Create v1.5.0 which fixes rtk2go rejection, retries reconnect, slows rate

CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 Changelog for package ntrip_client
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
+1.5.0 (2026-06-08)
+------------------
+* Fixes to make rtk2go work: configurable and lower default rate (1 Hz) for querying caster
+* Support persistent reconnect attempts to cope with extended caster outages
+* Change the user agent name to one that's not blocked by rtk2go
+* Allow setting the default user agent name
+* Python3 support
+* Change NMEA_DEFAULT_MAX_LENGTH to 150 per ponderbotics
+
 1.4.1 (2025-04-15)
 ------------------
 * Fix log message (`#61 <https://github.com/LORD-MicroStrain/ntrip_client/issues/61>`_)

README.md

@@ -2,55 +2,70 @@
 
 ## Description
 
-ROS node that will communicate with an NTRP caster to receive RTCM connections and publish them on a ROS topic. Also works with virtual NTRIP servers by subscribing to NMEA
-messages and sending them to the NTRIP server
-
-#### Important Branches
-There are two important branches that you may want to checkout:
-
-* [ros](https://github.com/LORD-MicroStrain/ntrip_client/tree/ros) -- Contains ROS1 implementation for this node.
-* [ros2](https://github.com/LORD-MicroStrain/ntrip_client/tree/ros2) -- Contains ROS2 implementation for this node.
+ROS node that will communicate with an NTRIP caster to receive RTCM corrections and publish them on a ROS topic. Also works with virtual/relayed NTRIP servers by subscribing to NMEA
+messages and sending them to the NTRIP server.
 
 ## Build Instructions
 
-#### Building from source
-1. Install ROS2 and create a workspace: [Installing and Configuring Your ROS2 Environment](https://docs.ros.org/en/foxy/Tutorials/Configuring-ROS2-Environment.html)
+It is assumed you have already installed ROS2. This package is not tied to any particular release of ROS2.
+Build this package from source as follows:
 
-2. Move the entire ntrip_client folder to the your_workspace/src directory.
+1. Clone this repo into the your_workspace/src directory and check out the ros2 branch.
 
-3. Install rosdeps for this package: `rosdep install --from-paths ~/your_workspace/src --ignore-src -r -y`
+2. Install rosdeps for this package: `rosdep install --from-paths ~/your_workspace/src --ignore-src -r -y`
 
-4. Build your workspace:
+3. Build your workspace:
     ```bash
     cd ~/your_workspace
     colcon build
     source ~/your_workspace/install/setup.bash
     ```        
     The source command may need to be run in each terminal prior to launching a ROS node.
 
-#### Connect to a NTRIP caster or server
+## Connect to a NTRIP caster or server
 
 This is useful if you have access to an NTRIP caster or server that you want to connect to over the internet.
 
 ```bash
 ros2 launch ntrip_client ntrip_client_launch.py
 ```
 
