How to Determine the Channel in an ASSIGN Command

The ASSIGN command allows a user to assign an SV channel to track a particular satellite.

• The term “SV channel” refers to a channel based on the satellite tracked by the channel. There is one SV channel per satellite tracked.
• The term “signal channel” is used to refer to a channel based on the specific signal of a given satellite that is tracked by the SV channel. 
  
  • There can be multiple signal channels per satellite tracked (for instance if the channel configuration includes GPS L1 C/A, GPS L2C, GPS L2 P(Y), and GPS L5, then there are four signal channels and one SV channel for a satellite).
  • The channel configuration can be checked using the CHANCONFIGLIST log.
  • Typically, when the channel count of a receiver is discussed, it refers to signal channels.

The ASSIGN command documentation has several pieces of helpful information.

Follow the steps below to determine the SV channel for the ASSIGN command.

For OEM7 and OEM6:

1. Enter LOG CHANCONFIGLIST. In the log, look at the channel configuration that corresponds with the SetInUse field.
   
   For example, in this log it is the 5th channel configuration out of 9 possible options:
   

   <CHANCONFIGLIST USB1 0 57.0 FINESTEERING 2251 517619.960 02000000 d1c0 17093
   <     5 9

   Here is the corresponding channel configuration that will be used as an example in steps 2-3. 
   

   <          16 GPSL1L2PL2CL5L1C       
   <          4 QZSSL1CAL2CL5L1CL6      
   <          4 SBASL1L5                
   <          14 GLOL1L2PL2CL3          
   <          11 GALE1E5AE5BALTBOCE6    
   <          16 BEIDOUB1B1CB2B2BB3     
   <          8 NAVICL5                 
   <          5 LBAND                   

2. To determine the first channel of any constellation, sum the SV channel totals of all previous constellations. The first SV channel of the first constellation (typically GPS) is zero. The channel total for a constellation is the first number on each line, so in the example channel configuration it is 16 GPS, 4 QZSS, 4 SBAS, 14 GLONASS, 11 Galileo, 16 BeiDou, 8 NavIC, and 5 L-band. For instance, for SBAS the first SV channel in this channel configuration is 20 (16 + 4).  
   
   Here is first SV channel for each constellation based on the example channel configuration:
   
   1. GPS = 0
   2. QZSS = 16
   3. SBAS = 16 + 4 = 20
   4. GLONASS = 16 + 4 + 4 = 24
   5. Galileo = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 = 38
   6. BeiDou = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 11 = 49
   7. NavIC = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 11 + 16 = 65
      
      
   Note: L-band is assigned with the ASSIGNLBANDBEAM command rather than ASSIGN.
   
   
3. The last channel for a constellation is 1 less than the first SV channel of the next constellation. Alternatively, take the value obtained in step 2, add the channel total for the constellation and subtract 1. For instance, in the example channel configuration, the last SBAS SV channel is 23 (24 - 1, or 16 + 4 + 4 - 1).
   
   Here is the last SV channel for each constellation based on the example channel configuration:
   
   1. GPS = 15
   2. QZSS = 19
   3. SBAS = 23
   4. GLONASS = 37
   5. Galileo = 48
   6. BeiDou = 64
   7. NavIC = 65 + 8 - 1 = 72
      
      
4. For dual antenna receivers, it is the same for the first antenna as single antenna receivers. For the second antenna, it starts with the first channel after the first antenna. L-band channels are not included on the second antenna of a dual antenna receiver.
   
   Here is an example dual antenna channel configuration and the first SV channel on the second antenna:
   

   <          16 GPSL1L2        
   <          4 QZSSL1CAL2C     
   <          4 SBASL1          
   <          14 GLOL1L2        
   <          14 GALE1E5B       
   <          24 BEIDOUB1B2IB2B 
   <          5 LBAND           
   <          16 GPSL1L2        
   <          4 QZSSL1CAL2C     
   <          14 GLOL1L2        
   <          14 GALE1E5B       
   <          24 BEIDOUB1       

   1. GPS = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 14 + 24 + 5 = 81
   2. QZSS = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 14 + 24 + 5 + 16 = 97
   3. GLONASS = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 14 + 24 + 5 + 16 + 4 = 101
   4. Galileo = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 14 + 24 + 5 + 16 + 4 + 14 = 115
   5. BeiDou = 16 + 4 + 4 + 14 + 14 + 24 + 5 + 16 + 4 + 14 + 14 = 129