downloaded the manual, but it wasn't any help.
Thank you,
John
Great question! As a computer programming hobbyist, I've always been interested in RS232 communication. I downloaded the SET 3C manual to have a look. On page 94 there's something about SDR series communication. I also found some good information at http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-232_flow_control.html concerning RS232 flow control and handshaking. Wish I had a total station to toy with!
Thanks for the reply. I have the same manual but it doesn't help. I need to tell the SET3C to output directly to the computer. I have dome some serial communication programming myself, I just need to know how to redirect the output from the instrument. By the way I posted another answer to your GPS question.
John
The Sokkia Set 3 is going to send data.
I do not believe it has any cogo package installed.
You must configure the laptop to communicate with the instrument and receive data.
What program are you using on the laptop?
Hello
The SET 3C can do some cogo it can measure co-ordinates, which is what I want to do. The computer end is not the problem. I can write the software myself. I can't seem to find a menu on the SET 3C to redirect the co-ordinate output to the computer instead of the data card
Thanks
John
Will read your post concerning my GPS question. Thanks! There's someone (RMollov) at http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-498.html who might be able to help you with your serial communication programming. I bought an ASUS 7 inch tablet last year. I have Droid48 on it. I'm spending some of my free time writing a COGO program for it. I hope to be able to communicate with my total station via Bluetooth.
I have a silly question. Why use the coordinates generated by the SET 3C's onboard COGO program? Maybe those coordinates are proprietary to the magnetic data card. Why not poll the SET 3C with your laptop to collect the horizontal angle, zenith (or vertical) angle, and slope distance?
The Data Collector Queeries The Sokkia SET 3C
I believe the Sokkia uses the same download cable as a Topcon.
You do need to tell the data collector what the instrument is.
Paul in PA
From looking at Page 44 of the Sokkia Set 3C Manual, it appears that there is an Instrument Parameter Setting that directs the output either to the card or out.
http://www.glm-laser.com/glm/files/sokkisha_operators_manual_set3c.pdf
Note that you also have the option of setting the comms parameters for the RS-232C format output on another Parameter setting (Page 46).
Sorry Kent! Not trying to contradict you. Got too eager. Tried to remove my last post, but couldn't.
No reason to apologize.
It does appear that those two settings in the Set 3C will do the trick as long as the poster has his computer set up with the same communications protocol as the RS-232C interface on the total station uses. The baud rate will be slow, but on a measurement-by-measurement basis shouldn't make that much of a difference.
I do think that if I were doing this, I'd export the actual measurements to Sokkia's Prolink utility. That way, you can export the data in SDR format if you want it to end up in Star*Net or you can just export ascii coordinates.
Thank you, this is the answer (pg44-pg46 in the manual you sent). Now I will try to write the code to do the data transfer. If I succeed I'll post it.
Thank you all very much for your help
John