An experimental setup to investigate ion channeling in the hundreds MeV/u energy range is described. A short bent crystal, aligned to the incoming beam by an angular actuator, should deflect ions into a single plane pixel detector used to identify channeled and unchanneled particles. In order to enhance the footprint of channeling on the recorded signals, the incoming particle emittance is tailored on the crystalline plane acceptance by means of massive collimators. Numerical simulations of low energy carbon ions are performed with FLUKA to fully understand the measurement conditions demonstrate the feasibility of the test, to be performed in the experimental room of the National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy accelerator complex in Pavia, Italy.