Home › Applications › Construction and mining
Application

High Precision GPS for Construction and Mining Machine Control

GNSS machine control for construction and mining needs centimetre positioning, true heading and receivers that cope with vibration and multipath. Eview supplies the HB56H, HB59 and HB10 dual-antenna receivers, EV288 and EV226 antennas and the HB62 rugged site base, powered by Septentrio modules with AIM+ anti-jamming and up to 100 Hz output.

Ask a quote See machine control receivers
0.6 cm
RTK accuracy + 0.5 ppm
0.15°
Dual-antenna heading at 1 m
100 Hz
Output (HB10, HB59)
IP67
HB62 base and EV288 antenna
What machines need

What machine control needs from GNSS

Centimetre grade control
Excavators and dozers working to design surfaces need repeatable positions. RTK accuracy of 0.6 cm + 0.5 ppm horizontal and 1 cm + 1 ppm vertical supports grade checking and guidance. See RTK positioning.
Heading for machine orientation
Cab and boom orientation on an excavator comes from dual-antenna heading of 0.15° at 1 m spacing, available while the machine is stationary or slewing. See dual-antenna heading.
Multipath in pits and sites
Open-pit walls, stockpiles and steel structures reflect signals. APME+ multipath mitigation and multi-constellation tracking help hold an RTK fix close to high walls. See mining GNSS.
Vibration and harsh conditions
Machines vibrate constantly and work in dust and rain. LOCK+ keeps tracking under vibration, the HB56H has a flange-mount metal housing, and the EV288 antenna is IP67 and vibration tested.
Fast, low-latency output
Blade and bucket control need fresh data. The HB10 and HB59 with AsteRx-m3 Pro+ output up to 100 Hz with less than 10 ms latency. See 100 Hz GNSS.
Interference and integrity
Site radios, power generators and electrical equipment create interference. AIM+ suppresses it, and RAIM+ flags unreliable positions before they reach the machine controller. See RAIM+ integrity.
Recommended products

Eview receivers, antennas and bases for machine control

ProductBest forKey specs
HB56HExcavators, dozers and gradersmosaic-H, flange-mount metal housing, dual-antenna heading, SD logging, RTK and heading at 20 Hz
HB59 OEM boardMachine control system buildersAsteRx-m3 Pro+, Ethernet, 3 UART, 0.15° heading, 100 Hz, <10 ms latency, 4.5–12 V
HB10Drill rigs and fast guidance systemsAsteRx-m3 Pro+, dual-antenna RTK, 0.15° heading, 100 Hz, <10 ms latency, 71.8 × 20.5 × 12.5 mm
EV288 antennaMachine-mounted antennasFull-band (L5, E6, L-band), 5/8-inch mount, IP67, vibration and salt-spray tested
EV226 antennaSurvey vehicles and temporary installsMagnetic mount, 3 m cable, IP67
HB62 baseSite RTK base stationmosaic-X5, NTRIP, Ethernet, 64 GB logging, IP67, 9–36 V

All products are quote-based. For a complete datasheet, email sales@gnss-solutions.com. Browse all box receivers, GNSS boards, rugged base receivers and GNSS antennas.

Key facts

Machine control GNSS system: key facts

A machine control GNSS system uses RTK receivers on a machine to measure blade or bucket position to a few centimetres against a digital design, so operators build to grade without stakes.

  • Accuracy: about 1 to 2 cm horizontal with RTK corrections in open sky
  • Heading: dual-antenna heading for machine orientation, even when stationary
  • Signals: multi-band GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou for open pits and urban sites
  • Interference: AIM+ anti-jamming and anti-spoofing
  • Corrections: on-site base station or NTRIP network
  • Build: rugged receivers for vibration, dust and wide temperature ranges

Related: setting up NTRIP and RTCM corrections and precision agriculture GNSS. Further reading: Septentrio AIM+ jamming protection, RTCM correction standards.

Use cases

Construction and mining applications

Excavator guidance
Bucket position shown against the design surface, using RTK position and dual-antenna heading on the upper structure. See RTK machine control.
Dozer and grader control
Blade guidance and automatic blade control with 100 Hz, low-latency output from AsteRx-m3 Pro+ receivers such as the HB10 and HB59.
Drill rigs
Drill hole positioning to plan in open pits and quarries, with heading for mast alignment. See mining GNSS.
Haul trucks
Fleet tracking and guidance for haul trucks on private sites, with interference-resistant RTK. See autonomous vehicles.
Site surveys
Pre-construction surveys, stake-out and as-built checks using the same correction source as the machines. See survey and GIS.
Slope and structure monitoring
Monitoring of slopes, embankments and nearby structures around active sites and pits. See deformation monitoring.
Integration

