ELT RTK Base

Linux Upgrade

All operating systems occasionally encounter bugs, and these bugs are fixed by updating the system. Linux differs in that not only the operating system gets updated, but all installed programs as well. Sometimes, a bug is so critical that it gets covered in the press. In such cases, updating is absolutely necessary. In other situations, you can update once a month or every six months. The update process takes about 3–10 minutes if done monthly or up to an hour if done every six months.

To update, click the “System Upgrade” button on the Settings page.

A confirmation window will appear. Click the red Upgrade button.

After that, the Linux update process will begin.

Once it's complete, you will see a blue Continue button. Click it.

This concludes the Linux update process. You can view the update logs on the LOGS page. Of course, it is recommended to reboot by pressing the Reboot button after the update.

Software Update

Like any other company, we continuously release new versions. We add functionality, fix bugs, and generally do everything to make life easier and more convenient for our users. There are three methods to install updates: “Updating Over the Internet”, “Updating from a File” and “Updating via SD Card”. Additionally, it is strongly recommended to run “Linux Upgrade” at least before each version upgrade (ideally once a month). If you skip this step, the version update process may take up to an hour.

To determine the current version number, look at the bottom of any page.

If you have “Built-in VPN from Tailscale” enabled, you can perform “Updating Over the Internet”, “Updating from a File”, and “Linux Upgrade” through the VPN — without losing connection. However, you obviously can’t remotely insert an SD card. So, for “Updating via SD Card”, you’ll need to be physically next to the base station.

Updating Over the Internet

Updating Over the Internet

To check for updates, click the “Check Update” button.

If there are no updates, a window will appear:

In case of an error, you will see a message like this:

If an update is available, the window will look like this:

To update, click the “Update” button. A message will appear indicating that the update is being downloaded from the website.

Then, you will see a message about the ongoing update:

Once the update is complete, you will see a message confirming its completion. Next, click the “Refresh” button to reload the page.

In case of an error, there will be a different message, after which you should also click the “Refresh” button to reload the page.

In this case, go to the Logs page, download the update log, and send it to info@gnss.store.

If you have multiple ELT_RTKBase units on different Raspberry Pi devices, make sure that only one site from one ELT_RTKBase is open before starting the update. Verify this by going to the Status page to ensure you are not prompted for a password. If you skip this step, it may appear that the update is never completing. In this case, simply refresh the page after 10 minutes. This applies only when multiple ELT_RTKBase interfaces are open in the browser at the same time.

Updating from a File

Updating from a File

In some situations, you may need to update from a file. For example, a file provided by technical support, a file downloaded from the debug branch on GitHub, or if you want to reinstall the current version. A version with an earlier number cannot be installed this way, but a version with the same number can be.

To do this, go to http://rtkbase.local/settings?update=manual or navigate to the Settings page and add “?update=manual” to the end of the URL.

After clicking the “Check Update” button, the following form will appear:

Click “Choose file”, select the file, and then click the “Submit” button. After this, the file will upload, and the update process will begin, as described in the “Updating Over the Internet” section.

Updating via SD Card

Updating via SD Card

Update the Raspberry Pi firmware by inserting the SD card into a card reader and copying the install.sh file to the root directory of the first (the only one visible, if you have Windows) partition of the card. The update occurs at startup and takes 5–10 minutes. This update will not work if you installed the system using the install.sh file instead of an SD card image (or purchased a pre-configured system from gnss.store). Internet is required for the update.

Checking the Receiver Firmware Version

After configuring the receiver, the firmware version is displayed at the bottom of the “Settings” page.

Receiver Firmware Versions

Firmware Compatibility

You can also use firmware versions newer than those listed in this table. If the version is older, update the firmware as described in the sections “Updating Receiver Firmware”, “Unicore UM980”, “Bynav M20”, “Septentrio Mosaic X5” and “Ublox ZED-X20P”

If you purchased your base station or receiver from us, feel free to email us at info@gnss.store with your order number, and we’ll send you the latest firmware version.

Additionally, firmware for the Septentrio Mosaic-X5 can be downloaded directly from the receiver manufacturer's website.

