Overview

Introduction and Purpose

X-pos is a Leica Geosystems proprietary technology, including an Application Programming Interface (API), that enables the exchange and utilisation of GNSS raw data and GNSS positions via the Internet.

X-pos gives access to the following services:

• RINEX Data Request: X-pos enables GNSS post-processing software to automatically download the reference station data that matches a survey project from any X-pos-enabled reference station data provider. Such a provider can be any Leica Spider Suite network that is X-pos enabled. The X-pos standard ensures a seamless and convenient workflow.

• Virtual RINEX Data Request: X-pos also offers Virtual RINEX data, which provides the same information that would have been observed at a user-defined location, where there is no physical reference station, but which lies within an area covered by a network of reference stations.

• Coordinate Computation: X-pos enables users without the means to perform their own GNSS post-processing to upload rover data in RINEX format and receive accurate coordinates. This is made possible by a fully integrated Coordinate Computation service that utilises reference station data stored in the X-pos Data Repository.

• Coordinate Transformation: X-pos provides a Coordinate Transformation service for users who wish to convert WGS84 coordinates to a different target coordinate system.

To enable X-pos in a Leica Spider Suite network and provide the reference station data via this interface, the following components have to be installed and configured:

• Leica GNSS Spider Site Server,

• Leica Spider Business Center (SBC),

• Leica X-pos Server.

Furthermore, appropriate license options are required.

Architecture and Components

Leica GNSS Spider Site Server (SS) will provide GNSS raw data, in RINEX format, originating from a single reference station or from a network of reference stations. The files are directly pushed to the X-pos Server, serving GNSS content and post-processing capabilities. The X-pos Server also provides information about stored files available for downloads. This information (such as, e.g., the RINEX file content, length, etc.) is stored in an SQL database, while the actual RINEX data is stored in a RINEX file repository directly on the storage media. The API is the interface allowing the exchange of data: clients with a valid license that have the API usage enabled can trigger a data request, e.g., through their SBC account. The SBC Central Server service and the SBC web frontend control the configuration of the so-called “X-pos Sites”, i.e., sites used for the delivery of X-pos products. The API will, then, serve as a vehicle between the X-pos Server and the external client requesting data.

Connection to X-pos Server

SBC Central Service controls the activation of the so-called “Reference Sites”, i.e., sites used for the delivery of X-pos products to customers. The prerequisite is a proper connection to the X-pos service, which can be configured at Settings > System > Infrastructure.

Access

Access to the X-pos functionalities in SBC has three layers of prerequisites:

• the availability of the corresponding software license options (see Software Licensing),

• the configuration by the system administrator to enable the X-pos services (see General Settings), and

• the subscription to a specific service by the end user (see Products | GNSS Post Processing, Articles and Subscriptions).