PLM PRODUCT INFORMATION Agricultural Equipment UK & ROI Precision Farming Reference UK- PLM_03_13 Date: 1st May 2013 Announcing the new RangePoint RTX Correction Service RangePoint RTX is a GPS and GLONASS enabled correction service delivered via satellite and built on the same RTX technology as CenterPoint RTX. This correction service provides up to 15 cm / 6 inch pass-to-pass horizontal accuracy and 50 cm / 20 inch repeatable horizontal GNSS positioning without requiring the use of traditional ground-based stations. RangePoint RTX does not require additional receivers, modems, or data plans and will be available throughout most of the world.
Features of RangePoint RTX Extensive coverage for most regions of the world Africa Asia Australia Europe (NB coverage in Northern UK maybe limited) North America Latin America Accuracy: o 15 cm / 6 inch pass-to-pass horizontal accuracy o 50 cm / 20 inch repeatable horizontal accuracy GPS and GLONASS compatible Convergence to full accuracy in less than 5 minutes often less than 1 minute Operate up to 2 minutes with a blockage of correction signal Benefits of RangePoint RTX Affordable entry-level correction service Available in regions where SBAS correction options are limited More accurate and reliable than traditional SBAS systems Work without interruption during critical field operations No additional receivers, modems, or data plans required First year of service at no charge for all compatible receivers A one-year subscription to the RangePoint RTX correction service is available to all customers owning a compatible product at no additional charge. Renewels after the first year are offered at an incredibly low price. Compatibility and Requirements The RangePoint RTX correction service is compatible with the NH 372 receiver and the FM-1000 and FM-750 displays. No additional hardware or accuracy upgrade is required to use this service. Minimum firmware versions are: Product Description NH 372 GNSS receiver TBA FM-1000 integrated display 7.1 FM-750 display 4.0 Minimum Firmware Version Note: May not ship with these firmware versions installed. The firmware must be upgraded before activating the RangePoint RTX service. Availability RangePoint RTX correction service will be available for ordering 1 st May, 2013 for use with the FM-750 and FM-1000. Availability for the NH 372 GNSS Receiver will be announced at a later date.
RangePoint RTX Correction Service Frequently Asked Questions What is the RangePoint RTX correction service? RangePoint RTX is a GPS- and GLONASS-enabled correction service built on RTX technology. This correction service provides up to 15 cm (6 inch) pass-to-pass and 50 cm (20 inch) repeatable horizontal GNSS positioning without requiring the use of traditional ground-based stations. RangePoint RTX also introduces a more accurate and reliable service to areas currently only serviced by regional SBAS solutions. How does RangePoint RTX fit into the Correction Service Portfolio? What are the benefits of this correction service? Provides 15 cm (6 inch) pass-to-pass and 50 cm (20 inch) repeatable horizontal accuracy. GNSS compatibility: Uses GPS and GLONASS satellite access on the existing NH 372 GNSS receiver, FM-1000 integrated display, and FM-750 display to increase satellite availability and extend user operating hours. Free GLONASS access: With active RangePoint RTX subscriptions, GLONASS satellite access comes standard. More uptime: Continue working during times of correction signal interruption or blockage for up to two minutes. Fast initialization: Full accuracy achieved in less than 5 minutes - often around 1 minute.
Accuracy over a large geographic area: Available throughout most of the world, allowing operators to work within a large coverage area. Easy to use, online self-service portal to activate and manage subscriptions How defined are the RangePoint RTX correction boundaries? The blue regions shown on the coverage map above are an approximation of the correction service availability. Customers will experience best performance inside mapped coverage boundaries. How does RangePoint RTX differ from CenterPoint RTX? While both services use the latest RTX technology: RangePoint RTX is an entry level, satellite delivered correction service designed for the user just starting with precision farming or for the user working in broad-acre crops where non-repeatable 6 pass-to-pass accuracy is appropriate. CenterPoint RTX is a high-accuracy correction service delivered over satellite or cellular communication methods This service provides the utmost in pass-topass and repeatable accuracy for the most demanding agriculture applications where inch-level accuracies are needed. What RangePoint RTX frequency do I need to select for my region? Frequency: - Europe/Africa (RTX EA) : 1539.9525 MHz at 600 baud
How does it work? This new technology uses real-time data from a global tracking station network. Innovative positioning and compression algorithms are used to compute and relay satellite orbit, satellite clock, and atmospheric corrections to the receiver to achieve high-accuracy positions. These adjustments are uplinked to geostationary satellites and then transmitted to the receiver through satellite broadcast. How accurate is the RangePoint RTX correction service? In terms of horizontal accuracy, this correction service can achieve 50 cm (20 inch) repeatable accuracy at least 95% of the time when the receiver is used within the specified coverage areas. Additionally, the correction service can achieve pass-topass accuracies of 15 cm (6 inch). Vertical accuracy is typically 2-3 times the horizontal accuracy range. It is recommended that customers use the CenterPoint RTK correction source for applications that require the highest level of vertical accuracy. What is the year-to-year repeatability? While the RangePoint RTX correction service provides 15cm (6 inch) pass-topass accuracy, the service is repeatable to 50 cm (20 inch) day-to-day, season-toseason, and year-to-year. Note: The RangePoint RTX correction service and other correction sources may not have the same level of repeatability or will not always use the same coordinate system as used in other correction types. Therefore, when operating more than one receiver using various correction sources, always check the accuracy of re-loaded guidance lines on the ground and shift the guidance line as needed. Does this correction service require a convergence or initialization period before users can begin working? Yes. Users typically reach the specified accuracy in less than 5 minutes - often within approximately 1 minute. Can this correction service be used in areas near trees and other obstructions? Objects such as trees, building, and grain bins will significantly decrease or completely block signal reception from all satellite types, including GPS, GLONASS, and corrections satellites. Positioning performance will degrade when satellites are blocked, but users may be able to operate guidance equipment with some degradation in accuracy depending on the severity of the blockage. Warning: Many large and sudden changes in satellite geometry caused by blockage can cause significant position shifts. If operating under these conditions, autoguidance systems can react abruptly. To avoid possible personal injury or damage to property under these conditions, disable the auto-guidance system and take manual control of the vehicle until conditions have cleared.
