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RINEX File Comparison ( -fdiff )

The comparison of single-site RINEX files of the same time interval and files from different sources (e.g. real-time data, data from different rinex-converters, ...) are often not possible easily. gfzrnx offers a possibility to compare two input files of the same format (major version id.) via the -fdiff command line parameter. NOTE, different observation types orders in the input files are allowed!

gfzrnx -fdiff -finp <rinex_file_1> <rinex_file_2>

The output is RINEX-3-like, contains only the data epochs and data records, where both files differ in the data records. Internal or data headers are ignored.

  • If per epoch, an observation type exists in both files. Its numerical difference (file1-file2) is shown.

  • If per epoch an observation type is missing in one of the input files, the original data value of the corresponding input file is shown (merged).

  • For the LLI and SSI values, absolute differences are always reported.

gfzrnx -fdiff -finp pots0140.16o_1 pots0140.16o_2 -fout pots0140.16o_diff

In the header, you can find the observation types order and the PRN-statistics of detected differences.

     3.00           DATA COMPARISON                         RINEX VERSION / TYPE
------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
pots0140.16o_1                                              FILE_1
pots0140.16o_2                                              FILE_2
------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
...
G    4 C1C L1  L2  C2W                                      SYS / # / OBS TYPES 
R    4 C1C L1  L2  C2P                                      SYS / # / OBS TYPES 
    20                                                      # OF SATELLITES     
   G02     2     1           1                              PRN / # OF OBS      
   G03     2     1     1     1                              PRN / # OF OBS      
   G06     2     1     1     1                              PRN / # OF OBS
...

The data or differences part will look like the following example:

> 2016 01 14 11 00 00.0000000  0  2
G02              1
G03              1
> 2016 01 14 11 00 01.0000000  0  2
G02         0.052           0.098                           0.012
G19  19699748.072   105380370.084    81962499.868    19699744.832
> 2016 01 14 11 00 02.0000000  0 19
G03  22232325.432   116831670.250    91037637.373    22232315.592
G06  23394480.604   122938818.380    95796470.667    23394477.044
...
G31  23924131.742   125722160.848    97965321.818    23924126.722
> 2016 01 14 11 00 02.0000000  0 19
...

  • In the first epoch, the data of two PRNs differ by 1 in the LLI (loss of lock indicator) value for the C1C observation type.

  • In the second epoch, the PRN G02 differs (file1-file2) by the given values for the observation types C1C, L1, C2W. The PRN G19 seems to be fully missing in one of the files, or you see a merged record, where an observation type is missing either in the first or the second file.

  • The third epoch seems to be fully missing in one of the files, or you see a merged record, where a full PRN or an observation type is missing either in the first or the second file.