Total Station Instrument

UNIT 1
 Total Station
Total Station is an instrument in which electronic
theodolite, electronic distance meter, microprocessor
electronic data collector and storage system are
integrated.
 Introduction
The instrument can be used to measure the vertical and horizontal angle
as well as to measure distances.

Data collected is processes with microprocessor to compute

 Average of multiple angle measurement
 Average of multiple distance measured
 Slope corrections
 Distance between any two points
 Elevation of objects and
 Coordinates of points

Data recorded and processed may be downloaded to computers for

further processing.
 Components of Total Station
 Total station = Theodolite
+
built in EDM
+
built in data collector
+
microprocessor
 Components Used in Total Station
Surveying
 Total Station
 Tripod
 Electronic Notebook
 Prism and prism pole
 Computer interface
 Batteries and radios
Components Used in Total Station Surveying
Components Used in Total Station Surveying
Components Used in Total Station Surveying
 PARTS
OF
TOTAL
STATION
 PARTS
OF
TOTAL
STATION
 Fundamental Quantities Measured
 The rotation of the instrument’s optical axis from the instrument
north in a horizontal plane: i.e. HORIZONTAL ANGLE.
 The inclination of the optical axis from the local vertical: i.e.
VERTICAL ANGLE
 The distance between the instrument and the target: i.e. SLOPE
DISTANCE.
 Measurement of Horizontal Angle
 Horizontal angle is measured from the zero
direction on the horizontal scale or horizontal
circle.
 User first sets up the instrument the choice of the
zero direction is made- this is called Instrument
North.
 User may decide to set zero direction in the direction
of the long axis of the map area, or choose to orient
the instrument approximately to True, Magnetic or
Grid North.
 Measurement of Horizontal Angle
 Zero direction should be set so that it can be
recovered if the instrument is set up at the same
location at some later date.
 Using a Magnetic compass to determine the
orientation of the instrument is not recommended
and can be very inaccurate.
 Measurement Of Vertical Angle
 The vertical angle is measured relative to the local vertical
(plumb line) direction.
 The vertical angle is usually measured as Zenith angle (0˚
is vertically up, 90˚ is horizontal, and 180˚ is vertically
down.
 The telescope will be pointing downward for zenith
angles greater than 90˚ and upward for angles less than
90˚.
 Measurement Of Vertical Angle
 Measuring vertical angles requires that the instrument be
exactly vertical.
 Total stations contains an internal sensor ( the vertical
compensator ) that can detect small deviations of the
instrument from the vertical.
 If it is too far of out level, the instrument will give some
kind of tilt error message.
 Measurement of Slope Distance
 The major part of the Total station is EDM.
 It always measures the sloping distance from the instrument
station to the object.
 The range of slope distance that can be measured from Total
station varies from 2.8 km to 4.2 km.
 The accuracy of instrument quoted in the form
Accuracy = a mm + b ppm
 The constant ‘a’ is the independent of the length being
measured. (instrumental error)
 The systematic error ‘b’ is proportional to the distance
measured.
 1ppm = 1mm for every kilometer distance.
Measurement of Vertical and Horizontal
Distance

RL of R = RL of Iz + IH +VD - RH
On Board Calculations
 Coordinate calculations

𝑑𝐸
Sin HAR =
HD
dE= Change in Easting = HD Sin HAR

dN= Change in Northing = HD Cos HAR

HD = SD Sin ZA
Coordinate calculations
 Problem:1
1. To find the level difference between station A and target
point B the following observations were recorded with a total
station:
Slope distance = 486.228 m
Zenith angle = 86 ̊ 28 ̍ 42 ̎
Height of instrument = 1.602 m
Height of reflector at B = 1.836 m
If the RL of A is 100 m ; find RL of B.
 Problem:2
1. In the observation of B from A gives in problem:1, if
horizontal angle is 58 ̊ 10 ̍ 28 ̎ and coordinates of station A
are (500, 600), Determine the coordinates of station B.
 Commercially Available Total Station
 Instrument for use in Building and Construction :
 Short measuring range and lower angular specification,
 Ideally suitable for measurements up to 500m.
 Angular accuracy of 10 ̎ ,
 Robust
 Instruments for surveying Applications:
 Have better distance and angle specification,
 Have better data storage and processing capabilities.
 Ideally suited for Field Surveying
 Motorized Total Station:
 Best specifications
 Costly

