Monitoring RTK Status

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Emesent Commander provides clear visibility of the RTK status before and during the mission, updated in real-time. This enables you to monitor RTK quality without leaving the app to check for information via the GNSS receiver’s native application.

Emesent Commander only provides RTK information from GNSS receivers connected to Vehicle RTK and Backpack RTK devices. RTK data from drones such as the M350 cannot be accessed through the application.

Mission Workflow

Before a scan is started, RTK information is provided in the Mission Workflow. The Connectivity page shows in real-time if a GNSS receiver is connected to a Vehicle RTK or Backpack RTK. The RTK section at the bottom of the dashboard displays, in a dropdown list, the RTK quality, number of satellites, position, and precision.

If Emesent Commander detects that a GNSS receiver is connected but is offline, you cannot continue to the next page or start the scan.

Main View

During the scan, the RTK Status and the number of satellites which the GNSS receiver receives signals from, are displayed on the main header.

Tap the drop-down arrow beside the RTK Status to display the RTK quality, number of satellites, position, and precision; see the table below for RTK Status descriptions.

RTK Status

Description

RTK Fix

This is the best status you can achieve with RTK. It means the receiver has successfully locked onto enough satellites and received corrections that allow it to determine a very precise position. An RTK fix is highly accurate, often within a few centimeters.

RTK Float

This means the GNSS receiver is using RTK corrections to improve GPS accuracy, but it has not yet achieved a fully stable and accurate fix. It is still refining the position, so there might be slight inaccuracies.

RTK Single

This status is less precise and is typically used when RTK corrections are not available or when lower accuracy is acceptable.

RTK Single can also display when the GNSS receiver is not receiving corrections from the base station. If you are in an environment where RTK Fix or RTK Float is expected, and are only receiving RTK Single, check your GNSS Receiver settings to ensure corrections are configured correctly.

RTK Offline

The GNSS receiver is not sending all required GPS information to the Hovermap. This can occur when there is a loss in communication with the base station or correction source, such as during signal dropout or when the receiver is not connected to a correction service.

You can try the following troubleshooting steps:

  • Disconnect the GNSS receiver's cable and then reconnect it.

  • Ensure the GNSS receiver settings are configured correctly.

  • Reboot the GNSS receiver.

No GPS

The GNSS receiver is online but it has no RTK or GPS signal.

Expected RTK accuracy

The table below displays the approximate accuracy for each RTK status. However, it is important to note that the actual accuracy can vary due to multiple factors and the stated accuracy is not guaranteed.

GPS Status

Approx. Horizontal Georeferencing Accuracy

RTK Fixed

3cm

RTK Float Fix

30cm

GPS

1.5m - 3m

No GPS Fix

N/A

It is important to understand that the global (georeferencing) accuracy is different than that of local point cloud accuracy. Poor RTK quality might only slightly affect point cloud accuracy. This means that when you scan with poor RTK, the scan might be less accurate compared to the ground truth, but measurements between objects within the point cloud will still be accurate.