Obsidian Rock+ Digitizer PDF

KINEMETRICS Inc.
ROCK+ Series
ROCK+ Digitizer
User Manual
Document 300816
Revision B
October 2017

Warranties, Disclaimers &
Trademarks

Copyright © 2008‐2017 Kinemetrics, Inc.
The trademarks used throughout this manual, registered or not, are: Kinemetrics, Obsidian,
Slate, Marmot, Rock, Rock+, Rockhound, Q330, Q330HR, and Linux.
This publication is provided ʺas isʺ without warranty of any kind, either expressed or im‐
plied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for
a particular purpose, or non‐infringement. Kinemetrics, Inc. and its affiliates assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions in this publication or other documents which are refer‐
enced by or linked to this publication.
References to corporations, their services and products, are provided ʺas isʺ without warranty
of any kind, either expressed or implied. In no event shall Kinemetrics, Inc. be liable for
any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages
whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data or profits,
whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising
out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information.
This publication could include technical or other inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes
are periodically added to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new
editions of the publication.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied, reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine‐readable form
without prior written consent of Kinemetrics, Inc.

Notice
Kinemetrics Inc. reserves the right to make improvements in the software described in this
documentation at any time and without notice. The information contained here is subject
to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Kinemetrics Inc.
The software described in this document is provided as a licensed item, in conjunction with
Kinemetrics equipment. It may not be copied or distributed for use on other than the
equipment it was licensed for.

Disclaimer
Kinemetrics Inc. shall have no liability or responsibility to you or any other person or
entity with respect to any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly
or indirectly by this documentation or the software described in it. This includes but is not
limited to any interruption of service, loss of business or anticipatory profits or consequential
damages resulting from the use or operation of such software or computer programs.

Warranty
We warrant each new product manufactured by Kinemetrics for a period of one year from
date of shipment. Defects in material or workmanship found within that period will be
replaced or repaired (at our option) without charge for materials or labor. If Kinemetrics
authorizes the return of a product, we will pay the round trip freight charges to the factory
for repair under warranty. If subsequent evaluation at Kinemetrics establishes that necessary
repairs are due to misuse, then the customer must assume all charges.
Insurance for all shipments, either first sale or repair, are the responsibility of the customer.
Kinemetrics can arrange to have a policy purchased on behalf of the customer for the first
sale; however, it is the responsibility of the customer to notify the carrier immediately of
any freight or handling damage. Kinemetrics will make every effort to assist the customer
in filing a claim with the carrier or insurance company.
If on‐site warranty repair or replacement is required, the customer will be charged the then‐
current field service rate for portal‐to‐portal travel time plus actual portal‐to‐portal travel
charges. There is no charge for on‐site warranty repair labor.
Items not manufactured by Kinemetrics but included in systems (e.g. peripherals, options)
are warranted for 90 days from date of shipment. Items not manufactured by Kinemetrics
and not part of a system (e.g. digitizers, printers, analyzers) may be warranted by the
original equipment manufacturer. Kinemetrics will do everything possible to expedite and
coordinate any warranty service from the original manufacturer.
Software not produced by Kinemetrics may carry its own warranty and the customer should
sign any appropriate license agreement(s) and return to software manufacturer. Kinemetrics
assumes no responsibility for such third‐party software.
Software and software updates provided by Kinemetrics Inc. for its Strong Motion and
Seismological measurement and recording equipment have a warranty period of one year.
This warranty applies to the standard software package as well as to options or special
software provided to the customer. An update shipped under warranty will be covered by
the original system’s warranty for the balance of the one year period.
Warranty claims shall be made on Software Change Request forms (SCRs). Problems re‐
ported by filing an SCR within one year will be corrected free of charge. SCRs filed after
the one year period will be billed at the then‐current rates.

The method of correction will be at Kinemetrics Inc.’s discretion, in that a correction may
be supplied via a software patch, or by shipping updated software.
Shipment of updated software will sometimes require hardware or configuration changes to
the system. Hardware changes may include, but are not limited to, memory and disk drives.
Required hardware or configuration changes are not included in the cost of a software update,
and may represent an additional cost to the customer.
All software, once delivered, is covered under warranty. Updates fitting the following
descriptions would NOT be considered valid warranty claims, and the software would be
billed accordingly:
• Updates not prompted by a software problem.
• Additional software options requested voluntarily by the customer, such as the addition
of special software.

Kinemetrics, Inc., 222 Vista Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91107
USA
Phone: (626) 795‐2220, Fax: (626) 795‐0868
E‐mail: services@kmi.com Technical Support: support@kmi.com
Website: www.kinemetrics.com

Services available from Kinemetrics
Installation
Field support for on‐site installation, supervision and check‐out of Kinemetrics products
is available from Kinemetrics. Training for the customer’s staff is also available, either at
Kinemetrics’ facilities in Pasadena, or at the customer’s site. We recommend contracting for
installation services along with instrument procurement.

Maintenance
Periodic field maintenance programs are offered for our products. Current programs include
annual contracts to service data acquisition systems and accelerographs in high‐rise build‐
ings, free‐field accelerographs, offshore platform monitoring systems, maintenance at nuclear
power plants and seismic network maintenance.

Recalibration and Repair
Kinemetrics will repair and/or modify many types of electromechanical instruments and
systems. All repair and calibrations are warranted for a period of 90 days for workmanship.
European customers may contact Kinemetrics SA for assistance at:
ZI Le Trési 6B
CH‐1028 Préverenges, Switzerland
E‐mail: kmi_sa@bluewin.ch
Telephone ++4121 803 2829 fax ++4121 803 2895.

For Faster Service
When returning any product to Kinemetrics please request an RMA number and make
reference to this number in any following correspondence.

Declaration of Conformity
We
KINEMETRICS, INC.
222 VISTA AVENUE
PASADENA, CA 91107
USA
hereby declare that the equipment specified conforms to the essential requirements of
the following applicable European Directives and Standards and carries the CE mark
accordingly:
Product Name: Kinemetrics OBSIDIAN UNITS

Product Description: Multichannel Seismic Recorder
Model Number(s): Obsidian, Obsidian 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x, 24x, &
36x
Equipment Class: Electrical Equipment Measurement Control
and Laboratory Use-Industrial
Directives: Council Directive 2014/30/EU and
2006/95/EC
Standards: Safety: EN 61010-1:2010
EMC: EN 61326-1:2013
EN55011 Class A Group 1
EN61000-4-2
EN61000-4-3
EN61000-4-4
EN61000-4-5
EN61000-4-6
EN61000-4-8
EN61000-4-11
Supplementary Information:
Pasadena, CA USA
May 2015
Ian M. Standley
Vice President, Engineering

Contents
ROCK+ Series .............................................................................................................. 1
Warranties, Disclaimers & Trademarks ....................................................................... 3
Copyright © 2008‐2017 Kinemetrics, Inc. .................................................................. 3
Notice .................................................................................................................................... 3
Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................ 4
Warranty ............................................................................................................................. 4
Kinemetrics, Inc., 222 Vista Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91107 USA ..................... 5
Services available from Kinemetrics ............................................................................ 5
Installation ..................................................................................................................... 5
Maintenance ................................................................................................................. 5
For Faster Service ...................................................................................................... 6
Safety .................................................................................................................................... 1
These symbols may appear on Kinemetrics equipment or in this manual1
These safety‐related terms appear in this manual ............................................ 2
Optional Power Supply Assembly ......................................................................... 2
User‐Supplied Batteries or Charging System ..................................................... 2
External Battery ......................................................................................................... 2
Grounding the Digitizer ........................................................................................... 3
Use the Proper Power Cord ................................................................................... 3
Antenna, Phone & LAN Cabling .......................................................................... 3
Do Not Operate in Explosive Atmospheres ....................................................... 3
The Kinemetrics’ Rock+ Digitizer is not To Be Used For Life Sup‐ port or
Life‐Critical Systems ........................................................................................ 3
Chapter 1 Introduction....................................................................................................... 4
1.1 System Overview ........................................................................................................ 5
1.1.1 How is the Rock+ Series Different from the Rock Series? .................. 6
1.1.2 What is Rockhound? ........................................................................................ 6
1.1.3 Front Panel .......................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Installation & Setup ................................................................................................. 13
1.2.1 Operating Environment ................................................................................. 16
1.2.2 Unpacking & Inspecting the Unit .............................................................. 17
1.2.3 Requirements for Installation ......................................................................... 17
1.2.4 Practice Assembly ........................................................................................... 19
1.2.5 Planning your installation ............................................................................. 19
1.2.6 Installing the Digitizer .................................................................................... 21
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Chapter 2 System Overview .......................................................................................... 53
2.1 Intelligent Power Supply......................................................................................... 54
2.1.1 Supercapacitor Backup .................................................................................. 55
2.1.2 Battery Charging ............................................................................................. 55
2.1.3 Sequenced Start Up ........................................................................................ 56
2.1.4 Sequenced Shut Down ..................................................................................... 57
2.1.5 Communication with the User Via Status LEDs .................................... 57
2.1.6 Magnetic Switch ............................................................................................... 58
2.1.7 Temperature Monitoring ............................................................................... 58
2.1.8 Humidity Monitoring ...................................................................................... 58
2.1.9 Timed Operation Windows .......................................................................... 59
2.1.10 Parametric Operation Protection ................................................. 59
2.1.11 System Watchdog ............................................................................... 60
2.1.12 Power Fail Protection ........................................................................ 60
2.1.13 Application Specific Configuration ................................................. 60
2.1.14 Power System Display ....................................................................... 62
2.1.15 Updating the Power Supply ........................................................... 64
2.2 Processor System ..................................................................................................... 64
2.2.1 Processor ............................................................................................................ 64
2.2.2 Storage ................................................................................................................. 64
2.2.3 Communication Interfaces .............................................................................. 64
2.3 ADC/DSP SYSTEM .............................................................................................. 67
2.3.1 Individual DSP .................................................................................................. 67
2.3.2 C++ DSP Code ............................................................................................... 67
2.3.3 Isolated DC/DC Power supply for Analog Section ............................... 67
2.3.4 Isolation Barrier to Analog Section ............................................................ 67
2.3.5 Four Delta Sigma ADC Converters ........................................................... 67
2.3.6 Adjustable Gain Input Stages ...................................................................... 68
2.3.7 Calibration and Control Processor & Mass position/Auxiliary ADC68
2.4 External Sensor Input Boards ............................................................................. 68
2.4.1 Military Style Connectors ............................................................................. 68
2.4.2 EMI/RFI and Transient Protection Circuitry ....................................... 68
2.4.3 Calibration and Sensor Control Signal Outputs .................................... 68
2.5 EpiSensor Theory of Operation ............................................................................ 68
2.5.1 Working Principle ............................................................................................ 69
2.5.2 Pole Zero Representation of the EpiSensor ............................................ 70
2.5.3 Polarity Conventions ...................................................................................... 71
2.6 Firmware Description .............................................................................................. 71
2.6.1 Linux Overview ................................................................................................. 71
2.6.2 Common Linux Commands ......................................................................... 72
2.6.3 The VI Editor ................................................................................................... 74
2.6.4 Updating Linux ................................................................................................ 76
2.6.5 Software Versions .............................................................................................. 77
2.6.6 Software Development Tools ......................................................................... 78
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Chapter 3 .......................................................................................................................... 79
3.1 Initial Setup ............................................................................................................ 79
3.1.1 Network Address ............................................................................................. 80
3.1.2 Viewing System Information ......................................................................... 80
3.1.3 The Web Interface ........................................................................................... 81
3.2 Basic Setup ............................................................................................................. 81
3.2.1 Sensor Groups ................................................................................................... 82
3.2.2 Voltage Ranges ................................................................................................. 83
3.2.3 Sensitivity ........................................................................................................... 84
3.2.4 Obsidian Internal Deck Zero Adjustment ................................................ 86
3.2.5 EpiSensor2 Support ........................................................................................ 87
3.2.6 Other Channel Parameters .......................................................................... 88
3.2.7 Physical vs. Virtual Channels ..................................................................... 89
3.2.8 State‐of‐Health Streams ................................................................................ 90
3.2.9 Trigger Levels .................................................................................................... 91
3.2.10 Voting Options ...................................................................................... 92
3.2.11 Other Parameters ............................................................................... 92
3.2.12 Activating Parameter Changes ....................................................... 92
3.2.13 Passwords .............................................................................................. 93
3.2.14 Locked File System ................................................................................ 93
3.2.15 Save Parameters ................................................................................. 94
3.3 Triggered Recording .................................................................................................. 94
3.3.1 Pre‐Event Time ................................................................................................ 94
3.3.2 Post Event Time .............................................................................................. 94
3.3.3 Minimum Run Time ....................................................................................... 94
3.3.4 Channel Triggering ........................................................................................... 94
3.4 Timing System ........................................................................................................ 102
3.4.2 Disciplined Oscillator .................................................................................... 103
3.4.3 Time Quality .................................................................................................... 103
3.4.4 Timing Options ............................................................................................... 103
3.4.5 Using an NTP Server .................................................................................... 107
3.4.6 Acting as an NTP Server ............................................................................. 107
3.5 Anti‐Alias Filtering ................................................................................................ 107
3.6 TCP/IP Primer ...................................................................................................... 111
3.6.1 Terminology ...................................................................................................... 111
3.6.2 Addresses .......................................................................................................... 112
3.6.3 Some GuidelinesSome Guidelines .............................................................. 113
3.6.4 Typical Configurations ................................................................................. 113
3.6.5 Rock+ Services ............................................................................................... 114
3.6.6 Further .............................................................................................................. 114
3.7 File Management .................................................................................................... 117
3.8 File Viewing ............................................................................................................. 119
iii
3.9 Waveform Viewing ................................................................................................. 121
4.1 Editing Parameters ................................................................................................ 144
4.2 Adding Modules ...................................................................................................... 147
4.3 Removing Modules ................................................................................................ 150
4.4 Replacing Modules ................................................................................................ 151
Chapter 5 File Viewer .................................................................................................... 155
5.1 File Viewer Dynamic Operation .................................................................. 159
Chapter 6 ........................................................................................................................ 163
6.1 Batch Mode .......................................................................................................... 171
Chapter 7 ........................................................................................................................ 173
Chapter 8 ........................................................................................................................ 175
8.1 Terminal mode .......................................................................................................... 176
8.2 Batch Mode .............................................................................................................. 181
8.3 Streaming .................................................................................................................. 182
8.4 Dial On Event ........................................................................................................... 182
8.5 Modem Only Operation ........................................................................................ 183
8.5.2 File Transfer ..................................................................................................... 187
8.5.3 Parameter Download .................................................................................... 187
8.5.4 Editing Parameters with RockTalk ........................................................... 187
8.5.5 Parameter Upload ......................................................................................... 189
8.5.6 Installing Firmware Updates ..................................................................... 189
Chapter 9 Storage ...........................................................................................................191
9.3 USB Subsystem ....................................................................................................... 192
9.3.1 USB Device ...................................................................................................... 193
9.3.3 USB Wifi ........................................................................................................... 196
9.3.4 USB Cellular Modem ................................................................................... 197
Chapter 10 DFS telemetry ........................................................................................... 201
10.2 Configuration .................................................................................................. 202
10.3.2 Extended DFS Protocol .................................................................. 203
10.4 Testing ............................................................................................................... 203
Chapter 11 FAQs .............................................................................................................205
11.1 What is “dig1”? ............................................................................................. 205
11.2 Changing trigger levels ................................................................................ 205
iv
11.3 Using Different Triggers or Trigger Filters ........................................... 207
11.4 Adding Channels ........................................................................................... 210
11.5 Switching Between Layouts ....................................................................... 213
11.6 Changing Output Data Formats ............................................................. 214
11.7 Timed Recording ............................................................................................ 217
11.8 Network Triggering ........................................................................................ 220
11.9 Telemetry Options .......................................................................................... 222
Chapter 12 AdvancedOperation................................................................................... 223
12.1 RockTalk with Add‐ons .............................................................................. 223
12.2 Layout Wizard ............................................................................................... 223
12.3 Configuration Options ................................................................................. 234

12.3.1 Network Parameters ....................................................................... 234
12.3.2 Modem Configuration ...................................................................... 234
12.3.3 IO Bits .................................................................................................. 234
12.3.4 Networking and Security ................................................................ 236
12.4 Low Latency Telemetry .............................................................................. 237

Chapter 13 ...................................................................................................................... 239
13.1 Powering Up the System ............................................................................ 239
13.2 Powering Down the System ........................................................................ 240
13.3 Software Installation ..................................................................................... 240
13.4 IP Services ....................................................................................................... 242
13.5 Network Configuration ............................................................................... 243
13.6 Dynamic DNS ................................................................................................ 245

13.6.1 Setting Up DDNS ............................................................................. 245
13.6.2 DDNS Verification ............................................................................. 246
13.7 Software Watchdog ....................................................................................... 246
13.7.1 Default Behavior: .............................................................................. 247
13.7.2 Powerfail Protection: ....................................................................... 247
13.7.3 Application Specific Configuration: .............................................. 247
13.8 Linux Passwords ............................................................................................ 248
13.9 File Retrieval .................................................................................................. 248
13.10 Save/Restore Parameters ........................................................................... 250
v
13.11 Software Updates .......................................................................................... 254
13.12 Log files ............................................................................................................ 255
13.13 State of Health ................................................................................................ 257

Chapter 14 Software Tools ............................................................................................ 263
14.1 Web Browser ................................................................................................... 263
14.2 Java .................................................................................................................... 264
14.3 Terminal Program ......................................................................................... 264
14.4 Telnet Client ................................................................................................... 264
14.5 WinSCP ............................................................................................................ 264
14.6 PuTTY .............................................................................................................. 267
14.7 FTP Server ...................................................................................................... 270
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................... 277
15.1 Modem not Communicating ...................................................................... 277
15.2 Private Networks ........................................................................................... 277
15.3 Altus Emulator and SDS ............................................................................. 277
15.4 Deleting a large Linux directory ............................................................. 278
15.5 Admin cannot delete data files ................................................................... 278
15.6 IP issues. Firewalls and router blocks .................................................. 279
15.7 Can’t Change Password.............................................................................. 279
15.8 External Charger .......................................................................................... 280

Chapter 16 ......................................................................................................................282
16.1 Run Remote Check Tests ............................................................................ 282
16.2 Advanced Self Test Capabilities ................................................................. 282
16.3 Troubleshooting & Service ......................................................................... 282
16.4 Hardware Problems ...................................................................................... 282
16.5 Installing New Firmware ............................................................................. 282
16.6 Preventive Maintenance ............................................................................. 283
16.6.1 Desiccant Replacement ................................................................... 283
16.6.3 Replacing SD Cards ......................................................................... 286
vi
16.6.4 Cleaning the Digitizer ..................................................................... 286
16.7 Decommissioning & Recycling ................................................................ 287

16.7.1 Kinemetrics Recycling Passport .................................................. 287
16.7.2 Disassembly Procedure for Recycling ........................................ 289
16.7.3 Materials for Recycling ................................................................... 290
Chapter 17 HardwareReference .................................................................................. 291
17.1 System Power ................................................................................................. 291
17.2 Connector Reference .................................................................................... 292
17.2.1 Power Connector .............................................................................. 292
17.2.2 Internal GPS ....................................................................................... 294
17.2.3 Serial Connectors .............................................................................. 296
17.2.4 Modem.................................................................................................. 304
17.2.5 Time I/O Connectors ....................................................................... 305
17.2.6 USB Connectors ................................................................................ 307
17.2.7 External Three Channel Sensor Interface ................................. 310
17.2.8 External 4th Channel Single Input Sensor Connector .......... 311
17.2.9 Four Channel Terminal Board Dual Supply (KMI 111915‐
01) 312
17.2.10 Four Channel Terminal Board Single Supply (KMI 111915‐ 02)
313
17.2.11 Ethernet ............................................................................................... 314
17.3 Cable Drawings ................................................................................................. 317
Chapter 18 ...................................................................................................................... 327
18.1 Glossary ............................................................................................................ 327

vii

List of Figures

Figure 1: Rock+ Digitizer ............................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2: Rock+ Quick Setup Guide .......................................................................................................... 15
Figure 3: Drilling Mounting Hole .............................................................................................................. 23
Figure 4: Installing Anchor ......................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 5: Anchor Stud Installed ................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 6: Mounted to the Floor................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 7: Bullet Antenna.............................................................................................................................. 28
Figure 8: Bullet Antenna Connector .......................................................................................................... 29
Figure 9: Dual Supply Terminal Board (‐01 Version) ............................................................................. 36
Figure 10: Dual Supply Terminal Board (w/ Cable) ................................................................................ 38
Figure 11: Single Supply Terminal Board (‐02 Version) ......................................................................... 40
Figure 12: Basic Functional Test ................................................................................................................. 41
Figure 13: EpiSensor Simplified Block Diagram ...................................................................................... 69
Figure 14: Sensor Groups ............................................................................................................................ 82
Figure 15: Unit Conversion ......................................................................................................................... 84
Figure 16: Sensitivity .................................................................................................................................... 85
Figure 17: Waveform Display ..................................................................................................................... 86
Figure 18: Zero Adjustment ........................................................................................................................ 87
Figure 19: Channel Mapping ...................................................................................................................... 90
Figure 20: Trigger Levels ............................................................................................................................. 91
Figure 21: Typical trigger filter response .................................................................................................. 96
Figure 22: STA/LTA Simplified Flowchart ............................................................................................... 98
Figure 23: Recorded Files .......................................................................................................................... 117
Figure 24: Recorded Files Detail ............................................................................................................... 118
Figure 25: Downloading the File Viewer ................................................................................................ 119
Figure 26: File Viewer ................................................................................................................................ 120
Figure 27: Waveform Viewer .................................................................................................................... 121
Figure 28: Waveform Display ................................................................................................................... 122
Figure 29: Real Time PSD ......................................................................................................................... 123
Figure 30: Login Prompt ........................................................................................................................... 125
Figure 31: Overview Screen ...................................................................................................................... 127
Figure 32: Hardware Configuration ........................................................................................................ 129
Figure 33: Configuration .......................................................................................................................... 130
Figure 34: Module Parameter Example ................................................................................................... 131
Figure 35: Layout Display ......................................................................................................................... 132
Figure 36: Channel Summary ................................................................................................................... 133
Figure 37: Site Summary ........................................................................................................................... 134
Figure 38: SOH Selection ........................................................................................................................... 135
Figure 39: SOH Display ............................................................................................................................. 136
viii
Figure 40: Applet Mode Selection ............................................................................................................ 137
Figure 41: Waveform Viewer Selection ................................................................................................... 138
Figure 42: Waveform Display ................................................................................................................... 139
Figure 43: PSD Display .............................................................................................................................. 140
Figure 44: Recorded Files .......................................................................................................................... 141
Figure 45: Recorded File Detail ................................................................................................................ 142
Figure 46: Triggering and Sensors ........................................................................................................... 143
Figure 47: Overview ................................................................................................................................... 144
Figure 48: Hardware Parameters ............................................................................................................ 145
Figure 49: Help String ................................................................................................................................ 145
Figure 50: Configuration Parameters ..................................................................................................... 146
Figure 51: Module Parameters ................................................................................................................. 147
Figure 52: Module Add ............................................................................................................................. 148
Figure 53: FTP Sender Parameters ........................................................................................................... 149
Figure 54: Module Remove ....................................................................................................................... 150
Figure 55: Module Replace........................................................................................................................ 151
Figure 56: Module Replacement Options .............................................................................................. 152
Figure 57: Module Replacement Complete ........................................................................................... 153
Figure 58: File Viewer Main ...................................................................................................................... 156
Figure 59: File Viewer Setup ..................................................................................................................... 157
Figure 60: Header Display ........................................................................................................................ 157
Figure 61: Cursor Display ......................................................................................................................... 158
Figure 62: Zooming in ............................................................................................................................... 160
Figure 63: Zoomed in ................................................................................................................................. 161
Figure 64: Console Parameters ................................................................................................................. 164
Figure 65: Console Open ........................................................................................................................... 165
Figure 66: Terminal Mode ......................................................................................................................... 176
Figure 67: Adding Altus Emulation ........................................................................................................ 184
Figure 68: Altus Emulation Parameters .................................................................................................. 185
Figure 69: Secondary Port Warning ......................................................................................................... 186
Figure 70: RockTalk De‐archive ............................................................................................................... 188
Figure 71: RockTalk Archive .................................................................................................................... 188
Figure 72: Trigger Levels ........................................................................................................................... 206
Figure 74: Module Replacement Options .............................................................................................. 208
Figure 75: Replacing Trigger Module ...................................................................................................... 209
Figure 76: Modules Replaced ................................................................................................................... 210
Figure 77: Channel List .............................................................................................................................. 212
Figure 78: Channel Mapping .................................................................................................................... 213
Figure 79: Sending Parameters ................................................................................................................. 214
Figure 81: Format Choices......................................................................................................................... 216
Figure 82: Output Format Changed ........................................................................................................ 217
Figure 83: Alarm Clock .............................................................................................................................. 219
Figure 84: Network Trigger ...................................................................................................................... 221
Figure 85: RockTalk Setup ........................................................................................................................ 224
Figure 86: Renaming Unit in RockTalk ................................................................................................... 224
ix
Figure 87: Fast Setup ................................................................................................................................. 225
Figure 88: Fast Setup (continued) ............................................................................................................ 226
Figure 89: Select Layout to Build ............................................................................................................. 227
Figure 90: Set Number of Channels ......................................................................................................... 227
Figure 91: Set Virtual Channels ................................................................................................................ 227
Figure 92: Set Data Source ......................................................................................................................... 228
Figure 93: Set Trigger Filter ...................................................................................................................... 228
Figure 94: Use Same Filter for all Channels ............................................................................................ 228
Figure 95: Set Trigger Type ....................................................................................................................... 229
Figure 96: Use Same Trigger for all Channels ........................................................................................ 229
Figure 97: Set Output Type and Data Format ........................................................................................ 230
Figure 98: Replace Web Server ................................................................................................................. 231
Figure 99: Layout Complete ..................................................................................................................... 232
Figure 100: Adding Network Trigger ..................................................................................................... 233
Figure 101: Adding RockGPIO ................................................................................................................. 235
Figure 102: RockGPIO Parameters ........................................................................................................... 236
Figure 103: E‐Mail File Sender .................................................................................................................. 249
Figure 104: FTP File Sender ..................................................................................................................... 250
Figure 105: Admin Details ........................................................................................................................ 252
Figure 106: Rock Recovery ........................................................................................................................ 254
Figure 107: Run Time Log ......................................................................................................................... 256
Figure 108: Error Log ................................................................................................................................. 257
Figure 109: SOH Selection ......................................................................................................................... 258
Figure 110: SOH Display Selection .......................................................................................................... 260
Figure 111: SOH Graphs ............................................................................................................................ 261
Figure 112: WinSCP ................................................................................................................................... 265
Figure 113: WinSCP Key Confirmation .................................................................................................. 265
Figure 114: WinSCP Panes ........................................................................................................................ 266
Figure 115: PuTTY ..................................................................................................................................... 267
Figure 116: PuTTY IP Address ................................................................................................................ 268
Figure 117: PuTTY Window ..................................................................................................................... 269
Figure 118: FTP Server .............................................................................................................................. 270
Figure 119: FTP Server Defaults ............................................................................................................... 271
Figure 120: FTP Server Users .................................................................................................................... 271
Figure 121: Adding Admin User .............................................................................................................. 272
Figure 122: Admin User Password .......................................................................................................... 272
Figure 123: Admin File Access ................................................................................................................. 272
Figure 124: Add Data Path ........................................................................................................................ 273
Figure 125: Permissions Set ....................................................................................................................... 273
Figure 126: FTP Server Options ................................................................................................................ 274
Figure 127: FTP Sender Parameters ......................................................................................................... 275
Figure 128: Power Connector Pins and Schematic ................................................................................ 294
Figure 129: Console Connector Pins ........................................................................................................ 296
Figure 130: Console Connector Schematic .............................................................................................. 297
Figure 131: Serial Connector Pins ............................................................................................................ 298
Figure 132: Serial 1 Connector Schematic ............................................................................................... 298
Figure 133: Serial 2 Connector Pins ......................................................................................................... 299
x
Figure 135: Serial 3 Connector Pins ......................................................................................................... 301
Figure 137: DFS Connector Pins ............................................................................................................... 302
Figure 138: DFS Connector Schematic ..................................................................................................... 303
Figure 139: PC 9‐Pin Connections ............................................................................................................ 303
Figure 140: Modem Connector Pins ........................................................................................................ 304
Figure 141: Modem Connector Schematic ............................................................................................ 304
Figure 142: Time I/O 1‐3 Connector Pins. J25, J26, and J27 ................................................................ 306
Figure 143: Time I/O Connector 1‐3 Schematics .................................................................................... 307
Figure 144: USB Device Connector Pins.................................................................................................. 308
Figure 145: USB Device Connector Schematic ....................................................................................... 308
Figure 146: USB Host Connector Pins ..................................................................................................... 309
Figure 147: USB Host Connector Schematics ......................................................................................... 310
Figure 148: Ethernet Connector Pins ....................................................................................................... 315
Figure 149: Ethernet Connector Schematic ............................................................................................. 315
Figure 150: Ethernet Wiring Colors ......................................................................................................... 316
Figure 151: Ethernet Cross Over Cable Pinouts ..................................................................................... 316
Figure 152: Ethernet RJ11 Wiring ............................................................................................................ 317
Figure 153: P/N 112297‐PL, Power and Battery .................................................................................... 318
Figure 154: P/N 112250‐PL, Optional Power Supply ........................................................................... 319
Figure 155: P/N 112259‐PL, Optional Power Supply with Battery Connections ............................... 320
Figure 156: P/N 853607 Rock+ Serial Cable ........................................................................................... 321
Figure 157: P/N 853609 Rock+ Modem Cable........................................................................................ 322
Figure 158: P/N 853608 Rock+ Ethernet Cable ...................................................................................... 323
Figure 159: P/N 853611 Rock+ USB Device Cable ................................................................................. 324
Figure 160: P/N 853610 Rock+ USB Host Cable .................................................................................... 325
Figure 161: P/N 853612 Rock+ Time I/O Pigtail .................................................................................... 326

xi
xii
LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF FIGURES
Safety

These symbols may appear on Kinemetrics equipment or in this
manual

When you see this symbol, pay careful attention. Refer to the similarly
marked, relevant part of this manual before servicing the instrument.

This symbol means a low‐noise earth ground. The noted item should be
grounded to ensure low‐noise operation, and to serve as a ground return for
EMI/RFI and transients. Such a ground does not work as a safety ground
for protection against electrical shock!

This symbol means an alternating current (AC) power line.

This symbol means a direct current (DC) power line derived from an AC
power line.
This symbol indicates an electrostatic sensitive device (ESD), meaning that
when handling the marked equipment you should observe all standard
precautions for handling such devices.

This symbol indicates that a particular step/process or procedure is required
to ensure the installation maintains conformity to European Community
requirements.

This symbol indicates that this referenced equipment or material should be
re‐cycled and not thrown in the normal trash stream.

This symbol indicates that the step/process or equipment has an
environmental consequence and steps such as recycling are required.
1

These safety‐related terms appear in this manual
NOTE: Statements identify information that you should consider be‐
fore moving to the next instruction or choice.

CAUTION: Statements identify conditions or practices that could
result in damage to the equipment, the software, or other property.

WARNING: Statements identify conditions or practices that could
result in personal injury or loss of life.

Follow the precautions below to ensure your personal safety and prevent damage to the
digitizer. The unit is powered by an 8‐16 VDC source or 15.5 VDC supplied by the optional
power supply assembly, from external batteries or from a solar charging system. The unit
can also contain charge an external Sealed Lead Acid Battery (SLA) that can power the unit
when the external power sources fail.

Optional Power Supply Assembly
If you plan to power the digitizer from the mains supply, we recommend Kinemetrics’ Power
Supply Assembly (PSA)(KMI 112251‐PL or KMI 112259‐PL for use with SLA Battery.) Plug
the PSA’s power cord into AC outlets that will not apply more than 260 VRMS between
the supply conductors or between either supply conductor and ground. A protective ground
connection (provided through the grounding conductor in the PSA and its power cord) is
essential for safe operation. The PSA is designed for indoor use only; it must not be subject
to immersion in water, high humidity, or temperatures above 70°C.

User‐Supplied Batteries or Charging System
If you supply your own charging system, make sure the system provides the correct voltage
and current required by the unit. If you derive power from the mains supply, make sure
there is adequate grounding for all the equipment. If you supply your own batteries, follow
the warnings below.

External Battery
Follow the precautions in this manual when handling and replacing external batteries. Metal‐
lic instruments of any kind could short the battery terminals, resulting in fire or explosion.
Do not drop the battery or attempt to disassemble it. When charging the battery, use a
properly rated charger and do not overcharge the battery. The only correct replacement
battery is a sealed lead‐acid battery with relief vents and ratings comparable to the original
battery. Never try to use a non‐rechargeable battery with the unit.
2

Grounding the Digitizer
When using the optional PSA to power the unit from the AC mains supply, remember that
the unit is grounded through the PSA power cord. To avoid electric shock, plug the PSA
cord into a properly wired receptacle where the protective earth ground has been verified.
Do this verification before making any power connections to the unit.

Use the Proper Power Cord
Use the power cord and connector supplied with optional PSA, or an equivalent IEC‐standard
power cord. Be sure that it is in good condition.

Antenna, Phone & LAN Cabling
Never install antenna, telephone, or LAN wiring during electrical storms. Always ensure
adequate separation between antenna cabling, telecom cabling, or LAN cabling and high
voltage wiring. Always perform a safety check on telecom and LAN wiring to measure the
voltage before working on the wiring. Remember telephone wiring carries fifty (50) to sixty
(60) volts of DC and the ring signal at ninety (90) VAC can deliver a very uncomfortable
shock. Power over Ethernet Cabling can carry DC voltages of up to 56VDC. To avoid electric
shock, do not connect safety extra‐low voltage (SELV) circuits to telephone‐network voltage
(TNV) circuits. Ethernet LAN ports contain SELV circuits, and some WAN ports contain
TNV circuits. Some LAN and WAN ports both use RJ‐45 connectors. Use caution when
connecting cables.

Do Not Operate in Explosive Atmospheres
The unit and the optional PSA provide no explosive protection from static discharges or
arcing components. Do not operate the equipment in an atmosphere of explosive gases.

The Kinemetrics’ Rock+ Digitizer is not To Be Used For Life Sup‐
port or Life‐Critical Systems
These products are not designed for operating life critical support systems and should not
be used in applications where failure to perform can reasonably be expected to create a risk
of harm to property or persons (including the risk of bodily injury and death)
3

Chapter 1
Introduction
This manual describes the basic operation of the Kinemetrics Rock+ Digitizers, which include
the Obsidian multichannel data acquisition systems. The System Overview gives a brief
overview of the unit. This is followed by the Installation & Setup instructions which will
allow you to get the unit working. The Basic Operation section show how to use the unit for
most simple operations, and is followed by specific instructions on various common tasks,
the Advanced Operation section shows how to perform more complex tasks. The Detailed
System Description describes in detail the various sub‐systems of the digitizer, the various
software components, and more. Finally, the Hardware Reference section explains items
such as maintenance and wiring cables. It contains detailed information on the hardware
of the digitizer, as well as operational information on the digitizer’s software. See Further
Information for additional software and hardware references. The diagram below shows
where you will find particular information.
4

1.1. SYSTEM OVERVIEW CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 System Overview

The Rock+ multi‐channel data acquisition systems consist of a chassis containing external
connectors to allow the user to interface the system to voltage output sensors. An Obsidian
can have 4 or 8 individual sensor channels depending on its configuration, and is available
with an internal three channel accelerometer. A Multi‐Channel recorder can have 12, 20,
24 or 36 individual sensor channels depending on its configuration. The signals from these
sensors are digitized on individual four channel Analog to Digital Converter boards. The
signals are then filtered, processed by a high speed Digital Signal Processing system and
passed over a high speed serial link to the systems main processor. This consists of a low
power highly integrated processor running Linux and Kinemetrics Rockhound software, an
Ethernet interface, three serial ports, fixed and removable storage devices, as well as high
resolution sensor inputs.
The Obsidian is a member of the larger Kinemetrics Rock+ product family, and as such may
be used in conjunction with other Kinemetrics Rock products.
The user interaction with the system is through the Rockhound software for set‐up, con‐
trol, and operation of the system, and through the Front Panel connectors for the physical
connection of power, sensors, communication devices, and GPS to the system.
5

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
1.1.1 How is the Rock+ Series Different from the Rock Series?
There are many similarities between the Rock and Rock+ series instruments, including:
• Both run Linux and Rockhound
• Both have GPS, Ethernet, and serial ports
• Both include supercapacitors as an internal “UPS”
Differences between them include:
• Significant new features:
◦ Standard PTP (IEEE‐1588)
◦ USB Host ports for data offload or communications interfaces
◦ 10/100 Ethernet
◦ Low latency lacket support (0.1 seconds)
◦ Standard DFS interface for extremely low data latency
◦ GPS supporting Ground Based Augmentation
◦ Regulated sensor and COMM power
◦ Input power 9‐28VDC vs 8‐16VDC
◦ 1PPS input & output
◦ Optional Power‐Over‐Ethernet
• And then the techy stuff:
◦ A later verion of Linux (3.12 vs 2.6)
◦ Filesystem is different (EXT4 vs EXT3)
◦ Faster processor (1GHz vs 400Mhz)
◦ More RAM (1GB vs 256MB)
◦ Memory cards are different (4GB SDHC System & 32GB SDHC Data vs one CF
card)

1.1.2 What is Rockhound?
Rockhound is the software system used by the digitizer to acquire, process, store, and transfer
data. Rockhound is very flexible allowing processing and manipulation of data in a variety
of ways.
By default, Rockhound is configured as a triggered event recorder with traditional Kine‐
metrics trigger methods, levels, and data formats. You are free to reconfigure software to
6

not only change trigger settings, but triggering criteria, and output data formats. Further,
the system can be set for applications such as continuous or timed recording or telemetry.
This flexibility is achieved using software modules that exchange data in an output‐neutral
format. These modules may be combined in many ways. You even have the option to write
your own modules using the optional Software Development Kit.
See the section Further Information for additional software references.

1.1.3 Front Panel
The front panel consists of connectors allowing you to connect power, sensors, GPS, serial and
Ethernet connections as well as other functions. In this section we describe the connectors
and the cables and accessories associated with them.
Connectors are provided for:
• Sensor Inputs
• Power
• Console
• Serial ports
• USB device & USB hosts
• Ethernet port
• GPS Antenna
• Time/IO
• POTS Modem
• DFS
LEDs are provided for:
• Power
• Status
• Event
• Media
• Ethernet Link
• Ethernet Data

7
A magnetic switch is provided to force the unit on and off in abnormal situations and a seal
screw is provided for factory leak testing.

Figure 1: Rock+ Digitizer

1.1.3.1 Standard Interfaces
The standard interfaces (those provided with all units) include the following:

Power: This connector provides access to external power input, and the external battery
connection. It also provides a single digital input and a digital output for user use.
The external power input allows provision of an external DC power source that is used both
to operate the unit and charge a battery, if connected. The voltage should be limited to 9‐
28 VDC and we normally recommend 15.5 VDC input if the unit is to charge a back‐up
battery, and 12 VDC if the customer is supplying the battery backup charging system.
The external battery connection is used to connect a Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA)
battery that will be float charged by the system to provide operational autonomy in the case
of temporary loss of external power.
The digital input and output can be used to turn the system on and allow the unit to control
other equipment depending on the program in the unit.

8
Kinemetrics supplies both cables assemblies and cable assemblies with wide input AC to DC
power supplies the following are available:
• Molded cable with Pigtails for user supplied DC power source and battery ‐ P/N
112297‐PL, Power and Battery.
• Wide Input AC Power Supply with US AC Cord and Molded Cable ‐ P/N 112250‐PL,
Optional Power Supply
NOTE: P/N 112251‐PL does not include the US AC Cord
• Wide Input AC Power Supply with US AC Cord and Battery Connections ‐ P/N
112259‐PL, Optional Power Supply with Battery Connections
NOTE: The one wire interface on the connector is for use in future
Kinemetrics‐supplied power options.
For more information on the power connection refer to the Power Connector section.

Console: This connector provides access to the console port connection.
The console port connection is used to provide access to an operating system console that is
required in initial setup of the system (before network interfaces are defined) and in certain
diagnostic and maintenance operations. The console port is not needed in normal operation.
Typically, only a few console capable cables will be needed to support a large number of
installed units.
The console is /dev/console. The default baud rate is 115200.
The cable to connect to the Console is P/N 853607.

Serial: This connector provides access to a general purpose serial port.
The serial port is an RS‐232 serial port that can be used by user application software for a
variety of purposes. The serial port supports full hardware handshaking.
The serial ports are /dev/serial1, /dev/serial2, and /dev/serial3, the default baud rate is
9600.
The cable to connect to the Serial Port is P/N 853607.

USB Device: This connector provides access to the USB device interface.
The USB device interface allows use of the unit as a USB device from a USB host (the host
is typically something like a PC). This makes the USB device interface of the Rock+ appear
as a virtual COM port on the PC. Compatible drivers will be required on the host end to
utilize this interface.
From this port you can open a terminal session (using something like PuTTY) and log into
the Rock+ without requiring a network conenction or an actual serial port on your computer.
The cable to connect to the USB Device Port is P/N 853611.
9
Ethernet: This connector provides a low power 10/100Mb Ethernet connection. The cable
to connect to this ports is P/N 853608.
Ethernet is used for connection to other equipment, such as other digitizers and/or a hub or
switch.
With the POE (Power Over Ethernet) option installed it can also allow the digitizer to act
as a class 1 powered device on a POE LAN.
For additional information on the Ethernet Interface connections consult the Ethernet Con‐
nector section.

POTS Modem: This connector provides a connection to an internal POTS (Plain Old
Telephone System) Modem. This modem can be used by user application software for a
variety of purposes and is fully supported by the Rockhound application. This connects to
Kinemetrics cable P/N 853609.

GPS: This connector provides the connection to an active 3.3V GPS Antenna to allow
reception of GPS timing and position signals. These antennas contain low noise amplifiers
which are powered by a DC current through the antenna cable. The following cable options
may be supplied with your unit:
• No GPS antenna or cable
• Trimble MiniMag 3V antenna with 5 meter cable (P/N 110905‐PL, GPS 5 Meter,
MiniMag)
• Trimble Bullet 3V antenna with:
• 25 meter plenum cable (P/N 111095‐01‐25‐PL, GPS Bullet Antenna 25m Cable)
• 50 meter plenum cable (P/N 111095‐01‐50‐PL)
• 25 meter UV‐resistant cable (P/N 111095‐02‐25‐PL)
• 50 meter UV‐resistant cable (P/N 111095‐02‐50‐PL)
For additional information on the Antenna and Cabling consult the GPS Antenna Connec‐
tions section.

10
LEDs The LEDs on the front panel provide the following information:
Power:
• OFF ‐ No power
• Steady Green ‐ Waiting to Power up, Running off of external power or POE (Power
Over Ethernet)
• Flashing Green ‐ The system is starting up
• Infrequent Green ‐ Running off of battery
• Orange ‐ Supercapacitor is being charged
• Flashing Red ‐ Power system fault
• Alternating Red and Green ‐ The system is shutting down

Status:
• Flashing Red ‐ No time source
• Infrequent Red ‐ Time source detected, not locked
• Infrequent Green ‐ Good time quality
• Steady Green ‐ Rockhound loading or restarting

Event:
• OFF ‐ No events
• Steady Green ‐ Real time data stream
• Flashing Green ‐ Storing an event
• Infrequent Green ‐ Events stored

Media:
• OFF ‐ Idle, OK to insert or remove
• Steady Green ‐ Mounting
• Flashing Green ‐ Transferring data
• Steady Red ‐ Error detected
11
Ethernet Link (Green/Amber):
• Amber ‐ Ethernet 10Mb link detected
• Green ‐ Ethernet 100Mb link detected
• OFF ‐ No Ethernet link detected

Ethernet Data (Amber):
• ON ‐ Ethernet data transmission in progress
• OFF ‐ Idle

Magnetic Switch The magnetic switch is located above and to the right of the Modem
connector. The magnetic switch is located directly behind the seal screw. The switch is used
to start up and shut down the unit without use of a physical power switch.
The unit has no power switch. When power is connected, the unit’s default behavior is to
power up and begin operation. When power is removed, the applications and operating
system will shut down and the unit will turn off.
Briefly touching a strong magnet near the magnetic switch location allows the user to start
and stop the unit. This is useful if say a time window has been set incorrectly and the unit
needs to be turned on to correct the problem.

