Cat® Grade Control Depth & Slope for E-Series and F-Series Excavators Caterpillar

Illustration 1	g02378156
(1) Bucket profile view (2) Benchmark status icon (3) Depth to Grade data with direction indicator (above/below/on grade) (4) Linkage elevation monitor status icon (5) Bucket cross section view (6) Bucket slope angle and direction (note - shown on bottom left if rotation sensor is configured as not installed) (7) Rotation angle and direction

The Cat Grade Control status screen provides seven pieces of key information within the multi information area:

Bucket profile view - Real-time graphical bucket curl and grade indication

Benchmark status icon - Provides the current status of if a benchmark has been set or not and the type of benchmark used.

Linkage elevation monitor status icon - Provides the current status of the ceiling and floor elevation targets for the linkage elevation monitor feature.

Bucket cross section view - Provides real-time graphical bucket tilt and grade indication.

Depth to grade - Provides real-time distance from the current bucket tip elevation to the desired grade. The arrows indicate if the bucket is above, below or on grade.

Bucket slope - Provides real-time indication of the bucket slope angle and direction.

Machine rotation - Provides real-time indication of the machine rotation angle and direction (optional if sensor is installed).

Bucket Profile View

The bucket profile view displays a real time graphical representation of the actual bucket curl and also the current target grade indication line.

Bucket

The bucket is representative of the correct bucket rotation angle.

Illustration 2	g02221813

Illustration 2 shows examples of the bucket being drawn in the profile view.

The bucket is always visible except for the following conditions:

• There is no current work tool selected.

• The current work tool is not measured up for use with Cat Grade Control.

• An error exists which prevents bucket elevation from being calculated, such as sensor failure.

Illustration 3	g02222113

Illustration 3 shows where the bucket is not visible due to the conditions that are listed above. The bucket profile view displays a dashed line.

Grade Indication Line

The grade indication line is drawn to the correct target slope as defined by the operator. The grade indication line moves up and down depending on the current cut/fill value as displayed in depth to grade area.

Illustration 4	g02222214

When the bucket tip is a sufficient distance away from the desired grade, the grade line is gray and always level across the top or bottom of the screen. Refer to Illustration 4.

Illustration 5	g02222253

When the bucket tip is close enough to the desired grade, the grade indication line is white. Illustration 5 shows a level target slope with the bucket tip close enough to the grade line for the line to be white rather than gray.

Illustration 6	g02222273

Part of the grade indication line may not be drawn when the desired grade is sloped and the bucket tip is sufficient distance above or below the desired grade. Refer to Illustration 6.

Illustration 7	g02222313

The bucket passes through the grade indication line when the bucket tooth is below the desired grade. Refer to Illustration 7.

Benchmark Status Icon

The benchmark status icon Indicates status of bucket elevation benchmark. The benchmark status icon updates when the benchmark command is issued based on the configured technology and the status of laser signal.

No elevation reference - Excavator operator has not yet set a bench or has cleared the bench and a laser reference was not previously used.

Depth from bench - System provides elevation guidance from the benchmark.

Depth from bench - Laser referenced - System provides elevation guidance with respect to the benchmark, but elevations are being referenced from a laser plane. -For example, the operator benched from a ground-based reference elevation (that is, grade hub) and then accepted a laser strike before moving the tracks. When the machine is moved to a new location, the operator references the laser again to update elevation with respect to the original benchmark.

No elevation reference - The excavator operator has cleared the bench after using a laser reference. When this icon is displayed, no cut/fill value will be shown in the depth to grade area.

Depth from laser - System provides elevation guidance from a laser plane.

Linkage Elevation Monitor Status Icon

Illustration 8	g02378200
(4) Linkage elevation monitor status icon

The linkage elevation monitor feature allows the operator to establish horizontal (flat or not sloped) upper and lower limits that the system will monitor and compare to the linkage elevation. The system will begin to notify the operator using visual and audible notifications as the linkage approaches the set elevations. The notifications begin with a pulsing tone. When these limits have been exceeded, the operator will see a notification message that the linkage has violated the threshold.

Show/hide table

Failure to set elevation limit measurements may cause serious injury or death. Failure to react to the visual and audible elevation monitor alerts may cause serious injury or death. The operator must set elevation limit measurements and react to visual and audible elevation monitor alerts by stopping the linkage as the audible and visual notifications occur.

