Troubleshooting

There are simple ways to diagnose and resolve problems. In many cases, the issue can be resolved within a few minutes, avoiding the inconvenience and loss of productivity that results from having to return the receiver for repair. This section discusses troubleshooting issues and includes cross-references to other sections of the manual that may help resolve problems.

If unsure of the symptoms or if the symptoms do not match any of those listed, use the RXSTATUS log to check the receiver status and error words. See Examining the RXSTATUS Log.

Try to resolve the problem using the troubleshooting guide in Table: Troubleshooting Based on Symptoms, then try our Knowledge Base at novatel.com/support. If you are still not able to resolve the problem, see Customer Support for troubleshooting logs and contact information.

Troubleshooting Based on Symptoms

Symptom

Related Section

The receiver is not properly powered

Check the power cable. Replace if faulty. See:

The receiver cannot establish communication

Check the serial cables and ports. Replace if faulty.

See CAN Bus or SMART2 CAN Bus and Status LED.

Refer also to the SERIALCONFIG command.

The receiver is not tracking satellites

Ensure that the antenna has an unobstructed view of the sky from horizon to horizon.

Check the RXSTATUS error states. See Examining the RXSTATUS Log. If the receiver is in error mode, it does not track.

Use the Interference Toolkit to check if there is an interference signal present. See Interference Toolkit.

Check the antenna cable. Replace if faulty. See Selecting a GNSS Antenna, Choosing a Coaxial Cable and Connecting the Antenna to the Receiver Card.

No data is being logged

Refer to CAN Bus or SMART2 CAN Bus and Communications with the Receiver

Random data is being output by the receiver or binary data is streaming

Check the baud rate on the receiver and in the communication software. Refer to the SERIALCONFIG command and FRESET command.

See also CAN Bus or SMART2 CAN Bus.

A command is not accepted by the receiver

Check for correct spelling and command syntax.

See Communications with the Receiver and refer to the FRESET command

Differential mode is not working properly

See Transmitting and Receiving Corrections and refer to the SERIALCONFIG command.

There appears to be a problem with the receiver’s memory

Refer to the NVMRESTORE command.

An environmental or memory failure. The receiver temperature is out of acceptable range or the internal thermometer is not working

Move the receiver to within an acceptable temperature range. See:

Overload and overrun problems. Either the CPU or port buffers are overloaded

Reduce the amount of logging or increase the baud rate. See also Table: OEM7 Card Default Serial Port Configurations.

The receiver is indicating that an invalid authorization code has been used

Refer to the VERSION log or VALIDMODELS log and the MODEL command or AUTH command.

The receiver is being affected by jamming

Move the receiver away from any possible jamming sources

The receiver is being affected by interference

See Interference Toolkit.

Move the GNSS antenna away from the source of the interference signal.

If the interference mitigation feature is enabled on the receiver, configure a filter within the Interference Toolkit to filter out the interference signal.

The receiver’s Automatic Gain Control (AGC) is not working properly

See the jamming symptom in this table