IGT:ToolKit/Connect-IGSTK-Slicer

Get Slicer ready

1. Bring up Slicer
2. Go to OpenIGTLink IF module (Modules -> OpenIGTLink IF)
3. Connectors -> Add -> Server -> Active

Now Slicer is ready to receive tracking data at the default port 18944.

Customize the tracker

Any IGSTK supported tracking device is configured by an xml file. Here is an example for NDI aurora system:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<tracking_system type = "aurora">
   <refresh_rate> 20 </refresh_rate>
   <serial_communication> 
     <com_port>5</com_port>
     <baud_rate>115200</baud_rate> 
     <data_bits>8</data_bits>
     <parity>N</parity> 
     <stop_bits>1</stop_bits> 
     <hand_shake>0</hand_shake> 
   </serial_communication>
   <tool>
     <name> reference frame </name> 
     <control_box_port>1</control_box_port>
     <control_box_channel>0</control_box_channel>
     <send_to>134.174.54.211:18944</send_to> 
   </tool>
</tracking_system

You need pay a close attention for these two fields:
<com_port>5</com_port>: This is the serial port number you connect Aurora to your computer.
<send_to>134.174.54.211:18944</send_to>: The ip address of the computer running Slicer and the port number Slicer to receive tracking data. Use localhost:18944 if both IGSTK and Slicer run on the same computer.

Run OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting

• IGSTK package is changing daily. If you compile IGSTK and IGSTKSandbox from recent cvs source tree, OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting is the application name to get tracking data from a device and send it to Slicer3.
• Run OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting (OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting.exe on Windows):
  • Open a command prompt or Cygwin terminal.
  • cd to IGSTKSandbox-build/bin (IGSTKSandbox-build/bin/debug) directory.
  • Run the command: OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting auroraConfig.xml (on Linux)or OpenIGTLinkTrackerBroadcasting.exe auroraConfig.xml (on Windows).
  • You should hear a beep from the aurora system and the port light with a probe on the aurora should turn to green from yellow.
• Now move the probe while keeping its green light stable (no flashing). You should see status change from Waiting to ON in OpenIGTLink IF module.
• If you go to Transform module, you should see a node called "reference frame" and also see tracking data updating.