TerraStar Corrections Services

Platform:

OEM719, OEM729, OEM7500, OEM7600, OEM7700, OEM7720, PwrPak7, CPT7, CPT7700, SMART7, SMART2

TerraStar subscriptions

TerraStar Corrections Services subscriptions offer a range of real-time precision positioning services for land and airborne applications leveraging Novatel’s Precise Point Positioning (PPP) solution. For details see novatel.com/products/gps-gnss-correction-services/terrastar-correction-services.

  • TerraStar-L

    TerraStar-L provides reliable sub-metre accuracy with excellent pass-to-pass repeatability for basic positioning and navigation applications, with performance specifically tailored for broadacre farming.

  • TerraStar-C PRO

    TerraStar-C PRO provides best in class, 2.5 cm accuracy globally with fast convergence and fast re-convergence after GNSS outages. A premium service for precise navigation and high reliability applications.

  • TerraStar-X Regional

    TerraStar-X Regional provides rapid one minute convergence and 2 cm accuracy in region. The TerraStar-X service subscription also includes TerraStar-C PRO outside the region and RTK ASSIST PRO globally. Precise navigation and high reliability are instantly available.

  • RTK ASSIST

    RTK ASSIST enables OEM7 receivers using RTK to maintain centimetre-level accuracy for up to 20 minutes of RTK correction outages.

  • RTK ASSIST PRO

    RTK ASSIST PRO enables OEM7 receivers using RTK to maintain centimetre-level accuracy for longer RTK correction outages. It also provides independent centimetre-level PPP positioning enabling operations in areas where there is no RTK base or network coverage.

  • SmartNet RTK plus RTK ASSIST

    NovAtel offers HxGN SmartNet RTK network corrections and RTK ASSIST service together as SmartNet+, providing RTK corrections and maintaining centimetre-level accuracy during cellular outages up to 20 minutes.

TerraStar-X is not available on SMART2 receivers.

To use TerraStar Correction Services and obtain a PPP solution, perform the following steps.

  1. Ensure the GNSS system has the required components. See Required components.

  2. Enable L-band tracking or NTRIP for PPP on the receiver.
    See Enable L-band tracking or NTRIP for PPP.

  3. Obtain a subscription to the TerraStar Correction Service to be used.
    The NovAtel eCommerce system will ensure the required features are authorized or included.

Geogating and Regional Access

For land-based applications, TerraStar subscriptions are geogated to function only on land. A small margin is included around shorelines to ensure it is not blocked near the ocean. These services are marked as GEOGATED in the Region Restriction fields of the TERRASTARINFO log. Land-based TerraStar subscriptions are also limited to a region based on which L-band satellites are in view from the location specified at purchase. See terrastar.net/services/terrastar-coverage-map-map for coverage. The LBANDBEAMTABLE log shows which L-band satellites the receiver is permitted to access.

For airborne or global operations, TerraStar subscriptions without geogating or L-band satellite restrictions are available. These are marked NONE in the Region Restriction fields of the TERRASTARINFO log, and the LBANDBEAMTABLE log has access enabled for all satellites.

Contact NovAtel sales for details.

Required components

To use TerraStar Correction Services, the GNSS system requires the following components:

  • An OEM7 receiver.
    (OEM719, OEM729, OEM7500, OEM7600, OEM7700, OEM7720, PwrPak7, CPT7 or CPT7700, SMART7, SMART2)

  • Receiver firmware that is compatible with TerraStar Correction Services.

    • TerraStar-L – all OEM7 firmware versions

    • TerraStar-C PRO, RTK ASSIST, RTK ASSIST PRO – firmware version 7.05.00 or later. Version 7.08.10 or later provides the best convergence performance and robustness.

    • TerraStar-X Regional – firmware version 7.06.03 or later. Version 7.08.10 or later provides service outside of the region.

  • A GNSS antenna capable of receiving L-band signals, an IP connection to the NTRIP stream or a serial connection to an external.

    For the best TerraStar performance, select a GNSS antenna that provides full GNSS signal support. (i.e., GPS L1/L2/L5, GLONASS L1/L2, Galileo E1/E5a/E5b/E6 and BeiDou B1C/B2a/B2b/B3)

    Refer to our web site novatel.com/products/gps-gnss-antennas for information about NovAtel L-band-capable antennas.

    The antenna built into the SMART7 and SMART2 receives L-band signals.

    L-band reception is not required if using IP delivered TerraStar Corrections. See APN-089: IP Delivery for Global TerraStar Corrections for more information.

For instructions on upgrading the OEM7 receiver firmware, see NovAtel firmware.

Enable L-band tracking

The receiver must be powered and tracking an L-band signal from a TerraStar satellite to receive a subscription transmitted as a dispatch message and to receive corrections from the satellites during operation. Alternately see NTRIP for PPP.

Send the ASSIGNLBANDBEAM command to configure the receiver to track the L-band signals from TerraStar satellites.

ASSIGNLBANDBEAM auto

By default, the ASSIGNLBANDBEAM command is set to AUTO on SMART7 and SMART2 receivers.

To confirm the receiver is tracking an L-band signal, request the LBANDTRACKSTAT log to view the L-band tracking status information.

log lbandtrackstat

<LBANDTRACKSTAT USB1 0 54.5 FINESTEERING 2232 421280.000 02000020 29e3 16809

<   5

<      "98W" 1545865000 1200 974c 00c2 0 -449.146 40.239 2.8709 160.522 2944 1 1 376832 287 0.0005

<      "AORW" 1545845000 1200 974c 00c2 0 -178.422 44.178 4.1159 171.958 3200 0 0 409600 2 0.0000

<      "POR" 1545905000 1200 974c 0000 0 643.962 0.000 0.0000 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0.0000

<      "" 0 0 0000 0003 0 0.000 0.000 0.0000 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0.0000

<      "" 0 0 0000 0003 0 0.000 0.000 0.0000 0.000 0 0 0 0 0 0.0000

If the receiver is tracking an L-band signal from a TerraStar satellite, the tracking status word (shown in bold in the example above) of the LBANDTRACKSTAT log will be 00c2. In the example above, the tracking status word indicates that the receiver has locked onto the signal from "98W" and "AORW", but not "POR".

