To use DIAG and PRV/A commands, users must subscribe to Location Service Plus (Auxiliary Location Processing) (see Chapter 3.2).

DIAG and PRV/A commands give users:

Locations
 
  • in classes 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B as well as sensor data, also available using the PRV and COM commands

Extra information
 
  • locations rejected during the calculation, called Class Z results,
  • the other possible location or "mirror image" solution: the Argos system calculates two locations for transmitters and supplies the more probable of the two via the COM and PRV commands. This is called Solution 1. DIAG and PRV/A also give users Solution 2 (which is an exact copy of Solution 1),
  • residual error on the frequency calculation, and transmitter oscillator frequency drift between two satellite passes. These two diagnostic indicators produce an indicator called IQ,
  • transmission frequency,
  • the best signal strength received by the satellite,
  • the number of messages received by the satellite.

 

DIAG

DIAG gives you the most significant message received during each satellite pass (message received from your transmitter the most times, consecutively, in identical form) for the previous nine days and the current day. This command allows users to sort by date and time. The extra information (see above) appears in the last four lines of the results.

Unlike PRV/A, DIAG tells users how many location plausibility checks (0-4) gave a positive result. This is called NOPC, or Number Of Plausibility Checks. If NOPC is equal to 4, Solution 1 will be available with COM and PRV commands. DIAG also gives users the satellite pass duration in seconds. DIAG results are displayed in a specific format.

 

PRV/A

The PRV/A command allows users to consult results from the previous nine days and the current day from one or more platforms, as well as the extra information listed in the table above. Users can sort by date and time.

6.3.6.1 DIAG command

Locations and sensor data + Transmitter diagnostic information

DIAG/C, #prg, start date/time-end date/time, #ptf

/C

Optional:

For compressed results (only one space between fields)

#prg (Program #)

Optional:

Mandatory in order to access results from one program only.

start date/time-end date/time

Optional:

Sets a time frame for results. Start date and end date, separated by a dash, each date can be followed by a slash (/) and a time

#ptf

Choose between:

  • Argos platform ID number -or-
  • ALL, to access data from all platforms in a program, -or-
  • a series of platforms from the same program, separated by a dash, -or- 
  • list of platforms in the same program, separated by a comma
 

Examples: 

DIAG,3,,ALL (DIAG for all platforms in program 3 for the current day)
DIAG,,51,ALL (DIAG if today is calendar day 60 and the user wishes to get data from the past 9 days for all of the platforms in their account)
DIAG,,61/12-61/14,111 (DIAG data for platform #111 in program 3, received on calendar day 61 between 12:00-14:00 UTC).

Example of DIAG command

Interpreting DIAG results
For the time frame in the example, 2 satellite passes occurred. Here are the details concerning the first satellite pass:

Prog 00001

Program number

00001

Platform number

Date : 01.03.07

Location date

13:15:00

UTC Time (Hours, Minutes, Seconds) for the location

LC : 3

Location class: 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B, Z (see Chapter 3.4)

IQ : 68

IQ = Quality indicator. This indicator gives information on the transmitter in terms of X and Y. 

  •  X indicates residual error on the frequency calculation (see table of X, Y values). Here, X = 6

  •  Y indicates transmitter oscillator frequency drift between two satellite passes. Here, Y =8

See Section 6.3.6.3 for X,Y values

Lat1:43.549N

Solution 1. Platform latitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

Lon1:1.485E

Solution 1. Platform longitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

Lat2:41.979N

Solution 2. Platform latitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

Lon2 6.356W

Solution 2. Platform longitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

Nb mes : 025

Number of messages received

Nb mes>-120 dB: 015

Number of messages received by the satellite at a signal strength greater than -120 decibels

Best level : -113 dB

Best signal strength, units are dB

Pass duration : 900s

Time elapsed between the first and last message received by the satellite

NOPC = 4

Number Of Plausibility Checks successful (from 0-4)

Calcul Freq : 401 650000.3

Calculated frequency

Altitude : 213 m

Altitude used for location calculation

60

Value of sensor n° 1

13

Value of sensor n° 2

22

Value of sensor n° 3

00

Value of sensor n° 4

6.3.6.2 PRV/A Command

Locations and sensor data + transmitter diagnostic information

PRV/A/C, #prg, DS or TX, start date/time-end date/time, #ptf

/C

Optional:

For compressed results (only one space between fields)

#prg (Program #)

Optional:

Mandatory in order to access results from one program only.

