Quasi-zenith Satellite System (QZSS) watching Japan from above. Image: JAXA.
Special Committee 104 of the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) has just completed another amendment to RTCM 10403.2, the widely-used “Version 3” standard for Differential Global Navigation Satellite System Services (DGNSS).
RTCM’s standard supports very high accuracy navigation and positioning through a broadcast from a reference station to mobile receivers. This amendment introduces an ephemeris message and a set of the new Multiple Signal Messages (MSM) for the Japanese Quasi–Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The new signals join the GPS and GLONASS messages, as well as the recently added Galileo and BeiDou System (BDS) messages.
In this new amendment: The QZSS ephemeris message contains satellite ephemeris, accuracy and health status (signal and data) information. This message could be broadcast to ensure homogenous ephemeris information is used at the reference station application and at the user equipment.
Seven new messages for QZSS are introduced in the new Multiple Signal Message (MSM) format. The messages include compact and full messages for Pseudorange, PhaseRange, Carrier to Noise Ratio (standard and high resolution), and PhaseRangeRate.
The amended standard is available from RTCM at its secure online publication store. Visit www.rtcm.org and click on ‘Publications.’
