The Phantom 4 RTK, M300, M350 RTK drones produce high-resolution drone maps that can be accurate to within a few inches/centimeters due to a combination of a mechanical shutter camera and the enhanced coordinate precision of RTK or PPK.
Check out our section “What are RTK and PPK”to better understand the application of these tools.
- Process PPK - the Phantom 4 RTK / M300 RTK / M350 RTK are supported for PPK in Dronedeploy. More information about that work can be found here PPK Processing.
Known Limitations:
- You must use the DJI GS RTK App that comes pre-installed on the RTK controller today for flight planning. Once capture is complete, you can still upload to DroneDeploy for processing.
- The only drone that has an automated workflow within DroneDeploy flight app is the Mavic 3 Enterprise (to overview that workflow follow this link Mavic 3 Enterprise RTK Workflow)
To successfully capture and process RTK images with DroneDeploy, follow the steps below:
1. Setup your network
Read through the Phantom 4 RTK Quick Start Guide to learn how to set up your P4R and the Controller before flight.
You will need a network dongle with a compatible sim-card to use the Phantom 4 RTK controller.
2. Picking your Reference Station
The position accuracy achievable depends on, among other things, its distance from the base station (referred to as the “baseline”) and the accuracy of the differential corrections. Corrections are as accurate as the known location of the base station and the quality of the base station’s satellite observations. As such, you will need to select a reference station to base your corrections off of.
When picking your corrections network, you have the option to use either the DJI D-RTK 2 Base Station or a custom reference network. You can select the option in the RTK menu within the GS RTK Mobile app.
If you are using a third-party base station, be sure to properly reference the positioning data from the Phantom 4 RTK. You have the following options:
- Connect locally via OcuSync to your D-RTK 2 Mobile Station. (RTCM3.2)
- Connect remotely via a 4G Dongle to a custom RTK network using a NTRIP account.
- Connect remotely via a WiFi hotspot to a custom RTK network using a NTRIP account.
You will also want to ensure your base station supports the following frequencies:
- GPS：L1/L2
- GLONASS：L1/L2
- BeiDou：B1/B2
2. Plan and launch your flight using the DJI RTK App
To plan your RTK flight, open the DJI GS Pro App on the controller. Here is a great video that walks you through planning your first flight within the application:
Phantom 4 RTK Photogrammetry Tutorial
3. Once complete, upload images to DroneDeploy
Once you've completed your flight. You can upload your corrected images directly to DroneDeploy. Smart Uploader
Using GCPs?
You may also utilize GCPs with your RTK map for additional accuracy. Follow our guide on GCPs (Understanding Ground Control)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When Should I use PPK or RTK on the Phantom 4 Pro?
RTK and PPK are two different kinematics technologies that reference data in different ways. Although PPK generally has slightly higher positioning accuracy than RTK, both could achieve sub-inch/centimeter-level precision. RTK is recommended for users flying in environments that allow for real-time connection via OcuSync or 4G and prefer convenience and efficiency. For users who have no demand on timeliness and/or need to operate in conditions without connectivity, PPK is a better option.
How can I map and process in PPK mode?
The following DJI drones are supported for PPK processing in DroneDeploy. PPK processing is now integrated within the map processing in our platform. Follow this article (PPK Processing) for more information
- DJI M3E RTK
- DJI P4P RTK
- DJI M300 & M350 RTK