Easy to integrate

Machine controllers
Ethernet and UART output in NMEA and Septentrio SBF for machine control systems, displays and fleet software.
Site corrections
An HB62 base on site serves RTCM v3 over NTRIP to machines and rovers, or machines can use a CORS network. See NTRIP and RTCM.
Logging and firmware
SD logging on the HB56H and 64 GB on the HB62 for raw data and RINEX. Firmware and manuals are on firmware downloads.
Use cases

Machine control GNSS for every construction and mining task

Heavy machines move a lot of material, and a few centimetres of error repeated across a whole site costs time and fuel. Eview RTK receivers, powered by Septentrio modules, give machine control systems centimetre position, dual-antenna heading and AIM+ protection against site interference.

Automated machine guidance and blade control
A blade control system with GNSS guides dozer and grader blades to the design surface. RTK GNSS for bulldozer automation and precision grading keeps cut and fill to tolerance without manual stakes.
GNSS for excavator guidance
The operator sees the bucket position against the design model in real time, which reduces over-digging and re-work.
Pile driving and crane positioning
A GNSS receiver for pile driving or crane positioning uses dual-antenna heading to place each pile or load at the right point and orientation.
Asphalt paver and concrete paving control
GNSS receivers for asphalt paver control and concrete paving help hold the screed to the planned grade over long stretches.
GNSS receiver for mining
In open pit mines, GPS positioning guides drill navigation to the blast pattern, tracks haul trucks and supports quarry automation. Rugged receivers handle dust, vibration and heat.
Underground mining and tunnels
Underground mining navigation and tunnel boring machine guidance use GNSS at the portal to give machines a known start position before other sensors take over.
Heavy equipment GPS tracking
For heavy equipment GPS tracking and a construction site positioning system, a portable GNSS receiver can move between machines and report precise positions.
Construction and mining monitoring
Fixed receivers for building construction GNSS monitoring and mining subsidence GPS monitoring log positions continuously and reveal movement early.

See rugged RTK box receivers, GNSS antennas and how AIM+ anti-jamming protects machines on busy sites. For stake-out and as-built checks, see survey grade GNSS receivers; for site robots, see GNSS for robotics. Questions: sales@gnss-solutions.com.

FAQ

Machine control GNSS: frequently asked questions

What is GNSS machine control?

GNSS machine control uses RTK positions and heading from receivers on the machine to show or control the blade or bucket against a digital design. Operators see cut and fill in the cab, or the system moves the blade automatically. It needs centimetre RTK, dual-antenna heading and a reliable correction source on site.

Which Eview receiver suits an excavator or dozer?

For machine-mounted installs, the HB56H combines mosaic-H dual-antenna heading with a flange-mount metal housing and SD logging. System builders who design their own electronics can use the HB59 OEM board with Ethernet and 3 UART. Both pair with EV288 full-band antennas.

How do receivers cope with multipath in open pits?

High walls and nearby machines reflect signals and can corrupt positions. Septentrio APME+ mitigates multipath, multi-constellation tracking keeps more satellites in view, and RAIM+ flags unreliable measurements. Mounting antennas high on the machine, clear of the cab structure, also helps. See our mining GNSS guide.

Do I need my own base station on site?

Large or remote sites often run their own base so every machine uses the same reference. The HB62 is a rugged IP67 base with NTRIP, Ethernet, 64 GB logging and a 9–36 V supply. Where a CORS network covers the site, machines can use NTRIP corrections instead.

What update rate does machine control need?

Indicate-only systems work at lower rates, but automatic blade control benefits from fast, low-latency data. The HB10 and HB59 with AsteRx-m3 Pro+ output up to 100 Hz with less than 10 ms latency. mosaic-H receivers such as the HB56H output RTK and heading at up to 20 Hz.

Can GNSS be used in open pit and underground mines?

In open pits, yes. Multi-band, multi-constellation tracking keeps more satellites in view near high pit walls. Underground, GNSS does not reach, so it is used at portals to give machines a known start position.

How accurate is high precision GPS for construction?

With RTK corrections from a site base or NTRIP network, Eview receivers reach about 1 to 2 cm horizontal accuracy in open sky, which is the level needed for grading, excavation and stake-out.

Related reading

RTK GNSS for construction machine controlGNSS receivers for mining: beating multipath and jammingHow to choose a GNSS antenna

Find the right receivers for your machines

Tell us about your machines, site and correction source and we will recommend receivers, antennas and a base station.

Ask a quote