Trimble 50158 R8 User Manual

Trimble® R7/R8 GPS Receiver

User Guide



Version 2.11

Revision A

June 2004

Corporate Office

Hardware Limited Warranty

Trimble Navigation Limited
Engineering and Construction Division
5475 Kellenburger Road
Dayton, Ohio 45424-1099
U.S.A.

Copyright and Trademarks

© 2001-2004, Trimble Navigation Limited. All
rights reserved.

Trimble, the Globe & Triangle logo, and GPS
Total Station are trademarks of Trimble
Navigation Limited, registered in the United
States Patent and Trademark Office and other
countries. eRTK, Micro-Centred, SiteNet, Trimble
Geomatics Office, Trimble Survey Controller,
Trimble Survey Pro, TRIMMARK, TRIMTALK,
TSC1, TSCe, and Zephyr are trademarks of
Trimble Navigation Limited.

The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by
the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks
by Trimble Navigation Limited is under license

Microsoft and Windows are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other
countries.

All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.

Release Notice

This is the June 2004 release (Revision A) of the
Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide. It
applies to version 2.11 of the Trimble R7/R8 GPS
receivers.

Trimble warrants that this Trimble hardware
product (the “Product”) shall be free from defects
in materials and workmanship and will
substantially conform to Trimble’s applicable
published specifications for the Product for a
period of one (1) year, starting from the date of
delivery. The warranty set forth in this paragraph
shall not apply to software/firmware products.

Software and Firmware License, Limited
Warranty

This Trimble software and/or firmware product
(the “Software”) is licensed and not sold. Its use is
governed by the provisions of the applicable End
User License Agreement (“EULA”), if any,
included with the Software. In the absence of a
separate EULA included with the Software
providing different limited warranty terms,
exclusions, and limitations, the following terms
and conditions shall apply. Trimble warrants that
this Trimble Software product will substantially
conform to Trimble’s applicable published
specifications for the Software for a period of
ninety (90) days, starting from the date of
delivery.

Warranty Remedies

Trimble's sole liability and your exclusive remedy
under the warranties set forth above shall be, at
Trimble’s option, to repair or replace any Product
or Software that fails to conform to such warranty
(“Nonconforming Product”), or refund the
purchase price paid by you for any such
Nonconforming Product, upon your return of any
Nonconforming Product to Trimble in accordance
with Trimble’s standard return material
authorization procedures.

The following limited warranties give you specific
legal rights. You may have others, which vary
from state/jurisdiction to state/jurisdiction.

Warranty Exclusions and Disclaimer

These warranties shall be applied only in the event
and to the extent that: (i) the Products and
Software are properly and correctly installed,
configured, interfaced, maintained, stored, and
operated in accordance with Trimble’s relevant
operator's manual and specifications, and; (ii) the
Products and Software are not modified or
misused. The preceding warranties shall not apply
to, and Trimble shall not be responsible for defects

or performance problems resulting from (i) the
combination or utilization of the Product or
Software with products, information, data,
systems or devices not made, supplied or specified
by Trimble; (ii) the operation of the Product or
Software under any specification other than, or in
addition to, Trimble's standard specifications for
its products; (iii) the unauthorized modification or
use of the Product or Software; (iv) damage
caused by accident, lightning or other electrical
discharge, fresh or salt water immersion or spray;
or (v) normal wear and tear on consumable parts
(e.g., batteries).

THE WARRANTIES ABOVE STATE TRIMBLE'S
ENTIRE LIABILITY, AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE
REMEDIES, RELATING TO PERFORMANCE OF
THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN,
THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND
WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND BY EITHER TRIMBLE
NAVIGATION LIMITED OR ANYONE WHO HAS
BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION,
PRODUCTION, INSTALLATION, OR
DISTRIBUTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND
NONINFRINGEMENT. THE STATED EXPRESS
WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL
OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON THE PART
OF TRIMBLE ARISING OUT OF, OR IN
CONNECTION WITH, ANY PRODUCTS OR
SOFTWARE. SOME STATES AND
JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS
ON DURATION OR THE EXCLUSION OF AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY, SO THE ABOVE
LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED IS NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OR
FAILURE OF OPERATION OF GPS SATELLITES
OR THE AVAILABILITY OF GPS SATELLITE
SIGNALS.

