Novatel DL-RT2, DL-RT20S, DL-L2, DL-L1 user guide

TM

DL

User Manual

DLTM

User Manual

Publication Number: OM-20000035
Revision Level: 3 June 9, 2000

• MiLLennium, Narr ow Cor rela tor, NovAt el, ProPak, RT-2, RT -20 and Sof tSurv ar e re gister ed trade mar ks of NovAt el

Inc.

• DL, GPSAntenna and GPSCard are tradem arks of NovAtel Inc.

• All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Proprietary Notice

Information in t his document is subject to change without not ice and does not represent a comm itment on the part of
NovAtel Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement or non-disclosure
agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law
to copy the software on any medium except a s specifically all owed in the license or non-disclosure agree ment.

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of a duly authorized
representative of NovAtel Inc.

The informat i on contained within this manual is believe d t o be true and correct at the time of publication.

© Copyright 2000 NovAtel Inc. All rights reserved
Unpublished rights reserved under International copyright laws.
Printed in Canada on recycled paper. Recyclable.

2 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WARRANTY POLICY 7
CUSTOMER SERVICE 8
NOTICE 9

FCC Notice.................................................................................................................................................................9

CE Notice...................................................................................................................................................................9

CAUTION! ................................................................................................................................................................9

FOREWORD 10

What’s New in this Edition......................................................................................................................................10

1 - OVERVIEW 11

Models & Features...................................................................................................................................................12

Operating Modes......................................................................................................................................................13

Accessories and Options........................................................................................................................................... 14

2 - SET UP 15

Setting Up at the Office............................................................................................................................................15

Setting Up in the Field..............................................................................................................................................16

Choose the Right Antenna........................................................................................................................................17

Connect Cables.........................................................................................................................................................19

I/O Port & Cables............................................................................................................................................................19

Serial Ports & Cables.......................................................................................................................................................20

Peripheral Power Supply via COM2 Port ........................................................................................................................21

RF Port & Cables.............................................................................................................................................................21

Power Port & Cable.........................................................................................................................................................22

Using the Removable Flash Memory Card...............................................................................................................23

Sleep, Power Down and the Power Switch...............................................................................................................25

Status Indicators.......................................................................................................................................................26

3 - USING THE DL 27

System Behavior ......................................................................................................................................................27

Self-Test...........................................................................................................................................................................27

Autonomous Versus Host Controlled Operation..............................................................................................................27

Default Schedule and Group Configuration.....................................................................................................................27

Site Records in Scheduled (Automatic) Logging Sessions...............................................................................................27

Monitoring Your System .................................................................................................................................................27

Communications with the DL...................................................................................................................................28

Data Logging............................................................................................................................................................28

Schedule Logging Operation............................................................................................................................................29

File Name Convention.....................................................................................................................................................29

Data Storage Requirements..............................................................................................................................................30

Errors...............................................................................................................................................................................31

4 - FIRMWARE UPGRADES & UPDATES 32

Upgrade or Update the MiLLennium GPSCard.......................................................................................................32

Upgrading Using the $AUTH Command.........................................................................................................................32

Updating Using the “Loader” Utility ...............................................................................................................................33

Upgrade or Update the PDC Card............................................................................................................................35

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 3

Table of Contents

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A - DL DRAWINGS 36
APPENDIX B - DL SPECIFICATIONS 37
APPENDIX C - PC CARD SPECIFICATIONS 40
APPENDIX D - PORT & CABLE PINOUTS 41
APPENDIX E - DL COMMANDS 47

Battery......................................................................................................................................................................48

Del............................................................................................................................................................................48

Dir ............................................................................................................................................................................49

Dump........................................................................................................................................................................49

Group........................................................................................................................................................................50

Loggroup..................................................................................................................................................................53

Mets..........................................................................................................................................................................54

PDC..........................................................................................................................................................................55

Project ......................................................................................................................................................................56

PSN ..........................................................................................................................................................................57

Pversion....................................................................................................................................................................57

Rename.....................................................................................................................................................................57

Schedule...................................................................................................................................................................57

Site............................................................................................................................................................................60

Sleep.........................................................................................................................................................................62

Status........................................................................................................................................................................63

Vout..........................................................................................................................................................................63

Write.........................................................................................................................................................................63

APPENDIX F - DL LOGS 64

PDC Files .................................................................................................................................................................64

BATA/B...................................................................................................................................................................65

DIRA/B.................................................................................................................................................................... 66

GROUPA/B.............................................................................................................................................................. 66

GRPA/B ...................................................................................................................................................................69

HDRA/B...................................................................................................................................................................71

LPSTATUSA/B........................................................................................................................................................73

META/B...................................................................................................................................................................74

MSGA/B...................................................................................................................................................................75

PDCVERA/B............................................................................................................................................................77

PROJECTA/B ..........................................................................................................................................................78

PSNA/B....................................................................................................................................................................79

SCHA/B ...................................................................................................................................................................80

SITELOGA/B...........................................................................................................................................................81

STATUSA/B............................................................................................................................................................83

4 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

Table of Contents

APPENDIX G - CONVERSIONS 86
APPENDIX H - REPLACEMENT PARTS 87
APPENDIX I - OPTIONAL MOUNTING BRACKET 88
APPENDIX J - COMMAND PROMPT INTERFACE 90

TABLES

1: Positioning Modes of Operation.....................................................................................................................................12

2: Feature Summary - DL Models......................................................................................................................................13

3: Allowable Antenna Types..............................................................................................................................................17

4: Status Indicators - Meaning ........................................................................................................................................... 26

5: Auto-Generated File Name Convention.........................................................................................................................30

6: Storage Requirements per Data Record.........................................................................................................................30

7: Memory Consumption – Typical Case for RTK Survey (2 Second Rate)......................................................................31

8: Memory Consumption – Typical Case for Static Survey (15 Second Rate)...................................................................31

9: Power Connector Pin Assignment..................................................................................................................................41

10: COM2 Serial Port - Connector Pin Assignment...........................................................................................................42

11: COM1 Serial Port - Connector Pin Assignment...........................................................................................................42

12: Straight Serial Cable - Pin Assignment.................................................................................... ....................................43

13: Null-Modem Cable - Pin Assignment..........................................................................................................................44

14: I/O Connector Pin Assignment.....................................................................................................................................45

15: I/O Cable – Pin Assignment.........................................................................................................................................46

16: Weekday Abbreviations...............................................................................................................................................57

17: Group Status Word Encoding.......................................................................................................................................67

18: Log Status Word Encoding..........................................................................................................................................68

19: MSGA Error Code Definition......................................................................................................................................76

20: Flag Word Encoding.................................................................................................................................................... 81

21: PDC Status Word Encoding.........................................................................................................................................84

22: GPS Status Word Encoding.........................................................................................................................................85

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 5

Table of Contents

FIGURES

1: NovAtel DL – Front & Rear ..........................................................................................................................................11

2: Typical DL Configuration – Office................................................................................................................................15

3: Typical DL Configuration – Field..................................................................................................................................16

4: Close-up of Ports on Rear End-cap................................................................................................................................19

5: Removing a Connector...................................................................................................................................................19

6: Opening the Cover .........................................................................................................................................................24

7: Handling the PC Card ....................................................................................................................................................24

8: Status Indicators.............................................................................................................................................................26

9: LOADER Options..........................................................................................................................................................34

10: Views ...................................................................................................................................................................36

11: Power Cables................................................................................................................................................................41

12: Straight Serial Cable - Illustration................................................................................................................................43

13: Null-Modem Serial Cable - Illustration........................................................................................................................44

14: I/O Cable - Illustration .................................................................................................................................................45

15: Mounting Bracket.........................................................................................................................................................88

16: Mounting Bracket Drill Holes – Dimensions...............................................................................................................89

6 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

Warranty Policy

WARRANTY POLICY

NovAtel Inc. warrants that its Global Positioning System (GPS) products are free from defects in materials and
workmanship, subject to the conditions set for t h below, for the fol l owing periods of time:

DL Series One (1) Year
GPSAntenna Series One (1) Year
Cables and Accessori es Ninety (90) Days
Software Support One (1) Year

Date of sale shall mean the date of the invoice to the original customer for the product. NovAtel’s responsibility
respecting this warranty is l imited solely to product repair at an authorized NovAte l location only. Determination of
repair will be made by NovAtel personnel or by technical personnel e xpressly authorized by NovAtel for this purpose.

THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES DO NOT EXTEND TO (I) NONCONFORMITIES, DEFECTS OR ERRORS IN
THE PRODUCTS DUE TO ACCIDENT, ABUSE, MISUSE OR NEGLIGENT US E OF THE PRODUCTS OR USE IN
OTHER THAN A NORMAL AND CUSTOMARY MANNER, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS NOT
CONFORMING TO NOVATEL’S SPECIFICATIONS, OR FAILURE TO FOLLOW PRESCRIBED INSTALLATION,
OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES, (II) DEFECTS, ERRORS OR NONCONFORMITIES IN THE
PRODUCTS DUE TO MODIFICATIONS, ALTERATIONS, ADDITIONS OR CHANGES NOT MADE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH NOVATEL’S SPECIFICATIONS OR AUTHORIZED BY NOVATEL, (III) NORMAL WEAR
AND TEAR, (IV) DAMAGE CAUSED BY FORCE OF NATURE OR ACT OF ANY THIRD PERSON, (V) SHIPPING
DAMAGE; OR (VI) SERVICE OR REPAIR OF PRODUCT BY THE DEALER WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN
CONSENT FROM NOVATEL.

IN ADDITION, THE FOREGOING WARRANTIES SHALL NOT APPLY TO PRODUCTS DESIGNATED BY
NOVATEL AS BETA SITE TEST SAMPLES, EXPERIMENTAL, DEVELOPMENTAL, PREPRODUCTION,
SAMPLE, INCOMPLETE OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION PRODUCTS OR TO RETURNED PRODUCTS IF THE
ORIGINAL IDENTIFICATION MARKS HAVE BEEN REMOVED OR ALTERED.

THE WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, WRITTEN OR ORAL, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXCLUDED.

NOVATEL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR EXPENSE ARISING DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY OUT OF THE PURCHASE, INSTALLATION, OPERATION, US E OR LICENSING OR PRODUCTS
OR SERVICES. IN NO EVENT SHALL NOVATEL BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE DUE TO ANY CAUSE.

There are no user-serviceable parts in this device, and no maintenance is required. When the status code indicates that a
unit is faulty, replace with another unit and return the faulty unit to NovAtel Inc.

You must obtain a RETURN MATERIAL AUTHORIZATION (RMA) number by cont acting Customer Ser vice
in any of the ways descr ibed on the next page. This num ber is needed before shipping a ny product to NovAtel or
your Dealer.

Once you have obtained an RMA numbe r, you will be advised of proper shipping procedures to return any defective
product. When re turning any product to NovAtel, ple ase retur n all original diskettes along w ith the defec tive product in
the original packaging to avoid electrostatic and/or shipping dam age.

ANY ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE CASE WILL IMPAIR THE WATER-RESISTANT QUALITIES OF THE
ENCLOSURE, AND VOID THE WARRANTY.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 7

Customer Service

CUSTOMER SERVICE

For customer support contact your local NovAtel dealer first. If the problem remains unresolved, contact NovAtel
directly by any of the following ways:

• toll-free hotline: 1 800 NOVATEL (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM MST, Canada and U.S.A. only)

• telephone: [phone] (8:00 AM - 4:30 PM MST)

• fax: [phone]

• e-mail: [e-mail]

• web site: http://www.novatel.ca

• regular mail: NovAtel Inc.

Customer Service Dept.
1120 - 68 Avenue NE
Calgary, Albert a
Canada
T2E 8S5

If you require customer service, please provide the following informat i on along with a detaile d description of the pr obl em
when you call or wr ite:

Serial No._______________________________________ Model No. _________________________________________
Software Rele ase No. _____________________________
Date Purchased:__________________________________
Purchased from: ____________________________________________________________________________________
User name: _____________________________________Title: ______________________________________________
Company: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________
City:___________________________________________ Prov/State: _________________________________________
Zip/Postal Code: _________________________________ Country: ___________________________________________
Phone #:________________________________________Fax #: _____________________________________________
E-mail:_________________________________________
Interface: Computer type: _______________________________________ Operating Shell: ______________________
Other interface used:_________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide a complete descr iption of any proble ms you may be experiencing, or the nature of your inquiry (a ttach

additional sheets if needed):

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

Notices

NOTICE

FCC NOTICE

The United States Federal Communications Commission (in 47 CFR 15) has specified that the following notices be
brought to the attention of users of this product.

“This equipment has bee n tested and found to compl y with the limits f or a class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of
the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is opera ted in a commercial envir onment. This equipment gener ates, uses, and can radiate radio frequenc y
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case
the user will be required to correct the interference at his own risk.”

“Changes or modifica tions not expr essl y appr oved by t he pa rt y re sponsible for c ompl ianc e could void the user’s authority
to operate the equi pment.”

IMPORTANT: In order to maintain compliance with the limits of a Class A digital device, it is required to use properly
shielded interface cables (such as Belden #9539 or equivalent) when using the serial data ports, and double-shielded
cables (such as Belden #9945 or equivalent) when using the I/O strobe por t.

CE NOTICE

WARNING: This is a Class A product . In a dome stic envir onment thi s product ma y cause ra dio interf erence in which
case the user m ay be required to ta ke adequate meas ures.

CAUTION!

1. This device incorporates circuitry to absorb most static discharges. However, severe static shock may cause
inaccurate operation of the unit. Use anti-static precautions where possible.

2. T his de vice is a pr ec ision instrum ent. Although it is de signed f or r ugged oper ating c onditions, it pe rf orm s best whe n
handled with care.

3. When the cover for the PC Card ATA mass storage card (PC Card) is closed and latched, the enclosure is sealed to
provide protection against adverse environmental conditions. To minimize the possibility of damage, always keep
this cover closed and latched except when exchanging PC Cards. Any attempt to remove this cover or the end-
caps impairs the water-resistant qualities of the enclosure, and void the warranty.

4. Do not eject the PC Card while the DL is loggi ng data, as you may lose pa rt of or your entire data file.

5. The DL can accept an input supply voltage in the range +10.7 to +18 V DC. This may not be the same range as other
NovAtel products with which you are familiar. Operating the DL below 10.7 V DC causes the unit to suspend
operation. An input voltage above +18 V DC may physically damage the unit.