Can RangePoint RTX function after the signal has been temporarily blocked by trees? As long as the trees do not fully block GNSS signals, the receiver that is using the RangePoint RTX correction service can continue to operate at high accuracy for up to two minutes of correction signal blockage without the need to stop working. Users should expect some degradation of accuracy while the correction age is climbing. What user costs are associated with RangePoint RTX? RangePoint RTX is delivered via satellite broadcast, and capable receivers (NH 372, FM-750, and FM-1000) do not require any additional radios, antennas, or cellular modems. Does the user need to purchase accuracy unlocks to use RangePoint RTX? GLONASS is included, and receiver unlocks are not required. The RangePoint RTX service operates under the standard DGPS accuracy level that is shipped with every receiver. What precision farming applications are recommended? This correction service is suitable in any application where 15 cm (6 inch) pass-topass and 50 cm (20 inch) horizontal repeatable accuracy is sufficient. This includes, but is not limited to: spraying, broadcast fertilizing, and basic land prep/tillage. Is this correction service recommended for land leveling and drainage applications? No. RangePoint RTX achieves vertical accuracy in the 70-80 cm (27.6 31.5 inch) range. It is recommended that customers use a quality sub-inch RTK source for these applications. Which receivers support this correction service? Currently the following receivers support the RangePoint RTX service: NH 372 GNSS smart antenna with firmware version TBA. FM-1000 integrated display with firmware version 7.1 FM-750 display with firmware version 4.0 Does RangePoint RTX require a firmware upgrade and where can this be found? Yes, in order to use RangePoint RTX you must be on the latest firmware as stated above. New firmware versions will be available on ASIST/Trimble Support page.
What are the antenna requirements? Displays should use an appropriate dual-frequency GNSS-compatible antenna such as the AG25 or Zephyr Model 2 antenna. These antenna types are shipped as original equipment on FM-1000 and FM-750 displays. The NH 372 GNSS integrated antenna is compatible. How does a customer activate the RangePoint RTX subscription? All compatible receivers and displays are eligible for 12 months of the service at no charge to the customer. Customers must activate their subscription through the selfservice activation website at http://start.trimblertx.com. All first year activations must use this website. Activations cannot be processed via telephone. Process: 1. Go to portal http://start.trimblertx.com. 2. Create an account 3. You will then receive an e-mail with your login details
4. Login to your account 5. Enter FM-750/1000 serial number (see images below) into the portal 6. An activation code will be sent via e-mail, this has to be entered in the FM screen in the same way as an upgrade code.
Renewal When the free 12-month RangePoint RTX service expires, customers must renew it through the self-service online portal or by calling Trimble Positioning Services. Note: The 12-month subscription period begins on the day that the access code is issued; not the day that the access code is entered into the receiver or display. How does the self-service website work? A new online self-service portal enables customers to activate the RangePoint RTX service. Users can register their equipment and then the activation will be provided by an email that includes the activation passcode and instructions on how to manually activate the device. Is RangePoint RTX available over cellular network with a DCM-300 modem? No, RangePoint RTX is only available over satellite delivery. However, the CenterPoint RTX service is however available via cellular delivery. Where do I go for technical support? For any hardware related issues, please contact ASIST. For any correction service related issues, please contact Trimble Positioning Services. Service Region Telephone Numbers Europe / North Africa / Middle East / West Asia 31-70-317-0918 How is RangePoint RTX different than existing SBAS systems (WAAS, EGNOS, etc.) RangePoint RTX is based on RTX technology. Differences are as follows. Feature / function Satellite compatibility Accuracy Availability RangePoint RTX system WAAS / EGNOS systems Comment GNSS (GPS and GLONASS) GPS only More satellites mean better productivity and reliability in difficult areas. 0.5 meter (20 inches) with 95% repeatability 15cm (6 inches) pass-to-pass North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Approximately 1 meter (40 inches) 95% repeatability Not available in most Improved accuracy for consistent operations Only portions of North America, Europe and
Feature / function Reliability RangePoint RTX system WAAS / EGNOS systems Comment Asia of these areas Japan are covered by SBAS systems Keeps working even when the satellite is blocked for up to 120 seconds Not able to keep working in these situations Means less downtime Does the new xfill technology work with RangePoint RTX? No, while both are powered by RTX technology- xfill technology bridges cell and radio outages for RTK and VRS corrections. RangePoint RTX is a continuous correction stream delivered via satellite broadcast so xfill function is not applicable. Can I upgrade to a higher accuracy RTX service? Yes. A user can upgrade to the CenterPoint RTX service which provides 1.5 (3.8) cm accuracy by satellite delivery. To upgrade the RangePoint RTX subscription contact Trimble Positioning Services (contact information above).