Ashtech has released version 3.5 firmware for the ProFlex 500 GNSS receiver that includes a powerful NTRIP Caster to enable surveyors, municipalities, mining, engineering, and agricultural operations to easily implement and control their own cost-effective and secure corrections network via NTRIP protocol, the company said. Ashtech dealers are also expected to take advantage of the new Caster feature to set up their own service network for their customers.

“RTK precision for land survey is mainstream, and GIS professionals are looking to improve accuracy in real-time; but for both, receiving RTK corrections is often either too difficult or costly,” explained Olivier Casabianca, GNSS Boards & Sensors marketing manager at Ashtech. “The ProFlex 500 Caster addresses both these problems.”

The ProFlex 500 NTRIP Caster makes it possible to access various sources of data from different base stations through a single Internet connection, as well as protect these sources of corrections from unauthorized users. The embedded NTRIP Caster allows ProFlex 500 owners to set up a network of up to 10 different mount points and up to 100 users. The network serves the needs of both the survey and GIS markets by providing affordable access to both centimeter-level and/or the decimeter-level real-time accuracy, Ashtech said.

The ProFlex 500 Caster offers a reliable new alternative for many types of uses, including field survey, mobile GIS and machine control, the company said. According to Casabianca, “Civil engineering, mining companies, municipalities, and agricultural organizations will see the Caster as a great opportunity to set up their own corrections services. It lowers costs by eliminating subscription fees and can provide secure access to corrections in previously un-served areas. In addition, the ProFlex 500 NTRIP Caster enables Ashtech dealers to develop a new business by offering not only RTK rovers and GIS data collectors to their customers, but a secure and reliable access service to differential corrections.”

Ashtech survey rovers connected to the NTRIP Caster are capable of delivering RTK positioning up to a 70-km baseline. Additionally for many applications such as GIS data collection, the NTRIP Caster can broadcast corrections over hundreds of kilometers to enable GIS receivers in the field to reach decimeter positioning, such as for mapping purposes.

Ashtech rovers that offer Flying RTK technology are able to achieve survey-level performance over large areas, the size of France or Alaska, which may be covered by a network of only two base stations, the company said.

Version 3.5 firmware will be available in late April and is uploadable to any ProFlex 500. The Caster feature is activated on purchase.