Connecting to a Trimble GNSS receiver

Trimble GNSS receivers provide better accuracy than the integrated receiver in your device.

The TerraFlex software supports the following Trimble GNSS receivers:

Trimble Catalyst™ GNSS positioning service:
- Trimble Catalyst DA2 GNSS receiver
Trimble R Series GNSS receivers:
- Trimble R1, R2, R580
- Trimble R8s (Android devices only)
- Trimble R10 Model 2 (Android devices only)
- Trimble R12, R12i
- Trimble R780 (Android devices only)
- Trimble R980 (Android and iOS devices only)
Trimble handheld devices with integrated GNSS
- Trimble TDC6 GNSS handheld
- Trimble TDC650 GNSS handheld
- Trimble Empower EM100 module (on supported Trimble Android devices)
Spectra Geospatial SP100 GNSS receiver (Android devices only)

NOTE – Supported receiver functionality depends on the connected receiver or the operating system of the connected device:

Trimble R1 and R2 receiver functionality is fully supported.
For other Trimble R series receivers, not all receiver functionality is fully supported, and data collected using these receivers cannot be processed using offline GNSS corrections.
Processing using offline GNSS corrections is supported for data collected using the Catalyst DA2 GNSS receiver, Trimble R580, R2, and R1 GNSS receivers, Trimble TDC650 GNSS handheld, and Trimble Empower EM100 module.

You can connect to a GNSS receiver and manage your GNSS connection directly from the Home screen Location status tile at the top of the screen, or from / GNSS configuration.

Connecting to a DA2 or R series receiver

Press the power button on the receiver until the LED starts blinking.
On the Home screen in TerraFlex:
- if this is the first time launching TerraFlex, you are prompted to connect to a GNSS receiver; tap Connect to Trimble GNSS.
- to change your Location provider if you are connected to a different receiver, or to manage your current GNSS connection, tap / GNSS configuration.
On the Location settings screen, next to Location provider, tap >. Your device scans for nearby receivers. Receivers are listed by model name and serial number.

If you have previously paired with / connected to a receiver, it is listed.

If the receiver you want to connect to is not listed, tap Scan for more devices. If there are a number of Bluetooth devices in the vicinity you may need to refresh the list a couple of times. You may need to scroll down to see all receivers.

If you are not sure which receiver is yours, check the serial number label on the underside of the receiver.
Tap the receiver that you want to connect to.

If you are prompted to enter a PIN when connecting to a Trimble R series receiver, the default PIN is 0000. Note however that this may have been changed for your receiver in the web interface used to configure the receiver settings.
Once connected, the Location settings screen redisplays, showing the name of the connected receiver.
In the Antenna height field, enter the height of the antenna.
From the drop-down list in Real-time Configuration, select the GNSS real-time correction source to ensure you are getting the highest real-time accuracies.

TIP – Resetting the receiver will force the receiver to forget any previously connected Bluetooth devices. Press-hold the power button on the receiver until the LED turns off. The receiver will reset itself and turn off. Press the power button again to restart it.

Using an R12i, R780, or R980 GNSS receiver with TIP technology

TIP technology (Trimble Inertial Platform technology) uses an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in the receiver to correct for any tilt in the pole the receiver is mounted on. A key feature of the Trimble R12i, Trimble R780, and Trimble R980 GNSS receivers, TIP technology enables you to collect accurate measurements when the pole is on an angle, so you don't have to ensure the receiver / pole is perfectly upright before collecting a feature.

TIP – While TIP technology can function without real-time corrections, Trimble recommends using real-time corrections to improve the precision and reliability of TIP technology.

When you are connected to an R12i, R780, or R980 GNSS receiver, TIP status (readiness) will normally move between the following statuses — these are shown on the Location Status tile on the Home screen, and the Form and Map screens when you are collecting data:

Start moving to initialize -> Ready (poor IMU alignment) -> Ready

All TIP technology statuses are as follows:

Start moving to initialize - You will usually see this status during start-up or changes to real-time configuration. With good satellite coverage this state should last <30s.
Ready (poor IMU alignment) - TIP technology is running but not in an optimal state; the receiver needs movement to reach its optimal state.
Ready - TIP technology is functioning in its best state. With the correct antenna height set TIP technology will correctly use the bottom tip of the pole regardless of the tilt on the pole.
A status of Laser Rangefinder in use may also display. TIP technology cannot be used with a laser rangefinder, so if you are connected to a supported receiver with TIP technology and you connect to a laser rangefinder, this status will show; the raw GNSS position is used, with no tilt data (IMU offset position) in the measurement. When using a laser rangefinder, you must ensure you have the receiver pole completely upright for precise measurements. When you disconnect the laser rangefinder, TerraFlex will re-enable the IMU, and you must re-align the receiver before TIP technology becomes ready once again.

If the receiver's calibration exceeds acceptable tolerances, an error message will display: The IMU has excessive bias, please disconnect the receiver and recalibrate the IMU in the Mobile Manager application. You may also see: An IMU error has occurred, please reboot the receiver. The following statuses may also show:

IMU calibration required - For information on calibrating the receiver's tilt sensors, refer to the Trimble Mobile Manager Help or the Trimble Access Help.
Receiver reboot required - Reboot your receiver. Refer to the documentation for the receiver for details.