ADVANCED COURSES

ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Session 1.3

Measuring angles and

distances with a total station
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

A total station consists of:

• A telescope mounted on two graduated

circles: horizontal circle and vertical circle
(“theodolite”)

• An Electronic Distance Measurement

(EDM) device

• Accessories: tripod, reflector, …

Source: Leica Geosystems

 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Measuring angles
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Measuring angles

• An angle is a measure of the difference between

two directions.

• The vertical angle is commonly measured

from the “zenith” direction (opposite to the
plummet direction)

• It is convenient to measure horizontal angles

from the North direction (the measured angle
is then called “Azimuth”)

• Angles can be expressed in decimal degree,

sexagesimal degree, or grade (gon)

• Vertical and horizontal angle measurement requires

that the total station be perfectly levelled

Source: Leica Geosystems

 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Source: Leica Geosystems

 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Line of sight

• The telescope central axis is materialized by a cross-hair etched on the reticule

• The horizontal and vertical angles displayed on the TS screen refer to the
direction indicated by the center of the cross-hair

Cross-hair
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Angular measurement accuracy

The accuracy of angular measurement is limited by a number of

factors:

- Collimation error

- Plate level error

- Miscentring error
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Collimation error
- Collimation error is caused by the cross-hair etched on the reticule glass
disc not being on the exact mechanical centre of the telescope

- Collimation error alters the measurement of both horizontal and vertical angles
- Collimation error can be corrected either through calibration
(see session 1.7) or through “face right / face left” observations.
Source: Internet
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Plate level error

• Plate level error occurs when the total station

is not levelled properly, using the plate level bubble

• The effect is proportional to the tangent of the

altitude

• it does not affect angles close to horizontal but

is significant when elevated targets are
observed

• Plate level error can be partly corrected either

through calibration (see session 1.7) or
through “face right / face left” observations
Source: Internet
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Miscentring
• Miscentring is the error caused by the total station not being correctly
plumbed over the reference mark.

Incorrect

Correct

• Miscentring affects horizontal angles.

Source: Internet
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Measuring distances
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Principles of electronic distance measurement

• Distances are measured from an EDM device

• An EDM device consists of: (i) an emitter, (ii) a prism reflector and (iii) a
receiver

• Emitter and receiver are built-in components of the telescope

• The emitter operates in the infrared range of the electromagnetic waves

 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING
Principles of electronic distance measurement
2

3
1
4
5

1. The emitter emits an infrared pulse at time T

2. The infrared pulse travels at the speed of light towards the reflector
3. The pulse is reflected by the prism reflector
4. The pulse travels back to the telescope in the parallel direction
5. The pulse is received by the receiver at time T+ T Source: Internet
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Principles of electronic distance measurement

T * speed of light
• Distance between A and B = ________________
2
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Prism geometry

Reflector

Whatever the incoming

incoming signal signal direction,
the reflected signal
direction is parallel to
reflected signal the incoming signal
direction
 ADVANCED COURSES
ON LAND SURVEY AND MAPPING

Exercise:
An EDM device emits an infrared pulse towards a reflector. It takes 0.187
microseconds (1 microsecond = 10-6 second) for the pulse to return to the EDM
device. The speed of light is 299792458 m.s-1. What is the distance between the
EDM device and the reflector ?