XEPHEM

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6----+----7----+----8
XEPHEM 2   500          920324000000.       920325000000.                       
----+----0----+----0----+----0----+----0----+----0----+----0----+----0----+----0
                                                                                
                                                                                
COLUMNS FORMAT         DESCRIPTION                         DEFAULT VALUE & UNITS
                                                                                
1-6     A6         XEPHEM - Indicates that an external                          
                   ephemeris will be provided for use in                        
                   the measurement model routines for                           
                   determining the orbits. Note [1]                             
                                                                                
7-8     I2         Number of satellite ephemerides provided         1           
                   on external ephemeris. The ID's for the                      
                   satellites are included in the header                        
                   record of the ephemeris file.                                
                                                                                
11-14   I4         Size of internal buffers used to hold the        300         
                   satellite ephemeris information. Note [2]                    
                                                                                
15-16   I2         Unit number for the file that contains the       66          
                   external ephemeris. This unit is read only                   
                   in IIE. IIS does not verify that the file                    
                   exists, nor does it verify that the file                     
                   actually contains the number of satellites                   
                   or time periods specified. IIE will terminate                
                   if the information is incorrect.                             
                                                                                
25-44   D20.8      Start time for the external ephemeris in the                 
                   form: YYMMDDHHMMSS. Start time must be at                    
                   least three time steps prior to the first observation        
                   point for the 10 point hermitian interpolation. NOTE [3]     
                                                                                
45-59   D15.3      End time for the external ephemeris in the                   
                   form: YYMMDDHHMMSS. End time must be at least                
                   five time steps after the last observation for               
                   the 10 point hermitian interpolation. NOTE [3]
NOV 1994

9411.0

GLOBAL SET

XEPHEM (cont)

                                                                                
Note [1]: The external ephemeris contains cartesian elements for the satellites 
          in a true of date reference frame. A 10th order hermitian interpolator
          is used to interpolate the satellite elements to the data times.      
                                                                                
          Satellite epoch parameters must still be provided in the Arc set on   
          the SATPAR, EPOCH, ELEMS1 and ELEMS2 card for each satellite in the   
          run. The measurement model uses the external ephemeris, but the       
          program still needs to perform integration for the variational        
          partials.                                                             
                                                                                
Note [2]: IIE uses a double buffering scheme where each buffer is               
          (6 * No. of satellites * Buffer size) 64 bit words. In general, the   
          larger the buffer the more efficient the run.                         
                                                                                
Note [3]: To determine the start time for the external ephemeris note           
          that the integrator evaluates the first point 5 integration steps     
          before the listed epoch time. The external ephemeris start time       
          must be at least 3 time steps prior to this point. So, if the         
          integration step size is Tstep, and the interval on the external      
          ephemeris is Textint, then the external ephemeris start time must     
          be less than Tstart - 5*Tstep - 3*Textint.                            
          To determine the stop time for the external ephemeris note            
          that the integrator may go 2 integration steps beyond the epoch       
          stop time. The external ephemeris stop time must be at least 5        
          time steps after this point. So, if the integration step size is      
          Tstep, and the interval on the external ephemeris is Textint,         
          then the external ephemeris stop time must be greater than            
          Tstop + 2*Tstep + 5*Textint.                                          
                                                                                
IF CARD OMITTED: Satellite ephemeris is obtained from integration of orbit.
NOV 1994

9411.0

GLOBAL SET

XEPHEM (cont)

                         EXTERNAL EPHEMERIS                                     
                                                                                
The external ephemeris file is a binary file consisting of a header             
record and any number of data records.  The total number of data records        
is optional, but it must be sufficient to at least cover the data times         
in the GEODYN run (+3 steps before the first data point and 5 steps             
after the last data point for the 10 point hermitian interpolation).            
Following is a description of the header and data records.                      
                                                                                
HEADER RECORD.  (Record Length, RECL = 6*nsat+1)                                
--------------                                                                  
                                                                                
Word(s)                                                                         
1               - Number of satellite ephemerides in this file (nsat)           
2               - Start time of ephemeris data in UTC yymmddhhmmss.             
3               - Time interval between ephemeris points. (Step size)           
4 -> nsat+3     - Satellite ID's of the satellites in this file in the          
                  order that the satellite ephemeris data is provided           
                  in the data records.  (i.e. the first satellite ID            
                  must belong to the first set of six satellite elements        
                  in the data record)                                           
nsat+4 -> RECL  - Set to zero. Not currently used.                              
                                                                                
                                                                                
DATA RECORDS.  (Record Length, RECL = 6+nsat+1)                                 
-------------                                                                   
                                                                                
The time between data records must correspond exactly to the time               
interval specified in word 3 of the header record.  The satellite               
elements provided in each data record must be in the same order as the          
satellite ID's specified in the header record.  The satellite elements          
provided must be true of data cartesian elements.                               
                                                                                
         Word(s)                                                                
           1             - Time in seconds from start time specified in         
                           the header record.  For the first data record        
                           this must be zero seconds.                           
                                                                                
           2 -> 7        - Six satellite elements for satellite number 1        
             .                                                                  
             .                                                                  
6*(nsat-1)+2 -> 6*nsat+1 - Six satellite elements for satellite number nsat


Patrick Dahiroc
1998-09-10