Novatel SPAN CPT7 User manual

OM-20000179 v3A January 2019
SPAN CPT7
Installation and Operation
User Manual

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 2
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual
Publication Number: OM-20000179
Revision Level: v3A
Revision Date: January 2019
Firmware Version: 7.05 / OM7MR0500RN0000, SC7PR0304RN0000
Warranty
NovAtel Inc. warrants that its GNSS products are free from defects in materials and work-
manship, subject to the conditions set forth on our web site: www.nova-
tel.com/products/warranty/ and for the following time periods:
OEM7®Receivers One (1) Year
GNSS Antenna Series One (1) Year
Cables and Accessories Ninety (90) Days
Software Warranty One (1) Year
Return instructions
To return products, refer to the instructions found at: www.novatel.com/warranty-return.
Proprietary Notice
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a com-
mitment on the part of NovAtel Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under
a licence 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 as specifically allowed in the license or non-disclosure agreement.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express
written permission of a duly authorized representative of NovAtel Inc.
The information contained within this manual is believed to be true and correct at the time of
publication.
NovAtel, ALIGN, GLIDE, GrafNav/GrafNet, Inertial Explorer, NovAtel CORRECT, OEM7, PwrPak7,
RELAY, SPAN, STEADYLINE, VEXXIS and Waypoint are registered trademarks of NovAtel Inc.
NovAtel Connect, OEM719, OEM729, OEM7500, OEM7600, OEM7700, OEM7720, SMART7, RELAY7
and RTK ASSIST are trademarks of NovAtel Inc.
All other brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.
© Copyright 2019 NovAtel Inc. All rights reserved. Unpublished rights reserved under Inter-
national copyright laws.

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 3
Table of Contents
Figures
Tables
SPAN CPT7 Notices
Customer Support
Chapter 1 SPAN CPT7 Overview
1.1 Fundamentals of GNSS+INS 20
Chapter 2 SPAN CPT7 Installation
2.1 Additional Equipment Required 21
2.2 Optional Accessories 21
2.3 SPAN CPT7 Cables 21
2.4 Selecting a GNSS Antenna 22
2.5 Choosing a Coaxial Cable 23
2.6 Power Supply Requirements for the SPAN CPT7 23
2.7 SPAN CPT7 Installation Overview 24
2.8 Mounting the GNSS Antenna 26
2.8.1 Antenna LNA Power 26
2.9 Mount the SPAN CPT7 26
2.9.1 Securing the SPAN CPT7 27
2.9.2 Secure the SPAN CPT7 Using the Adapter Plate 27
2.10 Connect the SPAN CPT7 to Data Communication Equipment 31
2.10.1 Serial Ports 31
2.10.2 USB Ports 32
2.10.3 Ethernet Port 32
2.10.4 CAN Bus Port 32
2.11 Connect I/O Signals to the SPAN CPT7 33
2.12 Connect Power to the SPAN CPT7 33
2.12.1 Fuse for the Power Supply 34
2.12.2 Vehicle Installation 34
2.13 Check that the SPAN CPT7 is Operating 35
Chapter 3 OEM7 Receiver Operation
3.1 Communications with the Receiver 36
3.1.1 USB Communications 37
3.1.2 Serial Port Communications 37
3.1.3 Ethernet Communications 39
3.1.4 ICOM Communications 39
3.1.5 CAN Bus Communications 40
3.2 Getting Started 40
3.2.1 Communicating with the Receiver 40
3.3 Transmitting and Receiving Corrections 41
3.3.1 Defining Antenna and Base Antenna 43
3.3.2 Base Station Configuration 43
3.3.3 Rover Station Configuration 44
3.3.4 Configuration Notes 44
3.4 GLIDE 45
3.4.1 Dual-Frequency GLIDE 45

