Copyright: Copyright © 2000


Serial Port Selection

This screen appears at the start of the program.  It allows you to choose which PC serial port the timing receiver is connected to.

Select the desired serial port and click OK to continue.  Timing Receiver Monitor supports serial ports 1-20.

Alternatively, the serial port may be given as a command line parameter.

Note:  The Timing Receiver Monitor will automatically determine the serial port settings that the receiver is currently configured to use.  If it is unable to detect the current settings, it will set the receiver to the default settings of 9600, 8-Odd-1.


Command Line Parameter

To specify a starting serial port on the command line, use the option:

-c*

* is the number of the serial port Timing Receiver Monitor will use.  The serial port selection screen will not be shown.

Example:

TR_Mon -c4

The preceding example would start the Timing Receiver Monitor using COM 4.


Troubleshooting

The fields in the main screen remain blank.  SV Data fields contain all zeros.  The Tx light is blinking.

Make sure the receiver is connected to the selected serial port.

Make sure the receiver is turned on.

From the Setup menu, choose Serial Ports.  Then click Send Break.

Timing Receiver Monitor appears to function correctly, but then stops displaying satellite information.  The receiver does not respond to any queries.

From the Setup menu, choose Serial Ports.  Then click Send Break.

The Minor Alarm and Timing Output fields in the main screen remain blank.  The rest of the main screen functions normally.

Timing Receiver Monitor is operating in NTP mode.  Go to the Control Menu and select Poll Timing Packets to fill in these portions of the main screen.  WARNING:  This may degrade the performance of your receiver if it is being used with an NTP application.


Main Screen

This is the main screen for the Timing Receiver Monitor.

(click on a section of the screen to view more information)

It displays time, minor alarms, timing outputs, receiver mode and status, position, and SV data.  The status bar displays Tx and Rx activity, program hints, firmware version, and serial port settings.  The menu provides options to let you send data to the receiver or request data from the receiver.

Note:  The main screen will look different when connected with an Acutime 2000 receiver intended for an NTP application.  The minor alarms and timing outputs sections will remain blank.

TSIP Packets

0x45, 0x5C, 0x6D, 0xBC, 0x8F-AB, 0x8F-AC

Related Topics

Control Menu, Setup Menu, Window Menu, Help Menu


Time

This is the Time section of the main screen.

Fields

Time

The time of day is displayed in hours-minutes-seconds format and varies from 00:00:00 to 23:59:59, except when time is in UTC and a leap second insertion occurs.  In this case the time will transition from 23:59:59 to 23:59:60 to 00:00:00.  The label after the time field indicates whether time is displayed in GPS or UTC.

UTC Offset

This field represents the current integer leap second offset between GPS and UTC according to the relationship:

Time(UTC) = Time(GPS) - UTC Offset

Before the timing receiver acquires UTC information from the GPS system, it is only capable of representing time in the GPS time scale, and the UTC Offset will be shown as 0.

TOW - Time of Week

This field represents the number of seconds since Sunday at  00:00:00 GPS time for the current GPS week.

Week Num

This field represents the current GPS week number.  GPS week number 0 started on January 6, 1980.

TSIP Packet

0x8F-AB.


Minor Alarms

This is the Minor Alarms section of the main screen for the Acutime 2000.

Note:  This section of the screen will appear blank when Timing Receiver Monitor is connected to an Acutime 2000 receiver intended for use with an NTP application.

Alarms

Satellite Tracking

When yellow, indicates that no satellites are yet usable.  In order for a satellite to be usable, it must be tracked long enough to obtain ephemeris and health data.

When green, indicates that the receiver is tracking satellites.

Self-Survey Activity

When yellow, indicates that a self-survey procedure is in progress.

When green, indicates that a self-survey procedure is not in progress.

Stored Position

When yellow, indicates that there is no accurate position stored in EEPROM.

When green, indicates that there is an accurate position stored in EEPROM.

Leap Second Pending

When yellow, indicates that the GPS system has alerted the timing receiver that a leap second transition is pending.

