How to figure out which board to choose?

Other
1

I am working on a multi-terrain rover and will be testing it in field conditions over the next few months. Real-time position estimation is critical to my research. I am new to using GPS and I am unable to figure out which board to choose (RTK, RTK2, Postcard, etc.).
Additionally, do I need a base/reference station for getting the 10 mm accuracy? If yes, where should it be located? I will be testing in different locations in North Carolina, US.
Any input/help from your team would be really valuable.

2

If you’re not after dead-reckoning, I’d recommend one of these:
RTK Postcard - $175, a bit more with its shield

  • Horizontal Position Accuracy: Autonomous: 0.7m, RTK: 0.8cm + 1ppm
  • Vertical Accuracy: Autonomous: 2.5m, RTK: 1.5cm + 1ppm

OR

The Mosaic is our most accurate chip - $700
6mm (~0.25in), vertical accuracy of 1cm (~0.4in) using RTK

You’ll generally need a base if you don’t a have a RTK correction source available within ~10 km for the most accuracy…ours got to +/-2mm!

3

That’s a very tricky question. If you need “absolute” accuracy, then the answer is Yes (plus a lot more).

But if you only need to document the rover’s track, reproduce it, etc, then maybe not.

If you can provide more details about the goals of your project (in terms of your positioning) then we can all help fine-tune which directions to explore.

Also, will you have wifi or cellular service available in the normal operating conditions ?

4

Thank you for your response. I was also thinking about getting the RTK postcard along with its shield because we want to position record the data on an SD card.
How do I figure out if I have an RTK connection source available within ~10 km. I think it might be safer to assume that there isnt one and get a base. What are your thoughts? What base station should I get? We need the 10 mm accuracy for our project.
Please let me know if you need additional information

5

We just need to track the rover’s position while running tests and record the position on an SD card (very important) and/or visualize it on the app in real-time. We dont expect to conduct tests in very remote locations. So cellular service should be available.
What do you mean by “absolute” accuracy"?