-Optional launch parameters:
-- **host**: Hostname or IP address of the NTRIP server to connect to.
+-- or override defaults from cmd line (example for rtk2go) --
+
+```bash
+ros2 launch ntrip_client ntrip_client_launch.py host:=rtk2go.com mountpoint:=MyRealMtPt authenticate:=true username:=myrealemail@provider.com password:=none send_nmea:=false
+```
+
+Launch arguments (all overridable as `name:=value`; defaults shown):
+
+Connection:
+- **host**: Hostname or IP address of the NTRIP server to connect to and receive corrections from
 - **port**: Port to connect to on the server. Default: `2101`
-- **mountpoint**: Mountpoint to connect to on the NTRIP server.
-- **ntrip_version**: Value to use for the `Ntrip-Version` header in the initial HTTP request to the caster.
-- **authenticate**: Whether to authenticate with the server, or send an unauthenticated request. If set to true, `username`, and `password` must be supplied.
-- **username**: Username to use when authenticating with the NTRIP server. Only used if `authenticate` is true
-- **password**: Password to use when authenticating with the NTRIP server. Only used if `authenticate` is true
-- **ssl**: Whether to connect with SSL. cert, key, and ca_cert options will only take effect if this is true
-- **cert**: If the NTRIP caster is configured to use cert based authentication, you can use this option to specify the client certificate
-- **key**: If the NTRIP caster is configured to use cert based authentication, you can use this option to specify the private key
-- **ca_cert**: If the NTRIP caster uses self signed certs, or you need to use a different CA chain, this option can be used to specify a CA file
-- **rtcm_message_packege**: Changes the type of ROS RTCM message published by this node. Defaults to `mavros_msgs`, but also supports `rtcm_msgs`
+- **mountpoint**: Mountpoint to connect to on the NTRIP server
+- **ntrip_version**: Value sent in the `Ntrip-Version` request header. Default: `None` (header omitted; NTRIP rev1/ICY request)
+- **user_agent**: HTTP `User-Agent` sent to the caster. **Must start with `NTRIP `.** Default: `NTRIP ponderbotics_ntrip_client`. Do not use the stock `NTRIP ntrip_client_ros` — rtk2go blocks it (see [rtk2go notes](#rtk2go-and-reconnect-behavior)).
+- **send_nmea**: Whether to forward NMEA from the `nmea` topic up to the caster. Needed for virtual/relayed (VRS) mountpoints. For a plain base station (e.g. rtk2go's fixed mountpoints) set `send_nmea:=false` — the node then skips the `nmea` subscription entirely and never uploads your position. Default: `true`.
+
+Authentication:
+- **authenticate**: Whether to authenticate with the server, or send an unauthenticated request. If `true`, `username` and `password` must be supplied.
+- **username**: Username used when authenticating. For rtk2go this is your registered email. Only used if `authenticate` is true.
+- **password**: Password used when authenticating. For rtk2go use `none`. Default: `none`. Only used if `authenticate` is true.
+
+Rate & reconnect:
+- **ntrip_server_hz**: Frequency (Hz) to communicate with the NTRIP server. Some servers, like rtk2go.com, will ban you if you request data too frequently — for rtk2go use `ntrip_server_hz:=1`. Default: `10`.
+- **reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds**: Ceiling for the exponential reconnect backoff. Reconnects are persistent (the node never gives up); raise this (e.g. `:=600`) to reduce footprint during long caster outages. Default: `120` (2-minute steady-state cadence). The starting wait (`reconnect_attempt_wait_seconds`, 10s) and `rtcm_timeout_seconds` (10s) are set in the launch file's parameter block.
+
+SSL (only used if `ssl:=true`):
+- **ssl**: Connect to the caster over TLS. Default: `False`
+- **cert** / **key**: Client certificate and key for cert-based auth. Default: `None`
+- **ca_cert**: CA chain to use for self-signed casters. Default: `None`
 
-#### Connect to a NTRIP "device"
+Output / namespacing:
+- **rtcm_message_package**: ROS message package used for published RTCM. `rtcm_msgs` (publishes `rtcm_msgs/msg/Message`) or `mavros_msgs` (publishes `mavros_msgs/msg/RTCM`). Default: `rtcm_msgs`.
+- **namespace** / **group** / **node_name**: Namespace, optional sub-group, and node name. 
+- **debug**: Enable debug-level logging. Default: `false`
+
+## Connect to a NTRIP "device"
 
 This is useful if you do not have an internet connection, but do have an NTRIP "device" that you want to receive connections from, such as the [MicroStrain 3DM-RTK](https://www.microstrain.com/inertial-sensors/3dm-rtk).
 
@@ -63,14 +78,59 @@ Optional launch parameters:
 - **baudrate**: Baudrate to connect to the serial port at. Default 115200
 - **rtcm_message_packege**: Changes the type of ROS RTCM message published by this node. Defaults to `mavros_msgs`, but also supports `rtcm_msgs`
 
-#### Topics
-
-This node currently only has three topics of interest:
+## Topics
 
