Important Safety Information

Lasers are classified into safety classes based on their potential for causing injury to human eyes and skin. As such, laser products are typically required by law to have a label listing their class. The visible green laser pointer used in the Skadi Smart Handle is a low-powered Class 3B (IIIb). The power output of Class 3B lasers ranges from 5 milliwatts (mW) to 499 mW. The Skadi Smart Handle laser’s power output ranges from 4-20 mW. This puts it at the very low end of Class 3B.

At the low end of Class 3B, defined as ~5 to 50 mW, a laser poses a moderate risk of eye injury when aimed at the eye. According to LaserSafetyFacts.com:

It is unlikely that a handheld beam aimed from more than a few dozen feet away would cause injury — laser light could not stay on one spot on the retina long enough for heat to build up to injurious levels. However, the risk is increased if the beam is held steady or if the laser is relatively close to the eye.

To further mitigate risk of injury, the smart handle’s laser pointer blinks in a duty cycle, significantly reducing exposure time.

In certain regions where maximum mW is legally delimited below 5 mW, the Skadi Smart Handle’s power output can be restricted to the maximum mW allowed via the Eos Tools Pro app.

The Skadi Smart Handle is designed to prioritize safety under normal operational conditions and comply with applicable laser safety standards. However, improper use of the laser, including intentionally pointing it at a person’s eyes, may result in injury. By using the Skadi Smart Handle, the user agrees to operate it responsibly and assumes all risks associated with misuse or failure to follow the instructions outlined in this user manual. The manufacturer disclaims all liability for injuries or damages arising from improper use, intentional misuse, or failure to comply with safety standards.

What is Required to Use the Skadi Smart Handle?

Before you get started with the Skadi Smart Handle, make sure you have the following items:

Hardware:

• A Skadi 200, Skadi 300, or Skadi Gold GNSS receiver
• The Skadi Smart Handle (an upgrade from the standard handle)
• An Android™, iOS®, or Windows® mobile device
• Skadi Series™ Phone Mounting Bracket (SKA-KITPHONE) or Skadi Series™ Tablet Mounting Bracket (SKA-KITTABLET) (included with purchase of any Skadi GNSS receiver)

Software:

• Eos Tools Pro

GNSS Corrections:

• An RTK corrections source

Once you have all of these items, you may apply the following information in this manual.

Overview of the Skadi Smart Handle’s Two Modes

Mode 1: Extensible Virtual Range Pole™

Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode is the default mode of the Skadi Smart Handle. When you initialize your smart handle, this will be the mode that turns on automatically.

This mode is characterized by the use of a green laser pointer and the smart handle trigger.

The purpose of this mode is to streamline the precise measurement of targets that cannot be safely or quickly occupied by standing on them, such as a fixture in a trench. It may also be used to measure the positions of assets located in areas with partially obstructed line-of-sight to the sky, such as a meter on the side of a building.

Mode 1 Limitations:

• Distance: The Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode has a distance limitation of about seven meters, or ~20 feet. If your target falls outside this range, you will need to move closer.
• Reflectivity: Your target must be able to reflect light. The functioning distance between the Skadi and the target is impacted by the reflectivity of the target. Darker and more porous targets, such as matte black surfaces and puddles of water, could prove challenging and require closer distance. Metallic, colored, and other targets that reflect lots of light are more suitable.If your target falls outside the LiDAR’s range, moving closer should help.
• Height: This mode is not designed to capture assets above the head, but rather those on the ground, such as assets in trenches.Neither is this mode designed to replace a laser rangefinder. A laser rangefinder will still be needed to perform laser offsets of long-distance assets, those above the head, and other select situations.

Mode 2: Invisible Range Pole™

The Invisible Range Pole mode is the second mode of the Skadi Smart Handle.

This mode makes no use of the green laser pointer and trigger.

The purpose of this mode is to provide flexibility in the field when a surveying range pole is not required. Invisible Range Pole mode continuously computes the X, Y, and Z positions of whatever is located directly underneath the Skadi receiver in the smart handle (i.e., any asset over which you position the receiver). This mimics the performance of a physical surveying range pole while you retain your 3D, survey-grade positional accuracy.

Steps to Enable and Initialize the Skadi Smart Handle

This chapter assumes you are starting from a cold start with the receiver powered off. If you are transitioning to the Skadi Smart Handle™ from Skadi Tilt Compensation™ on a range pole, please skip ahead to the Transitioning from Skadi Tilt Compensation™ section later in this manual.

