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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
th

The 8 International Conference

May 1920, 2011, Vilnius, Lithuania
Selected papers

http://enviro.vgtu.lt
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 2011

NEW APPROACH TO VERTICAL ANGLE CALIBRATION

Lauryna Siaudinyte1, Vytautas Giniotis2
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saultekio ave. 11, LT - 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania.
E-mails: 1lauryna@inbox.lt; 2vg@vgtu.lt
Abstract. Testing and calibrating geodetic instruments is an important metrological procedure in precise
instrumentation used in industry and geodesy. Electronic geodetic measuring instruments consist, among the other
elements, of the circular scales and angular encoders for angle determination in two perpendicular planes - horizontal
and vertical. Accuracy of the instrument mostly depends on the accuracy of the angle standards used for angle
measurement. Many methods are developed for angle calibration but most of them are available for calibration of flat
angles. The method described in International Standard validates the field testing of geodetic instruments by taking
precise angle readings between the calibrated points placed at long distance and height. It is difficult to create such
calibration basis and inconvenient to proceed this in the field at long distances. There is not traceability of length and
angle measurements ensured. The new method of calibration of vertical angles of geodetic instruments was
developed which principle of indoor testing and calibration of vertical angle measuring system of total station here is
described.
Keywords: Angle calibration, circular scale, vertical angle.

Some angle measuring systems used in geodetic

instruments here are presented as well as new method
created for vertical angle calibration of instrument.

1. Introduction
Accuracy of measurement is based on proper
performance of geodetic tasks using appropriate
measuring instruments that also must be undergone
metrological verification or calibration processes. It is
valid for all kind of measurements such as flat and
vertical angle or length, distance measurements or
construction deformation monitoring. Measurement
accuracy depends on instruments, devices and methods
which are used while performing a task. This article
describes methods of angle calibration and improvement
of angle calibration as well as of circular scales used in
angle measuring systems and geodetic instruments.
There are many methods used for angle calibration.
Classical angle measuring methods having an origin from
geodesy and astronomy, such as Wild, H. Bruns,
Heuvelink, S. Jelisejev are frequently used in control of
angle measuring accuracy of geodetic instruments. Most
of the methods are used to calibrate the flat angles;
however experiments show that the accuracy of vertical
and horizontal angle measuring systems differs. Due to
this reason the raster scales of vertical angle measuring
systems can be measured using methods of flat angle
calibration. Moreover, when there is no possibility to
measure separate raster scale there are some ways to
determine the accuracy of whole angle measuring system
used in the instrument.

2. Circular scales
Circular scales together with angle encoders are
mounted in the geodetic total stations (tacheometers). The
modulation of the light beam crossing the raster scale and
indication scale is the main principle of operation of the
rotary encoder. Circular scale is an efficient and reliable
mean of getting and passing the information about the
angular position of the object or an axis of measuring
instrument. Scales are made of various materials
depending on the operational conditions, accuracy and
price (Cooper 1987; Giniotis 2005).
Rotary encoder is an electromechanical device used
to encode angular movement of the shaft or axis of the
turntable to a certain analogue or digital signal. There are
two widely used types of angle encoders: absolute and
incremental (Fig 1, 2, 3). The main difference between
absolute and incremental encoder is that absolute encoder
always has fixed zero position, however zero position
varies in incremental encoder. Incremental encoder shows
the difference between previous and present encoder
position.
Digital encoder generates a unique digital binary
code for each turn of an axle. Rotary encoder has a
circular raster scale, mounted on the shaft and divided
into many parts, that define angular degrees, minutes,

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seconds and decimal parts of angular second (depending

on the required data discretion). The coded scale consists
from the parts of circle covered by layer of black or white
colour and has a preset binary value (1 or 0, Fig 1).
During the operation the angle encoder is turned to the
needed angle position, it stops at a certain combination of
black and white parts of the scale. Each part has a unique
binary code that is recognized as a reading of an angle
that is transmitted to further data processing devices.
Optical disk of an absolute angle encoder is intended to
assign digital codes to a certain position of a shaft (i.e. if
a circular scale consists of 8 tracks with engraved marks,
this scale is able to generate 256 different positions or
angular movements with accuracy of 1,406 degree equal
to 360/256). Most common numeral encoding for this
type of encoders is based on the position of black and
white parts and binary or Gray coding systems. Upon
rotation of a circular scale and shaft on the axle,
photodetectors read the pattern and generate a digital
code. During the revolution of a digital code generating
angle encoder, all of the elements change their position.
All of the tracks readings of the code encoder have
outputs separately from each other.