-* **/rtcm**: This node will publish the RTCM corrections received from the server to this topic as [RTCM messages](http://docs.ros.org/en/noetic/api/mavros_msgs/html/msg/RTCM.html). These messages can be consumed by nodes such as the [microstrain_inertial_driver](https://github.com/LORD-MicroStrain/microstrain_inertial)
+* **/rtcm** (publish): RTCM corrections received from the server. Message type depends on `rtcm_message_package` — `rtcm_msgs/msg/Message` by default, or `mavros_msgs/msg/RTCM`. Consumed by GNSS drivers (e.g. ublox_gps, [microstrain_inertial_driver](https://github.com/LORD-MicroStrain/microstrain_inertial)).
     * **NOTE**: The type of message can be switched between [`mavros_msgs/RTCM`](https://github.com/mavlink/mavros/blob/ros2/mavros_msgs/msg/RTCM.msg) and [`rtcm_msgs/Message`](https://github.com/tilk/rtcm_msgs/blob/master/msg/Message.msg) using the `rtcm_message_package` parameter
-* **/nmea**: This node will subscribe on this topic and receive [NMEA sentence messages](http://docs.ros.org/en/api/nmea_msgs/html/msg/Sentence.html) which it will forward to the NTRIP server. This is always needed when using a virtual NTRIP server or an NTRIP device
-* **/fix**: This serves the same exact purpose as `/nmea`, but facilitates receiving global position that is not in NMEA format
+* **/nmea** (subscribe): [NMEA sentence messages](http://docs.ros.org/en/api/nmea_msgs/html/msg/Sentence.html) forwarded to the NTRIP server. Needed for virtual/relayed (VRS) mountpoints. The node subscribes to the topic `/nmea`; remap it (e.g. in the launch file's `remappings`) to your NMEA source if it differs. Set `send_nmea:=false` to disable forwarding entirely (the subscription is then not created). Note: there is no `nmea_topic` launch argument — passing one has no effect.
+* **/fix**: This serves the same exact purpose as `/nmea`, but facilitates receiving global position that is not in NMEA format by monitoring NavSatFix mesages on the /fix topic.
+* **/ntrip_server_hz** (publish): A `std_msgs/String` confirmation published each communication cycle, to help verify compliance with caster usage policies.
+
+## rtk2go and reconnect behavior
+
+[rtk2go.com](http://rtk2go.com) runs the SNIP caster software and enforces usage policies that this release complies with:
+
+* **User-Agent blocking.** rtk2go maintains a block list of client signatures. The stock LORD-MicroStrain `User-Agent: NTRIP ntrip_client_ros` is blocked. A blocked client does **not** get a clear error — the caster returns a `SOURCETABLE 200 OK` response instead of the data stream, which the node logs as a sourcetable/invalid-response error. If you see a sourcetable response for a mountpoint you know is valid, suspect a client-side block, not a bad mountpoint. The default `user_agent` (`NTRIP ros_ntrip_client`) is accepted; if you change it, keep the mandatory `NTRIP ` prefix and avoid the stock string.
+* **Request rate.** Use `ntrip_server_hz:=1` (the default) for rtk2go. Higher rates can get you banned.
+* **Persistent reconnect.** On any connection loss or failed initial connect, the node schedules a non-blocking reconnect and retries indefinitely. The wait starts at `reconnect_attempt_wait_seconds` (10s) and doubles on each failure up to `reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds` (default 120s), then holds at that ceiling. It never gives up, so the node recovers on its own from extended rtk2go outages (DDoS) or a mountpoint taken down for maintenance. To shrink your footprint during long outages, raise the ceiling (e.g. `reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds:=600`). Note: only the network client retries forever; the serial client retries a fixed number of times then exits.
+* **First-connect timeout is normal.** With rtk2go the very first connect attempt frequently times out and then succeeds on the first backoff retry, even on healthy connections. This is expected.
+
+### Known behavior: NMEA upload to a connected-but-silent mountpoint
+
+The dead-connection watchdog (`rtcm_timeout_seconds`) only arms **after the first RTCM packet arrives**. If a caster *accepts* the connection but then never delivers RTCM — e.g. a mountpoint that is **down for maintenance** while the caster still completes the GET request — the node believes it is connected and, if `send_nmea` is `true`, keeps uploading NMEA every cycle to a stream that is dead. On rtk2go this continuous upload to a silent mountpoint can trigger a ban.
+
+Mitigations by deployment type:
+
+* **Fixed-base mountpoints (e.g. rtk2go):** set `send_nmea:=false`. These mountpoints don't use your position, so no NMEA should be sent in the first place — this removes the problem at the source.
+* **VRS / virtual mountpoints:** NMEA is required (the network needs your position to synthesize the virtual base), so `send_nmea:=false` is not an option. The proper fix is to baseline the watchdog off the connect time so a connected-but-silent stream triggers reconnect even before the first packet. This is **not yet implemented** — left as documented behavior pending a VRS caster to validate against.
+
+## Docker Integration
+
+### VSCode
+
+The easiest way to use docker while still using an IDE is to use VSCode as an IDE. Follow the steps below to develop on this repo in a docker container
+
+1. Install the following dependencies:
+    1. [VSCode](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
+    1. [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/)
+1. Open VSCode and install the following [plugins](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/extension-marketplace):
+    1. [VSCode Remote Containers plugin](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
+1. Open this directory in a container by following [this guide](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/containers#_quick-start-open-an-existing-folder-in-a-container)
+
+### Make
+
+If you are comfortable working from the command line, the [Makefile](./devcontainer/Makefile) in the [.devcontainer](./devcontainer) directory
+can be used to build a development image, and run a shell inside the docker image. Follow the steps below to setup your environment to use the `Makefile`
+
+1. Install the following dependencies:
+    1. [Make](https://www.gnu.org/software/make/)
+    1. [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/)
+    1. [qemu-user-static](https://packages.ubuntu.com/bionic/qemu-user-static) (for multiarch builds)
+        1. Run the following command to register the qemu binaries with docker: `docker run --rm --privileged multiarch/qemu-user-static:register`
+
+The `Makefile` exposes the following tasks. They can all be run from the `.devcontainer` directory:
+* `make build-shell` - Builds the docker image and starts a shell session in the image allowing the user to develop and build the ROS project using common commands such as `catkin_make`
+* `make clean` - Cleans up after the above two tasks
 
