Flashing Firmware to Your Emlid Reach

This video guide provides an absolute, concise walkthrough on how to clean flash firmware to your Emlid Reach receiver when performing troubleshooting modifications or keeping system engines fully up to date. Below we break down the operational updates, enhancements, and critical changes implemented across major system rollouts.

Reach Firmware 33 Release Breakdown

Key Improvements

• Dual-Channel Corrections: Implemented the stable ability to transmit RTK base corrections via two separate signal channels concurrently.
• Visual Signal Strength Indicators: Updated the active Reach Panel diagnostic UI components:
  • Reach RS2 and RS2+ modules now provide clear signal indicators when receiving baseline corrections over local LoRa.
  • Reach RS3 models actively demonstrate separate, dedicated signal bars when handling incoming corrections over LoRa and UHF radio networks simultaneously.
• Enhanced mobile connection configurations significantly to ramp up initial network handshakes.
• Updated the native Reach internal antenna registry to optimize tracking compatibility parameters when implementing Reach hardware as a rover paired with third-party local bases.
• Updated core GNSS hardware chip firmware structures for multi-band devices to boost the mathematical quality of position fix calculations. As a consequence, 10 Hz RTK update rates are now available exclusively when the BeiDou system is explicitly disabled.
• Implemented stricter Bluetooth connection management rules. Reach hardware modules now restrict bandwidth to support exactly one active connection at a time, selecting either standard Bluetooth Classic or BLE profiles.
• Improved UHF radio performance on Reach RS3 setups for stable, reliable reception when parsing incoming TRIMTALK 450S* baseline streams.
• Updated native LoRa radio spectrum parameters to guarantee compliance with regional regulations inside Japan.

Resolved System Fixes

• Fixed general tilt compensation stability issues tracking across Reach RS3 field units.
• Fixed specific edge cases where the software framework would lock out and only record raw position (LLH) data logs.
• Fixed tracking visibility parameters where a powered receiver module would fail to show up inside the Emlid Flow scanner network list.
• Fixed raw debug logging configurations. When explicitly enabled, the system records the raw UBX debug tracking file completely independent of other diagnostic logging adjustments.
• Fixed communication driver properties that occasionally blocked connections to Reach RS+ legacy devices.

*TRIMTALK is a registered trademark of Trimble Inc.

Reach Firmware 32.2 & 32.1 Maintenance Patches

Firmware Version 32.2: If you are presently operating any variant of the firmware 32 rollout, we strongly recommend deploying the 32.2 update package immediately. This maintenance patch explicitly fixes persistent storage logging failure bugs, while retaining the expanded IMU tilt stability enhancements compiled in previous sub-versions.

Firmware Version 32.1: If your field setup runs version 32 baseline code, upgrading to 32.1 is highly encouraged to optimize operational tilt compensation stability limits across demanding topographic scenarios.

Reach Firmware 32 Core Capabilities Overview

The milestone Release 32 framework unlocks extensive third-party tool integration options. The Reach RS3 can now translate and stream active tilt-compensated positioning values natively over NMEA protocol strings. This allows downstream field data software packages—such as MicroSurvey FieldGenius or X-PAD—to directly tap into the receiver's IMU sensors.

To ensure the RS3 passes along properly calculated coordinate offsets, the physical pole height parameter must be entered inside Emlid Flow. Additionally, the rover must achieve a solid RTK FIX and have its IMU fully initialized.

Because Emlid Flow computes the true location on the ground before casting the NMEA string, your third-party software's antenna height parameter must be set to exactly 0. This prevents the secondary collection application from subtracting the rod length a second time and corrupting your Z-axis metrics.

If your tilt tracking drops out or the receiver loses its RTK FIX solution, the RS3 defaults to streaming raw coordinates located directly at the center of the antenna phase center. During these float or single intervals, you must manually update your external survey application's antenna offset value to incorporate the pole dimension into the calculated solution.

Quick-Reference Rules for NMEA Output:

• Tilt Initialized & Active: Set the true target rod height inside Emlid Flow. Set the antenna vertical measurement to 0 inside your third-party surveying program.
• Tilt Inactive / Uninitialized: The value in Emlid Flow is ignored. Input your exact physical rod dimension directly inside the third-party survey framework.

Passing a tilt-adjusted benchmark point down your NMEA data streams is completely optional. If your project constraints demand standard vertical capture, navigate to settings and adjust "Tilt compensation for NMEA" to "Do not compensate receiver position."

Critical Single Antenna Height Storage Warning

⚠️ Important Operational Change: Version 32 introduces unified single antenna height storage synchronization. Modifying an antenna dimension inside one configuration tab now applies that value globally across the entire operating profile. For instance, setting up your base station's tripod measurement instantly copies that value over to the rover's survey tab pole profile. Always double-check both base and rover configurations before shooting points, as this represents a major change from past application behaviors.

Comprehensive Emlid Release Log Data

Enhanced Reach RS3 Capabilities

• Added support for streaming specialized NMEA GGA and GST message packages with complete tilt-compensated coordinate parameters.
• Improved global tilt mapping stability and bolstered range reliability when receiving RTCM3.2 corrections over integrated UHF radio boards in obstructed environments.

Log Management Updates

• Redesigned the internal logging directory layout to optimize manual file cleanup operations.
• Added features allowing users to rename system logs and execute automated file splits right at 00:00 UTC for clean daily archive tracking.
• Implemented low-level data recovery parameters. Operators can now download active data files and output comprehensive system logs even if the master hardware is stuck or experiencing self-test failures.

Other Infrastructure Fixes

• Resolved network reconnection loops, allowing receivers to automatically rejoin known local Wi-Fi hotspots when signals drop out.
• Improved cellular data pipeline thresholds to minimize interruptions when deploying system firmware updates over mobile networks.
• Removed mandatory first-time system startup configurations, enabling out-of-the-box receiver operations without requiring a hard system reboot.
• Resolved interface bugs where Emlid Flow would terminate its connection when fetching long lists of stored system log records.
• Fixed specific bugs where software upgrade notifications were completely hidden if the device was connected to the internet exclusively via a cellular SIM card profile.
• Fixed character layout properties to preserve necessary decimal digits in the antenna settings view on iOS device platforms.

Note: Reach Firmware Version 32 is fully compatible with Reach RS3, RS2+, RS2, RS+, M2, and M+ system platforms.