MT Manager User Manual

MT Manager User Manual

MT Manager version 1.7

Document MT0216P, Revision G, 15 Oct 2010

Xsens Technologies B.V.
phone +31 88 97367 00
fax +31 88 97367 01
email info@xsens.com
internet www.xsens.com

Revisions

Revision Date By Changes
A April 1 2008 MMI First version.
B May 5 2008 MMI Added Firmware Updater section
C July 1, 2008 JMU Added command line options
MMI Added Manual COM port selection section
Added RS‐485 compatibility mode
D August 8, 2008 MMI Removed high precision ASCII export mode
Added Status Data in section 9 (Detailed Device
properties)
E October 31, 2008 MMI Added menu bar explanation
Added new icons and corresponding functionality
Minor editorial changes
Removed Manual Port Scan enabling/disabling
(moved to Connectivity toolbar)
E.1 February 6, 2009 MMI Firmware updater section is now a reference to the
FW updater user manual
F May 27, 2009 MMI Minor editorial changes
MHA Added the Configuration Wizard
Added ASCII exporter specification
New input file mask documented
New corporate design
G Oct 15, 2010 MHA Added BIT

© 2008‐2010, Xsens Technologies B.V. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change
without notice.
Xsens, MTi, MTi‐G and MTx are registered trademarks or trademarks of Xsens Technologies B.V. and/or its
parent, subsidiaries and/or affiliates in The Netherlands, the USA and/or other countries. Windows XP,
Windows Vista and Windows 7 are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc. Matlab is a registered trademark of
The MathWorks, Inc.
All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

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© Xsens Technologies B.V. ii MT Manager User Manual

Table of Contents
1 TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 1
2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 2
3 QUICK START ........................................................................................................................................ 3
3.1 INSTALLING THE MT MANAGER ........................................................................................................................ 3
3.1.1 Installing MATLAB Component Runtime ......................................................................................... 5
3.2 CONNECTING YOUR DEVICE TO MT MANAGER .................................................................................................... 7
3.2.1 Automatic COM port selection ........................................................................................................ 7
3.2.2 Manual COM port selection ............................................................................................................ 8
4 OVERVIEW MT MANAGER .................................................................................................................. 10
4.1 PURPOSE.................................................................................................................................................... 10
4.2 MT MANAGER FEATURES .............................................................................................................................. 10
4.3 SUPPORTED DEVICES ..................................................................................................................................... 10
4.4 INPUT OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 10
4.5 OUTPUT FILES ............................................................................................................................................. 11
4.6 MENU BAR ................................................................................................................................................. 12
4.7 SUB‐WINDOWS, TOOLBARS AND BUTTONS ........................................................................................................ 15
4.7.1 The sub‐windows ........................................................................................................................... 15
4.7.2 Connectivity ................................................................................................................................... 26
4.7.3 Playback & recording .................................................................................................................... 26
4.7.4 Orientation resets .......................................................................................................................... 27
4.8 COMMAND LINE OPTIONS .............................................................................................................................. 28
5 OPERATING GUIDELINES ..................................................................................................................... 29
5.1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 29
5.2 USING THE CONFIGURATION WIZARD .............................................................................................................. 29
5.2.1 Step 1: Selection of MT .................................................................................................................. 29
5.2.2 Step 2: Selection of output options ............................................................................................... 29
5.2.3 Step 3: Selection of output frequency and baud rate .................................................................... 30
5.2.4 Step 4: Selection of scenario and GPS lever arm (MTi‐G only) ...................................................... 30
5.3 MANUALLY CONFIGURING THE MT MANAGER AND YOUR DEVICES ........................................................................ 31
5.3.1 General settings ............................................................................................................................ 31
5.3.2 Local settings ................................................................................................................................. 34
5.3.3 XKF Filter Settings .......................................................................................................................... 36
5.3.4 Getting ready for logging .............................................................................................................. 39
5.4 TYPICAL UTILISATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 39
5.4.1 Logging data ................................................................................................................................. 39
5.4.2 Replaying logged data ................................................................................................................... 40
5.4.3 Exporting data ............................................................................................................................... 41
5.4.4 Mapping the magnetic field .......................................................................................................... 43
5.4.5 Using multiple MTs ........................................................................................................................ 46
5.4.6 Updating the firmware of a sensor ............................................................................................... 47
6 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................................... 48
7 IMPORTANT NOTICES ......................................................................................................................... 49
7.1 WARRANTY AND LIABILITY ............................................................................................................................. 49
7.2 TECHNICAL SUPPORT .................................................................................................................................... 49
8 TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................................................................... 50
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9 DETAILED DEVICE PROPERTIES ............................................................................................................ 52
9.1 DEVICE LIST TREE PROPERTIES FOR MOTION TRACKERS........................................................................................ 52
9.1.1 MT Output Frequency selection .................................................................................................... 53
9.2 DEVICE LIST TREE PROPERTIES FOR XBUS MASTER .............................................................................................. 55
9.2.1 Xbus Master Settings ..................................................................................................................... 56

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1 Terms, abbreviations and references

Term Description
Quaternion A non‐commutative extension of complex numbers. A unit length quaternion is a
convenient parameterization of rotations.
Euler Angles Representation of the spatial orientation of any frame of the space as a composition of
rotations from a reference frame.

Abbreviation Description
DOF Degrees Of Freedom
DSP Digital Signal Processor
GPS Global Positioning System
IMU Inertial Measurement Unit
KML Keyhole Markup Language
KMZ Zipped Keyhole Markup Language
LLA Latitude Longitude Altitude
MFM Magnetic Field Mapping
MT Motion Tracker
MTB MT Binary Communication Protocol
MTM MT Manager
OpenGL Open Graphics Library
SDK Software Development Kit
SVInfo Space Vehicle Information
UTC Coordinated Universal Time
WGS84 The latest revision of the World Geodetic System dating from 1984 (last revised in 2004),
which will be valid up to about 2010
It defines a reference frame for the earth, for use in geodesy and navigation.
Xbus Xsens digital data bus system
XFF Xsens Firmware File format
XKF‐3 Xsens Kalman Filter 3 DOF
XKF‐6 Xsens Kalman Filter 6 DOF
XML eXtended Markup Language

Reference id Document description
[LLCP] “MT Low‐Level Communication Protocol Documentation.pdf”, document id MT0101P
[MFM] “Magnetic Field Mapper Documentation.pdf”, document id MT0202P
[MTi_MTx] “MTi and MTx User Manual and Technical Documentation.pdf”, document id MT0100P
[MTi‐G] “MTi‐G User Manual and Technical Documentation.pdf”, document id MT0137P
[XBM] “Users Manual Xbus Master B.pdf”, document id XM0100P
“XM‐B Technical Documentation.pdf”, document id XM0101P
[FWU] “Firmware Updater User Manual.pdf”, document id FU0100P

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© Xsens Technologies B.V. 1 MT Manager User Manual

2 Introduction
This user manual describes the product features and operating instructions for Xsens’ MT Manager software
application.

MT Manager is compatible with all Xsens Motion Trackers as of the MTx (for a complete list of supported MTs,
refer to section 4.3) and the Xbus Master. Note that some sections in this document only apply to specific
devices. For device specific details please refer to the documentation listed in section 1.

The MT Manager uses the XsensCMT.DLL with the dynamic library interface. This is the same API that is
provided for software development in the SDK.