FOR THE PRODUCT OR SOFTWARE LICENSE OR
U.S.$25.00. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO
EVENT SHALL TRIMBLE OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE
OR LEGAL THEORY RELATING IN ANY WAY TO
THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS, (INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF
BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION,
LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR ANY
OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS), REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER TRIMBLE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH LOSS AND
REGARDLESS OF THE COURSE OF DEALING
WHICH DEVELOPS OR HAS DEVELOPED
BETWEEN YOU AND TRIMBLE. BECAUSE SOME
STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW
THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU.

Regulations and Safety

The Bluetooth module inside your receiver is a
radio-modem transmitter and receiver.

Regulations regarding the use of the radio­modems vary greatly from country to country. In
some countries, the unit can be used without
obtaining an end-user license. Other countries
require end-user licensing. Consult your local
communications governing agency for licensing
information.

Before operating this receiver, determine if
authorization or a license to operate the unit is
required in your country. It is the responsibility of
the end user to obtain an operator’s permit or
license for this receiver radio-modem for the
location or country of use.

TATEMENT ACCORDING FCC PART 15.19

S

Limitation of Liability

TRIMBLE’S ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY
PROVISION HEREIN SHALL BE LIMITED TO
THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

STATEMENT ACCORDING FCC PART 15.21

Modifications not expressly approved by Trimble
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.

STATEMENT ACCORDING FCC PART 15.105

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to
try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:

Type Approval

Type approval, or acceptance, covers technical
parameters of the equipment related to emissions

that can cause interference. Type approval is
granted to the manufacturer of the transmission
equipment, independent from the operation or
licensing of the units. Some countries have unique
technical requirements for operation in particular
radio-modem frequency bands. To comply with
those requirements, Trimble may have modified
your equipment to be granted Type approval.
Unauthorized modification of the units voids the
Type approval, the warranty, and the operational
license of the equipment.

Safety

EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY
RADIATION

You must maintain a minimum separation distance
of 20 cm (approximately 8 in.) between yourself
and the radiating GSM antenna for this device to
satisfy the RF Exposure requirements of the FCC.

For mobile operation, the maximum gain of the
GSM antenna must not exceed 0 dBi.

– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

– Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is
connected.

-- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV
technician for help.

Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Your Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Trimble R7 GPS Receiver

2 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Use and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

COCOM Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3 Setting up the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Parts of the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Rear panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Top panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Bottom panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Setup Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Environmental conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Sources of electrical interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

General guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Postprocessed Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide v

Contents

Pole-Mounted Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Backpack Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Other System Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Cellular modems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

CompactFlash cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

4 General Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Button Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

LED Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Logging/Memory LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

SV Tracking LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Radio LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Battery 1 LED and Battery 2 LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Starting and Stopping the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Logging Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Logging internally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Logging to a Trimble controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Resetting to Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Formatting a CompactFlash Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Batteries and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Battery charging and storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Operating with the TSC1/TSCe controller. . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Power output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

5 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Configuring the Receiver in Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Configuring the Receiver Using Application Files . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Application Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

vi Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

Contents

Special application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Timed application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Applying application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Storing application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Naming application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

6 Transferring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Connecting to the Office Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Transferring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Transferring Files Directly from a CompactFlash Card . . . . . . . . 66

Deleting Files in the Receiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Supported File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

7 Software Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

GPS Configurator Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Installing GPS Configurator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Configuring the Trimble R7 receiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

WinFlash Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Installing WinFlash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Upgrading firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Adding frequencies for the 450 MHz internal radio . . . . . . . 74

Configuring the internal 900 MHz radio setup. . . . . . . . . . 76

8 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Positioning Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

9 Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide vii

Contents

Resetting to Factory Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Default behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Power up settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Logging after power loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Disabling logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

