PD Grade - Troubleshooting

Localization Problems:

Sometimes the position of the vehicle may be far from the desired location. If the position seems off, check the following few items to resolve the issue.

• Check Settings: Verify that a localization file is loaded and that the correct State Plane or UTM Projection is in use. Ensure that the correct GPS receiver type is in use and the correct vehicle type is entered.
• Review Files: Verify that the localization file looks normal. Open the file in a standard text editor, like Notepad, to see that it has the expected number of points and that it is not garbled looking (corrupt data).
• Verify Position GPS Antenna Location: Check the antenna positions with a GPS rover to verify that the positions of offsets are entered correctly versus it being a localization problem.

  Note: There is the cut/fill position reporting in addition to the raw GPS position.

• Receiving Corrections: If the base station has been reset, make sure that the correct coordinates of the base station are still entered into the base receiver so that the corrections broadcast to the receivers are accurate.

GPS Radio and Signal Problems:

What to check: cabling, power level (battery level), bad antennae, and being out of the line of sight.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Base GPS Receiver No Power: Be sure to hold the power button for a few seconds. The battery must be charged or an external battery needs to be connected. Check cabling to see if the connection is damaged.
• Base Radio Does Not Power: The battery must be charged or the radio connected to an external power source.
• Base Station Does Not Connect to Receiver: Be sure the base is on and that the COM cable is in the correct port.
• Base station connects but Sees No Satellites: Check the connection of the GPS antenna cable. Be sure to have a good view of the sky. Be patient; it may take 30 seconds or more for the GPS to acquire satellites.
• Base Station Started But Radio Not Transmitting: Check the cable from the receiver to the radio. If a TX light exists, the light should flash. Check for power to the radio.
• Rover GPS Receiver Power Does Not Light Up: Be sure there is power to the receiver. Check to see if ignition is needed to be in the on position for power. The system may be grounded through the master switch.
• Rover GPS Receiver Satellite Does Not Light Up: Check the connection of the GPS antenna cable to the receiver. Check to see that all bulkhead connections on the machine are tight. Check the view of the sky. It may take 30 seconds for GPS to acquire satellites.
• Rover GPS Receiver Radio Does Not Light Up: Check the base station to be sure it is transmitting. Check the channel and protocol being transmitted. The most common issue between radios are mismatched settings.
• Out of Design: Check that the correct design surface is being used. Check machine coordinates to see if they are near known coordinates. Check the setup of the base station for an incorrect base location.
• Cellular Connectivity: If RTK corrections are broadcasted over a cellular network and the GPS position will not go Fixed, it is possible that there is inadequate cellular reception. Try checking to see if the cellular network provider has full coverage at the job site. If corrections are not received at all, try shutting down PD Grade and opening a web browser to ensure that there is connectivity to the internet.
• Power Connections and Cables: If, for instance, there is no position data inside the vehicle, check the cable to the GPS antenna as well as any bulkheads. If, for instance, the Control Box is not starting up when the machine is turned on in the cab, check the cable from the Control Box to the ignition wire. Bad cables are the source of many problems and can usually be easily diagnosed and replaced.
• Loading UOA files: If a UOA file is loaded to license a copy of Grade and it is showing a message Invalid UOA, the issue is most likely one of three things:
  1. An error in transposing the 20 digit code from the screen to the request form. Make sure to take note of the case, and similar letters/numbers such as S and 5, Z and 2, 0 and O etc. Sometimes the best thing to do is send an accompanying screenshot of the 20 digit code.
  2. In some cases site UOAs are used for testing a unit and it is possible someone has left this file in the C:\PD PileGrade\Program folder. Look in this folder for a file called site.uoa. If this file is there, delete it before loading the new UOA file.
  3. The old UOA was set to Read Only. This was done in the past to prevent corruptions to the file from improper shutdowns. In order to load a new one this option must be unchecked on the old file. Find the file, cg.uoa in C:\PD PileGrade\Program and right click it, and then select Properties. Uncheck the option for Read Only.

