u-blox provides positioning and wireless communication technologies and services. Recently, the company announced an extension of the reach of its PointPerfect GNSS correction service by adding the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) data format standard, opening the service to use with all GNSS and real-time kinematics (RTK) receiver hardware.
Introducing u-blox PointPerfect
PointPerfect is u-blox’s PPP-RTK (Precise Point Positioning – RTK) service for high-precision GNSS corrections. The corrections are generated using data from a global network of reference stations to model satellite and atmospheric errors over large areas. Until now, u-blox has distributed the corrections with a format called SPARTN (Secure Position Augmentation for Real-Time Navigation).
“The SPARTN format is extremely efficient in terms of bandwidth usage, making it ideal for satellite distribution thus helping customers reduce data costs. This approach has several advantages, including better availability, lower bandwidth needs, and easier implementation,” explains de Lorenzo.
PointPerfect service data can be transmitted over one-way communication channels, such as satellite links like Inmarsat, making it accessible even in areas with poor cellular coverage. Furthermore, the service is tightly integrated with u-blox receivers and delivered over a modern platform with features like zero-touch provisioning, making large-scale deployments seamless.
PointPerfect is primarily used for commercial applications across different industries and received from GNSS receivers over satellite or IP networks. Currently, it is not available for consumer products like mobile phones, although it could also be used in some consumer applications.
Adding RTCM support to PointPerfect
The decision to add RTCM support was largely driven by customer feedback, says de Lorenzo.
“Many u-blox customers have mixed fleets with GNSS receivers from different vendors that don’t natively support the SPARTN format. After testing PointPerfect and appreciating its performance, they requested RTCM support to facilitate the use of the service without additional integration efforts. By offering RTCM, we can now support a wider range of receiver hardware, making PointPerfect accessible to even more customers.”
In terms of engineering, this enhancement expanded the company’s portfolio and presence in the GNSS correction market. Although u-blox already provides an SDK that can convert SPARTN to RTCM, this update allows customers to receive data directly via IP delivery, eliminating the need for this conversion step. “It’s about offering more options and convenience for users”, adds de Lorenzo.
Making PointPerfect a more versatile solution
Until now, PointPerfect has exclusively delivered the correction data using the SPARTN data format, an open data format developed by Sapcorda, now part of u-blox after it was acquired in 2021.
What de Lorenzo likes about SPARTN is that it's not a proprietary, closed-off system. The SPARTN ICD (Interface Control Document) defines the format and is freely available at spartnformat.org.
“We’ve made it open so that anyone can use it, and that’s important because the GNSS industry has traditionally been full of closed solutions that make it hard to work across different systems,” says de Lorenzo.
He adds that while the company has committed to maintaining SPARTN as an open format, supporting RTCM allows u-blox to cater to customers using non-native SPARTN receivers, broadening its market reach.
This flexibility means it’s possible to provide correction services to a much larger audience, making PointPerfect a more versatile solution.
“Most high-precision GNSS receivers support the RTCM format, even if they use other proprietary protocols. So fundamentally, any application can benefit from PointPerfect. Users requiring satellite-based delivery have that capability available, while RTCM is an excellent alternative for those using IP-based delivery, complemented by more flexible usage-based pricing plans. This provides more options and cost-effective ways to access the service compared to RTK-based solutions.”
Scanning the horizon for new markets
This expansion of the PointPerfect GNSS correction service will address a broader range of devices in segments that utilize the RTCM data standard, such as robotic lawnmowers, service delivery robots, UAVs, and precision agriculture.
“Most of our focus right now is in North America and EMEA, especially robotics where we see the trend of replacing labor-intensive jobs with automated solutions. However, we always work closely with our customers to expand into new regions, facilitating their entry and success in new markets. Our long-term goal is to become the most widely used correction service provider in the industrial and outdoor mobile robotics space, and that means constantly scanning the horizon for new markets where we can make an impact,” de Lorenzo concludes.