The MT Manager software for Windows XP/Vista/W7 is easy‐to‐use software with familiar Windows user
interface, which allows you to:
• view 3D orientation in real‐time
• view inertial and magnetic sensor data in real time
• view latitude, longitude, altitude plots in real time (depends on Motion Tracker used)
• export log files to other formats like ASCII and KMZ
• change and view various device settings and properties
• run a self test to check the mechanical functions of the inertial sensors and magnetometer
• interactively “chat” with a Motion Tracker through a terminal emulator

The MT Manager is therefore an easy way to get to know and to demonstrate the capabilities of the Motion
Tracker.

Usage of scenarios (corresponding with XKF processing) is not available for devices with firmware version 1.x.

The MT Manager will start with a Configuration wizard to perform a quick set‐up of your MT. This
configuration wizard is described in 5.2. It is recommended to go through this configuration wizard upon first
use.

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3 Quick start
This section is intended to help you install and use the MT Manager quickly. For detailed instructions, please
go to sections 4 and 5.
3.1 Installing the MT Manager
First you need to install the MT Manager on your computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows
7. This is easily done by using the MT SDK Setup application that guides you through the installation.
NOTE: the most recent version of the software, source code and documentation can always be downloaded on
the support section of www.xsens.com.

For users of previous Xsens’ MT software:
Be sure to uninstall the previous version of the USB converter drivers:
Open the Windows Control Panel and go to Add or Remove Programs.
Scroll down until you find an entry 'Windows Driver Package ‐ Xsens USB‐serial Converter Driver Package'.
Please uninstall all entries of these drivers.

For Windows XP users:
1
After placing the MT SDK CD‐ROM in the CD/DVD player, the installation will start automatically .
For Windows Vista/W7 users:
After placing the MT SDK CD‐ROM in the CD/DVD player, choose to “Open folder to view files” in the Autoplay
dialog. Then right‐click on setup.exe and choose to run it as “administrator”.

The installation procedure starts with displaying this splash screen:

1
If the installation application does not start automatically, double‐click “setup.exe” in the root folder of your
CD‐ROM/DVD drive, e.g. D:\
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After pressing the “Next” button, you need to enter your individual registration number that you can find on
the letter accompanying your MT SDK CD‐ROM:

Then, either use the default installation folder or set your own:

Pressing “Install” will then start copying files to and registering the MT SDK on your computer:

Intermediately, the MATLAB Component Runtime will be installed (if not already done); please refer to section
3.1.1 for details.

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Now, pressing the “Finish” button in the next dialog concludes the installation:

Now go to section 3.2 which describes connecting your device to the MT Manager.
3.1.1 Installing MATLAB Component Runtime
The Magnetic Field Mapper (as plug‐in of the MT Manager) uses the MATLAB Component Runtime, which will
also be installed during the installation of the MT Manager. Please follow the instructions in the dialogs as
shown in the next dialogs.
At the start of the installation MATLAB Runtime Component, you can set the language 2 and then press “OK”:

The installation is prepared:

2
English and Japanese are currently supported
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Leave the “Modify” option ticked (after the first‐time installation) and press “Next” in this dialog and the next
dialog:

Pressing “Install” will then start copying files to and registering the MATLAB Component Runtime on your
computer; press finish to conclude the installation.

When MATLAB Component Runtime installation has finished, the MT SDK installation will continue.
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3.2 Connecting your device to MT Manager
To connect a device (standalone MT and/or MTx(s) connected to an Xbus Master) to your PC (with the
supplied USB cable), you must first plug the cable with the USB connector into your PC and then to your MT or
Xbus Master, see also section 8. The MT Manager will start with a Configuration wizard to perform a quick set‐
up of your MT. This configuration wizard is described in 5.2. It is recommended to go through this
configuration wizard upon first use.

You have the option to have the COM port selected either automatically or manually.
3.2.1 Automatic COM port selection
Upon execution of the MT Manager it automatically scans the available COM‐ports on the PC for connected
devices:

If your are using an RS‐485 sensor, be sure to enable the RS‐485 compatibility mode in the General pane via
“Tools” Æ “Options…”, refer to section 4.6.

If the PC has a large number of COM‐ports (e.g. if Bluetooth drivers are installed) this may take some time.
Progress is displayed during scanning in the status bar on the bottom of the main window. This is also done
when starting the software.
3
Then (upon successful connection ), the connected device is listed in the “Device List” sub‐window:

3
Please refer to section 8 in case of problems.
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The MTs are displayed in the Device List with the respective unique MT device ID number.
If an Xbus Master is attached to one of the COM‐ports, the MT Manager detects this and will query the Xbus
Master for attached sensors. MTs found in this manner are treated the same as MTs found on separate COM‐
ports.
After physically connecting one or more devices, press the rescan button:

to let MT Manager search for connected devices on any available COM port and update the device list.
When you want to disconnect a device, select it in the device list and then press the disconnect button:
3.2.2 Manual COM port selection
If you want to select the COM port manually, then in the Connectivity toolbar:

you can choose a COM port and the baud rate:

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For the COM ports you can choose between all active COM ports and for the baud rates the same values are
available as listed in section 9 together with the “Auto” value.
It is recommended to use the “Auto” baud rate to have the baud rate determined automatically. Then, finally,
press the “Scan Port” button 4 :

Now you are ready to go using your Motion Tracker and/or Xbus Master with the MT Manager.

4
If you are using an RS‐485 sensor, be sure to enable the “RS‐485 compatibility mode” (refer to section 3.2.1).
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4 Overview MT Manager
This section describes the options available to the user in the MT Manager.
In section 5 operating the MT Manager is described.
4.1 Purpose
The purpose of the MT Manager is to provide easy access to the capabilities of any of the currently supported
devices (refer to section 4.3).
The MT Manager can be used to interface with the MT and to visualize and log data. It offers export options
for ASCII and Google Earth KMZ XML‐files. The ASCII export format can be customised to your needs.
4.2 MT Manager features
The MT Manager software for Windows XP/Vista/W7 is easy‐to‐use software with a familiar Windows user
interface, which allows you to:
• view 3D orientation in real‐time
• view inertial and magnetic sensor data in real time
• view latitude, longitude, altitude plots in real time (depends on Motion Tracker used)
• reprocess RAW binary data log files
• export log files to ASCII or KMZ
• change and view various device settings and properties
• run a self test, to check the mechanical functions of the inertial sensors and magnetometer
• interactively “chat” with a Motion Tracker through a terminal emulator

The MT Manager is therefore an easy way to get to know and to demonstrate the capabilities of your Xsens
Motion Tracker and/or Xbus Master.
4.3 Supported devices
Currently the following devices are being supported 5 by the MT Manager:
• MTx
• MTi
• MTi‐G
• Xbus Master

For detailed information about these MTs and Xbus Master, please refer to the corresponding User Manuals
and Technical Documentation: [MTi_MTx], [MTi‐G] and [XBM].
Future Xsens Motion Trackers will be supported as of their release.
4.4 Input Options
The MT Manager can handle real‐time input and input from recorded binary files (see also sections 5.4.1 and
5.4.2).

Real‐time: Serial data using COM port (via USB virtual COM‐port or RS232 6 ).

Files: .MTB (MT Binary Communication Protocol) 7 log files. Contain recorded output log‐files from
a Motion Tracker.

5
Devices with firmware versions 1.x are not able to make use of sensor scenarios. Raw sensor data however
can be processed through software scenario processing on the host PC.
6
COM1 and COM2 only
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In both cases the input (file) format is the same.

