X-pos is a proprietary API (Application Programming Interface) that allows exchange and utilization of GNSS raw data and GNSS positions via the Internet.
X-pos gives access to the following services:
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:
Furthermore, appropriate license options are required.
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 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 contained in an SQL database, while the actual RINEX data is stored in a RINEX file repository directly on the hard drive. The API is the interface allowing the exchange of data: clients owning a license enabling the use of this interface can trigger a data request, e.g., through their SBC account. The SBC Central Server service and the SBC web front end 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.
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. Prerequisite is a proper connection to the X-pos service which can be configured at Settings--> System--> Infrastructure. Here it is required to enter the hostname of the server where the X-pos service is running. The “Check connectivity” button responds with a green LED once the connection can be established successfully.
In a distributed installation where the X-pos server and SBC components are installed on several servers, it is often required to setup the private and public X-pos hostname separately. Hereby the private X-pos hostname is usually used to establish the connection from SBC Central Server to the X-pos Server. X-pos data like site details and settings are transferred via this channel. The public X-pos hostname represents the channel which is used when a customer connects to the SBC Frontend and requests X-pos data via the public URL.
The TCP/IP port is fix. Further details about the software architecture are given in section Introduction & System Requirements of this online help.
SBC users with a valid RINEX data access subscription have the possibility to submit RINEX requests and download the requested files directly from their account. RINEX file requests can be submitted on the Post Processing > RINEX Data page of the SBC user portal and, once the request is confirmed, corresponding files will be available for download on the Results page.
Users with an additional subscription also have access to the coordinate computation service and visualize its results on SBC user portal. The Computation service can be accessed through the Post Processing > Computation page of SBC user portal.
For more specific information about these topics, please read the X-pos Reference Sites and RINEX Data and X-pos Coordinate Computation chapters of this help.
X-pos functionalities in SBC are basically license protected. In order to support the RINEX download feature, either by GUI or via API, license option “Spider Web Service RINEX option” (Article 812431) is required. The number of supported sites providing RINEX data to subscribed users depends on the number of purchased license options “Spider Web Service Site License” (Article 812432). This limitation does not affect the number of sites storing files to the data repository. All Spider sites having the X-pos checkbox marked will be synchronized with SBC The SBC administrator can enable/disable sites for the RINEX service using the SBC UI.
The Coordinate Computation service, on the other hand, is protected by the “Spider Web Service – Computation” license option (Article 812433).
The Computation license option gives access to the Computation service only if paired with the RINEX option.
All other licensing related information can be found in this help in chapter Software Licensing and Software License States.