10 Cables and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Port 1, 2, and 3 Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Power/serial data cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Event Marker/1PPS Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

GPS Antennas and Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

11 Event Marker Input and 1PPS Output . . . . . . . . . . 99

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Event Marker Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Enabling and configuring event marker input . . . . . . . . . . 100

1PPS Output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

1PPS pulse definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

ASCII time tag definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Enabling and configuring 1PPS output . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Trimble R8 GPS Receiver

12 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Use and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

COCOM Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

13 Setting up the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

viii Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

Contents

Parts of the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Lower housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Setup Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Environmental conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Sources of electrical interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

General guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Pole-Mounted Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Other System Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Cellular modems and external radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

14 General Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Button Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

LED Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

LED flash patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Starting and Stopping the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Logging Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Logging internally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Logging to a Trimble controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Resetting to Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Batteries and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Battery charging and storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Power output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

15 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Configuring the Receiver in Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Configuring the Receiver Using Application Files . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Application Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Special application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide ix

Contents

Applying application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Storing application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Naming application files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

16 Software Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

GPS Configurator Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Installing GPS Configurator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Configuring the Trimble R8 receiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

WinFlash Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Installing WinFlash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Upgrading firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Adding frequencies for the 450 MHz internal radio . . . . . . . 144

Configuring the internal 900 MHz radio setup. . . . . . . . . . 146

Configuring the internal transceiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

17 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Physical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Positioning Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

18 Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Resetting to Factory Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Default behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Power up settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

19 Cables and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Port 1 and 2 Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Power/Serial Data Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

x Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

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Appendixes

Trimble R7 / Trimble R8

A NMEA-0183 Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

NMEA-0183 Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Common Message Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Message values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

NMEA Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

B RTCM Output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

RTCM Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Message Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

C Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide xi

Contents

xii Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

CHAPTER

1

Introduction 1

Welcome to the Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide. This
manual describes how to install, set up, and use a Trimble® R7 or
Trimble R8 GPS receiver.

Even if you have used other Global Positioning System (GPS)
products before, Trimble recommends that you spend some time
reading this manual to learn about the special features of this product.

If you are not familiar with GPS, visit our website for an interactive
look at Trimble and GPS at:

• www.trimble.com

Trimble assumes that you are familiar with the Microsoft®
Windows® operating system and know how to use a mouse, select
options from menus and dialogs, make selections from lists, and refer
to online help.

1.1 Related Information

An electronic copy of this manual is available in portable document
format (PDF) on the Trimble R7, Trimble R8, 5700, and 5800 GPS
Receiver CD. Use Adobe Reader to view the contents of this file.

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 1

1 Introduction

Other sources of related information are:

• Release notes – the release notes describe new features of the
product, information not included in the manual, and any
changes to the manual. They are provided as a PDF on the CD.
Use Adobe Reader to view the contents of the release notes.

• Registration – register your receiver to automatically receive
e-mail notifications of Trimble R7 receiver firmware upgrades
and new functionality. To register, do one of the following:

–Run the Trimble R7, Trimble R8, 5700, and 5800 GPS

Receiver CD.

– Register electronically via the internet by completing the

form and submitting.

– Print the registration form that is on the CD, fill it in, and

fax or mail it to the address shown.

Contact your local Trimble Dealer for more information about
the support agreement contracts for software and firmware, and
an extended warranty program for hardware.

• Trimble training courses – consider a training course to help
you use your GPS system to its fullest potential. For more
information, visit the Trimble website at
www.trimble.com/training.html

1.2 Warnings and Cautions

Always follow the instructions that accompany a warning or a caution.

C

C

2 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

WARNING – Alerts you to a situation that is likely to cause serious

personal injury, irreparable damage to equipment, or unrecoverable data
loss.

Caution – Alerts you to a hazard or an unsafe practice that could cause
injury or property damage.

1.3 Technical Assistance

If you have a problem and cannot find the information you need in the
product documentation, contact your local Distributor. Alternatively,
request technical support using the Trimble website at:

• www.trimble.com/support.html

1.4 You r Comm ents

Your feedback about the supporting documentation helps us to
improve it with each revision. E-mail your comments to

[e-mail].