Note: The linkage elevation monitor does not PREVENT the linkage from violating the defined threshold. The linkage elevation monitor only provides visual and audible notifications that the linkage is approaching or has exceeded the defined threshold. The operator is to stop the linkage as the audible and visual notifications occur. As the linkage nears the threshold, the pulsing becomes faster until the linkage reaches the limit. When the linkage reaches the limit, there will be a solid tone and message displayed on the monitor.

Linkage Elevation Monitor Icons

Linkage elevation monitor is enabled, but no limits established.

Limits defined for both ceiling and floor.

Limits defined for floor only.

Limits defined for ceiling only.

For the cases when linkage elevation monitor is not available, an exclamation mark is added with the icon to indicate attention required. For example, a sensor is missing where system cannot calculate linkage position.

If the elevation of the machine changes after establishing the ceiling and/or floor elevations, then the ceiling and/or floor elevations will need to be re-established. Examples of these changes include:

Machine relocation - Relocating the machine up/down a sloped surface which may put the linkage nearer to the established threshold.

Machine settling - Machine is in soft material and has settled, causing the linkage to be nearer a defined floor.

If the threshold is not re-established, then the linkage may violate the elevations established previously without the expected notifications.

Bucket Cross Section View

The bucket cross section view displays a real time graphical representation of the actual bucket tilt angle and also the current target cross-slope grade indication line.

Bucket

The bucket image is representative of the actual bucket slope/tilt angle and updates in real time to indicate the actual angle of the bucket and position relative to the desired grade.

Illustration 9	g02225234

Illustration 9 is an example of the bucket being drawn in the bucket cross section view.

The bucket is always visible to the operator except for the following conditions:

• There is no current work tool selected.

• The current work tool is not measured up for use with Cat Grade Control.

• An error exists which prevents the system from calculating the bucket elevation.

Illustration 10	g02222113

Illustration 10 shows where the bucket is not visible due to the conditions that are listed above. The bucket is replaced with a dashed line.

If a tilt bucket (with tilt bucket angle sensor) is configured, then the angle shown on the display is the actual angle of the bucket as measured by the tilt bucket angle sensor.

If the configured bucket is not a tilt bucket, then the angle shown on the display is the roll angle of the machine as measured by the machine pitch/roll angle sensor.

Grade Indication Line

The grade indication line is drawn to the correct target cross-slope as defined by the operator. The grade indication line moves up and down depending on the current cut/fill value as displayed in the depth to grade area.

Note: This line will change slope as the machine is rotated when the optional rotation sensor is installed.

Bucket Above and Below Grade Line

The grade indication line is always displayed. Refer to the following examples of the bucket with respect to the grade line for various circumstances.

Illustration 11	g02229160
When the bucket tip is sufficient distance above the desired grade, the grade line is gray and always level across the bottom of the screen.

Illustration 12	g02229255
When the bucket tip is near enough to the desired grade, the grade line is white.

Illustration 13	g02229253
White grade line moves towards the bucket as the bucket gets closer to grade.

Illustration 14	g02229234
The grade line passes underneath the bucket

Illustration 15	g02229254
When the bucket tip is near enough to the desired grade, the grade line is white.

Illustration 16	g02229233
When the bucket tip is sufficient distance below the desired grade, the grade line is gray and always level across the top of the screen.

Illustration 17	g02229195
When the target cross slope angle is non-zero, part of the grade line may not be drawn depending upon the distance from the bucket tip to the desired grade.

Illustration 18	g02229194
When the target cross slope angle is non-zero, the entire grade line will be at the bottom of the window and gray in color when the smallest distance between the bucket tip and desired grade is sufficiently large.

Depth to Grade

Illustration 19	g02222353
Depth to grade information

The depth to grade area displays the elevation and direction of the bucket cutting edge from the desired grade. The elevation and direction change in real time as the machine is operated.

Cut/Fill Information

The cut/fill information is given to the operator using a numerical value with units for distance from the desired grade, and an arrow icon with associated color that gives the direction to grade.

Illustration 20	g02222778
Outside of the on-grade tolerance and above grade by 0.10m Indicated by a yellow down arrow.

Illustration 21	g02222794
Within on-grade tolerance, but above target grade by 0.01m Indicated by a green down arrow.

Illustration 22	g02222795
On-Grade Indicated by two green arrows pointing towards each other.

Illustration 23	g02222797
Within on-grade tolerance, but below the target grade by 0.01m Indicated by a green up arrow.

Illustration 24	g02222798
Outside of the on-grade tolerance and below grade by 0.10m Indicated by a yellow up arrow.

