AuSIM: AuTrak Software

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AuTrak™ Tracking Software
Device-Independent Motion/Position Tracking Software Solution

AuTrak™ is a collection of software packages for streamlining application access to data from relative and absolute spatial six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) position and orientation tracking sensors. AuTrakASync™ is AuSIM's flagship package, with all the trimmings. AuTrakMatlab™ brings AuTrak data into the MATLAB® workspace and MATLAB® applications. AuTrakLabView™ brings AuTrak data into the LabView® workspace and LabView® virtual instruments.

AuTrak Lite™ is included in all three of the other AuTrak packages, available on its own, and provided as added value with any tracking instrument purchased through AuSIM, Inc.

The complete AuTrak collection can be purchased as a bundle or in individual packages.

Features

Low Latency Data Access
Simplified Interface to Data
Support One, Support All
Useful Utility Applets
Instrument Control
No Waits in Simulation Loop

Benefits

The ASynchronous/Synchronous Scheme
The cleverness of AuTrakASync originates from NASA where researchers strived to reduce latency in interactive simulations. The asynchronous scheme was developed and proven an optimal design. AuTrakASync decouples the simulation from managing the tracking instruments, thus delivering the fastest simulations with no waits and the lowest latency interaction.

The AuTrakASync API
AuTrak data is accessible to applications through the AuTrakASync API. This single programming interface provides access to tracking data from any AuTrak supported instrument, allowing the developer to write code once and support dozens of devices and sensors. Because the tracking data is already in system memory, the API is simple and efficient, no waits, no instrument controls.

Optimal Synchronosity
If the simulation can cycle at a quantization of the instrument sampling rate, then the most optimal latency can be attained with a trade-off of simulation speed by synchronizing the simulation application to the data server. AuTrakASync supports synchronization, and still delivers the benefits of independent instrument control and a simple, efficient interface.

Broad Instrument/Sensor Support
Instrument Support

Accessible Lite Version
AuTrak Lite

Strong Research Tool Support
AuTrakMatlab AuTrakLabView

Remote Accessibility
AST Manager

Useful Client Applets
ASync Clients

Instrument Control
AST Manager

Filters
Kalman, Warp, etc.
AST Manager

AuTrakASync^tm
AuTrakASync is a set of tools developed on top of AuTrak32^tm libraries providing the lowest latency, high-performance tracking with each supported instrument, through asynchronous sampling. Asynchronous tracking decouples an application's simulation loop rate from the tracker's sampling rate. The rate decoupling combined with timestamping empowers an application to receive the absolute freshest data.

The key component of AuTrakASync is a Win32 service that boots, configures, and samples a selected tracking instrument at its highest sampling rate. Tracking data, timestamped to the microsecond, is stored in shared system memory for access by any number of client applications.

Asynchronous tracking service
client monitor
client remote control
C++ client source code for all 32-bit Windows OS's
demo client applications

AuTrakASync supports both Euler and quaternion orientations, even if not supported natively by the selected tracking instrument. The AuTrakASync client API is a single C++ class that comes implemented for Win32 source code compatible with Microsoft and Intel linkers.

AuTrakASync can be purchased independently, for which the licensee links the AuTrakASync client into their application. Or AuTrakASync can be bundled with AuTrakMatlab or AuTrakLabView, for easy integration into those respecitve numerical application environments.

Polhemus, Ascension Technologies, InterSense, Logitech, and Fakespace Labs are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies

AuTrakMatlab^tm
AuTrakMatlab is a collection of m-files which leverage a dynamic-link library (DLL) interfacing any 6DOF tracker with the Matlab^tm mathematical environment. Not only can realtime data be sampled from within Matlab, but a Matlab user has complete interactive control of the instrument. Command line tools as well as a graphical user interface are provided.

Additionally, a GUI tool is provided to visualize realtime tracking data in 3D graphics within a Matlab graph. AuTrakMatlab directly supports synchronous and asynchronous tracking through AuTrakASync.

AuTrakMatlab is supported by Matlab 5 through Matlab 7.5 (R2007b). Matlab 4 was formerly supported using the Win16 Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) and the AuTrakApp^tm DDE server from the AuTrak32 component, but is no longer supported.

AuTrakMatlab includes AuTrakASync Lite, but can be purchased bundled with AuTrakASync^tm, as an upgrade, or as an independent component.

AuTrakLabView^tm
AuTrakLabView is a collection of example vi-files along with the LLB and DLL libraries required to intergrate the AuTrakASync client into LabView. The toolkit provides realtime data-access to any 6DOF tracker through the LabView^tm mathematical visual-programming environment. The example Virtual Instrument (VI) tools provide graphical user interfaces. AuTrakMatlab directly supports synchronous and asynchronous tracking through AuTrakASync.

AuTrakLabView is supported by LabView 6 and 7.

AuTrakLabView includes AuTrakASync Lite, but can be purchased bundled with AuTrakASync^tm, as an upgrade, or as an independent component.

AuTrak32^tm
AuTrak32 is a software development kit (SDK) for the Win32 platform designed for developers of interactive simulation applications. At the core of AuTrak32 is a C++ class library implementing the AuTrakTM application programming interface (API). Developers simply write to the one tracking API, link to the AuTrak32 library, and their code instantly supports nearly a dozen tracking instruments, interchangeably.

C++ library of tracker classes
hotlinked WinHelp and HTML documentation
the AuTrakApp^tm tracker applet
miscellaneous tools such as port snoopers, port terminals, tracker emulators, etc.
demo code for console, MFC, and OWL applications.

The AuTrak^tm API comes implemented for Win32 in single-threaded and multi-threaded static and dynamic libraries for Microsoft, Borland, and Intel linkers.

AuTrak32 is no-longer sold separately or supported. The AuTrakASync services (both full and lite) are built upon AuTrak32 and encapulsates the advantages of AuTrak32 such that there is very little need to externally license AuTrak32. It is true that having AuTrak32 source code allows a licensee to extend support to additional tracking instruments. Please note that the Asynchronous Tracking Server is proprietary and its source code is also not generally available. If a potential licensee has interest in AuTrak32 or AuTrakASync source, please inquire.

AuTrak^tm Pricing Guide

Product	Component only	Upgrade to existing AuTrak component
AuTrakASync^tm	$750	$600
AuTrakMatlab^tm	$350	$250
AuTrakLabView^tm	$350	$250
All three AuTrak^tm components: $1200

Pricing includes 1 year of software maintenance including free upgrades, 90 days of indirect developer support (email), and 30 days of direct product support (telephone) for registered users. All prices are in US dollars. A 10% service surcharge is applied to all customers outside the United States or Canada. Sales tax of 8.25% will be applied to all U.S. orders, unless the appropriate tax exemption documentation is provided.
Licenses are required for each simultaneous system installation. A quantity discount of 10% can be applied to the entire order of any order of 2 or more licenses, or license bundles. A "site license" may be obtained for any single location with a single point of contact with the registration of three licenses or license sets.
Applications developed with AuTrakASync^tm may be distributed without royalty according to the terms specified in the license agreement. A list of redistributable components is specified in the license agreement. Applications developed for AuTrakMatlab^tm may be distributed without royalty, but no portion of AuTrakMatlab is redistributable. Third parties that wish to use applications developed by AuTrakMatlab licensees, must obtain their own license to AuTrakMatlab .
AuTrakASync^tm may ordered online, or you can contact sales at AuSIM .

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