6. The DL is not compati bl e with the ProPak series of power supplies and power cables.

7. Drawing more than the specified maximum current (2 amps) from COM2 will cause an internal fuse to interrupt the
current. Restoring normal operation will require returning the unit to NovAtel.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 9

Foreword

FOREWORD

Congratulations on your purchase of the DL, a GPS receiver with exceptional flexibility.
NovAtel is an industry leader in state-of-the-art GPS receiver design. We believe that our DL will meet your high

expectations, and are working hard to ensure that future products and enhancements will maintain that level of
satisfaction.

Scope

This manual provides suff icient infor mat ion to allow you to se t up and ef fect ively use t he DL. For any c ustomer -se rvice
problems or inquiries, plea se contact your dealer. I f additional help is needed, contact Customer Service by any of the
means outlined on Page 8.

The following may provide you with additional valua ble reference information:

• SoftSurv User Manual - a description of the SoftSurv suite of GPS surveying programs and utilities. SoftSurv and DL

are compleme ntar y pr oduct s designe d to w ork toge the r. Sof tSur v softw ar e provi des a user-friendly graphical interface
to the DL, allowing you t o focus on your work wit hout needing to learn about the MiLLennium’s commands and logs.
SoftSurv contains all that you would typically need to interact with and configure the DL .

• MiLLennium GPSCard Command Descri ptions Manual - a comprehensive description of eve ry GPSCard command

and log available to you. You would only need to become f am iliar with this m anua l if you wishe d to intera ct with the
DL from the command-prompt interface, or in any other way chose not to use SoftSurv.

Throughout this document, metric SI (Système Internationale) units are used. Appendix G is incl uded to assist you with
conversions to imperial units.

Wherever software commands are listed or described, certain conventions are followed. These are explained in the
section titled Syntax Conventions, Page 47.

WHAT’S NEW IN THIS EDITION

1. Per ipheral equipm ent power can now be pr ovided through the r eceiver’s CO M2 por t. The output vol tage is t he sa me
as the connected active battery, with up to 2A of current available. This new definition of COM2 is fully compatible
with COM1, NovAtel cabling and other NovAtel ProPak receivers. Refer to the new VOUT command, Page 63 and
pinout description, Page 42.

2. GPS receiver firmware has been enhanced to provide superior stand-alone base station operation.

3. The DIR comma nd, Page 49, has been modified to display previously supplied additional group information.

4. There is a new WRITE command, Page 63, that allows data to be written to a specified data file on the PC Card.

5. There is a new description of the PDC LOG command, Page 55, as well as a new PDC log, STATUSA/B, Page 83.

6. A PROJECT command, Page 56, and a PROJECTA/B log, Page 78, has be en added for projec t -related parameters.

7. The GROUP command, Page 50, has been modified and a GROUPA/B log, Page 66, has been added to provide
support for additional group data.

10 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

1 – Overview

1 - OVERVIEW

The NovAtel DL is a high-per formance GPS receiver . In applications when continuous user interaction is r equired, such
as in GIS surveying, a simple handheld c ontroller, that does not require its own data logging mem ory, can be used with
DL. The r educed handheld data logger or controller requirements simplify your system and reduce its total cost and
power consumption. Depending on which model you purchase, it is capable of receiving and tr acking the L1 C/A-code,
L1 and L2 carrier phase, and L2 P-code (or encrypted Y-code) of up to 12 GPS satellites. The DL can be used for either
single-point or differential applications. Patented Narrow Correlator tracking technology circuits combined with a
powerful 32-bit microprocessor make possible multipath-resistant processing at high data update rates. Excellent
acquisition and re-acquisition times allow this receiver to operate in environments where very high dynamics and
frequent interr uption of signals can be expecte d. It features a rugge d, reliable design for use in adverse environments.
The DL is enginee red to provide years of reliable operation.

Figure 1 shows front (left photo) and rear (right photo) views of the DL.

Figure 1: NovAtel DL – Front & Rear

# Description # Description

1 PC Card access door 8 COM1 port indicator
2 Power status indicator 9 I/O port
3 Door latch 10 COM2/PWR serial/power port
4 Position status indicator 11 COM1 serial port
5 Logging status indicator 12 Power port
6 Power switch 13 Antenna connector
7 COM2 port indicator

Once you connect the DL to an antenna and power supply, it begins operating as a fully functional GPS receiver (see
Chapter 2, Set Up, for m ore inf or ma tion on t his topi c) . The DL is the n r ea dy for the most dem andi ng appl ica tions – such
as survey, flight inspection, hydrographic survey and dredging, photogrammetry, agricultural applications, GIS and
differential reference station applications.

See CAUTION!, Page 9, for a list of items of which you should be awa re as you set up and use the D L.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 11

1 – Overview

MODELS & FEATURES

Table 1 lists the four available DL models available, each capable of multiple positioning modes of operation:

Table 1: Positioning Modes of Operation

DL Model Positioning Modes of Operation

DL-L1 DL-RT20S DL-L2 DL-RT2

Single point
Waypoint navigation
Pseudorange differential corrections (TX & RX)
Trimble CMR differential corrections (TX versions ≤ 3 & RX

version 3)
RTK pseudorange & carrier-phase double differencing: < 20

cm RMS accuracies (floating)
RTK pseudorange & carrier-phase double differencing: < 2

cm RMS accuracies (fixed)
Reverse-RTK

Each model has the following standard features:

√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √

×

√

×

× × ×

×

√

×

√

√

√

• rugged shock, water, and dust-resistant e nclosure

• NovAtel’s advanced MiLLennium L1/L2 GPS technology

• capability to log data to a removable Type II or Type III PC Card ATA mass storage card (PC Card) – eliminates

the need to purchase additional data logger peripheral equipment when continuous user interaction is not required

• capability to perform autonomous sche duled data collection, with the ability to go into low-power “sleep” mode

between scheduled data-collection sessions

• smart power sensi ng from two independent batteries, which permits automa t ic switchover

• two bi-directional serial ports, one of which has power, which support data transfer rates of up to 115,200

bit/second

• obsolescence prevention due to field-upgradeable firmware (program software). What makes one DL model

different fr om another is software , not hardware. This unique feature means that the fi rmware can be updated
anytime, anyw here, without any mechanical procedur es whatsoever. For example, a DL model with L 1-only
capabilities can be upgraded to a model with L1/L2 RT -2 in only a few minutes in your of fice; instead of in the
days or weeks that would be required if the receiver had to be sent to a service depot. All that is required to
unlock the additional f eatures is a speci al authorization c ode. See Chapter 4 for further detail on this topic.

