§ 015. How to convert RINEX3 to RINEX2?

# Intro

Legacy GNSS software (written long time ago and yet still valuable) may require GNSS data in old RINEX2 format. Nowdays CORS networks usually provide data in RINEX3 or even RINEX4 format. There is need to downgrade to RINEX2. KernelSAT RTOOLS service may help to accurately convert RINEX3 or RINEX4 into legacy RINEX2 both raw measurements and navigation data (ephemeris).

Let's imagine we have in hands two RINEX3 files - observations and navigation (ephemeris). Next it'll be showed how to convert both into legacy RINEX2 format using RTOOLS service.

# RINEX3 TO RINEX2: Observations & Navigation

Run new RTOOLS session. Select Merge (combine) RINEX files option.

Select OBS and NAV files at the next step. You may be warned if too huge(s) file are selected and if you do not have paid subscription. If so - you may try a file of less size (which fits to FREE account).

Select required version of RINEX selected files be converted to. RINEX 2.11 is used here.

Just to check settings and selected files. Press Upload finally.

Uploading and converting will take some time. Once ready - all files converted to RINEX2 will be automatically downloaded as ZIP archive.

Once unzipped, you may get both observation and splitted per system navigation files.

# Summary

There are a lot of legcy GNSS software which may be not quite compatible with modern RINEX formats like RINEX3, RINEX4. Sometimes it is needed to convert such files into legacy format like RINEX2.

It was showed how to do such converting using RTOOLS online service. RTOOLS allows to convert both observations and navigation data (ephemeris).