The CineRangeFinder Gen2 is the next generator of ultrasonic range finder for focus assist by OGARA STUDIOS.
It is a highly configurable rangefinder solution for focus pullers and is being expanded with software and hardware features.
This document will help you with setting up your new CineRangeFinder Gen2.
¶ What is in the box
The CineRangeFinder Gen2 ships in a waterproof case with all the cables you need to get it working.
The contents of the kit are as follows:
- 1x Gen2 Sensor Body
- 1x Remote with single 0B LEMO power connector
- 1x Remote with double 0B LEMO power connector (for passthrough to Sensor Body only!)
- 2x D-Tap to 0B LEMO power cable (for Remotes only)
- 1x D-Tap to 00 LEMO power connector (for Sensor Body only)
- 1x 0b LEMO to 00 LEMO connector (for Remote to Sensor Body only)
- 1x pot of silicone o-ring lubricant
We have included space for a standard ball head articulating arm.
¶ Mounting the CineRangeFinder
Note, both the Sensor Body and Remotes can take 5V to 50V DC. There is reverse current protection up to 50V. You should only use the USB for firmware updates.
¶ Sensor Mounting
The sensor should be placed at the top of the camera above the lens. Ideally, the end of the horn should be placed over the top and in front of the matte box doors.
The ultrasonic sensors are highly sensitive and anything directly in front of the horns will reflect back into the rangefinder.
¶ Remote Mounting
¶ Using the Remote's menu system
Note, these options are subject to change with a future firmware release and user feedback.
Once you have mounted and powered up your CineRangeFinder, next you need to enter into the menu system and set up a few things.
To enter the menu, press the middle button. This button is for entering the menu, exiting the menu and confirming your selection.
The menu structure has 5 options. The first 2 digits show the menu page number.
- Datum offset, allows you to set how far in front of the camera the CineRangeFinder measurement point is.
- Imperial/Metric toggle. 01 = Imerial and 02 = Mertic
- LCD brightness from 00 = off to 04 which is brightest.
- WiFi channel setting, this should be set to your CineRangeFinder serial number.
- Factory reset, toggle to 02 and press the middle button to confirm.
To enter a page, press the middle mouse button. To change the page, press the right button.
Examples.
- To change the datum offset to 10. You would press the menu button twice, press the right button 10 times until the right 2 digits display 10, then press the middle button to confirm.
- To switch to imperial. Press the menu button. Press the right button to advance to page 02. Press the middle button. Press the right button to set the option to 02. Press the middle button.
¶ Advance Control Interface
While we work on the app, we have created a web UI for you to control the advanced settings of the CineRangeFinder G2. A lot of these settings are subject to change and we await your feedback to help make these settings better.
You will need a WiFi capable device to connect to the WiFi network such as a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. The UI is not designed for use on touch screen devices so we advise using a laptop.
To connect to the CineRangeFinder WiFi network, open your WiFi settings and connect to the CineRangeFinder #0000 network. Your CineRangeFinder serial number will be shown as the SSID.
Once connected, go to the following URL http://192.168.4.1
You will be presented with the following screen.
Here you will be able to change some basic;
- Toggle the laser on and off
- Toggle measuring on and off
- Change between Metric and Imperial measuring units
- Set the datum offset
- Change the sampling interval (how much delay there is between each measurement).
At the bottom of the page, you will find hyperlinks to see all the connected devices, the calibration adjustment page and the firmware revision.
¶ Adjust Calibration page
This is an advanced page for adjusting the settings of the ultrasonic sensor inside the sensor unit. Stock settings that we ship from the factory will get you going but learning this page and creating a profile to suit your needs is required to get the best performance out of the CineRangeFinder G2.
This page along with the other settings will be made into a more user-friendly app for mobiles soon.
¶ Graph and Presets
The graph located at the top of the page has multiple lines that show different information that is graphed on 2 axes showing amplification over distance/time.
- Echo, shown in blue, is the returned ultrasonic power from the transmitter and what it reflects off. The blue line peek is the reflection of the ultrasonic pulse and is an indication that there is an object that distance away from the sensor.
- Gains, shown in green, is the amount of gain added to the signal over time. This is used to increase the sensitivity of the receiver so that the exponential power loss over the distance of ultrasonic pulses is mitigated.
- Threshold, shown in red, is the minimum power required to trigger the measurement on the CineRageFinder. The blue echo line must peek over this line to trigger the measurement. The threshold is current, not changeable but gain is.
The graph can be toggled between time in milliseconds and distance in meters.
¶ Presets
The CineRangeFinder G2 takes 2 measurements for each measuring cycle. The first measurement is a lower-powered measurement that measures up to 3.5 meters / 11.5 feet. The second measurement is taken at a much higher output power on the transmitting sensor and measures up to 11 meters / 36 feet.
This technology allows the CineRangeFinder G2 to get accurate close range measurements while also being able to get accurate long-range measurements.
The settings for each measurement are independent and the preset drop-down allows you to change the “Preset 1” for close-range measurements and “Preset 2” for long-range measurements. The graph will update to reflect the longer time/measurement distance and settings when you switch between these presets.
¶ DSP Registers
The CineRangeFinder G2 uses hardware-level controls over the ultrasonic sensor. This allows for fine adjustment and better measurement data to come out of the product.
These gain settings are very similar to camera ISO. Higher the gain, the more noise you get. More noise can result in more distance but can also result in more inaccurate measurements.
- Analogue Front End Gain Range
- This is the baseline analogue gain level set by the hardware for the ultrasonic transmitter. This level is set in dB in 4 sets of ranges.
- The higher you set this the more power the transmitter will transmit at. This will result in longer-range measuring but also more noise and a slightly wider pickup.
- The lower you set this, the less power is used by the transmitter and thus lowers the range of the system. This can be useful in smaller sets or where you only need to measure very short distances.
- Ultrasonic Pulses.
- This is the number of pulses that are sent by the transmitter. Ultrasonic sensors send out multiple pulses to increase gain and accuracy and this can be set from 1 pulse per measurement up to 31. More pulses result in a lot more power but might not necessarily result in a longer range or better measurements. 8 for short preset and 16 for long is a good starting point.
- Time Varying Gain
- These are a way to add gain to the receiving sensor at multiple time points during the sensing period. This allows you to increase the receiving gain so the talent at further distances can still be measured as the power of the ultrasonic pulse deteriorates over time/distance.
- You can think of this gain just like the ISO gain in cameras. The higher the gain, the more sensitive the hardware is.
- This can use useful to increase in situations where the talent has a lot of sound-absorbing clothing on or you need a longer range without higher-powered transmission. Be warned that the higher the gain, the more noise you get which can result in inaccurate measurements. It can also increase the width of the pickup beam.
- You have 6 time varying gains to use. These can be set from 100μ to 8000μ to space out each gain level.
- These are a way to add gain to the receiving sensor at multiple time points during the sensing period. This allows you to increase the receiving gain so the talent at further distances can still be measured as the power of the ultrasonic pulse deteriorates over time/distance.
- Frequency
- This allows you to set the kHz frequency of the ultrasonic sensor. The sensors have a 40kHz rating but we have found they range from 40.2kHz to 40.8kHz. We typically only ship out 40.4-40.6kHz matched pairs so the default settings should be close enough. But you can test each frequency step for yourself and see which gives back the best reading. You will be given a card with a frequency on it if it is out of the default 40.4-40.6kHz range.