Delivered-To: igs-rtwg@igscb.jpl.nasa.gov Message-ID: <6D9A63E05E7DD211A1AB0008C71E6F8A010D5C12@pegasus.ifag.de> From: georg.weber@bkg.bund.de To: igs-rtwg@igscb.jpl.nasa.gov Subject: [IGS-RTWG-3] REAL-TIME GNSS - Data Availability and Call for Participation Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 11:54:00 +0200 Sender: owner-igs-rtwg Precedence: bulk ****************************************************************************** IGS-RTWG Mail 13 May 02:54:22 PDT 2003 Message Number 3 ****************************************************************************** Author: Georg Weber & Carine Bruyninx Dear Colleagues, With the increased capacity of the Internet, applications that transfer continuous data streams by IP-packages, such as Internet Radio, have become well-established services. Compared to these applications, the bandwidth required for a real-time transmission of GNSS data is relatively small. Following previous activities (see IGSMAIL-3977), EUREF consequently decided in June 2002 to set up and maintain a real-time GNSS infrastructure on the Internet using a sub-set of stations of its European GPS/GLONASS Permanent Network EPN. Although today's primary objective is to disseminate RTCM corrections over the Internet for precise differential positioning and navigation purposes, various other applications are in sight. According to efforts as coordinated within the IGS Real-Time Working Group, weather prediction, ionospheric weather monitoring, earthquake and volcano monitoring, positioning of structures, timing and earth orientation may benefit from the availability of real-time GNSS raw data and from real-time or near real-time products computed from them. In view of the overall trend towards real-time, you are herewith invited to participate in the EUREF-IP pilot project and take the opportunity to retrieve real-time GNSS data from the Internet. Those who have some responsibility over continuously operated GNSS reference stations are requested to consider a station upgrade to real-time provider capability and/or to host a Broadcaster on the Internet. Detailed information on this Call for Participation can be downloaded from http://www.epncb.oma.be/projects/euref_IP/euref_IP.html. ACCESSING REAL-TIME GNSS DATA GNSS data streams are available through EUREF's Internet Broadcaster. This includes currently about 25 raw data streams, 20 RTK data streams, 25 DGPS data streams, and 15 DGPS Virtual Reference Station (VRS) data steams from various networks in Europe and the US. 12 Stations provide GPS and GLONASS data. The Broadcaster's Internet connection handles a maximum of 1000 users simultaneously. Some of the data streams are available for demonstration purposes and thus are accessible without authentication/authorization. For receiving protected data streams, the user needs a user-ID and a client password. Please use the EUREF-IP user registration form for requesting access. This form is available through http://www.epncb.oma.be/projects/euref_IP/NtripRegister.html. For receiving the real-time data you may use the GNSS Internet Radio available for MS Windows operating systems. This client program is designed to run on a PC or Laptop. It handles all communication through HTTP and transfers the received GNSS data to a serial or IP port supporting your networking software or DGPS/RTK application. CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Providing Real-Time Data The EUREF-IP current test network needs densification. Support is welcome from geodetic GNSS receivers continuously operated close to an Internet connection. During this pilot project, the following stations are accepted: - EPN stations part of the EUREF Permanent Network. - Non-EPN stations that are not yet included in the EPN, but are expected to join the EPN. - Stations outside Europe which would like to participate in view of upcoming IGS real-time activities. Any provider must guarantee up to 10 kbits/sec Internet bandwidth per stream in order to allow a continuous uninterrupted service. Feel free to download the necessary server software for Windows OS reading from a serial or IP Port. To become a stream provider, it is necessary to register through the EUREF-IP provider registration form available through http://www.epncb.oma.be/projects/euref_IP/NtripProvider.html. CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Hosting a Broadcaster The software for broadcasting GNSS data in real-time is written for Linux Operating Systems and will become available under GNU General Public License by mid of 2003. It allows a massive simultaneous user access. EUREF-IP is seeking for a limited number of institutions/agencies interested in hosting a Broadcaster. The aim is to set up a small well-distributed network satisfying real-time GNSS requirements in various regions. Please feel free to mail to euref-ip@bkg.bund.de for further information on the planned Broadcaster network and announce your interest. NTRIP: The Communication Technique The real-time GNSS data dissemination technique developed within the framework of EUREF is called 'Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol' (Ntrip). Ntrip stands for an HTTP application-level protocol streaming GNSS data over the Internet. It is designed for transmitting differential correction data (e.g in the RTCM-104 format) or other kinds of GNSS streaming data to stationary or mobile users over the Internet, allowing simultaneous PC, Laptop, PDA, or receiver connections to a broadcasting host. Ntrip supports wireless Internet access through Mobile IP Networks like GSM, GPRS, EDGE, or UMTS. Detailed information is available from http://igs.ifag.de/index_ntrip.htm. Georg Weber EUREF-IP Pilot Project, BKG, Frankfurt Carine Bruyninx EPN Central Bureau, ROB, Brussels