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 4
3.4.2 PDP and GLIDE Configurations 46
3.5 STEADYLINE 46
3.5.1 Maintain 46
3.5.2 Transition 47
3.5.3 Prefer Accuracy 47
3.5.4 UAL 48
3.6 Enabling SBAS Positioning 49
3.7 Enabling NovAtel CORRECT with PPP 49
3.7.1 TerraStar Subscriptions 50
3.7.2 Veripos Subscriptions 51
3.8 RTK ASSIST 51
3.9 Transferring Time Between Receivers 52
3.9.1 GPS to Receiver Time Synchronization 52
3.9.2 Time Definitions 52
3.9.3 Procedures to Transfer Time 53
3.10 Interference Toolkit 57
3.10.1 Monitoring GNSS Signals 57
3.10.2 Disable/Enable Detection 59
3.10.3 Monitoring Signals Using a Command Line 59
3.10.4 Monitoring Signals Using NovAtel Connect 60
3.10.5 Remove Interference Signals 61
3.11 Logging and Retrieving Data Overview 64
3.11.1 Pass-Through Logging 64
3.11.2 Saving Logs to a File 64
3.12 Additional Features and Information 65
3.12.1 Strobes 65
Chapter 4 SPAN Operation
4.1 Definition of Reference Frames Within SPAN 66
4.1.1 The Local-Level Frame (ENU) 66
4.1.2 The IMU Body Frame 67
4.1.3 The Vehicle Frame 68
4.1.4 The User Output Frame 68
4.2 SPAN Translations and Rotations 68
4.2.1 Translational Offsets 69
4.2.2 Rotational Offsets 70
4.3 Software Configuration 72
4.3.1 GNSS Configuration 72
4.3.2 INS Profiles 72
4.3.3 SPAN Configuration for SPAN CPT7 74
4.4 Real-Time Operation 77
4.4.1 System Start-Up and Alignment Techniques 78
4.4.2 INSSeed / Fast INS Initialization 80
4.4.3 Navigation Mode 82
4.4.4 Data Collection 82
4.4.5 Body to Vehicle Frame Rotation Calibration Routine 84
4.4.6 Multi-Line Body to Vehicle Frame Rotation Calibration Routine 85
4.5 Synchronizing External Equipment 87
4.5.1 Configuring an Input Strobe 87
4.6 Adding Timed Sensor Triggers 88
4.6.1 Configuring the Hardware 88
4.6.2 Configuring the Software 89
4.6.3 Using Timed Event Pulses 89
4.6.4 Recording Incoming Sensor Events 89

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 5
4.7 Azimuth Sources on a SPAN System 89
4.7.1 Course Over Ground 90
4.7.2 Inertial Azimuth 90
4.7.3 ALIGN Azimuth 90
4.8 Data Collection for Post Processing 91
4.9 Variable Lever Arm 92
4.9.1 Reference Frame Description 92
4.9.2 How to Use Variable Lever Arm 94
4.10 Relative INS 96
4.10.1 Configure Relative INS 97
Chapter 5 SPAN with Dual Antenna
5.1 Configuring ALIGN with SPAN 99
5.1.1 Configuring SPAN with ALIGN 100
5.1.2 Alignment on a Moving Vessel - Aided Transfer Alignment 100
5.1.3 Alignment on a Stationary Vehicle - Aided Static Alignment 100
5.1.4 Unaided Alignment 101
5.1.5 Automatic Alignment Mode - Automatic Alignment (default) 101
5.2 SPAN ALIGN Attitude Updates 101
Chapter 6 Ethernet Configuration
6.1 Required Hardware 102
6.2 Static IP Address Configuration 102
6.2.1 Static IP Address Configuration—Receiver 103
6.2.2 Static IP Address Configuration—Windows 7 104
6.2.3 Confirming Ethernet Setup 105
6.3 Dynamic IP Address Configuration 105
6.4 Base/Rover Configuration through Ethernet Connectivity 106
6.5 Large Ethernet Port Data Throughput 108
6.6 NTRIP Configuration 108
Chapter 7 CAN Bus
7.1 Default Configuration 112
7.2 Configuring the CAN Bus 112
7.2.1 Configuration Notes 112
7.2.2 Example of Enabling the CAN Bus 113
7.2.3 Example of Modifying the CAN Bus Parameters 113
7.2.4 Example of Detecting an Address Claim Failure and Reconfiguring 113
7.2.5 Address Claim Procedure 114
7.3 NMEA2000 Logging 114
7.3.1 Example of NMEA2000 Log Configuration 115
7.3.2 Example of Custom PGN Configuration 115
7.4 Corrections Over CAN 115
7.4.1 Example for Receiving Corrections from Any Source 116
7.4.2 Example for Transmitting Corrections to 0x1C Node 116
7.5 NovAtel Messages Over CAN 116
7.6 Configuring OEM7 Receivers to Use OEM6 CAN Settings 116
7.6.1 Configuration on OEM6 117
7.6.2 Configuration on OEM7 117
Chapter 8 Built-In Status Tests
8.1 Receiver Status Word 118
8.2 RXSTATUSEVENT Log 118

