New ReachView update brings Bluetooth RTK output

Originally published at: http://www.emlid.com/reachview-update-bluetooth/

ReachView version v0.2.2 is out and available via in-app update. This awesome update brings one of the most wanted features - bluetooth solution output. You can now replace GPS on an Android smartphone or tablet with Reach RTK connected over Bluetooth.

You will need to install Bluetooth GPS app on your device, pair it with Reach and configure Reach to output NMEA over Bluetooth. Android allows apps to mock GPS location, so every app that you are used to like Google Maps or your favourite GIS now can receive centimeter level precise coordinates.

We have put together a detailed guide on setting it up, now available it the docs.

There are more features coming to Reach soon. Here is a list of the latests changes and if you have not yet updated your device, we recommend that you do so today!

1 Like

Hy Igor

sorry for question but is it possible to output bluetooth raw data to windows laptop or only to android device ?

thx

Francesco

Hi Francesco,

Sure! It is not locked to Android in any way, you can use it with any other OS.

Hi, sorry for my lvl for knowledge, but will reach act as bluetotth out of the box without OTG bt connected?

Hy Igor
… sorry but I tried to connect reach with my dell XT3 but reach is recognise as pda see picture
so i’m not able to see the nmea data
Also which baudrate I have to set in my application (like arcpad )?

thx

maybe I have to install some drivers ?

Francesco

Hi @TB_RTK, Reach has Bluetooth built-in.

1 Like

Francesco, there is no need in setting baudrate (you can set any). You application should see a bluetooth serial connection that you can open.

Hey Igor

I am a bit suspicious of the Bluetooth GPS app. I think it may be rounding off the positions calculated from the NMEA data. I have used the GeoCoord app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buildware.geocoord) to view a projected coordinate, even if I move the antenna, I still get the same coodinate to the milimeter. The elevation does vary a few centimeters which is expected, but I honestly feel that “Bluetooth GPS” is rounding off the output coordinates. Is there any way we can test this?

Hey Luke,

Will check on that, can you have a look at the Lefebure NTRIP as well?

Hy Igor

sorry again but … I tried to connect a simple bluettoh gps to my laptop Dell XT3 and it was very easy just turn on the device add device on my laptop and the bluetooth connection is establish so what’s wrong in my workflow with reach ??? I’m not able to establish connection please help me

I use the samsung galaxy S4 to setup the reach I have to activate the bluettoh also on my smartphone or what else ??? I have to turn off the wifi to establish bleutooth connection ?

thx

Francesco

Hi, not sure i understod this one right, but you connect reach to your phone/tablet via reachview. Se attached picture.
That is what i did. If your device show up, just click on it in the menu, and it will send request to pair.

Hy
but you connect your reach with a android device or windows device ?
because I send the request to my laptop but as you can see on my previous picture the reach device isn’t recognise as a gps bluetooth so I’m not able to receive the signal obviously there is something wrong im my workflow but where is the issue ?

thx

Francesco

I sucessfully connected my reach with bluetooth to a windows 8. But dont have any software that would read external gps device.
Is there anything out there that i could test? windows app store has one called Maps pro.

Hy guys
sorry but I don’t understand where is wrong …

my reach unit is recognise from my dell laptop as pda so I’m not able to receive nmea string

Any idea ?

Thx

Francesco

Hy Igor
attached the properties of my reach bluetooth device on my dell XT3 win7 enterprise
do you have any suggestion ?

thx
Francesco

  1. Make sure your computer is in the paired devices list
  2. You will need a program to connect to Reach with bluetooth serial profile(SPP) via RFCOMM protocol

Something like this might work.

Hy Igor

Make sure your computer is in the paired devices list YES it is
You will need a program to connect to Reach with bluetooth serial profile(SPP) via RFCOMM protocol … The app is for win 10 I have win 7 … and I’m not able to find another app that i can use with win 7

Francesco

hi , just to mention it’s not working with a laptop windows 10 and bluetooth 4.0

the galaxy note 4 don’t work

but an older galaxy tab 4s work

is it possible to have the mnea output working on one of the serial output

can do nothin with the serial it only display the mnea via blutooth

I m in reach 1.2

thxs

It works on serial output. Try to clear cache in your browser.

Checco, you could try using GPS DIRECT look it up on google. I am going to go give it a try on my windows 10 machine.

GPSDirect is a user-level driver (UMDF) that can read a COM port or a TCP/IP Source that contains GPS NMEA data and map it to a Windows GPS