Seal Screw The small screw located in the lower right of the front panel is the seal screw. It
is used at the factory for leak testing.

CAUTION: This screw should NOT be removed by the user as doing \so
may expose the internals of the unit to the environment and damage it.

1.1.3.2 Sensor Interfaces
In Rock+ Digitizers each four channel ADC board connects to a three channel and a single
fourth channel connector on the Front of the unit. The military style connectors can be
used to directly to connect to sensors or a four channel Terminal board can be plugged into
the two connectors to give a four channel terminal board interface which allows easy field
connections of sensors without soldering.
12
1.2. INSTALLATION & SETUP CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1.3.3 External Three Channel Sensor Interface
This connector has the same pinout as used in the Q330 unit. The connector has three
high resolution input channels, three mass position/auxiliary 12 bit resolution inputs, a
calibration output signal and its associated control, three other outputs for sensor control, a
switched system power output, and an interface to allow a one wire device embedded in the
sensor to be read.
Kinemetrics supplies cables for connecting a large variety of sensors or you can build your
own sensor cables. More information on the cables and connector interface is in External
Three Channel Sensor Interface section.

1.1.3.4 Internal Accelerometer Deck
The Obsidian Accelerograph unit contains a tri‐axial EpiSensor deck connected to channels
1‐3 of the ADC. The deck provides three orthogonal 2g (Optionally 4g) Full Scale sensors
mounted internally to the unit. This unit is equipped with a single point mounting scheme
and must be leveled and securely mounted to ensure high fidelity string motion recording.
The fourth channel is available as an additional input to the system.

1.1.3.5 External 4th Channel Single Input Sensor Connector
This connector provides a single high resolution input to the fourth channel of the ADC that
can be used for a uniaxial active or passive sensor. It also provides a separately switched
calibration output, a power output, and four additional one wire interface connections.
Kinemetrics supplies cables for connecting a large variety of sensors or you can build your
own sensor cables. More information on the cables and connector interface is in External
4th Channel Single Input Sensor Connector section.

1.1.3.6 Four Channel Terminal Board (KMI 111915)
This board is available to support both dual supply (‐01) and single supply sensors (‐02). It
provides a terminal block to allow easy connection of uniaxial, biaxial, or triaxial sensors.
For details on the connection locations on the terminal blocks and other information refer
to the Four Channel Terminal Board (KMI 111915) section.

1.2 Installation & Setup
To successfully deploy your digitizer, you will need to physically install the hardware in
a suitable environment, install the sensors you plan to use with their associated cabling
and connect them to the unit, provide your primary and backup power sources (if any),
connect any communications links, install the GPS antenna can connect the cable to unit,
13
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.2. INSTALLATION & SETUP
and configure the software for correct operation if your requirements differ from the default
factory configuration of the unit.
If you have not already done so, we recommend that you install the software from the Rock
Support Software CD (300654‐PL) now so that you will have the necessary utilities such as
terminal emulation, telnet client, and secure file transfer programs. You are of course free
to use other software that you are more familiar with that provides the same capabilities.
The basic steps to install your digitizer are as follows:
• Secure the unit physically in position
• Attach the grounding stud
• Mount the Sensors as appropriate and connect their cables
• Mount the GPS Antenna
• Connect the Ethernet LAN
• Connect the GPS Antenna
• Connect other communication interfaces
• Connect the sensors
• Connect the optional SLA (sealed lead‐acid) battery
• Connect the DC power source
• Connect a laptop or equivalent to the console port (See Software Installation )
• Change the default system passwords (See Passwords )
• Configure the software:
◦ Configure the LAN (See Network Configuration )
◦ Configure desired IP services (See IP Services )
◦ Configure extended storage (See USB Thumb Drives )
◦ Configure Rockhound (See Basic Setup)
◦ Configure GPS, PTP, or NTP (See Timing System )
At this point, the system should be functional. See the section on Basic Operation for
further details on initial configuration of the system. Note that several of the configuration
and update steps listed above can be tested in the lab before the unit is deployed.
14
Figure 2: Rock+ Quick Setup Guide
15
1.2.1 Operating Environment
The digitizer needs to be installed in a location that provides the following environmental
conditions.

1.2.1.1 Operating Temperatures
The digitizer’s operating temperature range with the standard options is:
Standard digitizer ‐20 to +60 OC Operation (optional ‐30 to +70ºC)
This can be limited by user installed equipment. Replacing the storage cards with commodity
cards can reduce the operating temperature range.
The digitizer is configured to only charge an attached Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery from:
Battery Charge ‐0.0 to + 40.0 ºC
The unit will draw power from an SLA battery over the full operating temperature range
but will show a fault if it runs outside of the range:
Battery Normal Discharge ‐ 15.0 to + 50.0 ºC
Finally units with the optional storage module that contains a hard drive have an operating
range for the hard drive of:
Optional Hard Drive 0.0 to + 50.0 ºC
The unit should not be placed where it is exposed to direct sunlight and the external battery
of used should be located in the same temperature environment as the unit and should again
not be exposed to direct sunlight.

1.2.1.2 Operating Humidity
The case of the unit is designed to meet the requirements of a NEMA 6P enclosure (equiv‐
alent to IP67). The system can operate in humidity levels of up to 100% and withstand
occasional temporary immersion in water up to 2 meters in depth. The system should not
be continuously immersed, as galvanic corrosion of the connectors will occur, potentially
destroying the system. To ensure operation in high humidity, the desiccant packet must be
fresh and the case of the unit should be carefully re‐sealed if it is opened. The unit should
be protected from rain and snow and should not be allowed to stand in water for longer than
one hour.

1.2.1.3 Operating Altitude
The unit can operate at altitudes from ‐300 to +10,000 meters.
16
1.2.2 Unpacking & Inspecting the Unit
Before accepting the shipment the shipping carton should be examined for any obvious
damage and this should be recorded by the freight carrier.
The digitizer ships in a custom designed carton. This carton can be used to return the unit
or to ship it to other destinations. It should be carefully opened at the top so it can be re‐
used.
On top of the unit is an additional carton that will contain any accessories ordered with the
unit such as connectors, cables, AC/DC power supply. Please check the contents of this box
against the packing list.
The digitizer is beneath this box packed in custom foam inserts with the front face connectors
facing upwards. Carefully pull the unit and the inserts from the box. The unit should have
no signs of external damage.
The unit is then ready for installation.
See Practice Assembly

When the packaging is no longer required please recycle the cardboard cartons and
foam insert appropriately.

1.2.3 Requirements for Installation
Below we provide lists of the tools, supplies and equipment required to install a Rock+
digitizer in a typical configuration.
Specialized installations may require additional tools, supplies or equipment, depending on
specific sites and needs. This manual assumes that all civil engineering works (concrete pads,
enclosures, conduit, mounting masts, etc.) are complete and ready before installation.

1.2.3.1 Required Tools
For a permanent installation the unit should be mounted to the floor, wall, or shelf in the
structure.
The following tools are suggested:
• A drill capable of drilling into the attachment surface.
• Appropriate drill bits for the attachment surface.
• Suitable tools to install the screws/anchors into the attachment surface.
17
1.2.3.2 Optional Tools
Communication options, GPS systems, and other advanced installations require additional
tools:
• Wrench or pliers to tighten the antenna connectors
• Tools for mounting the antenna
• A heat gun (electric or butane)
• Soldering iron (electric or butane)
• Small screwdriver
• Wire cutters
• Wire strippers
• Long‐nose pliers
• Utility knife
• A drill (electric or battery powered)
• Cable tie wraps
• A crimping tool
• A short length of insulated braid
• An extension cord or a small generator for AC power, if butane‐powered soldering irons
and battery‐powered drills are not available

1.2.3.3 Required Supplies
• Mounting hardware, screws, nuts, washers, concrete anchors studs etc (Dependent on
selected mounting method)
• Material to make grounding straps for the unit
• Solder with rosin‐core flux
• An assortment of heat‐shrink tubing, cable tie‐wraps, and electrical tape
18
1.2.3.4 Required Equipment
• A computer running Windows, Linux, or other suitable operating System
• A serial port on the computer in order to access the system console. This may be an
internal serial port or one provided through a USB to serial adapter.
• An Ethernet network interface if you intend to use the networking capabilities
• Kinemetrics’ Console cable (853607) to link a laptop to the unit

1.2.3.5 Optional Equipment
• A battery‐powered digital volt meter (DVM) for system‐checkout functions
• A portable printer, to print tests, configurations, and other commissioning data
• A digital camera, to photograph the completed installations

1.2.4 Practice Assembly
Once you have assembled the tools, supplies, and equipment listed above, we recommend
that you run through a practice assembly following the installation instructions.
Why Practice in the Laboratory/Office?
The connections between all the components mentioned in this manual may appear a bit
complex. They will be even more complex if your first installation attempt is in a remote
field situation where you find that you lack the necessary tools, supplies, or equipment to
make the connections work.
Practice in a well‐supplied, well‐lit laboratory or office when first connecting and setting up
the unit and ancillary equipment. Follow these instructions carefully, step by step, to learn
exactly which tools, supplies and equipment will be needed in the field.
Murphy’s Law provides a further reason for a practice installation:
If anything can go wrong, it will; and Isaac’s Corollary: Murphy was an optimist!
See Unpacking & Inspecting the Unit

1.2.5 Planning your installation
This section discusses recording network setup and operating modes. Networking capabilities
are an important part of this equipment, and should be considered carefully to make sure
that adequate remote access and bandwidth are provided to utilize the real time capabilities
of the digitizer.
19
1.2.5.1 Network Planning
Carefully consider the scientific objectives of the installation when planning the network,
whether it includes one station or a hundred.
The station location, type and position of sensors, and instrument settings all affect the type
of data recorded. Consider local seismic‐noise conditions and the anticipated amplitude of
events being recorded. This will help you correctly set trigger parameters, estimate the
quantity of data expected, and decide how to retrieve the data.
It’s also necessary to plan how to analyze, combine, and archive data, as well as how to service
and maintain the network. Finally, consider how the network will function after a large event,
when mains power and telecommunications might not be available for a considerable time.
Under such circumstances, how do you plan to retrieve and process the network’s data, as
well as continue operating it?

1.2.5.2 Civil Engineering
Before installing the digitizer, plan and construct (if necessary) the housing that will provide
a protective infrastructure for the unit. The exact details of the installation depend on local
conditions, local regulations, and the purposes of the installation.
Except in cases of a rapid emergency deployment of seismic instruments, the digitizer should
be housed in a protective structure. Below are the two typical types of installation settings
and related protective structures. They can be used as rough guidelines for an installation.

1.2.5.3 Free‐Field Installations
In a free‐field accelerograph installation, the digitizer is installed some distance from buildings
in a ʺfree fieldʺ and sheltered by a small, lightweight structure that allows the sensor to sense
acceleration as close as possible to the ʺtrueʺ accelerations of ambient ground motion. In
softer ground sites, because of the soil‐structure interactions during earthquakes, a heavier‐
than‐necessary protective structure could degrade data accuracy.
The structure should also protect the digitizer from weather, direct sunlight, and theft or
vandalism. A ʺtransformer hutʺ made of fiberglass and stainless steel hardware is ideal as
long as it, and the digitizer, are attached to a poured and reinforced concrete pad. If true
hard‐rock site response is desired, anchor this concrete pad to bedrock.
If you are using the digitizer with broadband sensors, it must be placed in a seismic vault
with a pier on which to mount the sensors. This vault will need to not only protect the
instrument, as in the case of the free‐field accelerograph, but also must provide a stable
mounting structure and insulate the sensors from ambient temperature variations. It should
be a low‐noise site for optimal operation. Masts for antennas, GPS, wireless communication
and solar cells should be mounted some distance from the sensor vault to prevent wind‐
induced noise from contaminating the data. Kinemetrics has several application notes that
can help you install a broadband sensor network.
20
Provide the digitizer with a good earth ground. Proper grounding depends greatly on the
humidity of the soil at the site. For average‐humidity soil, an effective earth ground can
be made by wiring the case grounding stud to a 6’‐ to 8’‐long copper rod embedded in the
ground.
If no AC power is available, a solar charging system is required. Refer to the Advanced
Installations section of this manual for more information.
If the digitizer has a GPS system, the GPS antenna will need a suitable mounting mast. A
telephone line, DSL line, or other communication link is required to communicate with the
digitizer remotely.

1.2.5.4 Structural‐Monitoring Installations
In a structural‐monitoring installation, you provide protection to the digitizer by installing
it within an existing building or structure (a bridge, a dam, a high‐rise, etc.). The main
purpose for installing the digitizer in an existing structure is to measure and monitor the
structure’s vibrations in response to ground motion. While some use such installations to
calculate measurements of ʺfree‐fieldʺ seismic motions, the very nature of the structure’s
size and foundation depth cause the acceleration measurements to deviate considerably from
ʺtrue free‐fieldʺ response.
For a structural‐monitoring installation, make sure the space in the structure allows enough
room to mount and service the digitizer, and that the space provides enough protection
so the digitizer and its sensors will not be disturbed or vandalized. Powering the digitizer
requires a mains supply close to the installation point. To connect a modem, a phone line is
also necessary.
As for the digitizer’s optional GPS antenna, carefully plan to locate the antenna close enough
to the digitizer so the supplied GPS cable will reach between the two.
To use multiple sensors mounted around the structure, make a detailed plan of the sensors’
locations and plan how to run the cables between them and the digitizer. To interconnect
digitizers, plan the layout of the interconnecting cables. If possible, run all the cables (sensor
and interconnect) through grounded metal conduit.
All these elements of an installation should be in place before the digitizer itself is installed.

1.2.6 Installing the Digitizer
The unit should be installed preferably in a dry environment protected from direct sunlight
and exposure to standing moisture. The temperature should be within the operating limits
given earlier. The unit should also be protected from animals that may eat cabling and from
vandalism. If an external battery is used it is important it is mounted close to the unit and
exposed to the same temperature conditions so the temperature adjusted charge voltage is
correct. As you perform the installation pay particular attention to the warning below.
21
WARNING: Antenna, Phone, & LAN Cabling. Never install antenna,

telephone, or LAN wiring during electrical storms. Always ensure
adequate separation between antenna cabling, telecom cabling, or LAN
cabling and high voltage wiring. Always perform a safety check on
telecom and LAN wiring to measure the voltage before working on the
wiring. Remember telephone wiring carries fifty (50) to sixty (60) volts
of DC and the ring signal at ninety (90) VAC can deliver a very
uncomfortable shock. Power over Ethernet Cabling can carry DC
voltages of up to 56VDC. To avoid electric shock, do not connect safety
extra‐low voltage (SELV) circuits to telephone‐network voltage (TNV)
circuits. Ethernet LAN ports contain SELV circuits, and some WAN ports
contain TNV circuits. Some LAN and WAN ports both use RJ‐45
connectors. Use caution when connecting cables.

1.2.6.1 Mount the Unit
The unit can be mounted on the:
• Floor
• Shelf
• Wall

Floor‐Mounting: The unit should be placed on a dry floor. It is recommended that the
unit be anchored to the floor using concrete anchors. These can be used to mount the unit
using the slots on the front and rear of the units. The optional external battery should be
mounted in close proximity and can be held with straps anchored by concrete anchors.

Shelf‐Mounting
1. Temporarily place the unit in the correct position. Mark the location of the slots on
the shelf.
2. Drill a hole with a 1/4ʺ (6.4mm) drill through the shelf at three or more locations.
3. Insert 1/4‐20 bolts with washers through the slots from the top and secure underneath
the shelf with washers and nuts.

The optional battery can be mounted on the shelf if it is sufficiently sturdy or on the floor
below the unit.
22
Wall‐Mounting
1. Use a piece of 1” aluminum angle bracket sturdy enough to hold the unit. Attach the
bracket to the unit using the holes on the rear rail.
2. Then attach the bracket to the wall using suitable heavy duty anchors.

Mounting the Obsidian Accelerograph For Obsidians with an internal deck, the unit
must be securely coupled to the ground to accurately record ground motion.
The unit has a single hole through the unit for a ¼‐20 8” threaded stud. To attach the
Obsidian to the mounting surface, use the mounting kit shipped with the recorder. It
includes a heavy‐duty wedge type expansion anchor stud with 1/4‐20 thread, a tool to set
the anchor, a flat washer, and a nut. The following figures show the details of such an
installation.
CAUTION: Invalid data. Obsidians with internal EpiSensor decks must
be securely floor‐mounted to ensure the acceleration levels of the actual
structure are measured.
Anchor the recorder unit to a concrete floor if possible. Be sure that each of the recorder’s
leveling feet are screwed into place and extending less than ¼” from the bottom of the unit.
The locking nuts should be loosened.
1. Move the recorder gently to one side.
2. Locate where you plan to put the recorder, keeping in mind necessary working space.
With the recorder mounted with connectors facing forward, you should allow 10”
(254mm) clearance to the rear, front, and left. You should allow 15” (375mm) clearance
to the right.
3. Use a drill with a 3/8ʺ (9.5 mm) bit, and drill into the concrete to a depth slightly
deeper than the length of the anchor (1” or 25.4mm). A percussion or hammer drill
will make this procedure much easier. You should follow all recommended safety pre‐
cautions when using power tools and we recommend you wear safety glasses during
the installation procedure. (Using the anchor set tool as a depth gage can make this
easier. Mark the thick end with a piece of tape at the depth of the stud – check the
hole depth with this.)

Figure 3: Drilling Mounting Hole
23
4. Make sure you clean out the hole after drilling it. (Using a flexible drinking straw
works very well for this, but make sure you don’t blow dust in your eyes!)
5. Set the anchor using the anchor set tool. Place the anchor in the hole. The top should
be flush with the floor. Place the thin end of the anchor set vertically into the anchor.
Strike with a hammer until the shoulder of the anchor set tool is flush with the top of
the anchor.

Figure 4: Installing Anchor

6. Screw the 8” stud into the anchor.
24
CAUTION: The 8” stud is a potential safety hazard, so do not leave it
sticking up in the air!

Figure 5: Anchor Stud Installed

7. Center the Obsidian over the stud and lower its mounting hole down over the protruding
stud.
8. Place the flat washer onto the stud. Then screw the nut onto the stud without tight‐
ening.
9. Make sure the Obsidian is oriented in the correct direction before you proceed with
Step 11.
10. Look at the bubble level window while you carefully adjust each of the Obsidian’s three
leveling feet in or out. When you can see the air bubble centered in the bubble level
window with all three leveling feet resting on the mounting pad, the recorder is level.
11. Tighten the locking nuts on the leveling feet.
12. Carefully maintain both the Obsidian’s level and its orientation as you tighten down
the anchor nut to hold the recorder firmly in place. Use a torque of 80‐100 inch‐lbs
(9.2‐10.2 Nm) to tighten the nut.
25
Figure 6: Mounted to the Floor
The unit is now firmly attached to the ground.
Grounding the Unit
All users should complete this procedure. You must provide the digitizer with a good,
low‐impedance earth ground before operating it for the following reasons:

• To shunt ESD transients, lightning‐induced transients and EMI/RFI transients to
ground.
• To meet the requirements of the European Community’s EMI/RFI directives.
Determine what earth ground you will connect the digitizer to. A good earth ground includes
the following:
• a metal plumbing pipe that is eventually buried in the ground
• a copper ground rod staked in soil
• a well engineered electrical grounding system, or
• steel reinforcing rods that protrude from a concrete foundation.
26
Prepare the conductor you plan to use to connect the unit to the earth ground. For the
conductor, you should at least use a heavy‐gauge wire or, better yet, a copper strap or
copper braid.
Connect this conductor to the unit’s case grounding bolt on the left center of the front rail.
Then connect the other end of the conductor/grounding strap to the selected earth ground.

NOTE: If the digitizer is powered by the optional PSA, the third pin
(earth connection) of the PSA AC plug provides the safety ground. To
ensure the unit’s low noise performance, you must still connect the
digitizer’s grounding stud to a good earth ground as described above.

Mount the Sensors The sensors that will be attached to the unit should be mounted
according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Systems equipped with Kinemetrics sensors
will be provided with the sensor operating manual which will describe how the sensor should
be mounted. The cable from the sensor to the digitizer should be installed at this time.

Mount the GPS Antenna (when using the internal GPS) The GPS Antenna should be
mounted following the directions below:
Mounting the MiniMag Antenna
The MiniMag Antenna (P/N 110905‐PL, GPS 5 Meter, MiniMag) should only be used for
extended testing in the lab or brief testing in the field, as it is not very environmentally
robust. It can be used for long periods when protected in a fiberglass hut, when no external
antenna mast is desired. Mount the antenna by placing it on a flat surface within 5 meters
of the Rock+ Digitizer. Make sure the antenna has a good view of the sky, without any
obstruction from large buildings or trees.
Mounting a Bullet Antenna
The bullet antenna is the preferred antenna for the majority of installations. The antenna
has a 3/4ʺ NPT adapter for use with standard pipe fittings.
27
Figure 7: Bullet Antenna
28
Figure 8: Bullet Antenna Connector

To mount the antenna, run the antenna cable down through the pipe. Plan the installation
so that the cable from the antenna to the Rock+ Digitizer no longer than the Cable length
(25 or 50 meters). Like the MiniMag antenna, the bullet antenna requires a good view of
the sky, without obstruction from large buildings or trees.
The bullet antenna comes screwed onto one end of a 3/4ʺ‐diameter NPT adapter pipe (which
threads into standard pipe fittings). Within the adapter, the antenna is joined to a TNC
connector on one end of a 25‐meter or 50‐meter coaxial cable. As shown in the bullet antenna
illustration, the other end of the cable has a BNC connector. When the antenna’s mounting
post is installed with a female NPT adapter at the end, the NPT adapter should screw
snugly into the female adapter.

CAUTION: The 3V Bullet Antennas supplied with the Rock+ and Q330
Products should not be used with the Altus Product line as this uses 5V
Bullet Antennas and the antennas can be damaged. Using an Altus 5V
antenna and cable with a Rock+ digitizer will result in poor GPS
performance and possible loss of timing. Kinemetrics 5V Bullet
Antennas use a Type F connector in the Antenna rather that the TNC
connector illustrated above.
If the GPS system will operate in an area at high risk for lightning
strikes, consider installing a lightning protector on the GPS antenna.
Kinemetrics offers a lightning protector device (P/N 109457‐PL). See
Section Installing Optional GPS Lightning Protection

Connect the GPS Antenna The GPS antenna Cable can now be connected to the Digitizer
using the BNC to TNC adapter on the Front panel.
29
Connect the GPS Engine/Antenna TheGPS engine/antenna Cable can now be con‐
nected to the digitizer. Run the longer cable assembly from the P/N 111859 cables kit to
the digitizer at the connector marked EXT GPS. Connect the other end to the RJ‐45 end
CAT‐5 cable that was previously connected to the GPS engine/antenna.

Configure the Timing Source The Timing Source of the digitizer defaults to the internal
GPS.
After making the selection, remember to save and apply the changes.

Connect the Ethernet Connection The digitizer can now be connected to the Local Area
Network using the Ethernet Cable. The RJ45 plug from this cable should be inserted into
a suitable Ethernet switch to make the connection. As the digitizer is a 10 Base‐T device
it is better to connect to a switch than to a hub. The connection can also be made to a Router
or other Ethernet based communication device. If directly connecting to a Laptop or PC a
crossover adapter will be required.

Connecting the Optional Communication Interfaces The optional communication
options can now be connected appropriately.

Connecting the Sensors to the Digitizer Rock+ Digitizers are designed to accommodate
Kinemetrics Strong Motion Sensors, Broadband Sensors, and a variety of other sensors. This
section provides details on connecting the sensors, the electrical characteristics of the
digitizer inputs, and the use of the calibration, control, and power available on the sensor
connectors.
Order of Sensor Connections
The units are designed to allow you to easily connect to different sensors and to reconfigure
the unit for different task by changing cables and external terminal boards. Kinemetrics
provides a variety of cabling solutions for both new installations but also to allow retrofitting
older installations with the capability of the Rock+ Digitizer. The sections below explain
how to connect various units to the different digitizer applications.
Physical to Virtual Channel Mapping
To make life easier the Rock+ recorders can map their physical channels to virtual channels
to allow easier grouping of the sensors. This allows the order the channels are recorded and
displayed to be more logical for your application. So we can group all the Tri‐axial sensors
together for example. In the tables below we give the physical connection to the Rock+
digitizer and our suggested virtual channel mapping.
Triaxial Connection Convention
To ensure compatibility with the Q330 and other weak motion recording we are using the
Z (Up) N (North) E (East) (ZNE) convention when connecting tri‐axial seismometers or
accelerometers to Rock+ Instruments. If you build your own cables or use the terminal
30
blocks you can obviously chose another convention. However, as the Rock+ instruments
can map physical channels to any virtual channel we would suggest you adopt this physical
wiring convention and use mapping to get the order of channels you prefer.
Obsidian 4X Connections or a 4 Channel Digitizer Block
If you have a Obsidian 4X or a block of 4 channels left on a Multi‐Channel recorder you can
connect the following combinations:
• 4 Uniaxial Sensors
• 1 Triaxial & 1 Uniaxial Sensor
As shown in the table below:
Rock+ Physical Channel 4 Uniaxial Sensors 1 Triaxial, 1 Uniaxial
Sensors & Virtual Channel Map Sensors & Virtual Channel Map
1 U1 V1 T1Z V1
2 U2 V2 T1N V2
3 U3 V3 T1E V3
4 U4 V4 U1 V4
In the table “U” stands for a Uniaxial sensor, while TiZ, TiN, TiE are the three components
of the “ith” Triaxial sensor.
Obsidian 8X Connections or an 8 Channel Digitizer Block
If you have an Obsidian 8X or a block of 8 channels left on a Multi‐Channel recorder you
can connect the following combinations:
• 1 Triaxial & 5 Uniaxial Sensors
• 2 Triaxial & 2 Uniaxial Sensors
As shown in the table below:
Rock+ Physical Channel 8 Uniaxial Sensors 1 Triaxial, 5 Uniaxial 2 Triaxial, 2 Uniaxial
Sens/Virt Sens/Virt Sens/Virt
1 U1 V1 T1Z V1 T1Z V1

2 U2 V2 T1N V2 T1N V2
3 U3 V3 T1E V3 T1E V3
4 U4 V4 U1 V4 U1 V7
5 U5 V5 U2 V5 T2Z V4
6 U6 V6 U3 V6 T2N V5
7 U7 V7 U4 V7 T2E V6
8 U8 V8 U5 V8 U2 V8
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Multi‐Channel recorder 12 Channel Block connections
To connect your sensors you need to think of the recorder as divided into blocks of 12 channels
as we have designed the cabling and terminal boards to work as 12 channel groups. Thus a
12 Channel Multi‐Channel recorder has one block, a 24 Channel Multi‐Channel recorder two
blocks, and a 36 Channel Multi‐Channel recorder three blocks. If you have a non‐standard
Multi‐Channel recorder you will have either an 8 channel block or a 4 channel block left
over. These channels can be connected as shown above.
The table below shows how we can connect the following selection of sensors to a 12 channel
block:
• 1 Triaxial and 9 Uniaxial sensors
• 2 Triaxial and 6 Uniaxial sensors
• 3 Triaxial and 3 Uniaxial sensors OR
• 4 Triaxial Sensors

Physical Channel 12 Uniaxial 1 Triax, 9 Unis 2 Triax,6 Unis 3 Triax,3 Unis 4 Triax
Sens/Virt Sens/Virt Sens/Virt Sens/Virt Sens/Virt
1 U1 V1 T1Z V1 T1Z V1 T1Z V1 T1Z V1
2 U2 V2 T1N V2 T1N V2 T1N V2 T1N V2
3 U3 V3 T1E V3 T1E V3 T1E V3 T1E V3
4 U4 V4 U1 V4 U1 V4 U1 V10 T2Z V10
5 U5 V5 U2 V5 T2Z V5 T2Z V4 T2N V4
6 U6 V6 U3 V6 T2N V6 T2N V5 T2E V5
7 U7 V7 U4 V7 T2E V7 T2E V6 T3Z V6
8 U8 V8 U5 V8 U2 V8 U2 V11 T3N V11
9 U9 V9 U6 V9 U3 V9 T3Z V7 T3E V7
10 U10 V10 U7 V10 U4 V10 T3N V8 T4Z V8
11 U11 V11 U8 V11 U5 V11 T3E V9 T4N V9
12 U12 V12 U9 V12 U6 V12 U3 V12 T4E V12
The table below shows an example of a Multi‐Channel recorder with a Broadband Sensor
and the other channels used for 2 or 3 Triaxial sensors and other environmental sensors
such as pressure and temperature sensors. Generally only one broadband sensor would be
32
connected at a given location. Obviously, for testing or other purposes multiple Broadband
sensors can be connected.
Physical Channel BB, 2 Triax, Aux Sensors Virt Ch Map BB, 3 Triax Virt Ch Map
1 VBBZ V1 VBBZ V1

2 VBBN V2 VBBN V2
3 VBBE V3 VBBE V3
4 SEN1 V10 T4Z V10
5 T1Z V4 T2Z V4
6 T1N V5 T2N V5
7 T1E V6 T2E V6
8 SEN2 V11 T4N V11
9 T2Z V7 T3Z V7
10 T2N V8 T3N V8
11 T2E V9 T3E V9
12 SEN2 V12 T4E V12
Contiguous Channels for 4 Tri‐axial Sensors when using terminal boards
When using Digitizers with terminal boards and ES‐T’s or older tri‐axial sensors with discrete
wiring terminated on site it is also possible to connect four tri‐axial sensors so that it is not
necessary to use a virtual channel map to get the channels in order. This is shown below
where we have also illustrated using a tri‐axial sensor with the L, V, T configuration that
is used in legacy installations. Here the first two sensors are powered from the first board,
with the others powered from boards 2 and 3 as illustrated below.

Physical Channel 2 Triax Contiguous on Terminal Boards

Sensors Virtual Channel Map
1 T1L (Power) V1
2 T1V V2
3 T1T V3
4 T2L (Power) V4
5 T2V V5
6 T2T V6
7 T3L (Power) V7
8 T3V V8
9 T3T V9
10 T4L (Power) V10
11 T4V V11
12 T4T V12
Sensor Cabling
The sensor cabling should provide individual connections to each sensor we suggest each
sensor has a separate cable terminating at the connector. Cabling where power and ground
33
connections as shared between multiple sensors often results in degraded system performance.
Cabling should also meet all local and National wiring codes. Kinemetrics can supply plenum
rated cable when required by code.
Standard Cables
Kinemetrics supplies cables for connecting Rock+ Digitizers to the full range of Kinemetrics
and Streckeisen sensors. Other cables are also available including generic pigtail arrange‐
ments. Cables are also available to connect dual supply sensors to the unit with military
connectors and to connect a tri‐axial package to three 4th Channel Single Input connectors.
Contact Kinemetrics for information on your specific cabling needs. If you wish to construct
your own cables the Hardware Reference section and the details on the External Three
Channel Sensor Interface and the External 4th Channel Single Input Sensor Connector will
provide the pin outs and information you require.
Connecting Sensors using the Four Channel Terminal Board
The terminal board is designed to allow configuration of multi‐channel structural monitoring
systems where large number of sensors need to be connected in a centralized system. The
cables from the sensors can be simply terminated in the enclosure and then stripped with a
wire stripper and inserted into the appropriate terminal location. This solution is also ideal
for setting up temporary experiments when the terminal blocks allow quick reconfiguration
of the experiment. The only caveat is that these terminal blocks need to be protected within
a building or enclosure.
The terminal block is available in two versions the ‐01 and ‐02 versions for dual and single
supply sensors respectively.
Dual Supply Four Channel Terminal Board (‐01)
The dual supply unit includes a power supply that provides +/‐12V power at up to 80mA
per rail. This power is derived from the switched power connection on the sensor connection
and is derived from the DC power input to the Digitizer. Ensure that the total current
requirement of all sensors added to a board is less than 80mA per rail.
The connections on the Rock+ Terminal Strip (‐01 Version) are shown below. Each terminal
strip supports the installation of up to four uniaxial dual supply sensors. To obtain the
best high resolution performance we strongly recommend that the units are configured with
differential outputs. A 5V Full Scale Differential Output represents a good compromise
between noise performance and allowable cable length in a structural monitoring system.
The input sensitivity is software configurable within the digitizer.
10 Pin Connections for Dual +/‐12V Sensors (‐01 Version)
34
Pin Net Name Label Description
1 CHX + CH+ Channel X Positive Input

2 CHX ‐ CH‐ Channel X Negative Input
3 CHXGND CGND Channel X Ground & Shield (ISO AGND ‐ CGNB on some units)
4 CAL X CAL Calibration Signal
5 CENB X CENB Calibration Enable
6 AGND COM Connects to ADC Isolated Ground ‐ Common
7 AGND COM Connects to ADC Isolated Ground ‐ Common
8 +12VA +12V Positive 12V Supply to Sensors
9 ‐12VA ‐12V Negative 12V Supply to Sensors
10 PGP PGP Case and Shield Ground
The connections are the same on each of the four channel groups. The calibration enable
supports Kinemetrics ES‐U2’s, ES‐U’s, and FBA‐11 sensors. [Note: The terminal blocks can
also be used to connect Tri‐axial sensors and this is discussed in a separate section.] The
Calibration Signal and the enable pulse are separate connections on J4 (Group 4) (they are
common on J1, J2, & J3.) to allow calibration of Tri‐axial sensors but this does not affect
the electrical connections or use of the signals with Uniaxial sensors.
Legacy sensors such as the FBA‐1 and FBA‐13 require an additional calibration interface
box to produce functional tests with Rock+ digitizers.
The figure below shows the suggested connection of four ESU‐2s using four shielded twisted
pair cable with an overall shield.
35
Figure 9: Dual Supply Terminal Board (‐01 Version)
36

The figure below shows the suggested connections to a four shielded pair cable with no overall
shield. Although an overall shield is preferred many structural installations require the use
of plenum rated cable and this figure is compatible with this cabling. It is also compatible with
Kinemetrics 503536 Pigtails used in structural installations with ES‐U2s, ES‐Us, and FBA‐11
sensors.
37
Figure 10: Dual Supply Terminal Board (w/ Cable)
38
The single supply unit provides a switched power circuit from the input voltage to the
Digitizer. This is the raw input power without any additional regulation so it is important
that the sensor can operate from this voltage and will not be damaged. If the Kinemetrics
power supply is used the nominal voltage will be 15.5V when AC is present and a nominal
12V from an attached valve regulated lead acid battery (VRLA) when AC power is lost.
The power has a 500mA resetting polymer fuse on the line to limit the current drawn by
the sensor. The Calibration Enable Signal is a 5V logic signal with a low of <0.4VDC and
a high of >4.4 VDC.
The connections on the Rock+ Terminal Strip configured for single supply Uniaxial sensors
(‐02 Version) are shown below. Each terminal strip supports the installation of up to four
uniaxial single supply sensors. To obtain the best high resolution performance we strongly
recommend that the units are configured with differential outputs. A 5V Full Scale Differ‐
ential Output represents a good compromise between noise performance and allowable cable
length in a structural monitoring system. The input sensitivity is software configurable
within the digitizer.
12 Pin Connections for Single Supply Sensors

Pin Label Description
1 CH+ Channel X Positive Input
2 CH‐ Channel X Negative Input
3 CGND Channel X Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
4 CAL Calibration Signal
5 CENB Calibration Enable
6 COM Connects to ADC Isolated Ground
7 VRTN System Power Return
8 VSYS System Power to Sensor
10 PGP Case and Sheild Ground
11 VOW One Wire Sensor Device Power
12 DOW One Wire Sensor Data X
The connections are the same on each of the four channel groups (J1,J2,J3,J4). The Cal‐
ibration Signal and the enable pulse are separate connections on J4 (Group 4) (they are
common on J1, J2, & J3.) to allow calibration of Tri‐axial sensors but this does not affect
the electrical connections or use of the signals with Uniaxial sensors. The figure below shows
the suggested connection of four single supply ESU‐2s using four shielded twisted pair cable
with an overall shield and with four twisted pairs only. (Note only single supply ES‐U2’s
manufactured after December 2009 should be used with the Rock+ 15.5VDC supply older
ES‐U2’s and ES‐U’s should use a regulated 12V supplied either to the Digitizer or separately
to the sensor.)
39
Figure 11: Single Supply Terminal Board (‐02 Version)
Wiring Terminal Boards
The terminal boards consist of fixed terminal blocks on the board and removable plugs with
identification labels. Removing these plugs while completing the wiring makes this much
easier. It also allows the digitizer to be removed or replaced without disconnecting all the
wiring! Make all connections by stripping ~1/2ʺ of insulation from each wire and neatly
twisting the bare copper strands together. Then, insert each wire into the terminals at the
correct location and tighten the screw. The terminal plugs can then be‐reinserted into the
correct location on the terminal board.
Connecting ES‐Ts and Tri‐axial Sensors to Terminal Boards
Tri‐axial units should be connected to terminal boards in one of the configuration described
in the previous sections. With a Triaxial unit the first channel to be connected should be used
to make the additional connections including the power, calibration signal, and calibration
control. When connecting the fourth (or second) tri‐axial unit to a 12 channel group the
first channel connects to physical channel 4 for the signal, power, calibration signal, and
calibration control. Thus two triaxial sensors are powered from the first Terminal Board’s
ADC. (The ‐01 Option’s 2 Watt converter provides sufficient power for two ES‐T’s configured
40
as 5V differential output sensors.) The remaining two sensors are powered from the second
and third four channel group.

Functional Test Sequence The functional test feature sends a calibration sequence from
the digitizer to the sensor. The size, duration and shape of the resulting record depend on
several factors, including the sensor type, sensitivity, and voltage range as well as the
particular sensor script selected.
For example, a 4g EpiSensor ES‐T or an Obsidian with a 4g internal deck set for a +/‐ 5V
range will produce the following calibration result using the “EpiSensorFS” calibration
script:

Figure 12: Basic Functional Test

The duration of the calibration sequence also depends on several factors. In this example,
the duration of the test record will be set primarily by the calibration script (20 seconds for
the “EpiSensorFS” script), plus the pre‐event and post‐event time (3 seconds and 10 seconds
respectively in this example), plus one second. This gives a total expected record duration
of 34 seconds (20+3+10+1).

General Sensor Interfacing Considerations The following general considerations ap‐
ply to connecting sensors to Rock+ digitizers:
48
Analog Inputs
The inputs to the Rock+ digitizers are differential inputs with a nominal 102.4kD differential
input impedance they can be configured via the software for three input ranges:
1. 20V Peak (40 Vpp) differential input – Signal Swings from +10V on +Input and ‐10V
on –Input to ‐10V on +Input and +10V on –Input. This range is compatible with most
Broadband Seismometers and ES‐T sensors set with a high gain differential output.
2. 5V Peak (10Vpp) differential input – Signal Swings from +2.5V on +Input and ‐2.5V
on –Input to ‐2.5V on +Input and +2.5V on –Input. This range is compatible with ES‐
U’s, ES‐U2’s and ES‐T sensors set with a low gain differential output. It represents a
good compromise for structural monitoring systems.
3. 2.5V Peak (5Vpp) differential input – Signal Swings from +1.25V on +Input and ‐
1.25V on –Input to ‐1.25V on +Input and +1.25V on –Input. This range will work
with older generation single ended 2.5V output sensors such as FBA‐11’s, FBA‐23’s
and EpiSensors that cannot be easily re‐configured. This range can also be used to
provide a x8 pre‐amplifier function for sensors with a 20V Peak output.
As the unit has a differential input it can accommodate a common mode signal on the
inputs. The common mode signal has a 1 MD resistor on each lead to the system ground to
tie floating systems to the correct operating range. Common mode voltages should generally
be kept to no more than a few volts so as not to limit the input signal levels.
Calibrator Output
The Rock+ Digitizers have an individual calibrator system on each of their ADC/DSP
boards. The calibrator output is provided as a +/‐2.5V single ended signal generated from
a 16 bit DAC. The output voltage is calibrated during the factory set up with a digital
scale factor to accurately produce +/‐2.5V at the Full Scale DAC setting. The output current
is limited to 5mA at 2.5V and the voltage output passes through a 40D resistor to prevent
overload if the calibration output is accidentally shorted. The calibration signal is only
applied to the external lines when the appropriate calibration relay is enabled; this
prevents unwanted interactions from occurring with sensors when calibration is not active.
On a four channel board two relay calibration output connections are provided. The first is
for channels 1, 2, and 3, while a separate connection is provided for channel 4 calibration.
This allows a passive (moving coil) seismometer to be connected to channel 4 and calibrated
separately from a three channel active sensor connected to channels 1, 2, and 3 and for
different calibration sequences to be applied to the two sensors. It also allows calibration
signals to be driven to two ES‐T’s connected to one calibrator by staggering the calibrations.
The DAC can be programmed to provide:
• Simple Pulses
• Sine waves of a given frequency and amplitude
• Pseudo Random White Noise
49
• Pseudo Random Binary Sequences
Control Signals
The calibrator can also control up to four logical outputs that can be used to control the
calibration enable and other sensor control lines. For example the mass re‐centering or
locking control lines on a broad band seismometer. The four sensor control bits are standard
ACT CMOS outputs driving between 0 and 5.1V with a current of up to 24mA the low
level will be <0.4V and the high level >4.4V. The active state to enable the cal coil in the
EpiSensor, for example is logic 1 or high at about ~5V. There are 830 ohm resistors in series
with the outputs for short circuit protection.
Calibration Control and Calibration Scripts
The functions described above are programmed by individual low level commands sent to
control the various relays, control bits, or DAC. These commands have been written into
individual calibration scripts that are selected for each channel group for the most commonly
used sensors. If you wish to write your own script or connect a sensor that does not have a
calibration script contact Kinemetrics.
Calibration Signals when using four EpiSensors on a 12‐Channel Group
When four triaxial EpiSensors ES‐T’s are connected to a 12 channel group the fourth ES‐
T receives its power and calibration signals from the Channel 4 physical connection. It is
important that the unit is configured so that the calibration sequence is applied first to the
sensor connected to Channel 1, 2, and 3 and then to the sensor connected to Channel 4.
This is because an individual DAC cannot apply sufficient current to the calibration coils
of 6 EpiSensor axes at the same time. Instead the calibration is applied to the ES‐T on
Physical Channel 4 after the other three have received the calibration signal. This is set in
the System Operation section of the web interface by selecting “EpiSensor‐4on3” for each
sensor group and applying the changes to the unit.
This same approach should be used for four EpiSensors connected sequentially on a terminal
board. In this case the second sensor receives it’s calibration from the Channel 4 Physical
connection. And the calibration sequence will show sensors 1, 3 and 4 with a calibration
pulse followed by sensor 2. Again this is set in the System Operation section of the web
interface by selecting “EpiSensor‐4on3” for each sensor group and applying the changes to
the unit.

Connecting the Optional External Battery
WARNING: Fire or explosion hazard. Do not install a non‐rechargeable
battery to be charged by the unit. Only install a sealed lead acid bat‐
tery with specifications compatible with those above. Other types of
Lead Acid battery should not be used as the temperature corrected
charging voltage is set for SLA batteries only. On no account install
an alternative battery chemistry such as Lithium Ion or Nickel Metal
Hydride!
50
If you store a Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery, you should still charge it every six to nine
months to prevent permanent loss of capacity. You can float‐charge the battery at 13.5‐13.8V
or cycle‐charge the battery, provided the current is limited appropriately and the voltage to
less than 14.7V. When the voltage reaches 14.7V, the battery will be damaged unless you
convert the cycle charging to float charging. Kinemetrics ships batteries fully charged; make
sure a battery is still fully charged before installing it.
Battery Installation
Follow the instructions below to install the external battery.

WARNING: Burn or explosion hazard. Never place metallic
objects (such as a screwdriver or your wristwatch strap) across the
terminals of a battery. The metal terminals can get very hot. Handle
batteries with care, and do not drop them or attempt to take them apart.
Recycle used batteries, or dispose of them in accordance with local
regulations. Do not throw used batteries onto a fire.