Unicore UM980

Budget (wireless) ELT0233 stations can be updated more easily using the receiver manufacturer’s instructions and the UPrecise utility via the receiver’s front-panel USB port. It’s recommended to stop the main service during the update process. Advanced (wired) ELT0231 stations must be updated strictly according to this guide.

Set the receiver speed to 460800, as described in the “Changing the Speed” section.

Enable the “Rtcm tcp service” and temporarily disable all other services except for “Main service” and “Rtcm tcp service” while updating the firmware.

Setting Up VSPE

You will now need a Windows program that converts TCP/IP to a COM port. Several such programs are available; we’ll describe Virtual Serial Ports Emulator (VSPE) as it is the most versatile. Download and install VSPE from the “Eterlogic Software” website.

It is recommended to install the “Virtual Serial Ports Emulator for 32-bit Windows operating systems” version because it does not require a license and can be used for free. However, if you have 64-bit Windows, you can use VSPE with the built-in Evaluating license. Details are available via the provided link

After installation, launch VSPE. Click the “Create new device...” button.

Create a Virtual Pair

Select “Virtual pair” and click Next.

On the next screen, you can change the COM port numbers or keep the defaults selected by VSPE. Then click the Finish button.

Now you’ll see that a COM port pair has been created. Click the “Create new device...” button again.

Create TCP Client

Select “TCP Client” and click Next.

Set the IP address (usually rtkbase.local) and port (typically 5016). Click the “Settings...” button.

Change the speed to 460800, then click OK, and finally click Finish.

You should now see a result similar to this:

Running UPrecise

Download and launch UPrecise from the website. At the bottom, enter COM2 (the second port of the created pair) and the speed 460800, then click the “Connect” button.

On the left panel, click the “Receiver Upgrade” button.

After clicking the button, the firmware update settings window will appear. Check the box next to “Receiver 1”. Select “Soft Reset”. Click “Select upgrade file” and choose the new firmware file.

Once the new firmware file is selected, click the Start button. The firmware update process will begin.

After the update is complete, you will see a message like this:

Final Steps

Close both UPrecise and VSPE. Then perform “Detection” and “Configuration” as described in the corresponding sections.

Bynav M20

Similarly, budget (wireless) ELT0633 stations can be updated using the BY_connect utility following the receiver manufacturer’s instructions, via the front-panel USB port. For best results, stop the main service during the update. Advanced (wired) ELT0631 stations must be updated only according to this guide.

Firmware Update Process

Download, unzip, and run BY_connect.

In the Conn menu, select Set.

The “Connecting Setting” window opens.

Click “Add Row” and fill in the fields as shown in the screenshot.

Click Open.

In the Tool menu, select “Firmware update”.

The “BoardUpdate” window opens. Click Select and choose the firmware update file.

After selecting the new firmware file, click the Update button in the lower right corner of the window. It's best to set the delay to 50.

The firmware update process begins.

If you receive a "CRC Check Error" message, increase the delay (e.g., by 50) and click Update again.

Wait for the firmware update to complete. On success, the message “Upgrade success, please reboot” appears, and on failure, “Upgrade failure” appears.

Post-Update Actions

After the firmware update is complete, you need to issue the “REBOOT” command, followed by the “LOG VERSION” command. If any field (except the last one) in the response to this command shows only zeros, you need to repeat the firmware update.

Then configure the receiver as described in the “Configuration” section and check the receiver firmware version at the bottom of the settings page.

Septentrio Mosaic X5

Firmware for the Septentrio Mosaic-X5 can be downloaded directly from the receiver manufacturer's website.

Find the button to open the mosaic receiver's website on the Settings page and click it.

Updating Firmware

On the receiver's website that opens, go to the Admin menu and click the Upgrade option.

Click “Choose file” and select the firmware update file.

Then click the “Start Upgrade” button.

The firmware update process begins.

The firmware is updated. Click the “identification page” link to check the version.

Post-Update Check

Verify that the version number is correct.

Now proceed with the configuration as described in the “Configuration” section.