DS, TX,

Choose between:

DS, For all messages received during a satellite pass

TX, For the most significant message per sat pass

start date/time-end date/time

Optional:

Sets a time frame for results. Start date and end date, separated by a dash, each date can be followed by a slash (/) and a time

#ptf

Choose between:

  • Argos platform ID number -or-

  • ALL, to access data from all platforms in a program, -or-

  • a series of platforms from the same program, separated by a dash, -or- 

  • list of platforms in the same program, separated by a comma

 

Interpreting PRV/A results

Examples: PRV/A, 3, DS, 60/13-60/14, 111 (PRV/A,,DS for platform 111 in program 3 for calendar day 60 between 13:00 and 14:00 UTC).

prv_a_ds.png

Interpreting PRV/A results

00003

Program number

00111

Platform number

6

Number of lines

4

Number of sensors

N

Satellite name, in this case, NOAA-N

3

Location class : 3, 2, 1, 0, A, B, Z (see location class table, Chapter 3.4)

2007-03-01

Location date

12:54:02

Location time

-25.888

Solution 1. Platform latitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

27.708

Solution 1. Platform longitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees

1.561

Altitude (in km)

401650009

Frequency

2007-03-01

Date of the last data collection

13:01:06

Time of data collection

26

Number of identical messages received

00

Value for sensor n° 1

55

Value for sensor n° 2

AA

Value for sensor n° 3

FF

Value for sensor n° 4

026 msgs

Number of messages received by the satellite

019>-120 dB

Number of messages received by the satellite with a signal strength greater than -120 decibels

Best: -112 dB

Best signal strength, Units are dB

Freq: 650008.6

Calculated frequency 401 650008.6 Hz

IQ : 68

IQ = Quality indicator. This indicator gives information on the transmitter in terms of X and Y.

  • X indicates residual error on the frequency calculation (see table of X, Y values, Section 6.3.6.3). Here, X = 6

  • Y indicates transmitter oscillator frequency drift between two satellite passes. Here, Y =8

Lat 1: 25.888S

Solution 1. Platform latitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees 

Lon 1: 27.708E

Solution 1. Platform longitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees 

Lat 2: 30.940S

Solution 2. Platform latitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees 

Lon 2: 4.489E

Solution 2. Platform longitude in degrees and thousandths of degrees 

6.3.6.3 Interpreting diagnostic information in DIAG and PRV/A results

The IQ transmission diagnostic indicators appear in the form XY. The meanings are:

X = 0   

No calculation of residual frequency error (fewer than four messages received)

X = 1, 2, 3

Unsatisfactory convergence of calculation

X = 4

Residual frequency error > 1.5 Hz

X = 5

0.15 Hz < residual frequency error < 1.5 Hz

X = 6

Residual frequency error < 0.15 Hz

Y = 0

No check on transmit frequency drift, as the two results are more than 12 hours apart.

Y = 1   

Frequency discrepancy > 400 Hz
Probably due to transmit frequency discrepancy, change of oscillator, etc.    

Y = 2

Previous location is less than 1/2 hour old.
Frequency discrepancy > 30 Hz, i.e. F/F (over 10 min) >2.5 E-8

Y = 3

Frequency drift > 4 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) > 1.10-7

Y = 4

Frequency drift < 4 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) < 1.10-7

Y = 5

Frequency drift < 2 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) < 5.10-8

Y = 6

Frequency drift < 1 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) < 2.5 . 10-8

Y = 7

Frequency drift < 0.4 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) < 1.10-8

Y = 8

Frequency drift < 0.2 Hz/minute, i.e. F/F (10 min) < 5.10-9