Introduction 1

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 3

1 Introduction

4 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

SECTION

I

ITRIMBLE R7 GPS RECEIVER

CHAPTER

2

Overview 2

In this chapter:

Q Introduction

Q Features

Q Use and Care

Q COCOM Limits

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 7

2 Overview

2.1 Introduction

Trimble R7 Operation

2.2 Features

This chapter introduces the Trimble R7 GPS receiver. This receiver is
designed for GPS surveying applications. The receiver features
one-touch logging for ease of use, and five LEDs that let you monitor
the survey in progress and the available battery capacity.

The Trimble R7 tracks GPS satellites on both the L1 and L2
frequencies to provide precise position data for land survey
applications. The receiver records GPS data on an internal
CompactFlash card and makes all data available through serial or USB
ports.

You can use the Trimble R7 alone by logging data internally, or as part
of the GPS Total Station® system, which logs GPS data from the
receiver to a Trimble controller running the Trimble Survey
Controller™ or Trimble Survey Pro™ software.

The receiver provides the following features:

• Trimble R-track technology, which allows the receiver to track
the L2 Civil signal (L2C)

• Centimeter-accuracy real-time positioning with RTK/OTF data,
and up to 10 Hz position updates

• Submeter-accuracy real-time positioning using pseudorange
corrections

• Adaptive dual-frequency RTK engine

• WAAS/EGNOS capability (Wide Area Augmentation
System/European Geo-Stationary Navigation System)

• Automatic OTF (on-the-fly) initialization while moving

• 1PPS (One Pulse Per Second) output

• Dual event-marker input

8 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

• USB port for data transfer

• Type I CompactFlash card for data storage

Overview 2

• Internal charging of batteries (no external battery charger
required)

• Three RS-232 serial ports for:

–NMEA output

– RTCM SC-104 input and output

– Trimble Format (CMR) input and output

• Two TNC ports for connecting to the GPS and radio antennas

2.3 Use and Care

The Trimble R7 is designed to withstand the rough treatment that
typically occurs in the field. However, the receiver is a high-precision
electronic instrument and should be treated with reasonable care.

C WARNING – Operating or storing the receiver outside the specified

temperature range can damage it. For more information, see Physical
specifications, page 80.

High-power signals from a nearby radio or radar transmitter can
overwhelm the receiver circuits. This does not harm the instrument,
but it can prevent the receiver electronics from functioning correctly.
Avoid using the receiver within 400 meters of powerful radar,
television, or other transmitters. Low-power transmitters such as those
used in cellphones and two-way radios normally do not interfere with
receiver operations.

Trimble R7 Operation

For more information, contact your local Trimble distributor.

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 9

2 Overview

2.4 COCOM Limits

Trimble R7 Operation

The U.S. Department of Commerce requires that all exportable GPS
products contain performance limitations so that they cannot be used
in a manner that could threaten the security of the United States. The
following limitations are implemented on the Trimble R7 receiver.

Immediate access to satellite measurements and navigation results is
disabled when the receiver’s velocity is computed to be greater than
1000 knots, or its altitude is computed to be above 18,000 meters. The
receiver continuously resets until the COCOM situation is cleared.

10 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

CHAPTER

3

Setting up the Receiver 3

In this chapter:

Q Introduction

Q Parts of the Receiver

Q Setup Guidelines

Q Postprocessed Setup

Q Pole-mounted Setup

Q Backpack Setup

Q Other System Components

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 11

3 Setting up the Receiver

3.1 Introduction

Trimble R7 Operation

3.2 Parts of the Receiver

This chapter provides general setup information, connection
information, and cabling diagrams for the most common uses of the
Trimble R7 receiver.

All operating controls, ports, and connectors on the receiver are
located on its four main panels, as shown in Figure 3.1. This section
provides a brief overview of the features of each of these panels.

