Serial User Protocol Coded with a Unique Beacon Serial
Number -
EPIRB Serial Number (bits 44 to 63)
Administrations are responsible for ensuring that each beacon
is coded in accordance with their own and Cospas-Sarsat requirements
and has a unique 15 hexadecimal identification (bits 26 - 85). The serial
number (bits 44 - 63) to be used in coding an EPIRB with this implementation
of the Serial User Protocol may be directly assigned by the competent
administration. Alternatively, the number can be assigned by the beacon
manufacturer in accordance with the specific requirements adopted by
the administration for controlling the allocation of serial numbers
(e.g. the series of sequential numbers allocated to each manufacturer
model approved by the administration)*.
If no allocation scheme has been defined by an administration,
a unique identification can be achieved for a particular country code,
by:
- setting bit 43 to "1",
- including the beacon's Cospas-Sarsat type approval certificate number
in bits 74 - 83, and
- including the manufacturer unique beacon serial number in bits 44
- 63, in accordance with the coding provisions described in Cospas-Sarsat
document C/S T.001 (Note: if this approach is adopted, the manufacturer
must ensure that each beacon (of the type identified by the Cospas-Sarsat
certificate number) has a different serial number).
*Note: Even when bit 43 is set to "1",
it still remains the responsibility of the relevent administration to
decide policy regarding whether the serial number coded in bits 44 -
63 should be allocated by the administration or by the manufacturer.
To minimise the possibility of a duplication of serial numbers it is
recommended that individual competent administrations provide a single
policy on this issue (e.g. EITHER
require the manufacturer to allocate the serial number for beacons coded
with the administration's country code, OR
require the administration to allocate the serial number directly).
Administrations should not allow both these policies to exist at the
same time.
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