Polhemus Viper
Polhemus Viper is a series of electromagnetic tracking systems from Polhemus. The Viper line includes the Viper 4, Viper 8, and Viper 16. The Viper 4 and Viper 8 are both in the same physical enclosure. The Viper 16 is twice as tall as the Viper 4 or 8.
The Viper series is the top in Polhemus' line of products.
Final assembly is done in the United States.
Viper sensors attach to the SEU using a connector that is the same physical shape as USB-C, but it has different electrical connections.
It is compatible with the Micro Sensor from Polhemus.
Viper units can be configured to use electromagnetic eddy current distortion correction, termed by Polhemus as Fly True Technology (FTT).
Specifications[edit]
- Update rate: Viper 4 is 240hz per sensor. Viper 8 and 16 are 960 hz per sensor.
- Connections: USB and/or RS-422
- Latency: About 1 millisecond at 960hz, about 2 milliseconds at 480hz, and about 3 milliseconds at 240hz.[1]
- The accuracy within a 30 inch radius from TX2 source, when staying perfectly still: 0.015 inches root mean square (RMS) for position, 0.10 degrees RMS orientation.[1]
Software[edit]
The Viper SEUs interface with software based on the Viper Native Command Protocol (VNCP).[2]
Hardware[edit]
Viper SEUs use a 5 volt, 8 amp power supply. The power plug is a barrel plug that measures 5.5mm outer diameter and 2.5mm inner.
The plastic case of the Viper 4 and Viper 8 SEU is a variant of the PolyCase JB-65. The Viper 16 uses a customized version of the JB-65.
Polhemus Viper units are labeled using ISO 15223-1.
The main digital signal processor (DSP) in the Polhemus Viper 4 SEU is an Analog Devices ADSP-21479.
Other chips inside a Viper 4 include:
- 2x Microchip ATSAM4S4B
- 12x Texas Instruments TS3A24159DRCR (Labeled ZWS)
- 12x Texas Instruments TS5A23166DCUR (Labeled AM JZ)
- 12x Analog Devices LT6231 (Labeled LAEU)
- 2x Cirrus Logic CS4344-CZZ (Labeled 344C) - DACs for the transmitter
- 2x AK5536VN 6-Channel Differential 32-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
- 2x Winbond 25Q80DVNIG SPI flash memory
- 2x National Semiconductor DS92LV010ATM
- Analog Devices MAX3490 RS-422 transceiver
- Texas Instruments MAX3221E (Labeled MP221EC)
- 4x Analog Devices AD8602DRMZ (Labeled A BD)
- Fairchild 74LCX138BQX
- Texas Instruments ADS1148 VQFN
Patents[edit]
The Viper series is partly described by one or more of the following patents:
- U.S. Patent 5,307,072 (Expired)
- U.S. Patent 6,369,594 (Expired)
- U.S. Patent 6,400,139 (Expired)
- U.S. Patent 6,624,626 (Expired)
- U.S. Patent 6,762,600 (Expired)
- U.S. Patent 7,292,948 (Expired July 18, 2025)[3] - Applies to the Fly True Technology
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Viper Brochure". https://polhemus.com/_assets/img/Viper_Brochure_1.pdf.
- ↑ "jagraterol/Pyper: Control Polhemus Viper via USB with Python". 2022-01-20. https://github.com/jagraterol/Pyper.
- ↑ "Magnetic position and orientation measurement system with eddy current distortion compensation". 2005-04-22. https://patents.google.com/patent/US7292948B2/.