When green, indicates that a leap second transition is not pending.

Test Mode

When yellow, indicates that the timing receiver is operating in one of its test modes.

When green, indicates that the timing receiver is not operating in a test mode.

Position Questionable

When yellow, indicates that the accuracy of the position being used for a time-only fix is questionable.  While operating in the over-determined clock mode (which is most of the time) and while there are at least 2 satellites available, the receiver can detect position inaccuracies as small as 1/2 to 1 mile.  If this LED is yellow, it is likely that the receiver is using a stored position but has been moved to a new site.  The stored position should be cleared and a new position should be established either by user input or by self-survey.

When green, indicates that the accuracy of the position is not questionable.

EEPROM Invalid

When yellow, indicates that one or more EEPROM segments were found to be corrupt at reset and had to be set to their factory default settings.  To determine which segments were corrupt and to reset this bit, choose Window from the menu, then EEPROM Segment Status.

When green, indicates that no EEPROM segments were found to be corrupt at reset.

Almanac

When yellow, indicates that the almanac is not current or complete.

When green, indicates that the almanac is current and complete.

TSIP Packet

0x8F-AC.


Universal Coordinated Time


Satellite Vehicle


Timing Outputs

This is the Timing Outputs section of the main screen.

Note:  This section of the screen will appear blank when Timing Receiver Monitor is connected to an Acutime 2000 receiver intended for use with an NTP application.

Fields

Local Clock Offset

This field displays the offset of the local clock relative to UTC or GPS as reported by the receiver in nanoseconds.  Positive values indicate that the timing receiver's local clock is late relative to GPS or UTC.

Oscillator Offset

This field displays the frequency offset of the 10MHz output relative to UTC or GPS as reported by the receiver in ppb.  Positive values indicate that the timing receiver's 10MHz clock is running slow relative to GPS or UTC.

PPS Quantization Error

This field displays the PPS quantization error in nanoseconds.

PPS Generated

This LED indicates the PPS output status.

When yellow, indicates that a PPS was not generated.

When green, indicates that a PPS was generated..

TSIP Packet

0x8F-AC.


Mode and Status

This is the Mode and Status section of the main screen.

Fields

Rcvr Mode

This field displays the fix mode that the receiver is currently configured for.  The timing receiver spends most of its time in Overdetermined Clock mode where it uses all available satellites to perform the best time-only fix possible.

Possible receiver modes include:

Automatic (2D/3D)

Single Satellite (Time)

Horizontal (2D)

Full Position (3D)

DGPS Reference

Clock Hold (2D)

Overdetermined Clock

DGPS Age Limit

To change the receiver mode choose Setup from the menu, then choose GPS Settings.  Or, click once on the Mode and Status label to bring up the GPS Settings screen.

Status

This field indicates the decoding status of the GPS receiver.

Possible statuses include:

Doing fixes

Don't have GPS time

PDOP is too high

No Usable SVs

Only 1 Usable SV

Only 2 Usable SVs

Only 3 Usable SVs

Chosen SV is unusable

TRAIM rejected fix

TSIP Packet

0x8F-AC.


Position

This is the Position section of the main screen.

Fields

Latitude

This field displays the latitude of the position being shown.  The units are in degrees.  Negative values represent southern latitudes.  Positive values represent northern latitudes.  Clicking on this field causes the latitude display format to toggle between ddd.dd° and  dd° mm' ss.ss.

Longitude

This field displays the longitude of the position being shown.  The units are in degrees.  Negative values represent western longitudes.  Positive values represent eastern longitudes.  Clicking on this field causes the longitude display format to toggle between ddd.dd° and  dd° mm' ss.ss.

Altitude

This field displays the altitude of the position being shown.  The units are in meters according to the current datum.

Self-Survey Progress

When a self-survey procedure is in progress, this field shows the progress of the survey as the percentage of fixes collected so far.  The self-survey will be complete when the progress reaches 100%.  This section of the Position display will be blank if Timing Receiver Monitor is communicating with an Acutime 2000 receiver used for NTP.