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 6
8.3 RXSTATUS Log 119
8.3.1 Status Word 119
8.3.2 Error Word 119
8.3.3 Status Code Arrays 120
8.3.4 Receiver Status Code 121
8.3.5 Auxiliary Status Codes 121
8.3.6 Set and Clear Mask for all Status Code Arrays 121
Chapter 9 Troubleshooting
9.1 Examining the RXSTATUS Log 123
9.2 Examining the AUX1 Status Word 126
9.3 High Temperature Environments 127
9.3.1 Indicators of an Error State 127
9.3.2 Recovering from a Temperature Status Error 128
9.3.3 Mitigating High Receiver Temperature 128
9.3.4 Monitoring the Receiver Temperature 128
9.4 Safe Mode 129
9.4.1 Reset Loop Detection 129
9.4.2 Recovery Steps 129
Chapter 10 NovAtel Firmware and Software
10.1 Firmware Updates and Model Upgrades 131
10.1.1 Firmware Updates 131
10.1.2 Model Upgrades 131
10.2 Authorization Code 132
10.3 Transferring Firmware Files 133
10.3.1 Format of Firmware Files 133
10.4 Updating or Upgrading Using the WinLoad Utility 133
10.4.1 Using the WinLoad Utility 133
10.5 Updating the Firmware Using NovAtel Connect 135
10.6 Updating the Firmware Using NovAtel Web UI 136
10.7 Updating Using SoftLoad Commands 137
10.7.1 SoftLoad Commands and Logs 137
10.7.2 Working With S-Records 137
10.7.3 Sending Firmware Data 138
10.7.4 SoftLoad Update Method 139
10.7.5 SoftLoad Errors 142
10.8 Upgrading Using an Auth-Code 142
10.8.1 Entering an Auth-Code Using NovAtel Connect 142
10.8.2 Entering an Auth-Code Using NovAtel Web UI 142
10.8.3 Entering an Auth-Code Using the Command Line 143
APPENDIX A SPAN CPT7 Technical Specifications
A.1 SPAN CPT7 Performance Specifications 145
A.2 SPAN CPT7 Mechanical Specifications 148
A.3 SPAN CPT7 Electrical and Environmental Specifications 151
A.4 SPAN CPT7 Data Communication Specifications 153
A.5 SPAN CPT7 Strobe Specifications 154
A.6 SPAN CPT7 Connectors 155
A.7 SPAN CPT7 I/O1 Cable 157
A.7.1 Custom Cable Recommendations 158
A.8 SPAN CPT7 I/O2 Cable 159
A.8.1 Custom Cable Recommendations 160

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 7
APPENDIX B Accessories and Replacement Parts
APPENDIX C Frequently Asked Questions
APPENDIX D Importance of Antenna Selection

