Difference post processing in PFO or GPS Analyst

LindaSyers

I need help understanding the differences between post processing an arcpad .ssf file in pathfinder office or using GPS Analyst (trimble positions).  These files coming in from the field are not kept in a geodatabase, and if I try to import the .ssf file into pathfinder office i get an error that says it was created with GPS Correct and therefore is read only.  Can anyone explain why you would use pathfinder office over gps analyst or why i cant get my .ssf file to open in PFO?

Thank you!

JayRiester1

Linda,

Hi,  the main differences between GPS Pathfinder Office and GPS Analyst are:

GPS Pathfinder Office can be used as a standalone software and is not 100% dependent of a specific version of ArcMap.  GPS Analyst Extension for ArcMap is dependent on the version of ArcMap 9.x and 10.0.

GPS Analyst was only supported up to version 10.0 ArcMap. Also only Personal Geo database's were supported with GPS Analyst. After that Trimble Positions Desktop Add-in replaced it for 10.1 and higher for ArcMap.  This then opened up the ability to use File Geo databases and even SDE.

GPS Pathfinder Office can differentially correct the GPS Correct ".SSF" or Trimble Positions ".SSF" that was used with an ArcPad SHP or AXF.  There is also a cut off as to when the last version of GPS Correct 3.40 March 2012 was supported on Trimble GPS gear since Trimble Positions is the current software for ArcPad workflows Since December 2012.

The major limitation with GPS Pathfinder Office is that you cannot see the averaged GNSS positions nor the Feature Symbol etc.  You mentioned this in your question.  You only see the individual GPS Epochs that were collected per the feature(s).  No clear answer about this but the SHP Correct/AXF Correct in GPS Pathfinder Office unfortunately was not programed to read the esri file and it is only focusing on the GPS data for differential correction.

GPS Analyst and Trimble Positions offer GNSS Metadata reporting fields upon check in of .SSF file collected with ArcPad that GPS Pathfinder Office do not.

Let me know if you have further questions about this topic.

Thanks,

Jay