TOPCON & TRIMBLE COMPATIBILITY: IS A HYBRID FLEET VIABLE?

Jul 11

Companies have been using GPS technology on their construction equipment for a very long time. In most cases, companies stick with one manufacturer, but the brands used on their fleet vary for others. Is having a hybrid fleet viable? We say - Yes.

Why the Hybrid Fleet?

Overall, there is a long life expectancy for GPS systems and equipment - they are designed for rugged use and are built to last. Not all companies have hybrid fleets, but there could be different reasons why for those that do. One reason could be that the company purchased a piece of machinery. Let's say a bulldozer, for example, comes with equipment already installed on it, which is different from the other brands they already own. Another reason might be a change in staff, like a Survey Manager, for example. The newly hired Survey Manager responsible for buying the GPS equipment might have experience with a brand other than what the company has purchased in the past and begin purchasing the brand that they’re familiar with. A third reason may be when a company needs to rent a piece of automated machinery, and the retailer they are renting from doesn't have the brand of their existing fleet available. Having a hybrid fleet can be tricky. When people get used to working with only one brand of equipment, they may have biases and hesitations towards learning a different one. There are also costs associated with training your workers on the new equipment. Thought, time, and effort have to be put into the mixed fleet's training and maintenance.

Topcon and Trimble Compatibility

Topcon and Trimble are two of the top brands in our industry for construction hardware and software solutions. It was impossible to have these systems be compatible with each other in the past, but that is not the case today. These companies have created platforms to enable information sharing and collaboration, which is cloud-based. This allows information to be converted and accessed from a single gateway. It is possible to work with a Trimble base and Topcon rover or vice versa, and as long as the radio frequencies are the same, the base and rover will be able to send and receive information with each other. Historically it wasn't easy to run, for example, a Trimble equipped machine using a Topcon base. Trimble now has a new radio that bolts directly onto the machines and will run their components off the traditional Topcon base by running a coax up the stiller and through the grommet. The accuracy is coming from the Topcon base into the machine and eliminates having to switch out your equipment on the job. Another option is available if you have a mixed fleet and don't want to lose on your investment. You can purchase a satel radio, which plugs into the machine and allows you to work off the right frequencies regardless of whether you have a Topcon or Trimble base and rover. It acts as an intermediary to enable the base to "talk" to the rover irrespective of brands. Among many product offerings, Topcon has high-performance radio and Bluetooth communication among all categories of their survey equipment, which are compatible with IoT. Trimble offers multi GNSS receivers, which make fieldwork more efficient. Both Topcon and Trimble are creating new integrated, user-friendly solutions to allow for more productive, efficient, and cost-effective job site operations and management.

How to Parse the Data

When it comes to data for hybrid fleets, information is gathered by the equipment and put into a file. The file types that are produced vary from one brand to another. It is not always feasible to have staff on the team that is versed with different file types. For example, Topcon outputs .tp3 files, which may need to be converted to Trimble Earthworks or Trimble GCS machine for analysis and modeling. This file conversion is not always straight-forward and can not only cause headaches to those trying to manipulate the files, but it can result in errors for inexperienced users. If you find yourself with a mixed fleet of equipment and don't have the in-house expertise to convert the data files, then you should reach out to ECI Technologies. Our virtual construction engineers have expertise in working with all brands of GPS equipment on-site and the required skills for converting your different file types so that you can focus on completing your projects on-time and on-budget!