The DL features integr ated memory (PC Car d) for data logging, elimina ting your need to purchase additional expensive
peripheral equi pment

In addition, each model has unique features. These are summarized in Table 2 on the following page:

12 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

1 – Overview

Table 2: Feature Summary - DL Models

General

L1 Channels (C/A code) & L2 Channels (P code) 12 & 0 12 & 0 12 & 12 12 & 12
Pseudorange measurements
Full-wavelength L2 carrier measurements

Ionospheric corrections in position calculations

2.5-bit sampling
Patented Narrow Correlator tracking technology
5 Input / Output strobe signals: mark input (position & time), 1PPS

timing output, measure output, programmable variable-frequency
output, solution status output

Fast re-acquisition
Peripheral power supply output COM2

Output Data Log Formats

NovAtel-proprietary ASCII and binary
NMEA Standard
RINEX Standard
RTCM Standard: Types 1,2,3,9,16,59N
RTCA Standard: Types 1,7

Data Logging Rates (per second)

Computed Data: Position, speed, direction, & clock offset 10 10 / 5 5 5
Measured Data (Observations): Pseudorange & carrier phase 20 20 10 10

Receiver Control

Clock drift correction
Ability to save receiver configuration settings, & almanac
Reset (hardware or software activated)
Serial port control
Datum (table or user-definable)
Magnetic variation correction
Undulation (table or user-definable)
Position, height & velocity constraints
Satellite lockout, elevation cut-off and health control

DL-L1 DL-RT20S DL-L2 DL-RT2

√ √ √ √

× ×

√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √

√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √

DL-L1 DL-RT20S DL-L2 DL-RT2

√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √

DL-L1 DL-RT20S DL-L2 DL-RT2

DL-L1 DL-RT20S DL-L2 DL-RT2

√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √
√ √ √ √

√ √

OPERATING MODES

Whenever the DL is connected to a power source (regardless of whether the DL is turned “on” or “off”), it detects
whether there i s a host computer connected to one of i ts serial ports. For example , this host computer could be a PC
running NovAtel SoftSurv Utilities software, or a data logger r unning suitable softwar e. If a host com puter is found, the
DL enters Manual mode and waits for a command; otherwise, the DL enters Automatic mode and operates according to
stored commands.

• Manual Operation: Among other things, a host computer can transmit scheduling and logging parameters,

receive collected data, and turn the DL on or off. In this mode, the DL does not need to be tracking satellites, or
even have an antenna connected to it.

• Automatic Operation: Once the DL receives configuration commands from a host computer, it operates

according to these parameters. Up to a week’s worth of data collection can be configure d i n advance.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 13

1 – Overview

ACCESSORIES AND OPTIONS

The NovAtel DL can be used with the following accessories:

• SoftSurv software – a suite of progra ms that allows you to plan your data collection t rip, configure your DL or

handheld data logger, post-process your colle cted data, and ar chive your information sets

• PC Card for data storage

• NovAtel GPSAntenna Model 501, 511, 521, or 531 – single frequency, active antennas designed for high-

accuracy applications

• A choke ring is available for the 501 ant enna (model A031) and the 531 antenna (model A032)

• NovAtel GPSAntenna Model 502, 503, or 512 - dual frequency, active antennas designed for high-accuracy

applications

• A choke ring is available for the 502 antenna (model A032) w hile the 503 antenna includes one

• NovAtel Model C005, C015, or C030 (5, 15 or 30 m lengt h) coaxial antenna cable

• power cable to connect the DL to an automotive cigarette-lighter adapter

• battery

• bracket to allow the DL to be mounted to a surface or tripod

• 25-pin straight serial cable for compatibility with certain data communications devices

• power cable to connect the DL to one bat tery (33.5 cm or 75 cm lengths)

• power cable to connect the DL to two batteries (Y-cable)

Should you need to order an accessory or a replacement part, NovAtel part numbers are shown in Appendix H.

14 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

2 - SET UP

Setting up the DL is a straightforward process, whether you are in the field (collecting data) or back at the office
(configuring the DL, or transfer ring collected data to your PC for post-processing).

See CAUTION!, Page 9, for a list of items you should be aware of as you set up and use the DL.

SETTING UP AT THE OFFICE

Figure 2 displays how you mi ght typically set up the DL at the office – for example, to load a schedule, or to transfer
collected data to a PC. In this situation, the PC is connected to the COM1 port, and energy is supplied by means of an
AC/DC converter t hat is connected to the Pow er port.

Figure 2: Typical DL Configuration – Office

For office work, a typical configur ation would result fr om the following steps:

1. Place the DL on a desk or other suitable work surface.

2. Connect an RS232C communication termina l (e.g. PC, data logge r) to one of the serial ports of the DL. The supplied

null-modem cables are intended for RS232C communications only. See Serial Ports & Cables, Page 20.

3. Connect the output of a power source (e .g. AC/DC converter) to the input power port of the DL. Once power is

supplied, the DL turns on automatically and begins an initialization sequence. See Power Port & Cable, Page 22.

4. Press the power button or , if you are connected to the DL via a ter minal, hit the <Enter > key and wait f or a MSGA

log with a BOOTOK message to appear. I f you are you ar e using SoftSurv to communicate with the DL, this initial
communication is handled by the softwar e.

5. Communicate w ith the DL, transfer dat a to the PC (if you have inserted a PC Card contai ning previously recorded

data), or set up a data-collection schedule.

The sections of this chapter give further details on Steps #2 & #3, w hi l e Chapter 3 is devoted to Step #4.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 15

2 – Set Up

SETTING UP IN THE FIELD

Figure 3 displays how you might typically use the DL in the field – for example, collecting data while receiving
differential i nformation over a radio modem from a base station. In this si t uation, the GPS antenna is connected to the RF
port, the r adio modem i s connected to the COM1 port, and power is supplied by means of two batteries t hat are connected
to the Power port.

Figure 3: Typical DL Configuration – Field

For differe ntial data colle ction in the field, a typi cal configuration is desc ribed below. This assume s that schedule and
logging paramete rs have alre ady bee n loaded to the DL (se e Chapter 3), and t hat a por ta ble t er m ina l is not bei ng used. If
a portable terminal was being used, then at Step #7, when power was supplied, the DL would accept configuration
commands from the terminal.

1. Mount or place the DL on a secure, stable structure that will not sway or topple. For example, attach the DL to a
tripod leg using the optional mounting bracket (see Figure 14: Mounting Bracket and Figure 15, Appendix I).
Although the unit has a moisture and dust-resista nt enclosure, shelter it f rom adve rse envir onmental conditions when
possible.

2. Position the antenna at the desired location – e.g. on a tri pod over a survey marker. The re commended antenna
depends on which model of the DL you purchased (see Choose the Right Antenna, Page 17). For maximum
positioning precision and accuracy, as well as to minimize the risk of damage, ensure that the antenna is securely
mounted on a stable structure that will not sway or topple. Wher e possible, sele ct a location with a clear view of the
sky to the horizon so that each satellite above the horizon can be tr acked without obstruction. The location should
also be one that minimizes the effect of multipath interference. For a discussion on multipath, please refer to the
appendix on Multipath Elimination Technology in the MiLLennium GPSCard Command Descriptions Manual.

3. Route and connect RF coaxial cable between the antenna and DL (see RF Port & Cables, Page 21).

16 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

4. The receiver provides battery power output (BAT) through COM2. I t is possible to turn the supply On or Off using

the VOUT command, see Page 63. The BAT output is the swi tched output of the input powe r supply so that 12V
output requires 12V input.

5. RF Port & Cables (see RF Port &Cable, Page 21).

6. Conne ct an RS232C c omm unic at ion devi ce to one of the ser ia l por ts of the DL (see Serial Ports & Cables, Page 20).

For example, this might be a radio modem, for receiving differential GPS messages from a base station. The
supplied null-modem cables are intende d for RS232C communications only.

7. Insert a PC Card into the DL (see Using the Removable Flash Memory Card, Page 23).

8. Conne ct the out put of a pow er sour ce (e .g. ba tte ry) to t he i nput powe r port of the DL (se e Power Port & Cable, Page

22). Once power is supplied, the DL turns on automatically, begins an initialization sequence, and then enters low­power mode. See also System Behavior, Page 27.