TSIP Packet

0x8F-AC.


SV Data

Satellite Vehicle Data

This is the SV Data section of the main screen.

Fields

SV

This field displays the satellite vehicles that the receiver is currently tracking.  If the field is green, the SV is currently being used in the fix.  If the field is yellow, TRAIM rejected the SV.

AMU

This field displays the signal level for the tracked satellites.  The signal level is a linear approximation of C/N0 which is stated in antenna amplitude measurement units (AMUs), a Trimble devised unit.

TSIP Packets

0x5C, 0x6D.


Control Menu

This is the control menu.  It is accessible from the main screen.

(click on a command to jump to information about it)

Commands

Cold Reset

A cold reset will clear all navigation data (e.g., almanac, ephemeris, and UTC data) stored in RAM and is equivalent to a power cycle.

TSIP Packet: 0x1E

Warm Reset

This command tells the receiver to perform a software reset.  The receiver performs a self-test as part of the reset operation.  Following the reset, the receiver will output the start-up messages.

TSIP Packet: 0x25

Factory Reset

A factory reset will, in addition to a cold reset, restore the factory defaults for all configuration and navigation parameters stored in non-volatile memory.  Alternatively, this command can affect the navigation and configuration parameters separately.

Caution:

The Factory_Reset->All_Data_and_Parameters and Factory_Reset->Configuration_Parameters commands will delete the stored position and cause a self-survey to start.

TSIP Packet: 0x1E

Restart Self-Survey

This command tells the receiver to start a self-survey.

TSIP Packet: 0x8E-A6

Upload Position

This command brings up the upload accurate position screen.  Here you can enter initial LLA or XYZ Cartesian ECEF position data or you can load position data from a file.

The GPS receiver assumes the position provided to be accurate.  This position is used in satellite acquisition and in time transfer (one satellite mode) applications.  For acquisition aiding, the position provided should be accurate to a few kilometers.  For high-accuracy time transfer, the position should be accurate to a few meters.

Providing the receiver with position will stop a self-survey in progress.  The position will not actually be stored in EEPROM until a Save Configuration Segments command has been given.

TSIP Packets:  0x31 (XYZ ECEF), 0x32 (LLA)

Upload Time From PC

This command brings up the upload time screen.  Here the program will get time from the PC and upload it to the GPS receiver.  The Time Accepted LED will turn green if the receiver accepts the uploaded time.  The packet will be ignored if the receiver has already calculated the time from tracking a GPS satellite.

TSIP Packets: 0x2E

Upload Almanac

This command uploads previously stored almanac data to the receiver.  The user is asked to select an almanac data file to upload.

Caution:

Loading data improperly is hazardous.  The data should not be modified in any way.  It should only be retrieved (with the Download Almanac command) and stored for later reload.

TSIP Packet: 0x38

Download Position

This command tells the program to download the current position (as reported in the position section of the main screen) to a user selected file.  If the receiver is not currently outputting packet 0x8F-AC, the position will not be downloaded.

TSIP Packet: 0x8F-AC

Download Time To PC

This command tells the program to download the current time (as reported in the time section of the main screen) to the PC.  If the receiver is not currently outputting packet 0x8F-AB, the time will not be downloaded.

TSIP Packet: 0x8F-AB

Download Almanac

This command downloads an almanac from the receiver to a user selected file.

TSIP Packet: 0x38

Poll Timing Packets

This command toggles whether Timing Reeiver Monitor polls for timing packets 8F-AB and 8F-AC to fill in the main screen.  The default is on.  These packets can cause problems from when an Acutime 2000 receiver is being used for an Network Timing Protocol (NTP) application.  See NTP Selection for more details.

TSIP Packets: 8F-AB, 8F-AC

Change Receiver Type

Timing Receiver Monitor operates slightly differently depending on which receiver it is talking to.  Possible receiver types include:

Acutime 2000

Acutime 2000 Cisco

Acutime 2000 Glenayre

Acutime 2000 Acutime II Compatible

Palisade

The program automatically determines the receiver type.  This command lets the user change receiver type manually.

