Station Naming (FDSN)

Configure your sensors with FDSN-compliant station codes for compatibility with the global seismological community.

What is FDSN?

The Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) establishes standards for seismic data exchange. Using FDSN-compliant naming ensures your data is compatible with standard seismological tools and databases.

FDSN naming format

A complete FDSN identifier consists of:

Network.Station.Location.Channel

Example: GR.GRIL01.00.HNZ

Component	Length	Description
Network	1-2 chars	Network identifier
Station	1-5 chars	Station identifier
Location	2 chars	Location code
Channel	3 chars	Channel code

Network code

What it represents

The network code identifies the organization or network operating the sensor.

Guidelines

• 1-2 uppercase letters or digits
• Should be unique within the FDSN system
• Registered networks have official codes

Examples

Code	Network
US	US National Seismic Network
IU	Global Seismographic Network
GR	Example Grillo network

For Grillo users

• Use your organization's registered code if available
• Contact Grillo support for network code guidance
• Temporary codes may be assigned for testing

Station code

What it represents

The station code uniquely identifies a sensor within a network.

Guidelines

• 1-5 uppercase letters and digits
• Must be unique within the network
• Should be meaningful and memorable

Naming strategies

Geographic:

• "SFDT" - San Francisco Downtown
• "LAX01" - Los Angeles sensor 1

Organizational:

• "MAIN" - Main building
• "LAB3" - Laboratory 3

Sequential:

• "STA01", "STA02", etc.
• "GRL001", "GRL002", etc.

Best practices

• Keep codes short but meaningful
• Use consistent patterns across your network
• Document your naming scheme
• Avoid confusing characters (O/0, I/1/l)

Location code

What it represents

The location code differentiates multiple sensors at the same site or sensors with different configurations.

Guidelines

• Exactly 2 characters
• Usually digits (00, 01, 02)
• Can be letters for specific purposes

Common values

Code	Meaning
00	Primary/default location
01	Secondary location
10	Different instrument
--	Empty/unspecified

When to use different location codes

• Multiple sensors at the same site
• Different sensor configurations
• Different data processing chains

Channel codes

What they represent

Channel codes describe the type of data being recorded.

Format

3 characters: Band + Instrument + Orientation

Position	Meaning
1st	Band code (sample rate)
2nd	Instrument code
3rd	Orientation

Common Grillo channels

Channel	Description
HNZ	High-rate accelerometer, vertical
HNE	High-rate accelerometer, east
HNN	High-rate accelerometer, north
BHZ	Broadband, vertical

Band codes

Code	Sample rate
H	High (80-250 Hz)
B	Broadband (10-80 Hz)
L	Low (1 Hz)

Instrument codes

Code	Instrument type
N	Accelerometer
H	High-gain seismometer

Orientation codes

Code	Direction
Z	Vertical (up)
N	North
E	East

Configuring station codes

In the dashboard

1. Open sensor configuration
2. Find "Station Identification" section
3. Enter:
   • Network code
   • Station code
   • Location code
4. Save changes

Example configuration

Network: GR
Station: GRIL01
Location: 00

Results in channel identifiers like:

• GR.GRIL01.00.HNZ
• GR.GRIL01.00.HNE
• GR.GRIL01.00.HNN

Validation rules

The dashboard validates station codes:

Rule	Example valid	Example invalid
Network 1-2 chars	GR, US	GRILLO
Station 1-5 chars	STA01	STATION01
Location 2 chars	00, AB	0, 000
Uppercase only	ABC123	abc123

Changing station codes

Considerations

• Changing codes affects data continuity
• Historical data retains old codes
• Update documentation when changing
• Notify data users of changes

Process

1. Document the reason for change
2. Update configuration in dashboard
3. Verify change propagated to sensor
4. Update any external references

Resources

• FDSN website
• FDSN station naming conventions
• StationXML documentation

Next steps

• Configure location information
• Complete sensor configuration