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Select a Station dialog

This dialog appears if you add, or modify the properties of, a module that provides input of real-time station data, such as a GNSS Receiver or an NMEA Receiver module and edit the list of stations. Use it to select a station from the list of stations globally available in the Trimble 4D Control Server system. The dialog also lets you add new stations and view and edit the settings of existing stations.

Note - You must provide station information first, before you can add modules to the system which need known coordinate information.

List field

The dialog displays a list of all stations, for which currently information is available in the system. If a station lies outside a location bound (depending on license restrictions), a red bullet marks this station. The stations appear with their station name in alphabetical order. If you add a new station, it appears under the default name New Station, as long as you have not edited the Station name setting. You may remove a list item from here if it is no longer needed.

Add button

Adds a new item to the list. To define its properties use the settings on the right side of the dialog.

Remove button

Deletes the currently selected item(s) from the list.

Note - Stations which are currently used in a loaded configuration cannot be deleted. To delete such a station, first unload the respective module making use of the station.

Copy button (optional)

For adding items with similar information set the focus onto the item in the list to be used as template and click the Copy button, if available. This action adds a new item to the list whose properties are pre-filled with the same settings as the template. Change the settings that need to differ from the template.

Multiple selection

Multiple selections let you assign an identical value to all or several items. Use the Ctrl or Shift keyboard keys to select the items in the list field, edit the value that is to be applied to all selected points and click OK. The drop-down field above the Station Information category shows you how many stations are selected.

Station Properties

Station Information category

A station is identified by its Station ID (must be numeric, 0…1023), its Station code (up to 4 characters, alphanumeric) and its Station name (alphanumeric characters allowed). Its first 4 digits will be used for output files obeying the CORS naming convention. The known position and position changing rates of the station are collected in the Position category.

Position category

The settings at the Position category display the known coordinates (reference coordinates) of the station and more position information.

Positions are either shown as Cartesian X,Y,Z coordinates or as geographical latitude, longitude and height, all referring to the selected reference frame and the Tectonic plate setting. If the known reference station coordinates of your station refer to a reference frame different from the default one (that is, the reference frame specified in the system properties), first set the Apply default reference frame value to No, and then select the matching Reference frame. Due to tectonic motion independent of the tectonic plate (such as post-glacial uplift of the continental crust), the positions may change with a given velocity in each direction with respect to the known position determined at a specific date. The Velocity settings show the velocity of the movement in meters per year in each direction. Reference time gives the date to which the known positions (the values in X,Y,Z or in Latitude, Longitude, Height) refer (have been determined).

To change coordinates or the moving rates, set the focus on any of these values and click the browse button. This opens the Position of <Name> dialog. Use it also to change the coordinate system display format (Cartesian or geographical).

Observer category

Additional site information include the name of the agency (Agency) operating the station and the name of the operator in charge of the station (Observer). For new stations, the default values are derived from the corresponding values in the System Properties dialog.

Antenna Information category

The antenna properties available in the Antenna Information category vary depending on the selection for Antenna calibration. The default selection for Antenna calibration is Type calibrated. Trimble offers a broad selection of type calibrated antenna types from the most important manufacturers. Alternatively, if you have calibration information for individual antennas of one of the antenna types known to the system, select Individually calibrated, and then specify an ANTEX file containing the calibration information for this antenna. You need a separate ANTEX file for each individually calibrated antenna.

Tip - Using the automatic update feature you can use Trimble 4D Control Server to periodically check for updated antenna information (new manufacturers, antenna types, or antenna type calibrations) and to automatically download and distribute these updates.

For type calibrated antennas, specify the manufacturer and the antenna type name. The selections for both settings depend on an antenna information file, the antennas.xml file. Select the antenna manufacturer from the Manufacturer field, and then select an antenna type from the Name field. The selections offered there depend on the manufacturer chosen. Currently, the default antenna is the Trimble "TRM55971.00 NONE (Zephyr GNSS Geodetic II)".

To specify the individually calibrated antenna, use the ANTEX file name setting. By default, no file is specified. To change the setting, set the focus into the value field and click the browse button. A file selector dialog appears that lets you specify the name of the ANTEX (.atx) file and the folder where the .atx file resides. You can select a folder at any computer contributing to the Trimble 4D Control Server system. However, the stored path information does not include the Controller identification. Therefore, make sure that the selected path and file exist on the computer where the GNSS Receiver module is running, which represents the reference receiver at this station.

Note - Each user-generated ANTEX file must contain calibrations for one antenna only. To provide individual calibrations for other antennas (no matter, whether of the same type or of a different brand or type), create more ANTEX files.

Serial number: Specifies the serial number of the antenna, if available. Not mandatory. If the serial number is available in the individual ANTEX file, it automatically displays in the Serial number field.

Antenna height: Specifies the known height offset from the antenna ground point to the antenna reference point in meters.

Tip - With incoming receiver data containing antenna type or serial number information, the properties will be updated after acceptance of the pending change

Receiver Information category

The selections offered for the settings of this category depend on the content of the receivers.xml file. View and select the receiver manufacturer from the Manufacturer field, and then select a receiver type from the Name field. The selections offered in the Name field depend on the manufacturer chosen. Only for users with administrator rights, the Firmware property will be visible and editable with the current firmware version of the selected receiver. With incoming receiver data containing receiver information, the properties will be updated automatically (manufacturer and receiver type) or after acceptance of the pending change (firmware version).

Note - The Receiver information properties are accessible from the GNSS Receiver module-properties as well as from the global station list. The newest entry overwrites existing entries. Of course, this is also true for information received from the receiver itself or if you import information from an IGS site log file or an Excel worksheet.

RINEX Header Information category

The three settings of this group refer to the comments of the RINEX header. They are automatically filled, when importing station data files with matching information. The other way round, all Storage modules below any GNSS Receiver module using this station, by default, write the text provided here into the created RINEX files.

Tip - For a specific Storage module to write a different comment, specify it using this Storage module's property RINEX header.

Import menu

Two options start the automatic import of station data. Thus, you do not need to manually enter most of the station settings.

IGS Site Log Files: This option starts the automatic import of station data from data files of specified file format. The Browse For Folder dialog appears for the selection of IGS site log files for import.

Excel Worksheet: This option starts the automatic import of station data from from an Excel worksheet. A standard Windows file import dialog appears pre-set for the selection of Excel files for import. After you have selected the Excel file, the Excel Worksheet Import Configuration dialog appears that lets you select a worksheet from that Excel file and associates station properties with worksheet column headers.

Export menu

IGS Site Log Files starts the automatic export of all station data into data files of specified file format. The Browse For Folder dialog appears that lets you specify the location of the exported IGS site log files.

The Google Earth KML File command starts the automatic export of all station data into a KML data file. The Specify the KML File dialog appears that lets you specify the name and location of the exported Google Earth KML file.

The CSV File command starts the automatic export of all station data into a Comma Separated Values data file. The Export Station Information as CSV dialog appears that lets you specify the name and location of the export file.

See Also

Storage Properties - General Settings

Folder Browser dialog

Station Data Import dialog

Importing station data from IGS site logs

Position of <Name> dialog

Use of station data from IGS site logs

The receivers.xml file: Receiver brands and types

The antenna files

Using the automatic update feature for data files

Receiver and antenna information handling - accepting pending changes

Select a Base dialog

GNSS Receiver Properties dialog

Raw data analysis

Using the BINEX decoder (Trimble receivers)

Single Point Positioning