SURLOG Process

• SURLOG Process
• • Command Overview
  • File Handling
  • • Input system file of survey measurements.
    • Format Files
  • Examples
  • Error and Warning Messages
  • • Process entry
    • Files
    • Fields
    • Parameters
    • Processing
    • Files
    • Input format file field contents
    • Limitations

To access this process:

• Enter "SURLOG" into the Command Line and press <ENTER>.

• Display the Find Command screen, locate SURLOG and click Run.

See this process in the Command Table.

Command Overview

SURLOG is a data input process which will read a character format system file containing records of survey information and measurements as recorded on a digital data recorder by electronic survey equipment.

This process constitutes the first step in survey data processing, creating a  Datamine file of the survey measurements. The file stored on the data logger containing the measurements will have to be transferred to the computer, as an ASCII format file, prior to running this process.

The process will create up to three output files of data containing general survey job information, coordinates of the survey stations occupied and referenced during the survey and angle and/or distance measurements taken to fix the position of survey stations or mining excavations. The output files can then be input to suitable survey measurement reduction processes:

• SURTAC

  Reduction of survey tacheometry measurements.

• SUROBS

  Reduction of measurements to survey stations.

It is suitable for the input of survey data, where job header information records are followed by measured angles and distances to surface or underground features. It can also be used for the input of borehole logs where header records containing borehole identifier and collar coordinates are followed by down-the-hole measurements to lithological contacts and mineral assay samples. The data needs to be processed further to compute sample positions in space for geological interpretation work:

• DESURV

  Drillhole survey data is used to produce a file of samples independently located in space.

• SURLOG

  Combines the data input capabilities of existing processes and provides extended flexibility in allowing the output to multiple files and also the re-formatting of data. The following processes allow the user to input fixed or free format data interactively or from an ASCII system file:

• INDATA

  Free format data input (maximum of 80 character line width).

• INPUTW

  Fixed format data input (maximum of 240 character line width).

The format supplied by the user in these processes are fixed for every record read from the system file, and records not matching the prescribed format are rejected.

The reading of the input system file in SURLOG is controlled by user-defined input format files.

File Handling

Input system file of survey measurements.

The SURLOG process requires an ASCII system file of, typically, survey measurements, that have been transferred from a digital data recording device. Transmission of the data will normally be achieved through a serial communications cable. The data format is usually selected on the data recorder. If in doubt, the data must be transmitted as if sending to a printer device. A very basic way of achieving this, once the correct cable has been connected, would be to follow the following steps:

type COM1>obs.dat

On the data recorder, send the data through command or menu selection. Once the transmission is complete:

On the PC press <CTRL> and Break keys to terminate the process. This example assumes the cable from the recorder is connected to COM1 serial port.

Format Files

The system file that has been transferred from the data recorder, needs to be input to the Datamine database for reduction and analysis. SURLOG requires format files to have been created, in order to decode the information in the system file and create Datamine files of the survey measurements.

The process AED (Full-screen editor) can be used to set up the format files required for data to be input to your application. 

As a Datamine format file can be easily created or edited, formats that do not match those supplied can be easily supported, without the need to provide dedicated programs.

The following fields must be created in order to describe the field names and type in a new format file:

The following fields must be created in order to describe the position and format of the field values in the input system file:

The following fields must be created in order to describe the output format and sequence of the field values in the output file to be created:

The interpretation of the input data is controlled by user defined format files. Each format file controls the data flow to one output file, and therefore, different categories of data can be stored in separate files.

Examples

Input of data from a TOPCON FC-5 data recorder

The following represents the command syntax required to run the SURLOG process to input the data described below and would be the required entry in a macro of commands to process survey data.

!SURLOG     &FORMAT1(TOPCF),&OUT1(TOPCD)
TOPCON1.DAT

Error and Warning Messages

Process entry

The following messages may appear as a result of the incorrect input supplied by the user, when running the process. These errors can be split into the following categories:-

Files

The following messages relate to errors in the file names supplied by the user, when running the process.

Fields

The following messages relate to errors in the field names supplied by the user, when running the process.

Parameters

The following messages relate to errors in the parameters supplied by the user, when running the process.

Processing

The following messages may appear as a result of errors encountered during the execution of the process. These errors can be split into the following categories:-

Files

The following messages relate errors in reading and/or writing of data. 

Input format file field contents

The following messages relate to errors encountered during the decoding of input data. They may be caused by inconsistencies in the field values within a &FORMAT? file, or mismatches in &FORMAT? file entries and the actual data being read from the system file.

The field XXXXXXXX has been specified as FIXed format in the input format file, but the START field column position contains a non-ascii character. Edit the input format file containing format data for field XXXXXXXX and provide the correct numeric column START position. Then re-run the process. Fatal; the process will be exited. 

The INFORMAT value for field XXXXXXXX contains an alpha numeric entry. INFORMAT must be in the form n.m :

ntotal number of digits in input (including decimal point).
mnumber of digits after decimal point.

START and INFORMAT values in the input format file for field XXXXXXXX do not match the input data. Study the displayed input record to ensure the correct values are supplied. Fatal; the process will exited.

A FREE format decode of field XXXXXXXX has a START or END column value for search beyond the maximum acceptable record length.

The field XXXXXXXX START and END values represent the columns of the first and last digit of the value in the system file respectively. The integer value of INFORMAT in the input format file represents the total length of this value. 

END - START + 1 = Integer part of INFORMAT value.

The process will be exited. 

Input system file contents

The following message relates to errors encountered during the decoding of input data.

The value found for field XXXXXXXX in the input system file record displayed does not match the field type defined in the input format file. #12;Notes

Limitations

Your application stores all numeric variables in REAL form. This puts a limitation on the number of digits that can be stored to 8, including a decimal point.

Angles in degrees, minutes and seconds, in the form DDD.MMSS, may be stored to single second precision. Any additional digits, representing tenths of seconds, will be ignored. As most Mine surveying does not require this level of precision in angle measurement, this will not cause problems to the user. The electronic total station should be set up to enable storage of angles to one second precision, so that rounding errors are not experienced.

Coordinate systems that require storage of more than seven digits, must have a local origin defined by one or all of the parameters @LOXORIG, @LOYORIG, and @LOZORIG required. The origin will then be stored as an implicit field in the data file. For example, a point with the following coordinates, could be stored directly into a Datamine database file:

X     1000.001
Y    4000.001
Z     1000.001

However, the following point would require a local origin for the X coordinate field:

Measured         LOXORIG           X value (stored)
X  43000.001         40000.0             3000.001
Y   4000.001                                 4000.001
Z    1000.001                                 1000.001

This need only be considered for the computation of survey station coordinates, in most cases, as millimetre precision for general surface features is unnecessary.

When FREE format input is specified, only one field may be allocated a value read between START and END separators. This is not the case with FIXED format input, where the same column locations (START and END values) may be assigned to more than one field.

Caveats

• The system file must contain records with a maximum record length of 240 characters.

• One input format file must be defined for each output file name supplied.

• When FREE format input is being decoded, the user must ensure that the order of fields in the format file corresponds to the sequence found in the input system file. This is especially important where field values are separated by a single character (e.g. , ). 

• Care must be taken in the use of wild card characters (?*) in the CODE values, as this may result in values being read from positions containing incorrect data.

Related topics and activities

• SURCAL Process

• SURFIP Process

• SURLOG Process

• SURPOI Process

• SURTAC Process

• SURTRI Process

• SURVIG Process

• SURVIN Process

• SURVOU Process