The release of the Version 5.0 of the Bernese GPS Software has been launched in
May 2004. In the meantime, a lot of model updates, processing improvements and
other developments have been realized in our currently running
version of the Bernese GNSS Software.
Even if we have numerous development projects for the software (see, e.g., Meindl et al., 2006 or Dach et al., 2008) still not closed
we think that it is time to share the current status of the software development
with you:
We decided to prepare our currently running version as a new version 5.2 for the user community.
The following presentation by Dach and the Bernese GNSS Software development team, 2010 is the official announcement of this new version.
In order to indicate the extension to other GNSS than just GPS we decided to replace "GPS" by "GNSS" in the name. Starting with version 5.2 the software will be named
The list below is not complete, it contains only a selection of the most important improvements of version 5.2 with respect to version 5.0. Numerous improvements have already been published as patches for version 5.0. Only additional improvements are listed below:
New processing capabilities:
- FODITS: Find Outliers and Discontinuities in Time Series
a new program of Bernese GNSS Software (see, e.g., Ostini et al., 2009) - GLONASS ambiguity resolution
- GLONASS clock estimation (including PPP)
- GNSS-specific receiver antenna corrections
- 1/4-cycle shift for L2C is considered in ambiguity resolution
- improved support for satellite-wise antenna offset/pattern estimation
- flexible multi-year GNSS-satellite antenna offset/pattern estimation
- update a priori values for satellite antenna parameters in ADDNEQ2
- receiver antenna parameters are supported in ADDNEQ2 (also GNSS-specific)
- support of individually calibrated receiver antennas including the corresponding check of the RINEX header information
- optional exclusion in RXOBV3 and ADDNEQ2 of stations due to equipment changes
- improved philosophy for station and observation exclusions in ADDNEQ2 and RXOBV3
- stochastic pulses may be estimated when fitting orbits in ORBGEN
- accelerations due to solid Earth tides are considered for orbit integration in ORBGEN
- arc spilt definition with system dependent limit definitions
- flexible observation sampling, in particular for epoch parameters in GPSEST
- clock RINEX files may be introduced in GPSEST as a priori (receiver) clock
- interpolation of the a priori clock from given input file values
- improved constraining of zero- and single-difference reference ambiguities
- acceleration parameter for LEO orbit determination
- automated adaption of pre-processing options in MAUPRP according to the baseline length
- detect "cycle slips" at every epoch during a certain interval
- handle receiver clock events in RNXSMT
- solve for Helmert-parameters when combining solutions in ADDNEQ2
- improved SINEX import capabilities
- exclude specific receiver types when selecting baselines
- dual frequency use for Galileo, SBAS, Compass, and QZSS is prepared (not tested yet for all systems because of lack of data)
- SLR-range measurements can be processed for LAGEOS on an experimental stage
(Bernese GNSS Software has passed the ILRS benchmark test).
Observation and processing models:
- troposphere: GMF/GPT and VMF1
Mendes-Pavlis for SLR - ionosphere: HOI (2nd, 3rd order and ray bending) including scaling factors
- geophysical deformation models can be introduced as grids and validated by estimating scaling factors
- mean pole handling according to IERS2010 standards
- interpolation of ocean tidal loading to 342 constituents (HARDISP) according to IERS2010 conventions
- S1/S2 tidal corrections
- center of mass corrections for ocean and atmospheric tidal loading
- DE405 ephemeris series for planets in ORBGEN
Improvements in output/results files:
- print the full station name in the repeatability section of ADDNEQ2
- report intervals with connected phase measurements for each GNSS in GPSEST
- extraction for clock estimation results and Allan deviation in GPSXTR
- PLT-file for coordinate repeatability with covariance information in space from ADDNEQ2
- report repeatability for all parameter types in a separate result file in ADDNEQ2
- list pre-eliminated parameters due to station problems
- detect the first epoch with an outlier problem in CODXTR, helpful for detection of the epoch for a repositioning event
Technical improvements:
- use Makefile to compile the Fortran source code
- executables and libraries from different compilers may be hold in parallel
- dynamic memory allocation for the most important variables in GPSEST
- reduce memory consumption and speed up parameter pre-elimination in ADDNEQ2
- compute no solution in GPSEST and ADDNEQ2, just generate a resulting NQ0 file
- break the limitation of a scratch file in GPSEST for high-rate data by splitting the file
- increase formats in different output files to consider more measurements, satellites, and systems
- CPU consumption statistics for each program run and for the BPE
- all variables are explicitly defined now (no IMPLICIT NONE statements anymore)
- all routines are defined as modules now for a strict check of the parameter lists
Menu/BPE related improvements:
- based now on QT4
- memory optimized reporting of BPE status
- reprocessing mode: automatically create campaigns for each session in case of a multi-session BPE
- flexible suspension of PCFs to optimize the usage of computer resources
- continue the BPE in case of an error in specifically indicated scripts
- accept a certain number of erroneous sessions in case of a multi-session BPE
- force to keep menu variables when storing the input file (e.g., when changing general options)
- show UNIX process IDs for BPE server and clients
- show defined PARAM1..PARAM9 with their values in BPE client protocol file
- reconnect BPE client if the TCP/IP connection to the server was lost
- "remote mode" for slow data connections
Planned updates of the processing examples
From the user feedback we have seen that the processing example BPEs were highly appreciated. We plan to add examples for LEO-processing and SLR-analysis.By analyzing support requests from the user on the processing examples we have decided to provide the following improvements for the example BPEs:
- update the existing three examples to the latest models
- add more ambiguity resolution strategies
- prepare for a bigger number of stations
- include an hourly processing scheme
- allow for a re-processing scheme
New file types:
- grid files for VMF1 and geophysical models
- atmospheric tidal loading corrections (extracted from a grid by a program)
- solid Earth tide model for ORBGEN (as done for ocean tides in Version 5.0)
- event list file, Earthquake file (used by FODITS)
- SLR corrections
Files with new formats, converter needed:
- station information/problem file (conversion program STA2STA)
- antenna phase center correction file (ATX2PCV generates the new format)
- satellite information file (download the new version)
File with new formats, old format still readable:
- normal equation (NQ0)
- standard orbit (STD,RPR)
- observation files (PZH,CZH,PSH,CSH,RZH for SLR)
- DCB-file may contain new types
File types not supported anymore:
- file formats prior version 5.0: NEQ, STN, HTR, TRN, etc.
- ELE-file from version 5.0 cannot be integrated with version 5.2
Milestones to prepare version 5.2 for delivery (initial plan):
| 1. | finish the software developments | Feb. 2011 |
| 2. | review and update all program input files and the corresponding help files | Apr. 2011 |
| 3. | update and extent the processing examples | Jul. 2011 |
| 4. | update and review all readme files | Aug. 2011 |
| 5. | develop the installation procedure | Aug. 2011 |
| 6. | test the installation and the software at different platforms | Nov. 2011 |
(The user manual will be updated later.)
As you may have noticed the inital schedule listed above was too optimistic. We are still working on the release of the version 5.2 with the highest priority. We hope that we will not run into further delays when testing the software in the different compiler/platform environments. We expect to be ready for the delivery of the version not later than in Summer 2012.
Administrative update procedure
The same update fee will apply as for version 5.0:| Research | site | 1,500.00 CHF |
| Commercial | single | 3,000.00 CHF |
| dual | 4,000.00 CHF | |
| site | 4,500.00 CHF |
All users who have purchased a new license of version 5.0 or ordered an update to version 5.0 after November 1st, 2010 will get the update to version 5.2 for free.
New: Single and dual workstation licenses will not only be offered for windows but also for UNIX/LINUX systems.