The .MTB log files generated with the MT Manager will contain the following MT Data messages:
• Configuration data
• For RAW data log files; Extended MT Specification data
• If enabled, UTC date and time at regular intervals (as configured)
• If enabled, GPS satellite SVInfo at regular intervals (as configured)
• MT data at sample frequency (as configured)

The MT Manager software handles the request of these additional data packets from the MT (not only
requesting MT Data) to enable full analysis of log‐files in the MT Manager software later.

NOTE: An MTB file can contain any MT Data packets that are requested from the MT. This includes the RAW
8
inertial and GPS PVT MT Data messages.
Only if an MTB file contains both the RAW inertial data and/or GPS PVT data messages, the data can be re‐
processed using different XKF Scenarios. In all other cases the .MTB file is considered a log‐file, which can be
played back again for viewing.
In the case that only RAW inertial data and/or GPS PVT data is requested from the MT, the MT Manager will
run the XKF filter in XsensCMT.DLL (Level 4, see [LLC]) on the host PC (and not on the DSP on the MT) to
estimate orientation, position, velocity.
4.5 Output Files
The MT Manager can export data logged in .MTB files to several formats (see also section 5.4.3).

ASCII text data
• Calibrated sensor data (3D acceleration, rate of turn, magnetic field)
• Orientation data
• Position
• Velocity
The output orientation can be presented in different conventions:
• Unit normalised Quaternions (also known as Euler parameters)
• Euler angles: roll, pitch, yaw (XYZ Earth fixed type, also known as Cardan)
• Rotation Matrix (Direction Cosine Matrix)

A sample counter and UTC time can also be included in the exported files.

The following column headers are used (list does not include all columns available):

Abbreviation Data Unit
Counter Sample counter (‐), wraps at 65535
Acc_X Acceleration x‐axis m/s2
Acc_Y Acceleration y‐axis m/s2
Acc_Z Acceleration z‐axis m/s2
Gyr_X Angular rate x‐axis rad/s
Gyr_Y Angular rate y‐axis rad/s

7
The .MTB extension is associated with MT Manager.
8
GPS PVT data: Position, Velocity, Time data directly from the GPS board, including barometric pressure. GPS
PVT data has not been processed in XKF, MTi‐G only
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Gyr_Z Angular rate z‐axis rad/s

Mag_X Magnetic field x‐axis arbitrary unit; magnetic field
strength at Xsens is 1
Mag_Y Magnetic field y‐axis arbitrary unit; magnetic field
Mag_Z Magnetic field z‐axis arbitrary unit; magnetic field
Roll/Pitch/Yaw Orientation Euler angles format (3) deg
Quat * Orientation quaternion format (4)
Mat [R#][C#] Orientation matrix format [Row][Column] (3x3)
Vel_X Velocity North m/s
Vel_Y Velocity West/East (depends on setting) m/s
Vel_Z Velocity Up/Down (depends on setting) m/s
Vel_Z Velocity Up/Down (depends on setting) m/s
Latitude Latitude according to WGS 84 deg
Longitude Longitude according to WGS 84 deg
Altitude Height above earth m

4.6 Menu bar
In the MT Manager menu bar you will find the following entries:

In the table below each (sub‐) entry is explained.

Entry (level 1) Entry (level 2) Entry (level 3) Description
File Open… Open a previously recorded (shortcut: CTRL‐O):
• MT Manager log file (.mtb)
• Xsens log file (.bin and .xm)
• Xbus Master log file (.xm)
• Binary log file (.bin)
Export… Export an opened log file to (shortcut: CTRL‐E):
• ASCII formatted file
• KMZ file (MTi‐G only)
For more details, refer to section 5.4.3.
Batch export… Export all log files in an input folder to an output folder:

The available formats are ASCII and KMZ (latter only for MTi‐G).
View Toolbars Main view Toggle to switch on/off the Main view toolbar.
Refer to section 4.7.1 for details.
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File control Toggle to switch on/off the File control toolbar:

Icon Action
Open a previously recorded file
(see also “File Æ Open…”)
Export an opened log file
(see also “File Æ Export…”)
Set the Current Directory (by browsing)

GPS Toggle to switch on/off the GPS toolbar.
Connectivity Toggle to switch on/off the Connectivity toolbar.
Playback & Toggle to switch on/off the Playback & Recording toolbar.
Recording Refer to section 4.7.3 for details.
Orientation Toggle on/off the Orientation resets toolbar.
resets Refer to section 4.7.4.
Status bar Toggle to switch on/off the status bar at the bottom of the MT
Manager window.
This status bar shows playback information, “extended” tool tips etc.
GPS in meters If checked, the GPS position is displayed in meters. Otherwise, it is
displayed in latitude and longitude.
Analog clock Toggle to switch between displaying the analog and digital clock.
(The clock can be displayed showing UTC time by pressing the
corresponding button in the GPS toolbar, refer to 4.7.1.13).
Tools Options… General Here you can change the following general settings:
1. Orientation plot mode in either Euler Angles or Quaternion;
also refer to section 4.7.1.6.
2. Toggle between displaying graphs as strobes (“wrap‐
around” timescale) and continuously sliding time scale.
3. File plotting mode in either Realtime or All Data (the latter
to speed up displaying the graphs).
4. Tick the radio button “Infinite” in SyncIn mode (period is set
to 0xFFFF). MT Manager will time out after several seconds
if this option has not been selected.
5. Tick the “Enable RS485 compatibility mode” to improve
RS485 communication.
6. Untick the box “Display graphs as strobes” to make that the
latest data will be displayed at the end of the graph and
older data scrolls away at the left side of the graph.. When
displaying the graphs as strobes, the graph will wrap around
and start from the left in the display again.
7. Untick the “Do filter reset at start when reading from file”
to not reset the filter during post‐processing. The MT
Manager stores the current filter state (e.g. sensor biases)
when recording a raw dataset such that the filter does not
has to settle in again when reprocessing data. Unticking this
box makes that this filter state is used during post‐
processing.
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DataViewer Here you can change the display settings for the Communication Data
View (refer to sections 4.7.1.8 and 5.3.1.4).
Export Here you can change the export settings (refer to section 5.4.3).
Logging Here you can change the settings for recording log files (refer to
sections 5.4.1 and 4.7.3):
Magfield Mapper… Starts up the Magfield Mapper, refer to section 5.4.4
Firmware Updater… Starts up the Firmware Updater, refer to section 5.4.6
Restore Communication… Restores the communication settings to the default factory settings:

Configuration Wizard... Runs the Configuration wizard
Built‐in self test... Runs the built‐in self test
Window Tile Horizontal Tiles the open graph windows horizontally. When 4 or more graph
windows are tiled, the graphs will be tiled in multiple columns.
Tile Vertical Tiles the open graph windows vertically. When 4 or more graph
windows are tiled, the graphs will be tiled in multiple columns.
Help MT Manager User Manual Opens the MT Manager User Manual (PDF)
MTi and MTx User Manual Opens the MTi and MTx User Manual (PDF)
MTi‐G User Manual Opens the MTi‐G User Manual (PDF)
XM‐B User Manual Opens the Xbus Master User Manual (PDF)
Other documentation Opens documentation folder (…\Program Files\Xsens\Documentation)
About MT Manager… Display version information, for instance:

View OGL info Displays Open GL information, for instance (only available when 3D
View is active):

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4.7 Sub‐windows, toolbars and buttons
In this section the sub‐windows, toolbars and buttons of the MT Manager are explained:

Figure 1: The MT Manager with its toolbars, buttons and sub‐windows
4.7.1 The sub‐windows
The MT Manager offers a wide range of information displayed in its sub‐windows, which can be turned on and
off via the (Main Views and GPS) toolbar buttons:

The individual buttons and their functionality will be explained in the next sub‐sections; availability of some of
the buttons and related sub‐windows depends on the type of the connected device (e.g. position and velocity
information will not be accessible with MTi and MTx).
The icons corresponding with the button that activates a specific sub‐window are displayed on the top left of
each subsection.
4.7.1.1 The Device List
By default, the Device List is displayed in a sub‐window, showing useful information about your MT.
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In Figure 2 the full tree of read‐only and user configurable properties 9 for an MTi‐G is shown; Figure 3 depicts
the Device List for one Xbus Master with two MTx sensors connected.

