Technology

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03 Oct 2024

What is RTCM

RTCM is a standardized technical data format commonly used in the GNSS industry today for transmitting correction data that improves the accuracy of GNSS positioning across various applications.

RTCM meaning

The RTCM data format was developed by the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services, a non-profit international standards organization established in 1947 as a U.S. government advisory committee.

Over the decades, this independent organization has established protocols for communicating position and navigation information for boats and other maritime vessels, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of maritime navigation through real-time differential corrections to GNSS signals.

Today, other high-precision navigation applications, such as autonomous mobile robots, precision agriculture equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles, use RTCM GNSS correction services to achieve real-time centimeter-level accuracy.

What is RTCM protocol?

In simple terms, RTCM is a data format used in the GNSS industry to communicate GNSS correction data between service providers and users. RTCM data is typically transmitted via radio signals over the internet. Once the data reaches a GNSS receiver, corrections are applied, thereby increasing the receiver's position accuracy.

GNSS receivers determine their position by collecting signals from multiple GNSS satellites orbiting the Earth at approximately 20,000 km altitude. These signals, however, may contain errors due to atmospheric conditions, ionospheric disturbances, satellite clock inaccuracies, and other factors.

To correct these errors, a network of GNSS reference stations on Earth, with very accurately known fixed positions, collects the signals broadcast by the satellites. Using sophisticated algorithms to process all this information, RTCM correction data is then generated. High-precision GNSS receivers with Real Time Kinematic (RTK) capability can use this correction data to calculate a high-precision position by offsetting the errors in the GNSS satellite transmissions.  

To send this correction data to GNSS receivers, a service provider encodes it into standardized RTCM data formats, the most common of which are RTCM 2.x and RTCM 3.x. These RTCM formats include the necessary corrections based on the detected errors.

The difference between these two RTCM standards lies in the level of detail and capabilities they provide. The RTCM 3.x specification offers more advanced features, such as multi-frequency corrections and data from additional satellite systems.

RTCM protocols are standardized data formats used to structure the correction data messages sent to the mobile receiver in an RTK system. The reliability and accuracy of RTK positioning depend on the availability and efficiency of these corrections, making RTCM a critical component in ensuring the effectiveness of RTK-based applications.

PointPerfect adds RTCM

u-blox PointPerfect delivers GNSS correction data in the compact SPARTN data format and is natively supported by u-blox’s F9 GNSS RTK receiver modules. SPARTN format corrections are provided over NTRIP and MQTT protocols, as well as via satellite L-band broadcast.

The latest update is that PointPerfect has added RTCM data format support over the NTRIP protocol to its service. By incorporating RTCM GNSS support, PointPerfect extends the benefits of high-precision navigation to all GNSS and RTK technology users, including those with non-u-blox hardware or even those with a mixed fleet.

PointPerfect delivers high-precision GNSS correction data to any GNSS RTK hardware

Using NTRIP RTCM corrections, PointPerfect delivers high-precision GNSS correction data to any GNSS RTK hardware for various applications, ensuring reliable, available, and accurate real-time performance.

The benefits

The main benefit of RTCM is straightforward: it is the standardized data format most commonly used in the GNSS industry today. It delivers GNSS correction data that is essential for achieving centimeter-level accuracy in real time when used with GNSS RTK receiver hardware. With this addition, PointPerfect RTCM expands its market reach to any GNSS RTK receiver hardware—whether u-blox, non u-blox, or a blend of both within the same fleet.

Learn more about the benefits of PointPerfect RTCM

Applications

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Using RTCM protocols, RTK positioning systems enhance the accuracy of AMRs accuracy. Providing precise GNSS corrections improves positioning, allowing AMRs to navigate complex environments with high precision. This ensures reliable performance in tasks such as warehouse logistics and industrial automation.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). RTCM-based RTK systems deliver real-time GPS corrections that boost flight accuracy and stability. This precision enables applications like aerial surveying, mapping, and inspection to deliver exact geospatial data and maintain stable flight paths.

Precision agriculture. RTCM protocols enable RTK positioning systems to offer high-accuracy GNSS data, optimizing field operations. With such precision, efficient planting, fertilizing, and harvesting become possible. Accurate guidance and automated machinery thus reduce waste and increase crop yields.

Heavy machinery. RTCM-enhanced RTK systems improve GNNS accuracy for excavation and grading. In construction and mining operations, this precision enhances productivity by providing better control and reducing operational errors.

Micromobility. For micromobility solutions such as electric scooters and bikes, RTCM-based RTK positioning increases navigation accuracy and safety. Precise location data supports better route planning and more reliable tracking, improving user experience and operational efficiency in urban environments.

What does u-blox offer by incorporating RTCM?

PointPerfect correction services ideal for applications such as lawnmowers

Companies with an existing fleet of high-precision GNSS devices using an RTK RTCM correction service can now easily switch to PointPerfect.

With uniquely flexible and affordable usage-based pricing plans, customers can switch to a more cost-effective service, increase their business ROI (Return on Investment), and scale more easily.

When users move from one region to another, they can avoid the hassles of switching RTK suppliers, resetting data, and updating credentials. Instead, they can enjoy the simplicity of having one supplier and one correction data stream with comprehensive, uniform coverage.

PointPerfect integration is easy and seamless with any high-precision GNSS RTK receiver module, whether u-blox, non-u-blox, or even a mix within the same fleet.

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