The latest services and coverage can be obtained from novatel.com/products/gps-gnss-correction-services/terrastar-correction-services. For additional information on TerraStar subscriptions, contact NovAtel Customer Service at novatel.com/support or download APN-087 TerraStar on OEM7 from novatel.com/support/support-materials/application-notes

NTRIP for PPP

TerraStar subscription messages and corrections can be received over an IP connection either in addition to over L-band, for robustness, in place of L-band if using an antenna without L-band reception, or when operating in polar regions outside L-band satellite coverage. For receivers with an Ethernet port, there is an NTRIP client built into the receiver, otherwise use an external NTRIP client to send corrections over another communications port. See APN-089: IP Delivery for Global TerraStar Corrections from novatel.com/support/support-materials/application-notes for detailed instructions.

Obtain a subscription

TerraStar subscriptions can be purchased through a NovAtel dealer, NovAtel eStore, the NovAtel machine to machine (M2M) interface or NovAtel sales. See Receiver Features: Authorization and Subscriptions for details.

The receiver product serial number (PSN) is needed to obtain a subscription. See Serial Number, Hardware Version, Software Model, Firmware Version.

Required receiver features

TerraStar-L and RTK ASSIST will work with only GPS, but for best performance purchase both GPS and GLONASS constellation support with a model that starts with D, C, T or F. A software model upgrade can be purchased and delivered with the subscription. If needed, the upgrade to dual frequency support will be provided with the subscription.

TerraStar-C PRO requires the PPP positioning feature. If the receiver does not already have the PPP feature authorized, you will be prompted to purchase a PPP subscription or model upgrade to be delivered with the subscription. A model name with P, R or B in the fourth character includes the PPP feature.

RTK ASSIST, RTK ASSIST PRO and TerraStar-X (which includes RTK ASSIST PRO) all extend the RTK positioning feature. If the receiver does not already have the RTK feature authorized, you will be prompted to purchase an RTK subscription or model upgrade to be delivered with the subscription. The RTK feature shows as an R or B in the fourth character of the model name.

TerraStar-C PRO, RTK ASSIST PRO and TerraStar-X all include an upgrade to all constellation, all frequency support (as supported by the hardware) with the subscription. This appears as a model starting with FF or MF for the duration of the subscription.

Verify the subscription status

When a service is active, you can confirm the service is enabled and corrections are being received with the TERRASTARSTATUS log:

log terrastarstatus

<TERRASTARSTATUS USB1 0 57.0 FINESTEERING 2232 423531.436 02000020 32bc 16809
<     ENABLELOCKED 0 IN_RANGE DISABLED

The first field after the log header will be ENABLE to indicate the TerraStar service is authorized. The second field after the log header will be LOCKED to indicate the decoder is locked to the data format and corrections are being received..

Monitor PPP convergence

The PPP position calculated using TerraStar Correction Services is not ready for use until the PPP solution has converged. To monitor the PPP convergence, request the PPPPOS log:

log ppppos ontime 1

<PPPPOS USB1 0 47.5 FINESTEERING 2232 424797.000 02000020 9078 16809
<     SOL_COMPUTED PPP_CONVERGING 51.15043905734 -114.03067597608 1096.6201 -17.0001 WGS84 0.6791 0.4277 1.7640 "TSTR" 17.000 0.000 34 34 34 33 00 00 7f 37

<PPPPOS USB1 0 58.5 FINESTEERING 2232 424886.000 02000020 9078 16809
<     SOL_COMPUTED PPP 51.15043767399 -114.03067692975 1097.4541 -17.0001 WGS84 0.2498 0.1951 0.4824 "TSTR" 16.000 0.000 34 34 34 33 00 00 7f 37

Initially the position type will report PPP_CONVERGING for TerraStar-C Pro, TerraStar-X, and RTK ASSIST PRO, or PPP_BASIC_CONVERGING for TerraStar-L. After the PPP solution has converged, the position type in the PPPPOS log will change to PPP for TerraStar-C PRO, TerraStar-X, and RTK ASSIST PRO, or PPP_BASIC for TerraStar-L. RTK ASSIST does not provide PPPPOS output.

Subscription Managed Channel Configuration

To ensure the fastest convergence and most robust solution, an all constellation, all frequency channel configuration is included with TerraStarC PRO, TerraStarX and RTK ASSIST PRO service. By default TERRASTARAUTOCHANCONFIG is enabled and the best possible channel configuration number for the service is automatically selected, overriding SELECTCHANCONFIG. The best possible channel configuration available depends on the hardware, as given in the table below.

Receiver

Constellations and frequencies (Model Prefix)

Chan Config Number

OEM719, OEM729, OEM7700, PwrPak7, CPT7700, SMART7

FF

7

OEM7500, OEM7600, OEM7720, PwrPak7D, CPT7, SMART2

MF

6

For information about channel configurations, refer to the SELECTCHANCONFIG command and the CHANCONFIGLIST log.

Additional information

For more information on TerraStar Correction Services, refer to APN-087: TerraStar on OEM7 available from novatel.com/support/support-materials/application-notes