CAUTION: Before installing the new battery make sure it is fully
charged. If the battery is uncharged, the unit will charge it, but this can
take some time — and if AC power is lost, the unit’s power autonomy
will be reduced.

To install an external battery:
1. Ensure the power cable is disconnected from all power sources and the unit.
2. Connect the negative terminal of the battery to the black wire.
3. Connect the positive terminal of the battery to the red wire.
4. Connect the power cable to the power connector on the unit and ensure the unit turns
on under battery power.
5. Proceed to connect the PSA and check that the unit switches to this power source.

NOTE: An external battery should not be used with a system powered
by a Power Over Ethernet (POE) connection.
51
Connecting the Power Supply The unit optionally includes a wide‐input DC power
supply assembly which connects to a standard AC outlet. Some systems are shipped with
External Charging systems that are provided with separate operating instructions.

CAUTION: Using the wrong power supply unit with the unit can per‐
manently damage its circuit boards. Do not attach any power supply
assembly to the digitizer other than the one supplied by Kinemetrics
unless it exactly matches the voltage and current ratings required for the
digitizer. Older Altus power supplies are not compatible with Rock+
digitizers.
Before plugging in the PSA:
• Make sure that the AC outlet is properly wired.
• Find out if the local AC power is subject to interruption, brownouts, or spikes. If it
is, plug a suitable surge suppresser into the AC outlet. (Strongly recommended!)
Then do the following:
1. Plug the PSA into the AC power outlet or surge suppressor. (Users outside the U.S.
must use an adapter or an appropriate IEC line cord with the correct AC plug.)
2. Push the 12‐socket power connector into the digitizer’s POWER & BATTERY con‐
nector and twist the rotating shell until it locks.

NOTE: The PSA automatically adjusts for line voltages from 90 to 260
VAC (either 50 or 60Hz) without user intervention.

Connect a laptop or equivalent to the console port The digitizer should now be
connected to a Laptop or PC using the console port. (A serial to USB connector may be
required.) The initial set‐up of the device can now be performed over this serial link as
described in the Initial Setup in the next section.
52

Chapter 2
System Overview
This system gives an overview of the Rock+ digitizer system and the various components
that are included in the system. This explains some of the operational features and will give
other information that will allow you to understand the many capabilities of the system. A
Rock+ Digitizer typically includes the following subsystems:
• Intelligent power supply
◦ DC power input
◦ Internal supercapacitor array
◦ External battery interface
◦ Temperature sensor
◦ Humidity sensor
◦ Power system control processor
• Main processor System
◦ Processor
* Linux Operating System
* Boot Loader
* Java Virtual Machine
* RockHound Software
◦ On‐board RAM
◦ Console port
◦ Ethernet Communications
◦ Serial Communication Interfaces
◦ USB Host and Device Interfaces
◦ POTS Modem Interface
53
2.1. INTELLIGENT POWER SUPPLY CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
◦ Time/IO Interfaces for Switched Power and 1PPS
◦ Primary SDHC card for firmware
◦ Secondary SDHC card for data
◦ GPS Timing Module & Disciplined Oscillator
• One or more four channel high resolution analog to digital converters and supporting
circuitry
◦ Individual DSP
◦ C++ DSP Code
◦ Isolated DC/DC Power supply for Analog Section
◦ Isolation Barrier to Analog Section
◦ Four Delta Sigma ADC Converters
◦ Adjustable Gain Input Stages
◦ Mass position/Auxiliary ADC
◦ Calibration and Control Processor
• One or More External Sensor Input Boards
◦ Military Style Converters
◦ EMI/RFI and Transient Protection Circuitry
◦ Calibration and Sensor Control Signal Outputs
• Optional Internal Sensor Deck (Obsidian only):
◦ ±2g/1g EpiSensor Deck (±4g/2g Optional)
◦ Powered from Unit Power

2.1 Intelligent Power Supply
The intelligent power supply subsystem is an important part of the reliability and proper
functionality of your system. The power supply subsystem provides the following features:
• Supercapacitor backup
• Battery charging
• Reversed input and overvoltage protection
• Sequenced start up
54
CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW 2.1. INTELLIGENT POWER SUPPLY
• Sequenced shut down
• Communication with the user via status LEDs
• Magnetic switch
• Temperature monitoring
• Humidity monitoring
• Timed operation windows
• Parameteric operation protection
• System watchdog
• Digital input/output
In general, the power supply subsystem takes input from system power sources and converts
them into the supply voltages necessary to operate the system. In addition to this primary
task, the power supply subsystem also monitors system current usage, voltage levels, tem‐
peratures and other parameters to assure that the system is operating correctly and within
operational limits. Under some circumstances, the power supply subsystem may inhibit start
up of the system in order to protect the hardware. This system basically ensures the safety
of the remainder of the Rock+ digitizer.

2.1.1 Supercapacitor Backup
The power supply subsystem utilizes a supercapacitor array to provide backup power to the
processor. This is important to assure proper shut down of the operating system in the
event that external power is lost. The supercapacitor array will be charged when power
is first applied and before the system is allowed to operate. The process of charging the
supercapacitor array can take up to a few minutes depending on the capacity of the array
and how much energy is already stored.

2.1.2 Battery Charging
The power supply subsystem includes a battery charging feature that can float‐charge a
Sealed Lead‐Acid battery. The battery charging system will attempt to keep a battery at
full charge, so that the system can continue to operate from the battery when external power
has been lost.
Special considerations for battery charging include:

• External power limits: The battery will only be charged when external power is at or
above 14.8VDC, regardless of source.
55
• Temperature limits: The battery will only be charged between 0 and +40 degrees C.
This prevents shortening battery life due to charging at extreme temperatures.
• Temperature compensated charging: The charging voltage is adjusted with unit tem‐
perature to ensure optimum battery life.
• Pulse Charging: Below 9VDC, the battery is assumed to be ʺdeeply dischargedʺ, and
the battery charger will attempt to charge the battery using a 10% duty cycle pulse
charge.
• Battery drop‐out: If operating off of battery and battery voltage reaches 10.75VDC,
the system will shut down, thus preventing deep discharge of the battery.
• Battery operational limits: Operation from battery is recommended only between ‐15
and +50 degrees C. Beyond these limits, the system will continue to operate, but will
indicate a fault.

2.1.2.1 Reversed Input and Overvoltage Protection
The system will protect against a reversed battery and will report the battery voltage as
negative on the appropriate state‐of‐health channel. The reversed battery is also indicated
as a flag indication in the state‐of‐health data. The system can continue to operate with
reversed battery, but cannot operate from the reversed battery as it’s only power source and
will not attempt to charge it.

2.1.3 Sequenced Start Up
The system will perform a sequenced power up when power is applied to the system. The
sequence is to assure proper start up of the processor. The system start up sequence is
approximately as follows:
• Perform initial start up delays to avoid system ʺmotorboatingʺ
• Charge the supercapacitor array
• Assure that external power sources and other operating parameters are within limits
• Start the processor
• Load and start the analog to digital sections

NOTE: Supercapacitor and battery charging circuits are indepen‐
dently controlled
56
2.1.4 Sequenced Shut Down
The system also controls sequenced power down when the system has been commanded off,
or when all sources of external power have been lost. If external power has been lost, the
power supply will perform the following steps after having automatically started running off
of the supercapacitor power:
• Turn off the supercapacitor charging circuit
• Turn off the battery charging circuit
• Notify processor that shut down is imminent, killing all processes
• Wait for residual boost voltage low, processor to acknowledge shut down, or shut down
timeout to expire
• Shut off the processor
When commanded to power down (not due to power loss), the power supply will perform
the following steps:
• The processor will be notified that a ʺslowʺ shut down is required through the power
supply status flags, and the processor will have up to 15 minutes to terminate appli‐
cations.
• The power supply will monitor power loss, processor shut down acknowledge, or com‐
pletion of the 15 minute timeout and may then transition to the sequenced shut down
described above.

2.1.5 Communication with the User Via Status LEDs
The power supply indicates its state of operation to the user through its LEDs:

Power:
• OFF ‐ No power
• Steady Green ‐ Waiting to Power up, Running off of external power or POE (Power
Over Ethernet)
• Infrequent Green ‐ Running off of battery
• Orange ‐ Supercapacitor is being charged
• Flashing Red ‐ Power system fault
• Alternating Red and Green ‐ The system is shutting down
57
2.1.6 Magnetic Switch
The magnetic switch is located above and to the right of the Modem connector. The magnetic
switch is located directly behind the seal screw. The switch is used to start up and shut
down the unit without use of a physical power switch.
The unit has no power switch. When power is connected, the unit’s default behavior is to
power up and begin operation. When power is removed, the applications and operating
system will shut down and the unit will turn off.
Briefly touching a strong magnet near the magnetic switch location allows the user to affect
this default behavior as follows:

• When Running ‐ The magnetic switch causes the unit to shut down and go into a 12
hour timed operation window. If power remains connected, the unit will restart
operation in 12 hours.
• When not running (in a timed window) ‐ The magnetic switch will terminate the
window and will cause the unit to start operating.

There are other functions of the magnetic switch used in conjunction with diagnostic func‐
tions.

2.1.7 Temperature Monitoring
The power supply system monitors system temperature through use of a built‐in temperature
sensor. The temperature is used as an operating limit for system operation and battery
charging, as well as being sent to the processor as state‐of‐health data. Temperature limits
are defined as:
• Operating (from DC): ‐20 to +60 OC Operation (optional ‐30 to +70OC)
• Operating (from Battery): ‐15 to +50 OC
• Battery charging: 0 to +40 OC

2.1.8 Humidity Monitoring
When equipped with the humidity sensor, the power supply system monitors system humid‐
ity within the case through use of a built‐in humidity sensor. The measured relative humidity
is used as an operating limit for system operation, as well as being sent to the processor as
state‐of‐health data. Maximum operating humidity is 80% relative humidity, but any rise
above 50% indicates either that the desiccant is exhausted or needs to be replaced, and/or
that the case is leaking and is in a damp environment. In both cases, service is required.
58
2.1.9 Timed Operation Windows
The power supply subsystem supports timed operation windows. The processor can set the
power supply’s real time clock, then set a time that the system should power back on (a time
that the processor should be turned on), and then the system can be shut down. Assuming
that enough power is maintained to keep the real time clock running, the system will power
up once the specified time is reached and operating parameters (temperature, voltages, etc)
are such that the system is allowed to start.
The real time clock has a small dedicated supercapacitor that is capable of maintaining time
in the real time clock for several days.

2.1.10 Parametric Operation Protection
Operating limits are imposed in order to protect the hardware, but to allow operation of the
system as much as possible. Defined limits are:
• Operating (from DC): ‐30 to +70 OC Operation
• Operating (from Battery): ‐15 to +50 OC
• Operating humidity limits: 80% relative humidity
• Battery charging: External power at or above 15.0VDC
• Battery charging: 0 to +40 OC
• Pulse charging: Battery below 9VDC
• Battery drop‐out: Operating off of battery and battery below 10.75VDC
• Battery operational limits: ‐15 to +50 degrees C. Operating off of battery beyond these
limits, the system will continue to operate, but will indicate a fault.
• Supercapacitor array charged: Above 4.2VDC
• Maximum operating current: 2 Amps (processor only)
• External voltage limits: 7.75 to 30.0VDC
• POE voltage limits: 14.0 to 16.0VDC
• Maximum operating battery voltage: 15.2VDC
• VCC voltage limits: 3.13 to 3.47VDC
• 1.8V core voltage limits: 1.71 to 1.89VDC
• Boost voltage limits: 4.5VDC minimum
59
• Processor core voltage limits: 0.9 to 1.4VDC
• Battery exists: 6.0VDC
• External DC exists: 1.0VDC
• POE exists: 1.0VDC

2.1.11 System Watchdog
The system includes an advanced power system that provides watchdog and power fail
protection with power fail warning capabilities.
The watchdog provision is independent of the main processor, but does interact with it. The
watchdog exists as part of the power supply subsystem, and requires that it be ʺpingedʺ by
the main processor every 10 minutes. Failure to do so will be interpreted by the watchdog
as a lockup of the main processor and the main processor will be shut down and restarted
in an attempt to get the system back into operation. Exceptions:

• The watchdog is initially held off for 4 hours after processor power on, allowing for
initial start up and worst case filesystem repair on a large system disk.

2.1.11.1 Default Behavior
The watchdog is normally serviced by a Linux service in order to keep the system alive. By
default, only a failure of Linux to boot or a crash of the operating system or of the watchdog
service will cause the watchdog to trigger and restart the system.

2.1.12 Power Fail Protection
The system includes an internal power backup called a supercapacitor array which is charged
with power at system turn on. This backup provides enough residual power to terminate
any running applications and shut down Linux properly. Once power fail has been detected,
the system begins to operate off of this residual power and issues a request to Linux to shut
down. A Linux service watches for the shut down request, and once received immediately
forces all user processes to terminate and then shuts down Linux. When Linux has completed
the shut down, the shut down request will be acknowledged and the processor will power
off.

2.1.13 Application Specific Configuration
The system provides several ways that the application can improve its control of the system:
60
• The application can monitor power supply information including system voltages, tem‐
perature and relative humidity as well as operating states. These values can be acted
on, or can simply be stored or recorded for diagnostic purposes.
• One of the power supply parameters retrieved is a set of system flags that indicates
that the system is being requested to shut down soon, but when ʺconvenientʺ. This
would include for example, a condition where it has become too warm or too humid
to continue operation. In this case, the application must react to the application shut
down request flag and be terminated in a maximum of 15 minutes.
• Some of the system flags can be written to, allowing the application some level of
control. For example, through the flags the application can control:
◦ A digital output (for example to turn on a dehumidifier or pump if high humidity
is detected)
◦ A digital input that can be read and interpreted by the application (for example,
indicating that a pump is running)
◦ Indicating a software fault (affects the Status LED)
• The application can more closely control the system watchdog by servicing it itself. In
this way, the watchdog will not depend on whether or not Linux and the Linux watch‐
dog service is running, but can be made to depend instead on the proper functioning
of the application.
As an example, you can read from the power supply at /proc/kmipsu like this:
cat /proc/kmipsu
The flags read or written to/from /proc/kmipsu can be interpreted as follows:
• 0x00001 ‐ GPIO input bit
• 0x00002 ‐ GPIO output bit
• 0x00004 ‐ GPS backup power control
• 0x00010 ‐ Battery load test on
• 0x00040 ‐ Battery reversed
• 0x00080 ‐ Software fault (affects LED indications)
• 0x00100 ‐ System shutdown requested (15 minute max)
• 0x00200 ‐ Parameter repair startup (applications should not start)
• 0x00400 ‐ System error
61
• 0x00800 ‐ Battery charger on
• 0x01000 ‐ Power supply diagnostic mode
• 0x10000 ‐ Sensor Power Fault
• 0x20000 ‐ COMM power fault

2.1.14 Power System Display
The psdisplay command displays power system information once:
root@Rock102:~# psdisplay
PSRTC=470951419
Temp=29.42
Humidity=37.40
Flags=16
ExtCharger=0
SensorPwr=1
BBVolts=12.502
VofSC=4.403
Vof1_8VCore=1.805
VofVCC=3.326
VofVBoost=5.109
Vof12VPOE=1.368
Vof12ExtDC=15.492
VofBattCharge=0.049
VofV12Batt=0.039
VofSysPwr=15.473
VofIofSysPwr=0.240
VofIofBBIn=0.076
VofTimeIOPwr1=0.000
VofIofBC=0.045
VofSnsrPwrSw=12.435
VofTimeIOPwr2=0.000
VofVBB=12.523
VofTimeIOPwr3=0.000
VofSagFilt=14.994
PSType=1
PSVersion=6.16
62
The items displayed by psdisplay are as follows:
• PSRTC: Power supply real time clock time in seconds since January 1, 2000
• Temp: Current temperature in degrees C
• Humidity: Current relative humidity
• Flags: Current power supply system flags
• ExtCharger: External charger control on (1) or off (0)
• SensorPwr: Sensor power on (1) or off (0)
• BBVolts: Buck Boost voltage (for sensor and COMM power)
• VofSC: Voltage of the power supply supercapacitor pack
• Vof1_8VCore: Voltage of the 1.8V core voltage
• VofVCC: Voltage of the 3.3V core voltage
• VofVBoost: Voltage of the available boost voltage
• Vof12VPOE: Voltage of the POE input
• Vof12ExtDC: Voltage of the External DC supply
• VofBattCharge: Voltage of the battery charger
• VofV12Batt: Voltage of the bipolar battery measurement
• VofSysPwr: Voltage of the internal system power bus
• VofIofSysPwr: System current usage in mA
• VofIofBBIn: Buck Boost current
• VofTimeIOPwr1: Switched power voltage 1
• VofIofBC: Battery charger current
• VofSnsrPwrSw: Sensor Power voltage
• VofVBB: Buck Boost voltage
• VofSagFilt: Sag filter voltage
• PSType: Power Supply type, digitizer (1) or Slate (0)
• PSVersion: Power supply version
63
2.2. PROCESSOR SYSTEM CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
2.1.15 Updating the Power Supply

The intelligent power supply includes a microprocessor that holds some highly specialized
firmware for controlling it. This firmware is updated as part of package updates and normally
does not have to be updated separately.
If needed, the power supply firmware can be independently updated in the field when needed
as follows:

• Obtain the updated power supply firmware (named something like rock2_psu_6.17.s28)
and put it onto your system through methods such as SFTP.
• Log into Linux as root
• psfwupdate /root/rock2_psu_6.17.s28
This will load the new power supply firmware, Linux will shutdown and the system will
restart with the new firmware.

2.2 Processor System
The Processor system provides the intelligence for the system and controls all the user inter‐
faces, storage media, and system operation. The processor also is responsible for configuring
an loading the code into the DSPs on the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) boards. It also
handles updating the code in the other processors in the Power Supply and ADC boards.

2.2.1 Processor
The Processor is a 1GHz FreeScale iMX53 Processor. This is a highly integrated low power
processor that is based on the ARM architecture. It has 1 GB of SDRAM Memory. The
system boots Linux from the internal System SDHC Card.

2.2.2 Storage
The unit provides a two internal SDHC card slots:
• The System card is typically a 4GB card
• The Data card is typically a 32GB card

2.2.3 Communication Interfaces
The Processor supports multiple communication protocols.
64
CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW 2.2. PROCESSOR SYSTEM
2.2.3.1 Serial Connections
A console port and three general purpose serial ports are provided with every unit.

2.2.3.2 Ethernet Connections
Rock+ Digitizers provide a 10/100BaseT Ethernet connection.

2.2.3.3 USB Connections
The unit provides a USB 2.0 Device Port and three USB 2.0 Host Ports.

2.2.3.4 GPS System
A GPS module is provided on the processor board that can work with the Analog to Digital
Converter Boards to provide data time aligned to sub‐microsecond accuracy. The GPS can
also provide the accurate location of the unit.

2.2.3.5 Hardware Identification
The major Kinemetrics‐built electronic components of your system include information that
helps to identify them for maintenance, warranty, and repair purposes. The processor can
interrogate this information.
Each circuit board within the system includes the following information:
• Part number
• Serial number
• Electronic serial number
• Assembly dash number
• Assembly revision
• Parts List revision
• Build date
• Test date
In addition, a unit tag number is assigned to the system as a whole. This unit tag number
is stored on the main processor board.
To list this identification information on your system, execute the owview command from
the Linux command prompt. The display looks something like:
65
2.2. PROCESSOR SYSTEM CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
PartNumber=112110
DashNumber=03
BoardRev=A
PartsListRev=
SerialNo=68
Bridge=1
ESerialNo=1C009B1003000059
Built=4907
Tested=4614
VendorNumber=49070068
BoardType=BlackFin
BFNumber=0
PartNumber=114080
DashNumber=
BoardRev=A
PartsListRev=B
SerialNo=3
Bridge=1
ESerialNo=1C7DBAE70B0000BE
Built=4104
Tested=4614
BoardType=PSU‐Carrier
PartNumber=114035
DashNumber=Q
BoardRev=A
PartsListRev=C
SerialNo=2
Bridge=1
ESerialNo=1C7ED9D90C0000C6
Built=4304
Tested=4714
BoardType=FrontPanel
PartNumber=114060
DashNumber=
BoardRev=A1
PartsListRev=A
SerialNo=9
Bridge=1
ESerialNo=1C7FE8E30C0000DC
Built=3904
Tested=4614
BoardType=MainBoard
66
CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW 2.3. ADC/DSP SYSTEM
UnitTagNo=109
MACAddress=70:B3:D5:CE:92:8E
Total devices: 4

2.3 ADC/DSP SYSTEM
Each 4 Channel ADC DSP Board contains separate DSPs, ADCs and Power Supplies it is
this architecture that allows the Rock+ Digitizers to be scaled from 4 to 36 Channel systems.

2.3.1 Individual DSP
The DSPs are Analog Devices BlackFin processors coupled with discrete logic embedded
in CPLDs. The DSPs communicate with the main processor using a custom high speed
hardware connection system. This connection also allows all sampling within the system to
be synchronized to sub‐microsecond accuracy.

2.3.2 C++ DSP Code
The DSPs are programmed in C++ and run a custom executive that ensure reliable real
time operation. The DSPs take the 30ksps samples from the ADC and filter and decimate
the streams to the required output rates. They support output rates from 5000 sps down.

2.3.3 Isolated DC/DC Power supply for Analog Section
Each Analog to Digital Converter Block features and isolated DC to DC power supply
that provides the power for the ADC chips and analog circuitry associated with the signal
conditioning.

2.3.4 Isolation Barrier to Analog Section
All digital signals to and from the isolated analog section pass through MEMS digital isolators
to preserve the isolation of the analog side of the board.

2.3.5 Four Delta Sigma ADC Converters
Each channel is digitized by a Delta Sigma converter producing a 20ksps output. This raw
data stream is sent across the isolation barrier to the DSP for filtering and decimation.
67
2.4. EXTERNAL SENSOR INPUT BOARDS CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
2.3.6 Adjustable Gain Input Stages
The analog input stage is configurable to three input ranges and has automatic calibration
features that allow a calibrated signal to be connected to the analog input and ADC.

2.3.7 Calibration and Control Processor & Mass position/Auxiliary
ADC
A processor is provided on the Analog side of the interface with a low speed ADC to monitor
external mass position as well as the State of Health of the Analog system. This processor
also control calibration signals to the sensors and control signals sent to the sensors.

2.4 External Sensor Input Boards
The external sensor boards connect the signal from the outside world to the ADC boards.

2.4.1 Military Style Connectors
The unit is provided with Military style input connectors on the power and sensor connections
to allow it to be used in harsh environments and provide IP67 protection.

2.4.2 EMI/RFI and Transient Protection Circuitry
Each line is protected from EMI/RFI and external transients with one or two stage transient
protection as appropriate.

2.4.3 Calibration and Sensor Control Signal Outputs
The input boards condition the calibration and sensor control signals and also provide relay
isolation of the calibration system to provide greater system flexibility.

2.5 EpiSensor Theory of Operation
This section describes the operating principles of the EpiSensor internal deck used in the
Obsidian.
The EpiSensor deck consists of three orthogonally mounted force balance accelerometers
(FBAs) – Z‐axis, N‐axis and E‐axis. The figure below shows a simplified block diagram of
the major components of each of the EpiSensors.
68
CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW 2.5. EPISENSOR THEORY OF OPERATION
Figure 13: EpiSensor Simplified Block Diagram

2.5.1 Working Principle
The oscillator applies an AC signal of opposite polarity to the two moving capacitor plates
(also referred to as ʺthe moving massʺ). When the accelerometer is ʺzeroedʺ and when no
acceleration is applied, these plates are symmetrical to the fixed central plate and no voltage
is generated.
An acceleration causes the coil and capacitive sensor plates, which are a single assembly
mounted on mechanical flexures (springs), to move with respect to the fixed central plate of
the capacitive transducer.
This displacement results in a signal on the center plate of the capacitor becoming unbal‐
anced, resulting in an AC signal of the same frequency as the oscillator being passed to the
amplifier.
The amplifier amplifies this AC signal.
This error signal is then passed to the demodulator where it is synchronously demodulated
and filtered, creating a ʺDCʺ error term in the feedback amplifier.
The feedback loop compensates for this error signal by passing current through the coil to
create a magnetic restoring force to ʺbalanceʺ the capacitor plates back to their original null
position.
The current traveling through the coil is thus directly proportional to the applied acceler‐
ation. By passing this current through a complex impedance consisting of a resistor and
capacitor, it can be converted to a voltage output proportional to acceleration with a band‐
width of approximately 200 Hz. The internal deck is set to provide a 2g output range.
69
2.5. EPISENSOR THEORY OF OPERATION CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
2.5.2 Pole Zero Representation of the EpiSensor
EpiSensor accelerometers are closed‐loop, force‐feedback sensors measuring the relative dis‐
placement of a moving mass (plates) with respect to the sensor case. The sensor’s transfer
function (TF) depends almost entirely on the electronic components rather than on the me‐
chanical components of the sensors. The influence on the transfer function of the mechanical
damping, spring elements and internal RC low‐pass filter in the trans‐conductance amplifier
stage within the closed‐loop path of the sensor are negligible for most applications.
We have determined a good empirical model of the system, which uses two pairs of conjugate
poles to represent the transfer function of the instrument. If this transfer function is corrected
for the DC sensitivity of the sensor, the amplitude agreement is within +/‐0.5 dB over the
bandwidth of the sensor. The phase agreement is within +/‐ 2.5 in the 0‐100 Hz band and
within +/‐ 5º over the full bandwidth of the instrument. The phase response of the transfer
function is fairly linear and equivalent to approximately 1.6 ms group delay for signals up
to 200 Hz.
This model can be represented as:
where:
• k1 = 2.46 x 1013
• k2 = Sensitivity of sensor in V/g (1.25V/g)
• s is the Laplace transform variable
• p1 = ‐981 + 1009i (Pole 1)
• p2 = ‐981 ‐ 1009i (Pole 2)
• p3 = ‐3290 + 1263i (Pole 3)
• p4 = ‐3290 ‐ 1263i (Pole 4)
• V (s) is the Laplace transform of the output voltage
• A (s) is the Laplace transform of the input acceleration
The figure below shows the amplitude, phase and step response of this pole zero representa‐
tion.
70
CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW 2.6. FIRMWARE DESCRIPTION
Additional references to pole zero responses and damping are available on the Kinemetrics
website.

2.5.3 Polarity Conventions
The internal EpiSensor deck uses a right‐handed Z‐N‐E coordinate system with a positive
output for acceleration along each axis.

2.6 Firmware Description
The system operates using the Linux operating system, while the processor digitizer software
is written in Java and runs on a JVM on the system. The power supply and calibration
processors are programmed in C, while the DSPs run software in C++ on a custom scheduling
system.

2.6.1 Linux Overview
The Linux kernel used in the system is GNU Linux v3.12.36 as of this writing, built from
kernel.org resources with additions to support Kinemetrics hardware.
The Linux distribution is sized to operate within the processor and storage resources avail‐
able, but to accommodate the needs of the task at hand.
Since the Linux distribution is for a specialized low power embedded system, it is important
to note that it may not include some utilities that experienced Linux users might expect to
find on a typical Linux desktop or server. Some of the Linux capabilities supplied by this
distribution include vi, bash, fsck, ssh, telnet, ftp, and awk. This is of course only a partial
list, and some of these features may require the user to enable or configure them before use.
Additional Linux capabilities may be provided by major application software packages such
as Antelope on the Marmot (which includes perl), or by some of the optional software tools
available from Kinemetrics.
71
2.6. FIRMWARE DESCRIPTION CHAPTER 2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
The Bootloader, Linux kernel and boot filesystem are located on th primary System SDHC
memory card. Once the Linux kernel initially loads, control is transferred to the boot and
the data filesystem located on the secondary Data SDHC card.
The primary and secondary flash cards use the EXT4 journaling filesystem to give the
system improved reliability by making it less susceptible to corruption caused by improper
shut downs or power outages.
It is assumed that the user has some familiarity with Linux. No attempt is made here to
familiarize the user with the internals of Linux or with all available Linux commands,
although some very introductory Linux command information is included here for reference.
For more detailed information, the user is referred to any one of the many books, users
groups, or other resources available on this topic.
Source for the parts of Linux that are licensed under the GPL is available on request under
section 3(b) of the GPL.

2.6.2 Common Linux Commands
The following is a list of commonly used Linux commands which may be of value as reference
information. Remember that Linux is case sensitive. Options or flags which can be used
with a command are placed in [ ]. The [ ] are not part of the command and should not be
included in the command that you type.
This information is not an exhaustive listing of commands!
cd
Change directory
cd .. moves you backwards to the next higher subdirectory level
cd / moves you to the highest directory level
chmod permissions filenames
Changes the permissions for a file
Permissions should include a letter designating who gets permissions (u for the user, g for
the group, o for others, or a for all)
followed by a + or ‐ (to give or take away the permission)
followed by the kind of permission (r for read access, w for write access, x for execute if the
file is a program or script)
The complete command that you type should look like:
chmod g‐w filename
chown user:group filenames
Changes ownership of a file
clear
72
Clears the screen
cp oldfiles newfiles
Copies a file; this leaves the old file intact and makes a new copy with a new filename
date
Tells you the current date and time
df
Displays how much space on the disks (storage partitions) is free
du [‐a] [‐s] directories
Tells you how much disk space your files occupy The ‐a option displays the space used by
each file, not just each directory The ‐s option displays the total space used for each directory
but not subdirectory
help
Provides online help; several topics have been included in the help system
login username
Allows you to login for a terminal session, either through telnet, the console, or SSH logout
Logs you out of a terminal session
ls [‐l] [‐a] [‐p] [‐r] [‐t] [‐x]
Lists the files in a directory
l displays detailed information about each file and directory, including permissions, owners,
size and time/date when the file was last modified
a option displays all the files and subdirectories including hidden files (with names that begin
with a dot)
p displays a slash at the end of each directory name to distinguish them from filenames
r displays files in reverse order
t displays files in order of modification time
x displays the filenames in columns across the screen.
mkdir new_directory
Makes a new subdirectory with the name specified by new_directory
mv [‐i] oldname newname
Renames a file or moves it from one filename or directory to another. The ‐i option tells mv
to prompt you before it replaces an existing filename.
passwd
Changes your password
ping IP address or alias
73
Sends a ping packet to another system; this provides information concerning the time it takes
for information to make the round trip to the other computer; it will also tell you whether
the other system is on‐line at that time
ps
Displays information about your processes/jobs/programs which are running on the system
rm [‐i] [‐r] filenames
Removes or deletes files. ‐i option asks you to confirm that you want to delete each file ‐r
option is dangerous because it allow you to delete an entire directory and all of the files it
contains rmdir directory Removes a directory; you can use the ‐i and ‐r options which are
described in the rm command
tail [‐r] [‐lines] filename
Displays the last few lines of a file
‐r displays the lines in reverse order
‐lines specifies the number of lines, starting at the end of the file, you want to see
touch [‐a] [‐c] [‐m] [date] filenames
Changes the date and time for a file without changing the content of the file
a changes only the date and time the file was last accessed
c doesn’t create a file if it does not already exist
m changes only the date and time the file was last modified
date specifies the date and time to give the file in the mmddhhnn format (month, day, hour,
minute)
touch with a new filename will create a new, empty file.
traceroute IP address or alias
Provides information concerning the route which packets must take to get from your com‐
puter to a remote computer/server; typically used to diagnose possible problems in packet
routing
vi
VI is a text editor. Further information concerning the editing commands for VI can be
found in a following section.
w Provides information concerning who is logged into the system and some details on how
they are connected
who Tells you who is using the system at that time

2.6.3 The VI Editor
VI is a standard text editor found on Linux systems. With VI you can create new files or edit
existing files. To start VI you should type ’vi filename’ where filename is the name of a new
74
or existing file which you wish to edit. Use the arrow keys to scroll through the document.
The following is a list of the commands which are used in VI to edit documents. For a more
complete description of the use of the VI editor, check out the section concerning VI in the
Linux Users’ Guide written by Larry Greenfield.
This is a partial list of common VI commands. To enter one of these commands, press the
ESC key then the command key which is listed below:
a appends text after the cursor
A appends text at end of the line
b back up to beginning of word in current line
d delete line
e move to end of word
G go to end of file
h move the cursor to the left
H move the cursor to the top of the screen
i insert text before the cursor
I insert text at beginning of line
j move the cursor down
k move the cursor up
l move the cursor to the right
o open a line below the current line
O open a line above the current line
r replace character at cursor with the next character typed
u undo the last change made
U restore current line, discarding changes
w move to beginning of next word
x delete character at cursor
X delete character before cursor
y Yank (or copy) operator
Y make copy of current line
$ go to end of line
:q! quit VI without saving changes
:wq write changes to file then quit VI
75
2.6.4 Updating Linux
The Linux distribution provides for field updates of the kernel, init filesystem, boot loader,
and files on the primary System SDHC flash card.
Updates can be installed by placing update files into the directory
/opt/kmi/updates/pending
When the system is rebooted it will attempt to install updates found there in numeric sorted
order. Updates will follow a naming convention like:
Rock2‐3.2‐Update‐4
The results of updates are kept in the file:
/opt/kmi/updates/update.log
If an update succeeds it will be moved to the directory:
/opt/kmi/updates/applied
You may then delete the applied patches if you wish.
If an update fails, the update system will be suspended until the following file is removed:
/opt/kmi/updates/update.failure
The log may be consulted for further details about the failure.
Basically, you need to fix the problem, and then delete the update.failure file. The system
will resume updates at the next reboot.

2.6.4.1 Milestone and Point Updates
Linux updates for the Rock+ will be either a Milestone update or a Point update. The
differences between the two are as follows:

• A Milestone update is a “roll‐up” and contains all fixes and updates of all previous
updates. It is therefore often quite large. You can install the latest Milestone update
at any time over any previous update. So you can for example, install update 3.0 over
previous versions 1.8 or 2.1.
• A Point update only includes changes since the last Milestone update. This is done to
keep intermediate minor releases small in size. However, this means that a Point update
does not contain all previous updates and you can only install within the Milestone
release. Do you can for example install update 3.2 over update 3.0, but you cannot
install update 3.2 over update 2.1.
76
2.6.5 Software Versions
There are several different software components in your system and each has its own versions.
The versions of each will be listed on the data sheet that came with your unit. Software
versions include:
• The Power Supply Bootloader
• The Power Supply Application
• The Main Processor’s Bootloader
• The Boot Script
• The Linux Kernel
• The Linux File System
• The Java virtual machine (JVM) version
• The GPS hardware and firmware versions
• The Rock+ FPGA version
• Rockhound version
The versions command, available at the Linux prompt will list the most important software
versions (of those available to Linux) as in the example below. In order, they are:
• The GPS hardware and firmware versions
• The Linux file system version
• The Rock+ FPGA version
• The Linux kernel version
• Linux update (patch) level
• The Rockhound version
[root@Rock:~]# versions
KMI GPS MOD NEO‐7N‐0, ROM BASE 1.00 (59842) Jun 27 2012 17:43:52
KMI Rock2 Arm filesystem 0.20 Beta
KMI Rock2 FPGA rev 0x0
KMI Rock2 Kernel, build: Nov 11 2014, 15:19:11
KMI Rockhound 3.11
The process of updating each software component will be described within the section that
describes the package itself. For example, the process of updating the Power Supply Appli‐
cation will be discussed within the section that discusses the Power Supply.
77
2.6.6 Software Development Tools
Software Development Tools Available for the Rock+ digitizers includes:
• A C/C++ Compiler
• A Perl interpreter
• A Python interpreter
• A JVM
• A Rockhound Software Development Kit

NOTE: The C compiler is covered under GPL, and as such is available
through Kinemetrics for a distribution fee as is and without support. If
you require support of any kind ‐ including installation, setup and
configuration or programming assistance, you must purchase a sup‐ port
contract. The compilers are available through Kinemetrics in executable
form only, and are not guaranteed to be bug free.

These software tools, if not included in your product, are available through Kinemetrics or
Kinemetrics’ partners at additional cost. Please contact Kinemetrics for further information.
78

Chapter 3
Basic Operation

The digitizer can operate stand‐alone, requiring only power and sensors to operate. Beyond
these basics, if you provide a GPS antenna connection for accurate timing and a network
connection, then the digitizer really is able to provide tremendous additional capabilities.
The digitizer is designed for use with a network, and will serve you best in that environment.
This section describes how to set up the Digitizer and perform the basic operations.

3.1 Initial Setup
The digitizer can operate stand‐alone, requiring only power and sensors to operate. Beyond
these basics, if you provide a GPS antenna connection for accurate timing and a network
connection, then the digitizer really is able to provide tremendous additional capabilities.
The digitizer is designed for use with a network, and will serve you best in that environment.
This section describes how to set up the Digitizer and perform the basic operations.
Initial setup of the digitizer is done using a console cable. This connects the digitizer’s RS‐
232 console connection to your computer so that you can do preliminary setup. Once
done, the console cable will rarely be used, so a single console cable is usually sufficient to
maintain a large number of digitizers.
You’ll also need a PC or equivalent running a terminal emulation program such as HyperT‐
erminal or PuTTY on Windows or minicom on Linux.
You may need to use a USB to serial adapter if your PC does not have an available COM
port. If so, install the software and then plug in the adapter, making note of the COM port
assigned to the port.
Kinemetrics includes the PuTTY application as an alternative to using HyperTerminal on
Windows, or if you are using an Operating System (such as Windows 7) that does not supply
HyperTerminal. Please see the Software Tools section that includes a basic description of
PuTTY setup and operation.
You should set up your RS‐232 communication software (such as HyperTerminal) for 115200
baud, no flow control, no parity, 1 stop bit. After power on, you should be able to get a
79
3.1. INITIAL SETUP CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
login prompt from the digitizer. Initially log into the system with the username “root” and
the password “kmi”. You are now logged on to the Linux operating system on the Rock+.

3.1.1 Network Address
The first thing that you’ll need to do is to set (or determine) the network address of the
digitizer. You need to do this even if your digitizer will not normally be connected to a
network. Network access is needed to retrieve files even if you need to retrieve them
manually and locally.
If you are unfamiliar with TCP/IP networking, we suggest you review the IP Primer section.
At this point the Ethernet connection should be connected to your network. If the Ethernet
link lights do not appear, give the following commands to start the Ethernet interface:
[root@Rock:~]# ifdown ‐a
[root@Rock:~]# ifup ‐a

The digitizer is configured at the factory for DHCP. This means that it expects to get its
network address from a network server, which can be a local LAN or can be your Internal
Service Provider. If you plan to use DHCP in regular operation, then you only need to know
the IP address assigned by DHCP. You can find this out by typing:
[root@Rock:~]# ipaddr eth0
10.0.1.153
The IP address is also shown in the sysinfo display as shown below.
If you need to specify an IP address, then once logged into the console, use the NETCONFIG
script.
In either case, make a note of the current IP address. You will need it later.
The digitizer can also act as a DHCP Server, which can be useful if you will occasionally
connect to a standalone digitizer with something like a laptop computer. See the section on
Non‐Networked Use .
See the section Non‐Networked Use if you don’t intend your digitizer to normally be con‐
nected to a network.

3.1.2 Viewing System Information
Use the sysinfo command to view System Information:
[root@Rock:~]# sysinfo
Hostname: Rock2
Unit Tag No: 109
80
CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.2. BASIC SETUP
Int Temp C: 29.87
Int Humidity: 34.05
Voltage: 15.463
Amperes: 0.253
Watts : 3.912
OS Time: Thu Dec 4 01:50:58 UTC 2014
PSU Time: Thu Dec 4 01:50:55 2014
Up‐Time: 01:50:59 up 2 days, 7:51, 2 users, load average: 1.31, 0.75, 0.56
eth0 IP Addr: 10.0.3.50
Services Up: cron inetd sshd
Via inetd: ftp
MemFree: 736372 kB
SwapFree: 65532 kB
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
rootfs 1.6G 551M 869M 39% /
/dev/mmcblk0p3 2.3G 215M 1.9G 11% /mnt/sysrw
/dev/mmcblk0p1 65M 4.2M 58M 7% /boot/uboot
/dev/mmcblk1p1 32G 47M 30G 1% /mnt/data1
Use the versions command to view the major software versions:
[root@Rock:~]# versions
KMI GPS MOD NEO‐7N‐0, ROM BASE 1.00 (59842) Jun 27 2012 17:43:52
KMI Rock2 Arm filesystem 0.20
KMI Rock2 FPGA rev 0x0
KMI Rock2 Kernel, build: Nov 11 2014, 15:19:11
KMI Rockhound 3.11

3.1.3 The Web Interface
The web interface to the digitizer allows you to configure and operate your digitizer using a
web browser without installing any Kinemetrics‐specific software. The web browser should
be HTML 1.1 compliant (or later) and should support Java and Java applets.
See Web Interface Overview .

3.2 Basic Setup
Although Kinemetrics makes every effort to make the digitizer useful out of the box, there
are some items that must be set because they depend on how you will use your system and
what sensors will be attached.
The parameter configuration described here is done using the web interface. It can also be
done using the RockTalk program through the network or through a Modem Only connection.
81
3.2. BASIC SETUP CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
3.2.1 Sensor Groups
The digitizer’s physical channels are organized into groups of 4 channels each. Each group
is capable of supporting different sensor types, so you must select the types of sensors which
will be used within each group. Selecting the physical channels and sample rates defines the
virtual channels that will be used in most of the rest of the system. This is accessed through
the System Operation parameters for the Rock2 Data Interface:

Figure 14: Sensor Groups

After completing your changes, be sure to press OK to save your changes.
82
3.2.2 Voltage Ranges
Next, you must set up the voltage ranges. The digitizer is capable of supporting sensor
input voltage ranges of +/‐2.5V, +/‐5.0V, and +/‐20V. This selection must be made for every
virtual channel, and is made in the Hardware parameters section:

NOTE: Input Voltage Ranges always cause confusion! As the input to
digitizers is normally differential so this is what each voltage range
represents:
+/‐2.5V Range – The + Input Swings from +1.25 to ‐1.25 V as the –Input Swings from
‐1.25V to +1.25V, the Sensor thus swings from +2.5V to ‐2.5V this is sometimes referred to
as +/‐2.5Vpeak Differential or 5Vpp (Peak to Peak) Differential. This range can be used
with single ended +/‐2.5Vpeak sensors, such as older generation Force Balance sensors.
+/‐5V Range – The + Input Swings from +2.5 to ‐2.5 V as the –Input Swings from ‐2.5V to
+2.5V, the Sensor thus swings from +5V to ‐5V this is sometimes referred to as +/‐ 5Vpeak
Differential or 10Vpp Differential. This range is recommended for use in structural
monitoring systems with EpiSensors configured for a +/‐5V peak differential output.
+/‐20V Range – The + Input Swings from +10 to ‐10 V as the –Input Swings from ‐10V to
+10V, the Sensor thus swings from +20V to ‐20V this is sometimes referred to as +/‐
20Vpeak Differential or 40Vpp Differential. This range is used by the majority of Broadband
sensors and offers the highest resolution performance from the Rock+ Digitizer.

NOTE: Internal Deck. The +/‐5V Range is used for the standard +/‐
2g range. In order to operate the unit with an effective +/‐1g range,
set the voltage range to +/‐2.5V. (Obsidians can be ordered with an
optional 4g/2g Full Scale Range in which case the +/‐5V Range is
used for the standard +/‐4g range and the +/‐2.5V range would be
used for the +/‐2g range.)
There are always 24 bits of ADC resolution, so it would break down like this:

Range ADC Counts uV/ct

2.5 8388608 0.298923223
5.0 8388608 0.59604644
20.0 8388608 2.384185791
Conversion of the channel data to Engineering units further requires that you know the
ʺsensitivityʺ value, which is the sensor’s conversion of Volts/g. This conversion is done as
counts/8388608*FullScale/Sensitivity
So for example:
• Full scale = 20V
83
• Sensitivity = 10V/g (2g sensor)
• Counts = 2097152 (one‐quarter scale)
• Value in g = 2097152/8388608*20/10 = 0.5g

Figure 15: Unit Conversion


3.2.3 Sensitivity
The Sensitivity parameter defines the voltage sensitivity of the sensor. The sensitivity value
is normally seen as a “Volts per g” value, and is related to the Voltage range. For example, if
your voltage range is +/‐20V, and you have 4g sensors (a range of +/‐4g), then the sensitivity
84
is 5V/g. This selection must be made for every virtual channel, and is made on the Hardware
parameters section:

Figure 16: Sensitivity

NOTE: Internal Deck. Regardless of the voltage range setting, the
sensitivity should be set according to the Internal Deck’s configuration
sheet in V/g. (Nominally 1.25V/g for a 4g sensor, 2.5V/g for a 2g sensor)
After completing your changes, be sure to press OK to save your
changes.
85
3.2.4 Obsidian Internal Deck Zero Adjustment
Generally, as the sensors are zeroed at the factory, and if the unit has been leveled, zero
adjustment will probably not be required. If required you can zero the accelerometers by
using the waveform viewer in the web interface to monitor the offsets as you manually
adjust them. Generally if the offset is less than 50mV (62.5mG) zeroing is not required. If
adjustment is required proceed as detailed below.