A. Mount Your GNSS Receiver to the Skadi Smart Handle

Release the battery pack from your Skadi receiver by pressing the two release latches on both sides of your receiver. They must be pressed at the same time. Insert the battery pack into the empty compartment at the base of your Skadi Smart Handle. Finally, insert the smart handle into the now-empty receiver battery compartment until it locks into place.

Power on the receiver.

B. Enable the Smart Handle

With the receiver powered on, there are three methods you may use to enable your smart handle.

Method 1: Eos Tools Pro
Open the Eos Tools Pro app and navigate to the Position page. In the top-right corner of this page, you will see a grayed-out Smart Handle icon, which indicates the Skadi Smart Handle is currently disabled.

Tap the Smart Handle icon to launch the Skadi Smart Handle settings page. Next, toggle on the Smart Handle switch.

The smart handle will vibrate, a visible green laser pointer will begin blinking beneath the handle, and the Tilt LED on the Skadi receiver will turn on (blinking red). If you return to the Positions page of Eos Tools Pro, you will see that your Smart Handle icon has turned green, and the word Disabled below it has turned to Extensible.

This method may also be used to turn off the Skadi Smart Handle.

Method 2: Power Button
Triple-press the Skadi receiver power button. The smart handle will vibrate, a visible green laser pointer will begin blinking beneath the handle, and the Tilt LED on the Skadi receiver will turn on (blinking red).

The same Eos Tools Pro settings manually toggled in Method 1 will have now been automatically activated by this triple-press.

This method may also be used to turn off the Skadi Smart Handle.

Method 3: Trigger
Triple-press the Skadi Smart Handle trigger. The smart handle will vibrate, a visible green laser pointer will begin blinking beneath the handle, and the Tilt LED on the Skadi receiver will turn on (blinking red).

The same Eos Tools Pro settings manually toggled in Method 1 will have now been automatically activated by this triple-press.

The trigger method may not be used to turn off the Skadi Smart Handle. Once the smart handle is enabled, triple-pressing the trigger will merely toggle between modes (i.e., Extensible Virtual Range Pole and Invisible Range Pole).

Note: In some cases, your Tilt LED might blink green and red instead of just red upon enablement. This will happen if your NTRIP settings are in Auto-start streaming (thus causing an immediate RTK fixed GNSS status) and if you are also in a walking motion. This simply means you have already RTK fixed and initialized, and therefore you may skip the next two steps (C and D) in this section.

C. Acquire “RTK Fixed” Position

The Skadi Smart Handle requires an RTK fixed status to operate.

Within Eos Tools Pro, follow your normal procedure to connect to your local RTK corrections source.

If you do not have access to RTK corrections, contact your authorized Eos representative for help finding the best RTK source for your region.

D. Initialize the Skadi Smart Handle

To perform the initialization, swing the Skadi Smart Handle in any wide motion at a rate of about one meter (three feet) per second or simply start walking at a moderate pace. Keep in mind that the antenna should have a relatively clear line-of-sight to the sky during this initialization.

When your initialization is complete, the Tilt LED on your receiver will turn solid green.

You are now in Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode.

Hint: For faster subsequent initializations, set your NTRIP connection to Auto-start streaming in the NTRIP menu of your Eos Tools Pro Differential settings. Once your Skadi is in RTK fixed mode, you will have to initialize only by performing the initialization motion.

Understanding “GNSS” versus “Compensated” Coordinate Values in Eos Tools Pro

Back in the Eos Tools Pro Position page, you will see a Coordinates section toward the top of the page. This section has two columns of values labeled GNSS and Compensated. The GNSS coordinate values represent the positions at the physical location of your GNSS receiver. Meanwhile, the Compensated values represent the GNSS positions being processed using the smart handle (no matter which mode is being used).

After initialization, your Compensated coordinate values should differ from your raw GNSS coordinates, as the Skadi receiver now calculates an offset from your location using the handle’s built-in sensors. In some cases, the Compensated values will turn red. (Your smart handle will concurrently single-vibrate to indicate an invalid position. See Troubleshooting Invalid Positions toward the end of this manual for further information.) This could happen if you lose initialization or RTK fixed status, or if you are in Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode and are not pressing the trigger. In any case, when the values are red, the important thing to note is that no data is being sent your third-party data collection software.