Most of geodetic instruments have two angle

measuring systems horizontal and vertical where the
difference between them consists from the main standard
of angle measurement the raster or coded scale is
placed in horizontal or vertical position. The instrument
operates by pointing its optical system to the object to be
measured and taking the readings form the angle
measuring systems about the angular position of the
object in two perpendicular planes. Neither in the vertical
nor in the horizontal measuring system are the electronic
parts moved relatively to the alidade, so that all
electronics are fixed to it. The vertical and horizontal
array boards have the same circuitry but different
mounting and packaging.

Fig 3. The principle of operation of incremental angle

measuring system

3. Angle calibration methods

Fig 1. Absolute encoder

The way in which the glass circle is divided into

black/white blocks is not completely standardised and
depends on manufacturer. Using the red light from LED
(Light Emitting Diode) and a mirror, the marks are
projected onto the CCD (Charge Coupled Device)
linear array. To ensure uniform illumination the LED is
mounted in an adjustable ball-centred receptacle that
allows for tilting and displacement.

Fig 2. a) Raster scale of incremental angle encoder; b)

coded scale of absolute angle encoder

The errors of angular position determination of

circular scales strokes are often determined by comparing
the angle between the strokes with the angle created by
other angle measuring devices or standard.
The method of constant angle repetition in a circular
scale was improved by many famous scientists such as
H. Bruns, G. Schreiber, A. Perard, H. Wild, Heuvelink,
S. Jelisejev and others (Giniotis 2005, Fialovszky 1991).
The errors of circular scales are determined by the
methods approved in written standards, such as: the
method of approximation; the method of opposite matrix;
the method of Heuvelink and the method of Wild. The
methods of angular scales calibration used in machine
engineering and instrumentation are the comparison of
the angular values of the scale strokes with the values of
the reference scale or other reference measure of angle
(Fig 4).
The comparison of the angular position of strokes of
the scale with the reference angle created by the strokes
of the same scale is also called the calibration with setting
the constant angle in the full circumference. The
disadvantage of these methods is that the accuracy of
error determination differs depending on the position of
the strokes on circular scale.
According to classical method of constant angle
placement in the circular scale, the error of circular scale
strokes position can be defined (Fialovszky 1991;
Giniotis et. al. 2004; Key 2005):

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1
x = x I + x II + x III
3

),

(1)

where: x I = xm , x I +60 = x +60 x m , x I +120 = x +120 x m ,

are readings of the strokes position in the scale at
different angles.
The standard deviation of stroke position
determination error can be defined:
mx =

x 2 ,
6n

(2)

where: x I = x x I , x II = x x II , x III = x x III .

Random and systematic errors of angular position of
circular scale can be determined using the method of
Heuvelink. Measuring process and data processing of the
angle standards used in geodesy are widely performed by
the method of Wild.

opposite microscopes and the axis for the scale rotation

as shown (in Fig 5). By adjusting the microscopes in the
tangential direction, a position can be reached when the
readings from both microscopes are equal in absolute
value after the rotation of the scale to 0 and 180. The
position for the beginning of measurement can be freely
chosen.
The half circle method ( rad method) for circular
scale calibration is based on the application of the 180
angle created by the scale to be measured and the strokes
reading instruments during the same calibration process
(Giniotis and Rybokas 2010). Such standard of measure
can be set with the accuracy not less than (0.1-0.3) of the
standard deviation in case of using high-accuracy rotation
axis and high-accuracy photoelectric microscopes. The
task is to create an angle standard of measure a circular
scale having a great number of calibrated discrete angular
values against which the output signals of rotary encoder,
geodetic or other optical instruments could be compared.
This method of angle calibration permits to measure and
calculate practically all systematic errors of the angular
position of the strokes on the scale. The measuring
scheme and the principal process are shown in Fig 5.