9. Exit low power mode by pressing the power button, or if connected via a terminal, by hitting the <Ente r> key. If you

are going to configure the unit via DL comm ands, wait for a M SGA log with a BOOTO K message to appear first.
Otherwise, the DL will begin logging according to the stored configuration.

10. Monitor the status indica t ors (see Status Indicators, Page 26).
The sections of this chapter give further details on these steps.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT ANTENNA

The purpose of an ante nna is to convert ele ctromagneti c waves into electr ical signals. An active antenna is requi red. It
has a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) that boosts the strength of received signals to help of fset the cable losses. The LNA
can be energized directly by the DL, or by another source. NovAtel recommends the use of act ive antennas only.

The recomm ended ante nna depends on whi ch model of the DL you pur chased. Tabl e 3 lists the allowable antenna types
for each of the DL models.

Table 3: Allowable Antenna Types

DL Model Allowable Antenna

DL-L1 L1-only or L1/L2
DL-RT20S L1-only or L1/L2
DL-L2 L1/L2
DL-RT2 L1/L2

GPS satellites transmit at two frequencies, 1227.60 MHz (L2) and 1575.42 MHz (L1). NovAtel offers a variety of
antenna models for GPS-only oper ation. All use low-pr ofile mi cr ostrip te chnology and include band-pass filter ing and an
LNA.

All active GPSAntenna s ca n com pensa te f or up to 13 dB of c abl e loss. Higher cable loss can be used but you should then
expect an increa s ed degradation in signal st rength.

The following are L1-only GPSAntennas:

• Model 501 - for use in surveying and other kinematic positioning applications; model A031 c hoke ring available

• Model 511 - for use in airborne, marine, ground vehicle or backpack applica tions

• Model 521 - for use in ground vehicle, backpa ck, or handheld applic ations

• Model 531 - for use in surveying and other kinematic positioning applications; wa ter proof; mode l A032 choke ring

available

The following are L 1/ L2 GPSAntennas:

• Model 502 - for use in surveying and other kinematic positioning applications; model A032 c hoke ring available

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 17

2 – Set Up

• Model 503 - for use with high-per formance position-re ference stations (f eatures a built-in choke -ring ground plane

to minimize the effects of multipath interference)

• Model 512 - for installation on aircra ft (feature s aerodynamic styling)

Each of these models offers exceptional phase-center stability as well as a significant measure of immunity against
multipath interference. Each one has an environmentally sealed radome.

A choke ring’s unique construction substantially reduces the multipath effec t on the GPS signal. The choke ring actua lly
reduces the antenna gain at low elevation, where the multipath is more prone to affect system accuracy. By reducing
measurement errors due to multipath, the result is greater accuracy in your positioning calculations.

WARNING: While there may be other antennas on the market that might also serve the purpose, please note that

the perform ance specif ications of the DL a re guarant eed only when it is used with a NovAtel model 531 (L1) or model
502 (L1/L2) GPSAntenna .

18 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

CONNECT CABLES

As shown in Figure 4, on the rear end-cap there are four labeled ports – I/O, COM2/PWR, COM1, and RF. There is also
an unlabelled power input port.

Figure 4: Close-up of Ports on Rear End-cap

Each connector i s keyed to ensure t hat the cable can be insert ed in only one way, t o prevent dama ge to both the DL and
the cables. Furthermore, the connectors that are used to mate the cables to the DL have a locking mechanism that
requires care ful insertion and removal. Observe the following when handling the cables.

• To insert a c able, make c ertain you are usi ng the appropriate cable for the por t – the serial cable has a different

connector (10 pin) t han the I/O cable (8 pin).

• Line up the red dot on the connector shell with the red index mark on the receptacle on the DL.

• Insert the connector until it seats with a click; it is now locked in place.

• To remove a cable, grasp the connector by the knurled ring and pull (see Fi gure 5). DO NOT PULL DIRECTLY

ON THE CABLE.

Figure 5: Removing a Connector

I/O PORT & CABLES

DL incorporates an input/output (I/O) por t, which allows access to the Mark input, Measure output, VARF output, 1PPS
output, and STATUS output signals. These are specialized signals that are used when the DL is part of an interconnected

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 19

2 – Set Up

system composed of devices that need to be synchronized with each other. For example, you could connect the DL to an
aerial camera in such a way that the DL recorded its position whenever the shutter button was pressed. This port is not
typically used for stand-alone applications. The five signals are described further in Table 14: I/O Connector Pin
Assignment, Page 45, as well as in the Input / Output Strobes sec tion of Appendix B.

The I/O strobe lines can be accessed by inserting the 8-pin LEMO connector of the I/O strobe port cable into the I/O port.
Figure 13, Page 45, and Tabl e 15: I /O Cable – P in Assignm ent, Page 46 contains wi ri ng and pi n-out inf orm at ion on thi s
cable. T he othe r e nd of t he c abl e is provi ded wi thout a conne c tor so that you ca n provi de a n appl ica ti on-spe ci fi c one ; the
jacket insulation is cut away slightly from the end but the insulation on each wire is intact.

This port incorporates filters to suppress electromagnetic interference.
See Appendix H - Replacement Parts if you need to consult the list of NovAtel and LEMO pa rt numbers.

SERIAL PORTS & CABLES

The two serial ports ( COM1 and COM2) are bi-directional. There is a multicolor indicator above each of these serial
ports. If it glows red, data is being received on that port, while if it glows green, data is being transmitted on that port. If
it glows yellow, data is being received and transmitted simultaneously on that port. The features present for each serial
port is listed following:

FEATURES COM1 COM2

300, 1200, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 and 115, 200 BPS data rates
RS-232C signal levels
Electromagnetic interference suppression filter s
Hardware and Software flow control operation
BAT voltage output

√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
× √

For communicati on to occur , the D L ser ial por t confi gurati on must ma tch tha t of the externa l device’s. The DL’s default
port settings are [ RS232C, 9600 BPS, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no handshaking, and echo off]. Changing the
default settings can be easily accomplished using SoftSurv UTILITIES software module, or by means of the COMn
command (which i s described in the MiLLennium GPSCard Command Descriptions Manual).

On either serial port, only the RX, TX, and GND lines need to be used. Handshaking is not required, although it can
optionally be used.

Two serial data cables are supplied to connect the DL to a PC or modem. They are described as follows:

• null-modem c able: 10-pin LEMO plug to 9-pin D-c onnector (DE9S socket ); it is described further in Figure 12 &

Table , Appendix D, P age 44. This is used to connect the DL t o a serial (RS232C) communicat ion port on a

terminal or PC.

• straight cable: 10- pin L EM O pl ug to 9- pin D- c onnec tor ( D E9P plug) ; i t is descr ibe d f urt her in F igure 11 & Table

, Appendix D , Page 43. This is used to connect the DL to a modem or radio transmitter to propagate differential

corrections.
The 10-pin plug on each cable can be plugged into either the COM1 or COM2 port on the DL.
For further inf ormation on the signals or c onnector pin-outs for the se rial ports or cables, pl ease see the Input / Output

Data Interface section of Appendix B, Page 37, and Table , Page 42, in A ppendix D.

20 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

See Appendix H - Replacement Parts, Page 87, if you need to consult the list of NovAtel and LEMO part numbers.

