RS3 tilt compensation work with external software

Hello everyone. This might be out of topic, but i haven’t taken part in the forum for a while. Does the tilt compessator work with external software such as: FieldGenius or Carlson SurvPC, and are there any difficulties or added settings?

According to comments posted in the Forum from Emlid, it is in the works for MicroSurvey FieldGenius, though I haven’t read about other software actually being integrated with the RS3 Tilt function. I read requests for the other software like yours on the Forum.
Please see this comment and their answer below that comment in another topic on the Forum:

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Hi @sdobrev85,

At the moment, tilt compensation on Reach RS3 is only supported in the Emlid Flow application. We’re working with FieldGenuis on implementing tilt compensation in their software. There are no ETAs, but I’ll keep you posted.

Regarding tilt support for other external software, we’re open to integration and have created an additional NMEA message for this purpose. But this also requires support for this message from the application side.

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I know Emlid is doing the best they can which certain aspects are out of their control.

Microsurvey FieldGenius will prob be 1st to get support from the sounds of it… but they take forever. Their Android version is taking a long time and still WIP. So many r using chinese SurPad, SurvX, etc instead.

Those chinese apps seem to work and partner with only certain manufacturers (or their own), so good luck.

Emlid Flow waaaay to basic for my needs. They really need to bring in someone that can load Emlid Flow up with features so 3rd party apps wouldn’t be needed, but their “road map” is loonnnnng.

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Although I have not tried it yet… New version of Field Genius for Android ver 2.5 was released today… Release Notes indicate New RS3 Driver Added… and email from E38 Suvey Solutions indicate it works for RS3 Tilt!!

https://www.microsurvey.com/news/whats-new-in-fieldgenius-for-android-2-5/

sales@e38surveysolutions.com

IT will be a week or more before I can get time to try it out so I will monitor here to see if anyone else has good results or not…

-AndyB
Univeristy of Maine

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Hopefully they get the Windows version updated soon. The Android version to me is still WIP and NOT as full featured as the Windows version… especially NO Robotic Total Station support!

Looks like Microsurvey is updating their website as the support section is a mess and not working correctly as it used to. : /

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Hi everyone,

Just wanted to confirm that FieldGenius announced an update with the Reach RS3 support. We would love to hear about your experience with RS3 and FieldGenius.

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Field Genius for Android is not behaving properly here with RS3 Tilt Support.

It does behave fine up until a shot is triggered at which time it then has a geometry computation hissy fit and instead of compensating throws up the tip to antenna horizontal & vertical differences as Standard Deviation warnings. If the position is accepted it’s taken at the antenna (not quite the ARP as it’s leaning over), but it does otherwise continue to show the tip position correctly on the screen.

So the basics are there in FGA but it appears not quite sorted out. Switching to Emlid Flow and Tilt Compensation works fine & I must say is very impressive.

I’ve sent all the details through to MicroSurvey and also a copy FYI to Emlid Support to keep you in the loop, maybe you could follow up your contacts over there to help it along.

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Thank you for updating us! If there’s no issue with tilt compensation data in the NMEA message, this does look like an issue from the FieldGenius side. Let us know if there’s any news!

Confirming MicroSurvey are on to it, they have been able to replicate and are working to have it resolved in the next release FGA 2.6

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Thanks for the update @Wombo!

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Field Genius Android 2.6 has been released and RS3 IMU functionality has unfortunately (and hopefully temporarily) taken a step backwards. And there is an ask for Emlid here.

It appears the situation is deeper than first thought, I believe it isn’t related to the one-way outbound NMEA custom ETC tilt compensation informational message but at a much deeper level and higher value feature rich firmware driver with two-way interaction and control. E.g. same IMU commands as Flow.

My understanding is that the driver was a result of some great initial collaboration between Emlid & MicroSurvey but along the way some great firmware development work got out of sync and the FGA driver broke.

Currently with FGA 2.6 the only way I can use RS3 IMU is to now fall back to the simplistic forced compensated NMEA GGA and GST messages from Reach 32 Beta. However, that comes with a number of downsides including no indication if the IMU drops out so a real risk of bad data (the incoming position to collector will quietly switch to being recorded vertically under the leaning antenna ARP and you won’t even know). Otherwise in FGA 2.6, there is no longer a mention of IMU, no IMU turn on/off and even the bubble has disappeared.
If you are using a SIM in the RS3 for corrections the driver behavior may be different, I’m currently obtaining NTRIP via the collector device internet.

The compensated GGA & GST alternative is not an option for me personally, and I’m really keen to see the high value RS3 IMU features return to FGA ASAP. And I’m sure other users here would be keen to the see the synergy between both organizations continue and grow.

So, I think EMLID has a part to play in reaching out and helping to resurrect this valuable FGA feature and my feeling is given the deep level of the driver interfacing it may also present an opportunity for ratcheting up a more structured ongoing process of regular technical interaction and ongoing synchronization with MicroSurvey as you both beaver away continually improving your excellent products.

Can do?

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I see. Thank you, @Wombo, for such a detailed explanation and troubleshooting. I noticed you’re already communicating with us in the email. Let’s continue there to keep everything in one place.

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