Carlson Field supports Navcom's NCT-2000D GPS message protocol, firmware versions 2.6 and later. If your Navcom unit has an earlier firmware version, contact Navcom for a free upgrade. Carlson Field has been tested extensively with Navcom models RT-3010S and RT-3020M.
From the Navcom GPS setup menu, or any of its submenus, the current device settings can be obtained by clicking the Retrieve Settings button. New settings can be saved by clicking the Save Settings or the Save Settings and Exit button. To cancel your changes, click Cancel without Saving.
By changing the SV Elevation Mask, you can prevent the Navcom Unit from using any satellite below a specified elevation angle (Range: 0-90).
By changing the PDOP Mask, you can prevent the Navcom Unit from using any GPS solution with a PDOP above a specified value (Range:1-25).
By changing the RTK Max Age, you can prevent the Navcom Unit from using any RTK corrections older than a specified number of seconds. (Range: 0-1275, Multiple of 5).
By changing the Base Station ID on a base, you can provide your base with a unique identifying number so that rovers can specify which base they want to use for corrections. By changing this setting on a rover, you can specify which base unit you want to use. If 0 is specified, the rover will use any base station it can find. The base station ID only applies when using the RTCM correction format. (Range: 1-1023)
You can choose between 4 different Correction Types: NCT (Navcom Proprietary), CMR (Trimble's format), RTCM RTK (Messages 18-22), or RTCM DGPS (Message 1 and 9). When configured to BASE, changing the correction type changes the type being sent. When configured to ROVER, changing the correction type changes the type the unit is listening for. A ROVER will ignore all incoming correction messages except those of the type specified.
Configure Ports Submenu:
The Control Port should be configured to Port A or Port B, depending on which of the Navcom units' ports you are plugged into. Note that the Control Port refers to the number of the port on the Navcom unit, NOT the number of the COM port on your computer. If the Control Port is configured improperly, you will not be able to communicate with your Navcom unit.
The RTK Data Port refers to the device port out of which RTK corrections will be sent. This value should be set to Radio Port, unless you want to set up a non-wireless Base/Rover connection through Port A or Port B. The RTK Data Port cannot be the same as the Control Port.
Configure Radio Submenu:
The Radio ID is the value used to identify a unit on a wireless network of Navcom units. Make sure that no other Navcom unit in your vicinity shares the same Radio ID. By default, the Radio ID is the same as your Navcom unit's serial number. This value can be changed, although there isn't usually any need to do so.
The Local Radio Type can be set to either Master or Slave. Radio communication will only work between Masters and Slaves. Only one unit on your network should be set to Master. It makes sense to make the base unit a Master, and all rovers Slaves. These settings will be handled automatically by the Configure Base and Configure Rover routines. So there generally isn't any reason to set the Local Radio Type manually.
The Local Antenna Power Level allows you to configure your radio to use more or less power. The less power the radio has, the less it will be able to communicate over longer distances. It may be useful to change the power level if you're rover is not traveling far from your base, and you're trying to conserve battery power.
Within the Navcom Radio Setup menu, you will be able to access the following status information for all visible Navcom units on the network:
External Power: Indicates whether the unit is plugged into an external power source(On or Off).
Battery A: Indicates whether a well charged battery is plugged into Battery Port A (On/Good or Off/Low)
Battery B: Indicates whether a well charged battery is plugged into Battery Port B (On/Good or Off/Low)
Status: Indicates whether the unit is sending out corrections. (BASE or ROVER)
If more than two units are present, you can access this information for the additional units by selecting the desired unit's radio ID from the Remote Radio ID dropdown menu.
Configure RTCM Submenu:
Note: To access this menu, first configure the unit as a BASE and set the Correction Type to either RTCM RTK or RTCM DGPS.
Choose message 18/19 to make your RTCM RTK base broadcast RTCM message types 18/19.
Choose message 20/21 to make your RTCM RTK base broadcast RTCM message types 20/21.
Choose message 1 to make your RTCM DGPS base broadcast RTCM message type 1.
Choose message 9 to make your RTCM DGPS base broadcast RTCM message type 9
Edit Base Position Submenu:
Note: To access this menu, first configure the unit as a BASE.
If your BASE already has a GPS position set, it will be shown here. (If you don't see it, trying pressing Retrieve.) To edit this value, change the displayed number and press the Lock button.
Click Survey to read a new GPS position from the Navcom unit.
Click Empty, to clear the GPS position from the unit.
Reset Unit Submenu:
Click Soft Reset to send a reset command to the Navcom unit. If the command is successful, all three status lights on the unit should go solid temporarily. After performing a soft reset, you will have to go to the Configure Port Submenu to reconfigure the control port.
Click Factory Reset to send an emergency reset command to the Navcom unit. However, in nearly all cases, it is only necessary to use the Soft Reset button. After performing a factory reset, you will have to go to the Configure Port Submenu to reconfigure the control port.