180

Fig 4. Methods for circular scale measurement:

a) - constant angle repetition and using 4 microscopes in
circular scale; b) calibration using prism, autocollimator
and 2 microscopes; c) rotating and comparing
transmitted signals during the standard time intervals; d)
calibration while comparing strokes with precise Moore
Indexing table standard; e) calibration while using three
microscopes; f) the method of Moire pattern

The parts of the measuring system in Fig 4 are: 1

circular scale to be calibrated, 2, 8 strokes position
reading device, 3 multi-angular prism, 4
autocollimator, 5 rotation axis, 6 gear, 7 Moore
Index table. Etalon of angle used in the diagram is:
constant angle placed in the circle (a), multi-angle prism
polygon (b), standard time intervals at which the pulses
from the microscope are compared (c), standard angle
values fixed by the Index Table (d), constant angle
formed by three microscopes (e) and geometry of Moir
fringe pattern created by reference raster scale and the
scale to be measured (Giniotis and Grattan 2002).
4. Half circle method
An angle of 180 can be set up with high precision
by using the circular raster scale to be measured, two,

11

Fig 5. Creation of 180 angle standard by the rotation of

the scale for 180 and using two microscopes

5. New method for vertical angle calibration

The methods of measurement of circular scales
described above can be used for calibration of the scales
used in all positions of the measuring instrument,
including vertical measuring plane. The difference
consists in calibration of the instrument when the
instrument itself is positioned in vertical direction and
from this position the horizontal and vertical angles must
be measured. Then the calibration of measuring system
must be performed also in vertical plane (Ingensand
2008).

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The proposed arrangement for vertical angle

calibration is based on the trigonometric angle
determination using the reference scale of the length for
vertical readings by the tacheometer and another
reference measure of length for distance from the
tacheometers axis to the vertical scale determination.
The arrangement for calibration is shown in Fig 6.
1

The designations in Fig 5 are: I initial

instruments position with the axis of rotation of the
2

spyglass O ; I auxiliary instruments position with the

1

6. Conclusions
1. Most of circular scales used in measuring instruments
are calibrated in horizontal plane using classical and
newly developed methods of measurement.
2. The new method for vertical angle calibration have
advantages against the methods used in geodesy by
better accuracy of vertical angle determination and
possibilities to perform it in laboratory environment.

axis of rotation of the spyglass O This position is

Acknowledgments

achieved by moving the instrument along the slideways

of the test bench for geodetic instruments testing
(Giniotis and Rybokas 2010). At the distance l from the
axis of the instrument the linear scale S is fixed in vertical
position to the instruments horizontal axis. The distance
from the instruments both positions l is fixed by using

This research was funded by a grant No. VPI3.1-MM-07-K-01-102 from the Research Council of
Lithuania.

reference measure of length, for example, end length

gauge (length standard). It is used for the determination
of the distance from the axis of the instrument to the
surface of the scale, as it is quite complicated task to do
1

that initially. At the position I of the instrument the

reading h from the scale is taken at the angle of the
axis of telescope of the instrument and horizontal line
(Giniotis et al. 2009).
The reading from the scale is taken. The angle of
interest is expressed
t =arctg

h
lm

(3)

References
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Fialovszky, L. 1991. Surveying Instruments and their
Operational Principles, Elsevier.
Giniotis, V. 2005. Padties ir poslinki
Monografija. Vilnius: Technika. 216 p.

matavimas.

Giniotis, V.; Bruas, D.; iaudinyt, L. 2009. Arrangement for

vertical angle calibration of geodetic instruments.
Mechanika. ISSN 1392-1207. Nr. 5(79), p. 59-62.
Giniotis, V.; Grattan, K. T. V. 2002. Optical method for the
calibration of raster scales. Measurement. ISSN 02632241. Vol. 32, p. 23 29.
Giniotis, V.; Rybokas, M. 2010. Creation of the PI angle
standard for the flat angle measurements. Journal of
Physics: Conference Series. 13th IMEKO TC1-TC7 Joint
Symposium London, UK, 1-3 September 2010 IOP
Publishing Ltd, UK. (Journal of Physics: Conference
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kalibravimo tikslumo tyrimas. Geodezija ir kartografija,
XXX t.; Nr. 3, p. 65-70.
Ingensand, H. 2008. Einfhrung
Messtechnik. Zurich: ETH.

Fig 6. Position of devices for vertical angle calibration

in

die

geodtische

Key, H. 2005. Angular measurements. GIM International. The

Netherlands: GITC, Vol. 9, No 10, p .13.

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