pcBIRD© Home > Products > pcBIRD Magnetic tracker with an electronics unit powered by the ISA bus on legacy computers. Click here to download the product brochure (PDF).

Mid- Range Transmitter		Range: Up to +4 ft (1.2 m) coverage	Set-up & Use: Our mid-range transmitter is ideal for desktop applications in environments containing conductive metals.
Short-Range Transmitter		Range: Up to +3 ft (0.9 m) coverage	Set-up & Use: This small, light-weight transmitter is often mounted on an articulated arm that can be brought close to its sensors. Especially useful for high accuracy medical applications.

Head/Hand/Object Tracking Virtual Reality Telerobotics/Telepresence Simulation & Training Scientific Visualization Entertainment Biomechanical/ Human Factors Analysis Rehabilitative Feedback & Assessment 3D Reconstruction of Ultrasound Images Medical Imaging Surgical Planning & Intervention 3D Graphics Control & Manipulation

Pulsed DC magnetic tracking	Five times less susceptible to distortion caused by nearby metal than AC technology.
Easy expandability	Track multiple sensors simultaneously without reduction in measurements.
Powered by the ISA bus on your personal computer	Outputs Available on ISA Bus without I/O Delays.
Two tracking range options: Short or Mid-Range Transmitters	Tracks at ranges up to 1.2meters.

TECHNICAL
Degrees of Freedom:	6 (Position and Orientation)
Translation range:	±1.22m* (±3.05m optional) in any direction
Angular range:	All Attitude: ±180° Azimuth & Roll; ±90° Elevation
Static Accuracy Position*:	1.8mm RMS
Static Accuracy Orientation*:	0.5° RMS
Static Resolution Position:	0.5mm @ 30.5cm
Static Resolution Orientation:	0.1° @ 30.5cm
Measurement rate:	Up to 144 measurements/second
Outputs:	X,Y,Z positional coordinates and orientation angles, rotation matrix or quaternions
Interface:	ISA-Bus
Format:	Binary
Modes:	Point or stream
PHYSICAL
Transmitter:	Mid-Range: 9.6cm cube with 3.05m cable
Sensor:	25.4mm x 25.4mm x 20.3mm cube (or optional 3-button mouse) with 3.05m or 10.7m cable Weight: 21 g (0.7 oz) without cable. 169 g (6 oz) with 3 m cable. 394 g (13.9 oz) with 10.7 m cable.
8mm Sensor:	18mm x 8mm x 8mm, 3m cable
ISA Card:	Standard full length board (one per sensor to be tracked)
Power:	Uses PC's power supply
Environment:	Metal objects and stray magnetic fields in the operation volume will degrade performance.

* Accuracy verified over range from 20.3cm to 76.2cm pcBIRD is a general-purpose motion tracker suitable for many applications. Biomedical references in this document are examples of what medical companies have done with Ascension trackers after obtaining all necessary medical certifications. Ascension trackers are not certified for use in medicine without the end user/OEM complying with all pertinent FDA/CE regulatory requirements.

FCC Part 15, Class A CE: EN 50081-1, Class A EN 50082-1, Class 2 EN 61010-1 Back to Top