Record TSIP

This command brings up the TSIP Recording screen.  Here you can select a file in which to record all TSIP packets output by the receiver and can turn the recording on and off.

Related Topics

Setup Menu, Window Menu, Help Menu


Latitude, Longitude, Altitude


Earth Centered, Earth Fixed


Setup Menu

This is the setup menu.  It is accessible from the main screen.

(click on a command to jump to information about it)

Commands

GPS Settings

This command will bring up the GPS Settings screen.  Here you can set the primary timing receiver's configuration parameters:

Receiver Mode

Dynamics Code

DGPS Mode

Elevation Mask

Signal Level Mask

PDOP Mask

PDOP Switch

TSIP Packet: 0xBB

SV for 1 Satellite Mode

This command is used to select the satellite to for 1-D timing mode.  If 0 is selected, the receiver automatically chooses the usable satellite with the highest elevation above the horizon, which is the default action for the receiver.

TSIP Packet: 0x34

Altitude for 2-D Mode

This command is used to set the altitude for manual 2-dimensional navigation mode.  This altitude is also used for auto 2-D mode when the dynamics code is set to SEA.  The altitude is in meters, using the WGS-84 model of the earth or MSL geoid altitude depending on I/O Options (See Packet Masks and Options).

If a set altitude is not provided, the receiver will use the altitude of the previous 3-D fix (altitude hold mode).  This command can also be used to cancel altitude-set mode and return the reference altitude to 0.  The altitude setting is stored in non-volatile memory.

The receiver must be configured to manual 2-D navigation mode using the GPS Settings (0xBB) command in order to use the fixed altitude survey mode.  The reference altitude will be used in 2-D survey from both warm and cold start.

TSIP Packet: 0x2A

Packet Masks and Options

This command is used to choose I/O Options and Super Packet Masks.

The I/O Options are stored in non-volatile memory, and include options for:

Position

Velocity

Timing

Auxiliary

The Super Packet Mask is used to turn on and off the automatic output of certain packets. This command is used to mask the output of the following packets:

Synchronous 0x8F-0B

Event 0x8F-0B

Synchronous 0x8F-AD

Event 0x8F-AD

0x8F-20

Auto TSIP Outputs

0x8F-AB

0x8F-AC

TSIP Packets: 0x35 (I/O Options), 0x8E-A5 (Super Packet Mask)

Datum

This command is used to change from the default datum of WGS-84 to one of the 180 pre-defined datums.  The datum is a set of 5 parameters which describe an ellipsoid to convert the receiver's internal coordinate system of XYZ ECEF into Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude.

This will affect all calculations of LLA in all position packets unless the MSL Geoid option for LLA output is selected under Packet Masks and Options.

TSIP Packet:  0x8E-15

Port B Output

This command is used to control the automatic output of packets on port B.  This mask only disables automatic packet output.  Packets generated in response to TSIP set or query commands will always be output by the receiver.

TSIP Packets: 0x8E-4D

Serial Ports

This command is used to set the communication parameters on port A and port B or to send a break to the current port.

When setting communication parameters, the program asks the user if the PC serial port parameters should be changed to match.

Sending a break to the receiver sets the receiver communication parameters to TSIP at 9600, 8-None-1.  The PC serial port parameters are automatically changed to match.

TSIP Packet: 0xBC

Timing Outputs

This command is used to set the PPS Characteristics, PPS Output, and PPS Width.

PPS Characteristics include:

Driver Switch

Time Base

Polarity

PPS Offset

Bias Uncertainty Threshold

Setting the PPS Output sets the driver switch to one of the following values:

PPS is always output

PPS is output when at least one satellite is tracking

PPS is output when at least three satellites are tracking

Note: Driver switch values "one satellite" and "three satellites" only make sense in Overdetermined Timing mode.  In any position fix mode the effective choices are ‘always on’ or ‘during fixes’ which you get if you set the driver switch to wither of the last two choices.

