SuperSurv mobile app increases RTCM 3.1 support

Makers of the mobile GIS app SuperSurv, developed by Supergeo Technologies Inc., are working to increase its GNSS positioning functionality.

In recent weeks, the SuperSurv product team began to enhance SuperSurv’s NTRIP solution, aiming to adopt more RTCM versions and provide a better GNSS positioning service. NTRIP (Networked Transport of RTCM via internet protocol) is a protocol to send GNSS-related data through the internet, which enables users of differential GPS or network RTK to get correction parameters after connecting to the internet. The correction parameters can be used to calculate a more accurate GNSS location.

Supergeo’s product team is developing the support for RTCM 3.1, including Type 1021 and 1023, two kinds of messages. Type 1021 contains the seven parameters for 3-axis coordinate transformation — three for 3-axis translation, another three for 3-axis rotation and a scale factor.

Through the original projection method, users can only get rough coordinates. However, with NTRIP solution, users can send the current location to the server and then receive the parameters provided by it. This makes it easier to obtain a suitable local coordinates frame for more precise coordinates.

The Type 1023 message provides more accurate grid residuals. By establishing a 4 x 4 mask window around the rover, users will receive the 3-axis corrections within these 16 grids. Accordingly, a more accurate GNSS positioning is achievable after interpolation.

Image: SuperSurv

After completing the development, this technique will be implemented in the current version, SuperSurv 10.1. Combined with SuperSurv’s existing GIS features, Supergeo believes the newly supported RTCM 3.1 will bring a brand-new experience to fieldworkers.

Launched in November 2017, current version 10.1 offers three major new features, including snapping, coordinate system customization and Layerset. Google Maps and TIFF are also supported.

Supergeo’s product manager for mobile GIS, Zara Yu, recommend that users activate the point-data auto-collection with RTCM 3.1. This method not only helps users skip repeated operations but also enhances the data quality and efficiency.

SuperSurv can be downloaded and tried at no cost. Online tutorials are also available.