Figure 2: Device List tree for an MTi‐G connected

Figure 3: Device list tree for an Xbus Master with two connected MTx sensors
Please refer to section 9 for a detailed description of all properties.

Note: Changes only take effect when the “Apply” button is pressed. A star after Device List – device input
mode (*) denotes that the changes are not yet applied. Also, when “Changes made” is displayed right from
“Undo”, changes are not yet applied.

9
See also section 9.
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4.7.1.2 Configuration data
The configuration data sub‐window gives a brief overview of the configurations of the host and the client.
4.7.1.3 MT Settings
In the MT Settings sub‐window several (low‐level) settings can be changed.
Caution is advised to avoid unwanted changes, causing your devices to work improperly and/or inaccurately.
You can always revert a device to its Factory Settings using the Revert button.

For details on the MT Settings, please refer to the documentation of the devices: [MTi_MTx], [MTi‐G] and
[XBM].
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4.7.1.4 3D Box View
The 3D Box View is a real‐time graphical (OpenGL) representation of the MT orientation measurements, i.e.
roll, pitch and yaw, see Figure 4.

Figure 4: The 3D Box View, an OpenGL representation of the MT in 3D. Arrows on the sides of the box
represent the three main axes. Each main axis is also associated with a colour. X = blue, Y = green, Z = red. By
default Z is defined positive when pointing upwards and X is defined as positive when pointing to local
magnetic north.
4.7.1.5 Calibrated Data view
Per sensor type, the Calibrated Data view graphically shows the 3D calibrated measurement data vs. time:
• acceleration (from the accelerometers) in m/s2;
• angular velocity (from the gyroscopes) in deg/s;
• magnetic field (from the magnetometers) in normalised arbitrary units (AU).

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The following tables explain the line colours 10 and the buttons in this view:
Colour Corresponding axis
Blue Acceleration, angular velocity (roll) and normalised magnetic field in X direction
Green Acceleration, angular velocity (pitch) and normalised magnetic field in Y direction
Red Acceleration, angular velocity (yaw) and normalised magnetic field in Z direction

Button name Button Functionality
icon
Zoom When selected, zooming in is enabled with a left‐click (and drag) to select an
(in/out) area (or center point, max zoom in one step x10) and zooming out with right‐
click (and drag, 'max' zoom in one step x0.5). NOTE: only possible with auto‐
scaling disabled.
Pan When selected, panning in a graph is enabled with a left‐click and drag.
Panning and zooming share the same button, click to change the mode.
AutoScale Toggle for
1. enabling full auto scaling (zoom in and out),

2. enabling limited auto scaling (zoom out only) and
3. disabling auto scaling

Full zoom out This maximises the horizontal scale

Play/Pause Toggle for playing and pausing the displaying of data

Clear graph Clears the corresponding graph

10
The colours correspond with the colours in the 3D Box View, see section 4.7.1.4.
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4.7.1.6 Orientation data view
The Orientation data view shows the 3D orientation (calculated from the angular velocities) in either Euler
angles in degrees vs. time or Quaternions 11 vs. time

The following table explains the line colours in “degrees vs. time“ view:
Blue Orientation of the X‐axis
Green Orientation of the Y‐axis
Red Orientation of the Z‐axis

11
Refer to [MTi_MTx] or [MTi‐G] for a detailed description on Quaternions
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The following table explains the line colours in the “Quaternions vs. time” view:
Colour Description
Blue q1
Green q2
Red q3
Black q0

Please refer to the table in section 4.7.1.5 for explanation of the buttons (on the left‐hand side).
4.7.1.7 MT Status
The MT Status sub‐window displays the status for the following quantities:
• Selftest enabled
• XKF accuracy
• GPS fix (MTi‐G only)
• Bias estimation (MTi/MTx only)

Be sure to enable the Status Data Output in the Device List or in the MT Settings:

Press Apply (Device List) or Write to MT (MT Settings) to activate the status byte.

An example of the MT Status for MTi‐G is shown in the following picture:

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An example of the MT Status for MTi‐G is shown in the following picture:

Colour Status data description
Blue Motion Tracker has passed the self test (see [LLCP], RunSelfTest)
Green XKF accuracy indicator; low=”not accurate”, high=”accurate”
Red For MTi‐G: GPS fix (high) or no GPS fix (low)

For MTi/MTx: Bias estimation (refer to section 5.3.3.4 and [MTi_MTx]):
1 (high): running with no rotation assumption
2/3: error: rotation detected, procedure not started
1/3: estimation complete, some samples rejected
0 (low): estimation complete, no errors

4.7.1.8 Communication Data View
The Communication Data View is a useful tool to become familiar with the low‐level communication between
a host device and the MT Manager.
It may also be helpful when interfacing an Xsens MT with other devices using the low level communication
without using the MT Manager (the MT Manager is not required to use and manage an MT and/or an Xbus
Master).

The following picture shows an example of the Communication Data view sub‐window:

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The toolbar at the top of the window contains the following fields:
Field Corresponding axis
Message Description of the message to send to the device. Check the Low‐Level Documentation for
Description details. Auto‐completion is enabled in this field.
Press enter to send the message.
Message Data Contents of the message selected, without the checksum. Field is updated when
description is changed. Auto‐completion is enabled in this field.
Press enter to send the message.
Send To Indicates to which device the message is sent. Check the All checkmark to select all devices
at once. Some messages (GotoConfig, GotoMeasurement and Reset) can only be
sent to all attached devices.
All If this is ticked the currently selected message data will be sent to all COM ports when
pressing “Send”
Send Press to send the currently selected message data.

For details on the “Message Description” and the “Message Data” please refer to [LLCP].

Top split window
Column Contents Description
1 YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.sss Year,Month,Day,Hour,Minute,Second,Milliseconds of the sent/arrived
message (System time)
2 COM ppp COM port at which the message is sent/received
3 Ddd Number of bytes in the complete message (Including header and
checksum)
4 Bytes Hexadecimal representation of all bytes in a message (Including header
and checksum)

Bottom split window
Same as top split window except in the 4th column the Message description is displayed instead of the
hexadecimal view.

To customise the presentation of displayed data, please refer to section 5.3.1.4.
4.7.1.9 Position (MTi‐G only)
The Position as estimated by XKF sub‐window shows the 2D trajectory in the horizontal plane. The default is to
plot in degrees Latitude (N) and Longitude (E). It is also possible to linearize around the current position and
plot the estimated Position in meters. Please note that that can lead to significant linearization errors over
large distances.
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4.7.1.10 Velocity (MTi‐G only)
In the Velocity sub‐window the 3D velocities (in m/s) vs. samples are displayed.