To p
panel

Front
panel

Bottom
panel

Figure 3.1 Panels on the Trimble R7 receiver

12 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

Rear
panel

32.1 Front panel

Figure 3.2 shows the front panel of the Trimble R7. This panel
contains the five indicator LEDs, the two buttons, and the catch for the
CompactFlash/USB door.

Setting up the Receiver 3

Buttons

t

2

3

Trimble R7 Operation

CompactFlash/
USB door catch

Figure 3.2 Front panel

Indicator LEDs

The two buttons control data logging, data management, power, and
settings. For more information, see Button Functions, page 38.

The indicator LEDs show the status of logging, power, satellite
tracking, and radio reception. For more information, see LED
Behavior, page 39.

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 13

3 Setting up the Receiver

32.2 Rear panel

Trimble R7 Operation

Figure 3.3 shows the rear panel of the Trimble R7. This panel contains
a slot for attaching the receiver catch lock, and the catches for the two
battery compartments on the bottom panel. The catch lock should
already be attached to your receiver.

Receiver
catch lock

Figure 3.3 Rear panel

Battery
compartment
catches

To mount the receiver on a pole, you need to attach the receiver
bracket to the pole and insert the catch lock into the bracket. For more
information, see Pole-Mounted Setup, page 22.

14 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

32.3 Top panel

Figure 3.4 shows the top panel of the Trimble R7. This panel contains
the three power/serial data ports and (TNC) ports for GPS and radio
antenna connections.

Setting up the Receiver 3

Trimble R7 Operation

Power/serial data ports

123

GPS antenna Radio antenna

Figure 3.4 Top panel

TNC ports

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 15

3 Setting up the Receiver

Each port on the top panel is marked with an icon to indicate its main
function.

Trimble R7 Operation

Table 3.1 Trimble R7 receiver ports

Icon Name Connections

Port 1 Trimble controller, event marker, or computer

Port 2 Power in, computer, 1PPS, or event marker

Port 3 External radio, power in

GPS GPS antenna

RADIO Radio communications antenna

The power/serial data ports are all 7 pin 0-shell Lemo connectors.
Both Port 2 and Port 3 can accept external power. For information on
default port settings, see Default Settings, page 85. For information on
connector pinouts, see Cables and Connectors, page 91.

The TNC port connectors are color-coded for easy system setup.
Connect the yellow GPS antenna cable to the yellow TNC port marked
GPS, and connect the blue Range Pole antenna (RPA) cable to the blue
TNC connector marked RADIO. For more information on connecting
the Trimble R7 system, see the following sections in this chapter.

16 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide

32.4 Bottom panel

Figure 3.5 shows the bottom panel of the Trimble R7. This panel
contains the USB port, the CompactFlash port, and the compartments
for the two internal batteries.

Internal battery

Setting up the Receiver 3

Trimble R7 Operation

CompactFlash/
USB door

CompactFlash port

USB port

C

Internal battery

compartment

Figure 3.5 Bottom panel

The CompactFlash/USB door conceals the CompactFlash port and
USB port. To open the door, push the catch on the front panel down.

WARNING – When no USB cable is connected, or when using the
receiver in a harsh environment, keep this door closed to keep moisture,
dust, and dirt out of the ports. The temperature rating of the receiver
applies only when all doors on the receiver are closed.

Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide 17

3 Setting up the Receiver

3.3 Setup Guidelines

Trimble R7 Operation

33.1 Environmental conditions

33.2 Sources of electrical interference

Consider the following guidelines when setting up the Trimble R7.

Although the Trimble R7 has a waterproof housing, reasonable care
should be taken to keep the unit dry. Avoid exposure to extreme
environmental conditions, including:

• Water

• Heat greater than 65° C (149° F)

• Cold less than –40° C (–40° F)

• Corrosive fluids and gases

Avoiding these conditions improves the receiver performance and
long-term reliability.

Avoid the following sources of electrical and magnetic noise:

• Gasoline engines (spark plugs)

• Televisions and PC monitors

• Alternators and generators

• Electric motors

• Equipment with DC-to-AC converters

• Fluorescent lights

• Switching power supplies

18 Trimble R7/R8 GPS Receiver User Guide