 ## License
 ntrip_client is released under the MIT License - see the `LICENSE` file in the source distribution.

launch/ntrip_client_launch.py

@@ -10,10 +10,13 @@ def generate_launch_description():
           DeclareLaunchArgument('namespace',             default_value='/'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('node_name',             default_value='ntrip_client'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('debug',                 default_value='false'),
-          DeclareLaunchArgument('host',                  default_value='20.185.11.35'),
+	  DeclareLaunchArgument('host',                  default_value='20.185.11.35'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('port',                  default_value='2101'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('mountpoint',            default_value='VRS_RTCM3'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('ntrip_version',         default_value='None'),
+          DeclareLaunchArgument('user_agent',            default_value='NTRIP ros_ntrip_client', description='HTTP User-Agent sent to the caster. Must start with "NTRIP ". rtk2go blocks the stock "NTRIP ntrip_client_ros".'),
+          DeclareLaunchArgument('ntrip_server_hz',       default_value='1'), # set this to 1 for rtk2go
+          DeclareLaunchArgument('send_nmea',             default_value='true', description='Forward NMEA from the "nmea" topic up to the caster. Needed for virtual/relayed (VRS) mountpoints; set false for plain base stations to skip the subscription and avoid uploading position.'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('authenticate',          default_value='True'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('username',              default_value='user'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('password',              default_value='pass'),
@@ -22,10 +25,12 @@ def generate_launch_description():
           DeclareLaunchArgument('key',                   default_value='None'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('ca_cert',               default_value='None'),
           DeclareLaunchArgument('rtcm_message_package',  default_value='rtcm_msgs'),
+          DeclareLaunchArgument('reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds', default_value='120', description='Ceiling for the exponential reconnect backoff. Retries are persistent (never give up); raise this to reduce footprint during long caster outages (e.g. 600 for rtk2go DDoS/maintenance downtime).'),
 
           # Pass an environment variable to the node
           SetEnvironmentVariable(name='NTRIP_CLIENT_DEBUG', value=LaunchConfiguration('debug')),
 
+
           # ******************************************************************
           # NTRIP Client Node
           # ******************************************************************
@@ -44,6 +49,13 @@ def generate_launch_description():
                     # Optional parameter that will set the NTRIP version in the initial HTTP request to the NTRIP caster.
                     'ntrip_version': LaunchConfiguration('ntrip_version'),
 
+                    # User-Agent presented to the caster. Must start with "NTRIP ".
+                    # rtk2go blocks the stock "NTRIP ntrip_client_ros" and refuses such clients with a sourcetable response.
+                    'user_agent': LaunchConfiguration('user_agent'),
+
+                    # Rate to request correction messages. Some servers will sandbox clients that request too often
+                    'ntrip_server_hz': LaunchConfiguration('ntrip_server_hz'),
+
                     # If this is set to true, we will read the username and password and attempt to authenticate. If not, we will attempt to connect unauthenticated
                     'authenticate': LaunchConfiguration('authenticate'),
 
@@ -64,6 +76,10 @@ def generate_launch_description():
                     # Not sure if this will be looked at by other ndoes, but this frame ID will be added to the RTCM messages published by this node
                     'rtcm_frame_id': 'odom',
 
+                    # Whether to forward NMEA from the "nmea" topic up to the caster.
+                    # Needed for virtual/relayed (VRS) mountpoints; disable for plain base stations.
+                    'send_nmea': LaunchConfiguration('send_nmea'),
+
                     # Optional parameters that will allow for longer or shorter NMEA messages. Standard max length for NMEA is 82
                     'nmea_max_length': 128,
                     'nmea_min_length': 3,
@@ -73,10 +89,14 @@ def generate_launch_description():
 
                     # Will affect how many times the node will attempt to reconnect before exiting, and how long it will wait in between attempts when a reconnect occurs
                     'reconnect_attempt_max': 10,
-                    'reconnect_attempt_wait_seconds': 5,
+                    'reconnect_attempt_wait_seconds': 10,
+                    # Reconnect backoff: wait doubles from reconnect_attempt_wait_seconds up to
+                    # reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds, then holds at that ceiling. Retries are
+                    # persistent (no give-up) so the node recovers from long caster outages on its own.
+                    'reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds': LaunchConfiguration('reconnect_attempt_wait_max_seconds'),
 
                     # How many seconds is acceptable in between receiving RTCM. If RTCM is not received for this duration, the node will attempt to reconnect
-                    'rtcm_timeout_seconds': 4
+                    'rtcm_timeout_seconds': 10 #was 4 changed for rtk2go reqs
                   }
                 ],
                 # Uncomment the following section and replace "/gx5/nmea/sentence" with the topic you are sending NMEA on if it is not the one we requested