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 8
Figures
Figure 1: SPAN CPT7 Receiver 19
Figure 2: Typical Installation of a SPAN CPT7 System 25
Figure 3: SPAN CPT7 Adapter Plate 29
Figure 4: Offset from the SPAN CPT7 to the SPAN-CPT 30
Figure 5: Offset from the SPAN CPT7 to the SPAN-IGM-S1 31
Figure 6: Fuse for PwrPak7 Power Supply 34
Figure 7: Dedicated Battery for the SPAN CPT7 35
Figure 8: Basic SPAN CPT7 Connection Interfaces (example) 36
Figure 9: Basic Differential Setup 42
Figure 10: Positioning Change Without STEADYLINE 46
Figure 11: STEADYLINE Maintain 47
Figure 12: STEADYLINE Transition 47
Figure 13: STEADYLINE Prefer Accuracy 47
Figure 14: STEADYLINE UAL- Warning Limit Example 48
Figure 15: STEADYLINE UAL - Out of Bounds Example 49
Figure 16: Transfer COARSE Time from Fine Clock to Cold Clock Receiver 54
Figure 17: Transfer FINE Time from Fine Clock to Cold Clock Receiver 55
Figure 18: Transfer FINE Time from Fine Clock to Warm Clock Receiver 56
Figure 19: 1 PPS Alignment 56
Figure 20: Local-Level Frame (ENU) 67
Figure 21: IMU Body Frame Marking 67
Figure 22: Vehicle Frame 68
Figure 23: IMU to Antenna Translation Offset 69
Figure 24: Multi-Line IMU Body to Vehicle Calibration 86
Figure 25: Sample Configuration 93
Figure 26: Operating Gimbal 94
Figure 27: Relative INS Example 97
Figure 28: Cross-Over Ethernet Cable Configuration—OEM7 Receiver 103
Figure 29: Dynamic IP Address Configuration through a DHCP Server—OEM7 Receiver 105
Figure 30: Base/Rover Ethernet Setup—OEM7 Receiver 107
Figure 31: NTRIP System 109
Figure 32: Location of Receiver Status Word 119
Figure 33: Reading the Bits in the Receiver Status Word 119
Figure 34: Location of Receiver Error Word 120
Figure 35: Reading the Bits in the Receiver Error Word 120
Figure 36: Status Code Arrays 121
Figure 37: WinLoad’s Open Window 134
Figure 38: Open File in WinLoad 134

Figures
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 9
Figure 39: COM Port Setup 135
Figure 40: SPAN CPT7 Dimensions 149
Figure 41: SPAN CPT7 Center of Navigation 150
Figure 42: Fischer Core 16 Pin Connector 155
Figure 43: SPAN CPT7 I/O1 Cable 157
Figure 44: SPAN CPT7 I/O2 Cable 159
Figure 45: Plot of Good and Poor Antenna Phase Center Variation over Elevation Angle 0-
90° 165

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 10
Tables
Table 1: SPAN CPT7 Cables 22
Table 2: Fuse/Holder Recommendations 12 V System 34
Table 3: Serial Ports Supported 38
Table 4: OEM7 INS Profiles 73
Table 5: Inertial Solution Status 77
Table 6: NVM Seed Indication 82
Table 7: Solution Parameters 82
Table 8: Valid Event Inputs and Outputs for Timed Sensor Triggers 89
Table 9: Logs with Azimuth Data 90
Table 10: Logs used with Variable Lever Arm 95
Table 11: Commands used with Variable Lever Arm 95
Table 12: Default NAME 112
Table 13: Troubleshooting Based on Symptoms 122
Table 14: Resolving a Receiver Error Word 124
Table 15: Resolving an Error in the Receiver Status Word 125
Table 16: Resolving an Error in the AUX1 Status Word 126
Table 17: SPAN CPT7 Physical Description 144
Table 18: SPAN CPT7 Receiver Performance 145
Table 19: SPAN CPT7 IMU Performance 147
Table 20: SPAN CPT7 Environmental Specifications 151
Table 21: SPAN CPT7 Power Requirements 151
Table 22: SPAN CPT7 RF Input/LNA Power Output 151
Table 23: Data Communications Interfaces 153
Table 24: SPAN CPT7 Strobes Description 154
Table 25: SPAN CPT7 Strobe Electrical Specifications 154
Table 26: IO1 Pin Out 155
Table 27: IO2 Pin Out 156
Table 28: SPAN CPT7 I/O1 Cable Pinout 157
Table 29: I/O1 Connector 158
Table 30: SPAN CPT7 I/O2 Cable Pinout 159
Table 31: IO2 Connector 160
Table 32: GNSS Antennas 161
Table 33: SPAN CPT7 Cables 161
Table 34: GNSS Antenna Cables 162
Table 35: SPAN CPT7 Mounting Accessories 162

