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pages.inp

pages control file specifying the data to use and parameters to estimate

Overview

pages.inp lists the databases to use, how to use those databases, and the parameters to be estimated. Generally speaking, pages.inp contains information which will change with every solution. pages.inp is a required control file for pages. pages.inp is an ASCII file and, therefore, easily modifiable with an editor.

A basic pages.inp file contains three sections:

  1. global processing control,
  2. estimated parameter control,
  3. databases definition in which one or more databases must be designated.
Each section will be described in detail below but some general rules are:
  1. only one global control section is permitted,
  2. multiple estimation control sections are allowed,
  3. multiple database control sections are allowed,
  4. any file or database name may include the path,
  5. the default path is always the current directory,
  6. the maximum length of a file name plus path is 64 characters,
  7. all characters to the right of a dollar sign, "$", are ignored,
  8. lines starting with a dollar sign are skipped,
  9. blanks are not significant except in names including constraint identifier names,
  10. control flags are not case sensitive. However, file, database, site names and constraint identifiers are case sensitive.

Global Control Section

The global control section consists of only three lines containing one entry on each line. These must be the first three lines of the pages.inp file.

Example 

0
3
none
The number on the first line controls which major program functions will be performed. pages actions can be divided into three distinct parts:
  1. creation of the normal matrix and a priori residuals,
  2. the solution of the normal matrix and,
  3. creation of the post-fit residuals, final statistics, and products.
A zero, "0", instructs the program to do all three parts in sequence. A one, "1", forces the program to stop after creating the a priori residuals. A two, "2", forces the program to stop after solving the normal matrix.

The second line controls the observable (frequency) to be used. A one, "1" produces an L1-only solution, two, "2", an L2-only, three, "3", an ionosphere-free combination, four "4", an standard wide-lane combination, five "5", an 5*L1 - 4*L2, a non-standard, wide-lane combination solution. Multiple observable type solutions can be done within the same pages run. Simply append the designations for additional observables on this line, separated by on or more spaces. Post-fit RMS's for all requested observable types will be reported, but be aware that the satellite-by-baseline and other statistics reported will be for the the first observable type listed. In other words, it may be more useful to request "3 4" because the program will report all ion-free statics and the wide-lane RMS rather than "4 3" which reports all wide-lane statics but only the ion-free RMS.

The third line is the name of the output, adjusted ephemeris. If a valid file name is given and satellite or Earth orientation parameters are estimated, an adjusted ephemeris will be created. If the word "none" is give or no satellite or Earth orientation parameters are estimated, no output ephemeris will be made.

Note that in the example, a complete, ionospher-free solution will be done with no adjusted ephemeris generated.

Estimation Control Section

This section designate which satellites and sites will be used in the solution and if parameters related to these entities should be estimated. The control section can be repeated for each change in program operation and can be intermixed with database control sections. This would simplify combining of smaller processing tasks into large. For example, combining daily orbit solutions into a long-arc solution. These selections apply to all databases whose data fall within the indicated start/stop times. The desired status of a control flag is given by: 
    Y   = yes do estimate this parameter,
    N   = no, do not estimate this parameter, and
    C   = continue the previous state.

Example 

94 01 05 00 00  0.000
94 01 05 23 45  0.000
26
01  N  N  N  N
02  N  N  N  N
03  N  N  N  N
04  N  N  N  N
05  N  N  N  N
07  N  N  N  N
09  N  N  N  N
12  N  N  N  N
13  N  N  N  N
14  N  N  N  N
15  N  N  N  N
16  N  N  N  N
17  N  N  N  N
18  N  N  N  N
19  N  N  N  N
20  N  N  N  N
21  N  N  N  N
22  N  N  N  N
23  N  N  N  N
24  N  N  N  N
25  N  N  N  N
26  N  N  N  N
27  N  N  N  N
28  N  N  N  N
29  N  N  N  N
31  N  N  N  N
2
brmu  Y  Y  Y  N
gode  Y  Y  Y  N
An estimation section begins with the start and stop times for which the following instructions apply. The start and stop times appear on separate lines and can be in the following formats: In the third and fourth options, the hour, minute and second values are assumed to be zero.

The satellites list and control parameters follow. The first line is the number of satellites. Each subsequent line contains: the satellite PRN ID number and flags controling the estimation of position and velocity, the radiation pressure scale factor, the Y-bias scale factor, and a flag reserved for future use.

Next are the site control flags. As with the satellite controls, the first line is simply the number of sites to be included. Similar to the satellites, the subsequent lines contain: the alphanumeric site ID, double-differencing, the site's position, the tropospheric correction, and site's velocity.

Some explanation of the site flags is warrented.

The site ID must exactly match that used in the database.

The double-difference flag is effectively reserved for future program developement and must always be "Y".

The tropo correction flag has additional valid values 

    P   = output values a meters of precipitable water vapor,
    T   = output the total, "dry" (hydrostatic) plus "wet" zenith tropo,
    W   = output the "wet" tropo component only.

Database Control Section

These sections designate the databases to be used and delineates the reference satellite and site scenarios. More than one database description subsection can appear in a database control section. In turn, more than one database control section and estimation control sections can be used and intermixed. This should ease the combination of smaller into large solutions.

Example 

94 01 05 00 00  0.000
94 01 05 23 45  0.000
./acab01
none
 26 01 02 03 04 05 07 09 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3
1
 08
 31 1994 01 05 00 00   .00 1994 01 05 00 26 30.00
 19 1994 01 05 00 26 30.00 1994 01 05 03 40   .00
 07 1994 01 05 03 40   .00 1994 01 05 08 34   .00
 16 1994 01 05 08 34   .00 1994 01 05 10 54 30.00
 26 1994 01 05 10 54 30.00 1994 01 05 13 40 30.00
 23 1994 01 05 13 40 30.00 1994 01 05 17 26   .00
 25 1994 01 05 17 26   .00 1994 01 05 19 51   .00
 22 1994 01 05 19 51   .00 1994 01 05 23 45   .00
 02
brmu         Y
gode
A database control section begins with the start and stop times over which the databases are applicable. The start and stop times appear on separate lines and can entered the same formats described in the estimation control section.

The database ID follows.

The third line contains the integer file name. "None" is a valid value for this entry specifying that no integer file will be used. If a integer file is given, the integer phase ambiguities given in the file are used and no phase ambiguities are estimated for those baseline-satellite combinations.

The next line lists the total number and PRN numbers of those satellites in this database to be used in the solution. This list may be a subset of all satellites contained in the database and any satellite not listed will not be included in the solution. Satellites listed here but not included in the pertinent estimation control selection section are excluded.

The reference satellite scenario for this database follows. The first line is the total number of reference satellite time segments. Each subsequent line lists the reference satellite PRN number and the start and stop time to use that satellite as a reference for double-differencing. Note that gaps in time between reference satellites are allowed. If no reference satellite is specified for any time span, data in that time span are ignored. The reference satellite scenarios are therefore a convenient means to eliminate blocks of unwanted observations.

Finally, the number and ID's of sites in the database to be used in the solution are listed. One site must be identified as the reference by a trailing "Y" the appropriate line. This list may be a subset of all sites contained in the database. Any sites not listed will be excluded from the solution. Stations listed here but not included in the pertinent estimation control section are excluded.

If surface met RINEX files are to be used, each site's met file should be appended to the site ID line mentioned above.

Sample Two-Site, One-Basline pages.inp File

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inp.html
March 4, 1999
Steve Hilla