Sokia, Leica, Nicon , Geoking RTS series, CST Total station, Pentax V-200
series
 Capabilities of Total Station
 Distance measurements: Horizontal distance, Vertical distance,
sloping distance
 Angle Measurements: Horizontal angle, Vertical angle, sloping
angle.
 Magnetic bearings and Azimuths
 Reduced levels or Elevations
 Coordinates of stations (N,E,Z)
 To prolong a line and to mark stations
 Temperature and pressure correction
 Contours and detailed mapping
 Remote Elevation Measurement
 Missing line measurement and
 Setting out measurements
 Advantages of using Total Station
 Surveying is carried out very fast
 Accuracy of measurement is high
 Human errors in recording observations eliminated by providing
on board memory to store data.
 Auto level compensator is available.
 Calculation of elevations and coordinates are accurate and fast.
Even the corrections for temperature and pressure are made
automatically.
 On board software available to transfer data.
 Data can be directly transferred to computers for further
processing like plotting contours.
 Disadvantages of Total Station
 It dependent on batteries and electronics
 The LCD screen does not work well when it is cold.
 Battery life is short.
 Batteries and electronics do not work when it is wet.
 Loss of data may occur accidently.
 Use of Total Station
 Set up the instrument, do all the temporary adjustment.
 The vertical and horizontal reference directions are indexed
using onboard keys.
 It is possible to set required units for distance, temperature and
pressure.
 When target is sighted, horizontal and vertical angles as well as
sloping distance measured.
 By pressing appropriate keys they are recorded along with the
point number.
 Heights of instrument and targets can be keyed in after
measuring them with tape.
 Then processor computes various information about the point
and display onscreen.
 This information is stored in data storage.
 Factors influencing the use of Total Station

 A clear line of sight between the instrument and the

measuring points is essential.

 A well defined measurement point (or) target/ prism is

required to obtain optimal precision and accuracy.

 The accuracy of directions and distance measurement is

subjected to a number of instrumental errors and correct

field procedure.
 Temporary adjustment of Total Station

 Setting up of instrument

 Centering

 Levelling

 Elimination of Parallax
 Step 1: Tripod Setup
Tripod legs should
be equally spaced

 Tripod head should

be approximately
level „

„Head should be
directly over survey
point
 Step 2: Mount Instrument on Tripod
Place Instrument on
Tripod „„
Secure with
centering screw
while bracing the
instrument with the
other hand
„Insert battery in
instrument before
leveling
 Step 3: Focus on Survey Point
Focus the optical
plummet on the
survey point
 Step 4: Leveling the Instrument
Adjust the leveling
foot screws to
center
„ „Center the bubble
in the circular level
by adjusting the
tripod legs
 Step 4: Leveling the Instrument

Loosen the horizontal

clamp and turn
instrument until plate
level is parallel to 2 of
the leveling foot screws
 Step 4: Leveling the Instrument

Center the bubble using the

leveling screws the bubble
moves toward the screw
that is turned clockwise
 Step 4: Leveling the Instrument