PERIPHERAL POWER SUPPLY VIA COM2 PORT

The receiver provides battery power output (BAT) through the COM2 por t. It is possible to turn the supply On or Off
using the VOUT command, see Page 63. The BAT output i s the switched out put of the input power supply so that 12V
output requires 12V input.

NOTE: When using peripheral output , it is important to not e that the BAT output has a 2- amp fuse. This fuse is non­user replaceable, and if you blow the fuse by trying to draw power greater than 2-amps, you will have to return the
receiver to the factory for repair.

Power Control Operation

After initial connection of the power supply to the receiver, the BAT output is turned on.
When the power switch is used to turn the receiver Off, the BAT output is turned on before going to sleep. This ensures

that power is available to a potential host system for turning the receiver On again by starting communication with the
receiver.

If the power input to the receiver falls below the minimum opera ting level (both batteries, in the case of a dual battery
system), the BAT output is turned Off before the receiver goes to sleep. In this case, both COM activity or the power
button will wake the receiver up and BAT r emains Off. I f the battery input from at least one battery recover s then BAT
is turned On again and the unit wakes up as a resul t of COM activity or by pressing the power button.

RF PORT & CABLES

The radio frequency (RF) port is bi-directional in that it accepts RF signals fr om the antenna, and it supplies DC power to
the low-noise amplifier (LNA) of an active antenna. It has a TNC female connector.

The purpose of an ante nna is to convert ele ctromagneti c waves into electr ical signals. An active antenna is requi red. It
has a LNA that boosts the strength of received signals to help offset the cable losses. The LNA can be energized directly
by the DL, or by another source. NovAtel recommends the use of active antennas only.

For further infor mation on the signals or connect or type for the RF port, please see the RF Input / LNA Power Output
section in APPENDIX B - DL Specifications, Page 37.

RF Coaxial Cable

The RF (radio fr equency) coaxia l cabl e that you r equir e depends m ostly on the distance betwe en the antenna and the DL.
Electromagne tic signals are atte nuated as they tr avel along a lengt h of coaxial cable ; thus, a long cable introduces more
loss in signal strength than a short one of the sa me type. Good-quality cable introduces lower losses than low- quality
cable. If the cable loss becomes too great, excessive signal degradation occurs and the DL may be unable to meet its
performance specifications.

An active antenna incorporates a low-noise amplifier (LNA) that boosts the stre ngth of received signals to help offset the
cable losses. The LNA can be energized directly by the DL. NovAtel’s GPSAntennas can compensat e for up to 13 dB of
cable loss (see Choose the Right Antenna, Page 17).

NovAtel offers high-quality coaxial c able in the following lengths: 5 m (Model C005), 15 m (Model C015) and 30 m
(Model C030); these come with a TNC male connector at each end. These cables can be used with all GPSAntennas.
Should your application require the use of cable longer than 30 m, bef ore you proceed you may wish to contact your
dealer or NovAtel Customer Service representative and request Application Note APN-003, “Extended- Length Antenna
Cable Runs”, or acquire it directly from the Customer Service page of NovAte l’s Web site.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 21

2 – Set Up

NOTE: The coaxia l cable should be connec ted to the antenna and DL before power is supplied. If the antenna c able
becomes disconnected from the antenna or DL, turn the DL off before reconnecting the cable; this prevents the DL’s
antenna current-limiting circuit from unnecessarily activating.

Coaxial cables should be handled with care. They should not be routed over surfaces where they could be stepped on,
pinched, or c ut. A c able tha t has bee n stret ched, ha s nicks in it s outer jacket , or ha s crim ps resul ting fr om being be nt too
tightly, generally has higher losses than otherw i s e.

While there may be other coaxial cables on the market that might also serve the purpose, please note that the performance
specifications of t he DL are guaranteed only when it is used with NovAtel-supplied RF cables.

POWER PORT & CABLE

The DL require s an input supply voltage that can com e from batteries, a wall outlet adapter (A C/DC converter), or an
automotive power source. The DL has a n internal power m odul e that does the following:

• filters and regulates the supply volta ge

• protects against over-voltage, over -current, and high-temperatur e conditions

• provides automatic reset circuit protection

WARNING: Supplying the DL with an input volta ge that is below +10. 7 will cause the unit to suspend ope ra tion.

An input voltage above +18 V DC may physically da mage the unit.

The 4-pin powe r connector allow s power to be supplied from two independent sources, alt hough only one is used at a
time. If two power sources ar e available, the DL monitors their supply voltages independently, and on power-up, chooses
the one with the higher vol tage. If the c urrent power sour ce becomes unusable, the DL then switc hes to the second one
(if available) without any interr uption in its logging activities.

Consider the case where the DL is connected to two 12 V DC batteries. As described in Table 4, Page 26, as the voltage
drops on the first battery, the Power indic ator color changes from green to amber, then to red. Warni ng messages are sent
on the serial port indi cating t hat batt ery powe r is be coming e xhausted ( see the descr iption of t he LPSTA TUSA log, Page
73 and MSGA log, Page 75 i f you re quire f urthe r inf orma tion). Then, t he DL sw itche s to the sec ond batter y. Once both
batteries are depleted, the DL shuts itself off. To maximize a battery’s lifetime, the DL does not use it once it is
discharged.

As is also described in Table 4: Status Indicators - Meaning, P age 26, when the DL is connected to two batteries, the
Power indicator i s pulsed (in the appropriate color ) to distinguish between battery A and batte ry B. One long “blink”
corresponds to battery A, and two short blinks in rapid succession correspond to batter y B. Only the status of the active
battery is indicated.

The data logging mec hanism is designed to be robust a nd to endure power interr uptions (and similar disruptive events)
with minimum loss of data. In these situations, less than 5 minutes of data (prior to the disruptive event) are lost. To the
extent possible, err or messages a ttempt to desc ribe the proble m. If you r equire furt her inform ation on this topic, see the
description of MSG A log, Page 75.

As shown in Figure 10: Power Cabl es, Appendix D, Page 41 the re may be up to four pow er cables used with the DL.
These cables all ow you to energize the DL by either an AC sourc e or a DC source:

• 4-pin LEMO plug conne ctor to cigarett e-lighter plug, complete with a 3-amp slow-blow fuse

• 4-pin LEMO plug conne ctor to autoranging AC /DC converter/ba ttery charger, and AC power cord

• optional power cabl e connecting the DL t o a battery (33.5 cm or 75 cm lengths)

• optional Y-cable to power the DL from two batteries

22 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

For further information on the follow ing topics, see the fol lowing sections of this m anual:

• For a listing of the r equired input supply voltages, and the typical power consumption in logging and “sleep”

modes, see the Power Requirements section of Appendix B, Page 37.

• For pin-out information on the 4-pin power connector, see Table 9: Power Connector Pin Assi gnment, Page 41.

• For a listing of the voltage levels at which the Power indicator changes color, or at which the DL switches from

one source to another, or at which the DL shuts off, see the Power Management section of Appe ndix B. These
events are described in Table 4: Status Indicators - Meaning, Page 26.

• See Appendix H - Replacement Parts, Page 87, if you need to consult the list of NovAtel and LEMO part

numbers.

Using a Non-NovAtel Power Cable

If you decide to use a power cable that was not supplie d by NovAtel, or m ake your own, t here are a few things that you
should keep in mind. There will alwa ys be a drop in voltage be tween the power sourc e and the power por t that is due to
cable loss. Improper selection of wire gauge can lead to an unacceptable voltage drop at the DL. A paired wire run
represents a feed and return line; therefore, a 2-m wire pair represents a total wire path of 4 m. For a DL operating from a
12 V DC batt ery system, a powe r cable longer tha n 2.1 m (7 ft) should not use a wire diameter smaller than tha t of 24
AWG.