3.2.4.1 Adjustment Instructions
• Ensure the unit is operating and you are connected to the unit using the Web Interface.
• Start the Waveform Viewer to display the mean voltages of the EpiSensor channels in
millivolts. As shown:

Figure 17: Waveform Display

• If adjustment is required remove the adjustment hole screw as shown in the figure
below. The top adjustment hole adjust the Z Axis (Vertical), the hole in the back
adjusts the N Axis (North), while the hole on the right side adjusts the E Axis (East).
86
Figure 18: Zero Adjustment

CAUTION: The screw on the left hand cover of the unit is not an
adjustment hole. Do not remove this screw and do not insert the
adjustment tool into this hole as your unit will be severely damaged and
significant fault currents can flow in the tool!

The drawing above shows where to insert the adjustment tool (KMI P/N 112015) for each
EpiSensor channel. As the figure indicates, the vertical module produces a positive output
when the adjustment screw is turned clockwise, the horizontal modules produce a negative
output when the adjustment screw is turned clockwise. Monitor this with the Waveform
Viewer – remember that there is some response latency in the Viewer.
• When the channel is adjusted, gently remove the tool.
• After adjusting all the channels, replace the screws carefully to ensure the sealing
washers are not damaged.
• Important: Give the cover a moderate tap with a screwdriver handle after replacing
the screws. The adjustment screws can have a residual stress that may cause an offset
in data during a large earthquake. Tapping it will eliminate the residual stress.
• Check that the sensors are still zeroed.

3.2.5 EpiSensor2 Support
The Rock+ includes support for the EpiSensor2. This includes two new sensor scripts,
EpiSensor2FS and EpiSensor2FS‐User.
The script EpiSensor2FS has the digitizer in control, so if all three physical channels are set
for 20V range and the same sensitivity then the Obsidian will use the sensor control lines to
change the sensor to match the selected Obsidian parameter setup.
87
The script EpiSensor2FS‐User has the sensor in control, so if all three physical channels are
set for 20V range and the same sensitivity then the Obsidian will adapt to match the sensor
any time that the sensor’s range is changed.
If the EpiSensor2FS script is used (meaning that the digitizer is to be in control of the
sensor) and the user changes the sensor’s sensitivity using the push‐button then the digitizer
will realize this and “switch it back” within several seconds to match what is configured in
the digitizer.
Both scripts generate a 60 second white noise signal for calibration.
The EpiSensor2’s serial port can be accessed through ʺminicomʺ, which is a terminal program
built into Linux. The basic process is as follows:
• Plug the cable into Serial1, Serial2 or Serial3
• From a Linux prompt, type ʺminicomʺ
• If needed, configure the port as follows:
◦ Ctrl‐A, 0 (ʺoʺ, not zero)
◦ Select Serial port setup
◦ Use A to set port to /dev/serial1 (for example)
◦ Use E to set baud to 9600, control to 8N1
◦ Use F & G to disable hardware and software flow control
◦ Save setup as dfl (default)
◦ Exit
• Now go ahead and type to talk directly to the EpiSensor2
• Use Ctrl‐A X to exit minicom
• You can also use Ctrl‐A Z to get further minicom help
NOTE: NOTE: Next time you run minicom, you will not need to

change the serial port setup unless you want to use a different port.

3.2.6 Other Channel Parameters
Many other channel parameters listed in the Hardware parameters section are notational
only, meaning that they are included in telemetry and output file information (depending
on the formats used), but have no direct effect on the data itself. Notational parameters
include Channel ID, Sensor Type, Sensor SN, Natural Frequency, Damping, Gain, Altitude,
Azimuth, Offsets North, East, and Up, Location Code, Network Code, etc. Remember that
these values are defined for each virtual channel.
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3.2.7 Physical vs. Virtual Channels
It is important to understand the difference between physical and virtual channels. There is
a physical set of sensor inputs coming into the digitizer, and virtual channels that represent a
physical channel at a specified sample rate. The digitizer can produce more virtual channels
than it physically has as inputs. For example, a four channel unit could be configured in the
following ways:
Example 1. Produce a virtual channel corresponding to each physical channel:

Physical Virtual
1 1 – Physical 1 at 100sps
Example 2. Produce data from one channel at multiple sample rates:

Physical Virtual
Example 3. Produce data from each physical channel at multiple sample rates:

Physical Virtual
You select the sample rates and the produced sample rates on the System Operation param‐
eters for each channel, also called Channel Mapping:
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Figure 19: Channel Mapping

NOTE: To define more virtual channels, you must rebuild the layout
to allow for more channel as shown in section Adding Channels.

3.2.8 State‐of‐Health Streams
In addition to the sensor input channels discussed above, the system can produce several
State‐of‐Health streams (also called SOH). These can include such things as system voltages,
temperature, humidity, current, and time quality. These streams are produced at 1sps, so
to record them; you’ll need a data format that can record data to 1sps. The SOH streams
are selected in the System Operation parameters, just below the Channel Mapping.
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3.2.9 Trigger Levels
Trigger levels are the level at which the system will decide that a channel is triggered and that
it should contribute that channel’s votes toward triggering the entire system. By default,
the system uses threshold triggers, which are set as a percentage of full scale. So if your full
scale range is +/‐20V and your threshold is set to 2%, then your trigger level is 2% of 20V,
or 0.4V. Trigger levels are set in the System Operation parameters:

Figure 20: Trigger Levels

Please note that the trigger levels and votes apply to virtual channels.
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3.2.10 Voting Options
There are two different Voters available in the system. The first is the traditional Voter used
in previous generation Altus digitizers, and the other is the CGS Voter that works similarly
to the standard Voter, but differs in how detriggering is done.
In either Voter, a channel is considered triggered if it has filtered data values that exceed the
specified level specified for that channel. Correspondingly, a channel is considered detriggered
if NO values exceed the specified level.
Note that the levels used change depending on whether the system as a whole is triggered
or not. If the system is not triggered, the filtered data values are compared against the
TRIGGER levels, whereas once the system has been triggered they are compared against
the DETRIGGER levels.
• The standard Voter counts triggers and uses that count to determine detriggering
by comparing votes with the detrigger voting threshold. If the number of votes of
triggered channels do not exceed the detrigger threshold, then the system will detrigger.
Exceeding the detrigger threshold will cause the system to remain triggered.
• With this Voter, the system detriggers when not enough channels exceed the trigger
threshold (number of votes) to maintain the trigger.
• The CGS Voter works differently in that it requires that each channel contribute enough
detrigger votes to exceed the detrigger voting threshold. If the number of detrigger
votes do not exceed the threshold, the system remains triggered. If the number of
detrigger votes exceeds the detrigger threshold, then the system will detrigger.
• With this Voter, the channels accumulate detrigger votes when they fall below the
detrigger level. The system will detrigger when enough detrigger votes accumulate
that the number of detrigger votes exceeds to votes needed to detrigger the system.

3.2.11 Other Parameters
Other basic parameters that are worth reviewing are:
• Voter parameters
• Digitizer pre‐event and post‐event times
• Channel trigger and detrigger votes

3.2.12 Activating Parameter Changes
Once you have completed your parameter changes, activate the completed parameter changes
by selecting “Apply Changes” from the Layout menu.
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3.2.13 Passwords
All digitizers are shipped with the same default passwords. Before deployment, Kinemetrics
recommends that you change all passwords to something meaningful to you and make a
record of all passwords assigned for later reference. Default passwords are assigned as follows:
Linux:
• root : kmi
• kmi : kmi
• admin : kmi
• client : kmi
Rockhound:
• Console: kmi
• Web service: rock : kmi
You should also review the enabled IP services to make certain that the services are enabled
that you need and want. For example, do you want FTP, TELNET, and other services
enabled?

3.2.14 Locked File System
The Obsidian and Etna2 file systems are much more locked down than earlier systems such
the Basalt. This is for additional protection of the files from accidental corruption.
To manually edit system files on these (including changing the passwords), you much first
unlock the filesystem:

fsunlock
<make your edits>
fslock
The file system is automatically relocked on reboot if you forget.
Convenience scripts such as netconfig will automatically unlock and relock the file system.

3.2.15 Save Parameters
Once you’ve configured Rockhound for how you intend to operate your system, you should
save your configuration. This saved copy of the parameters will be used to restore the
Rockhound parameters in case they become corrupted. This is done in two ways:
• From a Linux login, use the command rhsave to save a copy of your parameters within
the system that can be restored in case your parameters become corrupted. This is
done as follows:
• cd /usr/rock/SMARTSDist/bin
• ./rhsave If the unit’s configuration is destroyed, the system will revert to the copy
of the configuration most recently saved by rhsave, or to the factory default if the
configuration was never saved using rhsave.
• From the web interface use the Advanced Features function Administrative Details to
download a copy of the parameters to your PC. At the top of the Administrative Details
screen, there is a link “Click Here to Download Parameters”, from the instrument.
• Kinemetrics recommends that you save a copy of your Rockhound parameters any time
that you make significant changes to the parameters so that you can quickly restore
them in the event of loss.
• See Save/Restore Parameters

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3.3. TRIGGERED RECORDING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
3.3 Triggered Recording
3.3.1 Pre‐Event Time
The setting allows you to determine how many seconds of data before the trigger criteria
were met will be recorded in the event file. For strong motion applications this is normally
set to a few seconds so you can determine the noise before the start of the event. The factory
default is ten seconds.
For weak motion recording, especially if you expect the system to be triggered on the S‐
waves, the situation is more complex. In this case, the pre‐event should be sufficiently long
to allow any P‐waves from an event within the region of interest to be recorded. This time
can be estimated by the travel times of the P and S waves from the most distant point of
interest. The difference between these times, with some allowance for a true pre‐event time,
gives the setting for the pre‐event time.

3.3.2 Post Event Time
The post event time determines how many seconds after the system has de‐triggered will be
recorded in the file. It also determines how likely events are to be split into separate files.
This is because if the system re‐triggers during the post event the file will just be extended. If
the post event is set too short, several files could be created from the same event. We set the
factory default at ten seconds, which is a reasonable value for strong motion recording. For
weak motion recording this time should be set according to the goals of the study. Generally,
a time of 30 seconds or more should be considered.

3.3.3 Minimum Run Time
This is the minimum time the recorder will record once an event is triggered. Formerly, it
was used to ensure a complete sequence of time code was recorded with the event, but this
is not required anymore. Generally, the pre‐event and post‐event now give sufficient control
over the event timing. For this reason we set the factory default to zero seconds.

3.3.4 Channel Triggering
Although you will need to read most sections to determine what is appropriate for your
application, we have split the triggering system into two sections. If you are just interested
in recording ʺstrong motionʺ events when the ground or structure shakes significantly, you will
find instructions on setting triggers in the Triggering for Strong Motion Recording section.
If you are interested in recording weak events that are very close to the local seismic noise,
you should read Triggering and Recording Weak Motion Applications. After you read the
relevant section you will be able to set up each channel’s triggering appropriately for your
application.
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.3. TRIGGERED RECORDING
3.3.4.1 Triggering in Strong Motion Applications
For strong motion recording you will want to record the strongest motion from an earthquake
that can be felt and possibly cause damage to buildings and other structures. Normally, a
simple threshold trigger will be sufficient to reliably trigger the recorder. As these are
sensitive instruments, it is also possible to record much weaker motions using the threshold
trigger. The tradeoff to consider is how you will retrieve the data and how to ensure that
there will be room for the ʺbig oneʺ if you have very sensitive threshold trigger levels.
The threshold trigger has two parameters for each channel. The first is the threshold trigger,
which is the level in percent of full scale that causes the channel to trigger. The default value
for this is 2%. The second parameter is the threshold de‐trigger. This is the value in percent
of full scale the signal must fall below after triggering for the channel to detrigger. The
default value is 2%. The detrigger parameter can be used for extending the recording time
by setting it to a smaller value than the threshold trigger value.

3.3.4.2 Alarms
The recorder has an additional set of thresholds called alarm threshold parameters. These
are specified as a percentage of the full‐scale input and can be set independently for each
channel. They are set in the channel trigger parameters window. When a channel’s triggered
filtered data exceeds this threshold, the hardware alarm is activated.

3.3.4.3 Triggering in Weak Motion Applications
The recorder includes the following features for use in seismological applications:
• Three different trigger filters that allow the trigger band of interest to be optimized.
• STA/LTA triggering to support the recording of small amplitude events. The use of
these specific features is discussed below.

3.3.4.4 Trigger Filters
Your selection of a pre‐trigger filter is determined by your application, by seismic noise
conditions at the site, and by the type of sensors installed with the recorder. The pre‐
trigger filter pass‐band should encompass the maximum energy of expected seismic events.
The filter you select should have a pass‐band that doesn’t coincide with the peak frequency
components of seismic noise at the site, thus discriminating against seismic noise.
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Figure 21: Typical trigger filter response

The frequency response function of the seismic sensor modifies event and noise signals and
thus is an important factor in your choice. If the frequency content of events and of seismic
noise occur in the same frequency band, the trigger filter will be inefficient.
The recorder has three band‐pass filters with different low‐ and high‐corner frequencies.
Note that the corner frequencies scale according to the sampling rate. Some examples are
as follows:
An IIR‐A filter with a 100 Hz sampling rate can record regional events with broadband
sensors. Its 0.6 Hz low‐corner frequency gives some protection to the dominant component
of natural marine seismic noise. Its high‐corner frequency gives protection against excessive
high‐frequency man‐made seismic noise.

• An IIR‐A filter with a sampling rate of 200 or 250 Hz can monitor local earthquakes
with efficient protection against marine noise.
• The classic strong motion filter at a sampling rate of 200 Hz or 250 Hz is used in typical
strong motion applications.
• The low‐frequency corner of a classic strong motion filter at a sampling rate of 100
Hz can be used for far‐regional and tele‐seismic applications. It has good protection
against 20 ‐ 40 Hz man‐made seismic noise in urban areas.
• The classic strong motion filter at a 250 Hz sampling rate can record for short periods
with a short‐period seismometer. In this case, the sensor itself protects against ~0.3
Hz marine seismic noise.
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• An IIR‐C filter at a 200 or 250 Hz sampling rate can monitor local earthquakes. How‐
ever, there is no protection against high‐frequency man‐made noise because the fre‐
quency content of the events and the noise is approximately the same. The approximate
band‐pass of these filters is shown in the table below.

3.3.4.5 Trigger types and sampling rates

Trigger Type 20 SPS 40 SPS 50 SPS
IIR‐A ~ 0.12‐2 Hz ~ 0.24‐4 Hz ~ 0.3‐5 Hz
Classic Strong Motion ~ 0.01‐1.25 Hz ~ 0.02‐2.5 Hz ~ 0.025‐3.125 Hz
IIR‐C ~ 0.2‐4 Hz ~ 0.4‐8 Hz ~ 0.5‐10 Hz
Trigger Type 100 SPS 200 SPS 250 SPS
IIR‐A ~0.6‐10Hz ~1.2‐20Hz ~1.5‐25Hz
Classic Strong Motion ~0.05‐6.25Hz ~0.1‐12.5Hz ~0.12‐15Hz
IIR‐C ~1‐20Hz ~2‐40Hz ~2.5‐50Hz

3.3.4.6 STA/LTA Triggering
The short‐time average/long‐time average (STA/LTA) trigger algorithm generally increases
the sensitivity of the recorder in comparison to the amplitude threshold trigger algorithm.
It improves the earthquake triggers/false triggers ratio, and, to some extent allows discrim‐
ination among the different types of earthquakes.
This can minimize the work of analysts and allows more efficient use of the recorder’s data
memory. Therefore, STA/LTA triggering is used most often in weak motion applications that
try to record as many seismic events as possible. The STA/LTA trigger parameter settings are
always a tradeoff among several seismological and instrumental considerations – the highest
possible trigger sensitivity for a given type of earthquakes (including ʺall earthquakesʺ) at a
tolerable number of false triggers.
STA/LTA triggering is most beneficial at seismically quiet sites where natural seismic noise
(marine noise) is the dominant type of seismic noise.
STA/LTA triggering is also effective in cases of suddenly changing man‐made seismic noise
(like the noise due to day/night variation of human activity in or close to an urban area). The
STA/LTA algorithm is less effective in the presence of irregular, high amplitude man‐made
seismic noise that is often of the burst and/or spike type.

How STA/LTA Works The STA/LTA algorithm continuously follows the changes in
seismic noise over time, and automatically adjusts recorder sensitivity to give you optimal
sensitivity to the actual seismic noise level at a specific time. This results in significantly
higher sensitivity during seismically quiet periods.
The STA/LTA algorithm calculates average absolute amplitude of a seismic signal in two
time windows – a Short Time Average window (STA) and a Long Time Average window
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(LTA). The short time average window (STA) ʺwatchesʺ for earthquakes and measures the
ʺinstantʺ amplitude of the seismic signals. The long time average window (LTA) takes care
of the average value of seismic noise during the same period of time. A ratio of both values
– the STA/LTA ratio – is continuously calculated and, if it exceeds the preset STA/LTA
trigger threshold level, a channel trigger is declared. The channel de‐triggers if the STA/LTA
ratio falls below another pre‐set value – the STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level.
STA/LTA trigger ratio calculations are calculated according to the steps in the figure below.
All calculations are made for every data sample in every channel in the recorder, assuring
minimal time delay between the seismic event and the triggering.

Figure 22: STA/LTA Simplified Flowchart

Simplified flowchart of STA/LTA calculations

STA/LTA Parameters To set the STA/LTA trigger algorithm, adjust the following
parameters:
• STA window duration in seconds
• LTA window duration in seconds
• STA/LTA trigger threshold level
• STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level
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Adjusting STA/LTA Trigger Parameters The STA/LTA trigger parameter settings depend
on the goals of the application, seismic noise conditions, and the properties of earth‐ quake
signals at a given location. Each seismic site requires detailed study, and only expe‐ rience
will enable you to determine optimal trigger settings.
In general, by proper adjustments of the STA and LTA duration, you can make triggering
more or less sensitive to certain type of earthquakes, and less sensitive to the type of seismic
noise at a given site.

Short Time Average Window (STA) Duration The short time average window (STA)
duration works as a kind of filter. The shorter it is, the more sensitive the STA/LTA trigger
will be too short and high frequency signals of local earthquakes. It will also be less sensitive
to distant earthquakes. The longer the STA duration, the less sensitive the trigger will be
for short local earthquakes. By changing the STA duration you can prioritize to some extent
between distant or local events.
On the other hand, by increasing the duration of the STA window, for example, triggering
becomes less sensitive to the common spike‐type of man‐made seismic noise, and vice versa.
For regional events, a typical initial value of STA duration is 1 second, for local events shorter
values of around 0.3 s are most commonly used.

Long Time Average Window (LTA) Duration By setting the LTA window, you can make
recording more or less sensitive to regional events with typically slowly emergent onset waves.
In the case of a short LTA duration, you allow the LTA value to follow the slowly increasing
amplitude of emergent seismic waves and this results in a decreased STA/LTA ratio at the
moment when the S waves arrive, thus reducing trigger sensitivity. In the opposite case,
using a longer LTA duration, the sensitivity to emergent earthquakes will increase
because the STA/LTA ratio will not be influenced so rapidly by the emergent seismic signal.
On the other hand, a short LTA will adjust recorder sensitivity to relatively fast changes
in ʺcontinuousʺ man‐made seismic noise during night‐to‐day transitions of activity in urban
areas. Natural seismic noise (marine noise) changes much more slowly and therefore much
longer LTA durations can be used.
An LTA duration of 60 seconds is a good initial value. A shorter LTA duration is needed to
exclude emergent regional events or to reject changing man‐made noise at the site.
The recorder has a modified version of a ʺfrozenʺ long time average window (LTA) during
events. The LTA value is, to the first approximation, not allowed to change (increase) during
an event. This prevents truncation of coda waves due to the LTA increasing too rapidly
during events (and thus decreasing STA/LTA ratio too rapidly). However, this ʺfreezingʺ
is not complete, allowing the trigger algorithm to prevent the unit from being permanently
triggered by a rapid increase in seismic noise.

STA/LTA Trigger Threshold Level The optimal STA/LTA trigger threshold ratio depends
mainly on seismic noise conditions at the site. Higher noise levels, particularly the
99
man‐made kind, require higher values. Higher values result in fewer false triggers but miss
more earthquakes. Lower STA/LTA triggers make the station more sensitive but cause more
false triggers to be recorded. False triggers and missed events are an unavoidable reality
when recording seismic signals in event triggered mode.
An initial setting of 4 for the STA/LTA ratio is common for relatively quiet seismic sites.
Higher values of 8 and above are required at less favorable sites where man‐made seismic
noise is present.

STA/LTA De‐Trigger Threshold Level The STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level (along
with the post‐event time parameter) determines when the recording will terminate. The de‐
trigger threshold is determined through a selectable STA/LTA de‐trigger thresh‐ old
percentage parameter and the current STA/LTA trigger threshold value. For example, a
STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level of 4 at an STA/LTA trigger threshold level of 8 is
obtained by selecting the STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold percentage of 50%.
The STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level determines how well the coda waves of recorded
earthquakes will be captured. To preserve complete coda waves, low values are required.
On the other hand, if one is not interested in coda waves, significant savings in memory
are possible if high values of STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold levels are used. An STA/LTA
de‐trigger threshold percentage of 100% is the highest value possible. It makes the STA/LTA
trigger threshold level and the STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level equal.
In general, the noisier the site, the higher the value of the STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level
that must be used to prevent continuous, repeated re‐triggering. This danger is particularly
high at sites heavily polluted by man‐made seismic noise.
The recorder will always use an STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level of at least 1.2. For
example, if you select a 10% de‐trigger threshold with the STA/LTA trigger threshold level
of 4, you would theoretically get 10% of 4 or 0.4 and the unit would be continuously triggered.
However, the recorder automatically uses a minimum STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold level of
1.2 to prevent this continuous triggering.
A typical initial value of the de‐trigger threshold is 2 to 3. The percentage set must be
calculated taking into account the current STA/LTA trigger threshold value. For example
with an STA/LTA trigger threshold of 4, and a desired STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold of 2
you would need to set an STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold percentage of 50%.

Default Values STA/LTA trigger algorithm default parameters are:
• STA (short time average) window duration = 1 sec
• LTA (long time average) window duration = 60 sec
• STA/LTA trigger threshold level = 4
• STA/LTA de‐trigger threshold percentage = 40%, resulting in an effective STA/LTA
de‐trigger threshold level 1.6
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Trigger Voting Parameters Each channel can be assigned a number of votes that it may
cast towards getting the system to trigger. This is called ʺvoting.ʺ How the voting system
is set up is dependent on which signals you are trying to record and which you are trying
not to record. You may need some first‐hand experience with the conditions at the site
before you can optimize this triggering. The parameters used to set up the triggering are
explained below.

Channel Weights (Trigger/Detrigger Votes) The mechanics of this are relatively simple.
You select the number of votes each channel will contribute (when it is triggered) to the total
number of votes required to trigger the system. Give zero votes to a channel that you do
not want to affect the triggering. Give a positive number of votes to a channel you do want
to contribute to the triggering. Give negative votes to a channel you wish to inhibit
triggering.

Trigger Weight This is the total number of votes required to get the system to trigger.

Keyboard Votes If you want to trigger the unit from a keyboard for test purposes, give
the keyboard trigger the same number of votes as the total trigger weight so that it will
trigger the unit by itself (without any other channels being triggered).

External Votes This is the number of votes you assign to the external hardware trigger
source. If you want all units in the network to trigger when one unit triggers, assign it the
same number of votes as the trigger weight. If you want to use a combination of an external
trigger with other internal criteria, set the votes appropriately.

Examples of Voting Schemes

Classic Free‐Field Site: Normally uses a three‐channel internal EpiSensor with no
interconnected units. Each channel has 1 vote and requires only 1 vote to trigger. Any
channel could trigger the system.

Interconnected System: For example: two digitizers with internal EpiSensors in a
building; one in the basement and one on the roof. The digitizers are interconnected. Initially
we set 1 vote for each channel and the external trigger and 1 vote to trigger. We find that the
digitizer on the roof often triggers the system due to the building swaying in the wind. We
can compensate for this by changing the voting of the roof unit so that its three accelerometer
channels have 1 vote while the external trigger has 3 votes. We set the trigger weight to 3 in
this unit. Now all of the channels on the roof must trigger simultaneously to record or the
unit must be forced to record by the unit in the basement triggering.
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3.4. TIMING SYSTEM CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
System on a Bridge: With a 12‐channel digitizer on a bridge with 12 sensors connected
we could start with all channels having 1 vote and requiring 1 vote to trigger. We may find
that this system triggers far too often from traffic vibration or swaying of the bridge. We
could then require several sensors to trigger by setting the votes to trigger to 2 or 3 and
could even give those aligned with the direction of sway 0 votes. In extreme cases we can
give the channels aligned with the direction of sway negative votes, so that several other
channels must trigger to overcome their negative votes.
In conclusion, from these examples we can see the flexibility of the triggering options and
some of the ways this flexibility can be used in particular installations.

3.4 Timing System
Time keeping is an important part of the Rock+ digitizer and is performed at a number of
levels:

• Digitizer data time is set at data acquisition start by sending current system time to
the ADC boards. This time is used to time stamp data until a better time source is
available such as GPS or PTP (Precision Time Protocol). GPS and PTP time sources
are very accurate – typically much less than a microsecond – and are used to time‐
stamp acquired samples, telemetry and data files.
• Time is set and maintained in the main processor based on time received from an NTP
server (network time protocol) by communicating with any of several default internet
time servers. You can also specify the NTP server the digitizer will use by using the
Linux script timeconfig.

NOTE: The NTP protocol DOES NOT provide sufficient accuracy or
determinism for precise data acquisition timing. It is generally used
ONLY to set the Operating System time and to “pre‐load” the time used
by the data acquisition system until “good” time can be acquired by
GPS or PTP. Specific more accurate applications of NTP are described
later in this section.

• Time is saved in the system’s internal clock at power down and will maintain time
without any external power for at least seven days. This time will be restored at
reboot in absence of any other time.
• Should the internal clock time source be lost, the time at boot will be the time of the
last proper shutdown.
• Time can be set manually from the Linux date command
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.4. TIMING SYSTEM
3.4.1 Data Time vs OS Time
It is important to clarify that Data Time (the time‐stamps applied to the data samples) and
OS (Operating System) Time are close to each other, but are not the same thing.
OS Time is only required to be “reasonably close” to Data Time so that OS time stamps of
created files and log entries are reasonably close to reality. How close OS Time is to Data
Time varies depending on the timing source from a few milliseconds of error to a few seconds.
Data Time is as close as possible to absolute time. Again, this depends on the timing source.
Accurate time sources such as GPS or PTP will typically align Data Time to less than a
microsecond from absolute time. Less accurate time sources such as undisciplined NTP may
only be accurate to within a few tens of milliseconds.

3.4.2 Disciplined Oscillator
Accurate time sources in the Rock+ basically operate by having a reported time value and
an accurate 1Hz signal. For example, with GPS a packet is received every few seconds that
reports the current time. This is paired with a highly accurate 1Hz signal from the GPS of
typically +/‐70 nanoseconds from absolute time.
The Rock+ uses this accurate time to control its internal 1Hz signal to follow the external
1Hz by adjusting the TCXO DAC. The values of the TCXO DAC and the “drift” (timing
error) are available as SOH (State of Health) values or streams.

3.4.3 Time Quality
The Rock+ will use available information about the timing system to determine a Time
Quality value. This value can be useful in determining the trustworthiness of the timing.
This value varies from 0‐100%. Values are as follows:
• 0 ‐ No timing source used
• 10‐60 ‐ Time source lost. Degrades by 1% every 10 minutes.
• 80 ‐ Time source identified, but not trusted yet.
• 90 ‐ Time source producing time, but not locked.
• 100 ‐ Time source locked.

3.4.4 Timing Options
The Obsidian generation of Kinemetrics Digitizers supports several timing options that allow
for “good” to “outstanding” timing accuracy for a range of applications.
The list below includes timing options that are functional and available now in the Obsidian
generation of instruments. For each option we list description, application, infrastructure,
maximum distance, and accuracy.
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3.4.4.1 GPS Internal
Description: Uses internal GPS engine to supply accurate timing for an individual digitizer.
This is the default timing selection since it is often the most accurate and most cost‐efficient
solution.
Application: Free field installations or installations where GPS antennas can be run for each
unit.
Infrastructure: GPS engine is built into the digitizer. GPS cable and antenna required.
Maximum distance: 50m antenna cable, longer with specialized extenders.
Accuracy: Typically 1us or less assuming good sky view.

3.4.4.2 NTP
Description: Uses the NTP protocol to get time over a network connection.
Application: Use where a GPS antenna is problematic or impossible. NTP timing is not
intended for precision timing but can be good enough in some applications, especially single
stations. Use of public internet NTP servers (pool.ntp.org) is the default. Alternatively you
can provide your own local NTP server (often GPS based called stratum one) to improve
accuracy.
Infrastructure: A network connection with either access to the internet or a private NTP
server.
Maximum distance: 100m Ethernet segments, longer with repeaters or fiber‐optics.
Accuracy: Depends on the available NTP server, but will typically settle to within a few
milliseconds of UTC time. Because of the nature of NTP, initial timing may take several
hours to settle.

3.4.4.3 NTP w/ External 1Hz
Description: Uses the NTP protocol to discipline the Operating System to within a few tens
of milliseconds of UTC time, then supplements this with an externally provided 1Hz signal
that is used to accurately discipline the sampling.
Application: Installations where GPS antenna usage is problematic, but an NTP server and
an accurate 1Hz signal are available.
Infrastructure: A network connection with either access to the internet or a private NTP
server and an accurate 1Hz signal.
Maximum distance: 100m Ethernet segments, longer with repeaters or fiber‐optics. 1Hz
signal as provided by the site.
Accuracy: Depends on the accuracy of the provided 1Hz signal but typically 1us or less.
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.4. TIMING SYSTEM
3.4.4.4 PTP Slave
Description: Uses the PTP (IEEE‐1588) protocol. Gets time from a provided (local) PTP
master.
Application: PTP allows for accurate timing over local Ethernet networks where a PTP
master is available. The PTP master can be a 3rd party commercial PTP time server or can
be another Obsidian acting as the PTP master.
Infrastructure: Requires a network connection to the PTP master, as well as the PTP master
itself. Timing is significantly improved if the PTP master and any intermediate Ethernet
switches are hardware PTP compliant (see note).
Accuracy: Using hardware PTP compliant servers and switches, typically less than 1us of
the PTP master. When not using hardware compliant PTP hardware it can range from
several microseconds to completely unusable.

3.4.4.5 PTP Master w/ GPS
Description: Disciplines the local unit via GPS and shares out this timing to one or more
PTP slaves on the local network.
Application: Use in places where units can be network interconnected, and GPS is available
to the PTP master (such as the top floors of a tall building).
Infrastructure: Requires network connection to one or more PTP slaves. Use of hardware
PTP compliant hardware recommended.
Accuracy: GPS accuracy for master unit.

3.4.4.6 PTP Master w/ NTP
Description: Uses the NTP protocol to get time over a network connection. This timing
information will be shared out over the network connection to one or more PTP slaves.
Application: Use where a GPS antenna for the PTP master is problematic, but NTP time
is available or possible.
Infrastructure: Requires network connection with access to the internet or a private NTP
server and one or more PTP slaves. Use of hardware PTP compliant hardware recommended.
Accuracy: Although absolute accuracy to UTC will only be to a few milliseconds (see NTP
above), all units will be “locked” together via PTP, typically within 1us of the PTP master.
PTP Master accuracy to UTC is as described for NTP above.
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3.4.4.7 PTP Master (free running)
Description: Shares out the PTP master’s idea of time to one or more PTP slaves.
Application: Use where a GPS antenna is problematic and no NTP or PTP time source is
available or possible.
Infrastructure: Requires network connection and one or more PTP slaves. Use of hardware
PTP compliant hardware recommended.
Accuracy: PTP master and PTP slaves will be locked together typically to within 1us.
Absolute accuracy to UTC unknown since no time reference is available.

3.4.4.8 TCXO free running
Description: Stand‐alone unit with no available time source.
Application: Use where there is only one unit, and use of GPS antenna is problematic and
no NTP or PTP time source is available or possible.
Infrastructure: None
Maximum distance: N/A
Accuracy: Unknown since there is no time reference.
Notes:

• Maximum distance for Ethernet over CAT‐5 or CAT‐6 cable is 100m. This can be
extended by adding Ethernet “repeaters” (such as switches) to add segments. Note
that repeaters added should have back‐up power.
• Fiber‐optic converters may be used to significantly extend Ethernet distances. Note
that there are several fiber‐optic Ethernet standards ranging from about 400m to as
much as 40km maximum distances.
• PTP infrastructure is available commercially (time servers, switches, etc.) These basi‐
cally come in two variants:
◦ Hardware based PTP and Software based PTP. Hardware based PTP is much
more accurate, on the order of less than 1us.
◦ Software based PTP is much less accurate and is more affected by network traffic
and so may not be as deterministic. Software based PTP solutions are typically
in the order of several to tens of microseconds of inaccuracy but can be worse.
• When using PTP, there should only be ONE PTP master on the local network.

• PTP hardware and software is built into the Obsidian and is hardware PTP compliant.
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.5. ANTI-ALIAS FILTERING
3.4.5 Using an NTP Server
The Rock+ defaults to using public NTP servers at pool.ntp.org. To use these servers, you
must have DNS enabled in your network configuration.
To configure a different NTP Time server, use the “timeconfig” script from Linux:
The timeconfig script operates as follows:
# timeconfig
System time is: Thu Dec 11 15:37:06 UTC 2014 Do
you want to set the system time manually?
(Y/N)? > n
Do you want to configure NTP servers?
(Y/N)? > y
IP address or host name of the Primary NTP server
> www.myntp.com
IP address or host name of the Secondary NTP server (optional)
>
Settings to be saved:
Primary : www.myntp.com
Secondary :
Tertiary :
Quaternary :
Press [Enter] to Continue, or [Ctrl‐c] to Quit.

3.4.6 Acting as an NTP Server
The Rock+ can act as an NTP server for your network. This is useful when you have other
non‐Kinemetrics equipment that needs a time reference and when NTP is good enough for
that purpose.
Whenever the Rock+ is configured to get time from GPS (whether configured as GPS only
or configured as PTP Master with GPS) then the Rock+ will automatically act as an NTP
server. No additional configuration is required ‐ simply give your other equipment the IP
address of the Rock+ as the NTP server’s address.
Note that the NTP time provided by the Rock+ is only as good as the definition of the NTP
protocol allows.

3.5 Anti‐Alias Filtering
The recorder has a high‐order anti‐aliasing filter system that offers extremely steep (ʺbrick‐
wallʺ) roll‐off combined with decimation of data. You can select between the causal or
non‐causal versions of these filters depending on your application.
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3.5. ANTI-ALIAS FILTERING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
Use the final causal filter for precise seismic phase picking (this type of filter does not generate
precursors that might interfere with determining the precise onset time). Use the non‐causal
final filter to avoid phase distortion of the signal.
The non‐causal filter has a linear phase response that is equivalent to a pure time delay,
and the phase of the seismic signal is undistorted. Therefore, there is no need for de‐
convolution of seismic signals when using these filters if you are primarily concerned with
phase distortion. The degree to which their pass‐band amplitude characteristics modify
seismic signals is tolerable in most seismological applications.
ASCII files containing the coefficients of all these filters can be downloaded from the Kine‐
metrics Web site or at www.kinemetrics.com.
These filters are implemented as two to eight stage, multi‐rate, Finite Impulse Response
(FIR) filters. They offer extremely steep low pass amplitude response. The ‐3dB point is
at 40% of the Sampling Frequency, while at the Nyquist Frequency (50% of the Sampling
Frequency) the amplitude is ‐130dB. The first‐stage (A) filters have sinc5 compensation. A
30K data stream from the A/D converter is decimated by the appropriate factors to get to an
intermediate data stream at twice the final sampling rate. The final filter is a decimate by 2
brickwall filter, causal or non‐causal. The table below lists the final sample rate, filter name,
number of coefficients and decimation for the anti‐alias filters used in the Rock+ Recorder
Family.
2000 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefB3_80 ( 179, /3 ) or coefB3C_80 ( 179, /3 )
1000 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefB2_80_140 ( 133, /2 ) or coefB2C_80_140 ( 133, /3 )
500 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
250 sps:
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.5. ANTI-ALIAS FILTERING
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5)
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
200 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5)
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
100 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
50 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA4_50 ( 69, /4 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
20 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
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3.5. ANTI-ALIAS FILTERING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
10 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA4_50 ( 69, /4 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
1 sps:
• coefA5_50_s5c ( 59, /5 )
• coefA3_50 ( 35, /3 )
• coefA2_20 ( 85, /2 )
• coefA4_50 ( 69, /4 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefA5_50 ( 85, /5 )
• coefB2_80 ( 173, /2 ) ) or coefB2C_80 ( 173, /2 )
Group delay is automatically and transparently compensated by the recorder, so the time
stamps are accurate for the first scan and the trigger scan.
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.6. TCP/IP PRIMER
SPS Non‐causal empirical (sec) Causal empirical (sec) Sample Period (mSec)
2000 0.0160 0.00265717 0.5

1000 0.0365 0.0070 1
500 0.1105 0.0305 2
250 0.2385 0.0765 4
200 0.2380 0.0405 5
100 0.4935 0.1085 10
50 0.9475 0.1695 20
20 2.4025 0.4338 50
10 4.7335 0.8475 100
1 47.6425 9.2100 1000
3.6 TCP/IP Primer
3.6.1 Terminology
IP Address – The address of a device that uniquely identifies it so it can be found on a
network. Typically this is a four part numeric address such as 192.168.1.1. Each part ranges
0 to 255.
Network – A collection of devices which can communicate with each other by knowing each
others’ addresses.
Internal Network – An internal network (and the devices in it) cannot normally be directly
accessed from the outside world, but they MAY be allowed to access the outside world. If you
have one computer and a router, you have an internal network. Internal networks typically
have the first three parts of the address the same – for example 192.168.1.x will be used for
all devices in the network, with only the “x” part varying.
Router – Equipment that bridges between internal networks and the Internet. A router will
view devices on the internal network with one range of addresses, and will present a single
address to the Internet. A router also serves to restrict access to the internal network. This
restriction/protection is known as a firewall.
Switch – Allows you to connect multiple networked devices together. Many routers include
several open sockets allowing them to also act as a switch.
Hub – A “dumb” predecessor to the switch. Do not use a hub when the network includes
different speed devices because it will bring all devices on the network down to the speed of
the slowest device.
Crossover – When connecting two devices directly together without a switch (such as a
Rock+ and your PC only), use a crossover cable or adapter to allow the direct connection.
(Think null modem for Ethernet)
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3.6. TCP/IP PRIMER CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
Gateway – This is the address where all external address requests are sent. In most internal
networks, this will be the address of the router so that the device can access the Internet
when needed.
Netmask – Defines which addresses are inside the network and which are outside the network.
255.255.255.0 (class C) is typical, meaning that only the last part of the address varies within
the network. Everything else is outside.
Services or Ports – A single device may have one to several thousand different services
running on it. Services can include things like web services, e‐mail, and file transfers among
many. Each service runs on a numbered port at an IP Address. These port numbers are
somewhat standardized.
Client vs. Server – In communication over TCP/IP there is generally a Server (the one
providing the service) and a Client (the one using the service). Devices can act as both.
They may, for example be a Client for web services when opening a web browser and may
at the same time be a Server providing services such as file storage.
DHCP – A Service that automatically assigns IP Addresses. Typically, your ISP assigns an
Internet address to your router and your router assigns an internal address to your device.
DNS – A Domain Name Server is a service on the Internet that translates names, like
www.kmi.com into a numeric address. Usually the DNS is provided by your ISP and the
address of the DNS server is forwarded by DHCP.
DDNS ‐ Dynamic DNS. This is a service that assigns your router a URL (like www.xxx.com)
that “follows” your numeric IP address as it is dynamically changed. DDNS is usually
handled completely by the router with the router “pinging” the DDNS servers to report the
current address. DDNS services range from free to commercial services and have varying
amounts of latency (the time between when your numeric IP address changes and when the
URL is updated to match).
URL ‐ Uniform Resource Locator. This is a name such as www.kmi.com that is equivalent
to a numeric IP address.

3.6.2 Addresses
A device’s address may be static or dynamic. A dynamic address is the most common, with
another device (a DHCP server) assigning the addresses on request.
Dynamic addresses are convenient because they are managed automatically and don’t require
the involvement of System Administrators to assign them.
The problem with dynamic addresses though is that they are just that – dynamic. This
means that their address is uncertain and can change from one day or one minute to the
next.
The typical dynamic connection has a router that gets an IP Address from the ISP. The
router translates the addresses within your internal network to the outside address from
the ISP. When you surf the web or send e‐mail this translation is unseen. However, if you
112
wanted to access your computer from work or from a coffee shop it can be difficult because
you cannot be sure of the IP Address assigned to your router (and thus your device) at the
moment.
In order to access a device remotely, you need a well known or static address. Most companies
and organizations have static addresses because they must be routinely accessed from the
Internet. Static addresses cost more.

3.6.3 Some GuidelinesSome Guidelines
Typical internal addresses are 10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x, or 172.16.x.x thru 172.31.x.x. These
addresses should only be used within an internal network and should NEVER be exposed
directly to the Internet.
Using 0 or 255 in the final part of an IP address has special meaning and should not be used
for any normal address. So, for example do not use:
• 192.168.1.0
• 192.168.1.255
• 10.0.1.0
• 10.0.1.255
When using devices within an internal network, use dynamic addresses whenever possible.
Assigning static addresses has the potential for conflict with other devices on the network
and should only be done after consulting with the System Administrator.
Assigning the same static IP address to multiple units can cause problems as your network
may remember the address as belonging to a previous unit and get confused (even if they’re
not connected to the network at the same time). Use unique addresses if possible.
If you have configured a standalone Rock+ as DHCP server, you should disable this func‐
tionality before you connect the Rock+ to your internal LAN or you may cause yourself
networking problems due to the conflict in address assignments.

3.6.4 Typical Configurations
• Rock+ products are configured as DHCP clients out‐of‐the‐box. This means that they
will try to get an IP Address from your network. To determine which address has been
assigned, your best bet is to use the Rock+’s Linux serial console connection and the
Linux command “ipaddr eth0”.
• When the Rock+ will be deployed using a router (such as in a structure using a DSL
connection), you may let the Rock+ obtain an address from the router or you may
assign a static address within the internal network. The outside address of the router
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3.6. TCP/IP PRIMER CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
will either be statically assigned or dynamically assigned by the ISP depending on the
service purchased. The Rock+ is accessed externally using the address of the router.
It may be necessary to “poke holes” in the firewall to allow external access to some
services.
• If the network is local only (no router used), use static addresses within the internal
network.
• If the Rock+ is standalone and you will occasionally connect a computer (a laptop?)
to configure the unit or obtain data, then configure the Rock+ to have a static address
(usually 192.168.9.1) and to act as a DHCP server. This way, you need only connect
your laptop to communicate with the Rock+. The Rock+ will assign the laptop an
address and you will not have to manually configure your laptop.

The Rock+’s IP address is configured using the “netconfig” script from Linux.

