Some notes on RINEX

by Andrew Newman

Look at the The RINEX: Receiver Independent Exchange Format (v2.11) for complete details (v 2.11).

Some particulars:

  • Naming: (this is of great importance for codes to properly recognize data--note its not y2k compatable.)
       ssssdddf.yyt
       |   |  | | |
       |   |  | | +--  t:  file type:
       |   |  | |          O: Observation file
       |   |  | |          N: GPS Navigation file
       |   |  | |          M: Meteorological data file
       |   |  | |          G: GLONASS Navigation file
       |   |  | |          L: Future Galileo Navigation file
       |   |  | |          H: Geostationary GPS payload nav mess file
       |   |  | |          B: Geo SBAS broadcast data file
       |   |  | |                        (separate documentation)
       |   |  | |          C: Clock file (separate documentation)
       |   |  | |          S: Summary file (used e.g., by IGS, not a standard!)
       |   |  | |
       |   |  | +---  yy:  two-digit year
       |   |  |
       |   |  +-----   f:  file sequence number/character within day
       |   |               daily file: f = 0
       |   |               hourly files:
       |   |               f = a:  1st hour 00h-01h; f = b: 2nd hour 01h-02h; ...
       |   |               f = x: 24th hour 23h-24h
       |   |
       |   +-------  ddd:  day of the year of first record
       |
       +----------- ssss:  4-character station name designator
    
  • Often times data are stored in a compressed ASCII format called Hatanaka. This is done primarily by reporting the differential results between each signal between epochs. The compressed Hatanaka format for the observation file replaces 'o' with 'd'.
    File converters between the compressed and original obseravtion file are available.
    # to convert to Hatanaka
    % RNX2CRX nomi0310.12o  # this will create nomi0310.12d
    
    # to convert from Hatanaka
    % CRX2RNX nomi0310.12d  # this will create nomi0310.12o
    
    #  you can even go directly from the compressed .Z format
    % CRZ2RNX nomi0310.12d.Z  # this will create nomi0310.12o
    
  • Codes for signal types:
     +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     | System  Freq.Band  Frequency           RINEX 2-character Code             |
     |                              Ps.Range  Carr.Phase  Doppler  Sign.Strength |
     +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     | GPS     L1         1575.42     C1,P1       L1         D1         S1       |USA
     |         L2         1227.60     C2,P2       L2         D2         S2       |
     |         L5         1176.45      C5         L5         D5         S5       |
     |                                                                           |
     | Glonass G1         1602+k*9/16 C1,P1       L1         D1         S1       |Russia
     |         G2         1246+k*7/16 C2,P2       L2         D2         S2       |
     |                                                                           |
     | Galileo E2-L1-E1   1575.42      C1         L1         D1         S1       |EU
     |         E5a        1176.45      C5         L5         D5         S5       |
     |         E5b        1207.140     C7         L7         D7         S7       |
     |         E5a+b      1191.795     C8         L8         D8         S8       |
     |         E6         1278.75      C6         L6         D6         S6       |
     |                                                                           |
     | SBAS    L1         1575.42      C1         L1         D1         S1       |China
     |         L5         1176.45      C5         L5         D5         S5       |
     +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
     

    Above are the short-hand for the file-types. Note that L2 is only reported in terms of whole or half cycles (dependent on receiver).



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