USING THE REMOVABLE FLASH MEMORY CARD

Data can be logged to a PC Card, a flash-memory module which you can access, exchange and replace when needed.
The need for a c ompanion handheld dat a logger is avoi ded when continuous user interac tion is not requir ed, since DL is
capable of logging data according to pre-configured parameters without any user intervention. In applications when
continuous user interac tion is required, suc h as in GIS surveying, a sim ple handheld controller can be used with DL, as
the controller does not require its own data logging memory. The reduced handheld data logger or controller
requirements simplify your system and reduce its total cost and power consumption.

The access door on the DL’s front end cap pr ovides a wat er and dust-r esistant se al around the PC Card. The cover latch
must be rotated a ¼-turn in order for the cove r to seal proper ly. When the cover i s closed and latche d, the enclosure is
sealed to provide prot ection against adverse environmental conditions.

WARNING: To minimize the possibility of damage, always keep this cover closed and latched except when

exchanging PC Cards.

Collected data can either be transmitte d to a host computer over a seri al port, or stored on the PC Ca rd. If you choose to
log data to the PC Card, each logging session is stored in a single, unique file. These files can then be transfer red to a
host computer, for data analysis or othe r types of post-processi ng, by one of two methods:

• transfer the data by means of serial communications

• physically remove the PC Card from the DL and inser t it into the host com puter, provided that it is also suitably

equipped with a PC Card por t

You have the flexibility of choosing the PC Card with the storage capacity that is the most appropria te for your needs,
based on the selected logging rate. This is disc ussed in greater detail in Data Storage Requirem ents, Page 30.

Figure 6 illustrates the procedure to unlock the cover. In the photo on the le ft, the latch is in the “locked” position. In the
photo on the ri ght, t he la tc h is be ing r otat ed c ounte r- cl ockw ise i nto the “unlocked” position. To lock the cover, rotate the
latch clockwise. If it resists turning, do not force it; rather, open and close the cover, then try again.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 23

2 – Set Up

Figure 6: Opening the Cover

Figure 7 illustrates the procedur e to remove the PC Card. I n the photo on the left, below, the cover has been unlocked
and opened, and the PC Card is visible. N ote the arrow pointi ng to the eject button to the l eft of the card i n this view.
You must push this button to partially eject the card; then gr asp the card as illustrated in the photo on the r ight, below,
and pull it all the way out. To insert the card, ensure that it is correctly aligned before gently sliding it into the slot.
When the card slides all the way in and locks in place, the eject button will extend. I f you attempt to insert the card
incorrectly, it will not go all the way in, and the eject button will not extend. In this case, do not force the card! Remove
it, orient it properly, and then insert it. After the card is locked in place, close the cover again.

Figure 7: Handling the PC Card

24 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

2 – Set Up

The data logging mec hanism is designed to be robust a nd to endure power interr uptions (and similar disruptive events)
with minimum loss of data. In these situations, less than 5 minutes of data (prior to the disruptive event) are lost. When
possible, error messages are ge nerated to identify pr oblems as they a rise; a desc ription of the M SGA log is contai ned in
Appendix F, Page 75.

WARNING: Ejecting the PC Card during a data-recording session will cause data to be lost. When no data is

being recorded, however, it is not necessary to turn the DL off before inserting or extracting a PC Card.

SLEEP, POWER DOWN AND THE POWER SWITCH

DL incorporates a power swit ch on its fr ont end-cap. Pushing this switch sends a signal to the micropr ocessor to turn on
or off the GPS receiver and system peripherals.

The DL has two low- power modes: sl eep mode and powe r-dow n mode. The m odes do not differ in the amount of power
consumed, but rather in the way in which the modes are entered into and terminated.

An internal clock, synchronized to GPS time, allows the DL to go into “sleep mode” between scheduled data-colle ction
sessions. This permits the DL to operate reliably while using power sparingly. This is especially important when
conducting scheduled data -collection sessions over a period of se veral days, while using a battery power source. The
DL’s GPS receiver will “wake” up early enough so that satellite trac king is established prior to the scheduled logging
session. Note, howeve r, tha t exce ptional conditions ma y delay the acquisition of sate llites beyond the star t of the logging
session. For more inf ormation on the clock, pl ease see Real-Time Clock, Appendix B, Page 37.

Mode How to achieve mode Outcome

Sleep The DL will go into sleep mode by itself

between scheduled events, if a command is
not received through either serial port for 5
minutes or a SLEEP command is issued,
unless a scheduled event is about to take
place.

Power-Down To enter the low-power mode, press the

button until the three status indicators turn
red and begin to flash, then release it.

This is also the mode entered into after
applying the power.

The DL scheduler is still enabled and the DL will wake
up from sleep mode prior to a scheduled event.

In the power down mode all schedule and logging events
are disabled. Note that while power consumption in

power-down mode is minimal the DL is not
completely off. If power conservation is very important,

then disconnect the battery from the DL when it is not in
use.

In either the sleep mode or power-down mode, pressing the power button momentarily will “wake” up the DL. Also, the
DL monitors its serial ports, and becomes fully operational a short while after as serial port activity is detected – for
example, if a key i s pre ssed on a handhe ld da ta logger tha t is plugged into one of the DL’s serial ports. The t ime required
to wake up is only a few seconds, but it may requir e an additional few m inutes to initialize the GPS receiver and allow it
to establish an initial time and position. During the sleeping and wake-up time, the serial ports will not process data. You
must wait until receiving the MSGA log with a BOOTOK message (see Appendix G - Conversions, Page 86, and
Appendix J - Command P r ompt Interface, Page 90) before typing any commands.

The automatic power-down feature is disabled when logging is in progress. Howeve r, if the power switch is pressed
while the DL is logging data autonom ously, the D L sa ves a ny open data file s and then goe s into power -down m ode. For
related information see Autonomous Versus Host Controlled Operation, Page 27.

An additional function of the power switch is that it r esets the DL if it is held depressed for at least 15 seconds. This
‘system reset’ clea rs stored logging parameters and reverts to a factory configuration when the pow er switch is released.

DL™ User Manual Rev 3 25

2 – Set Up

STATUS INDICATORS

As shown in Figure 8, the DL’s front endcap has three multicolor lights to indicate the status of Power, Position, and
Logging, respective ly, from left to right. For a label ed view, see also F i gure 1, Page 11.

Figure 8: Status Indicators

Table 4 shows what the colors of each indicator signify. When the DL is connected to two batter ies, the Power indicator
is pulsed (in the appropr iate color) to distinguish between batte ry A and battery B. One long “blink” corresponds to
battery A, and two short blinks in rapid succession correspond to battery B. Only the status of the active battery is
indicated.

Note that during initial power up of the DL or upon wake up from sleep mode, the lights on the DL indicate self-test
conditions and theref ore the following ta ble does not apply at that time.

Table 4: Status Indicators - Meaning

Indicator Color Status Description

Power

Amber fast blink High temperature warning.
Red fast blink High temperature shutdown.
Amber slow blink High temperature shutdown. Temperature returning to normal (blinks once every five seconds).
Red slow blink High temperature shutdown. Waiti ng for temperature to return to normal (bli nks once every five seconds).