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 11
SPAN CPT7 Notices
The following notices apply to the SPAN CPT7.
Changes or modifications to this equipment, not expressly approved by NovAtel Inc.,
could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
FCC
The devices covered by this manual comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Note:
The equipment listed has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. The Class B limits are designed to provide reas-
onable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. The equipment listed
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accord-
ance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equip-
ment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:
lReorient or relocate the receiving antenna
lIncrease the separation between the equipment and the receiver
lConnect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected
lConsult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada
SPAN CPT7 Class B digital device complies with Canadian ICES-003.
SPAN CPT7 appareils numérique de la classe B sont conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
This device complies with ISED license-exempt RSS-GEN and RSS-247. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference and (2) this device must
accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.
Cet appareil est conforme à la norme ISED RSS-GEN et RSS-247. Son fonctionnement est sou-
mis aux deux conditions suivantes: (1) cet appareil ne doit pas provoquer d'interférences et (2)
cet appareil doit accepter toute interférence, y compris les interférences pouvant entraîner un
fonctionnement indésirable de l'appareil.

SPAN CPT7 Notices
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 12
European Union (EU)
Hereby, NovAtel Inc. declares that the radio equipment type SPAN CPT7 GNSS receiver is in
compliance with Directive 2014/53/EU
The full text of the EU Declaration of Conformity may be obtained from the NovAtel website at:
www.novatel.com/products/compliance/eu-declaration-of-conformity/.
EAC
Декларация о соответствии ТР ТС 020/2011 ЕАЭС № RU Д-CA.АД78.В.01856/18 от
13.12.2018, действительна по 12.12.2023, зарегистрирована органом по сертификации
общества с органиченной ответсвенностью «ЕАЭС РЕШЕНИЕ».
(English translation: Declaration of Conformity Based on Technical Regulation of Customs Union
020/2011 No. ЕАЭС № RU Д-CA.АД78.В.01856/18 valid from 13.12.2018 until 12.12.2023,
registered by Certification Body "EAEU SOLUTION”.)
Instructions for Safe Operation of Equipment
The SPAN CPT7 is capable of operation at ambient temperatures up to 65°C. In such cases, the
metallic surface temperature of the SPAN CPT7 may exceed 70°C. Therefore, under these con-
ditions the equipment needs to be installed in a RESTRICTED ACCESS LOCATION.
If the SPAN CPT7 is operating in a lower temperature environment where the ambient tem-
perature is less than 60°C, installation in a RESTRICTED ACCESS LOCATION is not required.
WEEE
If you purchased your SPAN CPT7 in Europe, please return it to your dealer or supplier at the
end of life. The objectives of the European Community's environment policy are, in particular, to
preserve, protect and improve the quality of the environment, protect human health and utilise
natural resources prudently and rationally. Sustainable development advocates the reduction of
wasteful consumption of natural resources and the prevention of pollution. Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a regulated area. Where the generation of waste cannot be
avoided, it should be reused or recovered for its material or energy. WEEE products may be
recognized by their wheeled bin label ( ).
See www.novatel.com/products/compliance/environmental-compliance/ for more information.
RoHS
SPAN CPT7 GNSS receivers are in conformity with Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parlia-
ment and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous sub-
stances in electrical and electronic equipment.

SPAN CPT7 Notices
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 13
REACH
SPAN CPT7 receivers are in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). The Candidate List of Substances of Very
High Concern (SVHC) published by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) is available at
https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table.
Ethernet Port
The Ethernet ports are Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) circuits only and are suitable for
connection within a building only. Do not connect them to Telecommunications Network
Voltage (TNV) circuits.

