TopNET-V: Installation and configuration (Part 2 of 5) - Adding reference stations

Welcome to TopNET-V, a client program offered as an extension to Topcon’s unique and powerful Reference Station Software Suite. As a part of the TopNET+ package, the TopNET-V application is intended to control a network of reference stations and provide corrections to any rover, located within the coverage area of the network, and is used in conjunction with the TopNET-S server and TopNET-R client programs.

TopNET-V can be configured to support RTK, DGPS and Network RTK modes of operation in any combinations; the user simply decides which data stream is compatible with the mobile equipment in use and requests this through the appropriate communication link.

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TopNET-V: Installation and configuration (Part 2 of 5) - Adding reference stations

Adding reference stations

To add new reference stations to TopNET-V to be used for single base network RTK or network RTK, please perform the following steps:

  1. Open TopNET-V on the PC.
  2. Navigate to Setup > Reference Stations.
    • The current list of reference stations added to TopNET-V will appear.
  3. To add a new reference station, click Add.

There are three different methods to add a reference station to TopNET-V:

  • Adding a receiver accessible by any TopNET-S server.
  • Adding a receiver accessible by NTRIP caster.
  • Adding a receiver streaming data over the internet (direct TCP/IP). 

Typically, the last two options are used when adding 3rd party reference station sites to be used for RTK to TopNET-V. 

Adding a receiver accessible by any TopNET-S server

To add a receiver accessible by any TopNET-S server, do the following:

  1. In the Add Reference Station dialog box, click the A Topcon receiver accessible via TopNET-S radio button.
  2. Click Next.

In the Add Topcon Reference Station dialog box, do the following:

  1. Select the TopNET-S server from the drop-down menu. 
  2. If the server doesn’t appear in the list, click More Servers, and add the TopNET-S server IP address, TCP/IP port, and user credentials as necessary.
  3. Click the Get Receivers button to access the TopNET-S receiver list.
  4. Select the receiver from the list that will be added to TopNET-V.
  5. Click Next.

Site ID

  1. Enter the name and 4-character ID of the reference station.
  2. For the 4-character ID, for the US, typically the first two characters are the state, and the last two are the city where the reference station is installed.
  3. Click Next.

Position

  1. Enter the known, surveyed ECEF or geodetic ARP coordinates of the reference station.
  2. The user will need to keep track of what coordinate system the reference station coordinates for each station are using.
    • All the reference stations in the network must use the same coordinate system. 
    • TopNETlive in the US, for instance, uses NAD83 2011 coordinates for its reference stations.
  3. Click Next.

Antenna type

  1. Select the reference station Antenna Type from the drop-down menu.
  2. Enter the reference station Antenna Serial Number (optional).
  3. Click Next.

Group

  1. Enter a Group name for the reference station or select an existing group from the list. 
    • Multiple reference stations that belong to the same organization can be grouped together in TopNET-V to make it easier to determine who owns or is responsible for a given reference station.
  2. Click Finish.
    • The newly added reference station will now appear in the list as well as on the map view in TopNET-V.
    • The user can then add any additional stations, edit existing station properties/settings, and also delete stations from the reference station list.
  3. Click Close.

Adding a receiver accessible via an NTRIP caster

To add a receiver accessible via an NTRIP caster, do the following:

  1. In the Add Reference Station dialog box, click the Any receiver accessible via an Ntrip caster radio button.
  2. Click Next.
  1. Enter the IP address and TCP/IP port of the NTRIP caster in the following format:
    • xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxxx (IP up to 255 each, TCP port up to 99999)
  2. Click the Get List button to access the NTRIP Mountpoint list.
  1. Choose the NTRIP Mountpoint on the caster to stream RTCM2 or RTCM3 data.
    • The NTRIP mountpoint chosen will need to connect directly to the intended station (and not just the closest reference station). 
  2. Click OK.
  1. Enter the NTRIP Login.
  2. Enter the NTRIP Password.
  3. Click Next.
  1. Select the RTCM Format in which the reference station is transmitting data as RTCM 2.x or RTCM 3.x from the drop-down menu.
  2. To properly account for clock biases, select the reference station Manufacturer from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Follow the remaining prompts as listed in the section Adding a receiver accessible by any TopNET-S server:
    • Site ID
    • Position
    • Antenna type
    • Group

Adding a receiver accessible via a direct TCP/IP connection

To add a receiver accessible via a direct TCP/IP connection, do the following:

  1. In the Add Reference Station dialog box, click the Any receiver streaming data to Internet (TCP/IP) radio button.
  2. Click Next.
  1. Enter the IP address (or host name) and TCP/IP port of the reference station.
  2. Note that there shouldn’t be any authentication setup on the reference station receiver that is outputting RTCM corrections via Ethernet. If so, the receiver may not connect to TopNET-V properly.
  3. Click Next.
  1. Select the RTCM Format in which the reference station is transmitting data as RTCM 2.x or RTCM 3.x from the drop-down menu.
  2. To properly account for clock biases, select the reference station Manufacturer from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Follow the remaining prompts as listed in the section Adding a receiver accessible by any TopNET-S server:
    • Site ID
    • Position
    • Antenna type
    • Group

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