Processing and distribution of scintillation related data based on the high rate real time network EVnet

Kurzfassung

Over the past years the DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation (IKN) has developed the so called ‘Experimentation and Verification Network’ (EVnet). EVnet has to be considered as a new network infrastructure realising the reception, transmission, and distribution of any kind of GNSS data as well as processing products via Internet streaming technologies in real time. To this purpose a set of sensor stations - each equipped with GNSS-receivers - is installed at specific world wide locations. For the distribution and processing of the GNSS data a processing host, and additional components have been installed to make up a complete remote processing and control system. The added value of EVnet constitutes in the software components realising the high-rate data processing as in the context of scientific research topics like ionospheric scintillations. Therefore, EVnet was employed as an infrastructure facility for the data acquisition, processing, and exchange of scintillation related parameter within the project PRIS “PRediction of Ionospheric Scintillations”, founded by ESA. As one essential part of the project an internal EVnet processor was developed and operated in cooperation with GMV, S.A.. A case in point of this processing module is the high-rate processing using the special feature of the EVnet to operate with up to 50 Hz raw data. The processor enables the assessment of raw data delivered by specific Javad/Topcon receivers to detect single carrier cycle slips and data gaps, to estimate the momentary phase noise, to locate non-regular phase fluctuations and to derive scintillation related parameter like S4 index, sigma phi, TEC and specific statistics. The presentation will be divided into three parts. In the first part a short overview about the basic architecture of the EVnet and the interaction between all integrated components will be given. Moreover, the integration of EVnet into the PRIS system architecture to combine offline and online processing will be discussed. In the second part the integration of the scintillation data processor will be explained focussed on its technical realisation. Due to the fact, that the Javad/Topcon receiver based EVnet processor is working in parallel with a Novatel GSV4004 receiver (Dierendonck receiver) at one specific location, results of comparisons between both technologies will be presented.