RINEX format

The data formats developed by various GPS receiver

manufactures are mostly binary. As these are not
directly readable, problem arises when combining date
from different GPS receivers. To overcome this, a data
exchange format known as the RINEX (Receiver
Independent Exchange) format (Standard ASCII format
i.e. readable text) is developed.
 RINEX developed by the Astronomical Institute of the
University of Berne to allow easy and universal
exchange of raw GPS data. A file in the ASCII format
provide more distribution flexibility but occupies more
space . The RINEX version 2.10 defines six different
RINEX files; each contains a header and data sections:
 RINEX format(conti..)

(1) Observation data file,

(2) Navigation message file,
(3) Meteorological file
(4) GLONASS navigation message file
(5) Geostationary satellites(GPS signal
payloads) data file,
(6) Satellites and receiver clock data file.
RINEX format(conti..)
 RINEX Observation Data Format

The observation file contains in its header

information such as the station name ,antenna
information , the approximate station
coordinates ,number and types of observation,
observation intervals in seconds, time of first
observation record, and other information .
The observation types are defined as L1 and
L2, and represent the phase measurements on
L1 and L2; C1 represents the Pseudo range
using C/A code on L1(m); D1 and D2 represent
the Doppler frequency on L1 and L2(Hz)
 RINEX Observation Data
Format(conti..)

The number and list of satellites, the various

types of measurement in the same sequence
as given in the header, and the signal
strength.
Other information, such as the loss of lock
indicator is also included in the data section.
The data section may optionally contain the
receiver clock offset in seconds
 SATELLITE NAVIGATION FILE

Navigation message includes the following

information:
1) GPS date and time
2) Satellite status and health
3) Satellite ephemeris data, which
allows the receiver to calculate the
satellite’s position.
4) Almanac, which contains
information and status for all GPS satellites.
SATELLITE NAVIGATION FILE(conti..)

The navigation message file contain the satellite

information. In its header, the navigation message
contains information such as the data of file
creation, the agency name , and other relevant
information .
Similar to the observation file , the last record of
the navigation file must be “END OF HEADER ” .
Optionally , the header section may contain
additional information such as the parameters of
the ionosphere model for single frequency users
and almanac parameters relating GPS time and
UTC and the leap seconds .
SATELLITE NAVIGATION FILE(conti..)

The first record in the data section contains

the satellite PRN number, the time tag, and
the satellite clock parameters (bias drift, and
drift rate). The subsequent records contain
information about broadcast orbit of the
satellite , the satellite health , the GPS week,
and other relevant information.
 GPS OBSERVABLES

The two basic GPS observables, which can be

used for determining user position, are code
and carrier phase measurements. Lower-
precision applications such as navigation use
pseudo-ranges. In geodetic surveying, carrier
phases are used as it allows high precision.
 CODE OBSERVABLES(conti..)

 Pseudo Random Noise (PRN) codes used by each GPS satellite

are unique and have the property that the correlation between
any pair of codes is very low. This important characteristic
allows all the satellites to share the same carrier frequency. The
PRN codes transmitted by a satellite are used to determine the
pseudo-range, a measure of the range, or distance between the
satellite antenna and the antenna feeding a GPS receiver.
 The receiver makes this measurement by replicating the code
being generated by the satellite and determining the time offset
between the arrival of a particular transition in the code and
that same transition in the code replica. The time offset is
simply the time that the signal takes to propagate from the
satellite to the receiver. By comparing the transmitted signal
and its replica, the receiver can compute the signal travel time
 MEASUREMENT OF PSEUDORANGE(Contd

where ∆bi is the satellite clock error, but is

the user clock bias error. Besides the clock
error, there are other factors affecting the
pseudo range measurement. The measured
pseudo range ρi can be written as

where ∆Di is the satellite position error

effect on range, ∆Ti is the tropospheric
delay error, ∆I i is the ionospheric delay
error, vi is the receiver measurement noise
error, ∆vi is the relativistic time correction.
 Carrier phase measurements