„ „Rotate the
instrument 90
degrees and level
using the 3rd
leveling screw.
 Step 4: Leveling the Instrument
 „ Observe the survey point in the optical plummet
and center the point by loosening the plummet and
sliding the entire instrument
„ „After re-tightening the centering screw check to
make sure the plate level bubble is level in several
directions.
 Step 5: Electronically Verify Leveling
 Turn on the instrument by
pressing and holding the “on”
button (you should hear an
audible beep)
 „The opening screen will be the
“MEAS” screen. Select the [Tilt]
function .
 „Adjust the foot level screws to
exactly center the electronic
“bubble ” „„
 Rotate the instrument 90
degrees and repeat .
 Step 5: Adjust Image & Reticle Focus
 Release the horizontal & vertical clamps
and point telescope to a featureless light
background.
 Adjust the reticle (i.e. cross-hair) focus
adjustment until reticle image is sharply
focused.
 Point telescope to target and adjust the
focus ring until target is focused.
 „„Move your head from side-to -side to test
for image shift (i.e. parallax). Repeat the
reticle focus step if parallax is significant .
 „ „NOTE: When the instrument operator
changes the reticle focus may need to
adjusted.
 Fundamental Axis of Total Station
Vertical axis
Horizontal axis
Line of sight
Axis of bubble tube
 Errors in Total Station
Sources of Errors
Instrumental Errors
Personal Errors
Natural Errors
 Instrumental Errors
Line of Sight Error
Tilting axis or Trunnion axis Error
Vertical axis Error
Vertical Index Error
Collimation Error of automatic target recogniser
Collimation error of Laser pointer
Instrumental distance error
Checking Plummet
 Line of Sight Error
 It is caused when the line of
sight is not perpendicular to
the tilting axis.
 It affects all horizontal angle
measurements if single face
measurements are made.
 This error may eliminate by
taking reading on both faces, by
calibration mode and feeding
this error as input for onboard
calculations.
 Tilting axis Error
 This error occurs if tilting
axis is not perpendicular to
the vertical axis.
 If the sights are horizontal
this error is zero.
 This error may eliminate
by taking reading on both
faces, or applying
compensation for
onboard calculations.
 Vertical Axis Error
If the vertical axis is not truly vertical
angular errors cannot be eliminated by averaging
observations on two faces.
To measure this angular error compensator is
provided.
 Vertical Index Error
If 0° to 180° line of the
vertical circle does not
coincide with the
vertical axis of
instrument.
This zero point error is
present in all vertical
circle readings
It is eliminated by taking
FL and FR readings
 Collimation Error of automatic target recogniser

If total station provided with automatic target

recogniser (ATR) this type of error is occurs.
The requirement of ATR is it should be exactly
coincide with cross hairs used for line of sight.
To determine this error, the centre of ATR prism is
sighted accurately and the horizontal and vertical
circle readings are noted.
Then ATR system is switched on and its position is
compared with the manual positioning at the centre
of the prism.
 Collimation Error of Laser Pointer

If the laser beam is used instead of reflector, the

beam should be collimated with the line of sight on
eliminate collimation errors.
On a target plate or on a well defined point line of
sight may be taken and laser beam is switched on.
If both fall on the same point there is no collimation
error.
Otherwise it needs mechanical adjustments.
 Instrumental distance error

It is the duty of surveyor to check periodically accuracy

of the instrument given the manufacturers.

Accuracy = a mm + b ppm

1) Zero Error
2) Scale Error
 Zero Error
The first part of distance error (‘a’ mm) is
independent of distance measured and it is called
zero error.
It is due to the difference in mechanical, electrical
and optical centres of the total station and reflectors.
 This error can be found by measuring distance d1 ,d2
and d3 shown in the figure and a line ABC with the
instrument.
 Zero Error
If the ‘Z’ is this Zero error,
d1 = L1 + z , d2 = L2 + z , d3 = L3 + z
Since d values are small, total error is taken as zero error only

But d1 = d2 + d3
L1 + z = L2 + z + L3 + z
z = L1 – ( L2 + L3 )
 Scale Error
 Error ‘b’ ppm is called scale error.
 It is linearly proportional to the distance measured.
It is due to the error in measuring phase difference or
due to the unwanted interference between signal
generated and processed.
This can be found by measuring distance between
two base lines of the different lengths.
If the difference is more, the instrument is need to be
sent back to the manufacture for calibration.
 Errors due to the Atmospheric Effects
 EM waves travel at the speed of light in vacuum.
But their velocity is effected by atmospheric
condition of temperature and pressure.
It gives errors in phase difference.
Manufacture provides charts for finding this error.
Looking at Temperature and atmospheric pressure
this error may be found from chart and data given to
be total station
 Errors due to the Atmospheric Effects
Then microprocessor records the corrected
distances.
Avoid working with extremely varying atmospheric
conditions.
Measurement of very long distance is avoided.