RINEX2

Receiver Independent Exchange format

The Receiver Independent Exchange format (RINEX) supports the exchange of key GNSS information for PNT such as broadcast ephemerides, code, carrier-phase and doppler measurements, signal-to-noise ratio, observation time and station meteorological data. This information is delivered in three ASCII file types, namely Observation Data File, Navigation Message File and Meteorological Data File. Since its initial definition, the RINEX format has evolved and improved alongside the evolution of GNSS. For instance, the last RINEX 4 version radically modernises the Navigation Message, breaking RINEX 3 backwards compatibility. Starting with RINEX 4, all RINEX file types also support FAIR data usage (Finding, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable ) through optional headers. RINEX 4 Navigation Message Files include system data messages such as ionospheric corrections, earth orientation parameters and system time offsets. RINEX 4 also provide Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) for data citation.

As RINEX files are uncompressed ASCII files, to facilitate storage and transmission without sacrificing readability Yuki Hatanaka developed an algorithm to compact RINEX files into a human readable ASCII format. A Unix compressed Hatanaka compacted file can reach 39% of the size of the Unix compressed file.

At present, GSSC ingestion processes support RINEX 2, 3 and 4 versions (as well as the compressed and Hatanaka compacted versions) associated. with the following Resource Types ‘GNSS Observables’, ‘Broadcast Ephemerides,’ and ‘Meteorological Data’.

NB! Satellite and Station Clock Products are not GNSS Data but Products.