Novatel DL-V3 User Manual

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DL-V3 User Manual Rev 3
Chapter 3
Operation
Before operating the receiver for the first time, please ensure that you have followed the installation 
instructions in Chapter 2, Installation and Setup starting on Page 25. The following instructions are 
based on a COM port configuration such as that shown in Figure 17 on Page 48. It is assumed that a 
personal computer, or laptop, is used during initial operation and testing for greater ease and 
versatility.
3.1
Communications with the Receiver
Communication with the receiver typically consists of issuing commands through the communication 
ports from an external serial communications device. This could be either a terminal or an IBM-
compatible PC/laptop that is directly connected to the receiver serial port using a null-modem cable. If 
you are using an RTK radio it connects to the receiver’s COM port by means of the radio serial cable 
supplied with the receiver. It is recommended that you become thoroughly familiar with the 
commands and logs detailed in the OEMV Firmware Reference Manual to ensure maximum 
utilization of the receiver’s capabilities.
3.1.1
Serial Port Default Settings
The receiver communicates with your PC/laptop or terminal via a serial port. For communication to 
occur, both the receiver and the operator interface have to be configured properly. The receiver’s 
COM1, COM2 and COM3 default port settings are as follows:
9600 bps, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no handshaking, echo off
Changing the default settings requires using the COM command. 
The data transfer rate you choose determines how fast information is transmitted. Take for example a 
log whose message byte count is 96. The default port settings allows 10 bits/byte (8 data bits + 1 stop 
bit + 1 framing bit). It therefore takes 960 bits per message. To get 10 messages per second then 
requires 9600 bps. Please also remember that even if you set the bps to 9600 the actual data transfer 
rate is lower and depends on the number of satellites being tracked, data filters in use, and idle time. It 
is therefore suggested that you leave yourself a margin when choosing a data rate (115200 is 
recommended for most applications).
CAUTION:
Although the receiver can operate at data transfer rates as low as 300 bps, this is 
not desirable. For example, if several data logs are active (that is, a significant 
amount of information needs to be transmitted every second) but the bit rate is set 
too low, data will overflow the serial port buffers, cause an error condition in the 
receiver status and result in lost data.