Setup Trimble R10/R10-2 and R12/R12i for Emesent RTK (includes video)

This video complements the setup guide to show you how to configure and set up supported Trimble receivers (R12/R12i and R10/R10-2) for use with Emesent's Backpack or Vehicle RTK units, view the RTK status in Commander, and process your scan in Aura.

Overview

This document shows how to configure and set up supported Trimble receivers for use with Emesent's Backpack or Vehicle RTK units and then monitor and process the RTK data.

Backpack and Vehicle RTK automates high-accuracy georeferencing and drift correction for scans, allowing for rapid and precise scans without the need for ground control points.

Scope

Follow the instructions in this document once you have setup your Trimble device according to Leica documentation. This document does not cover how to perform an initial setup on a Trimble R12/R12i or R10/R10-2 receivers or how to connect to a base station or network corrections service.

To perform these actions, please refer to the official Trimble R12i Documentation (website) or R12i Tutorial: Complete Video Series (YouTube).

Requirements

Hardware

The following hardware is required to set up the Trimble receiver:

Configure the Trimble Receiver

Connect to the Trimble Receiver

1. Turn on the Trimble receiver then connect to the receiver’s Wi-Fi network.

2. Once connected, enter 192.168.142.1 in the URL address bar on your Web browser.

3. Enter your credentials on the Login page.

   1. The default username is admin

   2. The default password is password

Settings Summary

To avoid issues, check if the NMEA option is properly installed.

1. Go to Receiver Status > Receiver Options from the panel on the left. From the panel on the right, click Option Detail located at the bottom.

2. In the Options column, find NMEA in the list. Then in the Installed column, ensure an "X" is marked next to NMEA.

Configure the NMEA Settings

Once connected, configure the NMEA settings to make sure the Trimble receiver can communicate properly with the Hovermap.

1. Go to I/O Configuration > Port Summary on the left panel. On the right panel, click Serial (under the Type column).

2. In the configuration window that appears, locate the two fields at the top of the page. Click on the drop-down arrow for the first field and select Serial1/Lemo from the list. Then for the second field, choose NMEA.

3. Under Serial Port Setup, configure the following settings:

   • Baud = 115200

   • Parity = N

   • Flow = Disabled

4. In the Input/Output section, you will see a list of NMEA messages. Click on the drop-down arrow beside each of the following messages and configure their settings:

   • GGA = 5 Hz

   • GSA = 5 Hz

   • GST = 5 Hz

   • ZDA = 5 Hz

   • SVG = 1 Hz

5. Click OK to save your settings. The screenshot below shows the Port Summary page after configuration.

Configure the Tilt and Antenna Height

1. Go to Receiver Configuration > Antenna on the left panel.

2. From the available options on the right panel, configure the following settings:

   • Antenna Measurement Method = Antenna Phase Centre

   • Antenna Height = 0.000

Using Tilt Compensation

If the Antenna Height is set to 0.000, tilt compensation settings will not apply. However, it is still recommended to disable tilt compensation for optimal performance. To do this, go to Receiver Configuration > INS then unselect the INS Enable option, then press OK to save the settings.

Receiver Motion Profile

If your Trimble receiver is mounted on a vehicle, to get the best results make sure that Receiver Motion is set to Kinematic or another appropriate model. This setting can be found under Receiver Configuration > Position. Click OK to save the setting.

1. The Hovermap and GNSS receiver should be connected to the Vehicle RTK or Backpack RTK mount.

2. Plug the GNSS adaptor cable into the RTK mount and fasten the adaptor to the magnetic plate.

3. Plug the Trimble cable with the wire loop into the receiver and the other end (Black Lemo) into the Adaptor port. The Trimble receiver should now be set up to work with your Vehicle RTK or Backpack RTK unit.

Monitoring RTK Status

The Emesent Commander application provides clear visibility of the RTK status before and during the mission. This enables you to monitor RTK quality without leaving the app to check for information via Trimble’s native application.

If the settings are configured correctly and the GNSS receiver is properly connected, Emesent Commander will display the Position and Accuracy without errors. Any communication errors are displayed in the app as a warning notification.

Process RTK Scans in Aura

Once RTK scan data has been captured, you can process it using Emesent Aura to create a point cloud, colorize the scan, clean or reproject the point cloud, and view an RTK accuracy report.

See this article on how to Process RTK Scans in Aura.

Troubleshooting RTK

You can also refer to the more extensive article: Troubleshooting RTK.