Maintenance

Daily Care:

• Keep all components clean and dry prior to placing them in the carrying case.
• Use connector caps when the machine is not in use.
• Do not use high-pressure spray directly on cable and components.
• Check all connections regularly for wear or physical damage.
• Keep the machine battery in good condition. Isolate all components on the system if welding or jumpstarting machines.

Touch screen cleaning:

• Clean regularly to maintain a quality image and prevent faulty operation.
• The front of the touch screen should be kept free of dirt, fingerprints, and other materials that could degrade the touch-screen.
• For best results use a clean, damp, non-abrasive cloth towel and any commercially available window cleaner to regularly clean the surface. Apply cleaner to the towel rather than the touch-screen.
• Never use alcohol, ether, benzene, acetone or any other type of solvent. Do not use high-pressure spray. Do not spray toward the screen.

Prior to calling tech-support, please check the following:

• Check to see that the various components have power and are powered up.
• Check all cable connections are secure and tight.
• Disconnect connection to check for damage to connector.

PD PileGrade and GPS Troubleshooting Guide:

GPS Lost Lock:

• If this appears you can select GPS and Monitor. Look at the Quality in the right hand column. It should read RTK Fixed if everything is OK. If it says RTK Float, then it should be fixed in a few minutes; if not, try to shut the system down and restart. If it says RTK Autonomous then the correction radio is not working and you should check to see if you still have a correction radio antenna and verify that the base is working.
• If the GPS will not go into a fixed solution after restarting the system, then your local dealer will need to look at the GPS receiver. Most receivers have indicator lights to tell you that it is receiving GPS signal from the satellites and that it is receiving radio corrections. This will tell your dealer if the problem is between the antenna and the receiver or between the receiver and the computer.
• If the lights on the receiver do not light up, then you have a power issue. If you have power but have no GPS you will need to change the GPS antenna. If this does not fix the problem, you need to put the original antenna on a troubleshooting cable (it is a good idea to have a spare cable approx. 10 to 15 feet in length to hook to the receiver and to the existing antenna to see if the receiver is working). If the troubleshooting cable works then your cable is bad or the ends are loose. If the cable is solid-core please replace it. If it is twisted-core, try new ends.
• If you have no signal from the correction radio, then you need to verify that it is still on the machine (it is typically a thin metal antenna). If it is still there, then you need to verify that the base is transmitting a signal by getting a GPS unit in the area where you are to see that it works.

Status Bar Reference Guide

Below provides a description of what each icon on the status bar represents:

Status Bar Indicators

	GNSS Sats are visible and tracked.
	When visible, means Grade is receiving RTK corrections from source.
	Bluetooth connection with GPS receiver.
	Logging is enabled.
	Streaming is enabled.
	Files are being uploaded over network.
	Cellular Signal strength = Very Low.
	Cellular Signal strength = Low.
	Cellular Signal strength = Moderate / Acceptable.
	Cellular Signal strength = Good.
	Cellular Signal strength = Very Good.
	WIFI Signal strength = Very Low.
	WIFI Signal strength = Low.
	WIFI Signal strength = Moderate / Acceptable.
	WIFI Signal strength = Good.
	WIFI Signal strength = Very Good.
	Battery Level indicator = Empty.
	Battery Level indicator = Full.
	Symbol will overlay one of the above icons to indicate where the problem resides.

Internal CAN error message

(CAN Bus Error) displayed when connection between internal Built-In CAN and external CAN sensors.

Computer Problems:

• If the computer will not start, then the best solution is to use a voltmeter to verify there is power.
• If there is no power, check the battery or the fuse panel since those are where the computer derives its power from.
• If there is power, examine the power connector to the computer.
• If all seems well, take the computer off the machine and return to your office and try to power the computer with a 110vac to 12vdc power supply that will power the computer.
• If the computer battery is dead it will not start immediately. When configuring the vehicles during installation, all backup files for the machine and project should be saved so that if a computer ever needs to be replaced it is less of a hassle.