3.6.5 Rock+ Services
By default, the following services are enabled:
• PING
• SSH
• HTTP
• NTP
• POC
By default, the following services are disabled:
• FTP
• TELNET
• TFTP

3.6.6 Further
Distance limitations – Ethernet is limited to a standard distance of 100 meters. It is possible
to push this limit a little bit, but there are no guarantees. To extend the limit, you need a
powered Ethernet repeater, or a powered inline switch.
DSL connections are asymmetric – A typical DSL line has different speeds for upload than
for download. These connections are designed for web surfing. They are typically 8X faster
114
on download than upload. So you must understand that although the connections are cheap,
your 3Mb connection is actually only a 375Kb connection when you upload, such as streaming
real‐time data or sending recorded data back to the data center.
Internet security is a complex topic. The gist of it though is this:
• SSH (which includes SFTP) allows secure logins and file transfers over the internet.
• TELNET is totally “in the clear” meaning that anyone watching can see exactly what
you type, including passwords. It should generally NOT be used over the Internet.
• FTP or TFTP is also sent in the clear, but can be useful. For example, setting up an
FTP Server at a data center can be a useful and easy way to upload the data from
your equipment. Although not inherently secure, you can easily configure most FTP
Servers so that data once uploaded, cannot be seen or accessed from the internet. This
causes your data center to lose its appeal to hackers who might be tempted to use your
system for data storage.
• Enabling the Rock+ as an FTP Server over the Internet is also generally discouraged
because this exposes system passwords every time that you log into FTP over the
Internet. It can be useful though under some conditions such as:
◦ When the unit is not connected to the Internet (such as within your lab)
◦ For a temporary connection where you are willing to take the risk – e.g. connect
to the unit once a year to upload new firmware and then immediately disable
FTP again.
◦ Using a VPN or “tunnel” connection where all traffic to the unit is encrypted
and protected by a wrapping layer provided by the router. This is an advanced
subject and is not covered here.

An alternative to using a more expensive static IP Address is to use a Dynamic DNS (DDNS)
service. This can be free, but even if you choose a commercial DDNS server that is a fee‐for‐
service feature, it will usually be cheaper than obtaining a static IP Address if that is even
possible. You can then connect to the units at their URL using the web interface, SFTP (for
file transfers) or SSH for secure Linux login connections.
Rock+ units that wish to send e‐mail can configure the e‐mail file or message senders to use
the KMI mail relay. In this way, the mail is routed through a dedicated Kinemetrics mail
server so that you don’t have to configure or maintain your own mail server – which can be
fairly complex. The mail relay accepts mail only from recognized Rock+ units (so as not to
forward SPAM) and requires only that you use DNS and specify the target e‐mail address.

115

Additional network‐centric capabilities are supported as well, including:
◦ Dropbox support for file uploads
◦ OpenVPN support
• Includes “stealth” mode that blocks all but VPN and SSH ports
◦ SNMP support
For in‐depth reading on TCP/IP, see RFC 2151 ‐ A Primer On Internet and TCP/IP Tools
and Utilities
Also good, but less formal is “Daryl’s TCP/IP Primer”, which can be found at www.ipprimer.com
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3.7. FILE MANAGEMENT CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
3.7 File Management
Basic file access is done through the web interface. To see recorded files, select Recorded
Files from the menu. You’ll see:

Figure 23: Recorded Files

Each of the thumbnail pictures shown on the right represents one recorded file. These
pictures are small files for fast download and display. They show only enough detail to help
you distinguish which files are sensor tests, meaningful triggers, or useless noise data.
To see a bit more detail, you can click on each picture to see an expanded – but still static
– picture:
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.7. FILE MANAGEMENT
Figure 24: Recorded Files Detail

If needed, you can use your browser’s zoom function (usually holding the CTRL key and
scrolling the mouse wheel will zoom in and out).
Individual files can be downloaded by clicking the file name (like “aza001.evt”) and selecting
“save”.
Files can be deleted by selecting it (or them) under the corresponding filename(s) and clicking
“Delete Selected”.
To manage large numbers of files (downloading and/or deleting them), you should use a
program such as WinSCP, which is described later in this manual under Tools.
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3.8. FILE VIEWING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
3.8 File Viewing
The Recorded Files screen described above allows you to overview your recorded files using
static pictures. However, often you need to look a little closer. For this purpose, the digitizer
includes a File Viewer Application.
The File Viewer is an executable Java JAR file that can be downloaded to your computer
by clicking the “File Viewer” link on the Recorded Files page. Save this file (usually File‐
Viewer.jar) someplace convenient (like your Desktop, either directly or as a link). You only
need to download the File Viewer once unless you need a fresh copy.

Figure 25: Downloading the File Viewer

To view a file, download it and then launch the File Viewer. From the File Viewer menu,
select Open and locate and select your file.
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.9. WAVEFORM VIEWING
Figure 26: File Viewer

Though not covered in detail here, note that you can zoom, pan, change display units, apply
grid lines, sync displays in the X and Y axes, and do many other things.
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3.9. WAVEFORM VIEWING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION
3.9 Waveform Viewing

In addition to being able to view recorded files after they’ve been recorded, you can also
view live waveforms as the data is digitized. To do this, select Waveform Viewer:
Figure 27: Waveform Viewer
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CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION 3.9. WAVEFORM VIEWING
Once the list is displayed, select one or more virtual channels from the list on the right
(including SOH channels) and then press OK:


Note that you can select the display units.
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3.9. WAVEFORM VIEWING CHAPTER 3. BASIC OPERATION

Notice the selections for live Spectra (FFT and PSD), which will produce something like
this:

Figure 29: Real Time PSD
123
124

Chapter 4
Web Interface Overview

The web interface to the digitizer allows you to configure and operate your digitizer using
a web browser in many cases without installing any Kinemetrics‐specific software. The web
browser should be HTML 1.1 compliant (or later).
To access the digitizer through the web interface:
Open a web browser on your PC. In the address bar of the browser, type the IP address of
the digitizer – for example 10.0.3.71. You’ll be presented with a login prompt:

Figure 30: Login Prompt
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
Web logins use a relatively secure Digest Authentication login. Log into the unit using the
username and password used by your unit. By default, the username is “rock” and the
password is “kmi”.
Two groups of accounts may be set up:
• Client level users can view things, but cannot make any changes.
• Admin level users have administrative access, meaning that configuration changes can
be made.

Multiple web users from multiple IP addresses can log in at one time. But if more than one
Admin level user tries to log in at one time, the first user gets Full Access (read/write), all
others get Limited Access (read only).
Admin users who are given Limited Access can force the other Admin user to log off so
that they can obtain Full Access. Client users are not affected since they only have Limited
Access.
After 60 minutes of inactivity, any connected web user will be logged off. So if you forget to
log out of the Web Interface, the system will log you out after this time automatically.
Type a user name and password in and press OK. This will display the Overview screen:
126
Figure 31: Overview Screen

The menu items listed across the top of the display (left to right) are:
• Status
◦ Overview: The main status screen
◦ Waveform Viewer: Display of real‐time waveforms
◦ State of Health: Access to State‐of‐Health displays
◦ Logout: Log out of the web interface
• Layout
◦ Hardware: Edit of hardware specific parameters
◦ Configuration: Edit of application specific parameters
127
◦ Channel Summary: Displays a table of channel configurations
◦ Site Summary: Displays summary information for thr site (including network
setup)
◦ Layout Display: Graphical display of the module layout
◦ Layout Wizard: Allows you to rebuild the module layout (downloaded)
◦ Download Config: Download the current configuration to your computer
◦ Apply Changes: Validate and restart with any changes made
• Files
◦ Runtime Log: A display of the run time log file
◦ Error Log: A display of the error log file
◦ Maintenance Log: Make maintenance history changes
◦ Recorded Files: A display of recorded file thumbnails
◦ File Viewer: Display files interactively (downloaded)
• Triggering
◦ Triggering and Sensors: Commanded triggers, sensor tests, and sensor control
• Tools
◦ Help Tips: A list of built‐in help topics
◦ Rock Recovery: Recovery modes back to a saved configuration or factory default
◦ Operation/Password: Edit operation parameters including passwords
◦ Module Add: Add modules to the layout
◦ Module Remove: Remove modules from the layout
◦ Module Replace: Replace modules with a similar type
◦ Advanced Toggles: Display for edit advanced or test modules and parameters
◦ Debug Levels: Edit module debug levels (for diagnostics)
◦ Edit Users: Edd/edit/delete web user names and passwords
◦ Admin details: Upload and download firmware, configurations, and licenses
Hardware accesses hardware specific values such as specific IP addresses, number of channels,
sensor types, voltage ranges, serial numbers, etc.
128
Figure 32: Hardware Configuration

Configuration accesses installation independent values such as pre‐event time, post event
time, sample rates, and other operational parameters.
129
Figure 33: Configuration

The top of the Configuration page is a Parameter Map, which is a set of links to the individual
parameter sets of each module. This can be faster than scrolling to find a parameter. For
example, to access the Rock2 Data Interface, click on that link and you will get:
130
Figure 34: Module Parameter Example

Layout Display displays a picture of the current layout, along with a brief explanation of
each module.
131
Figure 35: Layout Display

Apply Changes tells the Rock+ to make changes you’ve made permanent.
Channel Summary displays channel information:
132
Figure 36: Channel Summary

Site Summary shows:
133
Figure 37: Site Summary
134
State of Health displays SOH information that is logged short term (24 hrs) and long
term (one year):
Figure 38: SOH Selection
135
Figure 39: SOH Display
136

Waveform Viewer defaults to non‐applet mode (using HTML and Javascript only). For the
majority of users this will be the preferred mode, and also allows use on mobile devices. If
for some reason you need to use the older applet mode, you will need to change the non‐
applet mode setting.

Note that Java applets are increasingly unsupported so if you are still using them you should
be prepared for their demise.

Figure 40: Applet Mode Selection
137
Click on Waveform Viewer to start the Viewer, you’ll see this:

Figure 41: Waveform Viewer Selection
138

Select the channel(s) you want to see and press OK:

139

Note the options for FFT and PSD display:

Figure 43: PSD Display

140
Next is Recorded Files. This shows small (1‐2kb) thumbnails of recorded files:
Figure 44: Recorded Files
141
If you click on a thumbnail, you can see a larger (6‐10kb) thumbnail:
Figure 45: Recorded File Detail

The links and buttons below the small thumbnails allow you to download or delete the files
(one at a time) via HTTP. Larger scale file maintenance is best done via SFTP or WinSCP.
142
Triggering & Sensors allows you to perform console or sensor test triggers:
Figure 46: Triggering and Sensors
143
4.1. EDITING PARAMETERS CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
Back on the Overview, status information is displayed at the bottom:
Figure 47: Overview

4.1 Editing Parameters
Parameters are divided into two main sections. Hardware parameters are those that are
typically hardware related such as sensor and channel specifics. Configuration parameters
are those that are mainly related to how the system operates – things like trigger levels,
pre‐event and post‐event times, and so on.
To edit hardware parameters, select Hardware from the Layout menu and you’ll see some‐
thing like this:
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW 4.1. EDITING PARAMETERS
Figure 48: Hardware Parameters

Note that when you click the “?” next to the name of a parameter that you’ll be shown the
help string that provides more detail about the purpose of the parameter:

Figure 49: Help String
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4.1. EDITING PARAMETERS CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
When you’ve finished editing the Hardware Parameters, click OK to save your changes.
To edit Configuration Parameters, select Configuration from the Layout menu and you’ll
see:

Figure 50: Configuration Parameters

The top of the Configuration page is a Parameter Map, which is a set of links to the individual
parameter sets of each module. This can be faster than scrolling to find a parameter.
For example, to access the Rock2 Data Interface, click on the link and you will get:
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW 4.2. ADDING MODULES
Figure 51: Module Parameters

by selecting “Apply Changes” from the Layout menu of the display. The system will restart
and reconfigure itself to make your changes. This may take a few minutes until the system
is restarted and operational with your changes.

4.2 Adding Modules
You can add capabilities to your system by adding additional modules. The process is the
same for adding modules of any type. For example, to add a module to the system to push
recorded event files automatically to a remote FTP server, you will need to add an FTP
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4.2. ADDING MODULES CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
Sender module. To accomplish this, select Module Add from the Tools menu, and scroll
down to locate the FTP Sender:

Figure 52: Module Add

Click “Add” to add the module.
Next, click Configuration from the Layout menu and select “FTP Sender” from the parameter
map. The FTP Sender parameters will now appear at the top of the window as shown:
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW 4.2. ADDING MODULES
Figure 53: FTP Sender Parameters

Configure the parameters for your new module as needed, then click OK to save your changes.
Next, click “Apply Changes” from the Layout menu. The system will restart and reconfigure
itself to add the FTP Sender module. This may take a few minutes until the system is
restarted and operational with your new module.
Please note than for most modules (including the FTP Sender module used as an example
here) that you can usually add multiple modules of the same type. This could be useful
where for example you want to send recorded files to more than one remote FTP server. To
do this, you would add one FTP Sender module for each destination.
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4.3. REMOVING MODULES CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
4.3 Removing Modules

You can further alter the capabilities of your system by removing modules. The process is
the same for removing modules of any type. For example, to remove an FTP Sender module
from the system, select Module Remove from the Tools menu and scroll down to locate the
FTP Sender:

Figure 54: Module Remove

Click “Remove”.
Next, click “Apply Changes” in the Layout menu. The system will restart and reconfigure
itself to remove the FTP Sender module. This may take a few minutes until the system is
restarted and operational with your changes.
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW 4.4. REPLACING MODULES
4.4 Replacing Modules

Sometimes what you need to do is replace a module in the system with another that has
the same basic functionality. For example, you may want to replace a data archiver that
produces EVT files with one that produces MiniSEED files, or you may want to replace a
Threshold Trigger with an STA/LTA Trigger. For example, to change the data format from
Kinemetrics EVT file format to MiniSEED, use the web interface. Choose Module Replace
from the Tools menu and you’ll see:

Figure 55: Module Replace

Click “Replace” for the Altus EVT Format Data Archiver and you’ll see your choices:
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4.4. REPLACING MODULES CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
Figure 56: Module Replacement Options

If you select “Choose” next to MiniSEED Format Data Archiver, then you’ll replace the
Altus EVT Format Data Archiver with MiniSEED. The Module Replacement screen will
now look like this:
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CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW 4.4. REPLACING MODULES
Figure 57: Module Replacement Complete

In this example, it was pretty simple because there was only one EVT Archiver module in
the system. But if you needed to replace the Threshold Triggers with STA/LTA Triggers and
you have a 36 channel system you can imagine that the process could become a bit tedious.
To make this a little better, you can select “All” instead of “Choose” when you are shown
the Compatible Modules list. You can then replace all modules of one type with another.
by selecting “Apply Changes” from the Layout menu.
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4.4. REPLACING MODULES CHAPTER 4. WEB INTERFACE OVERVIEW
154
Chapter 5
File Viewer
The File Viewer is a downloaded Java application that is loaded into your PC from the
digitizer’s web page when you click the File Viewer link. It will be downloaded as an
executable .jar file that you can run by directly if you have Java installed on your computer.
A brief summary of capabilities follows. Upon launch, the initial File Viewer display looks
like this:
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CHAPTER 5. FILE VIEWER
Figure 58: File Viewer Main

The File Viewer consists of a graphic display area (below), a menu, and a set of toolbar
buttons. Left to right, the toolbar buttons are as follows:
Open – Opens a file for display. Once the program has been started, it can be used to
open other files. As of this writing, the File Viewer supports Kinemetrics EVT files and
MiniSEED files (with some restrictions) when used with a “.m” extension. In the case of
MiniSEED, multiple files for the same time period may be opened at once.
Save As – Allows saving of the current file in another directory or under another name.
Print – Prints the current time series.
Setup – Allows configuration of additional File Viewer features. The Setup dialog looks like:
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Figure 59: File Viewer Setup

Setup selections include:

• Columns – Select the number of columns of graphic displays. You could for example,
organize an 18 channel record into 1 column of 18 plots, two columns of 9 plots, or
three columns of 6 plots.
• Mean – Allows mean removal from the data, or “As Read” display.
• Autoscale – Allows autoscale as “Global” (all channels scaled to largest signal), “Indi‐
vidual” (channels scaled individually), or “None”
Header Display – Displays header information as is available from the file:

Figure 60: Header Display
Grid Mode – Displays grid lines on the plots if requested.
157
Negative Display – Displays plots as green on black or blue on white.
DAC Mode – Displays data points as point‐to‐point, or showing individual signal levels for
each sample. This is usually only discernable when zoomed in closely.
Multi‐channel Mode – Displays all channels or only one channel at a time. In single channel
mode, channels can be selected with the Page Up / Page Down keys.
Units – Allows selection of display units. Choices include counts, volts, g, cm/s2, or gal.
Note that correct bit weight and sensitivity settings are required for proper scaling of the
data.
Cursor – Enables cursor mode so that you can click to display exact time and amplitude of
individual sample values. Note that the cursor can be moved with another mouse click or
by using the left and right arrow keys:

Figure 61: Cursor Display
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CHAPTER 5. FILE VIEWER 5.1. FILE VIEWER DYNAMIC OPERATION
Re‐Sync X‐Axes – Allows you to synchronize the display of all channels in the X‐axis to
show the same time period. You could, for example zoom in on an area of one channel, and
then re‐sync the other channels to show the same time period.
Re‐Sync Y Axes – Allows you to synchronize the display of all channels in the Y‐axis to
show the same amplitude range. You could, for example zoom in on an area of one channel,
and then re‐sync the other channels to show the same amplitude range.
Zoom Out – Zooms out to the original full scale range or autoscale setting.
About – Shows the current version of the program.

5.1 File Viewer Dynamic Operation
The File Viewer contains some dynamic display manipulation features as follows:
Zooming: When NOT in Cursor mode, you can zoom on any channel by using the mouse to
draw a “box” around the area of interest:
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5.1. FILE VIEWER DYNAMIC OPERATION CHAPTER 5. FILE VIEWER
Figure 62: Zooming in
Once zoomed, the display will look like this:
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CHAPTER 5. FILE VIEWER 5.1. FILE VIEWER DYNAMIC OPERATION
Figure 63: Zoomed in

Note that the zoomed data will show a different amplitude and/or time period. You can
zoom in multiple times, and un‐zoom one level at a time using a right click of the mouse.
Zooming will remember five levels of zoom for each plot.
Panning of the selected plot is also supported regardless of zoom level. The arrow keys allow
panning left, right, up, or down.
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5.1. FILE VIEWER DYNAMIC OPERATION CHAPTER 5. FILE VIEWER
162
Chapter 6
Rockhound Command Console

The Rockhound Command Console can be opened in any of a number of ways:

• If you are using RockTalk, then you can open the Command Console using the “Ter‐
minal Window” feature of RockTalk.
• You can also open the Command Console using a telnet or PuTTY connection at port
9900
• You can also connect to the system using SSH and then use telnet within the SSH
session to open the Command Console on a telnet connection on localhost (127.0.0.1)
at port 9900.
Once open, you will need to know the console password in order to log in.
Command Console parameters are available under System Operation parameters as shown
here:
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CHAPTER 6. ROCKHOUND COMMAND CONSOLE
Figure 64: Console Parameters
The Command Console once open will look like this:
164
Figure 65: Console Open

The “help” command can be used as shown to list standard, advanced, or all commands.
The list of available commands is as follows:
ALARM ‐ Set the state of the Alarm bit.
Usage: ALARM on|off

BASEDIR ‐ Report the base installation directory.
Usage: BASEDIR

BATTERYTEST ‐ Command a power supply battery test.
Usage: BATTERYTEST secs
BROADCAST ‐ Send a message to all modules.
Usage: BROADCAST {command} [optional argv1] [optional argv2] [...]
CALCHECK ‐ Checks front end calibration in the 20V range.
(intended for factory use only)
Usage: CALCHECK zerorange fsrange
CALIBRATE ‐ Performs and reports calibration.
165
Usage: CALIBRATE fec/dac/avx/view/grade
CLREVT ‐ Clear event counter.
Usage: CLREVT

CLS ‐ Clears the screen.
Usage: CLS

CRFLUSH ‐ Request an early flush of continuously recorded data files.
Usage: CRFLUSH

CTIME ‐ Display the current time.
Usage: CTIME

DACCHECK ‐ Checks DAC calibration in the 20V range.
Usage: DACCHECK zerorange fsrange
DATAFLOW ‐ Display current Data Flow stats.
Usage: DATAFLOW

DEFDECK ‐ Defaults channels 1 to 3 by reading parameters
from an internal Episensor deck.
Usage: DEFDECK
DIR ‐ Display a complete directory listing.
Usage: DIR {path}

DSPCMD ‐ Send a command to the Rock DSP.
Usage: DSPCMD (addr) (cmd)

ECHO ‐ Turns character echo on/off.
Usage: ECHO {on|off}

EEPROM ‐ Display status of board ID EEPROMs.
Usage: EEPROM

EXIT ‐ Exits the console session.
Usage: EXIT

EXTCHARGERTEST ‐ Command a power supply external charger test.
Usage: EXTCHARGERTEST mins
GPS ‐ GPS and Timing control functions.
166
Usage: GPS STAT: Timing system status
GPS ID: Timing system type and version
GPS RUN: Enable timing system
GPS STOP: Disable timing system
GPS ON: Turn on GPS power
GPS OFF: Turn off GPS power
GPS DIAG on|off|val: Timing system diagnostics
vals: 1=Time reports 2=Time verifies
vals: 4=Time quality 8=Time syncs
vals: 10=Position reports 20=State of health
vals: 40=Satellites & SNRs
GPS DAC on|off: Timing system TCXO reports
Help Options:
Help std ‐ List standard commands
Help adv ‐ List advanced commands
Help all ‐ List all commands
Help * ‐ Help for every command
Help {command} ‐ Help for a specific command
HOSTSERVICES ‐ Report current services and associated port numbers.
HWID ‐ Display the hardware ID string.
Usage: HWID
KBTRI ‐ Keyboard trigger.
Usage: KBTRI (secs)

LOOPBACKATE ‐ Performs factory ATE loopback using special test hardware.
Usage: LOOPBACKATE typ arglist
LS ‐ Display a brief directory listing.
Usage: LS {path}

MINFO ‐ Display info about currently loaded modules.
Usage: MINFO

MKBATCH ‐ Creates a batch file by typing in lines of commands.
Usage: MKBATCH file

MSGLEVEL ‐ Set the level of messages sent to this session.
Usage: MSGLEVEL {level, 0=None, 1=Critical, 2=All}
MSTIME ‐ Display the system time in milliseconds since Epoch.
167
Usage: MSTIME
NEWSPSATE ‐ Changes sample rate for ATE testing by rebooting.
Usage: NEWSPSATE sps
NOISETEST ‐ Performs and reports a main channel noise test.
Usage: NOISETEST
NWDEFER ‐ Defers network triggering temporarily.
Usage: NWDEFER secs

OWSBCHECK ‐ Check the One‐Wire Sensor Bus by testing for
device discovery on each active sensor bus channel.
Usage: OWSBCHECK
PAUSE ‐ Pause and wait for user input.
Usage: PAUSE

PING ‐ Request a PONG reply.
Usage: PING [optional reply text]

PLLCHECK ‐ Checks clock drift and VCO range.
Usage: PLLCHECK lcerange vcorange
RECONFIG ‐ Command re‐read of the configuration files.
RSVERIFY ‐ Verify that unit has not restarted under
stress test conditions.
Arg=0 saves current restart for later comparison.
Arg!=0 checks restart count against saved.
Usage: RSVERIFY rsflag
RTPARAMS ‐ Display current system runtime parameters.
Usage: RTPARAMS [optional key‐match]

RUN ‐ Run a batch file by executing commands in it as if
they were typed.
Usage: RUN file
SETDEBUGMASK ‐ Set the debug mask for a given module.
168
Usage: SETDEBUGMASK {module} [value (default=0)]
SLEEP ‐ Sleep the specified number of seconds.
Usage: SLEEP seconds

SNSCAL ‐ Do sensor calibration.
Usage: SNSCAL (type)

SOHCHECK ‐ Checks BF analog voltage values.
Usage: SOHCHECK value range (10 each)
SOHFLUSH ‐ Request a flush of SOH data files when using
the optional web server interface.
Usage: SOHFLUSH
STAID ‐ Set station ID and restart.
Usage: STAID auto or STAID name

STEP ‐ Apply the sensor step voltage.
Usage: STEP

STIME ‐ Display the system start time.
Usage: STIME

TEMPCHECK ‐ Checks temperature against actual.
Range against expected must allow for case rise.
Usage: TEMPCHECK expected range
UNSTEP ‐ Remove the sensor step voltage.
Usage: UNSTEP

USERSTAT ‐ Write numeric parameter to user status stream.
Usage: USERSTAT num

VALIDATE ‐ Validates firmware or config update.
If valid may cause restart.
Usage: To validate and restart: VALIDATE UPDATE
To validate and dynamically reconfigure: VALIDATE RECONFIG
VCOCHECK ‐ Check the VCO response by offsetting and
monitoring drift. (intended for factory use only)
Usage: VCOCHECK secs vcodelta mindrift maxdrift
169
VCOSTABLE ‐ Sets VCO initial value for stable temperature
and GPS locked. (intended for factory use only)
Usage: VCOSTABLE
VCOVERIFY ‐ Verify that VCO has not changed.
Arg=0 saves current VCO for later comparison.
Arg!=0 checks VCO against saved.
Usage: VCOVERIFY vcorange

VER ‐ Display the software and hardware version numbers.
Usage: VER

VMBYTES ‐ Display the total bytes available, and bytes free in the VM.
Usage: VMBYTES

VMERROR ‐ Exits the VM with error 99 (for testing).
Usage: VMERROR

VMEXIT ‐ Exits the VM.
Usage: VMEXIT

VMGC ‐ Force Garbage Collection in the VM.
Usage: VMGC

VMCRASH ‐ Deliberately place a VM thread into an infinte loop
(for testing).
Usage: VMLOCKUP
VMOOM ‐ Deliberately crash the VM by consuming all heap space
(for testing).
Usage: VMOOM
VMPROPS ‐ Display the Virtual Machine properties.
Usage: VMPROPS

VTDSET ‐ Set voltage range during ATE testing.
0=2.5V, 1=5V, 2=20V (intended for factory use only)
Usage: VTDSET range

WATCHDOGTEST ‐ Cause a system restart via a
software watchdog.
Usage: WATCHDOGTEST
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CHAPTER 6. ROCKHOUND COMMAND CONSOLE 6.1. BATCH MODE
6.1 Batch Mode
The Rockhound Command Console supports a limited batch mode process to make it some‐
what easier to perform routine activities such as periodic maintenance. The MKBATCH
command is used to create a batch file by name, accepting input until RETURN only is
entered. Lines of the file are executed as commands as if typed by the user. Lines starting
with “;” or “#” are treated as comments and ignored.
The batch file will be created with the extension “.BAT” on the digitizer.
For example:
> mkbatch mybatch
Type in lines of commands, one command per line.
When done, press RETURN only to close the file.
> ; Quarterly Maintenance
> ; Get GPS status
> gps stat
> ; Do a 2 minute battery test
> batterytest 120
> ; Wait a bit
> sleep 150
> ; Do a sensor calibration
> snscal
> Batch file creation complete.
>
To run the batch file, type:
> run mybatch
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6.1. BATCH MODE CHAPTER 6. ROCKHOUND COMMAND CONSOLE
172
Chapter 7
Non‐Networked Use

If you don’t intend to normally connect your digitizer to a network, we still recommend that
you set up the digitizer’s network so that you can control the digitizer from your local PC
when you’re on site.
To communicate directly between the digitizer and a PC over Ethernet without using any
supporting network hardware, you’ll connect the digitizer to the PC using an Ethernet
crossover cable. Once connected, you should be able to operate the digitizer in its typical
networked modes.
In this case, we recommend the following parameters:
Digitizer:
• IP Address: 192.168.1.1
• Netmask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: 192.168.1.100
• DNS: None
PC:
• IP Address: 192.168.1.100
• Netmask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: 192.168.1.100
• DNS: None
You may also consider configuring the digitizer to act as a DHCP server, meaning that
the digitizer can supply the IP address to your PC when you connect it without having to
reconfigure the PC. Using the digitizer as a DHCP server can only be done if the digitizer is
not on a network with another DHCP server, such as in a standalone configuration. To use
the digitizer as a DHCP server:
Digitizer:
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CHAPTER 7. NON-NETWORKED USE
• IP address: 192.168.9.1
• Netmask: 255.255.255.0
• Gateway: 192.168.9.1
• DNS: None
Then enable the DHCP server:
initdconfig isc‐dhcp‐server on
reboot

PC:
• IP address: Automatically assigned

If you plan to normally only operate the digitizer through a modem, Kinemetrics recommends
that you add the Altus Emulation module. This module provides many capabilities, but the
ones of interest here are:
• Dial on event
• File Transfer
• Parameter Upload/Download
• Firmware Update
If you will have multiple digitizers on an internal network at the site and you will NOT use
a DHCP server (you need static addresses), then we suggest using an addressing sequence
such as 192.168.1.1 for the first, 192.168.1.2 for the second, and so on.
For details of how to perform these functions, see the section Modem Only Operation later
on in this manual.
174

Chapter 8
Altus Emulation

The Kinemetrics Altus instruments (K2s, Etnas, and Mt. Whitneys) are very popular with
several thousand units delivered. As such, supporting networks from file based to real‐time
and near real time systems exist for these instruments. In some cases, these networks have
evolved over the years into very sophisticated systems with a great deal of capability.
We understand that extending or possibly replacing these networks to support later gener‐
ation equipment can represent significant effort and/or cost. To ease the burden, we have
included an “Altus Emulation” module in the Rockhound software providing the option to
make the Rock+ based digitizer “look” very much like an Altus instrument so that you can
continue to utilize your existing network with little or no modifications.
Obviously, the emulation is not a 100% duplication of all Altus capabilities in exactly the
same way as they are implemented on the Altus. However, the Altus Emulation module when
combined with other modules such as the Altus EVT Archiver module provides capabilities
such as:
• Recording in EVT file format
• Altus File Naming conventions
• Support for Altus‐style modem operations
• Support for the Altus Serial Data Streams (SDS) protocol
• Altus‐style terminal mode functions
• Support for Altus Block mode
These capabilities allow for operation with the Kinemetrics NMS software, as well as with
software such as Earthworm, Antelope, or customer developed software with little or no
modification. In addition, the Altus Emulation modules allow for:
• Support for more than 18 channels
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8.1. TERMINAL MODE CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION
• Co‐operation with other Rock+ platform capabilities
• More compatible existence between modem modes and streaming data
• Multiple Altus Emulation modules can be included in the layout
• Multiple streaming data interfaces serving data to multiple destinations
There are two different types of Altus Emulation modules available with very similar features:
• Altus Telemetry via RS‐232 allows Altus Emulation through any Rock+ serial port or
modem
• Altus Telemetry via TCP/IP allows Altus Emulation through IP links

8.1 Terminal mode
Terminal mode in Altus Emulation is similar to how it operates in the Altus. A connection
is made to the unit via the RS‐232 or TCP/IP. Once connected, you can use commands that
are very similar to those in the Altus:

Figure 66: Terminal Mode
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CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION 8.1. TERMINAL MODE
Most of these commands provide approximations to the original Altus command and are
intended to be as complete a reproduction as is reasonable. It is assumed that most users
who have occasion to use these commands will be familiar with the Altus commands on
which these emulated commands are based. Additional detail on each command is supplied
here where a command is substantially different than the Altus command else the user is
referred to the appropriate Altus documentation, Altus Monitor Mode Communications, p/n
302219.
At present, the list of commands is as follows:
* help
ALARM ‐ ALARM control functions
ALARM off ‐ Turn off the alarm bit
Alarm bits on Rock+ digitizers are provided via the Rock GPIO module described in the IO
Bits section. The Rock GPIO module equates the alarm function with one of the available
hardware IO bits, which will be triggered when the threshold is exceeded. This command
turns off that output as needed.
ANSWERMODE ‐ Forces hangup of the modem
Also may be used to declare successful termination of a call. The CGS Altus Emulation mod‐
ules specifically requires both a SUCCESS command to declare the conversation complete
and an ANS command to hangup the line.
AQ ‐ AQ acquisition control functions
AQ DET Detriggers recording
AQ DVM Displays sensor signal levels
In addition to supporting the standard Altus display of channel voltages and supporting
step/unstep mode, this command also allows display of the enabled state‐of‐health channels.
AQ FT Performs sensor functional test
AQ ON/OFF Enables or disables acquisition
AQ PEAK Displays signal peaks during trigger
AQ SRT Performs sensor response test
AQ TRI Triggers recording
AUTOBAUD ‐ ignored
BATTERY ‐ BATTERY performs a battery test
BAT mins ‐ Performs a battery test for the time in minutes
This command tests functionality of the external battery by internally disconnecting the
input DC power, forcing the system to run off of the battery for the specified amount of
time. If the battery does not have sufficient reserve, this test may cause the system to reset.
During the test, the system will display the remaining time and current battery voltage as
follows:
177
* bat 2
This will perform a power supply battery test by disconnecting
input DC power, and may cause the system to reboot if the
battery does not have enough reserve.
Are you sure you want to do this? [(Y)es, (N)o]: y
Requesting battery test (120 seconds)
Starting battery test...
SYSTEM RESET indicates test failure
Press any key to abort
Seconds remaining:
32: 12.21V

BLOCK ‐ Forces the connection into block mode
CD ‐ Change Directory command

Allows the user to change subdirectories within the data directories. The “root” directory
of Altus Emulation is placed at the specified data directory, which is usually /data/events.
For security considerations, the user is not allowed to navigate outside of the data directory
and subdirectories.
The exception here is access to firmware files such as log, batch, configuration and script files
that are located in various locations throughout the system. For these, a pseudo directory
is created that cannot be directly “CD’d” to, but instead you may access with commands
like “dir FW”.

CALLMODE ‐ Forces hangup of the modem
CHDIR ‐ Change Directory command
CLEAR ‐ CLEAR events and alarms
CLEAR ALL ‐ Clear event counter and alarm
CLEAR EVENT ‐ Clear event counter only
CLEAR ALARM ‐ Clear alarm only
CPPC ‐ CPPC command controls modem power with 2 hour timeout
CPPC on ‐ Turn on the modem power
CPPC off ‐ Turn off the modem power
DEFAULT ‐ DEF performs system defaulting operations
DEF DECK ‐ Defaults sensor parameters from internal deck
DELETE ‐ Deletes files singly or in groups
DEL file FW ‐ Deletes rt.log, err.log, and batch files
See notes regarding special firmware files in the description of the CD command.
DIR ‐ Displays storage directory
DIR FW ‐ Displays special files

176
DISPLAY ‐ DIS displays system parameters
DIS BIT ‐ Displays bit map parameters
DIS CHA ‐ Displays channel parameters
DIS MOD ‐ Displays modem parameters
DIS SEN ‐ Displays sensor parameters
DIS SER ‐ Displays serial data stream parameters
DIS STR ‐ Displays stream parameters
DIS RWM ‐ Displays read/write/miscellaneous
DIS WRI file ‐ Writes parameters to a file

Writes digitizer configuration parameters (extracted from the active config.jar file that holds
all current parameters) to the specified file. Files are written in a human readable format of
the form:
*** SYSTEM‐WIDE PARAMETERS
Data directory: \data
*** ALTUS EVT FORMAT DATA ARCHIVER
Output directory: \data\events\
Directory layout: FLAT
Channel list: *
Julian Day: false
Separate by digitizer: false
ZIP multiple files: false
Keep ZIP only: false
*** CGS ALTUS TELEMETRY VIA TCP/IP
TCP Port: 9801
Channel list: *
Enable modem use: false
Dial on event: false
Dial on daily checkin: false
...etc
DIS ADV file ‐ Writes parameters (incl advanced) to a file

This command is similar to the DIS WRI command above, but includes advanced parameters
normally hidden to reduce complexity. A sample of some advanced parameters included
would be:

Call Window Duration: 15
Call Power Warmup: 0
Compressed mode: true
Buffer size: 0
Simulate Altus naming (Advanced): true
Dynamic Packet sizing (Advanced): 0‐Dynamic 2048
EDIT ‐ ignored
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Edit command as traditionally defined in the Altus is not supported. In general, parameters
are contained in the config.jar configuration file and should be edited using either the web
interface or the RockTalk software.
As a result, some changes which would normally be made in Altus EDIT mode are available
as commands available from the “*” prompt. In these cases, the changes to the operation of
the system take place immediately.
EEPROM ‐ Displays status of board ID EEPROMs
Reads and displays the contents of the ID PROMs associated with the various boards in the
system. The output from this command will take the following form:
* eeprom
PartNumber=112110
DashNumber=01
BoardRev=A
PartsListRev=A
SerialNo=21
Bridge=1
ESerialNo=1C00700903000058
Built=4907
Tested=0108
BoardType=BlackFin
BFNumber=0
GPS ‐ GPS status functions
GPS DIAG on|off|val ‐ Timing system diagnostics
vals: 1=Time reports 2=Time verifies
vals: 4=Time quality 8=Time syncs
vals: 10=Position reports 20=State of health
vals: 40=Satellites & SNRs
Generates Altus‐style GPS diagnostic information with some additional information avail‐
able (such as time quality). Unlike the Altus though, which provides for “all or nothing”
diagnostic output, the Rock+ digitizer allows you to selectively enable and disable different
diagnostics by specifying different values ranging from 0 (nothing) to 7F (everything).
GPS ID ‐ Timing system type and version
GPS OFF ‐ Timing system power off
GPS ON ‐ Timing system power on
GPS STAT ‐ Timing system status
HELP ‐ Displays help on all available commands
MD ‐ Make directory command ‐ Makes a new subdirectory
MD dir ‐ Makes the subdirectory ’dir’
MKBATCH ‐ MKBATCH creates a batch file by typing in lines of commands
MKBATCH file ‐ Creates the specified batch file
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See Batch Mode
MKDIR ‐ Make directory command ‐ Makes a new subdirectory
MKDIR dir ‐ Makes the subdirectory ’dir’
MODEM ‐ Provides limited modem control parameters
MOD CHE hh mm dd ‐ Sets daily checkin at ’hh:mm’, skipping ’dd’ days
MOD CHE ‐1 ‐ Disables daily checkin
MOD PHO n num ‐ Sets modem dial out phone number ’n’ (1 or 2) to ’num’
See EDIT command, above. Changes to the operation of the modem take place immediately.
NWDEFER ‐ NWDEFER Defers network triggering temporarily

When using network triggering, allows the user to temporarily disable outgoing network
triggering for maintenance or test purposes so that interconnected units will not cross‐trigger.
If the local unit triggers while network triggers are deferred, then the local unit will still
trigger but will not inform other units of the trigger. Instead, a log entry will be made that
indicates the deferral.
NWDEFER secs ‐ Defer network triggering for ’secs’ seconds

Time value must be positive. Realistically, there is no maximum time with the maximum
being a signed 32 bit number, so zero to 2,147,483,647 (~68 years).
NWDEFER 0 ‐ Cancel network triggering deferral
NWDEFER ‐ Display current network triggering deferral status
PASSWORD ‐ PASSWORD command unlocks protected commands
PAUSE ‐ PAUSE Pause and wait for user input
Used with batch files to wait for user input. See Batch Mode
Q ‐ Quit command ‐ ignored
Exit command from EDIT mode, which is not used. See EDIT command.
RD ‐ Deletes empty directories
RENAME ‐ Renames or moves files or directories
REN file file ‐ Renames a file to another name
REN file dir ‐ Moves a file to a directory
REN dir dir ‐ Renames a directory to another name
REN file file FW ‐ Renames rt.log, err.log, and batch files
179
RMDIR ‐ Deletes empty directories
RUN ‐ RUN runs a batch file by executing commands
RUN file
See Batch Mode
RX ‐ XMODEM Receive command
SLEEP ‐ SLEEP Sleep the specified number of seconds
SLEEP seconds
Used with batch files to delay a specified amount of time. See Batch Mode
STATUS ‐ Reports current status information
SUCCESS ‐ Causes completion of call by clearing dial‐out reasons
Only available with the CGS Altus Emulation modules.
Used to declare successful termination of a call. The CGS Altus Emulation modules specifi‐
cally requires both a SUCCESS command to declare the conversation complete and an ANS
command to hangup the line.
SUM ‐ Displays event file summaries
SYSTEM ‐ SYS performs system operations
SYS REBOOT ‐ Reboots the Operating System
Reboots the entire system including the underlying Operating System.
SYS RES ‐ System reset reboots Rockhound
Restarts just the application section of the system, without rebooting the Operating System.
TIME ‐ TIME sets or displays system time
TIME ‐ Displays current time
TIME yy mm dd hh mm ss
TX ‐ XMODEM Transmit command
VERSION ‐ Reports version information
Example:
* ver ROCK Digitizer Software 3.1.2
P/N 304708
Copyright (c) 2009, Kinemetrics, Inc.
Last Revised: July 9, 2009
BF0; BF=0.1.76,CalPSOC=0006,CPBL=0002B,CPLD=nc/nc/nc/nc
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CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION 8.2. BATCH MODE
BF0; BF @ 090225 11:11 0176

WINDOW ‐ WINDOW manages timed recording windows
WIN NEW ‐ Defines a new timed recording window
WIN DEL x ‐ Deletes a timed recording window
WIN ‐ Lists all current timed recording windows
Used to create and manage timed recording windows. The user can create timed windows
for one time or daily repetition, and can list or delete windows as needed. Examples:
* win new
Duration (sec): 90
Hour (0‐23): 11
Minute (0‐59): 43 D
aily? (Y/N): n
Month (1‐12): 3
Day (1‐31): 29 Y
ear (2008‐2099): 2010
1: Mar 29, 2010 11:43, Duration 90 secs
* win new Duration (sec): 120
Hour (0‐23): 13
Minute (0‐59): 30
Daily? (Y/N): y
2: Jul 14, 2009 13:30, Duration 120 secs (DAILY)
* win
2: Jul 15, 2009 13:30, Duration 120 secs (DAILY)
* win del 2
Deleted timed recording window 2
\\\ ‐ Forces command mode ‐ Ignored in command mode *

8.2 Batch Mode
Altus emulated command mode supports a limited batch mode process to make it somewhat
easier to perform routine activities such as periodic maintenance. The MKBATCH command
is used to create a batch file by name, accepting input until RETURN only is entered. Lines
of the file are executed as commands as if typed by the user. Lines starting with “;” or “#”
are treated as comments and ignored.
The batch file will be created with the extension “.BAT” on the digitizer. Batch files can
also be uploaded or downloaded using the TX and RX commands with the “FW” qualifier.
For example:
* mkbatch mybatch
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8.3. STREAMING CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION
Type in lines of commands, one command per line.
When done, press RETURN only to close the file.
> ; Quarterly Maintenance
> ; Get overall unit status
> stat > ; Get GPS status
> gps stat
> ; Do a 2 minute battery test
> bat 2
> ; Hangup
> ans
> ; Wait a bit
> sleep 30
> ; Generate an FT, which should call back
> aq ft
> Batch file creation complete.
*
To run the batch file, type:
* run mybatch

8.3 Streaming
Streaming Data is simulated from the Altus Emulation module. Parameters for Streaming
Data include:
• Channel selection
• Buffer size
• Data compression mode
• Port selection and baud rate are available when using the RS‐232 versions of the module

8.4 Dial On Event
Similar to the Altus, dialing options are provided which are set within the module’s param‐
eters and include:
• Phone numbers
• Initialization and modem control strings
• Dialing reasons (event, loss of GPS, low battery, etc)
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CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION 8.5. MODEM ONLY OPERATION
• Call completion mode
• Call retries and retry delays
• Daily checkin
• Modem power control windows
• Call transaction log entries (into system log)

8.5 Modem Only Operation
Although primarily designed as an IP‐based instrument, the Rock+ digitizer can be used
in a modem only operation mode allowing for complete command and control of the unit
using only a modem. The basic capabilities of this mode of operation are outlined here. The
TTYMonitor The TTYMonitor provides a protection mechanism to allow you to access a
Rock+ digitizer even if the Rockhound software is rendered inoperative. This is important
because the Altus Emulation module that controls the modem runs as part of the Rockhound
layout. If the layout’s parameter were corrupted or inadvertently set up in such a way that
the system could not run, then you would be unable to access the system through the modem.
The TTYMonitor is a software layer that is between the Altus Emulation module and the
underlying Operating System. Simply put, when you call the modem it is the TTYMonitor
software that first answers the call. If you simply begin the conversation with the unit, then
TTYMonitor transparently passes all characters directly to and from Rockhound.
If however, the Rockhound software is unable to operate, you would call the unit and after
TTYMonitor answers the call you would send a ‘$’ to the system, which TTYMonitor inter‐
prets as a request to directly access the Operating System. In this case you will be presented
with a Linux login prompt. From the prompt, you can log into Linux and reset or correct
the problems encountered.
Setting up to use TTYMonitor is fairly simple and involves two basic steps:
From Linux you run the ttymonconfig script to associate the modem’s TTY port and an IP
port.
From Rockhound you use the TCP/IP version of the Altus Emulation module and choose
the same IP port.
Running ttymonconfig would look as follows:
ttymonconfig
Enter the tty device
Default: /dev/modem0
> /dev/modem0
Enter the modem init string
Default: ATZE0S0=1
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8.5. MODEM ONLY OPERATION CHAPTER 8. ALTUS EMULATION
> ATZE0&C1&D0S0=1
Enter the application port number (5001‐65534)
Default: 9800
> 9800
Review the new parameters:
TTY_DEV = /dev/modem0
MODEM_INIT = ATZE0&C1&D0S0=1
APP_PORT = 9800
Save the parameters?
(Y/N)? > y
Saving parameters...
Auto‐start the service at boot? (
Y/N)? > y
Stopping KMI TTY Monitor Service: /usr/sbin/ttymond: line 61: 518
Terminated ttywatch $APP_READ_FIFO $APP_WRITE_FIFO <$TTY_DEV >$TTY_DEV
ttymond: Stopped! Ok
Enabling auto‐start...
Starting KMI TTY Monitor Service: Ok
ttymond: Monitoring tty /dev/modem0 and port 9800...