Toggling Between Modes

Once your smart handle is enabled and initialized, you may wish to quickly toggle between its two operational modes. This section will show you how to use either the app or trigger to do so, as well as how to easily verify which mode you are in.

Method 1: Toggle in Eos Tools Pro

In the Skadi Smart Handle settings of the Eos Tools Pro app, select your desired mode by tapping the tab labeled either Extensible or Invisible.

Method 2: Toggle Using Trigger

You may also toggle between modes by using the Skadi Smart Handle trigger. Simply triple-press the trigger to toggle your desired mode.

Verify Your Mode

There are two ways to quickly verify what mode you are in.

1. Look for the Laser Pointer
First, you may also use the smart handle’s green laser to determine what mode you are in. If the green laser pointer is visible, you are in Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode.

2. Check Eos Tools Pro
Alternatively, you may check Eos Tools Pro. In the Position page of the app, in the top-right corner you’ll see the Smart Handle icon. Below this, you’ll see in green either the word Extensible or Invisible, indicating which mode you are in.

Here is what each mode will look like in Eos Tools Pro:

Note: It is possible that you might see the words, RTK Not Fixed or Initiate Motion (in red) instead of Extensible and Invisible under the Smart Handle icon. In this case, you have lost one of the settings you previously achieved. To check your mode, simply tap the Smart Handle icon to launch the Skadi Smart Handle settings page and see which tab is active.

Sending Positions to Your Third-Party App

Please note that your receiver must be initialized at this stage. If your receiver is not initialized, no valid GNSS data can be sent to any third-party app. Consult the previous section to ensure your smart handle is initialized.

Mode 1: Extensible Virtual Range Pole

In Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode, you will use the smart handle’s laser pointer and trigger to stream data to your third-party app. Each of these topics will be explained in detail next.

Overview of the Laser Pointer
Recall that the Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode is the only mode to make use of the Skadi Smart Handle’s laser pointer. In this mode, the green laser pointer is always visible. The laser’s location represents the position your receiver is measuring. In other words, wherever it points, you are measuring.

The laser is designed to be visible in strong sunlight. Do not point the laser in anyone’s eye as this could cause damage.

Overview of the Trigger
The Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode uses a trigger to send data to your third-party app. This trigger is found on the underside of the smart handle.

Remember: Triple-pressing this trigger will cause your mode to change to Invisible Range Pole mode. Be wary of this as you perform your field work.

Overview of Streaming Positions in Extensible Virtual Range Pole Mode
The Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode uses a trigger to send data to your third-party app. This trigger is found on the underside of the smart handle.

To stream positions to your third-party app, simply press and hold the trigger (for a minimum of two seconds) while aiming the laser pointer at your target. Your Skadi will continuously stream positions to your third-party app as long as this trigger is pressed and held.

Remember that only while you press and hold the trigger will the values in the Compensated column of the Position page of Eos Tools Pro be green. If these values turn red while in this mode, it typically means you are not pressing the trigger. However, if you are pressing the trigger and the values are red, you have probably lost your initialization or RTK fixed status.

Tip: Only when you press and hold the trigger in this mode will your Compensated values be green. Once you release the trigger, the values will be red, and positions will no longer be sent to your third-party app.

While holding the trigger, the Skadi Smart Handle will double-vibrate once per second to indicate that the GNSS positions being sent to your third-party app are valid. If the handle single-vibrates, your GNSS positions are invalid. Consult the Troubleshooting Invalid Positions section toward the end of this manual to resolve invalid positioning.

Important Information for ArcGIS® Field Maps Users

Enable GPS Averaging to Stream Positions
If you are using the Esri® ArcGIS® Field Maps app as your data-collection app, you must enable a 2 Points GPS averaging (i.e., a minimum of two points) in your ArcGIS map before using the Skadi Smart Handle to stream positions. We recommend pausing here to do so before continuing.

Note that this is a configuration that must be set in Esri’s software, not Eos’s.

In most cases, we strongly recommend using this method (i.e., enabling GPS averaging and streaming positions) for data collection in ArcGIS Field Maps. However, if you do not wish to use GPS averaging, there is also an optional feature you may enable in Eos Tools Pro called Single Point Mode, which we will explain next.

Single Point Mode: Built for ArcGIS Field Maps Users Not Using GPS Averaging
The Single Point feature was designed for ArcGIS Field Maps users who are not using GPS averaging. To activate Single Point mode, open the Skadi Smart Handle settings in the Eos Tools Pro app. Make sure you are in the Extensible tab. Next, toggle on the Single Point Mode switch.

