Utility locators

You can connect Trimble Access to a utility locator and measure the location of underground assets such as cables and pipes.

Use Trimble Access to measure a ground point using a GNSS receiver or conventional instrument, and use the connected utility locator to measure the depth of the cable or pipe and send the depth information to Trimble Access. Trimble Access stores a pair of points: a ground point measurement and a vector from the ground point measurement to the utility using the depth received from the connected utility locator.

The GlobalFeatures.fxl feature code library file and the following Utility Location Definition (ULD) files are provided in the C:\ProgramData\Trimble\Trimble Data\System Files folder when you install the Trimble Access software:

RD8100.uld file for the Radio Detection RD8100 cable and pipe locator
vLoc3.uld file for the Vivax Metrotech vLoc3-Pro receiver, when fitted with the vLoc3 Series Bluetooth Module

Use the appropriate ULD file for your locator with the GlobalFeatures.fxl file to set up your job for measuring points using the utility locator. The basic steps are:

Create a job that uses a feature library file containing utility feature codes with attributes that match the names of the attributes in the ULD file.
Configure utility locator settings in the survey style.
Start a survey.
Pair with the utility locator using Bluetooth.
Measure points using the code configured with attributes to record the depth information from the utility locator.

More information about these steps is provided below.

To set up attributes for the utility locator data

Use a text editor to view the appropriate ULD file provided in the Trimble Data\System Files folder on the controller and identify the attributes you want to store with points in the job. If required, edit the attribute names.

For information on how the ULD file is structured, see Utility locator file setup.
Using the Feature Definition Manager in Trimble Business Center.
1. Set up feature codes for each type of utility you want to locate.
2. For each utility feature code, create a Number or Text attribute with the same name as one of the attribute names in the ULD file.
3. Create a Number or Text attribute for any other attributes in the ULD file you want to store with the point. Make sure the name of each Number attribute in the FXL file matches the corresponding attribute name in the ULD file.
  
  For more information, including how to download an FXL file that includes an example ULD feature code see Setting up the FXL file for ULD attributes in Utility locator file setup.
Copy the edited ULD file and the FXL file to the Trimble Data\System Files folder on all required controllers.

To configure utility locator settings in the survey style

Tap and select Settings / Survey styles. Select the required survey style. Tap Edit.
Select Utility locator.
Select one of the instruments in the Type field.

The instrument list is created from the ULD file (or files) in the System Files folder.

The Controller port is set to Bluetooth.
Select the Method used to name ground points measured in Trimble Access and then in the Add field enter the ground point identifier. You can choose to name ground points using:
- a prefix added to the point name, for example GND_.
- a suffix added to the point name, for example _GND.
- a constant added to the point name if point names use numerical values.
  
  For example, if you enter 1000 in the Add field, if the point name is 1, then the corresponding ground point is 1001.
To automatically measure the point when the depth is received from the utility locator, select the Auto measure on received depth check box.
Tap Accept.
Tap Store.

To measure points using the utility locator

You can store a point at the measured elevation of an underground asset using most point measurement methods, except:

when measuring continuous topo points, calibration points, or observed control points during a GNSS survey.
when measuring continuous topo points or a remote object during a conventional survey.

To measure points using the utility locator:

Create a job and in the job properties screen, select the feature library file you have set up to match the ULD file.
Select the survey style with your configured utility locator settings and start the survey.
Connect to the utility locator using Bluetooth.

If you have previously paired to the utility locator, then if Bluetooth is enabled on both devices Trimble Access will connect to it automatically.
Tap and select Measure.
Enter the point name and the code for the point.
Select the Method for the point you are measuring.
To adjust the measured depth, define a Depth offset. Set a positive or negative depth offset so that the depth stored is at the elevation of interest: the top, middle or bottom of the detected utility.

To be able to set the Depth offset value, you will need to know the size of the utility and whether the utility locator is measuring to the top, middle, or bottom of the detected utility (and this may change depending on the type of utility).
Use the utility locator to measure the depth of the underground asset. The measurement information is automatically sent to Trimble Access, and the depth value received from the utility locator is shown in the Depth field in the Measure screen.

If the Auto measure on received depth check box is selected in the survey style, then Trimble Access automatically measures the point.
If you have not enabled Auto measure on received depth, tap Measure to measure the point using the connected GNSS receiver or conventional instrument.
Tap Store.

If the Prompt for attributes check box is selected in the measure Options screen, then the software shows the other attribute information sent from the utility locator. The attributes recorded with the point depend on the data sent by the utility locator and how you have set up the attributes in the FXL file and the ULD file.
Edit the attribute information as required. Tap Store.

Ground points are shown on the map as construction points. Ground points are matched with the corresponding measured point in the Review job screen. The code entered is assigned to the utility measurement and any linework configured will be drawn for the utility measurements only; the code is not assigned to the ground point.