Next you must add the Altus Emulation module via TCP/IP to your layout and configure
it to use port 9800 as follows:

Figure 67: Adding Altus Emulation
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Figure 68: Altus Emulation Parameters

Obviously, you will want to test your system for the ability dial in and dial out before leaving
the premises.

NOTE: Use of TTYMonitor is strongly recommended if the modem will
be the only interface to your unit. We feel this is important enough that
if you use the RS‐232 version of the Altus Emulation module and set it
up for modem use then it WILL NOT OPERATE
185
without specific additional setup. This is to protect you by reducing the
possibility of field visits if the Rockhound software or configuration is
rendered inoperable by configuration errors.
If you add the RS‐232 version of the Altus Emulation module and enable modem mode, the
modem features will not work at all and you will see the following message in the log file:
ERROR! Modem enabled as primary connection
If you wish to utilize the RS‐232 version of the Altus Emulation module directly because
you have a secondary IP or modem connection (or if you’re just willing to take the risk),
then specify the connection as a secondary connection as shown. Note the detailed warning
below:

Figure 69: Secondary Port Warning

8.5.1 Dialing In
Dialing in to the Rock+ through the modem interface is the same as the Altus. Once the
modem connects, you must give one or more backslash characters (“\”) depending on what
the unit is doing, and you will then be presented with a command prompt that allows you
to enter commands.
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8.5.2 File Transfer
File transfers through the modem interface can be performed using the XMODEM RX
and TX commands or using Altus block mode. Altus block mode allows you to use Altus
QuickTalk or Altus File Assistant software to transfer files.

8.5.3 Parameter Download
To download your parameters through the modem, use the TX command with the “FW”
qualifier to download “config.jar” as follows:
TX config.jar FW
Other special file types that can be transferred using the TX FW mechanism include:
• Unit configuration (config.jar)
• Batch files (.bat)
• Log files (rt.log, err.log, or system.log)
• Sensor script files (.csq)
• Special configuration files (.cfg)

8.5.4 Editing Parameters with RockTalk
The RockTalk program can be used to edit parameters you have manually retrieved from the
digitizer with the TX command. To do this, configure RockTalk to support Configuration
Archival through RockTalk Setup → Advanced Levels.
Select the de‐archival function through the button or File → De‐archive Layout or the toolbar
button:
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Figure 70: RockTalk De‐archive

Locate the jar file that contains the configuration that you downloaded from the unit and
make the necessary changes using the Parameter Editor or other functions of RockTalk. Once
the changes have been made, save the modified configuration by selecting File → Archive
Layout or by using the toolbar button:

Figure 71: RockTalk Archive

Once you’ve saved the modified configuration in a file, you can send it back to the digitizer
over the modem using the RX command as described below.
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8.5.5 Parameter Upload
To upload your parameters through the modem, use the RX command with the “FW”
qualifier to upload “config.jar” as follows:
RX config.jar FW

After you have successfully uploaded the configuration, issue the sys res command to install
the uploaded configuration.

NOTE: It may take as long as a minute or two for the Rockhound
software to shutdown, unpack the new configuration and restart before
the system is back in full operation.
Other special file types that can be transferred using the RX FW mechanism include:
• Firmware files (update.jar)
• Unit configuration (config.jar)
• Batch files (.bat)
• Sensor script files (.csq)
• Special configuration files (.cfg)

8.5.6 Installing Firmware Updates
To upload a firmware update through the modem, use the RX command with the “FW”
qualifier to upload “update.jar” as follows:
RX update.jar FW

After you have successfully uploaded the firmware, issue the sys res command to install the
uploaded firmware.

NOTE: It may take as long as five minutes for the Rockhound software
to shutdown, unpack the new firmware, install it, and restart before
the system is back in full operation. The updated firmware file MUST
be named “update.jar” in order to be installed.
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Chapter 9
Storage
The unit supports various storage options including one internal System (software) SDHC
card (required), one internal Data SDHC card (required), and additional external storage
via USB Thumb Drives.
Memory cards provided through Kinemetrics will be Industrial Temperature range (‐25 de‐
grees C through +85 degrees C) to be compatible with the overall temperature specifications
of the unit.
Kinemetrics DOES NOT recommend the use of commercial grade memory cards (although
they are definitely less expensive) unless the user clearly understands that by using them
they are degrading the overall temperature range of the equipment (and life expectency of
the cards themselves).
NOTE: Use of commercial grade memory cards may compromise cor‐
rect operation of the unit, cause loss of important data, or both.

9.1 System SDHC Flash
The system card is internal to the unit’s case and is not physically accessible by the user. The
card contains the operating system and applications software that will be used to operate
the unit. Typically, user data is stored on another memory card.
As of this writing, all Obsidians ship with a 4GB SDHC System card.
Should it become necessary to replace the System card, please contact Kinemetrics for sup‐
port.

9.2 Data SDHC Flash
The data card is internal to the unit’s case and is not physically accessible to the user. The
card holds recorded data and working data such as ring buffer files.
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9.3. USB SUBSYSTEM CHAPTER 9. STORAGE
Data to be offloaded to a USB Thumb Drive is typically recorded on the Data card, and
then copied to the Thumb Drive.
As of this writing, all Obsidians ship with a 32GB SDHC Data card.
Should it become necessary to replace the Data card, be sure to replace it with the same
card type or an equivalent recommended by Kinemetrics. Then:
• Power off the unit
• Remove the left end‐cap by removing the four screws
• Physically remove and replace the data card which is located on the third PWB from
the front panel. This is a push‐push SD socket.
◦ The System card is on the second PWB from the front panel. DO NOT remove
the System card without special instructions.
• Replace the dessicant and re‐install the end‐cap.
• Power the unit back up
• Log into Linux
• Type the command “rock stop” to stop Rockhound
• From Linux, type the command “datacardformat” and follow any instructions.
After the system reboots, the new card is ready for use.
9.3 USB Subsystem
The Obsidian supports USB 2.0 with one USB Device port and three USB Host ports.
The difference between a USB Host and a USB Device is a significant one. Generally, you
can think of a USB Host as a computer and a USB Device as a “device”. So for example,
when you plug a USB Thumb Drive into your computer, the computer is the USB Host and
the Thumb Drive is the USB Device.
In general, a Device must talk to a Host. Two Devices cannot talk to each other and generally
speaking two USB Hosts can’t either.
The Obsidian is not a general purpose computer. It has to be programmed specifically for
every device it supports. Only specific devices are known or expected to work, although this
list is expected to grow over time. At the moment, only the following are true:
• The Obsidian’s USB Device allows you to connect to your PC as a virtual COM port.
This can be helpful when you need to log into Linux but do not have a “serial port”
available on your computer. Later versions of Windows and Linux will automatically
load the proper driver to talk to the Obsidian’s USB device.
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CHAPTER 9. STORAGE 9.3. USB SUBSYSTEM
• The USB Hosts can be used to connect USB Thumb Drives. As of this writing, every
model of thumb drive we have tested has worked OK.
• The USB Hosts can be used to communicate with a limited subset of wi‐fi and cellular
modem adapters.

We would discourage the use of USB devices that draw significant power, or the use of
line‐powered USB hubs.

9.3.1 USB Device
When you plug the USB Device cable into your PC, the proper driver will automatically be
loaded on most modern versions of Linux or Windows. Make sure that your computer is
connected to the internet in case it needs to search for the driver.
Once identified the Obsidian USB device connection will appear to your computer as a COM
port. On Windows you might need to look at the Device Manager to get the COM port
number (which usually will remain the same if you use the same physical port). Once you
know the port, you can open the connection with PuTTY or your favorite terminal program.
Hit <RETURN> to get a login prompt and get started.

NOTE: On the vitual COM port, baud rate and flow control values
are not used.

9.3.2 USB Host
The USB Host ports are used to communicate with USB Devices such as USB Thumb Drives,
and a limited subset of wi‐fi and cellular modem adapters.

9.3.2.1 USB Thumb Drives
The Obsidian leaves drives unmounted normally. This means that virtually all of the time
it is safe to remove the drive without corrupting the data on it.
The data formats used on the USB Thumb Drive that is supported by the Obsidian is
Windows VFAT or Linux EXT3. VFAT format can also be read directly by Windows,
MacOS, or Linux. EXT3 will require some additional software on your PC.
Drives larger than 32GB require use of the Linux EXT3 file system. Windows filesystems
that support drives larger than 32GB will likely not be supported by non‐Windows ma‐
chines because the exFAT and NTFS filesystems that support drives larger than 32GB are
proprietary to Microsoft.
Using an EXT3 filesystem has additional advantages over a FAT filesystem because EXT3
is a journalled filesystem and is less easily corrupted ‐ more important the larger the drives
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become. Accessing EXT3 is also significantly faster if you have a lot of data files ‐ so if you
use USB drives to offload at lot of continuously recorded data files we would recommend
using EXT3 even for drives smaller than 32GB.
The Rock+ has facilities to format thumb drives for an EXT3 file system and utilities such
as Linux Reader are available to allow you to read these drives under Windows. EXT3
formatted drives should be fully supported in MacOS and all versions of Linux.
Software to read Linux EXT3 file systems on a Windows PC is posted on the KMI Support
Wiki. It is called Linux Reader.
When a USB Thumb Drive is detected, the Obsidian will identify the drive, mount it, copy
data to it, and then unmount it.
The directories copied to from the Obsidian to the USB Thumb Drive include everything
stored under the /data directory with the exception of:
• /data/rb (normally used to hold an RBServer ring buffer)
• /data/sys (reserved for future use)
Data will be copied to the directory /kmi/data/uname‐unitid where:
• uname is the Obsidian’s host name
• unitid is the Obsidian’s Tag number (serial number)
The Obsidian can support up to three USB Thumb Drives, one on each port. The three
drives are treated as “mirrors” of each other, and all will get copies of the same data. Make
sure the USB Thumb Drive is large enough to copy off all data you want. There is no
provision for spanning data over multiple smaller drives.
The status of the data offloading operation is indidated on the Media LED as follows:
• Off ‐ Drive is unused and may be inserted or removed
• Green ‐ Drive is being mounted
• Green flashing ‐ Data is being copied to/from the drive
• Red flashing ‐ An error was detected

9.3.2.2 Drive Formatting
USB drives can be formatted in the system with the command “usbdriveformat”.
This command will take you through the process of selecting the file format (VFAT or EXT3),
removing and re‐inserting the data drives, and then formatting the drive itself.
The command “usbdrvwipe” can be used to quickly erase the contents of all USB thumb
drives. The action must be confirmed by the user, but once done cannot be undone.
On insertion the Rock+ will adapt to use of VFAT or EXT3 formatted drives.
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9.3.2.3 Drive Transfer Modes
By default the Rock+ will transfer all available data files to an inserted thumb drive. When
new files are created, any new files will be transfered at the next opportunity. In addition, if
files are updated (or were not complete at the last transfer) then updated copies of the files
will be transferred.
Drive transfer mode can be selected with the command “usbxferconfig mode” where “mode”
is as follows:
• ALL ‐ Transfers all files not currently stored on the drive (default)
• LATEST ‐ Transfers only files less than 2 days old. This mode is useful when periodi‐
cally replacing drives to extract continuously recorded data. A small overlap protects
against data loss without filling the drive with lots of redundant data.

9.3.2.4 Temporary Insertion
If a USB Thumb Drive is temporarily inserted to extract data, you can insert a drive and
wait for the Media LED to blink and then go off again. Then remove the drive. If you insert
the same drive again, only new data will be copied to the drive (which might mean no new
data is copied).
If you want multiple copies of the data, use multiple drives and insert and remove them one
at a time.

9.3.2.5 When left inserted
If you leave one or more USB drives inserted, the will be mounted and offloaded to once
per hour. This allows you to automatically offload continuously recorded data (or a lot of
recorded events). Note:
• If multiple drives are used, then will be serviced one at a time in sequence
• The hourly offloads are not necessarily on the hour

9.3.2.6 Firmware updates
The USB Thumb Drive can be used to install software/firmware updates.
To install firmware from the drive, place the update files in the folder /updates on the drive.
Insert the drive and wait for the Media LED to blink and then go off again, then power cycle
the unit to install the software.
The software files that can be installed are as follows:
• Rockhound updates named rockhound_update‐XXX.jar
195
• Tomcat (web server) updates named tomcat_rh_update‐XXX.war
• Linux updates named NN‐xxxxx (where NN is a numeric value and xxxxx is any string)
• A Multi‐update file named Multi_update‐XXX.tgz

9.3.2.7 Passwording
Passwording is often not necessary since use of a USB Thumb Drive requires that you have
physical access to the Obsidian (meaning you could just steal the unit rather than extracting
data).
However, a passwording provision exists as follows:

• The command usbdatapass can be run from Linux to set a required password that
must match the contents of the file /data/usb_data_pass on the drive.
• The command usbupdpass can be run from Linux to set a required password that must
match the contents of the file /updates/usb_update_pass on the drive.
If the password does not match, the protected operation will not happen.

9.3.3 USB Wifi
The Rock+ supports the use of a TP‐Link TL‐WN721N and the NetGear WNA1100 USB
WiFi adapters. While other adapters may work, they have not been tested and are
unsupported.
The USB WiFi adapter can operate as a client or in Access Point (AP) mode.
Configuration requires console access and root login.
Items Needed Before Configuration:
1. A WiFi access point if using client mode.
2. The SSID and password.
3. Knowledge of the security mode (WPA/WPA2, WEP, or Unsecured)
4. An available IP address if using a static IP.
5. A known free channel in your location if using Access Point mode.
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9.3.3.1 Setting Up WiFi
netconfig is used for Wifi configuration. For the maximum WiFi options you should choose
to set ʺeth0ʺ disabled. If you want to use Access Point mode then ʺeth0ʺ must be disabled.
If you want to use WiFi with DHCP then you may not use DHCP for ʺeth0ʺ, but you may
use a static IP.
Run netconfig and follow the prompts.
After you get past the setup for ʺeth0ʺ you will be asked about the ʺMode for USB wireless
adapter wlan0ʺ. Here you can make your choices and supply the info collected above.
After completing netconfig reboot and verify network operation.

9.3.3.2 Wifi Verification
If you chose client mode you can verify operation by pinging an outside host. If you chose
Access Point mode you will need a PC/laptop/etc which you can configure to connect to the
unit and observe on that device that you are successful.

9.3.4 USB Cellular Modem
The Rock+ supports 2 models of USB Cellular Modem manufactured by MultiTech, the
MTC_H5 and the MTC_EV3.
The MTC_H5 is a GSM modem which supports the ATT network. The MTC_EV3 is a
CDMA modem which supports the Verizon network.
You will need to register your modem with the provider and have an active account with
them before setup. You must be sure to deploy the modem in a location that has adequate
RF signal strength. This is can be verified on the spot with a cell phone from the SAME
provider. These modems require an external antenna which MUST be connected. Do not
plug in the unit without an antenna connected.
The following will guide you through a full‐time modem setup. An as‐needed connection is
also possible and requires choosing the ʺAS_NEEDED_CELLULARʺ option in pppconfig
instead. An as‐needed connection will only be active when Rockhound deems it necessary.

9.3.4.1 Setting Up The MTC_H5_GSM On ATT
Be sure the antenna is connected then plug the USB cable into a Rock+ USB host port.
You will need the following from the provider:
1. A registered SIM card installed in the modem.
197
2. Dial‐Out Ph#: Typically ʺ*99#ʺ
3. APN String: i.e: ʺi2goldʺ
Run ʺpppconfigʺ and choose ʺFULLTIME_CELLULARʺ.
Continue and supply the above provider‐supplied info when prompted.
You will also be asked for a ʺReliable host IP addressʺ that the PPP process can occasionally
ping to verify connectivity. You should supply an IP address for a public host that you own
which has a high up‐time. For example, your organization’s web server. This host must be
able to respond to ping requests.
You will also be asked for a ʺNetwork IP address for PPP traffic routingʺ. This is typically
left BLANK, and should only be used by advanced users who need a special route added.
After pppconfig completes be sure to REBOOT and verify network operation.

9.3.4.2 Setting Up The MTC_EV3_CDMA On Verizon
Be sure the antenna is connected then plug the USB cable into a Rock+ USB host port.
The MTC_EV3_CDMA modem requires a 1‐time activation on the Verizon network. This
is best done in the same general location that the modem will be deployed, and requires that
adequate RF signal strength be available.
To activate the modem be sure that no modem is currently configured. (You can use ppp‐
config to delete a previous config if needed.)
Run the following to activate the modem and follow the prompts:

activate‐mtc‐ev3

This usually completes in about 1 minute. Activation only needs to be done once, unless
you change regions i.e: Moving from the West coast to the East coast. In this case re‐run
activation once at the new site.
You will need the following from the provider:
1. Dial‐Out Ph#: Typically ʺ#777ʺ
2. Dial‐Out user: Cell Ph# for modem.
3. Password: i.e: ʺvzwʺ
Run ʺpppconfigʺ and choose ʺFULLTIME_CELLULARʺ.
Continue and supply the above provider‐supplied info when prompted.
You will also be asked for a ʺReliable host IP addressʺ that the PPP process can occasionally
ping to verify connectivity. You should supply an IP address for a public host that you own
198
which has a high up‐time. For example, your organization’s web server. This host must be
able to respond to ping requests.
You will also be asked for a ʺNetwork IP address for PPP traffic routingʺ. This is typically
left BLANK, and should only be used by advanced users who need a special route added.
After pppconfig completes be sure to REBOOT and verify network operation.

9.3.4.3 Cellular Verification After Setup
After reboot you may need to wait a couple minutes for the modem to establish a connection.
You can verify a full‐time cellular connection by typing “ifconfig” and observing that “ppp0”
is present.
If you chose an as‐needed connection then you can manually force it to connect by typing
“pppdial”, then use “ifconfig” to see that “ppp0” is present. Note: This connection will drop
after a few minutes of inactivity.
You should also ping an outside host to verify the connection.
i.e: ping nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
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Chapter 10
DFS telemetry
The DFS protocol is used for low latency systems such as early warning systems that cannot
tolerate the latency of a standard 1 second data packet.

NOTE: The Obsidian also supports a low latency mode where data
packets are produced every 0.1 second. The telemetry interface mod‐ ule
must also support these low latency packets. As of this writing, the
Rock+ RBServer module does support them.

In the Obsidian, the DFS protocol is output through a built‐in DFS port. This port is
connected directly to the primary DSP board in the Obsidian, and is capable of outputting
data from physical channels 1‐4. It is not possible for DFS to output data for channels 5
and above.
DFS data is output at 38400 baud and can produce data at sample rates up to 100sps.
DFS data is output with minimal latency, just after the samples have been FIR filtered. So
at 100sps the data has a latency of 0.01 seconds (1sec/100sps). FIR filter delays are not
included in this latency. At 100sps, the filter delays are 108.5ms causal and 493.5ms acausal.
The DFS protocol is described below.

10.1 Software Provided
Typically, the DFS protocol is used by the customer to construct an early warning system
by catching the DFS output stream from one or more digitizers.
Kinemetrics does not provide end‐user software to catch and/or process the DFS protocol.
This is done by the customer or a third party developer and has been successfully imple‐
mented by many customers.
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10.2. CONFIGURATION CHAPTER 10. DFS TELEMETRY
10.2 Configuration
Configuration of DFS requires several things:
• Your system must be configured to produce one of the supported DFS sample rates:
1,10,20,50 or 100sps.
• You must set the DFS sample rate of the Rock2 Data Interface to match the output
sample rate
• You must select a DFS Mode in the Rock2 Data Interface (see Protocol description
below)
• You must have software capable of catching the DFS output
NOTE: If you do not produce the selected DFS rate, for example you
produce 200sps data and set the DFS Rate to 100sps, then no DFS data
will be output.
Though DFS can produce data at up to 100sps, your system can be
configured to output multiple sample rates. You could for example
produce data at 100sps and 200sps ‐ triggering and recording the 200sps
data on the Obsidian, and outputting the 100sps data through DFS.

10.3 Protocol
The DFS implementation in the Obsidian supports two versions of the DFS protocol.
In both cases, the data is a fixed size binary packet that ends with 0xA and 0xD.
The protocol is simplex, meaning it is transmit only with no provision for error detection
or error recovery. So your connection between your computer and the DFS port much be
a ʺcleanʺ line with minimal chances for data corruption. The computer receiving the data
must be dedicated to the task and must not miss transmitted data as there is no recovery
mechanism.

10.3.1 Original DFS Protocol
DFS Mode 1 is the original DFS protocol, as has been used in early warning systems with
K2s and Etnas for many years.
This data is truncated to 16 bit data in ADC counts (16 bits MSB), and includes no sequence
numbers or time stamps.
Data packets are a fixed size with two bytes per channel (up to 4 channels) followed by 0xA
and 0xD.

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CHAPTER 10. DFS TELEMETRY 10.4. TESTING
So for example, a three channel DFS packet would consist of eight bytes:
Ch1L,Ch1H,Ch2L,Ch2H,Ch3L,Ch3H,0xA,0xD

10.3.2 Extended DFS Protocol
DFS Mode 2 is the extended DFS protocol, and has been expanded to provide full 24 bit
data resolution and a timing system (e.g. GPS) derived timestamp.
This data is 24 bit data in ADC counts.
Data packets are a fixed size with a five byte timestamp, followed by three bytes per channel
(up to 4 channels) and then terminated by 0xA and 0xD.
So for example, a three channel DFS packet would consist of sixteen bytes:
T0(L),T1,T2,T3,T4(H),Ch1L,Ch1M,Ch1H,Ch2L,Ch2M,Ch2H,Ch3L,Ch3M,Ch3H,0xA,0xD
Time is encoded as 10ms increments since epoch (Jan 1, 1970).

10.4 Testing
Though Kinemetrics does not provide end‐user software for catching and processing DFS
data, you can use the Rockhound software to demonstrate functionality of the DFS connec‐
tion.
To do this, configure a Rockhound installation on a PC using the Rockhound Test module
DFS Test Input Source to receive data from a COM port connected physically to a properly
configured DFS connection of an Obsidian.
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10.4. TESTING CHAPTER 10. DFS TELEMETRY
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Chapter 11
FAQs
11.1 What is “dig1”?

Sometimes in looking at the parameters or other information, you’ll see “dig1”. This rep‐
resents the current digitizer (for example, your digitizer). This is used because the general
Rockhound software is capable of collecting data from more than one digitizer (as is some‐
times done when Rockhound is run on a PC or on a Slate).
It would also be possible and useful in some applications to collect data from another digitizer
(such as a Q330 or a K2) and collect and process it within the digitizer. In this case, the
digitizer would be “dig1”, and a second digitizer would be “dig2”.

11.2 Changing trigger levels
To change trigger levels, use the web interface to open Configuration parameters, and then
locate the trigger for the selected virtual channel:
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11.2. CHANGING TRIGGER LEVELS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Figure 72: Trigger Levels

Trigger levels are the level at which the system will decide that a channel is triggered and that
it should contribute that channel’s votes toward triggering the entire system. By default,
the system uses threshold triggers, which are set as a percentage of full scale. So if your full
scale range is +/‐20V and your threshold is set to 2%, then your trigger level is 2% of 20V,
or 0.4V.
by selecting ʺApply Changes”.
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS11.3. USING DIFFERENT TRIGGERS OR TRIGGER FILTERS
11.3 Using Different Triggers or Trigger Filters
To use a different type of trigger (e.g. an STA/LTA trigger rather than a Threshold Trigger),
or to use a different trigger filter (e.g. an IIR Filter rather than the Classic Strong Motion
Filter), you need to replace the corresponding modules in the layout. Note that you can
select different triggers and different trigger filters for each virtual channel. For example, to
replace the Threshold Trigger for virtual channel 3 with an STA/LTA Trigger, use the web
interface. Choose Module Replace from the Tools menu:


You will now see:
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11.3. USING DIFFERENT TRIGGERS OR TRIGGER FILTERSCHAPTER 11. FAQS
Figure 74: Module Replacement Options

Click “Replace” for the Channel 2 Threshold Trigger and you’ll see your choices:
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS11.3. USING DIFFERENT TRIGGERS OR TRIGGER FILTERS
Figure 75: Replacing Trigger Module

If you select “Choose” next to STA/LTA, then you’ll replace the Threshold Trigger for
channel 2 only. If you select “All”, you’ll get a chance to replace all Threshold Triggers in
the system with STA/LTA Triggers. If you select “All”, then the Module Replacement
screen will now look like this:
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11.4. ADDING CHANNELS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Figure 76: Modules Replaced

by selecting “Apply Changes”.

11.4 Adding Channels
Strictly speaking, you cannot “add” channels to an existing layout.
If your requirement for additional channels is something that you expect to change once and
then not change for quite some time (for example, if a newly deployed unit will be shared
between two agencies – one requiring data at one sample rate, and another at a different
sample rate), then the approach is to rebuild the layout using the Layout Wizard. Tell the
Layout Wizard (for example) that the unit has 12 physical channels and 24 virtual channels.
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.4. ADDING CHANNELS
Use the Channel Mapping feature to assign the virtual channels to each physical channel at
two different sample rates. For example:

Physical Virtual
1 Physical 1 at 100sps
etc. . .
The Layout Wizard will also add Channel Extractors, Trigger Filters, and Triggers for the
duplicated channels. You can either:
• Delete the unneeded modules (probably the best choice) ‐or‐
• Set the voters for the unneeded channels to zero
Finally, for recording purposes, you’ll have to decide whether to record all channels at both
sample rates when there is a trigger, or to limit recording to only one set of channels, using
the Channel List parameter.
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11.4. ADDING CHANNELS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Figure 77: Channel List

A Channel List of “*” will record all channels. A channel list of “dig1:1, dig1:2 . . . dig1:12”
will record only the first 12 channels.
If you expect to have some channels that you want to record some times, but not at others,
then you still need to recreate the layout, but you can then turn channels on and off by
going to the Chanel Mapping selections for the channels you want to change and selecting
“disabled”:
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.5. SWITCHING BETWEEN LAYOUTS
Figure 78: Channel Mapping

See Layout Wizard .

11.5 Switching Between Layouts
If you will sometimes operate in one mode, and then another time operate in a completely
different mode, you can save two or more layouts by keeping a copy of the layout and the
parameter configuration for each, all of which is kept in a single file called “config.jar”.
The first thing you need to do is to build a layout and configure the parameters the way you
want them to be. Then, from the web interface go to Admin Details from the Tools menu and
click Parameters to download and save a copy of the parameters. You can give this file you
are saving a name that is meaningful to you such as “event‐recorder‐at‐10sps‐and200sps.jar”.
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11.6. CHANGING OUTPUT DATA FORMATS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Repeat this process with as many system configurations as you need.
To put a layout that you’ve saved back on the system, use the web interface and go to Admin
Details from the Tools menu and find Send Parameters File. Browse to the .jar file that you
want to send back and then click Send. After the file is uploaded, click Verify/Apply Patch
to verify and load it:

Figure 79: Sending Parameters

11.6 Changing Output Data Formats
Rockhound‐based digitizers do not require you to use a single data format. They are not,
for example restricted to creation of just EVT files, or just MiniSEED, or any other single
format. To use a different data format for created files than that currently configured, you
need to replace the corresponding data archiver module in the layout. For example,
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.6. CHANGING OUTPUT DATA FORMATS
to change the data format from Kinemetrics EVT file format to MiniSEED, use the web
interface. Choose Module Replace from the Tools menu. You will now see:
Algorithm 11.1 Module replace
Click “Replace” for the Altus EVT Format Data Archiver and you’ll see your choices:
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11.6. CHANGING OUTPUT DATA FORMATS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Figure 81: Format Choices

If you select “Choose” next to MiniSEED Format Data Archiver, then you’ll replace the
Altus EVT Format Data Archiver with MiniSEED. The Module Replacement screen will
now look like this:
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.7. TIMED RECORDING
Figure 82: Output Format Changed

by selecting “Apply Changes”.

11.7 Timed Recording
Timed recording is done by triggering the system using an Alarm Clock module.
The module reads a set of configured times that will cause an action to occur at specified
times according to Days of the Week, Days of the Month, Times of Day, or Alarm minute
interval parameters.
When an alarm clock is triggered, the Alarm Clock’s “Alarm message” parameter will be
sent to the system just as if it had been typed in by the user at the Rockhound Console.
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11.7. TIMED RECORDING CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Parameters used are:
• “ Days of the Week ” ‐ Space separated days of the week (M T W TH F SA SU)
• “ Days of the Month ” ‐ Space separated days of the month (1 2 3 ... 31)
• “ Times of Day ” ‐ Space separated times of day (2:15 15:54)
• “ Alarm minute interval ” ‐ Minute interval between alarm actions. If used alone, one
alarm action will be generated immediately (assuming no conflict with the Days of the
Week or Days of the Month parameters), and the next one generated the number of
minutes specified from the current time.
• “ Alarm message ” ‐ Message to be sent when the alarm clock triggers. This message
should be specified as a command, such as “KBTRI 600”.

NOTE: Alarm minute interval parameter is not limited to small num‐
bers. For example, it could be used to indicate alarm actions every 5
minutes, 360 minutes (6 hours), or 129600 minutes (90 days).
If Alarm minute interval is used in conjunction with the Times of Day
parameter, indicates minute intervals relative to the first Times of Day
parameter, which will act as the base time. In this case, once the base
time is set, the Times of Day parameters will be overridden and ignored.

Examples:
• To record 10 minutes of data every 3 days at 2:16 pm:
◦ Times of Day =14:16
◦ Alarm minute interval =4320
◦ Alarm message =KBTRI 600
• To record 10 minutes of data every Monday and Friday at 8:00 am:
◦ Days of the Week =M F
◦ Alarm message = KBTRI 600
• To record 10 minutes of data once an hour on the hour:
◦ Alarm minute interval =60
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.7. TIMED RECORDING
• To record 10 minutes of data on the first and 15th of the month at 8:00 am:
◦ Days of the Month =1 15
• To do timed recording for 60 seconds at 8:00 am and 2:00pm every day:
◦ Times of Day =8:00 14:00
◦ Alarm message =KBTRI 60
See the section Adding Modules for the procedure on how to add a new module into the
system. Once added to the system, the parameters for the Alarm Clock module can be found
under Configuration in the Layout menu and can be edited as shown here:

Figure 83: Alarm Clock
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11.8. NETWORK TRIGGERING CHAPTER 11. FAQS
Remember that multiple Alarm Clock modules may be added to the system to record at
different times.

11.8 Network Triggering
The Rock+ family digitizers support interconnected triggers over a network connection. This
interconnect mechanism is network based only and is not compatible with earlier TRIG‐
IN/TRIG‐OUT interconnect schemes such as those used in the Altus.
The factory default Rock+ digitizer event recorder configuration includes a Network Trigger
module, but you may choose to add the module manually should you choose to build your
own layout. Adding the Network Trigger module is done similarly to how other modules are
added to the layout. See the section Adding Modules . Note that only one Network Trigger
module may be added to the system.
The Network Trigger module parameters can be found under Configuration in the Layout
menu:
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CHAPTER 11. FAQS 11.8. NETWORK TRIGGERING
Figure 84: Network Trigger

The default behavior of the Network Trigger module is that it is assigned one vote to trigger
the system.
Without making any further edits, Rock+ digitizers on the same local network will discover
each other and will automatically trigger one another. So if one unit triggers due to a
console trigger, seismic trigger, timed recording, or sensor test, then all interconnected units
will trigger.
Please note that since triggering is done through the network that trigger times may not be
exactly the same on all units, though they will be close – typically within a second or two.
Other considerations:

• Enabling Slave Triggering will allow the unit to respond to triggers from other inter‐
connected units, but will not generate outbound triggers.
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11.9. TELEMETRY OPTIONS CHAPTER 11. FAQS
• Sensor tests will forward the type of trigger to other units so for example all intercon‐
nected units will perform sensor tests.
• In some cases, you may wish to perform a console trigger or sensor test on one unit
during maintenance and NOT want to cause triggers on all interconnected units. To
allow for this, you can use the console command NWDEFER secs to defer network
triggering for a specified amount of time. For example, NWDEFER 300 would give
you 5 minutes to perform your tests with the interconnection temporarily disabled.
After five minutes, interconnection would automatically be re‐enabled.
• The Excluded hosts lists allow you to manually specify units within the local network
that should NOT be treated as part of the interconnection.
• The Included host’s lists allow you to manually specify units outside of the local net‐
work that are to be included. For example, units might be interconnected from within
two separate networks. An example might be two units located at opposite ends of
a very long bridge that are connected to separate networks. By giving each unit the
others’ addresses in the Included hosts list they will be able to communicate with each
other and command interconnected triggers.

11.9 Telemetry Options
The overall design of the Rockhound software allows for many optional modules. Some of
these modules include options for telemetry (real time data streams). Presently the modules
available to support this capability include (but are not limited to):

• The “Telemetry Connection” module used to produce the Waveform Data displays.
See Waveform Viewing .
• The Altus‐style Serial Data Streams (SDS) protocol is supported through the Altus
Emulation modules.
• The low‐latency DFS telemetry stream is supported through an optional DFS telemetry
option board for channels 1 through 4.
• A Ring Buffer module, compatible with BRTT’s Antelope software.
• A third party add‐on module to act as a SEEDLink server is available through ISTI.
• A third party add‐on module to act as an Earthworm server is available through ISTI.

Another non‐real time monitoring and data collection option would be to use the Rock
Monitor software as described in Application Note 79.

222

Chapter 12
Advanced Operation
The Rockhound software provides for several advanced features that allow the user to add,
remove and replace modules, allow access to advanced and/or test mode parameters, allow
for initial layout creation and other special capabilities.

12.1 RockTalk with Add‐ons
RockTalk can be downloaded from the Rock+ as an executable jar file from the digitizer’s
web page via the Layout → Layout Wizard menu selection. When you run RockTalk and
access the configuration, the program will extract two important working files modules.cfg
and canned.cfg into the working directory. These files are necessary for processing the
configuration files.
If you use 3rd party Rockhound add‐on modules such as RockToEW or RockToSLink, then
you must manually place the file mergedcustmodules.cfg into your working directory so that
RockTalk can process the add‐on as part of the configuration.

12.2 Layout Wizard
The Layout Wizard allows you to create a completely new layout for your system. During
this process, you can define the source of the data (on a Rock+ Digitizer, the source will be
a Rock2 Data Interface), as well as defining the types of triggers, output formats, and so on.
In the example here we’ll create a 12 channel event recorder and add the Network Triggering.
The Layout Wizard is part of the RockTalk application, which can be installed separately
by installing Rockhound, or can be downloaded from the digitizer’s web page via the Layout
→ Layout Wizard menu selection.
Start RockTalk and then select Setup → RockTalk Setup from the menu:
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12.2. LAYOUT WIZARD CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION
Figure 85: RockTalk Setup
Next, we’ll click “Rename” to rename this Unit to Obsidian:

Figure 86: Renaming Unit in RockTalk
We’ll now use “Fast Setup” to configure the connection:
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CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION 12.2. LAYOUT WIZARD
Figure 87: Fast Setup
225
Figure 88: Fast Setup (continued)

Close RockTalk Setup by clicking OK and then select Layout Wizard from the Setup menu.
First question about the new layout is to choose the basic type of layout. There are four
basic types: Simple (only one data source), Complex (more than one data source), Event
Recorder (triggered recording), or Continuous Recording (no triggering). To record event
data on a Rock+ Digitizer, select “Simple Event Recorder”:
226
Figure 89: Select Layout to Build

Next, specify the number of physical channels (actual hardware channels):

Figure 90: Set Number of Channels

Next select the number of virtual channels. To record 12 channels as a single sample rate,
select 12. If you wanted to record 12 channels at two different sample rates, you’d select 24.
In this case we’ll select 12:

Figure 91: Set Virtual Channels
Select the data source, in this case a Rock2 Data Interface:
227
Figure 92: Set Data Source

Select the type of trigger filter:

Figure 93: Set Trigger Filter

You’ll now be asked if you want to use the same type of filter on all channels. If so, select
“Yes” and you can avoid the next 11 questions about filters. If you select “No”, you’ll have
to choose the filter for each of the 12 channels:

Figure 94: Use Same Filter for all Channels
Choose the type of trigger used:
228
Figure 95: Set Trigger Type

Again, you’ll be asked if all channels will use the same type of trigger:

Figure 96: Use Same Trigger for all Channels
Next, choose the output data format:
229
Figure 97: Set Output Type and Data Format
Finally, replace the web server by selecting Edit → Replace Modules:
230
231

Figure 98: Replace Web Server
At this point, the basic layout is complete:

Figure 99: Layout Complete
Choose File → Save Layout to send the Created Layout.
When the system restarts, log into the web interface if necessary and select Tools → Module
Add:
232
Figure 100: Adding Network Trigger

Select Network Trigger by pressing the Add button. Since only one of these can be added
to the layout, the choice will disappear from the list of available modules.
If you need to edit passwords in modules that have password parameters, select Tools →
Operation/Passwords from the menu and you will get a warning that password editing is not
secure. The warning is because passwords will be sent in the parameter data. Ideally you
should not do this over the internet routinely or you will expose your web access passwords.
If you are not specifically editing passwords, we recommend that you use the Layout →
Configuration function instead to edit parameters.
Click OK to save any changes made.
We’re almost done with the layout configuration. Add any additional modules that you need
and verify parameters such as sample rates, voltage ranges and others as described in Basic
Setup. Once all changes have been made, select Layout → Apply Changes Now from the
menu.
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12.3. CONFIGURATION OPTIONS CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION
In a few minutes, the system will have restarted and will be operational with your new
layout.

12.3 Configuration Options
There are other configuration features that can be used to customize your Rock+ digitizer
outside of the Rockhound configuration. These additional features are briefly described in
this section.

12.3.1 Network Parameters
You can set the network parameters for your digitizer using the netconfig script from Linux.
This script allows you to set IP addresses, as well as other related parameters such as the
use of DHCP, setting the net mask, gateway, and DNS servers.
The netconfig script is more fully described in the NetConfig section.

12.3.2 Modem Configuration
The digitizer can use any available internal modem or serial port as a modem. These modems
may be managed by the Rockhound software using a module such as the Altus Emulation
modules or the Alpha‐Numeric Pager or SMS Message Sender modules, or they can be
controlled directly by Linux.
If you will use a modem as your only external access to the digitizer, it is strongly recom‐
mended that you make use of the TTYMonitor function. This feature exists logically between
a modem connection and a module such as Altus Emulation. Should the Rockhound software
by unable to respond for whatever reason, the TTYMonitor allows you to directly obtain a
Linux login prompt through the modem connection so that you can communicate with the
system to correct the problem.
See the section on Modem Only Operation for more detail.

12.3.3 IO Bits
There are general purpose outputs available in the digitizer. Two outputs are available on
each of up to three dual serial port option cards. These are provided to perform such
functions as alarm outputs (indicating alarm level threshold exceedance), or for control of
external devices such as powering an external modem or radio.
The various Rockhound modules activate these signals logically by name. For example:
• The Alarm Exceedance logic drives a signal named “AlarmGPIO”
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CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION 12.3. CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
• The Modem power logic drives a signal named “ModemPwrGPIO”
• A heartbeat drives a signal named “HeartbeatGPIO”
In order to “connect” these logical signals to actual hardware bits, you will need to add an
additional module named Rock GPIO to the layout:

Figure 101: Adding RockGPIO

The module’s parameters allow you to connect each logical signal to any of the up to six
physical hardware bits available as shown here:
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12.3. CONFIGURATION OPTIONS CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION
Figure 102: RockGPIO Parameters

Bits 1 to 3 are assigned to the Time I/O switched COMM power outputs. Depending on the
external hardware connected to the bit, they may be logically inverted or utilized directly.
RockGPIO functions can also be used to control an optional external relay board.

12.3.4 Networking and Security
The Rock+ digitizer provides standard SSH services as well as most standard IP services.
The following services are enabled by default:
• SSH
• NTP
• PING
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CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION 12.4. LOW LATENCY TELEMETRY
• POC
The following services are disabled by default:
• TELNET
• FTP
• TFTP
The TELNET and FTP services can easily be enabled if needed using the inetdconf script.
See the IP Services section.

12.4 Low Latency Telemetry
The Rock+ normally provides data in 1 second packets from the data acquisition section.
In most cases this is quite adequate for triggering, recording, and even many telemetry
applications. It is generally a good trade‐off between latency, instrument workload and
communication bandwidth.
However in some cases it is desirable to reduce latency for early warning applications. For
these purposes you need to produce data in smaller “chunks” understanding your instrumen‐
tation will work harder and your communications links will not be as efficient.
First of all, what we’re talking about here is NOT the DFS protocol. That is a different
simplex serial‐only protocol stream that is discussed in a separate section of this manual.
See the section on DFS telemetry for more detail.
When enabling the Rock+’s specific low‐latency features, it will produce two different data
streams:
• The normal 1 second data that is used for typical recording activities
• A smaller 0.1 second data packet that is used ONLY for telemetry
To enable this low latency mode you need to:
• Enable Low Latency Mode in the Rock+ Data Interface
• Enable Low Latency Mode in a Telemetry module that supports Low Latency. As of
this writing, only the Antelope compatible Ring Buffer module supports this Low
Latency mode.

NOTE: You MUST enable Low Latency modes in both places, or you
will not get Low Latency data.
Obviously the low latency mode only makes sense for sample rates greater than 1sps.
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12.4. LOW LATENCY TELEMETRY CHAPTER 12. ADVANCED OPERATION
238
Chapter 13
Software Maintenance

In this section we discuss recommended maintenance and service procedures.
The Rock+ digitizer contains no user replaceable fuses or internal batteries.

13.1 Powering Up the System
To successfully deploy your digitizer, you will need to physically install the hardware in a
suitable environment, provide your primary and backup power sources (if any), connect any
communications links used, and configure the software for correct operation if the needed
setup differs from the default factory configuration of the unit. When power is applied to
the system, it goes through a specific power up sequence.
When power is connected via the external DC supply:
• All LEDs off ‐ This is the initial condition
• Power LED red/green ‐ There may be a brief period (a few seconds) where the power
LED alternates between red and green as the system voltages are initially enabled and
sensed.
• Power LED green ‐ The system is in its initial power up phase and is allowing the
system to stabilize (this phase also prevents system motorboating in case the power
input is marginal or erratic)
• Power LED orange ‐ The system is charging the supercapacitor pack
• Power LED blinking red/green, Status/Event/Media LEDs blinking red ‐ The system
is starting up the processor
• Power LED green, Status/Event/Media LEDs blinking green ‐ The Operating System
is booting
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13.2. POWERING DOWN THE SYSTEC
MHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
• Power LED green, Status/Event/Media LEDs off ‐ The Operating System has com‐
pleted booting
• Power LED green, Status LED green ‐ Rockhound is being loaded
• Power LED green, Status LED blinking fast green ‐ Rockhound is running and starting
the DSPs
• Power LED green, Status LED blinking slow red ‐ Rockhound has published data and
is waiting for good time quality
• Power LED green, Status LED blinking slow green ‐ Rockhound has publisged data
and has good time quality
• Ethernet LEDs active ‐ Ethernet interfaces are enabled
When power is connected via the battery only, the sequence will be the same except that
the Power LED will slow blink green after the power is on, indicating that it is running from
a battery.

