RTK corrections stop when Emlid Flow Android app is in background

[BLS (Dave at BLS)]

Hi. I’ve just bought an Emlid Reach RX and I want to have it send (RTK fixed) positioning data into my ImpulseRadar CrossOver 4080 ground penetrating radar.

I’ve got the RTK corrections working fine (using AusCORS, the Australian government’s free RTK corrections network; which I have also previously used with my Leica equipment). However, when I switch from the Emlid Flow app to the ImpulseRadar ViewPoint app, corrections stop. If I switch back to Emlid Flow, they resume automatically after a few seconds. I have included a screenshot showing what I see when I switch back to the Emlid Flow app.

This is when standing perfectly still so it’s not a sky obstruction issue. Perfect 5G coverage so it’s not poor connectivity.

I have allowed the Emlid Flow app to use mobile data and also allowed it to operate in the background without being put to sleep. The issue persists.

I have updated everything to their latest versions (Reach RX firmware v1.8, Flow for Android v13.3) and rebooted everything after making changes to settings or applying updates.

Android/Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro

Any suggestions please?

(I have also tried this on my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max; the issue does not occur on that phone, but the ImpulseRadar app only runs on Android, so I need to fix this issue…)

Thank you in advance,
Dave

[BLS (Dave at BLS)]

Ok, we have a work-around.

1. Set up the Emlid Reach RX in Emlid Flow, get the RTK corrections working.
2. Open ImpulseRadar ViewPoint app in split-screen mode, so that it and Emlid Flow are both shown simultaneously.

This obviously isn’t ideal, as the screen real estate needed for ViewPoint is taken up showing the Flow app, but it does allow me to work around the problem.

Hopefully a better solution might be possible…

Thanks,
Dave

[michaelL (Michael Lambert)]

Hey Dave, Glad split-screen mode worked but this is good feedback for the Team. I still think there is something with the way the Pro is managing background updates. I also replied to the file manager issue.

[timd1971]

Keeping Emlid Flow work while in background (Android)

Hi all, first post here. I’m facing a problem/question with Emlid Flow and I’d like to know if you can help me: whenever Emlid Flow is placed in the background for more than 2–3 minutes, it stops receiving NTRIP corrections (the LEDs on my Reach RX clearly indicate this, turning from green/yellow to white). If it stays in the background for a few more minutes, it even disconnects the Bluetooth connection with the antenna. If the app is kept in the foreground, this doesn’t happen. Obviously, thi…

[Zaz5400 (Zaz Villanueva)]

Make sure Android battery optimization is disabled or set to unrestricted. Also, make sure that those two apps are the only ones open! Lastly, make sure your Android os and security updates are current.

[giovanni.manghi]

@Zaz5400 sometimes is not enough, see my extensive report here

Keeping Emlid Flow work while in background (Android)

Some update here. I have used Reach RX with the Lefebure App during one day of field data survey and while I still got the temporary loss of correction (as described above) working was mostly ok as I was gathering points. I documented the disconnections from background Flow and our Reach RX in this video: [Emlid Flow stops getting NTRIP corrected locations when in background] I repeated the process a few times just to demonstrate that it is no fluke. The Android device is a Black…

The real solution is to make Flow work as a service, as most of the Apps in this space do, so that they will work always on any device regardless the underlying optimizations and custom configurations that mobile devices brands add to their Android installations.

[keith.mwangi]

Hi @BLS,

Welcome to our Community Forum!

Thanks for the detailed explanation of your setup. The issue you’ve reported is something we are aware of and we are currently working on getting it fixed as @giovanni.manghi has mentioned. It was a great idea to test it out on a different device and as you noticed, the background app management varies significantly between devices, however, I’ll will keep you posted about any news from our end.

I agree with you that using the split screen can be a temporary workaround, but using Lefebure NTRIP Client can also serve as an alternative. With this, apps that use location services, like ImpulseRadar ViewPoint app, will use the streamed position from your RX. Can this option work for you?