The following table explains the line colours in this view:
Blue Velocity in X direction (North)
Green Velocity in Y direction (East or West depending on output settings)
Red Velocity in Z direction (Down or Up depending on output settings)

4.7.1.11 Altitude (MTi‐G only)
The Altitude sub‐window shows the height (in m) above WGS84 spheroid vs. samples.

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4.7.1.12 GPS Status (MTi‐G only)
The GPS Status window is a bar chart in which, for each detected GPS satellite, the signal strength (in dbHz)
and the Usage Status is depicted.

The colours of the bars indicate the Usage Status per satellite:
Bar colour Usage Status description
Light Green Data from this satellite is used for navigation and differential correction data is available
Dark Green Data from this satellite is used for navigation
Dark Blue This satellite is detected, but not used for navigation
Blue This satellite is detected, but not used for navigation, differential correction data is available
Light Blue This satellite is detected, but not used for navigation, orbit information is available
Cyan This satellite is detected, but not used for navigation, orbit information and differential
correction data are available
Red This satellite is unhealthy and shall not be used for navigation
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4.7.1.13 UTC time (MTi‐G only)
The UTC time sub‐window shows the UTC time as retrieved from the GPS data (either as analog or digital clock,
which is selectable via “View” Î “Analog Clock”/”Digital Clock”):

4.7.2 Connectivity
With the Connectivity toolbar you can control connecting your devices:

Please refer to section 3.2 for details on how to connect and disconnect your devices.
4.7.3 Playback & recording
To be able to record data and playback recorded data, the MT Manager offers the Playback & Recording
toolbar:

Figure 5: MT Manager Playback & Recording Toolbar
In Table 1 the functionality of each button is explained.
Table 1: Playback & Recording buttons
Button Button Functionality
name icon
Record/ Pressing this button will turn on the logging of data to a file (see also section
Stop Record 5.4.1)
Releasing this button in recording mode, will turn off the logging
Play Pressing this button will start (or continue) playback of logged data (see also
section 5.4.2)
Rewind During playback, pressing this button will go to the start of the logging

Pause During playback, pressing this button will toggle playback and pause the
playback
Currently unused buttons

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4.7.4 Orientation resets
The Orientation resets toolbar offers functionality to reset specific global and local coordinate system related
quantities:

Note: be cautious to use the orientation resets. Please refer to [MTi_MTx] and [MTi‐G] for detailed
information about orientation resets and the effects these have.

The following resets are available:
Reset type Functionality
Heading reset redefines North to the x‐axis of the device (MTi and MTx only)
Object reset redefines device coordinates system such that momentary inclination is zero
Alignment reset combines the heading reset and the object reset (MTi and MTx only)

After choosing the reset type, press the Reset Orientation button:

You can also choose to apply the reset on the current device or on all connected devices.
After a reset you can store the new values to the MT Settings by selecting “Store” and pressing the button
again.
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4.8 Command line options
MT Manager supports several command line options. These are mostly useful for automatically exporting data
from files, but there are also some other options that may help when solving problems.
Where relevant, the arguments are parsed in the order they are entered on the command line (i.e. specifying
-pd and then specifying –bd will overwrite the –pd option).

Command Parameter Functionality
-pd= path to Override the default plug‐in path. The default path is ‘plug‐ins’ in the MT
plug‐ins Manager application path.
-bd= path to base Override the base path for MT Manager. This path is used for reading
folder settings files (.xsb) and other files the application needs. The default path is
the MT Manager application path. When this path changes, the plug‐ins
path is automatically updated as well.
-export[=] [destination Tell MT Manager to open the specified file(s) and export their contents to
path] the given path. MT Manager will exit after exporting the last file.
When ‐export is supplied without the optional = and path, the file(s) are
exported to the path they’re read from.
-output= string of This option tells MT Manager what to export when exporting files. Simply
output place all relevant options in a continuous string. Valid options are:
options c Calibrated data
e Euler orientation data
q Quaternion orientation data
m Matrix orientation data
<other> ‐ Any other string found on the command line is interpreted as an input file.
MT Manager will try to open this file and handle it as specified by the other
command line arguments. The default operation is to simply open the file in
the MT Manager GUI.

Example (export calibrated data and Quaternions from mymtbfile to path C:\exported files):

“MT Manager.exe” –export=”C:\exported files” –output=cq C:\mymtbfile.mtb
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5 Operating guidelines
5.1 Overview
This section describes the configuration and typical utilisations for managing your devices with the MT
Manager.
5.2 Using the Configuration Wizard
When an MT is connected to the PC and the MT Manager is started, a Configuration Wizard will appear. If this
wizard does not appear, you can start it from Tools Æ Configuration Wizard…. You can also disable the
Configuration Wizard by checking the box “Do not show this at startup”.

The configuration wizard is a quick step‐through wizard that applies several basic settings to your MT in the
following steps:
Step 1: Selection of MT
Step 2: Selection of output options
Step 3: Selection of output frequency and baud rate
Step 4: Selection of scenario and GPS lever arm (MTi‐G only)

5.2.1 Step 1: Selection of MT
It is possible to setup only one MT at once.

5.2.2 Step 2: Selection of output options
You must choose raw data or processed data. Raw data allows for later post‐processing with various settings in
MT Manager, including different scenarios and output modes. Processed data makes that the MT calculates
calibrated data and/or orientation data on the processor onboard the MT.

If processed data is selected, you can choose calibrated data and or orientation data. For more information on
the various outputs, refer to [MTi_MTx] and [MTi‐G].

In case an MTi‐G is connected, you can also choose to output velocity of position data.
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5.2.3 Step 3: Selection of output frequency and baud rate
The third step is the selection of output frequency and baud rate. The maximum output frequency is 512 Hz
for raw data, 256 Hz for processed data when using an MTi or MTx and 120 Hz for processed data when using
an MTi‐G.

The default baud rate is 115200 baud, but a lower baud rate (down to 4800 baud) or a higher baud rate
(921600 baud) is possible. Make sure that the baud rate is high enough for the combination of data and the
output frequency. More information on data size can be found in [LLCP]. A baud rate of 921600 is
recommended for the MTi‐G.

5.2.4 Step 4: Selection of scenario and GPS lever arm (MTi‐G only)
The selection of scenarios is very important for most accurate data output of the MT. For more information on
the scenarios, refer to [MTi_MTx] and [MTi‐G].

For the MTi‐G, it is required to set the distance between the MTi‐G and the antenna. This has to be specified in
meters. The default axes x, y and z are displayed on the casing of the MTi‐G.

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The configuration wizard allows a quick set‐up of basic settings. Various other settings can be set to make the
MT more adapted to the specific application it is used in. This is described in the next section.
5.3 Manually configuring the MT Manager and your devices
5.3.1 General settings
Changing the settings of your devices can be done (dependent on the setting) in:
1. the Device List (refer to section 4.7.1.1)
2. the Configuration Data View (refer to section 4.7.1.2) and/or
3. the MT Settings sub‐window (refer to section 4.7.1.3).

