Immersive Visualization / IQ-Station Wiki
This site hosts information on virtual reality systems that are geared toward scientific visualization, and as such often toward VR on Linux-based systems. Thus, pages here cover various software (and sometimes hardware) technologies that enable virtual reality operation on Linux.
The original IQ-station effort was to create low-cost (for the time) VR systems making use of 3DTV displays to produce CAVE/Fishtank-style VR displays. That effort pre-dated the rise of the consumer HMD VR systems, however, the realm of midrange-cost large-fishtank systems is still important, and has transitioned from 3DTV-based systems to short-throw projectors.
PatriotWireless
Polhemus Patriot Wireless
Tracker Startup
Instructions differ somewhat for the single vs. dual receptor configurations. Each will be covered separately:
Single Receptor
- Determine TTY device name for base unit
- (for Keyspan, search
dmesgoutput) - (list files "
/dev/tty*" -- if only one, that's probably it)
- (for Keyspan, search
- Turn on base unit
- Turn on markers (switch to the left) numerically ascending order
- Arrange markers ~6" from receptor (such that axis pictures align)
- Test with Kermit
% kermit -l /dev/tty<XX> -b 115200 -C"set flow-control none,set carrier-watch off,connect"- Get signal strength:
@s/n - Launch Markers for receptor #1:
l1/n - Verify launch of markers:
^u0/n- for 3 markers, response should be
00u 00070007- (ie. one bit set per marker)
- if not all markers successfully launched, try turning the unlaunched markers off and then on in numerically ascending order and then go back to the launch step
- another thing to try is to do a soft-reset (
^Y/n) and then relaunch - another thing to try is to move the markers closer to the receptor (but not too close -- they are too close if the signal strength is reported as nearly zero)
- for 3 markers, response should be
- Now you are ready to try with
fastraktest
Dual Receptor
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Testing with FastrakTest
The fastracktest program is a utility program that comes with the FreeVR integration library. You may have to specifically compile it in the FreeVR src directory.
The fastracktest program works with both the original Polhemus Fastrak devices (and those based on the same protocol such as the IS-900) as well as the Polhemus Patriot devices (both the Wired and Wireless, which differ slightly). By default, running fastraktest will attempt to use the Fastrak device protocol, and will assume a serial port connection at /dev/input/fastrak. To run fastraktest with the Patriot Wireless, perhaps on a different TTY, use these environment variables:
FASTRAK_TTY-- set to the TTY device connected to the base unitFT_PATRIOT-- just set it to inform the program to use the PATRIOT protocol (fastraktestwill automatically determine whether it is a wired or wireless system.
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Configuring for FreeVR
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