[IGSMAIL-5506]: Prepare your software for RINEX 2.11 with C2, and later, RINEX 3.00

[Angelyn W. Moore]

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IGS Electronic Mail      19 Dec 16:26:50 PST 2006      Message Number 5506
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Author: Angelyn Moore

   ** Summary **  Prepare for RINEX version 2.11 files (a minor revision)
   with C2 observables in IGS data centers no later than 1 Mar 2007.
   Be informed that RINEX 3.0 files (a major revision) may begin to appear
   in 2008.

Dear IGS Colleagues:

The IGS has been archiving data from receivers tracking the L2C signal on a test 
basis since Oct 2005 (see 
http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/mail/igsmail/2005/msg00158.html).  This data appears 
in RINEX v2.11 files as the C2 observable.  Up to now, RINEX 2.11 with C2 has 
only been allowed in the special l2ctest/ area of the CDDIS data center.

Beginning 1 Mar 2007, RINEX 2.11 files with the C2 observable will be permitted 
in all areas of IGS data centers.  You must, therefore, verify that your 
software either uses the C2 observable properly, or discards these records 
without crashing your programs.

The RINEX 2.11 specification is found at: 
http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/igscb/data/format/rinex211.txt
(modifications since v2.10 are listed in section 0.6).

Test data is available in, e.g.,
ftp://igs.ifag.de/EUREF/obs/2006/330/ganp3300.06d.Z

Please note that IGS analysis centers plan to discard records in which C2 but 
not P2 is available.  Most of the receivers taking part in the L2C test only 
record ONE of C2 or P2, but newer receivers that record C2 and P2 simultaneously 
are now beginning to appear in the network.

While you are verifying your software vs. RINEX 2.11, this is an excellent time 
to begin considering that a much more significant revision to RINEX 3.00 will 
accommodate Galileo records in the future.  You can find the current draft RINEX 
3.00 specification at http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/igscb/data/format/rinex300.pdf

The current prediction is that RINEX 3.00 files may begin to appear in 2008.

Best regards,
Angie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Angelyn W. Moore, Ph.D.            Deputy Director, IGS Central Bureau
  JPL/Caltech                               Angelyn.W.Moore at jpl.nasa.gov
  4800 Oak Grove Dr. MS 238-540                   voice: +1 818 354 5434
  Pasadena CA 91109 USA  http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov  fax: +1 818 393 6686