Three colors represent the distance from grade based on the vertical tolerance settings of the system.

The units of the cut/fill values are the determined by units that are configurable by the operator in the 300E display. The cut/fill is calculated as the vertical distance from the benchmarked elevation plus elevation offset entered by the operator to the bench point to the bucket focus tip. The direction of the arrow icon tells the operator whether the numerical value is a cut or a fill. If the arrow is pointing down, a Cut is indicated. If the arrow is pointing up, a Fill is indicated.

Illustration 25	g02223813

The cut/fill is displayed as a dashed line in the following situations:

• The system does not have an elevation reference. For example the user has cleared the bench.

• The system does not have a work tool selected.

• The current work tool is not measured up for Cat Grade Control.

• The system cannot calculate a cut/fill value due to a fault in the system.

Bucket Slope

Illustration 26	g02223816
Bucket slope

The bucket slope is a number that represents the tilt angle of the bucket. The units of the bucket slope are the slope units as configured by the operator in the Cat Grade Control settings on the 300E display.

When the optional rotation sensor is installed, the bucket slope and the rotation angle are displayed side-by-side. The system will only display one decimal point bucket slope values below 9.9 percent or 9.9 degrees when the rotation sensor is enabled.

Illustration 27	g02223853

When the rotation sensor is disabled, the system displays all bucket slope values to one decimal point for percent and degrees.

Illustration 28	g02223873

When the units are ratio, the system displays a slope to whole numbers with the maximum and the minimum numbers being 999:1 or 1:999 respectively.

Illustration 29	g02223954

Illustration 29 shows three digits and a decimal place after the colon.

Illustration 30	g02223975

A level bucket will be represented by 1:9999.

Illustration 31	g02224473
Example of Zone 2 with display grade units set to degrees

For non-tilting buckets, the bucket slope equals the angle of the machine roll sensor. For Tilting buckets, the bucket slope is the actual slope of the bucket as determined by the tilt bucket angle sensor. A tilt bucket angle sensor is required when a tilt bucket or tilting coupler is installed on the machine

Bucket Icon

Illustration 32	g02224555
Bucket icon

The bucket icon serves two functions:

• Indicates the direction of the bucket slope.

• Indicates the current bucket focus.

Illustration 33	g02383197
Bucket icon states

Illustration 33 shows the various angle states and the bucket focus states for the icon. The square on the bucket indicates the position of the bucket focus.

Note: The default bucket focus position is bucket center.

Machine Rotation and Target Cross Slope Grade Line

Illustration 34	g02289013
Image for illustration purposes only, image not shown on display

Illustrations 34 through 36 illustrate how the grade indication line updates as the machine rotates when the optional rotation sensor is enabled. The images show an Excavator working on a 40 percent slope. When the orientation of the machine is 0 degrees, the machine is facing the direction of the slope.

Notice that when the machine is facing 0 degrees, the cross-slope shown in Illustration 34 is level.

Illustration 35	g02289059
Image for illustration purposes only, image not shown on display

As the machine rotates, the grade lines change so that the machine will always give guidance to a 40 percent slope. Refer to Illustration 35.

Illustration 35 shows how the cross-slope is now 13 percent when the machine is facing 18 degrees.

Illustration 36	g02291525
Image for illustration purposes only, image not shown on display

With the machine facing 90 degrees the machine profile view (center) is level and the bucket cross-section (right) is 40 percent. Refer to Illustration 36.

Light Bar

Illustration 37	g02286694
(8) Cut/Fill light bar (9) Laser light bar

The Cat Grade Control system provides two internal light bars. The left internal light bar indicates the cut/fill information of the system to the operator. The right internal light bar indicates laser strike status from the laser catcher. When the system is not using a laser catcher, the right laser light bar is not visible.

Cut/Fill Light Bar Details

On-Grade ... When the system is within the On-Grade tolerance, the central green LED is illuminated.

Off-Grade

1 x Amber LED ... within 2x on-grade tolerance

2 x Amber LEDs ... within 4x on-grade tolerance

3x Amber LEDs ... within 8x on-grade tolerance

Outer Amber LED only ... greater than 8x on-grade tolerance

Laser Light Bar Details

Laser Light Bar Details

Green LED illuminated ... Laser strike in center of laser catcher window

Green LED and 2x Amber LEDs ... laser strike detected close to center of laser catcher window

Green and 3x Amber LEDs ... laser strike detected at the outside edge of laser catcher window