13.2 Powering Down the System
When input power is lost, the system goes through a specific power down sequence:

• Power LED blinking red/green, Status LED red ‐ Indicates that the system is powering
down
• All LEDs off ‐ The system has powered off
• Ethernet LEDs off ‐ Ethernet interfaces are disabled

13.3 Software Installation
Initial setup of your unit will require you to modify or at least review the software configu‐
ration. Every attempt has been made to have the default behavior of the unit be as useful
as possible, or at least rational. However, each deployment has its own variations and may
require configuration changes in order to be best used.
Setting up the unit will require the use of a Serial/USB cable that supports the Console port
connection. You’ll also need a PC or equivalent running a terminal emulation program such
as HyperTerminal or PuTTY on Windows or minicom on Linux.
You may need to use a USB to serial adapter if your PC does not have an available COM
port. If so, install the software and then plug in the adapter, making note of the COM port
assigned to the port.
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.3. SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Note that you can also use the USB device connection as an alternate virtual COM port.
Kinemetrics includes the PuTTY application as an alternative to using HyperTerminal on
Windows, or if you are using an Operating System (such as Windows Vista) that does not
supply HyperTerminal. Please see the Software Tools section that includes a basic
description of PuTTY setup and operation.
Set the terminal emulation program up for 115200 baud, no flow control, 8 data bits, 1 stop
bit, no parity.
Factory Configuration Including:

Name Comments
Eth0 Enabled for DHCP
SSH Enabled
NTP Enabled (client)
NTP Disabled (server)
Ping Enabled
Telnet Disabled
FTP Disabled
TFTP Disabled
System card Mounted as /dev/root
Data card Mounted as /mnt/data1
Console /dev/console
Serial 1 /dev/serial1
Modem /dev/modem0
The unit includes an overall configuration menu to assist you with some of the most common
configuration tasks. To access this menu, type the command sysconfig from the Linux
prompt:
KMI System Configuration Utility
1. View System Info
2. Software Versions
3. Configure System Time
4. Configure Network
5. Change Passwords
6. View Update Log
98. REBOOT
99. Exit
Make a selection and press [Enter]
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13.4. IP SERVICES CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
13.4 IP Services
The following IP services are enabled by default from the Kinemetrics factory:
• SSH
• NTP
• PING
The following services are disabled by default but can be enabled if needed:
• TELNET
• FTP
• TFTP
Non‐secure services (like TELNET and FTP) should be disabled or only used where network
security is not in question (such as a protected private network). Although these services
use passwords, the user names and passwords are sent ʺin the clearʺ meaning that any third
party who happens to be listening can capture the needed information to compromise your
system.
To change the IP services configuration, run the inetdconf script after logging onto the unit
through the console port as “root”.
inetdconf allows you to configure, enable and disable some common IP services such as FTP,
TELNET, and TFTP.
The inetdconf exchange will look something like the following:
# inetdconf ftp on
ftp service enabled.

‐or‐
# inetdconf ftp off
ftp service disabled.

‐or‐
# inetdconf ftp status
ftp service is currently disabled.

After completing IP services configuration, it is recommended that you reboot the system
to ensure that the services come up correctly.
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.5. NETWORK CONFIGURATION
13.5 Network Configuration

The default network configuration is as follows:
• Ethernet (eth0): Enabled, DHCP
To change the network configuration, run the netconfig script after logging onto the unit
through the console port as “root”.
netconfig allows you to set up the IP address, netmask, gateway, DNS servers, and other basic
networking parameters of your primary and (if available) secondary Ethernet connections.
The netconfig exchange will look something like the following:
Rock2:~# netconfig
Network Host Name for this unit
> Rock2
Network Domain Name
>
Mode for eth0
1. disabled
2. static
3. dhcp
(Note: To use wireless AP mode you must set eth0 disabled.)
> 2
IP Address for eth0
> 10.0.3.71
NetMask for eth0
Default: 255.255.255.0
>
Default gateway
Default: 10.0.3.1
> 10.0.1.1
Mode for USB wireless adapter wlan0
1. disabled
2. static
3. dhcp
> 1
Net Watcher is a service that attempts to recover lost network connectivity.
Do you want to enable Net Watcher?
(Y/N)? > y
Net Watcher needs a remote host to occasionally ping. This should be a
high up‐time host such as a router or gateway.
Enter the IP address for the remote host
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13.5. NETWORK CONFIGURATION CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
Default: 10.0.1.1
> 10.0.1.1
IP Address for primary DNS
> 8.8.8.8
IP Address for secondary DNS
>
New parameters to be saved:
HOSTNAME = [Rock2] DOMAINNAME = []
DNS1 = [8.8.8.8] DNS2 = []
PUBLIC_ADDR = [] NW_PING_HOST = [10.0.1.1]
eth0 Parameters:
MODE = [static]
ADDR = [10.0.3.71] NETMASK = [255.255.255.0] GATEWAY = [10.0.1.1]
wlan0 Parameters:
MODE = [disabled]
ADDR = [] NETMASK = [] GATEWAY = []
SSID = [] SECURITY = []
PASS = []
CHANNEL = []
Saving parameters...
Do you want to stop and re‐start the network NOW?
(Y/N)? > y
Restarting eth0...
fec 63fec000.ethernet eth0: Freescale FEC PHY driver [NatSemi DP83640]
(mii_bus:phy_addr=63fec000.etherne:01, irq=‐1)
libphy: 63fec000.etherne:01 ‐ Link is Up ‐ 100/Full

After completing the network setup, it is recommended that you reboot the system to ensure
that the network parameters come up correctly. Rebooting also assures proper operation of
system services that may be terminated when the network(s) are stopped.
To review current network parameters, type ifconfig as follows:
Rock2:~# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 70:b3:d5:ce:92:8f
inet addr:10.0.3.71 Bcast:10.0.7.255 Mask:255.255.248.0
inet6 addr: fe80::72b3:d5ff:fece:928f/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:68597 errors:430 dropped:0 overruns:430 frame:0
TX packets:191 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:5463702 (5.2 MiB) TX bytes:20075 (19.6 KiB)
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.6. DYNAMIC DNS
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:65536 Metric:1
RX packets:32 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:32 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:2240 (2.1 KiB) TX bytes:2240 (2.1 KiB)

13.6 Dynamic DNS
The Rock+ supports Dynamic DNS services.
The details for setting up DDNS can vary depending on your DDNS provider. We have
included a popular DDNS client (ddclient) and a utility for simple configuration (ddnsconfig).
In cases where this utility does not accomplish what your provider needs you may be able to
manually edit the ddclient config file at ʺ/etc/ddclient/ddclient.confʺ. Your provider may be
of assistance in this case. Kinemetrics does not track provider requirements or compatibility
of ddclient with respect to any DDNS provider. Some providers may have requirements that
are not met with ddclient.
You will need the following from a compatible DDNS provider:
1. An active account with your user name and password.
2. A fully qualified hostname assigned for your Rock+ unit. Most providers offer a web
interface for configuring this.
3. Possibly more information depending on the provider.

13.6.1 Setting Up DDNS
Run ddnsconfig and follow the prompts.
1. Select whether or not to use SSL (check with your provider).
2. Select the IP Address determination method?
• ʺifʺ (IP address is determined from the Ethernet interface).
• ʺwebʺ (IP address is determined by querying an outside web server).
NOTE: If you specify ʺifʺ for interface you will be asked to choose
between ʺeth0ʺ for a wired network, or ʺppp0ʺ for a cellular mo‐
dem. If you specify ʺwebʺ you must supply the provider URL.
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13.7. SOFTWARE WATCHDOG CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
3. Select the protocol.
• ddclient supports several. Choose the one that matches your provider.
4. Supply the server URL (provider‐specific) or leave blank for defaults.
5. Supply your DDNS account login name (chosen when you opened your account).
6. Supply your DDNS account password (chosen when you opened your account).
7. Supply the fully qualified hostname for your Rock+.
For example: ʺmyrock.no‐ip.orgʺ
NOTE: Your Linux hostname (set through netconfig) should match
the hostname portion of this string i.e: ʺmyrockʺ
8. Review the parameters and save.
9. Reboot and verify operation.

13.6.2 DDNS Verification
It usually takes at least 10 minutes for ddclient to push IP address changes to your provider.
Eventually you should be able to ping the fully qualified hostname (i.e: ʺmyrock.no‐ip.orgʺ)
and get replies. You may be able to log into your provider web interface and see more info.
Note: It can take several minutes to hours for a DDNS provider to activate changes to your
account.

13.7 Software Watchdog
The system includes an advanced power system that provides watchdog and powerfail pro‐
tection with powerfail warning capabilities.
The watchdog provision is independent of the main processor, but does interact with it. The
watchdog exists as part of the power supply subsystem, and requires that it be ʺpingedʺ by
the main processor every 10 minutes. Failure to do so will be interpreted by the watchdog
as a lockup of the main processor and the main processor will be shutdown and restarted in
an attempt to get the system back into operation. Exceptions:
• The watchdog is initially held off for 4 hours after processor power on, allowing for
initial startup and worst case filesystem repair on a large system disk.
• If operating in the system’s bootloader, the watchdog will be ʺpingedʺ every time that
a bootloader command is executed so that the processor is allowed to continue to
run during low‐level maintenance activities. Each bootloader command extends the
watchdog for 4 hours.
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.7. SOFTWARE WATCHDOG
13.7.1 Default Behavior:
The watchdog is normally serviced by a Linux service in order to keep the system alive. By
default, only a failure of Linux to boot or a crash of the operating system or of the watchdog
service will cause the watchdog to trigger and restart the system.

13.7.2 Powerfail Protection:
The system includes an internal power backup called a supercapacitor array. This backup
provides enough residual power to terminate any running applications and shut down Linux
properly. Once powerfail has been detected, the system begins to operate off of the residual
power and issues a request to Linux to shutdown. A Linux service watches for the shut‐
down request, and once received immediately forces all user processes to terminate and then
shuts down Linux. When Linux has completed the shutdown, the shutdown request will be
acknowledged and the processor will power off.

13.7.3 Application Specific Configuration:
The system provides several ways that the application can improve its control of the system:

• The application can monitor power supply information including system voltages, tem‐
perature and (optionally) relative humidity as well as operating states. These values
can be acted on, or can simply be stored or recorded for diagnostic purposes.
• One of the power supply parameters retrieved is a set of system flags that indicates
that the system is being requested to shut down soon, but when ʺconvenientʺ. This
would include for example, a condition where it has become too warm or too humid
to continue operation. In this case, the application must react to the application
shutdown request flag and be terminated in a maximum of 15 minutes.
• Some of the system flags can be written to, allowing the application some level of
control. For example, through the flags the application can control:
◦ A digital output (for example to turn on a dehumidifier or pump if high humidity
is detected)
◦ The application can more closely control the system watchdog by servicing it
itself. In this way, the watchdog will not depend on whether or not Linux and
the Linux watchdog service is running, but can be made to depend instead on the
proper functioning of the application.
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13.8. LINUX PASSWORDS CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
13.8 Linux Passwords
The default digitizer Linux passwords are as follows:

root kmi
kmi kmi
NOTE: Kinemetrics STRONGLY recommends that you change the

system passwords to something well known to your organization, but
which is different from the Kinemetrics factory defaults.
To change a Linux password for the current user, type:
root@Rock103:~# passwd
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully
To change the password of a Linux user account from “root”, type:
root@Rock103:~# passwd kmi
passwd: password updated successfully

To change the Rockhound console password, change it within the RockTalk or Web Interface
Parameter Editor.

13.9 File Retrieval
File Retrieval can be done in a number of ways:
• By clicking the filename from the Recorded Files page of the Web Server
• Using the TX command or Block Mode transfer operations of the Altus Emulation
modules
• Using the SFTP service and a program such as WinSCP, that is described in another
section

In addition however there are “push” methods available through Rockhound modules that
can automatically send out files when they are recorded.
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.9. FILE RETRIEVAL
The E‐mail File Sender module allows files to be sent via Authenticated SMTP e‐mail.
Sending files in this way requires that you have access to an E‐mail server that will accept
Authenticated SMTP e‐mail messages:

Figure 103: E‐Mail File Sender

The other option for a file push is to use an FTP Sender module. This module allows the
digitizer to connect to an FTP server that you provide and will push the files into that server
when they are recorded:
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13.10. SAVE/RESTORE PARAMETERS
CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
Figure 104: FTP File Sender

A representative FTP Server program is provided on the Rock Support Software CD (300654‐
PL) provided with your digitizer. Setup of this program is as described in the FTP Server
section.
Note that multiple file sender modules may be added to the system to send files to multiple
destinations as needed.

13.10 Save/Restore Parameters
Once you’ve configured Rockhound for how you intend to operate your system, you should
save your configuration. This saved copy of the parameters will be used to restore the
Rockhound parameters in case they become corrupted. This is done in two ways:
250
• From a Linux login, use the command rhsave to save a copy of your parameters within
the system that can be restored in case your parameters become corrupted.
• ./rhsave
If the unit’s configuration is destroyed, the system will revert to the copy of the configuration
most recently saved by rhsave, or to the factory default if the configuration was never saved
using rhsave.

• From the web interface use the Admin Details to download a copy of the parameters
to your PC. Near the top of the Admin Details screen, there is a link “Download
parameters here”, that will download the parameter from the instrument. You can
give this file you are saving a name that is meaningful to you such as “event‐recorder‐
at‐10sps‐and200sps.jar”.
• Kinemetrics recommends that you save a copy of your Rockhound parameters any time
that you make significant changes to the parameters so that you can quickly restore
them in the event of loss.

To put a configuration that you’ve saved back on the system, use the web interface via the
Send Parameters File function on the Admin Details screen. Select the function “Send
Parameters File”, and then select the file to send and after it is sent, press “Validate/Apply
Patch”:
251
Figure 105: Admin Details

Your parameters can also be saved within the system using the rhsave function from a Linux
login. Note that you can use this any time you wish to store the current configuration as a
baseline:
• ./rhsave
To restore parameters saved by the rhsave feature, use the command rhrestore:
• ./rhrestore
252
To return the system to the Rockhound configuration as it shipped from the factory, use the
command rhfactoryrestore:
• ./rhfactoryrestore
If the unit’s configuration is destroyed, the system will revert to the copy of the configuration
most recently saved by rhsave, or to the factory default if the configuration was never saved
using rhsave.
The system will also automatically make copies of the last five (5) configurations so that you
can go back to these configurations at any time. Note that in this case, it is not necessary
for you to do anything proactive to save the configurations in advance, as the copies are save
automatically for you.
The saved configuration files are time stamped with the GMT creation time, as:
config_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.jar.
To restore a saved configuration:
• cd /usr/rock/SMARTSDist/save
• ls

config_20091027_145129.jar config_20091029_161551.jar
config_20091029_161636.jar config_20091029_161712.jar config_save.list
factory.jar user.jar

• cp config_20091027_145129.jar /usr/rock/SMARTSDist/injar/config.jar
• rock restart

You can also restore to a user save point, factory default configuration, or an automatic
configuration save‐point from the Rock Recovery page:
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13.11. SOFTWARE UPDATES CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
Figure 106: Rock Recovery

13.11 Software Updates
Software updates can be installed remotely through the web interface. The software updates
will be either Rockhound updates or updates to the underlying Linux Operating System.
To install a Rockhound, Linux, or Tomcat (web server) update, enable the Admin Details
screen. Select Send Firmware Update and choose the file to be sent.
After the file transfer is complete, press “Validate/Apply Patch” to install the update. The
Obsidian will automatically determine what kind of update is being installed and will install
it the correct way.
This may take a few minutes until the system is restarted and operational with your update.
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.12. LOG FILES
NOTE: If you wish, you may also directly use SFTP rather than the
web interface to install updates.
To install a Rockhound update through SFTP:
• Connect to the unit using a tool like WinSCP
• Place the Rockhound update in the /usr/rock/SMARTSDist/injar directory
• Rename the update file to update.jar
• Using the Administrative Details page, select Restart FW to install the update
To install a Linux or Tomcat update through SFTP:
• Connect to the unit using a tool like WinSCP
• Place the Linux update in the directory /opt/kmi/updates/pending
• Using the Administrative Details page, select Apply OS Patch to install the update

13.12 Log files
To help you maintain your system, the Rockhound software keeps log files of most important
system actions, messages, and exceptions. These are kept in two different log files, the
Runtime‐log, which keeps track of normal system messages and reporting, and the Error‐log,
which keeps track of error messages and conditions. Both logs are trimmed automatically
to keep their size down.
The log files can be useful as a diagnostic aid with the assistance of Kinemetrics where
needed.
The Runtime‐log can be selected from the Files menu as shown:
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13.12. LOG FILES CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
Figure 107: Run Time Log
The Error log can be selected from the Files menu as shown:
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CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE 13.13. STATE OF HEALTH
Figure 108: Error Log

Time stamps within the log files are relative to system time (UTC).

13.13 State of Health
The digitizer tracks several State of Health (SOH) parameters that can be used to monitor
system environmental values such as temperature and humidity as well as system voltages
and currents, GPS drift, clock phase and clock quality.
These values are enabled in the parameters for the Rock2 Front End:
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13.13. STATE OF HEALTH CHAPTER 13. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
Figure 109: SOH Selection

Other values are available in the advanced and test mode module parameters.
Scaling of SOH values:
258
SOH Name Default Scale Description

Temperature true X 10 Record temperature stream as .deg
Humidity true X 10 Record humidity stream as .hum
VofV12ExtDC true X 1000 Record external DC stream as .vvx
VofV12Batt true X 1000 Record battery input stream as .vvb
VofV12POE false X 1000 Record power over ethernet stream as .vpe
VofSysPwr true X 1000 Record system voltage stream as .vep
IofSysPwr true X 1000 Record system current stream as .vec
VofIofBC false X 1000 Record battery charge current stream as .vbc
VofIofBBIn false X 1000 Record sensor/comms current stream as .vbb
VofSnsrPwrSw false X 1000 Record sensor power stream as .vsp
VofTimeIOPwr1 false X 1000 Record IO power 1 stream as .vp1
TimeQual true X 1 Record time quality stream as .lcq
PTP TimeQual false X 1 Record PTP master quality stream as .lcp
TCXO Drift true X 1 Record clock phase stream as .lce (ns)
Load Average true X 100 Record CPU Load Average stream as .cpu (Note 1)
Percent Used false X 100 Record Percent of Data Storage Used stream as .dsk
Mass Position 1 false X 1000 Record mass position stream as .um#1
RAM Used false X 1 Record RAM Used stream as .mem
TCXO DAC false X 1 Record TCXO DAC stream as .vco
User Stat false X 1 Record user status stream as .usr (Note 2)
1: Values < ~200 indicate sufficient idle time
2: See the ROCK+ Console command ʺuserstatʺ
And mostly diagnostic...
SOH Name Default Scale Description
ADCSkew false 1 Record ADC skew stream as .sk# (internal timer counts)
SOHVolts1‐10 false X 1000 Record SOH voltage stream as .v#1‐.v#a
(# is which DSP board the data comes from)
SOH Name Default Scale Description false X 1 false X 1000 In addition to the ability to
record and display these State of Health values as normal 1sps data streams, the values
are also saved in Short Term (last 24 hours) and Long Term (last year) history. These SOH
histories can be displayed by selecting State‐of‐Health from the Status menu, and then
selecting the requested displays:
259
Figure 110: SOH Display Selection

Once you press OK, the history displays must be updated (this may take a few minutes),
but then the displays will show as follows:
260
Figure 111: SOH Graphs

Note that the displays include limits (left margin), description (lower right corner), and a
time scale (bottom). The time scale is hour of day (UTC) for the short term display and
months for the long term display.
261
262
Chapter 14
Software Tools
The Rock+ digitizers are designed to work with standard software and hardware tools wher‐
ever possible. In many cases, those tools are provided along with most computers or are
easily available for download. In some cases tools are required that may not come standard
on every computer. In these cases, Kinemetrics has provided publicly available tools on the
Rock Support Software CD (300654‐PL). The tools provided are one’s that Kinemetrics has
found to work well, although you are of course free to use other similar tools that you prefer.
The Rock Support Software CD programs are specific to the Windows Operating Systems. If
you are running Linux or MacOS, suitable programs are easily available for those Operating
Systems.
For example: For Linux:
• For Telnet: Use telnet
• For Serial Terminal Emulation: Use minicom
• For Secure Terminal connections: Use ssh
• For Secure File Transfers: Use sftp
If you do not have other tools such as terminal emulation programs, telnet client, and secure
file transfer programs that you know you want to use, and you are using Windows, we suggest
that you install the software from the Rock Support Software CD (300654‐PL) now.

14.1 Web Browser
As indicated, the digitizer is intended to operate with little more than a web browser. Most
modern web browsers are sufficient, and need meet only a few requirements to operate well
with the digitizer:
• Support HTML 1.1 or later
• Support Java and Java Applets
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14.2. JAVA CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS
14.2 Java
The web interface of the digitizer will function without installing Java, but many of the most
useful and important feature of the interface require Java. Kinemetrics recommends that
your computer have Java installed and that Java support be enabled in your web browser.
Java Virtual Machines are available from several suppliers and are usually free.
One such program is available from java.sun.com. On the Sun website it is called the Java
SE JRE.

14.3 Terminal Program
In order to communicate with the digitizer through a serial port (such as communicating via
the RS‐232 Linux console) you will need a terminal program that can communicate through
RS‐232. Historically this was done on Windows based computers using HyperTerminal.
However, in Windows 7 HyperTerminal is no longer included.
You can download and purchase HyperTerminal from www.hilgraeve.com, or you can use
the free program PuTTY, which is provided on the Rock Support Software CD. PuTTY is
described below.

14.4 Telnet Client
To communicate with the digitizer through its command console you will need a telnet client
program. Most computers include telnet as part of the normal distribution, but Windows 7
no longer includes telnet.
As a replacement you can use the free program PuTTY, which is provided on the Rock
Support Software CD. PuTTY is described below.

14.5 WinSCP
WinSCP is a free program that allows you to make secure connections for file uploads and
downloads. WinSCP is included on the Rock Support Software CD.
Since WinSCP is not Kinemetrics software and is provided only as an example, we make no
attempt to thoroughly describe all capabilities. However we will describe basic operation
here. When you start WinSCP you will see a dialog that looks something like this:
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CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS 14.5. WINSCP
Figure 112: WinSCP

To connect to a digitizer, enter the IP address of the digitizer as “Host name” as well as
the User name and Password as shown here: Press “Login” and you will initially see the
following confirmation:

Figure 113: WinSCP Key Confirmation

This message indicates that you are about to make a secure connection to the digitizer and
is a warning that you have to be sure you’re talking to the correct unit. Normally, once you
accept the key you will not have to do this again when connecting to the same digitizer from
the same computer.
Once WinSCP has logged into the digitizer, you will see something that looks like this:
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14.5. WINSCP CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS
Figure 114: WinSCP Panes

The left pane of the program represents your computer and the right pane represents the
digitizer. You can navigate the panes independently and can then upload or download files
by simply dragging the files from one side to the other. You can also drag files directly to
or from other applications such as your desktop or Windows Explorer.
If you have a set of directories that you access often, such as downloading recorded files from
the digitizer’s /data/events directory to a working folder on your computer, you can set the
folders correctly and then select Session → Save Session.
Later when you restart WinSCP, you can choose the session from the list and click “Login”.
This will save you from having to manually enter the IP address, username, or passwords
each time. In addition, the panes for your computer and the digitizer’s directories will be
set automatically.
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CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS 14.6. PUTTY
14.6 PuTTY
PuTTY is a secure terminal program that you can use to open a secure Linux console to
your digitizer. PuTTY uses the SSH layer to make a secure connection.
Since PuTTY is not Kinemetrics software and is provided only as an example, we make no
attempt to thoroughly describe all capabilities. However we will describe basic operation
here. When you start PuTTY you will see a dialog that looks something like this:

Figure 115: PuTTY

To log into the digitizer, enter the IP address of the unit and press “Open”:
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14.6. PUTTY CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS
Figure 116: PuTTY IP Address

Next, you will see a secure console window as follows:
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CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS 14.6. PUTTY
Figure 117: PuTTY Window

As with WinSCP you can save sessions to avoid typing in the future by entering the IP
address at “Host name”, the name you assigned to the digitizer under “Saved Sessions”, and
then press “Save”.
Please also note that PuTTY can be used as a telnet client, so you can connect to the Com‐
mand Console by entering the IP address under “Host name”, selecting “Telnet”, entering
the “port” as 9900 and clicking “Open”.
As with WinSCP and the PuTTY SSH connection, you can save this session by entering a
name under “Saved Sessions” and clicking “Save”.
PuTTY can also be used as a simple terminal program to open a serial console to your
digitizer (for example, to connect to the Linux console). Select “Serial” and specify the
Serial line (e.g.: COM2) and the baud rate.
NOTE: On the Rock+ the Linux serial console is at 115200 baud.
You can save your serial session by selecting “Serial”, entering the COM port and baud rate,
entering the name as a “Saved Session” and clicking “Save”.
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14.7. FTP SERVER CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS
14.7 FTP Server
If you wish to transmit files from your digitizer automatically, one way to do this is to
send them to an FTP server that receives the files. There are several public domain and
commercial FTP server programs that you can choose from, but one such program is the
WAR‐FTPD.
To install WAR‐FTP, place the war‐ftpd.exe executable in an appropriate directory (Program
Files\FTP is suggested) and start the program:

Figure 118: FTP Server

Select “no anonymous logins”.
Select from the menu Properties → Security → Edit Default:
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CHAPTER 14. SOFTWARE TOOLS 14.7. FTP SERVER
Figure 119: FTP Server Defaults

If present, select and DELETE the path for the “\” directory. Click OK. Select from the
menu Properties → Security → Edit User:

Figure 120: FTP Server Users
Choose “Add” to add a user. Add an “admin” user:
271
Figure 121: Adding Admin User

Specify and confirm the password. The default is “kmi” (but you can use what you want):

Figure 122: Admin User Password

Select the File Access tab:

Figure 123: Admin File Access

Press the “Add” button on the File Access tab under “Path”, and specify the directory where
files will download to on your PC, such as “C:\data”, then press “OK”:
272
Figure 124: Add Data Path

Set the permissions on the directory as follows or as appropriate, then press “Apply”, then
“OK”:

Figure 125: Permissions Set

Another way to improve security a bit is to limit permissions (for example, eliminating
List, Write, and Delete permissions via FTP), or to run the FTP server from a user with
limited access rights that only has access to those directories needed for the task, such as
downloading to the C:\data directory on your PC.
You may choose to add other users with different permissions or access to different directories.
Select Properties → Options and select the General tab. Set startup options as follows:
273
Figure 126: FTP Server Options

Click OK.
You may start and stop the FTP server manually from its menu with the selection Properties
→ Start Service or Stop Service.
Configure the FTP Sender module in your digitizer’s layout to match the IP address of the
FTP server, the FTP user name and password (using the Tools → Operation/Passwords
from the menu) as follows:
274
Figure 127: FTP Sender Parameters
275
276
Chapter 15
Troubleshooting
15.1 Modem not Communicating

The most common causes of modem communication problems are cables and improper setup.
Regarding setup, it is most likely that you have not set up the modem connection to use the
TTYMonitor so you will see the following message in the log files:
ERROR! Modem enabled as primary connection
To correct this problem, see the section Modem Only Operation .

15.2 Private Networks
If your system will operate on a private network without an outside connection, DNS should
be disabled. Current versions of the netconfig script remove the DNS entries if you do not
specify them. However, if you have an older version of the netconfig script, it may be
necessary to do this manually by deleting /etc/resolv.conf.

15.3 Altus Emulator and SDS
Altus Emulation SDS will only steam the highest sample rate, so if you mix SDS data and
SOH channels (which are at 1sps), you will not see the SOH channels on SDS. You must
either be aware of this and deal with the fact that you’ll be missing some channels or specify
that only the actual data channels are to be sent.

277
15.4 Deleting a large Linux directory
If a configuration error inadvertently results in the creation of lots of useless files – such
as when you have inadvertently set the trigger levels too low, you may find that Linux has
problems dealing with the large directories. In this case you may find that trying even to
delete the files fails with the message “too many files”. One way to correct the problem is
with a simple script:
cd /tmp/kmi
for I in ‘ls‘; do echo $I; rm $I; done

15.5 Admin cannot delete data files
If you are unable to data delete files when logged in as the “admin” user, it is probably
because permissions are not set correctly for the data directory and any subdirectories. This
applies to login via SSH (PuTTY) or SCP (WinSCP).
One temporary solution is to log in as root. While this will work and is generally safe over
a secure connection, it is best to avoid logging in as root whenever there is an alternative
that will do the job.
If you are storing your data in an alternate location, such as a secondary memory card or
an external storage device, then you will have to set the permissions properly for the parent
data directory as well as for any subdirectories that already exist. Once the changes are
made, further subdirectories created by the system will be correct.
In this example we will use the name ʺMyDataʺ as the desired data directory name.
• login as root.
• cd to where you want the new directory created.
• mkdir MyData
• chmod 775 MyData
• chmod g+s MyData
• chgrp ‐R admin MyData
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CHAPTER 15. TROUBLESH1O5O
.7T
. IN
IPGISSUES. FIREWALLS AND ROUTER BLOCKS
NOTE: If you are trying to fix an existing directory skip the process of
making the directory (mkdir MyData). Additionally you will need to do
a ʺchmod g+sʺ on any pre‐existing sub‐directories under MyData.

Once done, you should be able to access and manage your files when logged in as the “admin”
user, and be able to access (read only) your files when logged in as the “client” user.

15.6 IP issues. Firewalls and router blocks
If you’re having problems with IP communication, here are some basic troubleshooting tips:
If the digitizer and computer are connected through the internet, make sure that both units
can communicate through the internet. The easiest way is to ping a third party server such
as Google. Most common mistakes are specifying the wrong gateway or wrong DNS servers.
If the digitizer and computer are on the same private network, make sure that both the
computer and the digitizer are on the same network (first three parts of the IP address the
same). Make sure the two units can ping each other.
Check each service manually that you plan to use, whether FTP (port 21), TELNET (port
23), SSH (port 22), SMTP e‐mail (port 25), NTP (port 123) or Rockhound specific services
such as the Rockhound Console (port 9900).
If you have problems accessing any particular service, check to make sure that the ports are
open on any Operating System provided or third party software firewall. If you’re going
through a router, you will also need to check that the ports are open through the router.
Finally, some antivirus software includes port blocking features you may have to check.

15.7 Can’t Change Password
If you are unable to change Linux passwords, you may have gotten a response such as
this:
Obsidian:/data/events# passwd
passwd: Authentication token manipulation error
passwd: password unchanged

The reason for this is because the majority of the filesystem is locked to provide further
protection against accidental corruption. See Locked File System

279

15.8 External Charger
The digitizer’s power supply can intelligently control an external charger used to maintain
large batteries. To check if the external charger is enabled, type psdisplay from the Linux
prompt:

Rock2:/etc# psdisplay
PSRTC=471629393
Temp=31.28
Humidity=9.52
Flags=16
ExtCharger=0
SensorPwr=1
BBVolts=12.502
VofSC=4.432
Vof1_8VCore=1.787
VofVCC=3.309
VofVBoost=5.118
Vof12VPOE=1.553 V
of12ExtDC=15.482
VofBattCharge=0.049
VofV12Batt=0.000
VofSysPwr=15.443
VofIofSysPwr=0.333
VofIofBBIn=0.063
VofTimeIOPwr1=0.020
VofIofBC=0.129
VofSnsrPwrSw=12.444
VofTimeIOPwr2=0.049
VofVBB=12.532
VofTimeIOPwr3=0.000
VofSagFilt=14.935
PSType=1
PSVersion=6.17

In this case, the External Charger is disabled (ExtCharger=0). To enable it, type psset‐
params as shown:

Tock2:/etc# pssetparams ExtCharger=1
Parameter(s) set. Save the changes? (Y/N) > y
280
15.8. EXTERNAL CHARGER CHAPTER 15. TROUBLESHOOTING
281

Chapter 16
Digitizer Maintenance

16.1 Run Remote Check Tests
Rock+ digitizers have been designed to allow the system status to be determined remotely
via any available communication links. This prevents the need for most preventative main‐
tenance visits.
The following remote checks can ensure that the unit is functional and the peripheral systems
are operational.
• Verify the power input to the unit is at the correct voltage (9‐28V External DC)
• Verify the units current draw is within normal ranges
• Verify that the temperature is within normal operating ranges
• Verify that the humidity inside the unit is within limits and not increasing significantly.
• Verify that the battery voltage (if present) is correct
• Perform a battery load test to check the battery has maintained its charge capacity.
• Review the reported internal voltages to ensure that they are all normal.
• Verify sensor offsets are within range
• Perform sensor functional tests
• Review software and communication logs for signs of communication problems or se‐
curity breaches.
• Check for firmware upgrades available on the Kinemetrics web site.
• Perform maintenance on disk files to remove older unused files.
These checks will indicate if a field visit is required to investigate an abnormal value or to
change batteries, and or desiccant.
See Power System Display
282
16.2. ADVANCED SELF TEST CAPABIC
LIHTAIE
PSTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE
16.2 Advanced Self Test Capabilities
Rock+ Digitizers are designed to allow automated calibration and they have the capability
of selecting different sources for the input channels to the ADC. In normal use the inputs are
connected to the external connectors and the unit functions as a digitizer. For calibration
and testing the inputs can be connected to a calibration bus. The calibration bus allows
the inputs to be grounded, connected to the positive reference, connected to the negative
reference or connected to the calibration DAC. This feature allows the digitizer performance
to be tested both on the bench and for initial calibration but also as part of a system
test/diagnostic procedure in the field. For example by grounding the inputs the digitizer
noise can be evaluated, by applying the reference voltage the span calibration can be checked,
and using the calibration DAC the frequency response can be verified.
These functions provide a powerful set of diagnostic tools in addition to the external calibra‐
tion signal for users with large numbers of units deployed these capabilities combined with
batch files can provide a powerful maintenance tool contact Kinemetrics if you are interested
in our services group helping you develop these capabilities.

16.3 Troubleshooting & Service
If your unit needs repair or service, we strongly recommend that you return it to Kinemetrics.
If you wish to diagnose hardware problems yourself, we provide some cautions below.
The procedure for loading new firmware/software into the unit is also detailed below.

16.4 Hardware Problems
CAUTION: Only a qualified electronic technician should diagnose and
repair the unit. Be sure the technician carefully follows both the ESD
precautions and the precautions described in the Safety section.

Do not attempt to repair the unit at the board level unless you have equipment for re‐
working high density lead free surface mount printed circuit boards and have gone through
the appropriate Kinemetrics training course.
We strongly recommend that you stop your diagnosis at the board level and send the entire
unit back to Kinemetrics for repair.

16.5 Installing New Firmware
There are several different software components in your system and each has its own ver‐
sions. The process of updating each software component will be described within the section
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CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE 16.6. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
that describes the package itself. For example, the process of updating the Power Supply
Application will be discussed within the section that discusses the Power Supply.
See Software Versions .

16.6 Preventive Maintenance
16.6.1 Desiccant Replacement
To help maintain low humidity inside the unit, Kinemetrics places a packet of desiccant inside
to absorb any water vapor. The interior humidity is measured by a sensor and reported in
the systems diagnostics. We that recommend that you replace the desiccant package when
the internal humidity reading rises above 50% or every 24‐36 months. (If the humidity is
still low at 36 months and you have not opened the digitizer this period can be extended.)
You can order new desiccant packets (P/N 700049) from Kinemetrics.
To replace the desiccant package proceed as follows:
• Remove all power sources from the system and wait until it has completed its shutdown
sequence.
• Remove the right protective bumper by gently easing it off the metal end cover.
• Remove the seal screw from the front of the unit to allow the pressure within the unit
to equalize.
• Remove the right end cap by unscrewing the four visible hex head bolts.
• The desiccant package will be visible secured to the card cage at the end of the unit
by a reusable tie strap.
• Loosen the tie strap and replace the desiccant. The old package can safely be disposed
of in normal trash.
• Replace the end cap ensuring that the O‐Ring is correctly located in the interior groove.
• Tighten the four screws.
• Replace the seal screw in the front of the unit.
• Replace the protective bumper.
• Reconnect the unit to the power sources.
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16.6. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE
CAUTION: Possible equipment damage. If you do not correctly re‐ place
the end cap and the seal screw the watertight integrity of the unit can
be compromised and damage can occur to the unit.

Potential ESD equipment damage. The digitizer circuit boards
contain CMOS components that can be damaged by electrostatic dis‐
charge (ESD) if not properly handled. Use a grounded wrist strap, with
impedance of approximately 1 MOhm, to protect components from ESD
damage when handling circuit boards. Before removing any circuit
boards or disconnecting any internal cables, be sure that all batteries
and the charger are disconnected.

16.6.2 Replacing Batteries
Because they lose their capacity over time, you should replace the optional external batteries
with the unit at regular intervals. Kinemetrics recommends that you replace the batteries
every three years in normal operating environments; more frequently if the unit’s ambient
temperature is significantly above 20°C. Read the Safety section before replacing the battery.

16.6.2.1 Battery Specifications
We strongly recommend that you purchase replacement batteries from Kinemetrics. The
batteries used are 12V, 7.2, 12 and 38 amp‐hour Sealed Lead Acid cell with either Faston
terminal tabs, 0.250ʺ x 0.032ʺ or bolt lugs, equipped with a pressure relief valve that meets
UL924. The battery capacity will have been chosen to provide the required length of
autonomy given the average current draw of the system.

WARNING: Fire or explosion hazard. Do not install a non‐
rechargeable battery to be charged by the unit. Only install a sealed lead
acid battery with specifications compatible with those above. Other
types of Lead Acid battery should not be used as the tem‐ perature
corrected charging voltage is set for SLA batteries only. On no account
install an alternative battery chemistry such as Lithium Ion or Nickel
Metal Hydride!

If you store a battery, you should still charge it every six to nine months to prevent permanent
loss of capacity. You can float‐charge the battery at 13.5‐13.8V or cycle‐charge the battery,
provided the current is limited to less than 2.4 amps and the voltage to less than 14.7V.
284
CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE 16.6. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
When the voltage reaches 14.7V, the battery will be damaged unless you convert the cycle
charging to float charging. Kinemetrics ships batteries fully charged; make sure a battery is
still fully charged before installing it.

16.6.2.2 Battery Installation
Follow the instructions below to install a new external battery.

WARNING: Burn or explosion hazard. Never place metallic
objects (such as a screwdriver or your wristwatch strap) across the
terminals of a battery. The metal terminals can get very hot. Handle
batteries with care, and do not drop them or attempt to take them apart.
Recycle used batteries, or dispose of them in accordance with local
regulations. Do not throw used batteries onto a fire.

CAUTION: Before installing the new battery make sure it is fully
charged. If the battery is uncharged, the unit will charge it, but this can
take some time — and if AC power is lost, the unit’s power autonomy
will be reduced.

To replace an external battery:
• Disconnect the power source from the unit and the battery
• With the power cable disconnected from both the unit and the PSA remove the old
battery.
• Connect the negative terminal of the new battery to the black wire.
• Connect the positive terminal of the new battery to the red wire.
• Connect the power cable to the power connector on the unit and ensure the unit turns
on under battery power.
• Reconnect the PSA and check that the unit switches to this power source.

NOTE: An external battery should not be used with a system powered
by a Power Over Ethernet (POE) connection.
285
16.6. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE
16.6.2.3 Battery Recycling

We recommend you recycle the sealed lead‐acid cells used by the digitizer; if
properly recycled they are environmentally friendly. You should be able to recycle used
batteries at the same centers that recycle automobile batteries.

16.6.3 Replacing SD Cards
Kinemetrics uses only qualified SD Cards for the operating system and data storage. These
cards are rated for extremes of temperature, shock, and vibration. Using consumer specifi‐
cation cards will likely result in data loss and system failure.
The SD data card installed in the power supply socket is not readily removable. It is also
formatted with a Linux file system so it is not readily readable in a PC although it can be
read in a PC with third party software. External USB drives are recommended for use as
removable media and should be formatted as FAT32.
See USB Thumb Drives .
Replacement SD cards should be ordered from Kinemetrics.

16.6.4 Cleaning the Digitizer
Disconnect all power from the unit before cleaning it including the external battery. Then
wipe off the exterior surfaces with a mild detergent and a damp soft cloth. Do not use an
abrasive cloth especially on the label area as this will damage the unit. The external battery
can also be cleaned with a mild detergent and damp cloth following the precautions outlined
in the battery maintenance section.

CAUTION: Possible water damage. Do not loosen the seal screw or end
caps before cleaning the unit. Do not use water to clean the inside of the
digitizer. Doing so will severely damage the unit!

The digitizer should not normally be opened so the interior of the units should be clean. If
dust or debris does get inside the unit, we recommend you use a small ʺcomputer vacuum
cleanerʺ to remove this debris. Make sure you have turned the power off before vacuuming
the unit.
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CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENAN1C
6.E7. DECOMMISSIONING & RECYCLING
16.7 Decommissioning & Recycling

Kinemetrics is committed to ensure the preservation of the envi‐
ronment for current and future generations. Thus, although not required by legislation, we
designed the Rock+ digitizers to comply with the requirements of the RoHS (Reduction of
Hazardous Material) directive to reduce possible contamination of landfills. The digitizer
should be recycled and not thrown in the normal waste stream destined for the local land
fill.
We have made the product easy to disassemble and recycle the constituent parts. The
recycling passport describes the various materials in the digitizer and any hazards than can
be encountered in disassembling the unit.