Note: changing the settings in the MT Settings window requires the user to explicitly invoke writing to the MT:
Press the “Write to MT” button, to actually save your changes to non‐volatile memory in the MT device. MT
Manager will then write the settings to the device and rescan for devices:

When changing settings in the Device List and the Configuration Data View, changes will be applied
immediately by the MT Manager.
5.3.1.1 Setting the sample rate
The sample rate can be set in the Device List and in the MT Settings:
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Refer to sections 9.1.1 and 9.2.1 for further details.
5.3.1.2 Setting the output modes
The output mode is configurable in both the Device List and the MT Settings sub‐window (refer also to 9.1 and
9.2).
The Device List offers access to the basic set selection of output mode settings:

Press Apply after changing the output options.
Besides the Device List, the MT Settings sub‐window also allows the same and more (detailed) settings, see
below.

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5.3.1.3 Enabling High precision mode for the MTi‐G
For high precision output by the MTi‐G, it is recommended to change to the High precision Data format output
(48bit); this format especially avoids quantisation 12 in position output (LLA) when high precision is required for
position.

To enable the high precision mode, activate the MT Settings sub‐window and then:
1. Select the “Output Options” (placed on the left‐hand side) in the MT Settings sub‐window:

2. Under “Output Settings” (on the right‐hand side), select “Fixed point signed 16.32” in the “Data
format” drop‐down box.

3. Finally, press “Write to MT” to save your changes to non‐volatile
memory in the MT device. MT Manager will then write the data and
reconnect to the device:

5.3.1.4 Data viewer settings
To customise the presentation in the Data Viewer, select “DataViewer” via “Tools” Î “Options…”:

12
Worst case quantisation for position on the equator for single (i.e. 4 byte) precision is around 0.11 [m]; for
2.4 fixed precision (i.e. 16 + 32 = 48 bits) this is approximately 2.6x10‐5 [m].

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In the table below each parameter is explained:
Parameter Description
Show timestamp Show/Hide column 1 in the Data viewer sub‐window (see also section 4.7.1.7)
Show COM port Show/Hide column 2 in the Data viewer sub‐window (see also section 4.7.1.7)
Show DataLength Show/Hide column 3 in the Data viewer sub‐window (see also section 4.7.1.7)
Combine MTData When selected, MTData messages are now shown individually (Highly recommended).
messages Instead a counter informs how many data packets are being received.
The hexadecimal view is overwriting its current line in this case.
Highlight data sent Adds a Yellow highlight to the data sent by the PC.
Buffer Size Screen buffer size (each line counts as 1). After this number of lines, the buffer will
overwrite itself from the beginning (circular buffering).

For details on the “Message Description” and the “Message Data” please refer to [LLCP].
5.3.2 Local settings
In the MT Settings the following quantities can be set:
• GPS Lever Arm (for MTi‐G only),
• Magnetic Declination (for MTi‐G only)
• Gravity (gravitational acceleration)
• Option to use a fixed value for the gravitational acceleration

The next sub‐sections describe how to change these settings.
5.3.2.1 Setting GPS antenna to IMU distance (MTi‐G only)
For higher accuracy of the XKF‐6 output, it is possible to define the offset (GPS lever arm) between GPS
antenna and the IMU.
To set the GPS Lever Arm, fill in the offset vector (in the Sensor Coordinate system) between the GPS antenna
and the MTi‐G, on the right‐hand side; units are meters.
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5.3.2.2 Setting magnetic declination
5.3.2.2.1 Directly setting the magnetic declination
If the local declination of the earth magnetic field is known, this quantity can be directly set in the “Magnetic
Declination” field in the Local Settings:

The unit is in degrees, 0 degrees corresponds with North and anticlockwise is the positive direction.

If there is valid GPS data, the manually entered magnetic declination will be overridden by the calculated
magnetic declination. This function is valid for MTi‐G only.
5.3.2.2.2 Calculating the magnetic declination
The declination can also be calculated 13 given the current latitude, longitude and altitude, which can be
entered as depicted below:

Press the button to “Estimate Declination From Position” and then the declination will be calculated:

13
From the WMM 2005 model, refer to http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/soft.shtml.
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and filled in the Magnetic Declination field:
5.3.2.3 Setting the acceleration due to gravity
The local acceleration due to gravity can also be set the “Gravity” field in the Local Settings:

Note: for the MTi‐G this value will be overwritten after the next GPS position update.
Refer also to [MTi‐G].
Ticking the Fixed Gravity field will prevent recalculation of the gravity and the default value will be used.
5.3.3 XKF Filter Settings
In this section the settings for the XKF filter are discussed. For a detailed explanation of all the configurable
parameters, please refer to [MTi‐G], [MTi_MTx] and [XBM].

To change the Filter Settings, activate the MT Settings sub‐window and then select the “Filter Settings” (placed
on the left‐hand side) in the MT Settings sub‐window:

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Note: changing the settings in the MT Setting sub‐window requires writing to the device explicitly invoked by
the user:
Press the “Write to MT” button, to actually save your changes to non‐volatile memory in the MT device. MT
Manager will then write the data and reconnect to the device.

In the next sub‐sections, configuring the Filter settings in the MT Manager is explained.
5.3.3.1 Setting the scenario
The Xsens Kalman Filter (XKF) can be used with different settings and assumptions, tweaked for different types
of motion for a certain application. With the MT Manager you can set the XKF scenario 14 currently used by the
DSP on your Motion Tracker in the XKF Settings:

The scenario can also be set in the device list:

Press “Apply” in order to make sure that the changes in the Device List take effect.
5.3.3.2 Object alignment matrix
Please refer to [LLCP].
5.3.3.3 Heading offset
Please refer to [LLCP].

14
See the MTx/MTi and MTi‐G User Manuals ([MTi_MTx] and [MTi‐G]) for a more detailed description of the
available scenarios.
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5.3.3.4 Gyro bias estimation (MTi/MTx only)
The gyroscope bias is continuously estimated to improve tracking accuracy. There are some special situations
in which it may not be possible to obtain a good gyroscope bias estimate. This may occur in an application in
which the roll and pitch hardly change and a no‐magnetometer scenario is selected, see [MTi_MTx]. To still
reduce the amount of drift in these situations as much as possible, a 'gyro bias estimation' routine may be
employed:

The initial gyro bias can be estimated at the next start‐up of the device 15 , if the device is kept motionless for 2
seconds (for the initial gyro bias estimation this period is fixed).

During a measurement the gyro bias is continuously estimated, but a re‐estimation can also be done manually
(in case of abovementioned conditions):
• First set the time period in which the sensor will be kept motionless (in seconds) 16 .
• Then press the “Estimate now” button and keep the device motionless for the specified period to be
able to estimate the gyro bias.

Be very cautious to use this gyro bias estimation functionality and first read [MTi_MTx] for important details
on background and usage.
5.3.3.5 Store Filter State
To reduce start‐up effects during future measurements, the current filter state can be stored in the device
when the filter has stabilised.
Note: Store Filter State is only valid in orientation data mode. When outputting raw data, pushing the button
“Store Filter State” will have no effect.