View Firmware Submenu:
This submenu displays the Navcom firmware version your unit is using, along with the hardware serial numbers and the hardware model name.
Navigation Status Submenu:
If Valid Navigation reads Yes, your unit has successfully solved its position. If it reads No, the unit's position has not yet been calculated, and an error message explaining why will be displayed in the Error field. A rover will not try to use RTK corrections unless its navigation is valid. Similarly, a base will not broadcast correction unless its navigation is valid.
Navigation Status will read AUTONOMOUS if it is not receiving the type of corrections it has been configured to use. It will read FLOAT if it is receiving the right kind of corrections, but hasn't finished using them to calculate its position. It will read LOCK when it is receiving corrections and has successfully used them to calculate its position.
Navigation Mode displays the specific type of correction that is currently being used.
# of Satellites Used shows the number of satellites the unit is able to use in its solution.
All DOP values are also shown here (GDOP, PDOP, HDOP, VDOP, and TDOP).
Click Refresh to load the latest values from the device.
Monitor Incoming Corrections Submenu:
Note: To access this menu, the local unit must be configured as a ROVER.
This menu displays the number of seconds since the arrival of each RTK correction type. At the top, the correction type currently being used is displayed.
In NCT Correction Mode, the relevant messages are 5B (correction), which should be arriving every second, and 5C (base position), which should be arriving every 16 seconds.
In CMR Correction Mode, the relevant messages are cmr0 (correction), which should be arriving every second, and cmr1(base position), which should be arriving every 30 seconds.
In RTCM RTK Correction Mode, the relevant messages are RTCM message 22, and either messages 18 and 19, or messages 20 and 21, depending on your base's RTCM setup. Messages 18-21 should be arriving every second. Message 22 should be arriving every 6 seconds.
In RTCM DGPS Correction Mode, the age of correction messages (1 and 9) cannot be monitored here.
Click Refresh to load the latest values from the device.
Configure Base Submenu:
Before clicking Configure Base, first choose the type of corrections you want to use. When you click Configure Base, all steps necessary to configuring a base will be performed. You will be prompted for a Base Position and a Radio ID. Upon completion, the unit status should read BASE. If it does not, or if an error occurs during base configuration, try again, or consult the Base/Rover configuration troubleshooting section below.
Configure Rover Submenu:
Before clicking Configure Rover, first choose the type of corrections you want to use. When you click Configure Rover, all steps necessary to configuring a base will be performed. Upon completion, the unit status should read ROVER. If it does not, or if an error occurs during rover configuration, try again, or consult the Base/Rover configuration troubleshooting section below.
Switching the device you're plugged in to:
Whenever you switch the device you're plugged into be sure to either close the Equipment Setup window, or click Retrieve Settings from the top level Equipment Setup menu.
Troubleshooting Invalid Navigations:
If the Navigation Status menu reports an invalid navigation, you're unit has not yet been able to calculate it's position. The unit may need more time, if less than 4 satellites are visible, or an error is reported. If you can't get a valid solution for a few minutes, try raising the PDOP mask, or lowering the Satellite elevation mask.
Troubleshooting Base/Rover Configuration: If you've configured a base to output corrections, and you're rover does not appear to be receiving the corrections, try each of the following in order:
1. Verify that your BASE and ROVER are both set to the same correction type.
2. Under Configure Radio, check that your ROVER is set to slave, and that your BASE is set to master.
3. Under Configure Ports, check that both your base and your rover's RTK Data Ports are set to the proper value (Usually Radio Port).
4. Under the Edit Base Position, check that your BASE is set to a valid position. Note that if the given position is too far away from the position the BASE is reading, the BASE will not send corrections.
5. If you're trying to use RTCM, make sure the BASE and ROVER have the same station IDs.
6. Try increase the RTK Max Age constraint.
7. Under Navigation Status, verify that the Navigation is valid on both units. If either unit does not have a valid position solution, correction wills not work.
8. Under Monitor Corrections, verify that the corrections you're using are arriving regularly. If they aren't you may need to reset both units.
9. Try configuring the BASE and ROVER again.
10. If all else fails, Soft Reset both units through the Reset Unit menu. After doing so, you will have to reconfigure the port settings of each device through the Configure Ports menu, and wait a few minutes for the devices to recalculate their position.
11. If none of these steps work, contact Carlson Software Technical Support.
Troubleshooting when you cannot establish communication with the unit:
If all of your commands in the Equipment Setup menu are failing, try opening the Configure Ports submenu, selecting the proper Control Port, and saving the new settings. Make sure that you're plugged into the port you have chosen to be the control port.
If this does not work, issue a soft reset command. If this fails, try a factory reset command. If even this fails, call Carlson Software Technical Support.