The PPS Width may be set to a value in the range 10 microseconds to 500 milliseconds. (Acutime 2000 only)

TSIP Packets: 0x8E-4A (PPS Characteristics), 0x8E-4E (PPS Output), 0x8E-4F (PPS Width)

Self-Survey

This command is used to set the self-survey parameters.  These parameters include:

Enable Self-Survey

Auto Save Position

Self-Survey Limit

The default is self-survey enabled, auto save position disabled, and self-survey limit of 2000.

TSIP Packet: 0x8F-A9

NMEA Output

This command is used to set the NMEA message mask and output interval.  If a message is masked on, it is output by the receiver every "interval" seconds.

NMEA messages include:

GGA

GLL

VTG

GSV

GSA

ZDA

RMC

TSIP Packet: 0x7A

Revert Segment to Default

This command reverts the parameters stored in the selected EEPROM segment or segments to their factory default settings and reconfigures the timing receiver using those settings.

Segments include:

Receiver Configuration

Packet I/O Control

Serial Port Configuration

Timing Outputs

Accurate Position

Self-Survey Configuration

NMEA Configuration

UTC Information

Note: Reverting a segment to default causes all the configuration segments to be saved to EEPROM.

TSIP Packet: 0x8E-45

Save Configuration Segments

This command causes the current configuration settings to be written to the EEPROM.

TSIP Packet: 0x8E-26

Default All Segments

This command reverts the parameters stored in all the EEPROM segments to their factory default settings and reconfigures the timing receiver using those settings.

TSIP Packet: 0x8E-45

Related Topics

Control Menu, Window Menu, Help Menu


Mean Sea Level


Window Menu

This is the window menu.  It is accessible from the main screen.

(click on a command to jump to information about it)

Commands

Additional Timing Packets

This command displays the additional timing packets Primary UTC Time (0x8F-AD) and Comprehensive Time (0x8F-0B).  The program queries the receiver for the packets when the command is first issued.  If the packets are not continually updated the receiver might not be masked to automatically output them or the program might not be connected to the correct receiver port.  To change the packet output masks choose Packet Masks and Options under the Setup menu.

TSIP Packets: 0x8F-0B (Comprehensive Time), 0x8F-AD (Primary UTC Time)

Velocity & Positioning

This command displays additional velocity and positioning packets.  The packets displayed depend on the I/O options set for the receiver and the receiver mode.  To change the I/O options choose Packet Masks and Options under the Setup menu.  To change the receiver mode choose GPS Settings under the Setup menu.

Packets that may be displayed in this window include:

XYZ ECEF Velocity (0x43)

ENU Velocity (0x56)

Single Precision LLA Position (0x4A)

Double Precision LLA Position (0x84)

Single Precision XYZ ECEF Position (0x42)

Double Precision XYZ ECEF Position (0x83)

TSIP Packets: 0x42, 0x43, 0x4A, 0x56, 0x83, 0x84

Track Status

This command displays information about the satellites the receiver is tracking, a list of satellites being used in the fix, and PDOP, HDOP, VDOP, and TDOP information.

TSIP Packets: 0x5C, 0x6D

EEPROM Segment Status

This command displays the EEPROM segment status for all segments.  A yellow LED indicates that the EEPROM segment was found to be corrupt at reset and had to be set to its factory default setting.  Exercising this command clears the EEPROM status minor alarm bit in packet 0x8F-AC, causing the EEPROM Invalid LED on the Minor Alarms section of the main screen to be set to green.

TSIP Packets:  0x3F-11

Raw Measurement Data

This command displays raw GPS measurement data for all satellites the receiver is tracking.  If the Raw Measurement option in the Auxiliary section of I/O Options packet 0x35 is turned on, this data will be updated each second.  To turn on the option choose Packet Masks and Options under the Setup menu.

Note: This packet provides the raw satellite signal measurement information used in computing a fix.

TSIP Packets: 0x5A

Ephemeris Status

This command displays the status of the ephemeris in the receiver for each satellite.  The information is updated when the refresh button is clicked or when a new ephemeris is received.