15
In general, the initial gyro bias is estimated when going into measurement mode. Refer to [LLCP].
16
Here, the period is configurable. The default is set to 2 seconds.
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5.3.4 Getting ready for logging
Before you start logging your data, be sure to make the following steps first:
1. Set the Log File Name and set the desired working directory, refer to section 5.4.1
2. Choose the desired output format, refer to section 5.3.1.2. For future post‐processing purposes, make
sure to use Raw Data output format.
3. Choose the desired coordinate system. The orientation is outputted by default in a North‐West‐Up
coordinate system. To set this to North‐East‐Down, tick the appropriate box in the MT Settings dialog,
see section 4.7.1.3, select “Output options”. With the MT Manager, the coordinate system used in the
raw data cannot be changed during post‐processing. Note that the 3D View will be upside down for
the time that the dialog box has not been acknowledged.
4. Choose the desired sample rate and the corresponding baud rate; refer to sections 9.1 and 9.2 .
5. Choose the XKF scenario most appropriate for your application, refer to section 5.3.3.1.
17
6. If needed, have the “GPS Status Info” and the “GPS UTC Time” logged , which can be set in the
Logging options via “Tools” Î “Options…”:

Note: The first sample counter is an arbitrary number between 0 and 65535 due to the recording
concept used in MT Manager.UTC Time is valid from the first logged UTC time message (typically
requested at 1 Hz), so the first (few) samples will have UTC time 0.
5.4 Typical utilisations
This section describes a selection of typical utilisations of the MT Manager.

Note: It is necessary to let the system stabilise right after start‐up (filter stabilisation can take up to 60
seconds) in order to get more reliable measurements.
5.4.1 Logging data
Logging data can be started and stopped by pressing the “Record / Stop Record” button (see also section
4.7.3):

The generated log file (.MTB file) will be written to the folder specified in the toolbar in the top of the main
window under “Current directory”. By default, this is the root directory of the MT Manager installation (e.g.
C:\Program Files\Xsens\MT Manager).
This setting can be changed in the toolbar in the top of the main window under “Current directory”.

17
For MTi‐G only.
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The default log file name can be changed by going to “Tools” Î “Options…” and selecting “Logging” is dialog:
5.4.2 Replaying logged data
Playback of logged data can be done by opening an .MTB file that has been previously recorded:
Go to “File” Î “Open…” (or by pressing “CTRL+O”) and select the .MTB file:

Logged data can either be presented at once in a graph or played back in real time. These two settings can be
chosen via “Tools” Æ “Options...” Æ General Æ File Plottng Method: Realtime or All Data

The “Play”, “Pause” and “Rewind” buttons can then be used to control the playback (see also section 4.7.3):

It is recommended to open the desired views before starting the playback.
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5.4.3 Exporting data
Data previously logged into an .MTB file can be exported to the ASCII format (see section 5.4.2 on how to open
log files):
Go to “File” Î “Export…” (or by pressing “CTRL+E”) and browse to the desired destination folder:

Press the “Save” button to complete the export.

The default export file name can be changed by going to “Tools” Î “Options…” and selecting “Export” in this
dialog:

Here the default file name is defined as:
<inputfile>-<deviceid>-<seqnr>.txt, where
inputfile is the original name of the logged file
deviceid is defined in the corresponding device and
seqnr is incremented each time the corresponding .MTB file is processed.

In the next sub‐sections you will find details of the exporter types.
5.4.3.1 Export type ASCII
Exporting to the ASCII format is configurable:
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• Choose the quantities you want exported in ASCII output configuration by going to “Tools” Î
“Export”.

Ticking the box “Do not ask for filename confirmation when exporting” will start the export process
immediately to the “Current Directory” as specified in the main screen of MT Manager. If this box is
not ticked, you will be able to change the output directory and file name before saving.

The desired data can be selected in the same dialog by selecting or deselecting the appropriate
checkboxes.
Note: The sample counters in the export file are the counters sent by the sensor.
Since the MT’s sample counter starts when the MT is recognized by the MT Manager, the sample
counter in the log file will not start at 0, but at the absolute number since the start of the sensor.

The output consists of a header with settings information and the actual data which is TAB delimited.
The following picture shows the first part of an example exported ASCII data file:

Figure 6: Exported ASCII data
5.4.3.2 Export type KMZ
18
Exporting to the KMZ format will yield compressed (“zipped”) KML data with 3D positions and orientations
which is outputted once per second.

18
Please refer to http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/kml_tut.html for the detailed KML
specifications.
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The next figure shows the first part of example exported KML data:

Figure 7: Exported KML data

5.4.3.3 Batch exporter
When there are multiple files in a folder, it is possible to perform a batch export. Via File – Batch Export... the
input and output folder can be selected.

The scenario that is being used to process the batch export is “4. Human” for MTi’s and MTx’s and “1. General”
for MTi‐G’s. When the file name already exists, the batch exporter will give the user the choice to overwrite
the file, overwrite all the following files in the batch export, not to overwrite the current file or not to
overwrite any of the following files in the batch export.
5.4.4 Mapping the magnetic field
The Magfield Mapper can be used to compensate for hard and soft iron effect (both 3D and 2D calibration).
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To start the Magfield Mapper plug‐in, go to “Tools” Î “Magfield Mapper…”.
Then the following dialog is shown:

You can either write the MFM results to the non‐volatile memory of the MT or to an MFM results file.
5.4.4.1 Writing the MFM results to the non‐volatile memory of the MT
After pressing “Scan” when chosen for writing to the non‐volatile memory, you will be prompted to choose for
either using the currently connected MT (to directly execute the Magfield mapping) or using a previously
recorded log file (which has to correspond with the connected MT; you can also choose to use the factory
settings:

Select the desired directory for the output of the Magfield Mapping:

Choose the desired mapping mode and press start…

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…then the data capturing starts:

For more information on handling your MT during data capturing, refer to [MFM].

Upon successful Magfield Mapping, a further window will open displaying the results of the Magfield Mapping
procedure:

Pressing the “Write” button will write the results to the MT and the resulting .BIN file will be saved on your
PC in the specified output directory:

The .BIN file that has been written can be used for Magfield Mapping, refer to section 5.4.4.2).

For more information refer to [MFM].
5.4.4.2 Writing the results to an MFM results file
When “Write results to MFM results file” has been chosen, you can load input log file:
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Select the desired .BIN or .MTB file and press “Open”:

Choose the desired mapping mode…

…and start the actual Magfield Mapping:

For the remaining of this procedure refer to section 5.4.4.1.
For more information refer to [MFM].
5.4.5 Using multiple MTs
Multiple Motion Trackers can be managed with the MT Manager with or without the Xbus Master. Figure 8
shows two MTx Motion Trackers connected to an Xbus Master; the Device List indicates all three devices
separately with their own properties.
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Note: When you do not use an Xbus Master be sure to select the same output and sample frequency for all the
devices.

Figure 8: Managing an MTx and an MT‐G sensor
5.4.6 Updating the firmware of a sensor
Please refer to [FWU].
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6 System requirements
The MT Manager is designed for Windows XP/Vista/7 and the following system setup is recommended to
properly run the software:

• Windows XP (Service Pack 2 installed), Windows Vista or Windows 7
• Intel® Pentium® or AMD® processor, 1 GHz (minimum) Pentium® IV 2.00 GHz or AMD Athlon® XP
2000+ or higher (recommended)
• USB port (1.1 or higher) or standard PC serial COM‐port (RS‐232) 19,20
• Graphics card with 3D hardware acceleration and OpenGL support. Contact your graphics card
manufacturer to ensure your graphics card drivers are up to date.

NOTE: MT Manager is designed to assign a low priority to graphics functions if your computer can not update
the screen smoothly due to insufficient computing resources. This is done on purpose to avoid interfering with
the core functionality of the MT Manager.

