Introduction

Pinnacle API provides application clients a set of convenient interfaces to access highly accurate vertical positioning data from NextNav’s Pinnacle Service.

The Pinnacle API generates industry-leading accuracy for vertical positoning data (also called z-axis data) using barometric pressure and 2D location information from a device, then optimizing the positioning data with NextNav’s Pinnacle Altitude Service Network. NextNav has deployed the Pinnacle commercial service nationwide in the US, enabling FCC-compliant vertical accuracy in over 4,400 cities and towns addressing over 90% of buildings more than 3 floors high. The NextNav Pinnacle Service coverage area can be viewed at https://www.nextnav.com/.

The Pinnacle API is provided as an alternate to the Android/iOS Pinnacle SDK to access altitude data. The Pinnacle SDK and API both use the same NextNav high performance altitude reference network and barometric pressure-based measurement algorithms to provide the altitude/vertical location data to the client application.

This development guide describes the Pinnacle API data-fields and how a client will need to interact with the API to get the altitude data. Please note: the Pinnacle API may also be referred to as “PLH” within the API files/parameters.

Audience

This document includes the detailed descriptions of core functionalities and development steps, which is directed towards software developers who are developing an application that integrates the Pinnacle API.

NextNav Visual Elements Guide

App Note: NextNav Pinnacle Service Best Practices