TSIP Packet: 0x5B

Product Info

The command displays software version information, manufacturing parameters, and production parameters for the receiver.  The Product Info screen can alternatively be accessed by clicking on the firmware version number in the status bar of the main screen.

TSIP Packet: 0x45 (software version), 0x8F-41 (manufacturing parameters), 0x8F-42 (production parameters)

Almanac Data

This command displays almanac information for each satellite.

TSIP Packet: 0x40

Almanac Health Page

This command displays health information for each satellite.  A value "0" indicates that the satellite is healthy; all other values indicate that the satellite is unhealthy.

TSIP Packet: 0x49

UTC Parameters

This command displays the UTC information broadcast by the GPS system.  For details on the meanings of the parameters, consult ICD-200, sections 20.3.3.5.2.4, 20.3.3.5.1.8, and Table 20-IX.  On the simplest level, to get UTC time from GPS time, subtract ΔTLS seconds.  The other information displayed in this packet indicates when the next leap second is set to occur.

TSIP Packet: 0x4F

Related Topics

Control Menu, Setup Menu, Help Menu


East North Up


Position Dilution of Precision


Horizontal Dilution of Precision


Vertical Dilution of Precision


Time Dilution of Precision


Help Menu

This is the help menu.  It is accessible from the main screen.

(click on a command to jump to information about it)

Commands

Help

This command displays this Help file.

About

This command displays version and copyright information about the Timing Receiver Monitor.

Related Topics

Control Menu, Setup Menu, Window Menu


Status Bar

This is the Status Bar section of the main screen.

Sections

Tx Rx LEDs

This box displays TSIP transmit and receive information.  The Tx LED blinks when the Timing Receiver Monitor sends a TSIP packet to the GPS receiver.  The Rx LED blinks when the Timing Receiver Monitor receives a TSIP packet from the receiver.

See Troubleshooting if the Rx LED does not blink.

Hint Box

This box displays program hints and TSIP packets that drive each section of the program.

Receiver Version

This box displays the GPS receiver version.  Clicking on this box brings up the Product Info screen.

TSIP Packet: 0x45

Serial Port Information

This box displays the serial port information for the Timing Receiver Monitor.  It does not necessarily match the serial port settings of the GPS receiver.  Clicking on this box brings up the Serial Port information screen.


Overview

The Timing Receiver Monitor is used to communicate with Trimble's Acutime 2000 GPS receiver.

The screen shots used in this help file show the look of the Timing Receiver Monitor when using the Acutime 2000 receiver.  Some screens will look slightly different when using a Palisade GPS receiver or an Acutime 2000 receiver intended for an NTP application.


PPB Popup
parts per billion


Differential GPS


NTP Selection

This screen appears the first time Timing Receiver Monitor is started with an Acutime 2000 receiver.  It asks the user whether or not the receiver is intended for use with Network Timing Protocol (NTP).

Timing Receiver Monitor normally polls for the Timing Packets 8F-AB and 8F-AC in order to fill in the information on the Main Screen.  However, when requested these packets are sent on both ports.  These timing packets are not used for NTP.  If an NTP server is connected to port A of the receiver, polling for these packets may result in data overruns and degraded performance.

YES -- If the receiver is going to be used for NTP, Timing Receiver Monitor does not automatically poll for the Timing Packets 8F-AB and 8F-AC.  This results in the Timing Outputs and Minor Alarm portions of the main screen remaining blank.  The rest of the main screen is filled in by polling for alternative packets that are not automatically output on both ports.

NO -- Timing Receiver Monitor operates in its normal mode and polls the receiver for packets 8F-AB and 8F-AC.  The main screen is entirely filled in.

Timing receiver monitor only asks the user if the receiver is intended for use with NTP the first time the program communicates with an Acutime 2000 receiver.  It remembers the answer for all future uses.  To change whether or not the program polls for the Timing Packets, go to the Control Menu and select Poll Timing Packets.

This is how the main screen will look when Timing Receiver Monitor does not poll for the packets 8F-AB and 8F-AC.