19
RS‐232 add‐on cards are not supported
20
Custom RS‐232 USB converters are not supported
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7 Important notices
7.1 Warranty and liability
Xsens Technologies B.V. warrants the products manufactured by it to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of delivery. Products not subjected to misuse will be
repaired, replaced or credit issued at the sole option of Xsens Technologies B.V.
Visit http://www.xsens.com/support for return material authorization (RMA) prior to returning any items for
calibration, repair or exchange. The product must be returned in its original packaging to prevent damage
during shipping.

The warranty shall not apply to products repaired or altered or removed from the original casing by others
than Xsens Technologies B.V. so as, in Xsens Technologies B.V. opinion, to have adversely affected the product,
products subjected to negligence, accidents or damaged by circumstances beyond Xsens Technologies B.V.’s
control.

NOTE: Xsens reserves the right to make changes in its products in order to improve design, performance, or
reliability.

Subject to the conditions and limitations on liability stated herein, Xsens warrants that the Product as so
delivered shall materially conform to Xsens’ then current specifications for the Product, for a period of one
year from the date of delivery. ANY LIABILITY OF XSENS WITH RESPECT TO THE SYSTEM OR THE PERFORMANCE
THEREOF UNDER ANY WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY WILL BE LIMITED
EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPAIR, REPLACEMENT OR, IF REPLACEMENT IS INADEQUATE AS A REMEDY OR, IN
XSENS' OPINION IMPRACTICAL, TO REFUND THE PRICE PAID FOR THE PRODUCT. XSENS DOES NOT WARRANT,
GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE, OF THE
PRODUCT OR WRITTEN MATERIALS IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
Xsens shall have no liability for delays or failures beyond its reasonable control.
7.2 Technical Support
Xsens Technologies B.V. is glad to help you with any questions you may have about the MT Manager or about
the use of the technology for your application. Please contact Xsens’ Support Team:

Internet: http://www.xsens.com/support
telephone: +31(0)88‐9736700 (+31 88 XSENS 00)

To be able to help you, please mention your MT Manager version number and software license registration
number in your e‐mail.

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8 Troubleshooting
This section helps to solve problems you might encounter while using the MT Manager.
If your problem with the MT Manager is not mentioned here, please contact www.xsens.com/support.

Problem Solution
During installation
Installation is aborted due to Use Add/Remove Programs on the Control Panel to remove the
previously installed version previously installed version.
Then re‐try installing the desired version.

Firmware update failed Please contact Xsens’ support team:
http://www.xsens.com/support

At start‐up
No device listed in the Device List Make sure you connected your device to your computer:
For USB cable connection
• By first connecting the supplied USB cable to your
PC and then
• Connecting the USB cable to the MT or Xbus Master
For WR‐A connection (refer also to [XBM])
• By first connecting the MTs to the Xbus Master,
then
• Connecting the WR‐A to a USB port of your PC and
then
• Turning on the Xbus Master

Then, press the “Rescan” button in the Connectivity toolbar.
Erratic mouse cursor movement Disconnect the supplied USB cable from both your PC and your
device (MT or Xbus Master).
Then reconnect your device to your computer by:
• First connecting the supplied USB cable to your PC and
then
• Connecting the USB cable to the MT or Xbus Master
Then, press the “Rescan” button in the Connectivity toolbar.
RS‐485 sensor not found Enable the “RS‐485 compatibility mode”:
Go to the General options pane via “Tools” Î “Options…” and
tick the “Enable RS‐485 compatibility mode” option.
Document MT0216P.G

Problem Solution
During operation
Incorrect orientation data and/or lag Increase the baud rate for the communication between sensor
in visualisation and PC:
• Open the Device List
• Increase the Baud Rate
Magnetic field mapping not Please contact the Xsens support team:
completed successfully. http://www.xsens.com/support

Magnetic field mapping does not Restart your PC (after the first time the Matlab Component
start (dialog is shown indicating Runtime has been installed)
“mclmcrrt77.dll cannot be
located”) If the problem persists, please contact the Xsens support team:
http://www.xsens.com/support

Document MT0216P.G

9 Detailed device properties
This section describes detailed device properties which can be accessed through the Device List sub‐window.
9.1 Device List tree properties for Motion Trackers

Property Description Data type User
configurable
1 DeviceID/LocationID
1.1 Device information
1.1.1 Product Code Text String 8
1.1.2 LocationID Integer 9
1.1.3 COM Port Integer 8
1.1.4 Baud rate Enumeration 9
“921600”,
“460800”,
“115200”,
“57600”,
“9600”
1.2 Output Options
1.2.1 Output Frequency Refer to 9.1.1 9
1.2.2 Raw Data Enumeration 9
“No”,
“Yes”
1.2.3 Calibrated Data Enumeration 21 9
“No”,
“Yes”

21
Availability depends on ‘Raw Data‘ option
Document MT0216P.G


configurable
1.2.4 Orientation Data Enumeration 9
“None”,
“Quaternion”,
“Euler”,
“Matrix”
1.2.5 Position Data 22 Enumeration 9
“None”,
“LLA WGS84”
1.2.6 Velocity Data 23 Enumeration 9
“None”,
“m/s (NED/NWU)”
1.2.7 Status Data Enumeration 9
“No”,
“Yes”
1.3 XKF Scenario
1.3.1 MT Manager using: Scenarios available on the Enumeration 24 9
PC
1.3.2 MT firmware using: Scenarios available in the Enumeration 25 9
Motion Tracker

9.1.1 MT Output Frequency selection
Dependent on Data Mode (either Raw Data Mode or Calibrated Data Mode) several output frequencies are
selectable in the device list. The maximum selectable output frequency for the MTi and MTx in processed data
mode is 256 Hz, the maximum selectable output frequency of the MTi‐G in processed data mode is 120 Hz.

MTi and MTx output frequency selection (left) and MTi‐G output frequency selection (right):

Also Data Mode independent output frequencies can be selected.

Further, using the output skip factor (settable in the Configuration Data dialog, refer to section 4.7.1.2 and in
the Communication Data view, refer to section 4.7.1.8 and [LLCP]), a non‐listed output frequency can be set
(this value is rounded) which will then be displayed in the list (top entry):

22
Available in MTi‐G only
23
Available in MTi‐G only
24
Availability depends on ‘Raw Data‘ option
25
Availability depends on ‘Raw Data‘ option; only available for firmware versions 2.0 or higher
Document MT0216P.G

In the MT Settings dialog window, the non‐standard output frequency will be displayed under “Custom”.

Document MT0216P.G

9.2 Device List tree properties for Xbus Master

configurable
1 DeviceID
1.1 Device Information Refer to 9.2.1 9
1.1.1 Product Code Text String 8
1.1.2 COM Port Integer 8
1.1.3 Baud rate Enumeration 9
“921600”,
“460800”,
“115200”,
“57600”,
“9600”
1.2 Output Options
1.2.1 Sample frequency Enumeration 9
“25 Hz”,
“50 Hz”,
“100 Hz”
“120 Hz”
“150 Hz”
“200 Hz”
“256 Hz”
Document MT0216P.G

9.2.1 Xbus Master Settings
For the Xbus some additional settings (compared to the MTs) are available and can be configured, the Xbus
Master Settings. Select “Device Information” of the Xbus Master in the Device List and press the button on the
right‐hand side:

Setting the Sample Frequency and the Serial Port Baud rate:

Document MT0216P.G

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Gyr_Z Angular rate z‐axis rad/s

Entry (level 1) Entry (level 2) Entry (level 3) Description

Entry (level 1) Entry (level 2) Entry (level 3) Description

Property Description Data type User

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