Measurement much more precise than code

measurement is phase of the carrier received from
a satellite.
The carrier phase measurements by a GPS
receiver, also called carrier beat.
The phase measurements is the difference
between the phases of receiver-generated carrier
signal and carrier received from a satellite at the
instant of the measurement.
As we will see this measurement as an indirect and
ambiguous measurements of the signal transit
time. We begin with basic definitions
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
Carrier phase measurements(conti.)
 Integer Ambiguity Resolution

Let us examine an idealized case of precise

positioning in one dimension. As shown in
Figure
We have two receivers with their antennas
denoted as A and B , both tracking the carrier
from a single satellite.
Actually , now we have to be more precise : d
is the distance between the phase centers of
the two antennas. Angle θ0 is known
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
 Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)

A plane wave front from the satellite , representing

points of constant carrier phase, reaches antenna
B
It takes several full cycles a partial cycle Δ0 for the
plane front to reach antenna A.
We have frozen the picture at the instant t when
we begin our measurements , choosing this instant
carefully to make the figure and this discussion
simpler.
Clearly , the difference between the carrier phase
measurements at the two antennas is a certain
number of whole cycles and partial cycle Δ0
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
Carrier phase and integer Ambiguity Resolution : A
Simple Model(conti.)
 Linear combination of GPS
observables

GPS measurements are corrupted by a number of

errors and biases, which are difficult to model fully.
 The unmodeled errors and biases limit the
positioning accuracy of the standalone GPS receiver.
Fortunately, GPS receivers in close proximity will
share to a high degree of similarity the same errors
and biases.
As such, for those receivers, a major part of the GPS
error budget can simply be removed by combining
their GPS observables. In principle, there are three
groups of GPS errors and biases: satellite-related,
receiver-related, and atmospheric errors and biases.
 Linear combination of GPS observables(conti)

The measurements of two GPS receivers simultaneously

tracking a particular satellite contain more or less the
same satellite-related errors and atmospheric errors.
The shorter the separation between the two receivers,
the more similar the errors and biases.
Therefore, if we take the difference between the
measurements collected at these two GPS receivers, the
satellite-related errors and the atmospheric errors will
be reduced significantly.
The satellite clock error is effectively removed with this
linear combination. This linear combination is known as
between (between two receivers) –receiver single
difference (Fig.1.)
Linear combination of GPS observables(conti)
 Linear combination of GPS observables(conti)

Similarly, the two measurements of a single receiver

tracking two satellites contain the same receiver
clock errors. Therefore, taking the difference
between these two measurements removes the
receiver clock errors. This difference is known as
between (between two satellites) satellite single
difference (Fig. 1)
When two receivers track two satellites
simultaneously, two between receiver single
difference observables could be formed. Subtracting
these two single difference observables from each
other generates the so-called double difference
 Cycle-Slips

Discontinuities in the integer ambiguity.

Cycle slips are more prone to happening: –
obstructions (e.g., operator stands near
antenna!)
– magnetic disturbance in ionosphere
– antenna undergoes significant acceleration
– receiver clock becomes unstable
 Cycle-Slips(conti)

– signal to noise is low (e.g., long antenna

cable, low elevation satellite).
If not accounted for – This consistutes a
blunder – Error estimates will be meaningless
unless sufficient confidence can be place in
removing cycle-slips
 GPS
POSITION ESTIMATION

BASIC EQUATIONS FOR FINDING USER

POSITION:
BASIC EQUATIONS FOR FINDING USER
POSITION(conti)
MEASUREMENT OF PSEUDORANGE
SOLUTION OF USER POSITION FROM
PSEUDORANGES
SOLUTION OF USER POSITION FROM
PSEUDORANGES
SOLUTION OF USER POSITION FROM
PSEUDORANGES(Contd)
POSITION SOLUTION WITH MORE THAN FOUR
SATELLITES
POSITION SOLUTION WITH MORE THAN FOUR
SATELLITES(Contd
POSITION SOLUTION WITH MORE THAN FOUR
SATELLITES(Contd)
Thank you