Note for iOS® Users: Eos Tools Pro Must Be Active Before Each Trigger-Press
If you are using an iOS® device in Single Point mode, Eos Tools Pro must be the active app (i.e., app in foreground) before you send a valid position to ArcGIS Field Maps.

On iPad® (including iPad mini®), set Eos Tools Pro and ArcGIS Field Maps in Split View mode. This satisfies the need to keep Eos Tools Pro active in the foreground.

On iPhone®, there is no Split View mode. Instead, you must simply call Eos Tools Pro to the foreground before each measurement.

For Android™ Users: Disable Picture-in-Picture
If you are using an Android™ device in Single Point mode, picture-in-picture (PiP) must be disabled for the Single Point mode to operate properly. Please disable PiP before using this method.

To Send Data in Single-Point Mode
To send data to ArcGIS Field Maps in “Single-Point mode” make sure Eos Tools Pro is your active app (for iOS users only) and make sure PiP has been disabled (for Android users only). Next, press and hold the smart handle trigger until you feel a double vibration. The double-vibration indicates Eos Tools Pro has transmitted a valid position to ArcGIS Field Maps. (This equates to you having tapped the Add Point button in ArcGIS Field Maps to capture a location.) At this point, you may continue entering attributes and submitting your data as you normally would in ArcGIS Field Maps. Repeat the process to send another position to ArcGIS Field Maps.

Note: The Skadi Smart Handle will double-vibrate to indicate that the GNSS position being sent to ArcGIS Field Maps is valid. If the handle single-vibrates, your GNSS position is invalid. Consult the Troubleshooting Invalid Positions section toward the end of this manual to resolve invalid positioning.

Mode 2: Invisible Range Pole

If Invisible Range Pole mode is selected, you will not use the laser or trigger to send data to your third-party app. Instead, while you are in this mode, the X, Y, and Z positions of the location under your receiver are streamed constantly to your third-party app without you needing to do anything else.

To collect this location data in a third-party app, simply perform the data collection as you normally would in your app.

Verifying Valid Positions
While you are in Invisible Range Pole mode, the Skadi Smart Handle will double-vibrate once every other second to indicate your GNSS positions being calculated are valid. If the handle presents single vibrations, your positions are invalid. The most common cause for invalid positions when using Invisible Range Pole mode is the loss of initialization or RTK fixed status. However, please consult the Troubleshooting Invalid Positions section toward the end of this manual to verify the cause of, and to resolve, invalid positioning.

Understanding Smart Handle Vibrations

While you are in Extensible Virtual Range Pole mode, the smart handle will vibrate only when you are pressing and holding the trigger for two or more seconds. While you are in Invisible Range Pole mode, the handle will vibrate continuously at regular intervals.

When successfully initialized in either mode, your smart handle will double-vibrate at regular intervals to indicate valid GNSS positions. If your smart handle is double-vibrating, you do not need to troubleshoot any positioning issues.

However, single vibrations indicate invalid GNSS positions. Consult the Troubleshooting Invalid Positions section of this manual to diagnose and resolve the problem.

Transitioning from Skadi Tilt Compensation™

With the Skadi receiver already operating on your range pole with Skadi Tilt Compensation™ activated, you may transition seamlessly to the Skadi Smart Handle. A built-in, hot-swap battery will retain power, RTK connectivity, and initialization for up to 10 minutes while you make this transition.

First, simply pull your Skadi GNSS receiver off the Pole Mounting Cradle Assembly (SKA-POL-CRADLE) attached to your range pole (this is the easiest way to dismount the Skadi GNSS receiver from your surveying range pole and quickly mount it back at a later time).

Next, follow the steps from the Steps to Enable and Initialize the Skadi Smart Handle chapter section A. Mount Your GNSS Receiver to the Skadi Smart Handle. The only thing you will not do is turn your receiver on or off. Rather it will remain on during the entire setup thanks to the built-in hot-swap battery.

Troubleshooting Invalid Positions

Interpreting “Tilt” LED Behaviors and Eos Tools Pro Screens
The following chart allows you to identify the cause of invalid GNSS positions. To use this chart, you will first identify the current behavior of your Skadi receiver’s Tilt LED. Next, read the associated issue causing invalid positioning. In some cases, where indicated, Eos Tools Pro will also provide visual warnings to call attention to an error in positioning. Once you have identified the issue, follow the resolution provided to fix the issue.