Required data

This tutorial requires:

• Raw logs from the rover

• Raw logs from the base

• (Optional) For absolute positioning: RINEX observations log from a reference station in range of 100 km

• (Optional) For processing improvement: precise ephemeris and clock files from the IGS

Rover track is calculated relatively to the base station so in order to get rover track with correct absolute coordinates the exact position of the base station should be known. You either need to place base station on a point with known coordinate or determine it by post-processing base against a reference station in static mode. It is better if the station is within 100 km range, but longer range might work as well.

Converting raw logs to RINEX

Start RTKLIB RTKCONV after downloading raw files from Reach to your PC.

• Add your rover raw log in the first field and choose output directory.

• Choose format of your log in pop-down menu. Set format to u-blox if logs downloaded from each device. Otherwise, choose RTCM3 if base and rover logs were received from rover.

• Push "Options" button.

• Choose "RINEX Version" 3.03.

• Turn on "Satellites Systems" you need.

• Press "OK" and "Convert" after.

Now you should repeat the same with base log. Don't forget to change format. After that you'll see something similar in your output folder.

Calculating base position

Start RTKLIB RTKPOST software and enter the fields as shown here. If running for the first time you will need to set mode to Kinematic or Static in the options to unlock the fields for base station data. You can skip the start time, it is not compulsory.

• Choose rover .obs file for the Rover field (RINEX file from your rover).

• Select base station .obs file for the Base Station field (RINEX file from your base).

• Put base or rover .nav file in the third field.

• (Optional) You can as well add precise ephemeris and clocks at this stage. They are required for long baselines.

Now proceed to the options by pushing "Options" button.

• Set positioning mode you need. Usually it's "Kinematic" or "Static".

• Choose "Elevation Mask" value. Usually it's 15-20.

• Push "SNR Mask" button and set the value you need. This will help you to avoid satellites with low signal strength.

• Turn on "Rec Dynamics" to estimate receiver velocity and acceleration. Use it for DGPS/DGNSS or Kinematic modes.

• Select used navigation systems.

• Go to the "Setting2" tab.

• Set "Integer Ambiguity Res" to Fix and Hold. In this mode continuously static integer ambiguities are estimated and resolved. If the validation OK, the ambiguities are tightly constrained to the resolved values.

• Set "Max Pos Var for AR" and turn on "AR Filter" on the right.

• Switch to "Positions" tab.

• Select "Base Station". Choose "Average of Single Position" for any log to average single point solution or "RINEX Header Position" to use approximate position in RINEX .obs header.

• Press "OK" button and "Execute" in the main window.

• You'll see green process bar. Wait until "done" label. It could take quite a lot of time if your logs are big. In that case window could not answer. Just chill and relax.

After that you'll see something similar in your output folder. The .pos file with "__event" will contain timestamps if you had them during your job.

Result visualization and analysis

Open RTKLIB RTKPLOT and drag and drop your .pos file. If you see green points that mean that they're fix (Q=1), orange mean float (Q=2), red - single (Q=5).

After that you could add .obs file to see more analyzing tools in pop-down menu. For example, first image shows "Satellite Visibility" and second one "Position" in 3 directions.

If you've got time marks add them as a Solution-2 (File -> Open Solution2).

Looks really good, isn't it?

All log rights belong to our good friend and great surveyor Luke Wijnberg.

For more information about options read RTKLIB manual.