16.7.1 Kinemetrics Recycling Passport

Product Name Obsidian
Product Model Numbers 111900, 111860,112000
Date 4/27/2010
Version 1.1
Contact Information www.kinemetrics.com
287
16.7. DECOMMISSIONING & RECYCLICNHGAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE
Product Contains Substance Present Location Comment
Batteries
External Mercury/NiCad/Lithium/Other Option External SLA Battery Optional
Internal Mercury/NiCad/Lithium/Other No N/A
Parts Containing RoHS Hazardous Substances
Lead Ext. Battery External Note 1
Mercury No N/A
Cadmium No N/A
Hexavalent Chromium No N/A
Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB) No N/A
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) No N/A
Other Potentially Hazardous Substances/Information
Printed Circuit Board Assembly >10cm^2 Yes Inside RoHS Compliant
Capacitors w/ PCBs or items of concern No N/A
Gas Discharge Lamps No N/A
Backlight Lamps No N/A
Backlight Lamps containing Mercury No N/A
Plastics w/ brominated Flame Retardants No N/A
LCD >100 cm^2 No N/A
Asbestos No N/A
Refractory Ceramic Fibers No N/A
Radio‐active Substances No N/A
Beryllium Oxide No N/A
Other forms of Beryllium No N/A
Other Hazards
Parts under Pressure No N/A
Liquids No N/A
Gasses No N/A
Hidden Mechanical Springs No N/A
High Storage Density Capacitors Yes Internal Note 2
1: Covered by the Battery Directive. Should be recycled in the normal Lead Acid Battery
Recycling Stream.
2: Small Circuit Board Can discharge significant current do not discharge with an electrical
short.
288
CHAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENAN1C
6.E7. DECOMMISSIONING & RECYCLING
16.7.2 Disassembly Procedure for Recycling

Step Description Comments & Hints
1 Remove all Power Sources For Safety!
2 Remove and recycle external Sealed Lead Acid Battery Note 1
3 Remove Rubber End Caps Pull Off
4 Remove Optional Dust Caps Note 2
5 Loosen Connector Nuts, Remove Nuts and Washers Note 3
6 Remove Seal Screw in Front Right Bottom of Label Note 4
7 Remove both End Caps Four Screws Each End
8 Remove Deck & Base Plate Note 5
9 Remove small supercapacitor assembly Note 6
10 Pull backwards and remove internal frame and circuit boards Note 7
11 Remove the Rear Mounting Frame Screws on Side
12 Remove PWBs Note 8
13 Remove Label from Enclosure Note 9
1: Battery can normally be recycled wherever auto batteries are recycled.
2: Unscrew Acorn Nuts Holding Attachment Cords.
3: Use Channel Locks if deep socket set not available.
4: Unseals unit to allow end caps to be removed easily
5: For units with internal deck remove the base plate by unscrewing the hex head screws
visible on the base of the unit. Remove the accelerometer deck by undoing the two screws
in the base. The deck can then be removed from the unit by undoing the ribbon cable. The
deck can be disassembled into PWBs and the sensor modules.
6: If unit has been powered in the last month carefully discharge the super capacitors using
a 1k load resistor. Do not short them directly!
7: Remove ADC/DSP Boards and Shields one by one till down to the rear mounting frame.
8: Undo Spacers remove processor, front panel, and sensor boards as applicable.
9: Insert thin blade under edge of label and pull off.
While the Recycling Materials show the exact materials that make up the various components
of the unit. By following these instructions a large portion of the unit can be re‐used.
289
16.7. DECOMMISSIONING & RECYCLICNHGAPTER 16. DIGITIZER MAINTENANCE
16.7.3 Materials for Recycling

Name Material Qty Location Comments
Protective End Caps Black EPDM 2 External Remove First

Connector Dust Caps Aluminum Alloy Varies Hardware is S/S
End Caps Powder Coated Aluminum Alloy 6063‐T6 2 Note 1
Enclosure and Obsidian Base Powder Coated Aluminum Alloy 6063‐T6 1 Note 2
Label Lexan Sheet 1 Note 3
Mounting Frame Front Aluminum Alloy 1 Note 4
Mounting Frame Rear Aluminum Alloy 1 Note 5
PWBs PWB with RoHS Compliant Components Varies Note 6
Super Cap Pack Electronic Components 1 Note 7
Misc Hardware Stainless Steel Varies Note 8
1: RoHS Compliant Irridite Finish
2: RoHS Compliant Irridite Finish, 4 Stainless Steel PEM Studs
3: Can be removed by peeling off enclosure
4: RoHS Compliant Irridite Finish, 9 Stainless Steel PEM Studs
5: RoHS Compliant Irridite Finish, 8 Stainless Steel PEM Nuts
6: All Circuit Boards in the Unit
7: Unplug and discharge with 1k Ohm resistor for one minute before disassembling
8: Screws, Nuts, Washers. Hardware is mainly 304, 316 Stainless Steel
290

Chapter 17
Hardware Reference
The hardware reference section contains information that may help you with more advanced
system installations and if you wish to make your own cable systems or power supplies.

17.1 System Power
The exact current drawn by the digitizer depends on the exact options contained in your
system, any power the system is providing to other equipment, and how heavy a computa‐
tional load is placed on the system. Thus, it is difficult to give definitive power systems and
the user is advised to measure a system in operation to determine a more accurate figure.
A standard out of the box Obsidian will consume approximately 3.4W running at 12V DC
through the battery inputs. This is running 4 channels at 100 sps as both an event recorder
and a continuous recorder. Including a 100Mb Ethernet connection and with the internal
GPS receiver and antenna operating. It will also draw about 7W during the initial charging
of the super capacitor internal UPS system. The unit will continue to draw 7W pulses to
keep the super capacitors “topped off” but the duty cycle will fall off. Usually below 1% of
the time.
Power can be reduced further to about 2.6W by turning off the GPS and network interface
and reducing the number of channels to 3 along with disabling continuous recording.
Power consumption from the external DC inputs will be comparable over the range of 15.5
to 28V with the exception of the battery charging power when a VRLA battery is connected
to the battery input. Charging a discharged battery will add approximately 13W until the
battery becomes fully charged at which time the charge current will become negligible.
The Power Consumption of a Rock+Digitizer can be approximated as follows:
Each four channel Analog to Digital Converter adds approximately another 1W. Uniaxial
dual supply sensors draw approximately 0.25W.
This gives an estimated power consumption of approximately:
• 4W for a 4 Channel System with external sensors
291
17.2. CONNECTOR REFERENCE CHAPTER 17. HARDWARE REFERENCE
• 6W for an 8 Channel System with external sensors
When you know the current consumption of your system, its actual autonomy with any
battery can be calculated using this formula:
T (hours) = Capacity (Ah)/ I (A) = hours of autonomy
For example a 12 Channel System with Sensors equipped with a 12Ah battery would have
an autonomy of about 20 hours.
Kinemetrics supplies 12V, 7.2, 12 and 38 amp‐hour Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA)
batteries with either Faston terminal tabs, 0.250ʺ x 0.032ʺ or bolt lugs, equipped with a
pressure relief valve that meets UL924. Batteries of capacity below 6Ah should not be used
as the system can charge them too quickly. The charging circuitry is not capable of charging
batteries over 38 Ah in a reasonable amount of time and an external charging system should
be used with this system.
If you are supplying power to the system the voltage needs to be between 9‐28 VDC. If
the unit is to charge an external VRLA battery the voltage should be between 15.5 to 28
VDC. The supply should be capable of providing a minimum current of 1000mA at 12VDC
to charge the internal Super Capacitors and bring up the processor. This level of current
is required for up to 5 minutes when the unit is first turned on. If the unit is to charge an
external VRLA battery the supply should be capable of supplying 2.0A at 15.5 – 28 VDC
(A nominal 50W rated supply will normally be sufficient.). The power supply should be CE
rated and rated for operation over the temperature range expected for the system.

17.2 Connector Reference
This section contains cable and connector reference material that can be used for creating
or customizing cables for your unit. In addition, this information can be useful for electrical
diagnosis of cabling or electrical problems.
The connectors can be grouped into several categories, Power, GPS Antenna, Serial Com‐
munications, Ethernet, Time I/O, USB Host and USB Device ports.

17.2.1 Power Connector
Connector: 851‐07A14‐12PX50‐A7‐44, 12 Pins, Shell 14, Rotated X, Silver, (8x1,4x1.6)
Mating Connector: 851‐06EC14‐12SX54, 12 Sockets, Shell 14, Rotated X, Blk (KMI 852173)
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CHAPTER 17. HARDWARE REFERENCE 17.2. CONNECTOR REFERENCE
Mating Connector: 851‐06EC14‐12SX50‐44, 12 Sockets, Shell 14, Rotated X, Silver (KMI
853724)
The Rock+ internal power supply is controlled by a dedicated micro controller referred to
as the PSMCU in this document.
Power In from 9‐28VDC source needs to be >=15.5V for battery charging. This connector
uses pins as power is supplied to the unit, charging current is only output from the unit
when power has been supplied through the connector. The power pins are provided with
Reverse Polarity Protection, ESD & EMI Protection, and protection from lightning induced
transients using Gas Arresters.
The battery charging circuit is designed to charge and take power from a 12V VRLA battery.
(Observe all safety warnings and cautions!) It features Reverse Polarity Protection, ESD &
EMI Protection, and protection from lightning induced transients using Gas Arresters.
Under voltage and over voltage disconnect is provided. 8 and 30V for external DC and 8
and 16V for battery input.
This connector provides one user input and one user output that can be used for several
purposes as determined by the software running on the unit:
• The input which is read by the PSMCU and is reserved for future enhancements to
the Rock+ power supply.
• The output is used to control external high power battery chargers to boost the initial
charging of larger external batteries.
The digital inputs and outputs are isolated from the system and have both ESD and EMI
protection. They are not protected against lightning induced transients.

17.2.1.1 Power Connector Description

Pin Name Description Protection Comments
A DIGIN_1+ General Purpose Digital Input 1+ ISO/ESD/EMI General Purpose Input
B DIGIN_1‐ General Purpose Digital Input 1‐ ISO/ESD/EMI General Purpose Input
C PSTXD PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use
D PSRXD PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use
E PSCOM PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use
F PGP Protective Ground N/A Protective Ground Connection
G DIGOUT_1+ General Purpose Digital Output 1+ ISO/ESD/EMI General Purpose Output
H DIGOUT_1‐ General Purpose Digital Output 1‐ ISO/ESD/EMI General Purpose Output
J FPPWRIN 9‐28VDC In to System RP/LIT/ESD/EMI System Power Input
K FPBATPWR Power to External Battery RP/LIT/ESD/EMI Charge Output/Battery Input
L FPBATRTN Power Return from Battery RP/LIT/ESD/EMI Battery Return
M FPPWRRTN Power Return RP/LIT/ESD/EMI System Power Return
293
Figure 128: Power Connector Pins and Schematic

17.2.2 Internal GPS
The internal GPS system is built into every Rock+ Digitizer and provides the very accurate
timing system used to time align the data typically to sub‐microsecond accuracy. The
system requires an active antenna that connects to the TNC connector on the front of the
unit. The sections below discuss various cabling choices for the antenna and the use of an
optional lightning protector. A TNC to BNC adapter is provided for use with current
antenna choices.

17.2.2.1 GPS Antenna Connection Cabling
Plenum cable is typically used in buildings and other structures where, in case of fire, the
cable will not produce poisonous gasses that will affect the occupants. Plenum refers to the
air conditioning ducting, which is usually the easiest place to run new cable in an existing
structure. This cable has good UV and weather resistance and fair water resistance but has
higher loss and is less flexible than our UV resistant cable. KMI plenum cables are typically
less expensive than our UV‐resistant cables.
UV‐resistant cable does not require conduit and is very flexible and easy to handle in both
indoor and outdoor applications. It also has low loss and good transmission characteristics. It
is typically used in temporary and permanent field installations, away from buildings or other
294
structures, where ease of installation is important. It may also be used in non‐plenum areas
of buildings, as permitted by local building codes. KMI UV‐resistant GPS cables generally
perform better electrically than our plenum cables, and so would be a better choice for longer
cable runs or installation sites with a marginal GPS signal reception.
For a given type of GPS antenna cable, a shorter length of cable is preferable to a longer
length, due to signal attenuation by the cable. However, too short of a cable can be a
problem with active antennas, as their LNA output can overdrive the GPS module’s input.
In general, lengths of 25M to 50M of cable as supplied by KMI are acceptable. Shorter or
longer lengths should be discussed with the factory. Lengths between the standard 25M and
50M cables are available as a special order with correspondingly longer lead times.

17.2.2.2 Installing Optional GPS Lightning Protection
Neither the MiniMag antenna nor the bullet antenna has built‐in lightning protection, due
to the high cost of protective devices that can pass the low‐level, high‐frequency signals used
in GPS systems.
The optional lightning protector device (P/N 109457‐PL) can be used with internal and
external GPS timing systems. The lightning protector is a small 3 ½” x 1 ½” x 1 ½” box
which contains surge‐protection devices to shunt surges from lightning strikes to the ground
while still allowing high‐frequency signals and the DC power for the active antenna to pass.
It has two female BNC connectors, and comes with a 3’ (approx. 1 meter) male‐to‐male
BNC extension cable.
Purchase a weatherproofing kit for the lightning protector from Kinemetrics (P/N 790076)
if the lightning protector box will be installed outdoors or in a hostile environment.
Connect the GPS antenna to the lightning protector as follows:
• Plug the antenna cable into the protector connector marked Surge.
• Take the short BNC male‐to‐male cable (supplied with the protector), and plug its
male connector into the receptacle on the Rock+ Digitizer.

Make sure to provide a good ground. If at all possible, mount the Protector to a metal
plate approximately 12ʺ square (approx. 30.5 cm sq.), with a good low‐resistance and low‐
inductance ground connection. To mount it to the grounding panel, use approximately 20
inch‐pounds (2.26 Nm) of torque on the screws.

CAUTION: The lightning protector will not work without adequate
grounding.
The strap connecting the grounding panel to earth ground should be as short and heavy
as possible (use a copper strap or braid at least 1” wide) to minimize the resistance and
inductance of the ground system. Since a skin effect is present, use a straight strap with as
large a surface area as possible, and keep the bends in the strap to an 8ʺ or larger radius.
295
17.2.3 Serial Connectors
17.2.3.1 Console
The CONSOLE connector provides a 115.2Kb 3‐wire UART interface (TX data, RX data,
and Ground) to access Linux console function. Most Rock+ features are controlled through
the Rockhound interface but certain functions, mainly netconfig, need to be set up before a
network connection can be achieved.
Console Connector Description

Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description DE-9 Pin PC Name I/O Protection
J17.2 M12_CNSRXD Input Receive Data 3 TD Output ESD/EMI

J17.3 M12_CNSTXD Output Transmit Data 2 RD Input ESD/EMI
J17.5 GND Ground/Common 5 Ground ESD/EMI
J17.10 PGP Protective Ground Shell Chassis Gnd

J17.1,4,6,7,8,9 Tied to PGP w/ 100K resistors
M12 DTE 9‐pin DTE
Connector and Cable Information

Description KMI Number
Connector 853593
Mating Connector 853601
Cable 853607
Effectively M12 DTE to DE9‐Socket DTE null modem crossover cable

Figure 129: Console Connector Pins
296
Figure 130: Console Connector Schematic

17.2.3.2 Serial 1
Serial Port 1 provides a full 9‐pin DTE interface adapted to the circular M12 type connectors.
This pin definition supports the 9‐pin subset of a full RS232 interface. The pinout supports
the 9 pin D‐Type standard shown below. This connector is designed for local use so only
ESD/EMI protection is provided through the 15kV ESD rated driver, the Ferrite beads on
the board, and the HF filter capacitors to ground.
Serial 1 Connector Description

J15.1 M12_SER1DCD Input Data Carrier Detect 1 DCD Input ESD/EMI

J15.2 M12_SER1RXD Input Receive Data 3 TD Output ESD/EMI
J15.3 M12_SER1TXD Output Transmit Data 2 RD Input ESD/EMI
J15.4 M12_SER1DTR Output Data Set Ready 6 DSR Input ESD/EMI
J15.6 M12_SER1DSR Input Data Terminal Ready 4 DTR Output ESD/EMI
J15.7 M12_SER1RTS Output Request to Send 8 CTS Input ESD/EMI
J15.8 M12_SER1CTS Input Clear to Send 7 RTS Output ESD/EMI
J15.9 M12_SER1RI Input Ring Indicator 9 NC NC ESD/EMI

M12 DTE 9‐pin DTE
297
Connector 853593
Cable 853607

Figure 131: Serial Connector Pins

Figure 132: Serial 1 Connector Schematic
298
17.2.3.3 Serial 2 and Serial 3
The Serial 2 and Serial 3 connectors provide additional 5‐wire UART interfaces (TX data,
RX data, RTS, CTS, and Ground) for additional serial devices.



J18.1,4,6,9 Tied to PGP w/ 100K resistors
M12 DTE 9‐pin DTE

Connector 853593
Cable 853607

Figure 133: Serial 2 Connector Pins
299




J19.1,4,6,9 Tied to PGP w/ 100K resistors
M12 DTE 9‐pin DTE

Connector 853593
Cable 853607
300
Figure 135: Serial 3 Connector Pins


17.2.3.4 DFS
The DFS connector provides a fixed 115.2Kb 3‐wire UART interface (TX data, RX data,
and Ground) to first ADCDSP board in the system for real time data streams from its DSP.
The DFS protocol is covered in the section DFS telemetry .
DFS Connector Description
301
J16.2 M12_Bf_DFS_RXD Input Receive Data 3 TD Output ESD/EMI

J16.3 M12_Bf_DFS_TXD Output Transmit Data 2 RD Input ESD/EMI
J16.5 GND ConsoleGround/Common 5 Ground ESD/EMI

J16.1,4,6,7,8,9 Tied to PGP w/ 100K resistors
M12 DTE 9‐pin DTE

Connector 853593
Cable 853607

Figure 137: DFS Connector Pins
302
Figure 138: DFS Connector Schematic

17.2.3.5 PC 9‐pin RS‐2323C
The PC 9‐pin Comm port pinout is provided for reference.

Figure 139: PC 9‐Pin Connections
303
17.2.4 Modem
The modem connector provides an interface to standard telephone RJ‐11 jacks.
Modem Connector Description

Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description RJ‐11 plug Name I/O Protectio
J24.1 PTTip Phone Tip signal 4 TD Output ESD/EMI

J24.2 PTRing Phone Ring signal 3 RD Input ESD/EMI
J24.3,4 PGP (HF) Tied to PGP through capacitor HF bypass ESD/EMI
M12 RJ‐11
Connector 853595
Cable 853609

Figure 140: Modem Connector Pins

Figure 141: Modem Connector Schematic
304
17.2.5 Time I/O Connectors
Three Time I/O connectors are provided. The functions included in the connectors are
described as follows:

17.2.5.1 1PPS output
Each Time I/O connector provides a 1PPS output. The output is derived from the TCXO
disciplined oscillator. The 1Hz pulse width is 100 ms in duration. The voltage level is RS‐
232C compliant at an amplitude of approximately +/‐ 5.5V peak to peak. The on‐time edge
is the negative going edge of the pulse. The operation of the disciplined oscillator is
described in the section that describes the Timing System .

17.2.5.2 1PPS Input
Each Time I/O connector also accepts a 1PPS input. Also active‐low, RS‐232C level. This
input can be used as source for an external 1PPS reference time pulse that with software
support, can be used to discipline the internal TCXO. Timing modes are described in the
section of the manual that describes the timing system.
A ground reference for the 1PPS inputs and outputs is provided.

17.2.5.3 Power
Each Time I/O connector also provides a fault current protected power output from the
switched power regulator (Settable from +12.5 to +15.0V in 0.5V steps). A separate return
for this power output is provided. Setting the source voltage level (including turning it off)
is done in the Hardware Parameters. Switched power outputs themselves are controlled by
additional software such as the Rockhound RockGPIO module.
The switches used to control the output are set to trip off and latch at approximately 1.1 A.
The power supply firmware will try to re‐enable a faulted power switch every five minutes
for a maximum of 5 attempts. If after the 5th attempt, the fault has not been removed, the
power supply will disable that output until the user corrects the problem and then disables
and re‐enables that faulted output.

17.2.5.4 Time I/O 1‐3
Time I/O connectors 1‐3 are designated J27, J26, and J25 respectively.
Time I/O 1‐3 Connector Description
305
Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description Protection

Jxx.1 X1PPSIn Input Orange ESD/EMI
Jxx.2 X1PPSOn Output Yellow ESD/EMI
Jxx.3 X1PPSCOMn Ground Green ESD/EMI
Jxx.4 XPWRn Output Red ESD/EMI
Jxx.5 XPWRRTNn Ground Black ESD/EMI
M12 Pigtail
There is a separate drain wire for the cable shield that is connected to the connector shell
which is in turn connected to PGP.
Where ‘n’ is 1‐3 and ‘XX’ is 27‐25 respectively. Pins 3 and 5 are just separate returns to the
Rock+ internal digital/power ground. This is also essentially at the same potential as the
external DC and battery power commons in the POWER connector.
Time I/O 1‐3 Connector and Cable Information

Connector 853598
Cable 853612

Figure 142: Time I/O 1‐3 Connector Pins. J25, J26, and J27
306
Figure 143: Time I/O Connector 1‐3 Schematics

17.2.6 USB Connectors
Four M12 USB Equivalent connector interfaces are provided. One device port is provided.
It is used, for example, to make a serial connection to a PC when an actual serial port is
not available. Three Host port connectors are provide for connecting USB Flash drives and
Wireless adapters, etc. The three host ports can supply +5V power for these devices. The
power outputs are fault protected.

17.2.6.1 USB Device
USB Device Connector Description
307
Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description Type A Pin PC Name I/O Protection
J20.1 XFPUSBOVBUS Input Senses presence of Host 1 VBus Output ESD/EMI

J20.2 XFPUSBDN Bidir Data‐ 2 D‐ Bidir ESD/EMI
J20.3 XFPUSBDP Bidir Data+ 3 D+ Bidir ESD/EMI
J20.3 XFPUSBDGND Output Gnd/Common 4 CTS Gnd ESD/EMI
J20.5 XFPUSBOID Input Reserved for future use
M12 USB Device USB Type A

Connector 853597
Cable 853611

Figure 144: USB Device Connector Pins

Figure 145: USB Device Connector Schematic
308
17.2.6.2 USB Host 1, USB Host 2, USB Host 3
The three USB Host Ports are identical from a hardware standpoint. They are used for
devices like USB Flash drives and wireless adapters.
USB Host Connector Description
Host 1 is J23, Host 2 is J22, and Host 3 is J21 (Jxx. in table following represents J21..J23
‘n’ is 1..3)

Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description Type A Pin PC Name I/O Protection
Jxx.1 XFPUSBHnVBUS Input Provides power to device 1 VBus Output ESD/EMI

Jxx.2 XFPUSBHnN Bidir Data‐ 2 D‐ Bidir ESD/EMI
Jxx.3 XFPUSBHnP Bidir Data+ 3 D+ Bidir ESD/EMI
Jxx.3 XFPUSBHnGND Output Gnd/Common 4 CTS Gnd ESD/EMI
M12 USB Host USB Type A

Connector 853596
Cable 853610

Figure 146: USB Host Connector Pins
309
Figure 147: USB Host Connector Schematics

17.2.7 External Three Channel Sensor Interface
Connector: 851‐07B16‐26S54‐A7, Shell 16, Socket 26, Blk
Mating Connector: 851‐06EC16‐26P54, Shell 16, Pin 26, Blk (KMI 852176)
310
Pin Name Protection Description

A CH1+ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 1 Positive Input
B CH1‐ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 1 Negative Input
C CH1 GND LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 1 Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
D CH2+ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 2 Positive Input
E CH2‐ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 2 Negative Input
F CH2 GND LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 2 Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
G CH3+ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 3 Positive Input
H CH3‐ LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 3 Negative Input
J CH3 GND LIT/ESD/EMI Chan 3 Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
K MPOS1 LIT/ESD/EMI Mass Position Input 1
L MPOS2 LIT/ESD/EMI Mass Position Input 2
M MPOS3 LIT/ESD/EMI Mass Position Input 3
N MPOS RTN LIT/ESD/EMI Mass Position Return (ISO AGND)
P CALENB LIT/ESD/EMI Calibration Enable (Sensor Control bit 4)
R SENS 1 LIT/ESD/EMI Sensor Control bit 1
S SENS 2 LIT/ESD/EMI Sensor Control bit 2
T SENS 3 LIT/ESD/EMI Sensor Control bit 3
U CNTRL RTN LIT/ESD/EMI Control returns (ISO AGND)
V CALSIG LIT/ESD/EMI Calibration Signal
W CAL RTN LIT/ESD/EMI Calibration Signal Return
X +3.3VOWS LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Device Power
Y OWSD1 LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Data channel 1
Z OWSRTN LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Device return (ISO AGND)
a PGP N/A Case Ground Connections
b SEN PWR LIT/ESD/EMI Power to Sensor
c SPWR RET LIT/ESD/EMI Power Return from Sensor
Comments:
This pin definition is identical to the Q330 ensuring compatibility with both cables and with
EpiSensors and Broadband units.
This also works with the Terminal Board Option.
The power supplied to the sensor is regulated by the Digitizer to the specified voltage.

17.2.8 External 4th Channel Single Input Sensor Connector
Connector: 851‐0BP14‐15SX54‐A7, 15 Sockets, Shell 14, Blk
Mating Connector: 851‐06EC14‐15PX54, 15 Pins, Shell 14, Blk
311
Pin Name Protection Description

A CH4+ LIT/ESD/EMI Channel 4 Positive Input
B CH4‐ LIT/ESD/EMI Channel 4 Negative Input
C CAL4_RTN LIT/ESD/EMI Separate Calibration Return Channel 4
D SC4 LIT/ESD/EMI Sensor Control 4 (Calibration Enable)
E OWSD4 LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Data Channel 4
F OWSD5 LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Data Channel 5
G SPWR RET LIT/ESD/EMI Power Return from Sensor
H SEN4 PWR LIT/ESD/EMI Power to Sensor
J +3.3VOWS LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Device Power
K OWSD2 LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Data Channel 2
L CAL4 LIT/ESD/EMI Calibration Signal Channel 4
M CNTRL RTN LIT/ESD/EMI Sensor Control Return and One Wire Return (ISO AGND)
N CH4 GND LIT/ESD/EMI Channel 4 Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
P PGP LIT/ESD/EMI Case and Shield Ground
R OWSD3 LIT/ESD/EMI One Wire Sensor Data Channel 3
Comments:
This connector serves multiple purposes:
1. Interfacing to a passive seismometer ‐ with or without calibration and 1W metadata.
2. Interfacing with a single channel active sensor with a single power supply, calibration,
calibration control, and 1W metadata.
3. Used with the three channel board to enable the 4 channel terminal block connection
for the Rock+ for use with uniaxial sensors.
4. Used with the other 4th Channel Boards in a 12 Channel group to connect a 4th
Triaxial sensor with or without a power adapter.

17.2.9 Four Channel Terminal Board Dual Supply (KMI 111915‐
01)
This board is designed to allow easy field connections of sensors requiring dual regulated
+/‐12V supplies.
10 Pin Connections for Dual +/‐12V Sensors (‐01 Version)
312
Pin Name Description

3 CHGND Channel X Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
5 CALEN Calibration Enable
6 AGND Connects to ADC Isolated Ground ‐ Common
7 AGND Connects to ADC Isolated Ground ‐ Common
8 +12VA Positive 12V Supply to Sensors
9 ‐12VA Negative 12V Supply to Sensors
10 PGP Case and Shield Ground
Comments:
This terminal strip is a set of four to provide connections to four uniaxial sensors per
ADC/DSP board. This board variant contains a DC to DC converter to supply power to
+/‐12VDC sensors. The one‐wire LAN connection is not supported in this variant. The
terminal block plug into a receptacle to allow both easy wiring and also a unit to be re‐
placed and re‐wired easily in the field. These are Phoenix Contact 3.5mm pitch connectors.
The terminal strip can also be used with Tri‐axial sensors and if three terminal boards are
provided on a 12 Channel group will allow 4 Tri‐axial sensors to be connected. The board
also boosts the Calibration Enable/Undamp signal to a +12V active, ‐12V inactive signal
compatible with older generation FBA‐11, FBA‐23 units. The same signal also works on
EpiSensors.

17.2.10 Four Channel Terminal Board Single Supply (KMI 111915‐
02)
This board is designed to allow easy field connections of sensors that can operate off a
single supply that varies between 8‐16VDC. The power supplied to the sensor is essentially
the power supplied to the Rock+ Digitizer. If the Kinemetrics power supply is used the
nominal voltage will be 15.5V when AC is present and a nominal 12V from an attached
valve regulated lead acid battery (VRLA) when AC power is lost. The power has a 500mA
resetting polymer fuse on the line to limit the current drawn by the sensor. The Calibration
Enable Signal is a 5V logic signal with a low of <0.4VDC and a high of >4.4 VDC.
12 Pin Connections for Single Supply Sensors
313
Pin Name Description

3 CGND Channel X Ground & Shield (ISO AGND)
5 CENB Calibration Enable
6 COM Connects to ADC Isolated Ground
7 VRTN System Power Return
10 PGP Case and Shield Ground
11 VOW One Wire Sensor Device Power
12 DOW One Wire Sensor Data X
Comments:
This terminal strip is a set of four to provide connections to four single supply uni‐axial
sensors per ADC/DSP board. The terminal block plug into a receptacle to allow both easy
wiring and also a unit to be replaced and re‐wired easily in the field. These are Phoenix
Contact 3.5mm pitch connectors. The terminal strip can also be used with single supply
Tri‐axial sensors and if three terminal boards are provided on a 12 Channel group will allow 4
Tri‐axial sensors to be connected. This board is compatible with the ES‐T, HypoSensor, and
Shallow Borehole Units. Note: For ES‐U, and older ES‐U2 single supply units the Rock+
unit should be powered with a 12V+/‐5% DC supply not the standard 15.5V supply.

17.2.11 Ethernet
The Ethernet connector provides a 10/100 network interface. The X‐Code M12 connector
used adheres to a standard used in some European industrial Ethernet equipment, such
as, switches and routers that also use this connector. The 853608 cable maps the Rock+ X‐
Code Ethernet connector to a standard RJ‐45 Ethernet plug. Commercial X‐Code to X‐
Code cables may also work if appropriate network equipment is in use.
Connection speed is automatically determined. The Rock+ Ethernet interface also supports
auto sensing so there should be no need for crossover adapters.
The interface also supports a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) option that will be initially offered
at the 24 Watt power level. Standard PoE switches have been tested with the option and it
is expected that it will work with PoE power injectors at the appropriate power level.
PTP is a standard feature in the Rock+ Ethernet interface.
LINK/SPEED and ACTIVITY LEDs on the Rock+ front panel indicate network traffic and
connection speed.
Ethernet Connector Description
314
Pin Rock+ Name I/O Description RJ‐45 Pin Name I/O Protection
J28.1 MDX+0 Output Transmit + 1 TD+ Input ESD

J28.2 MDX‐0 Output Transmit ‐ 2 TD‐ Input ESD
J28.3 MDX+1 Input Receive + 3 RD+ Output ESD
J28.4 MDX‐1 Input Receive ‐ 6 RD‐ Output ESD
J28.5 MDX+3 Reserved for PoE 7
J28.6 MDX‐3 Reserved for PoE 8
J28.7 MDX+2 Reserved for PoE 5
J28.8 MDX‐2 Reserved for PoE 4
J28.Shell Drain wire for cable shield
X‐Code Ethernet

Connector 853594
Cable 853608

Figure 148: Ethernet Connector Pins

Figure 149: Ethernet Connector Schematic
315
17.2.11.1 Ethernet Wiring
Ethernet straight through wiring conforms to the following wiring standards:

Figure 150: Ethernet Wiring Colors
Ethernet cross over wiring conforms to the following wiring standards:

Figure 151: Ethernet Cross Over Cable Pinouts
NOTE: The cross over cable layout is suitable for 1000Base‐T opera‐
tion, all 4 pairs are crossed.
316
CHAPTER 17. HARDWARE REFERENCE 17.3. CABLE DRAWINGS
Connection to RJ11 Jack Pair 1 (T1 & R1)
Usually the primary dial tone or talk circuit is wired to the center two pins (pins 3 & 4)
and is the white/blue and blue/white pair (AKA: T1 & R1 ‐ tip 1 and ring 1). A standard
single line phone draws dial tone from these center pins.

Figure 152: Ethernet RJ11 Wiring

17.3 Cable Drawings
317
17.3. CABLE DRAWINGS CHAPTER 17. HARDWARE REFERENCE
Figure 153: P/N 112297‐PL, Power and Battery
318
Figure 154: P/N 112250‐PL, Optional Power Supply
319
17.3. CABLE DRAWINGS
320
CHAPTER 17. HARDWARE REFERENCE

Figure 155: P/N 112259‐PL, Optional Power Supply with Battery Connections

Figure 156: P/N 853607 Rock+ Serial Cable
321
Figure 157: P/N 853609 Rock+ Modem Cable
322
Figure 158: P/N 853608 Rock+ Ethernet Cable
323
Figure 159: P/N 853611 Rock+ USB Device Cable
324
Figure 160: P/N 853610 Rock+ USB Host Cable
325
Figure 161: P/N 853612 Rock+ Time I/O Pigtail
326
Chapter 18
Further Information

The following documents may be useful in providing further information:
• Rockhound User Manual – Kinemetrics P/N 304702

18.1 Glossary
ADC – Analog to Digital Converter. A device that digitizes an input voltage level and
reports it as a single numeric value.
DAC – Digital to Analog Converter. A device that takes a numeric value provided by a
computer and produces an output voltage level.
DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. When used, causes the device (such as a
digitizer) to “ask” the DHCP server for an IP address, and then use the address assigned by
the server.
DSL – Digital Subscriber Line. A low cost “fast” internet connection. Two points to be
aware:
• Most inexpensive DSL services use dynamic IP addressing, so the IP address is assigned
by the Internet Service Provider. One problem with this can mean that from “outside”
you don’t know what the unit’s address is. This can be made easier by using Dynamic
DNS (DDNS) or DSL with a “static” IP address, which is more expensive.
• DSL for the most part is actually ADSL, the “A” being “asynchronous”. What this
means is that downloads from the unit are slower than uploads “to” the unit, with
uploads usually being about 1/6th the speed of downloads. This means that the process
of downloading data from the unit will be significantly slower than the “advertised”
speed.
DNS – Domain Name Server. This facility is how internet names like www.kmi.com are
translated into the numeric address required to locate something on the internet.
327
18.1. GLOSSARY CHAPTER 18. FURTHER INFORMATION
DDNS ‐ Dynamic DNS. A third party service that equates your router with a URL (like
www.kmi.com) so it can be “found” on the internat by name. DDNS is generally supported
in the router (not the digitizer) and must periodically communicate with the DDNS provider.
DDNS providers are free or paid subscription services.
DSP – Digital Signal Processor. A specialized processor for performing arithmetic related
to signal processing. In the digitizer, DSPs are used for data acquisition and FIR filtering
with one DSP used for each 4 physical channels.
FTP – File Transfer Protocol. A method of transferring files over the internet. Generally not
considered secure, so SCP or another secure method is preferred. FTP can be used without
significant security risks if done carefully.
ISP – Internet Service Provider. A company providing internet communication services such
as DSL.
JVM – Java Virtual Machine. Software which is loaded onto a computer allowing it to run
Java programs.
LAN – Local Area Network. A network of computers or devices that is private and usually
“local” to a building or organization.
NTP ‐ Network time protocol. Useful for setting a computer’s “time of day” but generally
not accurate enough for sampling.
PC – Personal Computer. In the context of this document, it refers to any computer with a
browser capable of running Java. It does not have to be an x86 running Windows.
PING – A method of checking communications between two IP addresses over a network.
PTP ‐ Precision Time Protocol (IEEE‐1588). Hardware and software that provides for sub‐
microsecond timing of equipment within a LAN. Most accurate implementations are
generally hardware based.
SCP – Secure Copy. A secure method to transfer files that uses the SSH protocol.
SFTP ‐ Secure SFTP. Often used interchangeably with SCP.
SOH – State of Health. Keeps track of information that can be used to help diagnose system
problems such as voltages, current, temperature, humidity, etc.
SSH – Secure Shell. Really an overall secure communication protocol used for terminal
sessions, file transfers, and other activities.
TELNET – A simple terminal session protocol used on networks. Generally not considered
secure.
URL ‐ Uniform Resource Locator. An internet name (like www.kmi.com) that is resolved to
a numeric IP address by DNS.
USB – Universal Serial Bus. This increasingly common interface is used for many interfaces
from hard drives through keyboards, mice, and serial port adapters.
WAN – Wide Area Network. A large scale network usually employing use of the internet.
328
Index
1PPS, 305 Decommissioning, 287
ADC/DSP SYSTEM, 67 Deleting a large Linux directory, 278
Adding Channels, 210 Desiccant, 283
Adding Modules, 147 DFS, 301
Admin cannot delete data files, 278 DFS telemetry, 201
Advanced Operation, 223 Dial On Event, 182
Alarms, 95 Drive Formatting, 194
Altus Emulator and SDS, 277 Dropbox, 116
Altus Emulation, 175 Dynamic DNS, 115, 245
Analog Inputs, 49 Earthworm, 222
Antelope, 222 Editing Parameters, 144
Antenna, Phone & LAN Cabling, 3 EpiSensor Theory of Operation, 68
Anti‐Alias Filtering, 107 EpiSensor2 Support, 87
Basic Operation, 79 Ethernet, 314
Basic Setup, 81 External Three Channel Sensor Interface,
Batch Mode, 171, 181 13
Batteries, 284 External 4th Channel Single Input Sensor
Battery Charging, 55 Connector, 13
Battery Installation, 51 External Battery, 2
Browser, 263 External Charger, 280
Cable Drawings, 317 External Sensor Input Boards, 68
Calibration Control and Calibration FAQs, 205
Scripts, 50 File Management, 117
Calibrator Output, 49 File Retrieval, 248
Can’t Change Password, 279 File Transfer, 187
Cellular, 197 File Viewer, 155
Changing trigger levels, 205 File Viewing, 119
Changing Output Data Formats, 214 Firmware Description, 71
Civil Engineering, 20 Flash, 191
Cleaning, 286 Four Channel Terminal Board (KMI
Command Console, 163 111915), 13
Common Linux Commands, 72 Free‐Field Installations, 20
Communication with the User Via Status Front Panel, 7
LEDs, 57 FTP, 115
Connecting the Power Supply, 52 FTP Server, 115, 270
Connecting the Sensors to the Digitizer, 30 Functional Test Sequence, 41
Connector Reference, 292 Further Information, 327
Console, 296 General Sensor Interfacing Considerations,
Copyright, 3 41
Data Time vs OS Time, 103 Glossary, 327
DDNS, 115, 245 GPS, 294
329
GPS Internal, 104 Operating Environment, 16
Grounding the Digitizer, 3 Operating Humidity, 16
Hardware Identification, 65 Operating Temperatures, 16
Hardware Reference, 291 Optional Power Supply Assembly, 2
How is the Rock+ Series Different from Optional Equipment, 19
the Rock Series?, 6 Optional Tools, 18
Humidity Monitoring, 58 Parameter Download, 187
Initial Setup, 79 Parametric Operation Protection, 59
Installation & Setup, 13 Passwords, 93, 248
Installing Firmware Updates, 189 Physical vs. Virtual Channels, 89
Installing the Digitizer, 21 Planning your installation, 19
Intelligent Power Supply, 54 Pole Zero Representation of the
Internal Accelerometer Deck, 13 EpiSensor, 70
Introduction, 4 Post Event Time, 94
IO Bits, 234 Power, 291
IP issues. Firewalls and router blocks, 279 Power Fail Protection, 60
IP Services, 242 Power System Display, 62
Java, 264 Practice Assembly, 19
Layout Wizard, 223 Pre‐Event Time, 94
Linux Overview, 71 Preventive Maintenance, 283
Locked File System, 93 Private Networks, 277
Log files, 255 Processor System, 64
Low Latency Telemetry, 237 PTP Master (free running), 106
Magnetic Switch, 58 PTP Master w/ GPS, 105
Maintenance, 5, 239, 282 PTP Master w/ NTP, 105
Milestone and Point Updates, 76 PTP Slave, 105
Minimum Run Time, 94 PuTTY, 267
Modem, 304 Recycling, 286, 287
Modem Configuration, 234 Remote Check Tests, 282
Modem not Communicating, 277 Removing Modules, 150
Modem Only Operation, 183 Replacing Modules, 151
Mount the Unit, 22 Required Supplies, 18
Network Triggering, 220 Required Equipment, 19
Network Address, 80 Required Tools, 17
Network Configuration, 243 Requirements for Installation, 17
Network Parameters, 234 Reversed Input and Overvoltage
Network Planning, 20 Protection, 56
Networking, 236 RockTalk, 187, 223
Non‐Networked Use, 173 Safety, 1
NTP, 104 Save/Restore Parameters, 250
NTP Server, 107 SD Cards, 286
NTP w/ External 1Hz, 104 SDHC, 191
Obsidian Internal Deck Zero Adjustment, Security, 236
86 SEEDLink, 222
OpenVPN, 116 Self Test, 282
Operating Altitude, 16 Sensitivity, 84

330
Sensor Interface, 310 Timed Operation Windows, 59
Sensor Groups, 82 Timing Options, 103
Sensor Interfaces, 12 Timing System, 102
Sequenced Shut Down, 57 Tools, 263
Sequenced Start Up, 56 Trigger Filters, 95
Serial Connectors, 296 Trigger Levels, 91
Services, 114 Triggered Recording, 94
Services available from Kinemetrics, 5 Troubleshooting, 277
SNMP, 116 Unpacking & Inspecting the Unit, 17
Software Development Tools, 78 Updating Linux, 76
Software Installation, 240 Updating the Power Supply, 64
Software Versions, 77 USB, 307
STA/LTA Triggering, 97 USB Cellular Modem, 197
Standard Cables, 34 USB Device, 193, 307
Standard Interfaces, 8 USB Host, 193, 309
State of Health, 257 USB Subsystem, 192
State‐of‐Health Streams, 90 USB Wifi, 196
Storage, 191 Use the Proper Power Cord, 3
Streaming, 182 User‐Supplied Batteries or Charging
Structural‐Monitoring Installations, 21 System, 2
Supercapacitor Backup, 55 Using Different Triggers or Trigger
Switching Between Layouts, 213 Filters, 207
System Information, 80 VI Editor, 74
System Overview, 5, 53 Voltage Ranges, 83
System Watchdog, 60 Voting Options, 92
TCP/IP Primer, 111 VPN, 116
TCXO free running, 106 Warranty, 4
Telemetry Options, 222 Watchdog, 246
TELNET, 115 Waveform Viewing, 121
Telnet Client, 264 Weak Motion Applications, 95
Temperature Monitoring, 58 Web Interface Overview, 125
Terminal mode, 176 Web Interface, 81
Terminal Board, 312 What is “dig1”?, 205
Terminal Program, 264 What is Rockhound?, 6
Thumb Drives, 193 Wifi, 196
Time I/O Connectors, 305 WinSCP, 264
Time Quality, 103 Wiring Terminal Boards, 40
Timed Recording, 217

331
INDEX INDEX
332

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KINEMETRICS Inc.

Product Name: Kinemetrics OBSIDIAN UNITS

Standards: Safety: EN 61010-1:2010

Copyright © 2008‐2017 Kinemetrics, Inc. .................................................................. 3

11.1 What is “dig1”? ............................................................................................. 205

11.6 Changing Output Data Formats ............................................................. 214

12.1 RockTalk with Add‐ons .............................................................................. 223

12.2 Layout Wizard ............................................................................................... 223

12.3 Configuration Options ................................................................................. 234

12.4 Low Latency Telemetry .............................................................................. 237

13.1 Powering Up the System ............................................................................ 239

13.5 Network Configuration ............................................................................... 243

13.6 Dynamic DNS ................................................................................................ 245

13.9 File Retrieval .................................................................................................. 248

13.12 Log files ............................................................................................................ 255

13.13 State of Health ................................................................................................ 257

14.1 Web Browser ................................................................................................... 263

14.3 Terminal Program ......................................................................................... 264

15.1 Modem not Communicating ...................................................................... 277

15.3 Altus Emulator and SDS ............................................................................. 277

15.4 Deleting a large Linux directory ............................................................. 278

15.6 IP issues. Firewalls and router blocks .................................................. 279

15.8 External Charger .......................................................................................... 280

16.3 Troubleshooting & Service ......................................................................... 282

16.5 Installing New Firmware ............................................................................. 282

16.7 Decommissioning & Recycling ................................................................ 287

1.1 System Overview

1.2.2 Unpacking & Inspecting the Unit

WARNING: Antenna, Phone, & LAN Cabling. Never install antenna,

1 U1 V1 T1Z V1 T1Z V1

1 VBBZ V1 VBBZ V1

Physical Channel 2 Triax Contiguous on Terminal Boards

Pin Net Name Label Description

1 CHX + CH+ Channel X Positive Input

Pin Label Description

2.1.15 Updating the Power Supply

2.5.2 Pole Zero Representation of the EpiSensor

2.6.6 Software Development Tools

3.2.1 Sensor Groups

Range ADC Counts uV/ct

NOTE: NOTE: Next time you run minicom, you will not need to

3.4.4.7 PTP Master (free running)

• When using PTP, there should only be ONE PTP master on the local network.

SPS Non‐causal empirical (sec) Causal empirical (sec) Sample Period (mSec)

2000 0.0160 0.00265717 0.5

3.9 Waveform Viewing

4.3 Removing Modules

4.4 Replacing Modules

BF0; BF @ 090225 11:11 0176

8.5.2 File Transfer

8.5.5 Parameter Upload

11.1 What is “dig1”?

13.5 Network Configuration

NOTE: Kinemetrics STRONGLY recommends that you change the

SOH Name Default Scale Description

15.1 Modem not Communicating

16.7 Decommissioning & Recycling

Product Contains Substance Present Location Comment

Protective End Caps Black EPDM 2 External Remove First

C PSTXD PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use

D PSRXD PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use

E PSCOM PSMCU serial interface ESD/EMI Reserved for factory use

F PGP Protective Ground N/A Protective Ground Connection