A recent report made available by OxTS highlights that Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol (NTRIP) is a highly-cost effective way for customers to achieve real-time RTK integer accuracy when operating in particularly challenging urban, or large-scale geographic locations. As the ability to receive DGPS corrections via NTRIP has been a standard feature on OxTS systems for some time, this will be of particular interest to customers that are unable to use conventional base-stations—or for automotive customers wishing to evaluate ADAS on the open road.
Real-time centimetre level accuracy has historically been achieved by transmitting carrier phase observations from a single base-station to rover units via a radio modem. But while this method is effective, it is not without problems. In dense urban environments for example, the effective range and reliability of radio modems drops significantly, and customers do not always wish to maintain licenses for high-power transmitters that may only be used occasionally. There is also the question of redundancy—something happening to your base-station during a test, and reduced accuracy as the distance to the base-station increases.
As the report demonstrates, receiving DGPS corrections via NTRIP overcomes many of these obstacles and generally results in improved accuracy and reliability because corrections are streamed through the data connection of a mobile phone or similar device. This means restrictions on geographic distance, licensing and redundancy are removed. Also, because the concentration of users requiring mobile data generally increases in urban areas where radio modems can struggle, this actually improves the chances of receiving those corrections via NTRIP.
To request a full copy of the report, which also details the methods and equipment used in the test, please contact your regional OxTS representative or email OxTS directly at sales@oxts.com.