Dark No power, or DL in sleep mode.
Position Green Valid position solution; f i ne time reference set.

Green blink Valid position solution; fine time reference not set.

Amber Position fixed; fine time reference s et .
Amber blink Position fixed; fi ne time reference not set.
Red Insufficient satellites for position.

Dark No power, or DL in sleep mode.

Logging Green PC Card in, memory capacit y OK.

Green bli nk PC Card in, logging to P C Card i n progress and memory capacity OK.
Amber PC Card in; memory capacity below 10%.
A m ber bl i nk Logging to PC Card in progress, less than 10% capacity remaining at current logging rate.
Amber slow blink Sleeping: wait i ng for scheduled event (blink onc e every 5 seconds).
Red P C Card in; memory capacity f ul l.

Red Blink PC Card i n; error encountered while trying to ac cess the PC Card.
Dark Power off or PC Card not detected, or ini t ialized.

Green Input voltage is good. The light bli nks in a single-blink patt ern (e.g. R R R) if Battery A is good, and in

a double-blink pattern (e.g.

Amber blink The light blinks in a single-bl i nk pattern (e.g. R R R) if Battery A is l ow – bat tery voltage is less than

10.7 Volts.

Amber double
blink

Amber Switching batteries.
Red There are no good batteries available. Operat i on i s disabled.

The light blinks in a double-blink pattern (e.g. RR RR RR) if Battery B is l ow – battery voltage is less
than 10.7 Volts.

RR

RR RR) if Battery B is good.

When the DL is connect ed to an A C/DC conve rter , the Power i ndicator ma y be ignore d as long as the color is gre en; if it
turns red, then you should inve stigate whether there is a problem with either the AC supply or the converter itself.

26 DL™ User Manual Rev 3

3 – Using the DL

3 - USING THE DL

Before using the DL f or the first ti me, ensure that you have followed the installation instr uctions of Chapter 2 - Set Up,
Page 15.

See CAUTION!, Page 9, for a list of items of which you should be awa re as you use the DL.

SYSTEM BEHAVIOR

SELF-TEST

When power is applied, the DL perfor ms the first phase of self-test f unctions. If no pr oblems are detect ed, it enters the
power-down mode. Se lf- test f unctions a re cont inued whe n the unit a wakes fr om the power- down mode. Self-test failure
of the power data collector module is indicated via front panel indicators and/or MSGA logs. Successful self-test of the
power data collec tor m odule is indi cated by a MSGA log with a BOOTO K messa ge. Self- test status of the MiL Lennium
GPSCard can then be examined via the self-status word in the RGEA/B/D and RVSA/B data logs.

If the DL fail s i ts self-test, please refer the problem to your dealer or NovAtel Customer Service.

AUTONOMOUS VERSUS HOST CONTROLLED OPERATION

The DL enters t he autonomous operation m ode whenever it exi ts the power-down mode (see the table on Page 25). In
the autonomous operation mode, upon acquisition of time the DL will execute a group named POWERUP, or if such a
group does not exist, stop any cur rent manual logging and enable the schedule r. Execution of the POWERUP group
implicitly disables the scheduler.

If a host-controlled mode is desired, the host should enter the POWERUP DISABLE comma nd. This will ensure that
autonomous operation mode behavior does not take effect upon acquisition of time.

DEFAULT SCHEDULE AND GROUP CONFIGURATION

The default softwar e conf igurati on for the scheduling and gr oup inform ation incl udes only a group na med "DE FAULT ".
You must manually add a POWERUP group if this function is desired. Holding down the power switch for
approximately 15 sec onds restores t he factory c onfiguration. All indicator lights flash yell ow to indicate that the default
configuration has bee n restored.

NOTE: Only a group named POWERUP is automatically logged. The "DEFAULT" group is provided for your
convenience only.

SITE RECORDS IN SCHEDULED (AUTOMATIC) LOGGING SESSIONS

SITELOG logs, described in Appendix F - DL Logs, Page 64, contain site record information.

MONITORING YOUR SYSTEM

After the initialization, you may find the following logs useful for observing the DL activities. While using SoftSurv
UTILITIES is the easiest way to set up these logs (refer to the SoftSurv User Manual), you can also use DOS or a
Windows-based communic at ions pr ogra m ( se e A ppendix J - Command Prom pt Interface, Page 90). In the latter case, see

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3 – Using the DL

Appendix F - DL Logs, Page 64 or refer to the MiLLennium Command Descriptions Manual for procedures and
explanations related to data logging and for further information on each of these logs.

• DOPA - reports the dilution of precision of the current satellite constellation

• ETSA - reports the GPS receiver’s channel tracking status

• LPSTATUS and MSGA – report DL status messages. For example, the DL monitors the internal temperature of the

receiver enclosure. A warning message is issued once per minute when the internal temperature is in excess of a
preset threshold. If the internal temperature exceeds the design limit, the DL shuts itself off and stays off until the
internal tempe rature drops 10 degrees below the design limit.

• POSA - reports the c urrent computed position solut i ons

• RCCA - lists the default command settings. After the DL has been operational for a while, the RCCA log is useful

for indicating the sta tus of all current c ommand settings. Displaying the RCCA log af ter a reset displays the save d
configuration; refer to the description of SAVECONFI G in the MiLLennium Command Desc ri ptions Manual.

• RVSA - reports the GPS receiver’s status

• SATA - reports satellite-specific data

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DL

Communication w ith the DL consists of issuing comm ands through the COM1 or COM2 serial port f rom an external
serial communications device. This could be either a terminal or an IBM-compatible PC that is directly connected to a
DL serial port usi ng a null-modem cabl e.

For maximum ease, use a user-friendly graphical interface such as SoftSurv UTILITIES to configure and communicate
with your DL. Howe ver, you can also issue comm ands manually; the DL’s command prompt interface is described in

Appendix J, Page 90. For specific infor mation about any of the DL’s comm ands and logs, please consul t Appendix E ­DL Commands, Page 47, and Appendix F - DL Logs, P age 64 of this manual.

DATA LOGGING

The most basic act ivity is loggi ng raw da ta. E ach loggi ng session (one uninter rupte d period of time) is stored in a single,
unique file on a PC Card. This f il e c an subseque ntl y be tr ansf er r ed to a PC for post- pr ocessi ng using NovAte l’s SoftSurv
package.

DL records raw data in the form of logs, which are written to the data file on a periodic basis. NovAtel’s SoftSurv post­processor autom atically interpr ets these logs a nd the data that they cont ain. If you wanted to anal yze the data in these
logs yourself, the det ails of the logs are documented in Appendix F - DL Logs, Page 64 of this manual.

The best way to confi gure the DL for data logging, or to m anipulate log files (e.g. tra nsfer or manage files), is using
NovAtel’s SoftSurv UTILITIES. This softwar e, running on a PC, offe rs a user-friendly interface to your DL, and a llows
you to carry out typical activities without having to le arn to use the MiLLennium’s native-language commands and logs.

A file header is included with each logged data file. This header is designed to expedite post-pr ocessing when using
NovAtel’s SoftSurv post-processor package. The data file’s header consists of a GRPA log and a HDRA log (described
in detail on Pages 69 and 71 respectively) which includes the following:

• antenna height

• antenna serial number

• receiver serial numbers

• model numbers

• elevation cutoff

• minimum number of satellites

• start and end time

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