Dipper Field
Dipper Field doesn't need a particular brand. A receiver works if it sends standard NMEA 0183 positions over a connection your phone supports.
What the receiver needs to send
| NMEA sentence | What the app uses it for |
|---|---|
| GGA | Position, height, position type and satellites used. Required. |
| GST or GBS | Estimated position error and Estimated height error. Without either, the app shows Position error unknown. |
| GSA and GSV | The satellite sky plot, PDOP and VDOP. |
| RMC and VTG | Date, speed and direction of travel. |
For RTK corrections through the app, the receiver must also accept RTCM corrections on the same connection. Dipper Field passes them on unchanged. A receiver that gets its own corrections, for example over its own Wi-Fi or a radio, doesn't need this. See get RTK corrections with NTRIP.
Connections
| Connection | iPhone and iPad | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth LE | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Classic (serial port profile, SPP) | No | Yes, once paired in Android's Bluetooth settings |
| USB cable | No | Yes, USB serial |
| Wi-Fi (TCP) | Yes | Yes |
Receivers that offer only Bluetooth Classic, including Apple MFi accessories, can't connect to an iPhone or iPad yet.
Bluetooth LE
You connect from the app's own list, under Nearby Bluetooth devices. There's no need to pair in the phone's Bluetooth settings first.
Bluetooth LE has no single standard serial service, so the app recognizes the common ones:
- Nordic UART
- Microchip Transparent UART, used by RN4870, RN4871, BM70 and BM78 modules
- u-blox Serial Port Service, used by NINA modules
- HM-10 style modules (service FFE0)
A receiver that uses another service still connects: the app picks a service that sends data. To pass RTK corrections, that service must also accept data. If it doesn't, the receiver screen says This Bluetooth connection can read positions but cannot send RTK corrections to the receiver.
On iPhone and iPad, devices that have no name and don't advertise a known service are listed under Other devices, folded away.
Bluetooth Classic (Android)
Pair the receiver in Android's Bluetooth settings first. It then appears in Dipper Field under Paired and USB devices, marked Paired Bluetooth. Only paired devices that offer the serial port profile are listed, so headphones and car systems stay out of the way.
USB (Android)
Plug the receiver in with a cable, and it appears under Paired and USB devices, marked USB cable. Android asks whether Dipper Field may use it; allow it.
These USB serial types work: standard CDC-ACM devices, and receivers with CH340, CP210x, FTDI or PL2303 chips. The app finds the line speed by itself, from 9,600 to 921,600 baud.
Wi-Fi
Tap Connect over Wi-Fi and enter the receiver's Address and Port. The phone must be on the receiver's own Wi-Fi or on the same network.
The port starts at 10110, the standard port for NMEA. That port sends positions only, so the phone can't pass RTK corrections back over it. If you need corrections from the app, enter the port the receiver takes them on; its manual or settings page lists it.
Good to know
- A receiver connects to one phone or tablet at a time. Disconnect it elsewhere first.
- The receiver's estimated error is only as good as what it reports. Check its settings if Position error unknown stays on screen: it may have GST and GBS turned off.
- Ready to connect? See connect a receiver.