RTK High Relative Accuracy using Arducopter/Mission Planner

[bahart]

My Setup:

Firmware and ReachView: reflashed with firmware reach image v2.3, upgraded ReachView to v2.7.3
Autopilot: Pixracer v1
Ardupilot and Mission Planner: Copter v3.5.2, Mission Planner v1.3.49

My Goal:

I would like to use Reach RTK as the GPS system on my quadcopter, with the goal of getting centimeter level accuracy relative to the location of the base station (the accuracy in absolute coordinates is unimportant).

I am using Arducopter/Mission Planner to plan my missions and I’m a little confused as to how to ensure that the coordinates used in setting the waypoints of my mission and the GPS readings used by my autopilot are in fact the relative coordinates with respect to the approximate bases station position, rather than absolute coordinates which will have a lower degree of accuracy without waiting a very long time to fix the coordinates of the base station.

What I would ideally like to do:

1. Set up the base station Reach module and fix its coordinates quickly with an arbitrary level of accuracy (i.e. does not need to be anywhere near cm level accuracy for its absolute position–just a general sense of where it is), rather than waiting for several hours to get an accurate absolute fix.
2. Create a mission plan where the waypoint locations will be read as locations relative to the position of the base station.
3. Use the rover Reach module connected to my autopilot as my GPS system, which will attain cm accuracy in reaching the desired waypoints (again, relative to the base station position – not in absolute coordinates).

What is the best way to integrate Reach with Ardupilot in this manner? Is it indeed possible to obtain cm level relative accuracy without very long wait times for fixing the base station’s absolute coordinates?

Let me know if I should provide additional clarifying information.

(Screenshots of ReachView setup on Base and Rover module are attached below)

Thank you

Base:

Rover

[RickJ (Richard Johnson)]

I think you may have correction mismatch from Base to Rover. You have serial correction input to Rover and TCP Correction Output from Base. Otherwise, you should get good results unless I’ve missed something.

Autopilot and Mission Planner, refer to DOCs & Search Forums or wait for help here. Use the SEARCH Microscope(Upper Right Corner) for Previous similar posts.

Your intended use should give you excellent results based on FORUM posts. Most problems are traceable to Configuration and correctable interference from cables & radios, etc.

Goof luck! Let us know how it goes.

[Amilcar_Lucas]

To do this, just use the Rover RTK GPS to get the lat/lon of the waypoints that you want to use.

Basically set up the base and then move the rover by hand to the location of the waypoints you want to use and write them down on mission planner. Make sure the Rover always has a 3D RTK fix.

Latter when executing the mission the copter will travel to the locations that you measured by hand placing the copter.