ABSTRACT
A theodolite is a surveying instrument used for precise angular measurement in both horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are commonly used for land surveying, route surveying, construction surveying, and in the engineering industry. At the peak of their development optical theodolites became reliable, compact, light, and ergonomic, but reading out the values remained tiring and hardly available for automatic registration. At the peak of their development optical theodolites became reliable, compact, light, and ergonomic, but reading out the values remained tiring and hardly available for automatic registration. The main principle of every theodolite operation is a selected basic axial configuration according to certain requirements. Optical and electronic theodolites have an identical geometric and kinematical scheme. Limb eccentricity is one of the main reasons for theodolites measurement errors, and it can hardly be corrected. In optical theodolites significant values of limb eccentricities may be visible.
