As Phoebe settles into her internship at Leica Geosystems HQ in Switzerland, she’s already getting hands-on with some exciting developments.
One of her recent tasks involved release testing for the most recent Captivate v9.10 software—an essential part of Leica’s commitment to delivering stable, high-performing solutions to users around the world. Below, Phoebe shares her experience with upgrade/downgrade procedures, GS18i evaluation, and what she’s learning from her time in testing.
Release Testing of the New Captivate v9.10 Software Version
"Each member of the team is allocated 2-9 different tests for the new software version. These tests vary between indoor and outdoor testing and must be completed within one week (ideally). My 8 tests were separated into two different sections: GS18i Exploratory sessions, and Upgrade/Downgrade Tests.
Firstly, an upgrade/downgrade test was performed where an older GS18 and a secondary newer GS18 were upgraded to the new version of Captivate. I checked the Measurement Engine (ME) and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radio version was correct and ensured that the tilt compensation could be initialised. Then I downgraded the Captivate version to Captivate v.8.5 (an older version). I conducted the same checks with the ME and UHF version, including tilt compensation, then upgraded the sensors to the new Captivate release and repeated the test. This is to prevent the installation of incorrect firmware on the instruments, which could ultimately damage the devices. I then performed the same upgrade/downgrade test with a GS10, GS16, and a GS25 (and Viva versions 13.10 and 12.5 as the new and old software releases). Finally, the same test was performed with a GS05.
The GS18i exploratory sessions involved connecting a CS20 or CC180 to a GS18i via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection and capturing 60 second and 20 second image groups. The purpose of this test was to explore the stability of the WLAN connection and to ensure that the image on the controller display was not lagging or freezing. Whilst there were no issues with this test, the key finding for me was that the use of a CC180 dramatically increased the speed of image processing whilst in the field. It was also a good learning opportunity for me to see how the innovation of the newer CC180 and CC200 tablet models are useful for these kinds of jobs.
In addition to these physical tests, there are automatic tests that are always happening behind the scenes. Every night the changes that the Research and Development department make are implemented and tested autonomously. Additionally, tests are continuously conducted in the background to ensure that RTK corrections can always be received.
It is evident from these numerous tests that the GNSS Product Management team strives to create and test every possible user scenario and instrument combination. This approach helps us identify bugs and issues before users encounter them in the field."
