Installing and Setting Up the Dual Motion Plate

Installation

The AxioForce Launch Pad is a force plate system that measures ground reaction forces and Center of Pressure (CoP) during motion capture. It is available in three sizes: Launch Pad Lite, Launch Pad (Standard), and Launch Pad XL. Each can be used as a single plate or as a dual plate setup.

 

Requirements:

  • Swing Catalyst 26.1 or 25.3.4 software installed and up to date.

  • One or two AxioForce Launch Pad force plates.

  • Available USB port(s) on the computer (one per plate).

 

No manual driver installation is required. Swing Catalyst will detect the plates automatically when connected.

 

Connecting the plates

Each force plate require a single USB cable to connect to your computer. A powered USB hub is recommended if your computer has limited USB ports.

Connection procedure

  • Ensure the plates are oriented correctly with the USB cable exiting opposite of the hitting direction.

  • Connect the USB cable from each plate to the computer (or USB hub).

  • Launch Swing Catalyst

  • The software will automatically detect the connected plate(s).

AxioForce Launch Pad detected in MotionCatalyst AxioForce Launch Pad detected in MotionCatalyst

If the plate configuration is not automatically detected, try disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable(s) and restarting the software.

 

Sensor Plate Configuration

Once the plates are detected, open the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog to verify the setup and prepare for recording.

Go to Settings → Hardware → Sensor Plate and click Configure.

 

Taring (Zeroing)

Taring resets the force plate sensors to zero, removing any offset caused by the weight of the plate surface or minor environmental factors. This should be done before each recording session.

  • Make sure no one is standing on the plate and that it is free from any objects or surrounding turf.

  • Click Tare in the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog.

  • Wait for the taring process to complete.

 

Layout Selection (Dual Plate Only)

For dual plate setups, you can choose between two layouts:

Standard (default) — Plates arranged side by side. Suitable for most users.

Wide Stance — Plates rotated 90° with the longer side on the X-axis, providing a wider total surface area. Use this if you have a very wide stance.

 

Live Preview

Click Start Preview to see real-time Center of Pressure (CoP) data from the plates. This lets you verify that the plates are working correctly before starting a capture session.

AxioForce live preview showing Center of Pressure AxioForce live preview showing Center of Pressure

 

Calibration Test

After taring, it is recommended to verify the calibration before recording.

  • Click Tare in the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog with nothing on the plates.

  • Click Start Preview to see live force data.

  • Step onto the plate and shift your weight to different areas. Verify that the CoP indicator moves in the expected direction — for example, leaning forward should move the CoP towards the front of the plate.

  • For dual plates, verify that the CoP tracks correctly on each plate individually. Stand on the left plate only and confirm the CoP appears on the left side; repeat for the right plate.

  • Start a session, then capture a recording with no one standing on the plate. Open the recording and verify the force readings are within 10 Newtons of zero.

Center of Pressure correctly tracking foot position Center of Pressure correctly tracking foot position

 

Recording

Once the plates are configured and tared, they are ready for use. Force data will be captured automatically alongside video when you start a recording in MotionCatalyst.

The force plates record the following data at up to 1000 Hz:

Ground Reaction Forces (Fx, Fy, Fz) — horizontal and vertical forces in three axes.

Center of Pressure (CoP) — the point on the plate surface where force is being applied.

This data is displayed in the analysis view as CoP traces, force graphs, and force vectors, helping you evaluate weight shift, balance, and ground interaction during the movement.

 

Troubleshooting

 

Plates not detected

  • Disconnect and reconnect the USB cable(s).

  • Try a different USB port or USB hub.

  • Restart MotionCatalyst.

  • Ensure the MotionCatalyst software is up to date, as AxioForce support requires a recent version.

 

Only one plate detected in a dual setup

  • Check that both USB cables are firmly connected.

  • Verify both plates appear in the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog. The dialog should show two serial numbers for a dual setup.

  • Try swapping the USB cables or ports to isolate the issue.

  • Restart the software after reconnecting.

 

Taring fails

  • Ensure nothing is on or pressing against the plates during taring.

  • Verify the plates are on a flat, level surface.

  • Disconnect and reconnect the plates, then try again.

 

CoP data appears incorrect or jumps unexpectedly

  • Re-tare the plates with nothing on them.

  • Ensure the plates are level and not touching surrounding turf, mats, or other equipment.

  • Confirm that all feet of the plate are in solid contact with the floor. If the plate rocks when you press down on the corners, adjust the leveling feet.

 

Noisy or non-zero force readings at rest

If force readings are not close to zero when no one is on the plate:

  • Re-tare the plates.

  • Check that nothing is touching or pressing against the plates (turf edges, cables, equipment).

  • Electrical noise from power supplies or poor grounding can cause noisy readings. Try connecting the computer and plates to the same power strip, or use a different power outlet.

 

How to change force data rotation

If the CoP indicator moves in the opposite direction to your actual movement (e.g., leaning forward moves the CoP backwards), the force data rotation needs to be corrected. Instead of physically rotating the plate, this can be done in software.

  • Go to Settings → Hardware → Sensor Plate and click Configure.

  • Select the Flip & Rotate Devices tab.

  • Find the force plate entry and click Rotate Force Data to rotate the force data 180°.

  • For dual plate setups, each plate has its own rotation control — make sure to check and correct both plates individually.

Rotate Force Data controls in the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog Rotate Force Data controls in the Sensor Plate Configuration dialog

After rotating, use the live preview to verify the CoP now moves in the correct direction when you shift your weight.

 

CoP is 180° wrong

Example of CoP with incorrect 180 degree rotation Example of CoP with incorrect 180 degree rotation

If the CoP dot moves in the opposite direction to your weight shift, rotate the force data 180° as described above.

 

Dual plate: wrong plate detected during component detection

Example of wrong plate detection in dual setup Example of wrong plate detection in dual setup

In a dual setup, if CoP appears on the wrong plate (e.g., standing on the left plate shows CoP on the right), the plate assignment may be swapped. Run the component detection again by clicking Detect and stepping on the correct plate when prompted.

 

Good data vs bad data

Good data should show smooth force curves with very little noise when reviewing a recording. At rest (no one on the plate), force values should be near zero.

Example of clean force plate data Example of clean force plate data

If your data shows excessive noise, erratic jumps, or significantly non-zero values at rest, refer to the troubleshooting steps above.

Last updated: 2026-03-05