Analyzing Rinex Data Files Using The Python Programming
Analyzing Rinex Data Files Using The Python Programming
a
Politehnica University Timisoara, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Overland Communication Ways, Foundations and
Cadastral Survey, 2 Traian Lalescu Street, Romania; E-mails: * alina.bala@upt.ro, floarea.brebu@upt.ro
b
Politehnica University Timisoara, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Communications
Department, 2 Bd. Vasile Pârvan, Romania; E-mail: bogdan.dragulescu@upt.ro
DOI: 10.2478/jaes-2024-0021
ABSTRACT:
The techniques and tools developed for geodetic determinations have made it possible, over the past half century, to carry out
measurements using global navigation satellite systems. As the accuracy and precision of positioning solutions, such as Fast Static
and RTK, improve through technological advances, more applications will become available that can provide users with positioning
information over time, autonomously verify the integrity of transmitted data, and ensure sufficient accuracy for their intended
purposes. In our study for the interpretation, analysis, and visualization of raw and/or processed RINEX GNSS data recorded over
time at a geodetic point using the information available from the Fast Static technique, we used the GeoRinex library from the
Python programming language. This library converts data to xarray.data set, for easy use in processing parameter sets, from Rinex
files: of ROMPOS reference stations and of the new B10 point resulting from measurements using the Fast Static technique:
pseudorange (C1, C2, P1, P2....), carrier phase (L1, L2,…), doppler (D1, D2....) and signal strength (S1, S2....). All this information
will help us to analyse and interpret the degradation of the parameters associated with Rinex version 2.11 epoch positioning files
12.02.2023, time interval 12:00-14:00 (fast static) and to understand their accuracy and behavior in different environments. Based on
this study, our aim was to evaluate the error in determining the positioning accuracy of the B10 point located in a crowded and
heavily trafficked area, which allows sufficient coverage of the GNSS satellites.
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2. BACKGROUND
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From these references described above, Ian Lauer presents in All this information will help us to evaluate the error in
his article the advantages and disadvantages of two techniques, determining the positioning accuracy of points located in dense
RTK and Rapid Static (Lauer, 2018). The data is described in and heavily trafficked urban areas, allowing sufficient coverage
Table 2. of GNSS satellites using the two GNSS measurement
techniques.
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3. MATERIALS AND METHODS The GNSS equipment used to perform the 12.02.2023
positioning epoch phase (RTK and Fast Static measurements)
For our research, we chose a geodetic point in Timisoara and data recording is a Trimble R10 dual-frequency (L1, L2)
municipality (latitude: 45.7445892, longitude: 21.23011121) 492-band GNSS receiver (Table 3). The data was converted to
materialized on Victor Babeș street (Figure 5), located in a Rinex 2.1 version (Pestana 2015). Following the conversion of a
dense area with heavy traffic, which allows sufficient coverage Rinex 2.1 file at geodetic point B10 with the Convert to Rinex
of GNSS satellites. Fast static and RTK measurements were programme, we wanted to have the same type of Rinex files
carried out at this point on 12.02.2023, during the time interval from the three ROMPOS reference stations (ARAD, FAGE, and
1200-1400. RESI) to use the same parameters (C1, C2, L1, L2, P1, P2, S1,
S2) for post-processing (Table 3).
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Most geodetic processing software for GNSS data use a well- 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
defined set of observables (Pestana 2015):
The carrier-phase measurement at one or both The post-processing of the GNSS data from the positioning
carriers (being a measurement on the beat frequency epoch 12.02.2023 time interval 1200-1400 resulted in the
between the received carrier of the satellite signal and following three-dimensional coordinates of point B10 obtained
a receiver-generated reference frequency). using the two techniques Fast Static and RTK (Table 5).
The pseudorange (code) measurement is equivalent
to the difference between the time of reception Test X (m) Y (m) Z (m)
(expressed in the time frame of the receiver) and the Fast Static 478571.094 206866.223 87.718
time of transmission (expressed in the time frame of RTK 478570.917 206866.596 87.650
the satellite) of a distinct satellite signal.
The observation time being the reading of the Table 5. Three-dimensional coordinates of geodetic point B10
receiver clock at the instant of validity of the carrier on 12.02.2023
phase and/or the code measurements.
After post-processing, it can be seen from Figure 8 that we have
Usually, the software assumes that the observation time is valid a horizontal deviation of 0.023m on the B10-Resi vector. To
for both the phase and code measurements, and for all observed understand what happened to the parameters in the Rinex files
satellites. Consequently, all these programmes do not need most during the fast static measurement, we will run the algorithm
of the information that is usually stored by the receivers. They using the GeoRinex library, the following steps:
need phase, code, and time in the above-mentioned definitions, installing the GeoRinex library for Python 3
and some station-related information like station name, antenna https://pypi.org/project/georinex/
height, etc. Collection of data from Rinex files according to
positioning epochs from 12.02.2023 in the interval 12:00-14:00
It is necessary to select the most representative group of (Table 3 and Table 4). These data should include the time
stations, providing GNSS observations of the best quality, that ("time"), parameters C1, C2, L1, L2, P1, P2, S1, S2 for each of
is, considering factors, such as the number of observations and the common satellites.
the measured signal-to-noise ratio (Gałdyn, Zajdel, and Sośnica Visualizing all the parameters (C1, C2, L1, L2, P1,
2023). P2, S1, S2) from Rinex data for each reference station in the
ROMPOS network (ARAD, FAGE, and RESI) and geodetic
To use the GeoRinex library in Python, GNSS data files point B10 using the common satellites for each satellite system
containing actual measurements. These data are raw Rinex file GPS and GLONASS as follows:
formats (Table 3 and Tabel 4) from registered reference stations GPS satellite system: G06, G11, G12, G24, G25,
and satellites common to the geodetic point (Table 3 and Tabel G29; G32 (figure 9 and figure 10) parameters
4) from the positioning epoch 12.02.2023 as time interval 12 00- Pseudorange C1, C2, P1, P2
1400.
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a
d c
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GPS satellite system: G06, G11, G12, G24, G25, GPS satellite system: G06, G11, G12, G24, G25,
G29; G32 (Figure 11) parameters Carrier Phase L1, G29; G32 (Figure 12) parameters Signal Strength S1,
L2 S2
a a
b
b
c
c
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a
b b
d
d
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GLONASS satellite system: R01, R11, R21 (Figure GLONASS satellite system: G06, G11, G12, G24,
15) parameters Carrier phase L1, L2 G25, G29; G32 (Figure 16) parameters Signal
Strength S1, S2
a
a
b
b
c
Figure 16. View parameters signal strenght S1, S2 for
GLONASS satellite system from Rinex file of: (a) ARAD
station reference; (b) FAGE station reference and (c) RESI
station reference
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