SPAN CPT7 Notices
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 14
Lightning Protection Installation and Grounding Procedure
What is the hazard?
A lightning strike into the ground causes an increase in the earth's potential which results in a
high voltage potential between the center conductor and shield of the coaxial cable. This high
voltage develops because the voltage surge induced onto the center conductor lags in time
behind the voltage surge induced onto the shield.
Hazard Impact
A lightning strike causes the ground potential in the area to rise to dangerous levels resulting in
harm to personnel or destruction of electronic equipment in an unprotected environment. It also
conducts a portion of the strike energy down the inner conductor of the coaxial cable to the con-
nected equipment.
Only qualified personnel, such as electricians mandated by the governing body in the
country of installation, may install lightning protection devices.
Actions to Mitigate Lightning Hazards
1. Do not install antennas or antenna coaxial cables outside the building during a lightning
storm.
2. It is not possible to avoid over voltages caused by lightning, but a lightning protection device
may be used to shunt a large portion of the transient energy to the building ground, reducing
the over voltage condition as quickly as possible.
3. Primary lightning protection must be provided by the operator/customer according to local
building codes as part of the extra building installation.
4. To ensure safe operation, a secondary lightning protection device must be used for in-build-
ing equipment installations with external antennas. The following device has been approved
by NovAtel Inc.:
Polyphaser - Surge Arrestor DGXZ+36NFNF-A
If this device is not chosen as the primary lightning protection device, the device chosen
must:
lBe UL listed (or equivalent) in the country of installation for lightning surge protection
lThe primary device must be capable of limiting an incoming surge to 10 kV
5. The shield of the coaxial cable entering the building should be connected at a grounding plate
at the building's entrance. The lightning protection devices should have their chassis groun-
ded to the same ground near to the building's entrance.
6. The primary and secondary lightning protections should be as close to the building's entrance
as possible. Where feasible, mount onto the grounding plate itself (refer to the figure
below).

SPAN CPT7 Notices
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 15
Ref# Description
1 Primary lightning protection device
2 Secondary lightning protection device
3 External antenna
4 GNSS Receiver
5 To ground
6 Grounding plate or grounding point at the building’s entrance
Acceptable choices for earth grounds, for central buildings, are:
lGrounded interior metal cold water pipe within five feet (1.5 m) of the point where it
enters the building
lGrounded metallic service raceway
lGrounded electrical service equipment enclosure
lEight-foot grounding rod driven into the ground (only if bonded to the central build-
ing ground by #6, or heavier, bonding wire)
These installation instructions are the minimum requirements for receiver and antenna installations.
Where applicable, follow the electrical codes for the country of installation. Examples of country
codes include:
lUSA National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
lCanada Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1)
lUK British Standard (BS7671)

SPAN CPT7 Notices
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 16
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
Information that supplements or clarifies text.
A caution that actions, operation or configuration may lead to incorrect or improper use
of the hardware.
A warning that actions, operation or configuration may result in regulatory non-
compliance, safety issues or equipment damage.

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 17
Customer Support
NovAtel Knowledge Base
If you have a technical issue, visit the NovAtel Support page at www.novatel.com/support.
Through the Support page, you can contact Customer Support, find papers and tutorials or down-
load current manuals and the latest firmware.
Before Contacting Customer Support
Before contacting NovAtel Customer Support about a software problem, perform the following
steps:
If logging data over an RS-232 serial cable, ensure that the configured baud rate can sup-
port the data bandwidth (see SERIALCONFIG command). NovAtel recommends a min-
imum suggested baud rate of 230400 bps.
1. Log the following data to a file on your computer for 15 minutes:
RXSTATUSB onchanged
RAWEPHEMB onchanged
GLORAWEPHEMB onchanged
BESTPOSB ontime 1
RANGEB ontime 1
RXCONFIGA once
VERSIONA once
PORTSTATS ontime 10
For SPAN systems, add the following logs to the above list in the file created on your com-
puter:
RAWIMUSXB onnew
INSUPDATESTATUSB onnew
INSPVAXB ontime 1
INSCONFIGA once
2. Send the data file to NovAtel Customer Support: [e-mail]
3. You can also issue a FRESET command to the receiver to clear any unknown settings.
The FRESET command will erase all user settings. You should know your configuration
(by requesting the RXCONFIGA log) and be able to reconfigure the receiver before you
send the FRESET command.
If you are having a hardware problem, send a list of the troubleshooting steps taken and the res-
ults.
Contact Information
Log a support request with NovAtel Customer Support using one of the following methods:

Customer Support
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 18
Log a Case and Search Knowledge:
Website: www.novatel.com/support
Log a Case, Search Knowledge and View Your Case History: (login access required)
Web Portal: https://novatelsupport.force.com/community/login
E-mail:
[e-mail]
Telephone:
U.S. and Canada:1-800-NOVATEL (1-800-668-2835)
International:[phone]

SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 19
Chapter 1 SPAN CPT7 Overview
NovAtel's Synchronous Position, Attitude and Navigation (SPAN®) technology brings together
two very different but complementary positioning and navigation systems namely Global Nav-
igation Satellite System (GNSS) and an Inertial Navigation System (INS). By combining the best
aspects of GNSS and INS into one system, SPAN technology is able to offer a solution that is
more accurate and reliable than either GNSS or INS could provide alone. The combined
GNSS+INS solution has the advantage of the absolute accuracy available from GNSS and the
continuity of INS through traditionally difficult GNSS conditions.
NovAtel's SPAN CPT7 is a scalable, high precision GNSS+INS receiver in a lightweight, compact,
environmentally protective enclosure. The SPAN CPT7 provides the following features:
lMulti-frequency/Multi-constellation
l555 channel operation
lDual antenna inputs for single enclosure ALIGN heading solution
lSPAN GNSS+INS functionality
lTwo serial communication ports, 1 RS-422 and 1 RS-232
lOne USB communication port
lOne Ethernet communication port
lOne CAN bus port
l2 Event outputs
l2 Event inputs
lNovAtel CORRECT positioning (with PPP, RTK, SBAS and DGPS solutions)
lGLIDE and ALIGN positioning options
lEnhanced interference mitigation
Figure 1: SPAN CPT7 Receiver

Chapter 1 SPAN CPT7 Overview
SPAN CPT7 Installation and Operation User Manual v3A 20
SPAN CPT7 technical specifications are provided in SPAN CPT7 Technical Specifications on
page144.
1.1 Fundamentals of GNSS+INS
GNSS positioning observes range measurements from orbiting GNSS satellites. From these
observations, the receiver can compute position and velocity with high accuracy. NovAtel GNSS
positioning systems are highly accurate positioning tools. However, GNSS in general has some
restrictions which limit its usefulness in some situations. GNSS positioning requires line of sight
view to at least four satellites simultaneously. If these criteria are met, differential GNSS pos-
itioning can be accurate to within a few centimetres. If however, some or all of the satellite sig-
nals are blocked, the accuracy of the position reported by GNSS degrades substantially, or may
not be available at all.
In general, an INS uses forces and rotations measured by an IMU to calculate position, velocity
and attitude. This capability is embedded in the firmware of OEM7 receivers. Forces are meas-
ured by accelerometers in three perpendicular axes within the IMU and the gyros measure angu-
lar rotation rates around those axes. Over short periods of time, inertial navigation gives very
accurate acceleration, velocity and attitude output. The INS must have prior knowledge of its ini-
tial position, initial velocity, initial attitude, Earth rotation rate and gravity field. Since the IMU
measures changes in orientation and acceleration, the INS determines changes in position and
attitude, but initial values for these parameters must be provided from an external source. Once
these parameters are known, an INS is capable of providing an autonomous solution with no
external inputs. However, because of errors in the IMU measurements that accumulate over
time, an inertial-only solution degrades with time unless external updates such as position, velo-
city or attitude are supplied.
The SPAN system’s combined GNSS+INS solution integrates the raw inertial measurements
with all available GNSS information to provide the optimum solution possible in any situation. By
using the high accuracy GNSS solution, the IMU errors can be modeled and mitigated. Con-
versely, the continuity and relative accuracy of the INS solution enables faster GNSS signal reac-
quisition and RTK solution convergence.
The advantages of using SPAN technology are its ability to:
lProvide a full attitude solution (roll, pitch and azimuth)
lProvide continuous solution output (in situations when a GNSS-only solution is impossible)
lProvide faster signal reacquisition and RTK solution resolution (over stand-alone GNSS
because of the tightly integrated GNSS and INS filters)
lOutput high-rate (up to the IMU data rate depending on your logging selections) position,
velocity and attitude solutions for high-dynamic applications, see also Logging Restriction
Important Notice on page84
lUse raw phase observation data (to constrain INS solution drift even when too few satellites
are available for a full GNSS solution)
For more information about GNSS and INS, refer to www.novatel.com/an-introduction-
to-gnss/